Blog
How To Create 'Atonal' Guitar Metal Licks
You know your metal guitar scales like the back of your hand but you have noticed that your guitar heroes sometimes are simply "ignoring" the scale and play seemingly random notes ... and yet they still sound amazing? How is that possible? Well, it's not black magic, it's just a...
Practising Scales For Guitar - Part 1
This article is developed in line with my other post, "The Use of Scales." Read this article before proceeding with practising scales for guitar, this is a more advanced method to incorporate what you have already learned. The Method These are some of techniques I use to aid my students...
Soloing With Chords - Part 1 With Jens Larsen
In this lesson I want to first demonstrate 4 exercises that you can use to gain the necessary vocabulary to solo over a turnaround with chords. I also give three examples of how I would make lines using the exercises (or actually chords in general). Voicings in a Scale Often...
How To Write Harmonies - Part 2
This lesson isn't going to deal with writing harmonies, so much as what to do with them once we have them. We'll cover two simple concepts that will give awesome results for your writing. You can review part 1 here. For both concepts, we are going to start with the...
Know Your Arpeggios - Bass Lesson By Scott Whitley
As a bassist it is very important to know how chords are made up, especially if you want to get better at improvising quickly and/or coming up with bass lines that are more than just the roots! The video explains the following much more clearly but just give you an...
Developing Legato - Part 2
This is part 2 of 4 in a Legato Series that I've written. These patterns will help develop your legato playing regarding hammer-ons. Things to focus on: Play with a metronome! Start slowly and don't move ahead until all fingers are ready A hammer-on should be quick and precise Observe...
Developing Legato - Part 1
Two Finger Exercises This is part 1 of 4 in a Legato Series that I've written. These simple yet effective exercises should help you improve your technique. Things to focus on: Play with a metronome! Start slowly and don't move ahead until all fingers are ready A pull-off is a...
The Jimi Chord Part 2: What The Funk?
Funk is some of best fun you can have on the guitar. It's a party; get on up! The simplicity to the style is a part of its beauty, but also becomes deceptive in how easy it looks. While it is relatively simple musically, the feeling you need to inject...
Angus Young's Scales And Licks
The Angus Young lead guitar sound originates from his unique application of the common major and minor pentatonic scales, as well as, how he employs the diminished 5th tones from the blues scale. He orchestrates his sound by cris-crossing these scales against classic, "blue notes," to create very interesting combination...
Sight Reading Basics
Do I Need to Learn to Read Music? If you are a hobby guitarist, the outright answer is no. If you enjoy playing songs, can play along to backing tracks in time and can read tablature, then why would you need to learn to read music? You are playing the...
Harmonizing The C Scale
Mapping out the C scale. Let's memorize those whole and half steps with scale degrees as well. C step D step E half step F step G step B half step C. Step = 2 frets on the guitar, half step = 1 fret. Now in Roman numerals. Capital indicates...
Soloing With Three Pentatonic Scales In The Dorian Mode With Thomas Berglund
In this lesson I'll show three pentatonic scales to soloing with in the Dorian mode. I'll be in the key of A minor (Dorian). The common pentatonic scale in that key is the A minor pentatonic scale. That's the first scale to come up when one starts to soloing in...