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26/3/2015 GuitarLessons:SteveVai's30HourWorkout30hourpathtovirtuosoenlightenmentorhowtodestroyyourpopcareerinoneeasylesson

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AForeword:Thisistheexact30HrworkoutasitappearedintheGuitarWorldMagazineinApril2004.ItookthetimetowriteitdownforyousoyoucanenjoythisMONSTERofpracticesessionandmaybefilteroutawayforyoutopracticemoreefficient.

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WORKOUTPHILOSOPHYI'vealwaysbelievedthateveryonehastheabilitytodiscoverandcultivatehisorherownuniquevoiceonaninstrumentdoingsorequiresthatonelistentoone'sinnervoiceandthenfindthecouragetoexpressit.Tothatend,theWorkoutisnotmeanttosteerstudentsintosoundinglikesomeoneelsebuttoequipthemwithsomeofthetoolsthatareessentialtodiscoveringtheirownvoice,whilesimultaneouslyhelpingthembecomethoroughlybalancedmusicalbeings.Ishouldnotethatthisprogramisgearedforpeoplethatlovethechallengeofadisciplinedcurriculumandtrulywanttomastertheinstrument.Theconceptbehinddoingsoiseasy:startbyplayingsomethingabend,ariff,a

scale,asongveryslowlyifyoumakeamistake,startoverdothisoverandover,untilyoucanplayitflawlesslyandIdomeanflawlesslymanytimesinarow.Next,graduallyincreasethetempo.Eventuallyyou'llbeflailingaboutlikeamadman.Thisdoesn'tnecessarilymeanyouwillbecomeagreatmusicianorsongwriter.Thosearetalentsthatcan'tbetaughtyou'reeitherbornwiththemorneedtodiscoverthemwithinyourself.



GEARAMPS

GUITARS

EFFECTS

ACCESSORIES

BOOKS&VIDS

BEFOREYOUBEGINTuneyourguitar.Neverplayoutoftuneunlessforadesiredeffect,suchasworkingonaquartertonescale...orplayingalternativerockmusicforpopradioconsumption.Focus.Thisisthemostimportantelementinthisprogram.Thewayyoumentallyapproachthisoranyotherexerciseismoreimportantthanputtinginthehoursandgoingthroughthemotions.Itistremendouslyimportantthatyougearupmentallyforpractice,gig,rehearsal,songwritingwhateveryou'regoingtodo.Understandthattheattitudeandframeofmindyouhavewhenenteringintoafocusedendeavorisoneofthefewthingsyoudohavewithinyourpower.Remember:It'sallinthemind!Youcanbasicallyconvinceyourself

ofanythingandmakeithappen.

CATEGORIESI'vedividedthe30HourWorkoutintoeight(nine)categories:

1.Exercises2.Scales3.Chords4.Eartraining5.Sightreading6.Composing/songwriting7.Musictheories8.Jamming9.Rest

Inaddition,rvearrangedthesecategoriesintothreelOhourperdaysessions.Bearinmindthattheamountoftimeandfocusyouputintotheprogramwillbedirectlyreflectedinyourplaying.Ifeelthesecategoriesprovideagoodmixofthevariouselementsthatgointobecomingathoroughlyroundedmusician.Note,however,that'Iwillonlybeoutliningconceptshereit'suptoyoutpresearchanddiscovermoreonyourown.Thereareplentyofinstructionalbooks,CDsandDVDsonthemarket,andmanyschoolsofferhomestudycoursesthatteachyoualltypesoffingerexercises,chords,scales,theoryandsoon.Inaddition,guitarrelatedinformationisplentifulontheinternet.Ofcourse,Iencourageyoutoexploreothercategories,ideasandconceptsnotmentionedhere.That'soneofthegreatthingsaboutplayingtheguitarthereareessentiallynorules,andaperson'sabilitytobeuniqueisonlylimitedbytheircourageandimagination.AlthoughtheWorkoutisgear~dtowardarockstyleofplaying,youmaywanttosubstitutevariouselementsthataremoreappropriateforthestyleofmusicyou'reinterestedin.Ifyoudecideyoudon'twanttolearnconventionalthings,youmaychoosetoreplaceoneormoreofthesecategorieswiththingsthatyou'remorecomfortablewith.You'llhavetocomeup.withthem,though.OneLastnote:WhenIwasayoungpracticingmusician,IwouldkeepalogofallthetimeIspentontheinStrument,withaspecificbreakdownofeverythingIdid.IguessIwasjustanalthatway.Whilethisapproachworkedformeitmaynotbeforeverybody.Itdoes,however,helpyoutochartyourprogress.

Hours1,11and21FINGEREXERCISES

Fingerexercisesaregreatfordevelopingdexterityandcontrol.Whenperformingthem,paceyourselfwithametronomeordrummachineandstartveryslowly.Itmighthelpto.imaginehowyouwantthenotestosound,thenperformthemoverand,overuritiltheysoundexactlythewayyouheartheminyourhead.Iusedtodothis,andifsagreatwaytogaincontroloveryourplaying.Iwouldalsoexpenrnentwithdilferentpickpositions,dynamics,andsoon.Whateveryoudo,besuretofocusoneverysinglenoteyouplay.Ican'tstressenoughtheimportanceofthis.Thereareliterallythousandsoffingerexercises,andtheycanallhelpyou'achievedifferentobjectives.Inthissection,I'llexplainthe

followingcategoriesoffingerexercises:

LinearAngularHammeronsandPulloffsAlternateFingersTappingSweepingMultiplePicking

Iwouldadviseyoutotailoryourexercisesaroundthestyleyou'remostinterestedin.Theideaistofindthingsthatareawkwardtoplayandthenworkonthemslowly,untilyoucanplaythemperfectly.Ulltimately,youwantyourplayingtobeareflectionofwhatyouhearinyourhead.

LINEAR EXERCISES



FIGURE1depictsabasiclinearfingerexercise.Itfollowsanascendingpatternwe'llsimplycall"1234,"asthisreferstothe

orderinwhichthefrethandfingers(index,middle,ring,pinkie)areplacedoneachstring(frethandfingeringsareindicatedbelowthetablature).FIGURE2presentsanalternatingvariationonthisdrill.Thefingeringpatternfollowstherepeatingsequence1234,2341,3412,4123.Thealternatingfingeringideacanalsobeplayedonasinglestring,asdemonstratedinFIGURE3.Ifindthisdrilltobeagreatexerciseinpositionshifting.Thenextstepistoexhaustallotherpermutationsofthe1234combination,suchas4321,4231,1324,whateverfournotesequenceyoufindawkwardandpracticetheminasimilarmanner.Ifweapplythisfingeringapproachtothreenoteperstringcombinations,forexample134,theresultwouldbethethreeexercisesshowninFIGURES46.Ofcourse,twonoteperstringpatternscouldalsobeusedforlinearpickingexercises,asdemonstratedinFIGURES7and8.TheexerciseshowninFIGURE7willbebeneficialtothoseofyouwhomayhaveproblemsswitchingstringswiththesamefrettingfinger.Rollthefingeroverthestringsasyouswitchfromonetothenexttokeepthenotesfrombleeding(ringing)intoeachother.

ANGULAR EXERCISES



AneffectivewaytoimproveyourtechniqueistoperformwhatIcall"angular"exercises.FIGURE9exemplifies

whatI'mtalkingabout.Thegeneralideaistotakeafingeringpattern,inthiscase4321,andworkitacrossthestringsinasingleposition,assigningonefingerperstringandusingsweeporeconomypicking(consecutivedownstrokesorupstrokesonadjacentstrings)whereverpossible,I'veincludedpickingstrokesabovethetablatureinthis'exercisetoguideyou.Eachsweep(indicatedbyanupstrokeordownstrokesymbolfollowedbyabrokenhorizontallineandabracket)shouldbeperformedasasinglepickstroke,withthepickbeingdraggedacrossthestringsinacontinuousmovement.Sincethereareonlythreegroupsoffouradjacentstrings(14,25and36),theentireangularpatterndoesn'tmanifestitselfuntilit'splayedononeofthesestringgroups.WhenperformingFIGURE9,Ifindithelpfultovisualizethreeimaginarystringsoneithersideoftheneck,asthisprovidesapointofreferenceforfingeringthefirstsixandlastsixnotesofthisexercise.Withthisapproach,theprogressionofnotesseemsverynatural,WhenIfretthefirstnote(F)withmyindexfinger,I'mthinkingintermsofthecomplete4321pattern,withtheotherthreeFingers(432)beingontheimaginarystrings.Thus,onlythefirstfingerisused_As

thepatternmovesacrossthestrings,allfourfingersareeventuallybroughtintoplay.likewise,asyourunoutofstringsinbar3,allfingersbutthefourthmoveofftheneckontoimaginarystrings.FIGURE10isanangularexercisebasedona1234fingeringpattern.Again,I'veincludedpickingstrokesandfrethandfingeringsaboveandbelowthetablaturetoguideyouUsingthe"imaginarystrings"approachshouldmakeitalittleeasiertodeviseexercisesbasedonotherfingeringpatterns.Forexample,anangularexercisebasedona1324fingeringpatternwouldbeginonthehighEstringandgo4,24,324,1324,asdemonstratedinFIGURE11.Allocatethefirst30minutesofyourpracticesessiontolinearexercisesandthenext30minutestoangularexercises.Trytocomeupwithyourownexercisesthatsuityourpurposesandusetheminterchangeably.Duetothemathematicalnatureofthesetypesofexercises,they'remoreeasilyworkedoutonpaperthaninyourhead(moreonnotatingmusiclater).

HAMMER-ONS AND PULL-OFFSThehammeronisatechniquewherebyyoupickanote(eitherfrttedoropen),thensoundahighernoteonthesamestringby

usingoneofyourfrettingfingerstotapthestringlikeahammer.Thepulloffinvolvespickinganote,thensoundingalowernote(eitherfrettedoropen)onthesamestringbyreleasingthefirstnote'sfrettingfinger,pullingthestringslightlyintowardyourpalmasyouletgoofitinordertokeepitvibrating.Hammeronsandpulloffsseemtohappennaturallywhenplayingsinglenotelines,butthereareparticularlyeffectivewaystoisolateandsttengthenthesetechniques.Oneefficientwaytodothisistopracticeperformingtrills.Atrillisarapid,continuousalternationbetweentwonotesonthesamestring,

performedusinghammeronsandpulloffsincombination.Aneffectivewaytoisolateandperfectyourhammeronandpullofftechniquesistopracticeplayingtrillsforanextendedperiodoftime,suchasaminute.Beginbytrillingbetweenanytwonotesthatareahalfstep(onefret)apart,usingyourfrettinghand'sindexandmiddlefingers,asdemonstratedinFIGURE12.Nowdothesamething,butaddafretbetweenthetwofingers(seeFIGURE13).Thenextstepwouldbetoincreasethedistancebetweenthefingersbyanotherfret,asshowninFIGURE14.NowgobackandplayFIGURES1214again,thistimeusingyourindexandringfingers(1and3),thentrillbetweenyourindexfingerandpinkie(1and4).Ofcourse,youcouldexhaustallotherfingercombinations(23,24,34)andtrytoputas



manyfretsbetweenthefmgersaspossible(withouthurtingyourself!).Eachtimeyougobacktothesettilldrills,tryaddingsometimetoeachexercise(maybeanother10secondsorso).

ALTERNATING FINGERSTryplayinghammeronsandpulloffsinvariouscombinations,usingdifferentfingers,asinFIGURES1517.Thegoalineachcaseismakeallthenotessoundevenandclearandmaintainaseamlesslegatofeel.

TAPPING

Ifyou'reinterestedintwohandtapping,incorporatethisintoyourhammeronandpulloffpractice

time.Thetechniquesareessentiallythesameforeitherhand,theonlydifferencebeingthatwhenyoupullofffromatappednote(anotehammeredwithoneofthefingersofthepickinghand),youflickthestringslightlysideways,awayfromyourchin.Useyourimaginationtocreatetappingtechniquesthatsuityourstyle,andtryincorporatingallthefingersofyourpickinghandontheneck.FIGURES1820areexamplesoftappingexercisestogetyoustarted.FIGURE18isasimpledrilldesignedtohelpyoumasterthebasictechniqueoftappingononestring,whileFIGURES19and20requirethatyoucrossstrings,resultinginlongerandmorechallengingpauerns.Ineachoftheselattertwoexercises,thekeyistomovethefingersofyourfrettinghandquicklyfromstringtostringintimetoplaycleanlythenotespulledofffromthetappingfinger.

SWEEP PICKING



Asstatedearlier,sweeppickingisatechniquewherebyyouplayonenoteandthenanotheronanadjacentstringinasingle

upstrokeordownstroke.Whenlearningtosweeppickyouhavetostartveryslowlyandmakesureyoucanheareverysinglenoteclearly(unlesstheeffectyou'regoingforisasloppyone),thengraduallybringthespeedup.Thekeyistoletgoofeachnotewithyourfrettinghandimmediatelyafteryou'vepickeditinordertokeepitfromringingintothenextnote.Createexercisesthatoutlinevariouschordshapesthatyoucansweepacross.FIGURES2123areexamplesofsweeppickingtogetyou

started.You'llfindit'seasiertosweepacrossanarpeggioshapeandnothaveitsoundlikeastrummedchordifyoucanfingereachstringindividuallywithadifferentfingertipandavoidbarringstringswithyourfingers,whichmakesitmoredifficulttomutethenotesimmediatelyafteryou'veplayedthem.

MULTIBLE PICKINGAsImentionedearlier,thebestwaytodevelopsuperhumanchopsistofindthingsthataredifficultandevenawkwardtoplayandthenperformthemslowlyandperfectly.Asanexercise,tryplayinganygivenlickorphrasefirstbyalternatepicking,thenusingonlydownstrokesand,last,usingonlyupstrokes.Youcanalsodeviseyourowndrillswhenyoudoanyofthefollowing:Doublepicking(pickingeachnotetwice)

Triplepicking(...threetimes)Quadruplepicking(...fourtimes)Quintuplepicking(...fivetimes)

Hours2,12and22SCALES

Practicingscaleshasmanybenefits,butthemainfocusofthisactivityshouldbeonmemorizingthesoundofascaleandthemoodoratmosphereitcreates.Singthenotesyouplaytohelpinternalizethetonalityofthescale,andtrytopaintamentalpictureofwhatthescale'stonalitysoundsliketoyou.Thisisoneofthethingsyoumightdrawuponwhenyougotowriteorimprovisemusic.Beware,however,thatwhenthetimecomestotakeanimprovisedsoloandallyoudoisflailupanddownascalepatternbecauseyouknowthenoteswillworkwiththechord,you'llmostlikelysoundlikeanidiot.Learnandplayasmanyscalesasyoucan,ineverykeyandposition,inoneoctave,twooctavesorthreeoctaves.StartfromanynoteonthelowEstring,thantheAstring,etc.Makesureyouplayeachscaleforwardandbackward(ascendinganddescending).FIGURE24illustratesfretboardpatternsfortheGmajorscale(GABCDEF#)anditssevenrelativemodes,allofwhichcomprisethesamesevennotes.Theonlydifferenceineachcaseistheorientationofthenotesaroundadifferenttonalcenter,orroot.Practiceanygivenscale/modescaleslowlyatfirstandmakesureit'sperfect.

lfyoumakeamistake,startover.Graduallyincreasethetempoasyoucompleteacycle.Listencarefullytoeachnoteandfocusontone.Beforemovingtoafasterspeed,youshouldbeabletorunascaleupanddownwithoutfudgingandnotes..Don'tcheatyourself!Ifinditbeneficialtowatchmyfingersinthemirrorandtrytogetthemtomovegracefully,elegantly,effortlesslyorinwhateverwaylooksandfeelsgood.Therearemanythingsyoucandowithascaleandmodeotherthanjustrunitacrossthefretboard.Forexample,youcanplayitinintervals,eithermelOdically,



asdemonstratedinFIGURES2527,orupanddowntheneckontwostringsatthesametime,asdepictedinFIGURES2830.Thesefirstthreeexercisesaregreatforbuildingtechniqueinbothhands,whilethesecondthreehelpyoulearnthescaleoneachstringandgaineartrainingwisdombyhearingitplayedinharmony.Togettwicethemileageoutofthesepatterns,besuretoruntheminreverseorderaswell.Therearecountlessvariationsonthesekindsofmelodicandharmonicintervalpatternsthatyoucanpractice.Forexample,youcouldtakethepatternofascendingdiatonicfifthsfromFIGURE27andswitchtheorderofeveryotherpairofnotestocreateadifferentandmoreinterestingmelodiccontour,asdemonstratedinFIGURE31.Consideringallthedifferentscales,modes,keys,positions,intervalsandmelodicpatterns,thepossibilitiesareimmense.It'salsohelpfultorecordyourselfpracticingscalesandthenlistencriticallytoyourefforts.Thiswillenableyoutomoldyourplayinginthedirectionyouwant.(Ineverwantedtosoundtoopolished,andIactuallyworkedontryingtosoundgrittYandontheedge.)Thisisobviouslyalottothinkaboutwhenpracticingasimplescale,butyoudon'thavetodoitallatonce.Focusondifferentelementsindividually.Eventuallytheywillmergeandbecomepartofyoursecondnature.

PENTATONIC AND BLUES SCALEThefivenoteminorpentatonicscaleanditsderivative,thesixnoteminorbluesscale,formthefoundationofthevocabularyofrockleadguitarplaying.Theminorpentatonicscaleisspelled"root,minor3,4,5,minor7."Theminorbluesscaleismadeupofthesesamefivenotes,plusthediminishedor"flatted"fifth("root,minor3,4,flat5,5,minor7").FIGURES32and33illustrate,inthekeyofEminor,thestandart"box"patternsforthesetwoscalesthateveryrockguitaristshouldknow.Theminorpentatonicscaleandthe

minorbluesscalehavearelativemajorthatcomprisesthesamesetofnotestheonlydifferenceisthatthenotesareorientedaroundadifferentroot.Ineachcase,thesecondnoteofthescale,theminorthird,becomesthenewrootnoteinFIGURE32and33,thisnewrootnotewouldbeG.WhenplayedoveraGbassnote,theEminorpentatonicscalebecomestheGmajorpentatonicscale(GABDE).Likewise,theEminorbluesscale(GABbBDE)whenplayedoveraGbassnote.TryputtingtheminorandmajorpentatonicandbluesscalesthroughthesamepacesastheGmajorscalewelookedatearlierbyplayingtheminvariousintervalpatternsacrossthefretboardandupanddowntheneck.

OTHER SCALESAscalecancontainfromtwoto12notes,withthe12tonechromaticscaleencompassingeverynotewithinanoctave.Therearenumerousscalestochoosefrom,andeachhasadistinctivesoundandcolor.Ihaveablastwithscalereferencebooks.SomepeopleenjoyfirstclasstripstoTahiti,butjustgivemeagoodscaleandI'minparadise.(Howbadisthat!)Butseriously,thereasonI'msointriguedbyscalesisthattheuniquetonalityofanygivenscalehasthepowertotransportme.AcoupleofyearsagoIdecidedtorecordalivealbumofcompositionsIwroteandperformedwithmybandindifferentpartsoftheworld.AsIbeganthisendeavor,whichculminatedinmyCDAliveinanUltraWorld,IsetouttocomposematerialreminiscentofmusicindigenoustotheculturesofthecountrysIwouldbevisiting.Asapartofmyresearch,Istudiedthefolkmusicofeachcountryandfiguredoutthescale(s)uponwhichmuchofthenativemusicwasbased.Ithenusedthescalestocomposeasetoforiginalpieces.WhileIbasedthesecompositionsonindividualscales,Itookgreatpainsnottomeanderupanddownthescaleaimlesslyinmymelodiesandimprovisations.Instead,Iemphasizedtheauraandflavorofthescalewithinthemelodyandthechords.

SYNTHETIC SCALESAsyntheticscaleisoneyoumakeup,oronethatdoesnotfallintoaparticulardefinedcategory.Forinstance,Icouldmakeupascalethatcontainsfournotesandisspelle1,4,flat5,7.Ihaveneverseenthisscale,butitmayhaveanamealready.Whateverthecase,Icouldbuildchordsonthisscale,createamelodyandfigureouthowtoimproviseasolowithit.Furthermore,Icouldmodulateittodifferentkeysandcreateharmoinictexturesbyusingthemodesfromthisscale.Ultimately,ifIweretostaywithintheparameterofthenotesofthisscale,Iguaranteeitwouldcreateauniqueaura.Themorewellknown"other"scalesincludethemelodicminor,harmonicminor,wholetone,diminishedandaugmentedscales.Getagoodscalebookandhaveaparty!

Hours3,13and23CHORDS



I'vedividedchordpracticeintothreeareas:

1.Memorization2.Strummingtechniques3.Improvisation

Youcandedicate20minutestoeachcategoryforallthreedaysoftheWorkout,orjustfocusononedifferentcategoryforanhoureachday.

MEMORIZATIONLearnchords!Gobuyabookthathasallthebasicchordsaswellasalltheweirdones.Then,setagoal.Forinstance,decideyou'lllearnandmemorizefivenewchordsaday.Listencloselyandthoughtfullytothesoundofachordasyouplaythenotesitcomprises,andtrytopictureanimagethatitevokes.takeyourtimeandmemorizeitssound.Learnatypeofchordqualitysuchasmajor,minor,majorseven,dominantseven,minorseven,inasmanypositionsandvoicesasyoupossiblycan.Singthenotesasyouplaythemtohelpinternalizethesoundofthechord.Figureoutandunderstandwhyachordiscalledwhatit'scalled.Whatscale

degreesdoesthechordcontain?Youwillneedtounderstandchordtheoryforthis.(Thatwillcomelaterinthetheorysection).Inaddition,strumchordscleanly,gently,harshly,tenderly,brutallyandsoon,togetasenseofhowtheysoundwitheverypossiblestyleofplaying.Youdon'tneedtoknowatonofchordsbynameinordertobeagreatmusicianorsongwriter.IhaveheardthatpeoplelikeJeffBeck,AllanHoldsworthandmanyothersmaynotbefamiliarwiththenamesorthetheorybehindallthechordstheyplay,buteachplayerhassuchtremendousearsthatuponhearingachord,hismindopensupandheknowsjustwhattodoonhisguitar.Ihappentofindgreatsatisfactioninhavingacompleteunderstandingofthetheorybehinditall.Thenagain,I'vealwayswanteditall.

STRUMMINGTherearemanystrummingtechniques,andnumerousbooksandrecordscanbeusedforstudyorasreferencesourcesforthesetechniques.Themostimportantthingtokeepinmindwhenstummingistogroove!Afteryou'vechosenaperticularstrummingpatterntoworkon,practiceitendlesslywithadrummachineoradrummer.Atfirst,itwillbealittleawkwardandsloppy.Focusonmakingitcleanerwitheverystrumitwillgetbetter.Next,listencarefullytothegrooveandtrytostaylockedinwithit.Youwillnotbeabletodosounlessyoucanplaythematerialcleanlyorwithoutthinkingaboutthechanges.Inaddition,youmustbeabletoseparateyourselfabitfromwhatyou'redoingand

justlistentothebeat.Bydoingthiswhileyou'replaying,youcanreallyfocusonlockinginwithadrummer.Onceyou'relockedin,keeptryingtolocktighterandtighter.You'llknowwhenyou'relockedinwiththegroovebecauseitwillstarttofeelreallygood.Onceyougettothispoint,youcanthenexperimentbymakingthegroovesoundstiffandmechanical,andlooseandwarm.Youcanalsotrytoplayinfrontofthebeat,behindthebeatandsoon.Whenyou'replayingalongtoametronomeoradrummachine,tryto''bury''theclicktrack.BythisImeangetrightonthebeatwhenyoudo,theclickwillsoundasifit'sdisappeared,sinceyourattackswillbeso"righton"thatthey'llcovertheclicks.Beingabletolockwiththebeatandgrooveisoneofthemostrewardingfeelingsonecanexperienceasamusician.It'sbetterthanthepartyaftertheshow...unless,ofcourse,you'reinAmsterdam.Therearemanytypesofgroovestofoolaroundwith(straightrock,r&b,reggae,ska,bluesshuffleandsoon),butbeforeyoudo,makesureyoucangetthroughthemcleanlyandlockintothem.Playeachacrossafullrangeoftempos,fromveryslowtoveryfast.

IMPROVISATIONIt'salwayscooltocreateyourownuniquechordlibrary.Thefollowingtechniquescanhelp:Playaconventionalorfamiliarchord,thenstartalternatingonenot~atatimebymovingitupordownafret.Whenyoucomeacrossachordyoulike,addittoyourpersonalchordlibrary.Takenumbersfromaseries(atelephonenumber,forinstance)andusethemasscaledegreesforachord.Thinkofanemotion,acolororascenefromamovieandfoolaroundwiththenotesinachorduntilitsoundslikewhatyou'rethinkingof.

Useopenstrings,widefingerstretches,naturalharmonics,notesfrettedwiththefingersonthepickinghandandsoon.Experimentwithallthesethingstocomeupwithuniquechords.

Hours4,14and24EARTRAINING

IfyoutossasideeverythingelseinthisWorkout,keepthissection.Trainingyourearsisthemostimportantpracticeinmakingthecrucialconnectionbetweenyourimaginationandyourfingers.Mostpeoplespendverylittletimedevelopingtheirears,butthepayoffsfromdoingsoareextraordinary.Somepeoplearebornwithanaturalearformusic,whileothersneedtoworkonit.Itcanbetediousandtimeconsuming,butit'sveryrewarding.Thefollowingaresomeexercisesfortrainingyourears.Improviseandsingwhatyouplay.Agoodvoiceisn'tnecessary,butyoudoneedtogetthepitchesaccurate.Ifyoucan'tsingthenotesperfectlyinpitch,workonituntilyoucan.



Singanoteandthentrytoplayitbyusingthepreviousnoteasareference.Thisisachallengingdrillthattakesatremendousamountofdiscipline.Justimagine,though,howmuchyourearswillimprovewhenyoucandothis.Singaharmonytonotesyou'replaying.Startwithsomethingsimple,likeafifth,thenmovetoafourth,amajorthird,aminorthird,amajorsixthandsoon,untilyou'reabletosingaharmonypart(likeaminorsecond)perfectlytoanimprovisedatonalsolo.Understandthatthisabilitycouldtakeyearstodevelop.Memorizethesoundofdifferentintervals.Onewaytodothisistorecordyourselfplayinganintervaland,afterafewsecondsofsilence,speakingitsname.Fillupaonehourtapeinthisway,thenlistenbackandtrytonameeachintervalinthesilencethatfollowsthenotes.You'llknowifyou'rerightwhenyourvoicecomesinandnamesitproperly.Performthislastexercisewithchords.Recordyourselfslowlypluckingeachnoteofachord,andallowafewsecondsofspacebetweenthenotes.Afteramomentofsilence,announcethechordanditscomponentintervals.Transcribeeverything,fromsimpleguitarsolosto'complexjazzsaxsolos.Carrymanuscriptpaperwithyou,andwhenyouhavesomefreetimeawayfromyourinstrument,writemeiodiesusingonlyyourearstoguideyou.Carrysongbookswithyouandsingthemelodies.Makeupyourowneartrainingexercisesandkeepalogofyourprogress.

Hours5,15and25READINGMUSIC

Thereare'alotofadvantagestoreadingmusic.Some'oftheseare:Learningtoplaysongsyouotherwisewouldn'thavebeenabletoplayBeingabletotranscribeyourcompositionsExpandingyourmusicalpalateWhenIwasastudentatBerkleeCollegeofMusicinBoston,IdecidedIwantedtobethebestsightreaderintheworld.Ispentanentiresummerdoingnothingbutsightreading.almosteverywakingmoment.Irememberleavingtheapartmentonlytwotimesforsocialeventstheentiresummer.I

attemptedtosightreadeverythingIcouldgetmyhandsonclarinetstudies,pianopieces,JohnColtranesaxsolos,JoePasschordchartsandevenphonebooks.AttheendofthesummerIwasamediocresightreaderatbest.Ibelievetheguitaristhemostdifficultinstrumentonwhichtosightreadbecausetherearelimitationsandmanyvariablesinvolved.Havingsaidthat,Icanprovidesomepointers.Thetwomostimportantelementsinlearningtoreadmusicwellarebeingabletoidentifypatternsandtolookaheadasyou'replaying.Workon.theseprinciplesandthingswilleventuallyfallintoplace.Beyondthesetips,Irecommendyoudothefollowing:Buybeginnerguitarreadingbookstogettheideaofwherethenotesfallontheins'trument.Ihaveneverbeenafanofreadingguitartab.Althoughitcangiveyouabird'seyeoverviewofhowtoplayaparticularpiece,Ifeelthatiteventuallybecomeslimiting.Takeasong(classical,jazzorwhateveryoulike)andreaditthrougheverydayuntilyoucanplayitperfectly.Sightreadingisreallyaboutidentifyingpatterns,sothiswillhelp.Onceyouhavecompletelymasteredasongandyou'recapableofplayingitflawlesslyandwithgreatfeeling,goaheadandplayitmanymoretimesandwatchwhathappens.Buildarepertoireofsongsandplaythrougheachoneeveryday,oronaregularbasisatleast.Sightreadalittlebitofsomethingnewandterrifyingeveryday.Thiswillaidyourabilitytolookahead.It'sbeenproventhatthemosteffectivewaytoimproveyoursightreadingabilityistoattempttosightreadsomethingatastricttempo,suchaswithametronomeordrummachine.The'keyistoproceedwithoutstoppingorslowingdown.lfyoumissanote,ohwell.Keepgoing,asifyouweregivingarecitalwithothermusicians.Don'tstopanddwellonthenote(s)youmisseduntilyou'vefinishedtheentirepiece,thengobackandseewhatyoumissed.Practicesightreadingapieceofmusicatatempothat'snotgoingtomakeyoumessupeverytwomeasures.You'llbeamazedathowyoursightreadingabilitywillimprovewhenyouforceyourselfnottoslowdownwhenyoucometoatrickyspot.Inaddition,readmusicforinstrumentsotherthanguitar,suchastheclarinet,fluteandpiano.Also,getajazz"fake"bookandreadthroughthechordchanges.

Hours6,16and26WRITINGMUSIC

Writingsongsorinstrumentalpiecesisoneofthemostrewardingthingsaboutbeingamusician.Therearemanywaysyoucangoaboutbuildingacatalogoforiginalmaterial.WhenIwasahighschoolfreshmanIhadanincrediblemusictheoryteachernamedBillWestcott.Hewastough!Oneofmyassignmentswastocomeineverydaywithanewlywrittenpieceoforiginalmusicthathecouldplayonthepiano.Ithadtobecompletelynotatedandnotjustshowchordsymbolsandmelody,andithadtobewrittenspecificallyforthepiano.Havinghimplaythemusicformewasnotonlyatreatbuttremendouslyeducational.

Ifyou'reinterestedinlearninghowtonotatemusicproperly,thebestreferencebookonthesubjectisMusicNotation,byGardnerRead.It'sanexceptionalbook,anditoutlli).esalltheessentialdosanddon'ts.YoumaybeabletofinditbycallingthebookstoreatBerkleeCollegeofMusicinBoston.Herearesomerecommendationsforsongwriting/composing:Turnonataperecorderandbangoutyouridea.Ican'ttellyouhowirnportantthisisifyouwanttobeasongwriter.Momentsofinspirationaresometimesfewandfarbetween,andtheycanhityouatthemostunlikelytimes.Youneedtobereadytocapturethemwhentheypresentthemselves.Writesongsinleadsheetformat,withamelodyonthestaffandchordchangeswrittenabovethemelody.Therearebooks,suchasMusicNotation,thatoutlinethelimitationsandpropernotationforvariousinstrumentsoftheorchestraaswellasmoreunconventionalinstruments.Getsomemanuscriptorscorepaperandtrycomposingmusicforinstrumentsotherthantheguitar.Studytherange,tone,timbre,limitationsandnotationforoneinstrumentatatime,be



itviolin,harporharmonicaplayedthroughaMarshallstack(oraCarvinLegacystack).Findanothermusicianthatyoucan"gelwith"asacowriter.Ideally,heorshemaybesomeonewhopossessescertainskillsthatyoulack.,Ifyouhavetherightchemistry,creatingmusicwithanotherpersoncanbeaveryrewardingexperience.Whilelyinginbedatnight,trytomakeupanendlessmelodythatcontainsavarietyofinstruments.Doingthisistrulyliberating,becauseyou'recreatinginstantaneously,andtherearenolimitationstowhereyoucangoorwhatitcansoundlike.Rememberthatpeoplewritesongsbasedonanythingfromeventsintheirlifetosocialcommentarytofantasy.Whenapersontapsintothatcreactiveportionoftheirbrain,theyusuallygravitatetothingsthatstimulatethemthemost.

Hours7,17and27MUSICTHEORY

I'vealwaysbeenfascinatedbymusictheory.Althoughknowledgeofitisnotaprerequisiteforbeingagreatguitarplayerormusician,Ifeelthatifyou'regoingtolearntospeakalanguage,ithelpstoknowhowtoreadandwriteit.Manypeopleareintimidatedbytheory,butit'snotthatdifficult,reallythesystemisactuallyverylogicalandstraightforward.Whatconfusesalotofpeople,Ithink,ishavingtostrugglewiththinkinginunfamiliarkeys,suchasAflatorFsharp.BillWestcotttaughtmemusictheoryinhighschool,butitwasn'tuntilItookguitarlessonsfromJoeSatrianithatIlearnedhowtoapplyalotofittomyinstrument.Therearemanybooksthatteachmusic

theorybasics,includingnotation,timesignatures,keysignatures,thecircleoffifths,chordtheoryandmodes.Irecommendthatyoutakeeverythingyoulearninatheorybookandfigureouthowitappliestotheguitarandhowyoucanincorporateitintoyourownstyle.

Hours8,18and28JAMMING

Inthissection,I'llexplainmethodstohelpyoufindyouruniquevoiceasaguitarist,andexplaintechniquesthatcanaidyourexpressionontheinstrument.Theselaneritemsincludevibrato,bentnotes,harmonics,whammybarstuntsanddynamics.EverythingI'vetoldyouthusfarwillhelpyouinyourquesttobecomeanaccomplishedguitarplayer.However,rememberthatalltheexercises,scales,theoryandwhatnotarejustdevicesthatcanhelpyouexpressyourselfmorefreelyonyourinstrument.Becarefulnottogethunguponhowfascinatingitistobeabletoplayscalesreallyfast,ortoshredyourselfintoacoma.Usethisstuffasatool,nota

prison.Sittingandplayingtheinstrumentexpressivelyandwithcontrolisthegoalhere.Thesedays,Idon'tpracticeallofthematerialI'vementioned,butithasallbeencrucialtomydevelopmentandtomakingmyears,fingersandsoulworktogetherinexpressingthemusicIhaveinmyhead.Ibelievethatweallhavetheabilitytobeuniqueonourinstruments.Thetrickistoidentifywiththatuniquenessandcultivateitintoastimulatingpresentation(ormaybeevenahistoricalstatement).Ihavefoundthatlisteningtomyinnerearisthebestwaytogettotheheartofthematter.It'sasometimessubtle,elusivevoice,butit'sthere,andthereareconcretewaystotuneintoit.WhenIsitdowntoplaynow,Iusuallybuildjamtrackstoimproviseoverandwriteto.Therearenumerouswaysyoucandothis.Onewayistolearnthebasicsofhomerecordingandinvestinasimplerigwithwhichyoucanrecordyourowntrackstojamover.YoucanalsopurchaseprerecordedjamtracksonCD,andsomeelectronicdevices,likeKorg'sPandora,featurebuiltinvampsyoucanplaywith.0nevertravelwithoutmyPandora.)Focusingintenselyonanythingisaformofmeditationand,assuch,ithasthepotentialtoincreaseIQ,comprehension,imaginationandartisticabilitiesatanyage.Theproblemisthatit'sdifficultformanyofus(includingyourstruly)tokeepthemindfocusedonanythingforalongperiodoftime.This,however,istheonlywaytogetrealresults.Youneedtomeditateonwhatyou'redoing,andwhenthemindbeginstowander,youneedtotrytopullitback.Tothatend,I'dliketopresentvarioustechniquesforyoutopracticewhilejammingwithatapeoraband,orjustsittinginyourroom.First,however,Iwouldliketomakethefollowingsuggestions:Useavarietyofvampsthatencompassdifferentgenres,grooves,keysandtimesjgnatures.Bysettingupspecificparameters(whetherstylistic,melodicorrhythmicinnature),you'llpushyourselftodiscoverdifferentwaysofapproachingvarioustechniques.Thiswillhelpyouidentifywhoyoureallyareontheinstrumentbecauseyou'llbeforcedtoreachdeepinsideyourselfandfindthethingsthatpushyourmusicalbuttons.Whendoinganyofthefollowingtechniqueexercises,usethemtoexpressthewayvariousemotionsfeeltoyou:anger,joy,lust,compassion,melancholy,paranoia,euphoria...whatever.Eachoftheseemotionshasanaudiblecounterpart.Beware,however,thattosuccessfullytransmittheseemotionsfromyourpsychetoyourfingers,youmayneedtoimmerseyourselfintheemotionitself.Thisalonecantaketremendousfocus,butitcanalsobeincrediblyrevealing.lfyoufeelcompelledtofocusmoreonnegativeemotions,trytokeepthingsbalancedafterall,youarewhatyouplay,andwhereveryoutakeyourmindmaynotonlydictatethetypeofanyoucreatebutalsobrainwashyouintobecomingthattypeofperson.It'seasytobemiserableandintense,butthisexercisecanhelpyoubuildyourselfintothekindofmusicianandpersonyouwanttobe.It'salsohelpfulwhenyoufindyourselfinaparticularfunk(duetotheupsanddownsoflife),becauseitcanhelpstrengthenthementaltoolsyoumayneedtopullyourselfinaparticulardirection.Witheachoftheseexercises,trytopushyourselfintodoingthingsthatyouhaveneverdoneorheardbefore.Youcanalsotryimaginingthembeforeattemptingthem.Iwouldevenvenruretosaythatifyoureallywanttodevelopauniquestyle,youmuststopyourselftheminuteyouhearyourselfplayingsomethingconventional.Recordyourselfplaying,thenlistenbacktoidentifythecool,interestingstuffthat'smixedinalongsidethecrap.The



minuteyouhearyourselfdoingsomethingdifferentorinteresting,takewhateverthatisandmakeanexerciseoutofit.Continuetopullyourselfinthisnewdirection.It'slikefindingalittlethreadandpullingitintoenoughmaterialtoknitasweater...orawholewardrobe,forthatmatter!Withallthisinmind,herearesometechniquestofocuson:

VIBRATOVibratoisanexpressionofthesoulanda(sometimespainfullyobvious)indicatoroftheamountofcontrolyouhaveoveryourinstrument.Thereareseveraldifferentkindsofvibratothatcanbeusedastoolstoexpressyourideas.FretanoteWithyourindexfingerandholditforafewminuteswhileeffectingavibratothatmorphsfromextremelyslowtofasttoviolentandbrutaLMakesureyourintonationisgoodoryou'llsoundlikeahack.Trydifferentoscillations,fromasubderiseandfallinpitchtoaverywidemodulation,anddon'tletyourfingerslipoffthestring.Exaggerateallofyouractions.

Nowdothesamethingwitheachfingerofyourfrettinghand.Next,holdtwonotesatatimeandshaketheminasimilarmanner.Thentrydoingthiswiththreenotes,thenfourandsoon.Applyvibratotoanotethatyou'vealreadybentupwardahalfstep,awholesteportwowholesteps.Manyplayersfeeltheycanbemoreexpressivewithvibratobyapplyingittoanotethat'salreadybentforthesimplereasonthatitcangobelowthemainpitchaswellasaboveit.Trydoingthiswitheveryfingeroneveryfretoftheguitar.Doingsowillteachyoutotakeadifferentapproachandgripinordertoapplyvibratoondifferentstringsindifferentareasofthefretboard.You'llfindthatasyoumoveawayfromthe12thfret(themidpointbetweenyourguitar'sbridgeandnut),thestringsfeelstifferandarehardertowiggle.

BENDING NOTESBendingstringswellisanartuntoitself,onethatrequiresahighdegreeofauralandtactilesensitivity,mentalandphysicaldisciplineandtechnicalcontroloveryourinstrument.Fewthingssoundworsethanaguitarplayerthathasnocontroloverhispitchwhenbendingnotesit'sasifsomeoneissingingoffkey.Yet,whenexecutedwell,abentnoteontheguitarisoneofthemostmusicallyexpressivesounds,onethatenrapturesthelistenerandcausesgoosebumps.Abentnotejusthassomuchmoreattitudeandfeelingthanitsunbentcounterpart.Sitforanhouranddonothingbutbendnotes.Bendthemupasfarasyoulike,butmakesureyouzero

inonthe"targetnote"thatyouwanttohit.Listencarefullyandcriticallytoyourpitchandstriveforimpeccableintonation.(Thisiscomparabletowhataviolinist,singer,trombonistorslideguitarplayermustdoallthetime.)Practicingunisonbendsisaneffectivewaytotrainyourfingersandearstoworktogethertobendintune.Toplayaunisonbend,fretanoteontheBstringwithyourindexfingerwhileplacingyourringfingerontheGstringtwofretshigher.Strumbothstringstogether,thenquicklypushtheGstringnoteawayfromyourpalmtoraiseitspitchupawholestepsothatitperfectlymatchesthepitchoftheunbentnoteontheBstring.Inaddition:Trybendingtwostringsatthesametime(doublestopbending).Startwithanoteinabentpositionandbringiteitherdownorup,orupandthendown.Pushyourselftotrydifferentthings.Playbentnotestogetherwithunbentnotesondifferentstrings.Thisisaveryslickcountryguitartechniquethatdevelopedoutofadesirebyplayerstoemulatetheweepingsoundofthepedalsteel.Makesuretopracticebendingasmuchintheupperregisterandonthehighstringsasyoudointhelowerregisterandonthelowstrings.CanyoubendanF#noteatthesecondfretonthehighEstringuptoA?Maybeifyou'reZakkWylde!

HARMONICSDonothingbutfocusonplayingharmonicsforanhour.Experimentwithdifferenttypesandtechniques,includingthefollowing:Playopenstring,or"natural,"harmonicsbylightlytouchinganystringwithyourfrettinghandatvariouspointsalongthestringandpickingit.Sound"artificial"harmonicsbyfrettinganotewiththelefthandandpickingthestringwithadownstrokewhilealso"pinching"itbetweenthepickandrightthumb.Movethepickalongthestringintheareaoverthepickupsasyoudothistofindvarious"sweetspots."

Trytappingnotesovercertainfretswhilefrettinganote.Beadventurousandtrytodiscoverdifferenttechniquesforsoundingharmonics.(playingwithdistortionandwithyourguitar'sbridgepickuponhelpsbringoutharmonics.)

WHAMMY-BAR STUNTSThewhammybarismyfavorite"crutch."Ifyourguitar'swhammybarissetupanythinglikemine,youcanpulluponittomakenotesgosharpaswellaspushdownonittomakenotesturnintosheerblubber.Icanabusethehelloutofmywhammybaranditusuallycomesrightbackintune.Thesetupisveryimportant.Trythefollowingexperiments:Playmelodiesbyfingeringonlyonenoteandusingthewhammybartoraiseandloweritspitch.Playvariouskindsofharmonicsandexperimentwithpullingandpushingthewhammytoproduce"outerspace"sounds.

Trytocreateeverythingfromnice,subtlevibratoonsinglenotesandfullchordstoviolentsonicbrutalityandsheerwarbling



cacophony.(Iseemtohavemadeacareeroutofdoingthis.)Icouldgoonforever,butIencourageyoutocreateyourowntechniques.Youronlyrealguidelinehereistodowhammybarthingsexclusivelyforalongperiodoftimewithoutstopping.Soonerorlateryou'llcomeacrosslittletreasures.

DYNAMICSOneofthethingsthatmaketheguitarsuchanexpressiveinstrumentisitswidedynamic(volume)range.Fewpeopleutilizethefulldynamicrangeoftheinstrument.Youcanhitthethingextremelyhardandforcefully,andthenimmediatelyswitchtoastylethatiscaressingandtender.Notmanyplayerscandobothofthesethingseffectivelyintheperiodofthreeseconds,sotrytobecomeoneofthefewwhocan.Hereareafewwaystopractice:Graduallygofromsofttohard,andthenbackagainCreateastrummingpatternthathassharphits,lightstrumsandmediumrhythmicthingsallinoneor

twobars.Playasloudandashardasyoupossiblycanwithoutstoppingforaslongasyou'reableto.Thendotheexact"opposite.Again,Icouldgoonforever,butIthinkyougetthepoint.Tocloseoutthissection,I'vepulledtogetheranumberofwaysyoucansetupparameterstoforceyouintomakingnewdiscoveriesontheguitar.Trytodoeachofthefollowingforanhourwithoutstopping:Soloononestringonly.Solowithdoublestopsonly(twonotesplayedtogether),thentrydoingthesamethingwiththree,four,fiveandsixnotechords:Soloontwoadjacentstringsonly,thensoloontwostringsthathaveone,two,threeorfouridlestringsbetweenthem.Recordavampthathasasinglebassnoterepeatingunderit,thenimproviseoverthevampwhilelimitingyourselftooneparticularmodeorsyntheticscale.Playachord,listentoit,thencloseyoureyesandimagineascenethatthechordevokes.Thiscanbedonewithamelodyline,too.Pickonenoteandplayitasmanydifferentwaysasyoucanforanhour.Makeitsoundlikemusic.Comeupwithatleastonenewthingadaythatyou'veneverplayedbefore.Improvisewithonlyonehand(yourfrettinghand),usingonlyhammeronsandpulloffstoarticulatenotes.Makesurethenotessoundgoodandclear,andnotsloppy.Playasfastandascleanlyasyoucanwithoutstopping.Playasslowandtenderasyoucan.Tryfoolingaroundwithalternatetunings.Includeradicallydifferenttuningsthatseemtomakenosense.Trytoevokecolorswithchords.Layyourguitaronthefloorandtouchitinmanydifferentways,tryingtocreateuniquesounds.

Hours31to40REST

Don'thurtyourself.Ifyouneedtotakeabreak,thentakeone.Youneedn'tfeelguiltyifyoumissapracticesession.(Well,maybealittleguilty.)Whenyou'reyoungandhavetimetokill,it'seasiertoputinthehours.Keepinmindthatyourfingershavemanytinyandintricatemusclesthat,likeanyothermuscle,needresttorecuperateandhealafteraworkout.Evaluateyourownpainthreshold,anddon'tbeafraidtorestifyourfingersreallyfeelliketheyneedit.Fewofuspracticefor10hoursaday,andyoushouldgiveyourselfampletimetoachievethestaminatoplayforsuchalongperiodoftime.

Iseemtohavebeenblessedwithgreatfingergenes.Myfingersarelongandnimble,andtheycantaketremendousabuse.BackwhenIwasputtinginmanyhoursofpracticing,Icouldgofor15to20hoursatastretch,withoutanywrist,fingerorforearmpain.AlittlemusclefatiguewasaboutallIexperienced.OntheoccasionsthatIfeltpain,Ijustworkedthroughit.Today,however,Idonotrecommendthis!IencourageeveryguitaristreadingthisWorkouttobeonthealertforsignsofcommonmusicianailments,suchastendonitisandcarpaltunnelsyndrome.Theycanbeverydangerousifhotaddressed.Twolastnotesonthesubject.First,ifyouwanttomaintaincallusesonyourfingertips,youneedtoprotectyourh~dsfromgettingwetforanylongperiodoftime.Second,protectyourearsmorecautiouslythanyourpenis.Ifyou'redoingloudgigs,putcottonorearplugsinthem.(Thismaybethebestadviceyougetfromthisarticle!)

PLAY WITH OTHERSSharetheexperienceofmakingmusicwithothers.Ifthat'sallyoudo,you'redoingprettygood.Ihavenotincorporatedthisconceptintothebodyofthe30hourcycle,butformeit'sthemostrewardingaspectofbeingamusician.Makingmusic,likemakinglove,canbeaverysharing,tender,touchyfeely,emotionalexperience.Itcanalsobeasheerexpressionofotherthings.MyfavoritetypesofmusicianstoplaywitharethosewholaJowhowtolistenandinteractaccordingly.Toco=unicatemusically,youmusthavetheabilitytoallowothersintoyourexpressivepsyche.Toreallyletothersincanbeanintimateexperience.Bythesametoken,youneedtohavethe

abilitytolistentoothersaroundyouandinteractaccordingly.Mutualrespectandanonjudgmentalattitudearesomeoftheelementsnecessaryincultivatingtherightchemistrytomakethatmagic.SomeofmyfavoritetimesinmylifearetheyearsthatIattendedBerkJee.Ilearnedalotaboutmyselfduringthat



period.Theschoolwasfilledwithyoung,budding,ambitiousmusicians,andthegroupofstudentsIhungoutwithbecamemuchlikefamjJy.Thereweredifferentmusiciansfromallaroundtheworldthere,playingallsortsofinstruments,andtheywereeagertoexplore,shareandwereeagertoexplore,shareandcounicatethroughmusic.Nothingcanbeatthatkindofattitudeandthosekindsofmoments,nomatterhowmanyhoursyouspendpracticinginyourroom.Thereweresometremendousplayersthere,andIbondedwithpeoplewhohavebecomelifelongfriends.WhenIwasinhighschool,IwasinabandcalledRayge,andweplayedcovertunesbyLedZeppelin,Kiss,Queen,DeepPurpleandothers.Weeventuallystartedtodoalotoforiginalmusicaswell.Ourattitudeinthosedayswasoneofbrotherhood.Wewentthroughmanylifeexperiencestogether,butthemostimponantthingwastheband.Noneofuswereselfishaboutsharingmusicwhenwehittherehearsalbasementorthestage.Wewentthroughmany"comingofage"experiencestogether,andattimesthoseexperienceswerejoyous,andatothertimestragic.Regardless,wealwayshadthebandandeachother.WhatI'mgettingathereishowimponantitistoplayselflesslywithothers.Doingsowillgiveyoutheopportunitytorespectothers,experiment,openyourears,reactand,ofcourse,throwuponthegymfloorafterthegigatthehighschooldance.

DISCOVERING YOURSELFThisWorkoutanditsmethodmaybehighlycriticizedinthefutureforbeing"overthetop,"butIdon'tthinkthereisanyotherwaytobecomeavirtuoso.Thisisnotaclassonguitarplayingorsongwriting(althoughitmayhelpinthoseareas)butapathofdiscoveryforthestrongwilledplayer.Thecommitmentittakestobecomeanelitevirtuosoguitaristisnotunlikethatrequiredtobecomeachampioninanyotherfield.Youmustthink,breathe,eatandlivetheinstrumentatvirtuallyeverywakingmoment(andevenwhilesleeping,whenpossible).Youmusttranscendthegamesyourmindwillplayonyouandtheexcusesitwillgiveyoutolayoffandtaketheeasyroad.Youmust

continuallybringthefocusbacktotheinstrument.Youmayfindyourselfbeingharshlycriticizedbyothermusiccommunitypeople,orfriends,magazinesandthosethathangaroundonSunsetBoulevardobsessingoverthenuancesofthelatesttrends.Thisispreciselythetimewhenyouneedtofearlesslysticktoyourvision.Therearetestsallalongtheway.Realizethatit'sallinthemind,andneveracceptfailurewhendealingwiththingsthatarewithinyourabilitytocontrol.Keepapositiveoutlookonthings,anddon'tletyourintensityturnyouintoaprick.Alwayscomplimentandsupponyourfellowmusicians.Weallhavedreamsandhopes.Byencouraging,complimentingandsupportingthosearoundus,wegainselfdignity,respect,friends,ahealthyoverviewofourownworkandanappreciationfortheeffortsthatothersputinduringtheirstruggles.It'sokaytogetdiscouragedattimes,butit'snotokaytoquit.Quittingisneveranoptionforatrueartist.It'sjustnotintheirmakeup.Thinkofmusicandtheguitarwhenyou'renotevenaroundaninstrument..Ifyou'reinaquietsetting,imaginethatyou'replayingandtrytoseeyourfingersmovingwhileyoulistentowhat'shappeninginyourhead.Youcangetbetteratthisastimegoesby.It'sunbelievablyrewardinganditcanhelpyouimprovedrasticallybecauseyou'renotconfinedbyyourphysicallimitations.Iusedtodothisallthetime,andIstilldo.IimaginethingsontheinstrumentthatIcan'tdo,andthenIworkonthemuntilIcandothemeffortlessly.TherearethosewhobelievethatGodismanifestineverything,intheformoflightandsound.Somebelievethatthatlightandsoundneedtobediscoveredbyeachofuspersonallyandalone.Thiscouldbewhywearesofondofmusic.Creatingmusicjustby"willing"itinyourheadmayeventuallyleadtojustlisteningtoithappeninyourhead.Whothecomposerisandwherethemusictakesyouareforyoutodiscover.

DISCLAIMERBecomingarockstar,amoviestar,apowerfulexecutive,aneliteathleteorarichandfamousanythingiseasycomparedtocontrollingthemindsothatitremainsfocusedwithoutinterruptiononthemusicwithin.Idonotclaimtohavethatmuchcontrol,butI'mworkingonit.Somepeoplehaveanabundanceofnaturaltalentandaremoregiftedinsomeareasthanothers.I'mnotnaturallygiftedIhadtoworkveryhardtodevelopmychopsandtechniques.Iknowlotsofplayersthatarebettershredders,cleanerplayersandbenersightreadersthanme.I'vehadstudentsthatshowedanextraordinaryabilitytodevelopamazingtechniquebuthadredundant,dullideas.Conversely,I'vehad

studentsthatfounditverydifficulttoplayanythingaccurately,buttheirideasandsenseofmelodywereinspired.Andthentherearethosefreaksthathaveitall.Ithinkbeingamusicianandbeingabletoplayaninstrumentisaboutthecoolestthingintheworld.Creatingmusic(andespeciallyplayingtheguitar)ismostrewardingwhenit'sbasedonpurepassion.It'sourbirthrighttoplayaninstrumentandtocreate.Ofcourse,youcantossthewholeconceptofthisarticleandjustdoityourownway.However,somethingswon'tchange.Theamountoffocus,passionandtimeyouputinaregoingtobereflectedinyourart.Whateverthecase,Ihopeyoufindyoursoulinitall.That'sthepayoff.

Donationsarealwayswelcomeandappreciated!

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