Can you shred at any tempo?

This blog sort of connects to my last one about creating epic guitar riffs. The simple idea there is that you practice riffing on only the low E string. Since so many classic riffs are built on that string, it seems worth giving it extra attention if that’s the style of music you’re into.
The first [...]

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How to Create Epic Guitar Riffs!

A GUITAR LESSON POST!
This is a beginner post, though. As in some of you will find this TOO beginner, what’s the point, maybe even be inspired to send hatemail (it happens). But I deal with guitar kids all week, so I know a heck of a lot more about what THEY want to learn and [...]

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Triad Magic: Cool Voice Leading Through Cycle of 4ths!

Here’s a musical way to run through the cycle of 4ths. You can actually do it with any chord, but I like doing it with triads so you can see the components a little more clearly.
Pick a chord. I’ll pick C major triad. Key of C, so it’s the I chord.
Lower the root one fret, [...]

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Free Guitar Lesson: Creative Suspended Chords

Click here to launch a pdf of the sheet music.
Those of you studying my guitar poster should know there are WAY more suspended chords besides those listed. I was going to make a poster the size of a football field, but no printer could handle it!
Have you tried making suspended chords out of the triads? [...]

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Free Guitar Lesson: Slash Chord Scales

Click here to launch the pdf lesson.
Got a new lesson here for those of you studying my KRM Rhythm Guitar Poster. This concept might be obvious to some, but for those who’ve overlooked it you’re in for some cool sounds!
Basically I’ve listed A and E major chord scales built on triads, each one running up [...]

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Guitar Jam Track–Pitch Axis

Made myself a jam track to try out the Pitch Axis theory…that one you hear quality guitar folk like Satriani talk about. Basically a series of drum grooves with a bassline in A–just an A note, jammin’ in different ways. Practice any scale or mode over it that has A in the root, blend scales, [...]

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12 Ways to Break Out of Pentatonic Scale Ruts

The first guitar scale I learned was A minor pentatonic. It’s still my scale of choice in most rock and blues situations. But if any of you have heard my tunes you know I don’t do a lot of straightforward blues and rock–I like to get a little WEIRD! So here are a few ideas [...]

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Guitar Lesson: Summer Slash Chords

Summer Slash Chord Lesson
Click the above link to launch a pdf of the lesson that you can zoom or print out.
The slash chord section of my guitar poster is a quick explanation to get the concept across. Try this chord progression for an extended taste of what slash chords can do.
Notice how the bassline (the [...]

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Guitar Lesson: Bar Chord Substitutions

Bar Chord Substitutions And A Familiar Tune.
Click the above link to launch a pdf of chord changes.
Some of you looking at my rhythm guitar poster might be wondering what to do with all those bar chords in the center of the poster–not to mention other students who have learned these chords (commonly referred to as [...]

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Guitar Lesson: Chord Scale Triads w/ “Close” voicings.

C Major Chord Scale with “close” voicings.
Click the above link to launch a .pdf of a C Major Chord Scale. This one is different from the one that runs up the neck on the poster. Instead it uses a series of voicings where most of the shapes are between the 3rd and 6th frets on [...]

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