The Guitar Resource

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.

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!

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).

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.

Keep reading to see some of the current ebay deals on itunes:

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.

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).

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!