The Guitar Resource

This is a great finger exercise for guitar you can use to build speed and strength. The best part of this exercise is that you really don’t need to focus that much. It can be done with ease while watching TV or reading or even chatting with a friend.

So here is what you do. You are going to “trill” (rapidly hammer on and pull off) on the high E string (you can start at any fret, I normally start around the 5th) as fast as you can using various finger positions. Sound easy? Well guess what, it’s not. You are going to trill for 15 seconds straight in each position pictured below. And you are going to do it was fast as you can. And you can’t rest until you go through all 8 positions below. That’s two minutes of straight of trilling. And this is just to start off. The goal is to work up to a minute straight with each position.

The different positions to use are pictured below. Be sure that you can hear all of the notes clearly when you play, especially for exercises 4,5, and 8. If you need to slow down a bit for those ones, you should. Also, if your hand starts hurting at any point, stop and take a break. You don’t want to hurt yourself.

The numbers after each picture represtent the fingers you are using (1= pointer and 4=pinkey, you can figure out the other two)

(1, 2, 1, ect…)

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Ok, first off, sorry I have not posted in about a week. I was out of town on vacation with limited computer access. But I decided to help get back into the flow I would start by getting your opinion. It was recently my birthday (I turned 24 on June 29th) and I have about $245 in birthday money that I am allocating towards guitar gear. But I am not sure how to spend it.

That is where you come in. If you had $245 to spend on guitar gear, what would you buy? An effect pedal? Maybe a pedal mod? An amp upgrade? I am looking for some ideas and I would love to hear what you would do? I am thinking about getting a pedal. Just not sure which one. Please post your suggestions to the comments section below this post. Thanks to everyone in advance!

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The Allman Brothers are one of rock and roll’s greatest bands. And Jessica is one of their greatest songs (though there are many). This song showcases Duane Allman and Dicky Bett’s great chemistry and ability to harmonize with each other. Also note the use of arpeggios to create melodies and improvise. This is a great performance from way back in 1982. Enjoy!

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Understanding modes
Understanding how to apply modes is one of the tougher concepts for guitarists new to music theory. Before you even try and understand how to apply modes on guitar you have to first make sure you understand what modes are and how they are created. If you are not crystal clear on those concepts than read my post Modes- An introduction to learning modes before reading any further.

Why you should use modes
Before we start talking about how to use modes, lets talk about why you should use modes. One reason of using a mode is to melodically outline the harmonic changes of a song. What do I mean by that? Well by outline the chord changes of a song is your solos it makes your solos more interesting and relevant. It helps the listener hear the chord changes and keeps your melodies in sync with the harmonies.

Another reason to use modes is for composition. If you harmonize notes of a mode by stacking 3rds the same way you would with the major scale, you will have unique chords and the diatonic harmonies would be a lot different. (If that is confusing just keep reading).
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Here is a cool trick to save a bit of money when you buy mp3’s from iTunes. This way you can save a little bit and download an extra guitar song or two from iTunes next time you buy.

The trick to saving money on mp3’s from itunes is to buy a gift card on eBay for less than the value of the card. Most gift cards on eBay tend to sell for less than the value of the card, so you can perhaps get a $25 gift card for $20. That would save you $5 on mp3’s. It’s nothing too fancy but I just figured I would share the knowledge with you and help you save a few buck.

Here is some helpful info for anyone who does not use eBay yet: eBay Resources for new eBay users.

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This is a really interesting post I saw on Music Thing quoting Captain Beefheart. It is humorous and poetic and it is worth reading. I don’t think all of the advice is right, but there really is no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to music anyways. I just have a different approach to some of what he says. Check it out and let me know what you think: Captain Beefheart’s rules for guitarists.

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This lesson does not have tons of practical application, but I thought it was important to clear up some confusion on the chromatic scale just for the sake of increasing your understanding of how the chromatic scale differs from the partial chromatic scale.

What is the chromatic scale?
First, let’s define a chromatic scale. A chromatic scale is a scale that each note goes up or down one half step from the previous note. So since there are 12 notes, the chromatic scale must have 12 notes because we are only moving a half step, so we are only going up or down one note at a time. That means we are playing every note! Now you can play a chromatic line (lick) and just use notes from a chromatic scale. So if you play 4 notes in a row and each note goes up one half step or each note goes down one have step, that is a chromatic line, or lick.

Practicing with the chromatic scale
Many guitarists practice what they think is the chromatic scale. They will play something like the tab below and go up and down the strings and then move up one fret and repeat it all the way up the neck. (This happens to be a great warm-up, finger strengthening, and speed building exercise if practiced with a metronome).
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Here is a little bit of a change of pace from past weeks great guitar videos as this week I will be featuring an acoustic guitar player (for the first time). This is an incredible video of acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke playing a medley of songs, Part Two, June Bug, Train And The Gate, from German TV sometime in the early 80’s. Watch this 12-string master tear it up with his slide and fingerpicking magic!

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GuitarFact.com has an interesting post titled Common Amplifier Myths Guitarists Should Know About . This is a great post that sheds light on two common guitar amplifier myths about wattage vs. volume and Hybrid amps, two areas I don’t really know much about. So check out the post and please post your thoughts to the comments.

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Here is a great article on getting your guitar set-up I received from one of my readers, Giles Dickerson. Thanks Giles for the great article! If you would like to submit content to be posted on this site please contact me.

Following the purchase of my used PRS electric guitar my friend told me he’d refer me to someone to get it “set up”. Just beginning on guitar back then I wasn’t really clear on what this meant. Let me tell you, it means the world. I suggested I save some time and get it set up at the local music shop (which incidentally is out of business now), his immediate reaction was “No way dude, I have a guy for you”. So began the amazing experience I had with Richie’s Guitar Shop in the East Village, only a stones throw over the Manhattan bridge.

My friend set me up with a referral with Richie (he’s by referral only) and I headed over to the shop. We got there a little early so we ended up testing the deep fried hot dogs and beer up the street from him at Griff Dogs. Entering Richie’s shop is amazing. Guitars everywhere! It’s an apartment but it is clearly his workshop/labor of love. His custom 12 string electrics are on the wall, his custom Strats lined up on stands on the floors, custom Tele’s on the other wall, and a wealth of pickups and tuners and any other possible mechanical item a guitar could require in fantastically organized rows only a space challenged New Yorker could dream up an organizational strategy for.
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