Arena Recording Studio

23/12/2025

🎸 Long Time Student!
Finley has been coming to Arena Recording Studio and learning guitar skills for a few years!
Great lad! Great player!

22/12/2025

🎶 Arena Recording Studio 🎶
At Arena Recording Studio, I help artists turn ideas into finished, professional-sounding music — from recording and vocal sessions to mixing and production. Whether you’re an upcoming artist or ready to level up your sound, this is the place to lock in and create.
🚨 Heads up: Limited recording slots are opening in the New Year.
👉 Save this page now so you don’t miss your chance to book when spots drop.
New year. New music. Let’s work. 🎧🔥

16/12/2025

Great recording session with Eloise 😃🎙️
Without doubt one of the best singers to come into for a while!

14/12/2025

A fun vocal session today!

12/12/2025

Different string gauges on an acoustic guitar can significantly affect tone, playability, volume, and feel. Here’s a clear breakdown of the benefits of each gauge category:

🎸 Extra Light / Custom Light (e.g., .010–.047, .011–.052)

Benefits

Very easy to play – great for beginners or players with hand/wrist issues.

Easier fretting and bending – ideal for fingerstyle and expressive playing.

Less tension on the guitar – safer for older or more delicate instruments.

Brighter tone – crisp and articulate.

Trade-offs

Less volume and projection.

Can sound thinner, with less bass.

More prone to fret buzz and breakage.

🎸 Light Gauge (e.g., .012–.054)

Benefits

Most popular choice – good balance between playability and tone.

Versatile – works for strumming, flatpicking, and fingerstyle.

Fuller tone than extra lights, with decent bass response.

Reasonably easy to play for most hands.

Trade-offs

Slightly harder to bend and fret than lighter sets.

🎸 Medium Gauge (e.g., .013–.056)

Benefits

Loud projection – excellent for live performance or bluegrass players.

Full, rich, powerful tone with strong bass.

Great for hard strumming or aggressive flatpicking.

More sustain and dynamic range.

Trade-offs

Requires more finger strength.

Harder on the fretting hand and may cause fatigue.

Higher tension — not recommended for lightly-built guitars (e.g., small-bodied vintage acoustics).

🎸 Heavy Gauge (rare for acoustic, e.g., .014–.059)

Benefits

Maximum volume and projection.

Very thick, heavy tone.

Great for alternate tunings (e.g., C, B) because they stay stable under low tension.

Trade-offs

Not beginner-friendly – can be very stiff.

Risk of damaging some acoustics due to high tension.

Requires strong technique and fingers.

🎸 Matching Gauge to Style

Style Recommended Gauges Why

Fingerstyle Light / Custom Light Sensitivity, clarity, and ease of play
Strumming (general) Light Balance of tone + comfort
Hard strumming / Bluegrass Medium Volume and punch
Alternate tunings Medium–Heavy Stability and reduced buzz
Beginners Custom Light or Light Comfortable tension and tone

10/12/2025

Busy day playing, mixing and recording cool stuff!
Lots of lessons too!
fans

09/12/2025

A question I get asked a lot is "how much practice should I do?"
There’s no single “perfect” amount of practice time for everyone, but there are widely recommended ranges depending on your goals and schedule. Here’s a clear guide:

🎸 Beginner (0–6 months)

15–30 minutes a day, 4–6 days a week

Focus on finger strength, basic chords, rhythm, and switching smoothly.

Short, consistent sessions are more effective than long, infrequent ones.

🎸 Early Intermediate (6–18 months)

30–45 minutes a day, 5–6 days a week

Start learning scales, barre chords, riffs, and simple songs.

Include structured practice (exercises) + “fun time” (songs you enjoy).

🎸 Intermediate to Advanced (1.5+ years)

45–90 minutes a day, 5–6 days a week

Practice technique, improvisation, music theory, and more complex songs.

Break practice into focused blocks (e.g., 15 min technique, 15 min songs, etc.).

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⭐ The most important rule

Consistency beats duration.
It’s better to practice 20 minutes every day than 2 hours once a week.

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🎯 Tips for faster progress

Warm up for 5 minutes each session.

Use a metronome.

Record yourself weekly.

Learn songs you love so practice doesn’t feel like a chore.

08/12/2025

Please have a listen to my latest guitar instrumental release 😃🎸

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/chriscragg/beyond-the-blue

07/12/2025

🎸 Limited Spots Available! 🎸

Excited to announce that my 16-week Beginner Acoustic Guitar Course at Arena Recording Studio kicks off in mid-January! If you’ve always wanted to learn guitar, build solid fundamentals, and play real songs, this is your chance.

👉 Very limited spaces, so grab your spot before they’re gone!
Message me for details. Let’s make some music! 🎶

01/12/2025

🎸 Seniors Afternoon Beginner Guitar Course – 16 Weeks!
Arena Recording Studio, Crewe
Aimed at seniors, but all ages welcome!

Always wanted to learn guitar? Now’s the perfect time! Join our friendly 16-week acoustic guitar course designed especially for beginners who want to learn at a relaxed, enjoyable pace.

✨ Why Join?
✔ Perfect for absolute beginners
✔ Gentle, supportive teaching
✔ Fun, social and confidence-boosting
✔ Learn in a real professional studio
✔ Great for wellbeing and staying active
✔ Seniors focus, but open to everyone!

Make new friends, learn new skills, and discover the joy of making music — one chord at a time 🎶

📍 Arena Recording Studio, Crewe
📅 Afternoons – 16-week course
🎟 Limited places available!

👉 Message us to book your spot or find out more!

Arena Recording Studio. Guitar lessons & singing lessons. We have a fantastic recording studio and

24/11/2025

https://youtu.be/3dTwdgFNRfY?si=Huj5wBS9fylCvIvT

🎸 Beyond the Blue – Melodic Rock Guitar Instrumental by Chris Cragg | Emotional, Powerful Guitar Music“Beyond the Blue” is a soaring melodic rock guitar ins...

19/11/2025

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Shaun Bolton, Denis Den, Matthew Brammer, Uke Praise, Paul Senior, Keith Buzz Hamilton, Steven Horne, Emma Peach, David Elliott