Wear Your Music

I was recently introduced to a really cool idea that combines both an interesting concept for a bracelet, as well as something of a benefit for mankind.

The good people over at www.wearyourmusic.org are working on something that is really killer. They're taking guitar strings that have been previously used and donated by many string legends such as, Eric Clapton, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, The Allman Brothers, and Pete Townsend, and turning them into some really awesome looking bracelets.

I'm a huge fan of giving back and the best part about these bracelets is that they are affordable as well as righteous. The money goes to the charities designated by the legends of the very strings that you could be wearing. Its where art meets industry meets compassion for others. I absolute adore this fantastic idea. I received mine in the mail the other day and have yet to take it off. I have very small wrists, being the very skinny fellow that I am, and have always had a hard time wearing wrist watches or bracelets in general, but these guitar string bracelets fit beautifully and they look amazing. They are flexible to facilitate different sizes (one size fits all) and they let people know what you are all about, but without doing it in an obnoxious way. Its very subtle, but interesting and I've already had people come up to me and ask me what that little bit of silver was on my wrist.

By having people ask me about my bracelet, it gives me the ability to be able to tell people about a really stellar way to give back, and these bracelets are so cool looking, that even people who don't normally play music at all are really interested.

They come in your choice of seven different colors, have become quite popular, and have compelled artists like Keith Richards and John Mayer to donate their unwanted strings, in the attempt to deliver a better life to those who most need it.

If you buy one of these bracelets you will be fully rewarded on two levels.

You'll love what you are displaying.
You'll feel good knowing that your money is going to some people and parts of the world who could really use it.

Check out Wear Your Music for yourself at www.wearyourmusic.org.

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How To Shred On The Guitar And Smoke 'Em!

Being able to play guitar insanely fast is always a huge undertaking for many, but as I have said before - its all about the mindset. Actually, its all about what you understand, and the fact still stands that guitarists everywhere try to tackle way too much. So here's what I'm going to provide you with. I'm going to show you 3 simple guitar exercises that will get your fingers flying, and I want you to truly focus on these 3 exercises. I want you to wake up and crawl out of bed, salivating over them. I want you to become these exercises, and set all your other exercises aside for one week, and then you'll see just how much progress you have made in your speed training.

The concept still stands tried and true. In order to truly shred, the best method is to focus on no more than 5 simple guitar exercises at a time. Your goal here is to focus on increasing your speed on these exercises. If this isn't for you then don't worry, because I have plenty of other guitar related things to talk about, but if this IS for you - then please follow my advice. Small exercises, consisting of a small amount of notes get you really far with your speed training.

Its that simple!

Don't get me wrong, I love to work with scales and use them as an exercise, but I put more faith into training with a hand full of notes. I also know that Paul Gilbert struggled for 8 or so years, until he decided to start with smaller exercises and work his way up. To this day I still practice with very small guitar exercises and they always bestow me with their riches. So here's three that you can shred the sh** out of!!



TIP #1: Don't just do this exercise on the E and A strings. Try it on different strings. Its important to realize that the thicknesses of the different strings present a bit of a challenge for fast picking, so you should always work on your speed development on different strings. Get used to how the pick reacts to different guitar strings.

TIP #2: This exercise states that you should use alternate picking, starting with a down stroke. You may want to try this exercise starting with an up stroke, its what works best for me, and I know a lot of really exceptional guitarists who start licks and exercises like this one with an up stroke. Experiment and see what works best for you.




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Jimmy Page Rock Lick

In this lesson we're going to be going over a really simple and yet amazing sounding blues/rock lick, that Jimmy Page himself used quite a bit. In fact it was by listening to Led Zepplin that I learned this riff. He has used it on several recordings, but it is at the halfway point of Good Times, Bad Times where it really stands out.

I have heard Zakk Wylde use this same riff, or a variation of it in his earlier days with Ozzy, and my memory has failed me at the moment, but I wouldn't be surprised if I heard it turn up again on one of the Black Label Society albums.

Its really simple, sounds good slow or fast, and it can be put to your playing immediately. Also the example below will show it in one position, but you can move it anywhere you like. Just use the same fingering and picking. This particular version of it is my own variation, but Jimmy Page's isn't all that different from the one that I'm going to show you. Let's get crackin!!

Now, you can pick this anyway that you like, but the first note, which is a full bend, I prefer to pick this with an upstroke. The next two notes would be down, up - in that order.

Being a straight blues lick - it is constructed from the Major Pentatonic Scale.

The fingering is simple. On the first pattern, use your finger like this. Barre the 10th frets with your index finger and use your middle finger to bend the 12th fret. Then for the 3 notes after that, use your ring, middle and index finger, in that order. Keep your index finger barred throughout. When you move to the next pattern use the same fingering.

Note: Don't forget that you are bending a whole step. This means that you bend from the 12th fret to the pitch of the 14th fret. On the pattern that follows that, you bend from the 10th fret to the pitch of the 14th fret.



Don't like the picking on that version? no problem - let's try it with pull-offs for a much cleaner sound.



Remember, you can start this pattern on any fret that you like and you should be able to fit it in with most blues, rock or metal songs. Pop in some Clapton and try it!

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The Guitar Sherpa

I gotta tell you, sometimes finding a source of high quality, guitar related information can be a challenge, and you probably all know that there is certainly a plethora of misleading sites out their. I can't tell you how many guitar directories that I have visited that have lead me completely astray. Enter the Sherpa!!

Never again will there be down and out individuals, frustrated from a lacking of relative guitar info. Its hard enough to find a high quality site that specializes in one particular type of guitar information, but I never thought that I would find such a thorough site as the one that I am about to reveal. I recently stumbled upon an extraordinary site known as The Guitar Sherpa which can be found at TheGuitarSherpa.com.

First of all, the name itself is brilliant, as a Sherpa is a very experienced guide that knows the mountains well. Allow me to say that TheGuitarSherpa.com knows the mountains, and has conquered them. It is here that you will find a very attractive looking site, that features detailed information on Luthiers, string instrument dealers, amps, effects, parts, accessories, recording equipment, repair, musical genres, info on instruction sites, and so much more. I really have never seen so detailed a site, and just by looking over the pages - you can tell that they strive for excellence. The excellence part is exactly why I am writing this review. I spend a good 70-80 percent of my time working on guitar instructional content for this site, but when a site catches my eye, that actually has something wondrous to offer - I don't hesitate to make it known. Don't take my word for it, actually no! do take my word for it and go check out TheGuitarSherpa.com. You won't be disappointed.
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Minor Etude Legato

When it comes to diversifying your creative playing, employing techniques
like legato can make all the difference in your playing. If you are unfamiliar
with legato and the concept of playing legato passages, you can check out
the first lesson on legato here. However, I can very easily some it up again.

Legato is simply a fluid series of notes strung together. In order to make them this fluid we must use a series of hammer-ons and pull-offs. Let's say that you are playing one legato passage on one string, and let's say that the passage consisted of 10 or so notes. You would pick the first note, and then hammer-on and pull-off the remaining notes. Yes, that's right. You don't pick them again after that. If the passage is a particularly longer series of notes, then depending on the volume of your amp, you may have to periodically pick the starting note from time to time, just to get your volume back out. Having a good mastery of legato means to have excellent fretting hand strength, and there is no better way to develop this kind of strength than with legato exercises, themselves.

Not only are these exercises phenomenal for building fretting hand strength, but they can also be applied immediately to your solos. Yes, and exercise that actually sounds good and is fun to play.

I have constructed a minor legato exercise that is in itself, a complete portion of a guitar solo. You may want to use a metronome with this (advised) and you will definitely want to start off slow, to ensure that you are producing powerfully, clean notes.

Enjoy!


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