If you haven’t and you got the nerve be sure to check it out.

But today I present to you 10 smoking 2 notes-per-string licks”.

A technique that feels different from the 3 notes per string and will definitely improve your technique in many ways if you work hard at it. Also the licks are perfect to incorporate into your improvisations.

While there are a lot of great guitar players known for their 3 notes-per-string, don’t underestimate what people like Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson and John McLaughlin can do with 2 notes per string. They rock!

So let’s get your hands back in the dirt and work on these smoking licks.

Note: Don’t forget to use the alternate picking technique (up,down,up,down,up,down…)

Make yourself proud!

Sometimes it’s because I think I’m entitled to a break for whatever ridiculous reason or because I’m feeling kind of tired and I’m also burdened with the thought that there is so much else to be done.

They’re all pathetic excuses so I don’t have to get off my lazy ass.

But I found a really easy way to take care of those excuses and to be honest with you it works brilliantly.

I call it “The 5 minute guitar workout”

Let’s take a closer look:

When you’re sitting in that comfy chair of yours or you’re looking at your busy schedule your mind is already going into defense mode and you’re like… “No no I have no energy left or time to play guitar for 20 or 30 minutes, let alone more than that.”

The thought of such a long guitar workout can sometimes be too much of a stumbling block.

Now replace that inner dialog and tell yourself you’re only going to practice for 5 minutes. No more. Just 5 minutes. That sounds easy doesn’t it.

That sounds even quite reasonable.

And you know what… It’s just that little push you need to get started. It’s the number one most important aspect of practicing: “Getting started.”

Once you’ve started the rest takes care of itself. And it’s okay to practice for only 5 minutes but you’ll probably end up playing longer than that, because once you’re playing you’ll get in a flow, a meditative state and you’ll be enjoying the ride.

I found that it works every time, because it’s only 5 minutes whatever the real outcome may be.

It’s so effective that I made 5 minute workouts for everything and I spread those workouts randomly throughout the day and week.

I’ve become in love with my 5 minute workouts.

Here’s my list:

- 5 minute scales workout

- 5 minute speed picking workout (working with a metronome)

- 5 minute improvising workout

- 5 minute playing, memorizing and enjoying songs workout

- 5 minute music theory workout

- 5 minute transcribing songs for my students workout

I also have other 5 minute workouts that have nothing to do with guitar playing whatsoever, but anyway here you are:

- 5 minute meditation workout

- 5 minute running workout

- 5 minute reading workout

Thanks for your 5 minutes. I appreciate it.
Klaus

Click here to download your free copy of "The 150 Esstential Chords" Ebook

In the first example I wrote out the entire 12 bar blues. In the other examples I just wrote out the alternatives to bar 1,2 and 9. More you don’t need, the rest of the bars is played the same way as those 3. Just play them in the right order. You’ll see what I mean once you’ve tried the first 12 bar blues.

The shuffle blues is one of the most common used rhythms in blues and so used by all the great blues artists like Clapton, BB King, Albert King, Robert Johnson etc. For those who are just starting out in blues, this is the backbone of blues rhtyhm guitar so I suggest you get your hands dirty. :)

If you want to read more about the origin of the blues shuffle and blues in general check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues

Enjoy!

I just love figuring out different ways to play a jazz chord progression or just mixing up jazz chords with other styles of music.

It can add nice flavors to a song and give it some extra magic. It’s really fun to experiment with that.

Learning jazz expands your guitar vocabulary to a whole new level if you are ready for it.

In the meantime it’s just fun to play some beautiful jazz chord progressions and it will certainly contribute to your playing skills and creativity as well.

There are also more advanced II-V-I’s than the ones I show here but these are really nice to start out with and get your feet in the dirt. It can be a little bit overwhelming if you learn to play jazz chords and progressions for the first time, but after a few runs you’ll get the hang of it. You’ll be amazed!

The II-V-I is one of the most used chord progressions in jazz standards, so it is an important progression for jazz players to learn. The II-V-I are roman numerals for 2-5-1 and so the chords are built of the second, fifth and first degree of the major scale. The II is from the minor chord family, the V is from the dominant 7 chord family and the I is from the major chord family.

Check out these 5 beauties and memorize each one by heart.
Don’t forget to take a break if you need it. A nice cappuccino will do the job.

For an explanation of how the read the chords below check out 10 Ways to Play the Most Beautiful Open Chord Shapes

Enjoy and have fun!

/ Em9 / A13 / Dmaj9 / Dmaj9 /

Em9 = x7577x
A13 = 5x567x
Dmaj9 = x5465x

/ Am7 / D7#9 / G6 / G6 /

Am7 = 5x555x
D7#9 = x5456x
G6 = 3x243x

/ Bm9 / E13 / Amaj7 / Amaj7 /

Bm9 = 7×7779
E13 = x7x799
Amaj7 = 5x665x

Cappuccino or tea break with some nice biscuits!

/ Em9 / A7#5 / Dmaj9 / Dmaj9 /

Em9 = xx5432
A7#5 = 5x566x
Dmaj9 = x5765x

/ Am11 / D7b9 / Gmaj13 / Gmaj13 /

Am11 = 5x553x
D7b9 = x5454x
Gmaj13 = 3x445x

If you know a nice II-V-I progression please share it in the comments.
Thanks,
Klaus

Click here to download your free copy of "The 150 Esstential Chords" Ebook

Guitar playing and the stuff that comes with it like backing up your audiofiles, writing down your lyrics and music becomes even more enjoyable if you got the right tools for the job.

Or some nice blues backingtracks to improvise over. It makes practicing a hell of a lot more fun.

Let’s take a look at these guitar productivity tools:

- Blanksheetmusic.net Notation sheets for every instrument and vocals

- www.guitarvoice.com Awesome guitar backingtracks. Search by artist, random or genre.

- Crashplan.com Unlimited Online backup storage for all your precious audio files and everything else for only $3 a month

- Audio.online-convert.com Online audio/video/ebook converter

- Mflow is a really good sounding/looking Online Social Music Streaming Tool next to Spotify, Last.fm and Grooveshark

- Audio speed tempo pitch changer (reducing audiospeed while remaining pitch and vice versa)
for Windows: Windows Media Player 12
for Mac: Audiolobe

- Masterwriter.com Songwriter tool used by famous artists and producers including Rob Thomas and David Foster.

- The 150 Essential Chords Ebook I would be a fool not to recommend my own 150 Essential Chord Ebook. A good organized, categorized and easy to read chord book with a nice layout. Free to download.

- Reading sheet music:
A short version:www.musictheory.net
An extended version: www.readsheetmusic.info

- More Tools 21-must-have-online-musician-tools-for-guitar-players

If you know some cool guitar productivity tools, please share it in the comments.

I appreciate it.
Klaus

Click here to download your free copy of "The 150 Esstential Chords" Ebook

When I first started out playing on stage I was quite a shy person.

Sometimes I could be totally the opposite but many times I was just a wreck because of a lack of confidence.

I usually wasn’t at ease.

Through the years I discovered with trial and error why I always felt this nerve racking. I eventually learned to be totally happy, at ease and enjoying the experience on stage. So can you.

Here are the keys to find solid confidence on stage:

Know your material
Make sure you know your songs by heart. Know your chords, progressions, keys, scales and solos thoroughly, from top to bottom, inside out, 110%. Practice as much as possible. Get it down! If you really know your stuff you are half way there.

Choose the right material
Pick songs within your skill level or easier. Once you’re out on stage it’s a burden less to worry about. You don’t want feel anxiety because you might not be in shape today. Choose material you really like or better yet love to play.

The show must go on
If you make a mistake, don’t draw any attention to it. Just go on as usual. People probably won’t even notice, but if you make a fuzz out of it yourself, they will too. Put on your best pokerface for a second and pretend it’s all in the game. It shows you are a pro.

Lighten up
Don’t take yourself damn seriously. Don’t try to act cooler than you are. Be yourself and you’ll be cool enough. It’s okay to smile on stage once in a while. People will love you for it. If you be yourself you’ll be much more relaxed and confident.

Focus
Concentrate and totally live in the moment with your music. Be in love with the music first and then love the audience for listening. Don’t do it the other way around. Don’t let yourself be distracted by what the audience might think of you, your performance or whatever. Don’t tempt yourself to read their minds, it’s totally useless and counterproductive.

If you’re truly one with the music, your instrument and let it sweep you away, people will hear it, see it and feel it instantly. The audience loves a true, passioned and authentic artist.

Prepare your performance
Know what to do on stage from beginning to end. Make a playlist. Prepare how to introduce yourself. Know what to say or do between songs. Learn it by heart. There is always room for spontaneity but you can fall back on what you’ve prepared. Let people know you belong on that stage. Take control. Engage, involve, appreciate your audience and thank them for coming.

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Click here to download your free copy of "The 150 Esstential Chords" Ebook

If you’re new to scale sequences I suggest you check out “6 Basic Major Scale Sequences / Melodic Patterns” first. That’s where I explain why and how you should practice scale sequences.

This is Part II of the previous post and if you got the basic scale sequences under your belt you’re pretty much up for this challenge.

I recommend you play these sequenses along with a metronome: “www.metronomeonline.com” It’s the best way to make progress in accuracy and speed. Start out really slow and gradually build up your speed. Only go faster when you can play each note clear and correctly.

The sequences are for the intermediate and advanced. They are tricky but incredibly fun to play.

Enjoy and improve!