The Everyday Guitarist

Overcoming Plateaus: Tribute to the Old Adage of Playing for the Song

2012-01-21T23:43:00.000-08:00

Plateaus are something we all deal with in our mutual quest to achieve guitar mastery.

Periodically there comes a point where we cease to see any discernable improvements in our playing.

Despite hours of practice, we find ourselves stuck in a rut, held back by the same old weaknesses and shortcomings in our playing.

Like all such hardships, such points are best viewed as a blessing in disguise. If nothing else, they force us to sit back and reflect on what we are doing, and where we have gone wrong in our approach.

When it comes to guitar playing, plateaus are often caused by our own failure to focus on the things that matter. Rather than focusing on the “song,” the “music” or the “sound,” we get caught up in all the externals. We want fame, fortune, money, girls, whatever.

In short-- most of us have moved on to Step B before mastering Step A.

Somewhere along the line all the externals have come to supersede the true purpose of playing an instrument – to create beautiful music.

Out of our desire for instant gratification, we end up cutting corners: we seek to play fast too soon, we get lazy, we noodle, we lose discipline and focus. We think we can get by with subpar material.

Unfortunately, while one might find temporary success with mediocrity, it is unlikely to be a viable long run option.

Many cynical players think that the music doesn’t matter, that it’s all about networking with friends and putting on a show. They ask: why focus on the internals (e.g., the quality of the music, one’s skills on the instrument, and the overall sound being produced) when we can have all the externals without having mastered the internals?

Unfortunately, once the gimmick has worn off, and people are sick of your image and style, people have already moved on to the next hip thing.

Once you are past the “college stage” where being in a band is just a fun excuse to get your social network out on the town mingling such a strategy is no longer viable. People get married, get serious in their careers, and abandon the whole party thing.

At such points, what determines those that go on from those that wither and drown is the presence of serious musical talent.

Eventually reach a fork in the road, at which point you will have to choose to either quit or seek to bring your chops to a professional level of quality.

There comes a point when there are no shortcuts – the house must be built on talent. This often requires rediscovering the real purpose of playing – to achieve technical and musical mastery.

Somewhere along the line most people lose sight of what matters: focusing on the music. Every second you focus your thoughts on the audience and the impression you are making on them, you take your attention away from the thing that is ultimately going to impact your audiences– your performance on the task at hand.

Paradoxically, when we focus solely on the music – not the impression we create on our audience, not how to get girls, not the next big party – we in fact impress a lot more, and in fact achieve all the external rewards we were looking for.

Cloud 9

2011-12-13T21:41:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I last recorded and posted a track, but I am back with what I feel is my finest cut yet.

Once again a diversity of influences come together to create a delectable musical experience, that has no precedent on the modern rock guitar.

Cloud 9 sees a blend of my trademark classically influenced guitar style with the heavy bottom end of nu metal, the melodicism of Gothenburg death metal scene, the stately drum beats of Lady Gaga, all topped off with blazing shred guitar licks.

The song traverses a number of musical modes including the Mixolydian, Phrygian and Ionian modes.

Compared to earlier tunes, Club Shred and Into the Night, Cloud 9 showcases the legato technique. After some dreamy atmospheric lines at 3:09, the listener is smashed upside the head with some ripping arpeggios and Final Fantasy-esque melodies, which culminate in a descending scalar passage, splitting at 3:44 into a descending chromatic scale harmonized in diminished intervals. This passage fluidly transitions back into the Ionian mode for an Eddie Van Halen style licks, two-hand tapping, and finally, an ascending legato lick a la Joe Satriani, which spans the entire fingerboard.

Enjoy!

Achieving Perfect Guitar Technique by Focusing on Tonal Quality

2011-11-25T17:40:00.001-08:00

A problematic tendency exhibited by many developing players is to focus on technique rather than the quality of the sound being emitted from the instrument.

It is a common misconception that focusing directly on the physical motions involved in playing is the best way to improve technique, and by extension, the quality of one’s overall tone.

It is especially easy for intermediate level players to think that the key to improving their chops is to mull over every minor detail of physical technique -- for example, the angle at which the pick strikes the string, the position of the right hand, whether to anchor palm of the bridge, etc.

They become so wrapped up in bodily processes that they become so self-conscious that their playing in fact becomes worse.

They make more mistakes – their playing becomes, tense, sloppy and uneven.

This rigid way of approaching learning is typical of traditional music education. It is thought that by making conscious the mechanics of proper technique these habits will eventually become ingrained and automatic.

This approach is appropriate in the early stages of playing. However, at the intermediate to advanced stages -- when the basics should have already been acquired -- over focus on physical mechanics short circuits the mind-body feedback loop that occurs when one focuses exclusively on tonal quality and adjusts physical technique in order to achieve the desired aesthetic results.

While self-awareness is perhaps the most distinguishing feature of human intelligence it is possible for it to be increased to a maladaptive level. When self-awareness is abnormally high, it can lead to nervousness, anxiety and tension.

Translated to guitar playing (and perhaps most other aspects of life) this means a relative inability to act with confidence. We become so self-conscious that we begin to fumble around and make mistakes, being preoccupied with what our hands are doing and what the audience is thinking.

In reality, a far more efficient means it to focus predominantly on the quality of the tone, and letting this guide the physical motions.

Typically, players think in the reverse. They think that by focusing on the physical they can control to the quality of the tone. In reality, by focusing on the quality of the tone, they are actually giving the body all the instructions it needs to achieve perfect technique -- as well as perfect tone.

That said, next time you pick up your axe, try conducting a little experiment:

Instead of focusing on your hands, close your eyes and focus on the sound being emitted from the instrument. Play slowly, for example, a basic major or minor scale. Then, while maintaining focus on tonal quality, adjust your playing technique until you notice an improvement in overall sound. Make sure every note rings clearly. Noise should be reduced to as low a level as possible. You might try loosening your wrist, or softening your picking technique.

Once you have attained a more refined sound, observe what your hands are doing. It is likely that that the physical mechanics you have just discovered represent those that should become your standard playing technique. By running this exercise routinely, you should eventually gain valuable insight into how to advance your chops to a whole new level.

Learning Classical Guitar: The Key to Insane Shred Chops?

2011-08-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of all guitarists’ mutual quest in becoming better players I share my experience with the one factor that led to the most drastic improvement in my guitar playing: the disciplined study of classical guitar.

Surprisingly, most of my formal studies on the guitar have been in the area of classical guitar rather than electric. And no, I’m not talking about just learning classical pieces on electric as you might have guessed if you’ve seen my Youtube videos. I’m talking the "real" classical guitar here, nylon strings, long finger nails and all.

Each time I went out and took lessons with a classical guitar instructor -- almost completely neglecting the electric in the process -- I found myself coming back to the electric a far more seasoned, confident, relaxed, faster, better, player. The electric guitar just seemed easier after the experience.

The reason is simple: classical guitar is far more difficult, physically, cognitively, and spiritually to play.

Benefits to the Left Hand

The left hand improves tremendously just due to the extra strength required to fret notes and chords and do the stretches involved in classical pieces. This much should be obvious.

Look at Chris Broderick of Megadeth, for instance, who has a Bachelor’s degree in guitar performance. This guy studied classical guitar formally and now is famous for executing some of the most insane “piano-like” tapping on the electric guitar, which requires the utmost strength in the left hand. You’ll notice his technique is flawless: very relaxed with his left-hand pinky glued to the fingerboard. Although Broderick is not much of an alternate picker from most indications, his left hand strength and dexterity has done more than its fair share in boosting him to stardom in the shred community.

Benefits to the Right Hand

Even better, one may not think so, but the strength gained in the right hand actually transfers into playing electric with a pick. I believe this is due to the fact that picking technique on electric actually engages the fingers, as well as the wrist – despite the fact that most tend to think of alternate picking as nearly entirely coming from the wrist. The fingers often act as stabilizing muscles when alternate picking, and when playing slower are often directly engaged in the motion for many players.

This ability for right hand skills in the one style to transfer into the other, I find only works from classical to electric and not vice versa. Being able to use the plectrum typically does little to make one good at finger picking.

Global Meta- Cognitive Skill

Finally, the classical guitar requires tremendous cognitive effort to play. There is more coordination required in the right hand, as well as the left hand. Extra meta-cognitive and meta-physiological effort is required to maintain a relaxed state and achieve good tone, with consistency and clarity.

After going through all this extra exertion when studying classical for a while you will find that the electric becomes easy by comparison.

Conclusion:

Given the above, you might consider putting down your electric, getting a classical, enrolling in some lessons, and only playing electric when you need to practice or perform with/for your rock band. Give it a try: it’s like running with a parachute.

Must Read:

How to Improve you Chops Part II: Playing to Perfection

The Quick Ways to Improve your Shred Chops

Solo Artistry: A Better Business Model for Guitarists?

2011-07-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

As part of my now long-running series documenting my journey to becoming a full-fledged solo artist, I now seek to provide some thoughts on the benefits of becoming a solo artist over-and-above the traditional band thing.

Reservations about the “Band Thing”

Typically, the band thing is considered to be the standard of making it as a guitarist in the music business. After all, that is how most people do it and the whole sex drugs and rock-and-roll thing is just too alluring for many to pass by (and in fact these days this is largely a myth; more on this in a future post).

Nonetheless, after several band experiences under my belt, I’ve been left underwhelmed overall. It seems that bands typically end up being a very short run endeavor. Inevitably, people quit, relocate, move on to other things, e.g., work, family, the “mainstream” lifestyle.

Once the band meets its demise, all the content the band created together becomes a relic of the past. Unless the band achieved fame, they are forgotten. The initial investment of time, energy and money comes to naught, only serving to keep the memory of prior days still alive.

Let’s face it, the music industry is changing; in the days of YouTube, iTunes, and other online media, a greater share of revenue is generated online through advertising, mp3 downloads and the like.

While touring is still a money maker, most bands simply aren’t going to reclaim their initial investment. Strong followings are hard to build up at a local level. Touring to convert new people into fans is a slow and arduous process.

Assuming the band lasts long enough to recoup their initial investment, they have probably been locked into some corporate scheme to which they essentially become slaves. Then life becomes truly about generating income through touring and merchandising. And once everyone takes their cut, and then profits are divided four ways, one gets to become a "Working Class Rockstar".

If the band splits, then the investment is lost and haunting debts may very well have accumulated.

I still can't get over hearing about how Chuck Shuldinger of Death, perhaps the biggest name in death metal died of a brain tumor, all because he did not have health insurance. While it's possible Chuck just didn't buy health insurance because he didn't think it was important, I'm guessing it's because he couldn't afford it.

Quite simply, there has got to be a better business model.

Benefits of Becoming an Independent Solo Artist

Trends in the industry suggest that the ideal business model is changing, with social media marketing taking center stage. Look at the massive success of Rebecca Black. On an initial $2,000 or so investment, she may very well have cashed in over a million bucks. The song was catchy, albeit, cheesy and simplistic, and of course, the lyrics were god awful. However, everyone could relate to it since everyone has experienced the relief one feels on a “Friday”. Her vocal quality may have been poor and auto-tuned, but at least it was original and “interesting.”

That said, the business model is changing, people are interested in seeing independent artists. The notion that anyone can "be a celebrity" with the advent of Youtube has enraptured the public and people are looking to these outlets for entertainment. People see these everyday folks getting famous and they like it because it suggests they could to.

From my own experience, Youtube views saw a manifold increase when I finally ditched the band mates and tried writing stuff to be played by me alone. I'm sure most my views come from people around the globe, but in many respects impact is impact.

By just improving my craft, and getting better at promoting, a decent critical mass could perhaps be met. People rarely check out local bands on Youtube. Quite simply, they are impossible to find in search results.

I can tell you, I see the following benefits of this business model:

I own full rights to all my material.
When playing live, the solo artist retains 100% of the payout from the venue.
The solo artist doesn’t need to share the spotlight with others.
No more more dealing with petty ego’s and other band drama.
Investing in myself rather than some ephemeral “group” means I can capitalize on my music throughout the duration of my own lifetime.
Greater potential for long-run growth in revenue since the same project will likely be in existence much longer.
The status of “Guru” in the community.

Benefits of “Band” Format

I’m sure I could think of many more reasons, but you get the idea. Of course, there are the downfalls.

The social aspects of being in a “band” can be a lot of fun.
Band members provide reciprocal motivation for the other members and exert quality controls.
Band members can stimulate you to think in different ways, and bring good ideas to the table.
Role differentiation takes the pressure off any single member. More efficient when each only has to worry about his or her own part in the mix.
Networking easier since more members can bring more faces into the venue.

That said, there are pros and cons to each. However, economically, it appears to be in one’s better financial interest to do the solo artist thing. As any business man could tell you, in the long run, operating in deficit is a recipe for going belly up.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment and discuss!

MUST READ:
How to Become a Solo Artist: Backing Tracks

Becoming a Solo Artist: Lessons Learned

Drum Machines: They are Better than a Metronome

How to Promote Yourself as a Solo Artist

The Local Music Scene: Quickly Becoming One Big Circus?

2011-07-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

So I've been fascinated by this DVD documentary, called Working Class Rockstar. They make some interesting points about the state of the contemporary music scene/industry.

In the clip below Frank Marino is talking about how it always used to be that live music events would be referred to as "concerts" but now they are referred to as "shows".

Apparently, the quality of the music has deteriorated so much that it is no longer about the art, rather image has taken over.

It just got me thinking about how these days it seems I never go to a local music show just for the music -- rather, something else seems to draw me out to these events.

The typical event featuring small local artists tends to follow this formula:

A large number of acts featured on a single bill, often ranging from 5 to 9; necessary to maximize revenue for venue.

None of the acts present originality to any real degree; current trends reproduced in caricatured form.

Bar is set low talent-wise; ability to play in time is the bare minimum; virtuosity rare to non-existent.

Audience consists primarily of friends of the band, and the friends of those friends.

Fans of each band show little interest in other bands on bill; often leave venue after “their” band plays.

Fans’ motivations for coming lies in being part of the “scene;” partying, people watching, alcohol use is the norm.

Attention seeking one-upmanship behavior on part of the bands; goal is to look more "pro" than other artists on bill.

That said, what is the allure of these shows? Why do people insist on going to see a big smelly pile of dog crap wrapped in a fancy package? Doesn’t it just seem like it’s all, well, one big circus?

And that’s just it -- perhaps the allure of these shows lies in that there entertainment value is similar to that of the real circus. Consider the following similarities:

Sweaty, shirtless men jumping around and banging their heads like animals.

A noisy crowd of onlookers seeking a good laugh at another’s expense.

Large pieces of equipment being wheeled in and out of the venues onto a tour bus every night.

Subjects dehumanized, stage persona becomes true self.

It seems pretty clear cut, although perhaps not a perfect analogy. But in all reality, when examining this situation structurally, it appears that just having the bands set their instruments aside and bang their chests on stage would work just as well. But then again, perhaps we should keep those around – after all, maybe one day the music will come back.

How to Promote Yourself as a Solo Artist (for Guitarists)

2011-07-05T06:54:00.001-07:00

In many ways it is easier to get recognized as a solo artist than it is for a band to get recognized since we live in an individualist culture and tend to be more captivated by the confidence it takes to get up there and put on a show all by one’s self.

Quite simply, solo artists stand out from the crowd.

Of course, no matter how much one stands out, it takes a lot of hard work in promoting yourself if you are ever going to make a name for yourself.

Promoting yourself as a guitar solo artist is really no different than promoting your self in a band situation.

I find the following to work quite well:

First you will want to start a Facebook, Youtube, Reverbnation, and perhaps, a Blogger account.

Facebook:

Facebook will serve as you primary hub where you develop a set of “fans” or followers, post announcements, and refer your fans to your other sites as updates come available.

Most of your followers will go first to your Facebook page before any of your other sites. Thus, it will be important to post any updates to your other sites on your facebook wall (e.g. Blogger posts, Youtube Videos, etc).

Youtube:

Obviously, Youtube will be the place to upload videos of you performing live. You can also upload studio recordings with an image still in place of video.

You will want to sync your Youtube account to your Facebook page so that each time you upload a video, it will post to your Facebook wall. Your fans can then view your video, “like” your video, post comments etc.

Youtube is also provides a handy means of tracking your total impact through view counts.

Compared with other sites, Youtube is able to screen out fake views, and thus, Youtube view counts provide a better indicator of your total impact around the globe.

Also, since Youtube is a search engine, your content will gain exposure outside your local area. Thus, it Youtube can help facilitate long run growth, should you decide to tour outside your area and bring your shred chops on the road.

You can also put a link in your description to itunes downloads in order to expand your revenue stream.

Reverbnation:

Reverbnation now uses the tag line “tools for artists” to describe the services offered by their site. Thus, Reverbnation will fuel your Facebook and Blogger pages with gadgets (e.g. playlists, show schedules).

You probably don’t want people to access your Reverbnation page directly, but you will be able to add a “My Band” gadget to your Facebook account that lets your fans view the tracks you upload to Reverbnation by proxy. This gadget also contains show schedules, so your fans can stay up-to-date on when you are playing live in their area.

Blogger

Finally, Blogger is a tool that is obviously meant for Blogging. While Blogger is currently not popular among aspiring bands and artists, I am convinced that it is a must have, especially now that MySpace is dead.

Since Facebook doesn’t have a “blog” function Blogger will come to some use when you need to communicate a more in-depth message to your fans (e.g., commentary on shows, a tour diary, a recording diary).

Just set your Blogger account to feed your posts into Facebook and your fans can easily click over to your blogger account.

Reverbnation also works well with Blogger and will let your post video and song widgets to your blog page.

Finally, the BEST reason why every band or guitar solo artist should have a blogger account: the prospect of monetizing your blog through Google Adsense and earning additional revenue on your labors as a band or solo artist.

Since band pages often draw a lot of direct, relevant traffic, chances are that you will be able to earn some revenue as your fans access your blogger page.

In any case, whether you see income through Adsense or not, Blogger, in conjunction with Facebook, provides an excellent means of creating a personal connection with your audience.

Grass Roots

Finally, the most important thing: play live shows and play them often.

People will see you live and then look you up on the web. When they stumble across a well-structured network of social media (see above) they are all the more likely to get involved with you and your project.

Another great part about playing shows is that often times local journalists will be around and will automatically write articles on you simply because they need content.

When you get more established, contact small local media outlets for interviews and reviews.

Even later, make an album and a press kit, with nice photos. After you have professional quality audio tracks, it will be time to monetize these by putting them on itunes and other download formats.

MUST READ:

Solo Artistry: A Better Business Model for Guitarists?

How to Become a Solo Artist: Backing Tracks

Becoming a Solo Artist: Lessons Learned

Drum Machines: They are Better than a Metronome

How to Become a Guitar Solo Artist: Backing Tracks

2011-07-05T06:52:00.001-07:00

If most guitar players knew what they needed to do to become a solo artist on their instrument there would probably be a lot more people doing it.

That said, this article addresses one route to go about rising above doing the “band thing” and developing an independent identity and business as a solo artist a la Buckethead, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, etc.

Backing Tracks

Many people see guys like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai playing live with bands and think “oh, how am I ever going to find a band that will play behind me, while I stand up there stealing the spotlight the whole time and get all the credit.”

Truth is that many of such artists start out using drum machines and backing tracks.

Buckethead, for instance, who doesn’t have the financial support of guys like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, often plays with backing tracks.

Michael Angelo Batio, another solo artist, often plays with backing tracks. Go to a guitar clinic, the guitarist will likely be playing over a backing track.

Nothing is stopping you from doing the same.

Recording Gear

That said, for those looking to get on stage as a solo artist, the first thing you will want to do is get some solid backing tracks together to play live.

Get a drum machine, some recording software, and a nice interface, and you can make these right from your PC. You can record the whole song and then when it comes time to play live you can mute the tracks that you will be playing at the live show and mix it down so that it is just the rhythm and harmony tracks. Just make sure the quality is as high as it can go, as you will need to solo over that live.

I find that this process to work great since you will basically get a studio version of your song that you can post on Youtube, Reverbnation, Myspace, Facebook, whatever, and you also get the backing track to play live to. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.

MP3 Player

Just get a good reliable mp3 player to run into the venues P.A. system and just like that you have the tools to become a solo artist.

In the next segment, I will be talking about how to promote yourself as a solo artist and increase your exposure not only in your local area but also nationally and internationally.

MUST READ

Solo Artistry: A Better Business Model for Guitarists?

Drum Machines: They are Better than a Metronome

Becoming a Solo Artist: Lessons Learned

How to Become a Guitar Solo Artist: Promotion

In Flames: Amidst an Identity Crisis?

2011-07-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

As one of my all time favorite bands, I’ve been following these guys since the Colony era, always eager to see what they pull out on each successive release.

Unfortunately, these guys seem to have long been in the midst of an identity crisis: quite simply they don’t know who they are as a band. They keep looking outward for cues as to how they should sound rather than from within.

The latter leads to truth; the latter to lies and misdirection.

I knew it was inevitable that they would seek to modern up their sound. Such things are inevitable for underground European metal bands, who frequently serve as sources of influence for American metal bands, who have historically taken the European sound, made it heavier and more rhythmic – and in essence "popularized" the sound.

We’ve seen this pattern for many years, dating back to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal’s influence on the Bay Area Thrash bands, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax.

Unfortunately, the European artists who serve as the primary influences for the more popular American bands never reap the rewards of the innovations in sound for which they are ultimately responsible.

Unfortunately, in flames, despite pioneering the melodic death metal genre and going on to influence numerous modern American metal bands – the so called “metal core” genre – are left lagging behind their own students in terms of overall popularity. And unfortunately, this is a race in which they will likely never catch up.

I saw the changes start around Reroute to Remain/Clayman era. When I saw frontman Anders Friden hit the stage looking all-to-similar to Korn’s Jonathan Davis, I could help but think “okay, operation sell out” is now in action.

Fortunately, Inflames no longer needs to draw on Korn (basically a dead band) in effort to Americanize their sound, but that’s probably because their current “metal core” style - itself born as a hybrid of the Korn era metal bands and the original Gothenburg sound – now stands alone as its own genre.

In this sense, Inflames has been successful in their ability to merge genre’s and create new ones, a practice that has been apparent since their early days when Jesper Stromblad sought to “combine the guitar style of iron maiden with the growly vocals of death metal,” or so the legend goes.

After picking up their new record Sounds of a Playground Fading, I can tell that the band is unlikely to return to their roots. That fact has been apparent since Soundtrack to Your Escape.

I can’t say that the new sound is bad; after all, I am a fan of bands experimenting with new sounds. But compared to their previous three releases, this album seems to be more of the same -- same whiny choruses over a static background of guitar chords, same chuggy riffing with harmonies interspersed, same electronic synth background tracks.

It’s all well and good for easy listening sake, but it all begins to sound the same after a while. I was surprised to hear some blues in “The Attic.” The track, “Liberation” has a interesting walking groove up front that sounds fresh, but then they kick into an all too emo-ish sounding chorus.

All in all, the impression I’m getting is that Inflames is way too desperate to gain full acceptance in the American metal scene. They need to back off a little bit, stop worrying about whether not a particular sound or song is “mainstream enough” or “marketable enough.”

Image-wise, front man Anders Friden has always betrayed whatever new trend the band is trying to latch on to:

First he mimiced Jonathan Davis in Style, now he looks like the dude from Avril Lavigne's "what the hell" video, all dressed in plaid flannels with a gruff beard. I don't follow the genre, but I'm pretty sure the latter image is common in the "hardcore," "metal-core," whatever scene.

They need to start progressing more - and by "progressing" I mean writing from within, not looking from without and copying the sound and style of others.

They actually showed progression in their early years. From Subterranean to Reroute each successive release brought something new to the table. Since Soundtrack they have just been banging away on the same note, hoping that one of these releases will finally catch on with the public.

All in all, inflames has slowly made a name for yourself putting out consistently listenable releases. However, if they are going to make a real breakthrough, they’re going to have to take a risk and shock us with something completely fresh and new. Let’s see it guys.

Must Read:

Amon Amarth: Worthy of Recent Hype?

Iron Maiden: The Greatest Band that Ever Lived?

The Best of the Everyday Guitarist

2011-06-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest parts about blogging is going back, reviewing past posts, and reflecting upon where you have been and where you are going.

That said, given the increasing popularity of The Everyday Guitarist, I am here to provide links to some of the best (and often most overlooked) articles the site has to offer.

Lessons

This site began primarily as a place to provide lessons, yet lessons surprisingly constitute some of the least viewed material on the site. Gear and artist reviews have been far more popular.

This is unfortunate, because the lessons offered on this site contain invaluable wisdom that has been acquired from numerous years of my own experience as well as considerable dollars in guitar and music lessons – and here it is all free to the reader!

That said, here are some links to what I feel are some of the best lessons this site has to offer:

Creating Your Own GuitarStyle – this was the first lesson offered on the site, and while learning to create one’s own style doesn’t fit what most have in mind when they think of guitar lessons, creating an original style is arguably one of the most important factors if you want to make it in this business. As any entrepreneur will tell you, the big bones are in innovation, not merely perfecting what others have already done.

How to Improve your ChopsPart II: Playing to Perfection – Often times, the most valuable lessons have nothing to do with the basic mechanics of playing and instead offer timeless general wisdom. While the message contained in this article is certain to make lazy players groan, the wiser among us should hopefully respect the truth behind the advice offered.

Song Writing Made Easy – This post provides an excellent overview of the pragmatics songwriting process. Most notable about the piece is its highlighting of the fact that all songwriters get their inspiration from somewhere, and that there is no such thing as an original riff or melody. As the philosopher Nietzsche would tell you, often times originality is more a product of one’s skill in disguising his sources than in anything intrinsic in the work its self.

Generalist

As mentioned, the more general writings about gear, artists, and local band culture have been more popular than the lessons. That said, here are some of the most popular posts in this area.

Iron Maiden: The GreatestBand that Ever Lived? – This one really caught one immediately after posting. No surprise, given Maiden’s immense popularity. It even got linked to a million times on a spam site. I guess whoever said popular keywords boost traffic was right.

Insignia, Band Leadership,and the Future – This article, a personal narrative, has consistently drawn in a large number of views. This is surprising, since posts of this nature typically aren’t interesting to people other than the author and his or her own social network. Nonetheless, I credit the keyword “band leadership” and the general experience it relates in this area as primarily being responsible for its success.

And finally, this site's most viewed post:

Drum Machines: They are Better than a Metronome – Yes, ironically, my review of the Alesis SR18 and commentary on the general utility of drum machines for the “everyday guitarist” has consistently been the most viewed content on this site. Again, this article was mostly personal narrative, but, like the band leadership post, it appears the public sees some value in these sorts of accounts.

Amon Amarth: Worthy of Recent Hype?

2011-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

So this is a band that has long been plugged to me by numerous friends and associates. I had checked them out in the past, but never found myself all that impressed.

It seemed to me then, and perhaps even still now, that they were just another run-the-mill melodic death metal band with a one-track obsession with the natural minor scale and cheesy dual-guitar melodies.

After all, we already have Inflames, Dark Tranquility and At the Gates. What contribution does Amon Amarth make over-and-above what these bands have already done, and has been copied time-and-time again?

After picking up two of their most esteemed albums, With Odin on Our Side and Twilight of the Thunder God, I can an answer: not much.

I picked these albums up because I was thirsty to check out some new music (see post “improve your playing by consuming culture”). But musically, there is not much interesting going on here.

The natural minor scale and its modes have been harmonized too many times; it’s old, it’s cliché, and it has gotten to the point that it is just downright boring.

And no, the “Viking metal” thing is not original either. Tolkien-esque and other fantasy themes have also been done to death, and when the singer just growls, half the time you can't even decipher the lyrics without looking at the booklet.

Most metal listeners aren’t even into lyrics anyway. Most are just into the music and overall vibe. Growly vocals really just serve as another instrument in the metal ensemble.

Talent-wise, I can’t say there is much of a wow factor either. There is scarcely an impressive guitar solo on either of these albums. And when there is a blazing solo (opening track of Twilight) it isn’t even played by one of the actual band members (rather, it is played by Children of Bodom’s Roope Latvala).

I can’t say I’m going to be learning the riffs to any of these songs or studying the lead passages.

That said, how does one explain Amon Amarth’s recent surge in popularity? Well, it appears to me, that, if anything, the primary contribution these guys make lies in the power and brutality of their sound. They take conventional melodic death metal and turn the intensity up a thousand notches.

Quite simply, these guys sound like a punch in the face. And for that reason, they provide some good light-hearted fun whenever you need to blow off some steam and release your own inner Viking. This is rugged masculinity at its finest.

In sum, they serve as great albums to listen to while working out, driving around town, or getting drunk and rowdy at some party. However, if the band wants lasting appeal, they are going to need to progress beyond the repetitive nature of their sound and start experimenting with some new vibes.

Must Read:

In Flames: Amidst and Identity Crisis?

Iron Maiden: The Greatest Band that Ever Lived?

Improve your Guitar Playing by Consuming Culture

2011-04-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

Humans are cognitive creatures. Unlike lower order primates humans distinguish themselves through the use of language and cognition. It is through our complex cognitive abilities that we are able to create culture.

You may have never considered it, but much of the meaning we draw from life is a result of our manner of consuming culture. Think about it. When you go hang out with your friends, what do you find yourself doing? I’d say much of your activity involves consuming culture in some form, whether it be watching a movie, listening to music, going out to eat etc.

If you are not directly engaged in one of these tasks, it is likely that you are discussing some aspect of culture, be it that movie, that band, that concert, whatever.

It is funny how most be chuckle at the thought of the “starving artist.” We scoff at the individuals who dedicate their lives to making it in the precarious world of art.

Ironically, few people look down at someone pursuing a career in technology, or computers – “at least there is money in that” they say. This is surprising considering all the dollars American’s spend on ipods, flat-screen televisions, and stereos – devices used for the sole purpose of consuming the art produced by idealistic individuals that are scraping just to get by.

No one considers the fact that if it weren’t for these lowly musicians, screenwriters, and performers, there would be no reason for that ipod, flat-screen, or stereo. If it weren’t for the droves of underpaid artists all these better paying jobs in the technologies would have no real reason to exist.

Of course, a select few artists are well paid for their labors, but these are the exception rather than the rule. In fact, a certain segment of the market – the so called “high brow snobs” – serve as the primary consumers of these underground, low paid artists that produce art too abstract and avant guarde for the masses who are accustomed to synthetic pre-packaged pop hooks.

Anyway, I'm going off on a bit of a tangent. I was talking about culture and how it is somehow related to cognition. To reiterate, music is possible only as a result of man’s cognitive functions. Involvement in music is thought improve academic performance, as well as performance on standardized tests. Listening to Mozart before a test is supposed to result in improved performance on that test.

While there are a number of explanations for these findings, perhaps one reason has to do with the cognitive stimulation resulting from having to do the intellectual workout necessary to interpret a work of art.

Pierre Bourdieu described this as a process of “decoding.” In order to “appreciate” a work of art, we must process the stimuli (i.e the sounds, imagery, visuals) cognitively in order to make sense out of the overall package. This mental workout presumably enhances blood flow to the brain leading to greater neuronal activity in the cerebrum. After this process is all said and done, ideally the cultural consumer should experience some little bit of positive affect that leaves them satisfied with the experience. Perhaps this is why most of our leisure time is spent in the process of consuming culture?

Psychologists have consistently found that the personality dimension known as “openness to experience” is correlated with intelligence. Individuals high on this attribute presumable possess a voracious cultural appetite, constantly seeking external stimulation (hopefully of the low intensity variety). Constantly seeking out new experiences, seeking to explore new horizons, stimulates cognition, thus boosting intelligence - or so the theory goes.

After consuming a little culture, one should find themselves a little mentally sharper, a little more verbally astute. The ideas should flow a little easier, self-control should increase. One should find themselves with more topics for conversation with others, be they friends or coworkers.

Basically, this all boils down to a lesson you have all heard before: If you want to become a better player, you should never forget how to be a fan as well. Go out purchase some records. Go to a concert. These consumption experiences should not only serve to get you inspired, they should also provide cognitive stimulation that leads to new ideas, new material to learn, and even a renewed sense of joy in the art.

Iron Maiden: The Greatest Band that Ever Lived?

2011-04-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Iron Maiden is a band proving that they will literally go down as legends in the history of metal – if not music itself.

Everyone one was impressed by millennial reunion album, Brave New World, but did anyone think the band would be able to maintain this level of success?

After purchasing their latest two studio efforts, I can answer with a resounding yes.

Most of the time band reunions end up being no more than a ploy for over the hill rockers to make a quick buck before finally keeling over and kicking the big one (Black Sabbath anyone?).

Iron Maiden, however, has managed to do the impossible, releasing two amazing albums in their 2006 release A Matter of Life and Death and the recent 2010 album The Final Frontier.

I had taken a long break from Maiden after the Brave New World era, seeing them live twice: once on the Brave New World Tour in 2000, and later at Ozzfest 2005. Both of these shows ended up being the best, most memorable concerts I’ve ever seen. Not only does Maiden consistently pull off album quality performances of their catalogue, they also put on a killer stage show, with the frantic onstage energy of Dickinson, gigantic Eddie props, stylish backdrops, and usually, an extended rant by Dickinson on the contemporary music industry.

After hearing the two new albums I find myself longing to go back and see these guys live again, as they continue to prove themselves master’s in delivering enchanting musical experiences.

Best part of it all as that Frontier and Matter of Life and Death are not rehashes of the classic maiden sound. Rather, the sound has become more contemplative and progressive. The songs have become longer, more epic; the hooks are still present, but the listener has to be a little more patient waiting for them between the long thought-provoking versus.

Overall, I’d describe listening to Maiden on these last two albums as a more intellectual experience than their early material and the nearly pop-metal Brave New World.

Perhaps the greatest indication of the quality of late-career Maiden is that these last two albums literally blow away the new Children of Bodom album, Relentless, Reckless, Forever.

I bought Relentless shortly after its March 2011 release, listened a few times, thought “blah, a few good tracks here, but mostly filler.” Unhappy with my musical fix I went out and bought Maiden’s Final Frontier. I was so impressed I went out and bought A Matter of Life and Death four days later and am satisfied.

This band has revitalized my interest in following the music of other artists, gave me some new song writing ideas, and most importantly reaffirmed the primacy of melody and musicality over chops and technicality.

Do yourself a favor and check out the latest efforts in Maiden’s catalogue if you’re thirsty for some new music.

Must Read Posts:

Amon Amarth: Worthy of Recent Hype?

In Flames: Amidst and Identity Crisis?

The Return of Bloody Tears

2011-03-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

My recording of the Gothic Rendition of Bloody Tears, a great piece in the Castlevania repertoire. What sets this version apart is that the organ lines are overdubbed on the guitar; the organ solo about halfway in is actually pretty fast and requires some nimble fretwork and quick picking. Could be better played at parts - I'm lazy, and youtube isn't my job ;) - but great easy listening nonetheless for those into gothic sounding metal. Enjoy.

My Gear:
Fender USA Double Strat
Line 6 UX2
Sony Acid Music Studio

Club Shred

2011-03-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

My piece entitled "Club Shred." Basically what I was shooting for hear was to blend the techno pop style of Marty Friedman (in his later years) with the melodic sensibilities of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, throwing in a healthy dose of alternate picked runs a la Alexi Laiho, Paul Gilbert etc.

Hope you like it!

My Gear:
Alesis SR18 Drum Machine
Line 6 UX2
Sony Acid Music Studio
Fender USA Double Strat

Sickest Shred Guitar Instrumental Ever

2011-02-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to get my first multitrack recording done. I fairly proud of the results. It looks like this becoming a solo artist thing might work.

I was shooting for Lady Gaga meets Cacophony meets Iron Maiden. My first real instrumental piece, that I mutlitrack recorded. Still working on improving the production quality, but I'm digging it so far. Hoping to keep these solo pieces coming so be sure to subscribe!!

My gear:
Fender USA double stratocaster
Alesis SR-18 Drum Machine

Line 6 UX2 USB Recording Interface

Sony Acid Music Studio

How to Improve Your Chops Part II: Playing to Perfection

2011-02-20T02:24:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I discussed some of the aspects of playing that are more metaphysical than physical. It is in many respects these metaphysical aspects that determine the quality of player we become.

Are you the sort of player that settles for nothing less than perfection? Or are you the type of player that tolerates mistakes and sloppiness? Do you find yourself letting errors in your playing slip by on grounds that “you could do better?” Do you find yourself neglecting to take the time to find the absolute best notes to include in your riffs and solos?

For those of you plagued by this problem of tolerating anything less than perfection, I offer a little wisdom:

You are the performance you create on your instrument.

In other words, bad performance = bad player. I don’t care how good you could be, or how much potential you may have.

Perhaps admissions committees at universities might care about your “potential”. But I can assure you the public does not. If you want to compete at a professional level you must tolerate nothing less than perfection.

I know this reality may be unsettling, but every time you go out there and play something downright unpleasant, shoddy, incomplete, less than stellar, you are forming a negative impression on your audience that is hard to remove once established.

Sociologist Erving Goffman contended that you are the stockpile of labels and meanings the members of a group apply to you. If you have no segment of the population that honors you with the title of “good player” or “excellent musician,” or “great songwriter” then you are not these qualities, no matter how good you yourself may personally think you are, or how great you could be.

If you do not put on a masterful performance, consistently, every time, then you are not a guitar master. If you play bad music really loud and have gotten the neighbor thinking you suck, then in his or her eyes (and probably all her friends as well) you in fact suck!

You’ve got to play for perfection every time. You’ve got to practice like someone is standing next you pricking you with a very painful needle every time you play a bad note.

The world is ruthless, insensitive. When it comes down to consumer choices, those offering the best product win while those offering an inferior product go down in flames. There is little compassion or empathy. In the eyes of most people results are the only thing that matters.

This may not be the most pleasant reality, but make no mistake, it is the reality.

Now log on to your Youtube account and delete all those poor low quality videos that could be better and leave just the content that presents a quality product to the audience. Then go pick up your axe and vow to yourself to never again play another bad note.

More Great Content Available at:

The Everyday Guitarist

The Secret to Professional Level Guitar Chops

2011-02-18T00:22:00.000-08:00

The discipline of psychology has much to inform the art of playing the guitar. In many respects, the metaphysical aspects of playing the guitar are just as important, if not more important than the physical aspects. Becoming a great player requires a change in your general outlook, lifestyle, and philosophy.

I will tell you from 12-13 years of playing experience that there is one key trait that separates those who become good players from those who remained mediocre and amateur: it is those who actually stepped up and did what they were told time and time again to do that see the greatest improvement in their playing, and are able to compete at a professional level.

How many times have you simply been too lazy to break out that metronome or drum machine? How many times have you been too lazy to play a passage slow before attempting to build speed? How often have you opted to just noodle around rather than attempt to learn something new?

If you answered "quite a bit" or "a great deal" to any of the above questions, it is likely that you are not alone. Many guitar players, perhaps most everybody, is plagued by the desire for instant results, no matter what their field may be.

What I am referring to here is the latent ability to keep the desire for instant gratification in check. Picking up a musical instrument and attempting to learn how to play already requires a great deal of delayed gratification. However, becoming a great player requires this ability to an even higher degree.

As sad as it may sound, it is the inability to defer gratification that prevents aspiring players from engaging in all those basic practices that they have been told are the key ways in which to improve.

The good news is that by reigning in on these subconscious habits you can finally begin pushing towards the chops you have always dreamed of on the guitar.

In order to do this, you need to improve your metacognitive intelligence.

In psychology, "metacognition" is a concept distinct from "cognition." Cognitive ability is the lower order aspect of intelligence that serves as the raw processing power fueling performance in some task. Sitting down with a guitar and plucking notes, fretting, reading music or tablature, are some examples of skills that rely mainly on cognitive processing to perform.

Even "animals" are capable of cognition, but humans are thought to possess meta-cognitive ability to a degree higher than any other known species.

Metacognitive processing represents your ability to view your own cognitive processes from an objective 3rd person perspective. Metacognitive processing oversees the lower order congitive processing.

I'll bet most players stuck in a rut are failing to improve are simply lacking in the metacognitive aspects of playing. After getting done with a noodling session, these players probably put their guitar down not realizing that what they played was complete garbage, was sloppy, lacked good technique, and probably got the neighbor cursing up a storm thinking about how sucky the guitar player next door is.

You've got to be your own worst critic. You've got to settle for nothing less than perfection. You need to discipline yourself.

I'll bet these players that just aren't improving put their guitar down with no attention to their own personal feelings or mental state after they are done playing.

If you hadn't checked it is likely that you got done with your noodling session feeling exhausted, in a down mood, all your energy zapped, all of it being sucked into a void of bad notes.

Ever notice how you feel good after having a positive uplifting experience and conversly how you feel bad after having a negative experience?

Yes, I'm talking about common sense here. If you want to improve your playing you need to engage in some metacognitive processing and begin to only do things that make you feel good.

That sense of pride and good feeling you get from mastering a new song or solo? You want to acheive that on a regular basis. You should be monitoring youself for this feeling constantly, everytime you put down the guitar and even while playing. Everything you do on the guitar should be to acquire that boost in pride or self-worth.

To do this requires doing all those annoying things that everyone has always told you to do.

Delay the instant gratification of noodling on the same old scales, licks, or songs. Learn somthing new.

With just a little effort at the front end, you will quickly find yourself with a far larger payoff in the near future.

MUST READ:

How to Improve your Chops Part II: Playing to Perfection

Being Choosy About Your Note Choice

2011-02-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've finally come to realize just how much my failure to break free of the traditional electric guitar paradigm - in which playing in a band is generally considered the primary means by which one expresses themselves as a musician - has hindered my progress as a player.

In many ways, playing in a band is a crutch. Having other musicians around can take the pressure off the other players to make sure that their performance is the best that it can be.

Since starting up my current solo project, I have been forced to raise the bar when it comes to soloing and songwriting. In the process learned some valuable new lessons when it comes to music composition.

I am convinced that playing in a band makes it easy for one to take a lazy approach to playing. For instance, by having a vocalist around to add some variety into the song, I was able to get by writing generic riffs that served their purpose, but never really gave the audience anything to write home to mom about.

The same applied to soloing. Rather than have to write anything really memorable, I was able to just throw in some improvised shredding that mimiced the desired effect, yet never really managed to send chills down the spine of the audience.

You might say my playing was "in the box;" that is, it was characterized by an overreliance on "safe" notes and runs that were in key, but contained nothing of real musical interest.

I was creating a synthetic musical experience that sounded pre-packaged and mass produced. There was nothing in it that would hurt one's ears, but then again, that catchy allure that characterizes any number one pop single, that same allure that moves millions of records off the shelves just wasn't present.

This ability to reliably produce a "correct" musical perforance is no doubt one characteristic of an experienced, perhaps even "educated" musician, but it is still not sufficient to win one the title of legendary composer.

Building Tension

One way to help remedy the above problem is to experiment with different ways of building tension in your playing. When one speaks of tension in one's playing they are generally referring to the sensation experienced by the listener when hearing a the tonal structure on the verge of breaking only to gracefully resolve back into the tonic.

Here are a few quick tips to add more tension to your playing. Rather than get into technical theoretical discussion, I will offer some general advice that is hopefully useful to players at all levels of ability.

If you tend to rely excessively on the natural minor scale, try raising the 7th note a half step, making it a harmonic minor scale. The raised seventh is meant to create a sense of anticipation, or "tension," before resolving into the tonic note. You can experiment by using mixing up your use of the raised or flat seventh at various points in the song.

If you want to avoid thinking in terms of scale in general, another thing you can try is just playing an out of key note in the context of the traditional scale box. You'll want to be selective about the not, however, because if it is a real bad one, it can sound like a mistake, rather than a tasteful choice of note. Marty Friedman is a big fan of this approach and is known for creating his own signature scales by inserting outside notes within the context of conventional scales.

Another suggestion, that may be partially inspired by some of Friedman's advice, is to pick in advance the notes that you will use in a lead passage. Not every note of a scale will sound equally good over a particular rhythm passage. If you just select the notes that sound good, and base the lead around these notes, you will likely create a more interesting lead and also come up with some new theoretical ideas for future playing.

Lastly, don't be lazy. Make a vow to yourself to "step it up" from here on out. Don't settle for a less than stellar combination of notes. Rather, resolve yourself to become choosy about your note choice. If your passage sounds boring, go back and change some notes until it reaches an acceptable level of quality.

Until next time. . .

MUST READ:

Improve Your Playing by Not Over Playing

How to Promote Yourself as a Solo Artist

How to Become a Solo Artist: Backing Tracks

Becoming a Solo Artist: Lesson's Learned

2011-02-13T02:30:00.000-08:00

So it's been about two weeks since I pledged to myself that I would finally embark on my journey towards become a full-fledged guitar solo artist. I must say that thus far the experience has been satisfying. In just a short time I have already brought my playing up a notch and improved my musicianship in the process.

My first breakthrough came when I finally established a general "process" for writing songs as a solo guitarist.

Why worry about process? Well, simply put, if you are in the business of songwriting, nailing down an efficient and effective process to go about one's work enables you to produce a greater amount of high quality conten in less time. One's goal should be to be able to pump out as many high quality songs as possible while expending as little energy as possible.

Initially, I was confused as to how composing as a solo artist might differ from songwriting in a traditional band situation. In short, it seems that the best results have come from treating the composition process no differently than one would in a rock or metal act.

I had initially experimented just writing the backing tracks first and then improvising over these tracks in effort to find an appropriate melody line that was catchy. Turns out this approach overall led to songs and playing that were rather bland and uninspired. Generally, it has been much more effective to start with the melody, and then write the harmony lines around this melody - basically no different than how a classical composer would likely proceed.

One's goal should be able to create an interesting song structure that keeps the listener engaged. Throughout the entirety of the song the listener should be on their tip-toes waiting to hear what comes next. This is much easier to accomplish when the entire song is treated as one long sequence of melody lines.

The intial melody serves as the songs core and gives form to the other parts of the song. Any bridges, complex transitions, fills, etc, should flow from this melody serving to enhance the "story" it conveys to the listener. Harmony lines assume a support function in relation to the melody, serving to accentuate critial notes and phrases.

Of course, results are ultimately most important. If one can create an awesome song using a different approach or combination of approaches then the more power to you. But being the scientifically minded individual I am I am always testing ideas based on the outcomes they acheive. This is what has worked best for me thus far.

Until next time.

Principles of Good Tone

2011-02-04T23:34:00.000-08:00

One of the distinguishing features that separates an amateur guitarist from a professional is the quality of their tone.

The quality of a players tone may not be immediately evident when hearing recorded music, but quickly becomes apparent when hearing a guitarist live. Quite simply, some players emit a sound that makes your balls drop whereas other players sound flimsy and impotent. The former player is likely the one who will steal the show and solidify themselves in the memory of the audience after the show is over.

Two factors (and certainly not the only two) that influence the quality of your tone have are your string gauge and your playing technique.

String Gauge

Many, if not all the greatest players are concerned with tone. It is a sign of maturity as a player. Marty Friedman, Dimebag Darrell, two insane shredders, have both spoken of their practice of continuously increasing the string guage they use. These players would rather work a little harder and acheive great tone than work less and acheive a weak thin tone (and I would suggest that after some time playing on heavier strings will require little in the way of additional effort)

Following their advice, I started at .09 gauge, and have gradually worked my way up to .11's (tuning down a full step). And let me assure you, I am not going back to light strings.

Based on little to no knowledge of the player's rig, just based on the sound they emit from their instrument, I would say Alexi Laiho uses .10 gauage; I'd guess Zach Wylde uses a heavier gauge (at least .10 or greater); Paul Gilbert may be at .10's - if not, his frequent use of a semi-hollow bodied electric bespeaks his concern for ballsy tone.

In contrast, I'm pretty sure Steve Vai and Joe Satriani still use .9's, as they generally have a thinner tone. They are definitely without a doubt some of the best players, but their brand of guitar pyrotechnics probably is much easier executed on lighter strings. Despite these exceptions, my thesis most likely applies to the situation of many aspiring shredders who more than likely sound like fuzz due to wobbly strings that lack tension.

Technique

Thus far I have only spoken of the kind of hardware that acheive's good tone. However, tone also has to do with the way you touch the instrument.

One characteristic of good tone is that there is general lack of noise in the player's attack. To achieve this, one should make sure to let the guitar do the work.

This speaks to the issue of relaxation when playing. One invaluable peice of technique advice I learned from this guy's video was to adopt a light grip on the pick. A light pick grip will help with both speed and tone so it's really a double win. In terms of tone, a lighter pick grip produces less tension in the overall sound.

Tension makes you sound thin. Less tension, produces a more resonant sound with less overall noise. When you acheive a state of overall relaxation when playing the guitar you get to hear sounds the guitar naturally produces. The role of the player is to just enable the guitar to do its job. Yngiwe and Alexi Laiho are two players adopting a light pick grip and acheiving tremendous results.

Another tip to improve tone is to simply build strength in your hands. While one should always play with least amount of effort and motion at all times. Strength can be improved by using exaggerated motions when practicing slower with a metronome. My first classical guitar instructor drilled me on doing this and I almost took it overboard however and I developed great tone but let me overall ease on the instrument decline a little bit. Nonetheless, when I took lessons from another instructor later down the road, the first thing he noticed about my playing was the quality of my tone.

Hand strength can also probably be improved simply by using a grip strengthener that can be purchased at any sporting goods store, or by doing wrist excersizes at your local gym (don't hurt yourself). Every now and then you'll see a guitarist that appears to be big into working out as well that has little effort cutting through the strings like butter.

So there you have it three quick tips to better tone:

I would recommend at least .10 guage strings. In fact, the additional resistance you will encounter when striking the string will force you to adopt a loose wrist, and loose grip hold on the pick, which most players endorse as the best picking technique.
Adopt a loose grip on the pick and a loose wrist when playing. This will releive tension and produce a clearer sound.
Find whatever way you can to build strength in your hands and wrists. More strength = less effort. Just don't injure your self when doing this one.

Now go rock out and be sure to monitor your playing for overall tonal quality from here on out.

Improve you Playing By Not Overplaying

2011-02-04T00:09:00.001-08:00

Of all the challenges I've faced as a player, one of the biggest has been my tendency to "overplay." When soloing, I have a habit of always seeking to push my skills to the limit, to play something that is just slightly beyond what I may be capable of executing effectively on the instrument.

A wise man once said (and I paraphrase), "one's greatest strength is also the source of one's greatest weakness." This paradox applies to my experiences as a player, as I beleive my tendency to overplay is rooted in the same underlying disposition that led me to seek to become an accomplished player in the first place.

The philosopher Nietzche once said (and again I paraphase) "one must first despise himself before he can overcome himself."

I am constantly looking down upon my own playing with disdain finding flaws, and seeking to improve them. I'm never truly satisfied with my current abilities. I'm always seeking to get better, in nearly every undertaking I may be pursuing.

If this sounds like a painful and joyless way of living you may be right. However, I am of the beleif that painful and joyless or not it is a noble existence. Afterall, pursuing a life of immediate pleasures leaves one a factory worker who spends the rest of his life frequenting happy hours after toiling for hours performing rote labor. A little suffering for the sake of progress and future satisfaction is a very american way to live.

That said, despite being rooted in a general disposition towards self-improvement, overplaying is an undesirable tendency and should be eliminated. Here are a few tips to reign in on any tendency you might have to overplay:

Simple > Complex
If you find youself unable to pull off a particular lick, simplify it. Most of the time even the most well-respected shredders are really just playing very simple patterns at high speed and in perfect time.

Think Outside the Box
Are you constructing a scalar passage and the next note in the scale is difficult to reach in the current arrangement? For example, are you trying to play three notes per string but playing in the box requires two at some point? Try inserting an outside the box note to keep the pattern consistent.

Keep it Musical
A well chosen note selection at a lower speed will often sound better than a poor selection of many fast notes.

The Big Picture
Isolate your leads into separate phrases. If you study the lead work of others, you will see that their solo's can be broken down into a series of separate phrases, that make logical sense within the context of the entire lead. Make sure the beginning and ends of the phrase are clearly decipherable to the listener. Make sure you begin and end on a choice note.

Complex patterns = many simple patterns tied together
Do not mindlessly run through scales; come up of with a small pattern based on a few notes and apply this pattern throughout the rest of the scale around the fingerboard.

Conclusion
Hopefully the above tips can give you some insight into the structure of writing effective solos. By backing off a little bit, you can present yourself much better to your audience. Being a great player is not all about playing the most difficult lines in the world, it also about knowing your own limits, and making a flawless and polished performance your top priority. Beleive me, most of the time your audience won't be taking difficulty into account when they judge you. Rather, they will be judging you on the quality of the sounds eminating from your instrument.

MUST READ:

Being Choosy About Your Note Choice

Insignia, Band Leadership, and the Future

2011-02-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me personally, you may be familiar with my last musical project, Insignia. We were a band of great promise. After just several weeks of preproduction, we smashed onto the scene like a juggernaut, dropping jaws at every corner with our own unique mix of fast melodic metal, shredding guitar solos, rock and jam band influences. We quickly established ourselves as rising stars one the musical scene, being accepted with open arms by local clubs and venues, as well as fellow bands in the area.

Unfortunately, Insignia ended as quickly as it had begun, destoyed by unstable egos and petty power struggles within the band itself. It is truly shocking how far some individuals will go out of envy and rage to destroy someone else's creation, forsaking all honor just to chip the armor greatness.

While the band's demise may have come as a shock to some, I myself had long seen it coming. Tensions had been present since the beginning, ranging from topics such as musical style, who gets to play what instrument, and most importantly, who got to play the coveted role of band leader.

I had been doing all I could to ease the pent up hostility, get people to focus on the positive, highlight the fact that we were out there doing the "band thing," and doing a tremendous job at it. I was constantly pointing to increases in overall site traffic, comparing ourselves favorably to rival bands, praising the band members. Constantly, I would make decisions a democratic process, letting the group decide on most matters. I would show complete disinterest in any female attention the band got (I have a gf), leaving all this to the bandmates. Continuously, I would remind the band members that the current set list was just the beginning, and would point to our newer material that increasing incorporated the other members' contributions.

In short, I was rising above all things petty, doing anything and everything I could so that none of my bandmates would feel envious of my role as band leader. Even still, despite my leading in such an altruistic fashion, tensions still mounted. Grudges, rumination and passive aggressive maneurvering came to the fore.

Apparently, no matter how much I tried to not be the leader, the occasional times where I was forced to overide particular members opinions only confirmed the reality that I was, indeed, the leader, and by extension all manner of bad noun, no matter how much I tried to lead in a positive fashion. I'm sure this exact story has been told many of times since the invention of the modern rock band.

After the death of insignia, I left the music scene for a while. I had some plans to begin a new project immediately afterwards, but for whatever reason that just never panned out. My time out of the scene was productive, however, and I got to reflect upon my direction as a musician. I'm pretty sure that the metal days are gone, with insignia serving as my short lived fairwell to that musical genre. I am now looking to pursue instrumental rock guitar as a solo artist. I have begun recording tracks for this project and am looking forward to debuting these on a new website.

Currently I am exploring new options for marketing my music, as so many things have already changed; the amateur music scene definitely appears to be in a hiatus, now that myspace has shown itself to be absolutely worthless after the changes to profile formatting. Perhaps eventually my own domain will necessary, one that will bring unity to all my projects. We shall have to see.

Until next time.

Squaresoft, Final Fantasy, and Recording

2011-01-17T23:19:00.001-08:00

After playing through Squaresoft's remake of Final Fantasy IV on the Nintendo DS over winter break I was inspired to pick up the guitar again after being reminded of all great music they include in their RPG's.

Although Final Fantasy IV isn't known for having the most memorable soundtrack around, I was impressed by the battle theme for the game, which I thought had a sort of spanish western type of vibe. Not sure this is retained in my own recording of the piece, which has more of a dreamy vibe, but overall I am fairly pleased with the results, even if my recording rig isn't the best.

After learning the FFIV theme I stumbled upon some recordings of the Final Fantasy VI theme - another classic. This one reminds me more of a russian dance, and is equally if not better composed than the FFIV theme.

Finally, having had my fair taste of Final Fantasy music, I went and recorded a rendition of Robo's theme from Chrono Trigger, another one of my all time favorite pieces of video game music. One can't help but be overcome with a sense of joy and happiness when hearing this piece, as it captures these emotions so well. However, the piece itself is repetitive so I thought I'd through some quick solos in between the main theme in order to add some variety. Of the three pieces, the recording quality here is the best, which is no surprise considering it was recorded last of the three.

Overall, getting some recording software and doing some multitracks turned out to be a good way to boost skill and gain insight into my playing. Hearing your self from a third person perspective really makes you more attuned to the flaws in your own playing, and ideally inspires you to correct them. For me, I detected some residual tension in my playing, forced my self to go back and perform the lines better, and as a result gained some insight into how to acquire that effortless style of playing that separates the amateurs from the pros.

Three Great Guitar Blogs

2010-06-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

After having been in the blogging business for more than three years now, I have stumbled upon many guitar-related sites. The three featured in this article are some that I found to be among the best:

Rock House Blog: A great site featuring lessons and news related to shred guitar. Anyone looking to improve their chops should subscribe to this site.

Wizard of Shred: A great site for lessons and advice on learning to tear up the fingerboard. I have already picked up several useful tips from this site. Each lesson typically has an associated video in which the site owner demonstrates the licks within.

Classical Guitar Blog: Written by a classical guitar student, this blog features more general tips, news, reviews, on guitar playing that are useful for both classical and electric players. The site owner also offers private webcam lessons (albeit for a very steep price) for those interested.

Sorry for not posting something more substantial today, but I will be quite busy over the next couple weeks. Keep checking back soon though, as I usually manage to find time to post.