Due to the plurality of the Internet, I’m extremely picky and impatient when it comes to jazz guitar lessons online, especially video tutorials. If the first minute of any lesson consists of the guy talking about his methods or his preferences, or basically anything that doesn’t explicitly reference the lesson at hand, I’m out of …
I envy the younger generation of guitar players, particularly jazz guitarists, I really do. But I’m not jealous. In fairness, it’s necessary to explain the difference between envy and jealousy. Envy is wanting what other people have; for example, I’m envious of Pat Metheny’s jazz guitar virtuosity. I’m also envious of John Scofield’s pedal board. …
I’ve often thought that the phrase “jazz rhythm guitar” is redundant, mainly due to the fact that in jazz big bands of the 1930s and 40s, the guitarist was considered an essential part of the rhythm section (guitar, drums and bass). They usually played four strums to the bar, although an amount of harmonic improvisation …
As much as it pains me to say, James Hetfield is probably the best metal rhythm guitarist of all-time, and if you’re in the mood for some four-on-the-floor, 8th-note triplet chugging, look no further than the first three or four Metallica records. In my opinion, having slogged through a version of “Battery” or two in …
There are two main ways to read notes for guitar songs: tablature and sheet music. For those of you who are able to play completely by ear, this post is negligible – move on. For the rest of us, here’s the good news: Tablature doesn’t require a great deal of music-reading ability, and it shows …
Looking for online guitar lessons, huh? Free? No problem. Today we’re going to talk about playing chords with notes other than the tonic in the bass – also known as “slash chords.” There is a very simple rule to understanding slash chords. The first note is the fundamental chord, after the slash is the bass …
There are going to be times in life when you need a hard copies of stuff. Though there is far less paperwork involved in our day-to-day routines, guitar players will eventually find themselves in a position where they will need printable guitar scales, chord charts, and maybe even song lyrics. Having learned to play guitar …
One of the coolest unspoken rules about rock guitar is that everything is a riff. Rock guitar is nothing if not a series of riffs. Let’s say you’re a rhythm guitar player in a band with a smokin’ lead guitarist. And let’s imagine you’re chugging away on a B5-A5-G5 pattern while Josh “Yngwie” Patterson is …