LogicalLeadGuitar.com
Newsletter #13
Hello
fellow guitarists!
I hope your
guitar playing is going well! No matter where you are skill-wise, just keep
pushing forward. I'm reminded by my private students nearly every day that
learning a musical instrument takes time, persistence, and most of all,
patience!
If you feel
like you are struggling with a technique, or a song, or a solo, or whatever
the honest answer is ALWAYS: You
haven't played it enough times yet. Don't give up. Expect to be frustrated.
Expect to be very frustrated at times.
Not get
over it and play it 10 more times! How 'bout 50 more times.
That's what
it takes.
Now Let's Play!
By now I
hope you've had a chance to read the first of my Shut Up 'N' Play Yer Guitar
columns, which I've posted under "Free Lessons" on www.LogicalLeadGuitar.com.
Actually, I
hope you've done more than read the column: I hope you're already hard at work
mastering those seven diatonic scale patterns shown in the column. These scale
patterns are, without any doubt whatsoever, simply the most important thing you
can learn on guitar!
The seven
diatonic scale patterns are the exact same patterns used to play almost every guitar solo you've ever heard --
granted, sometimes using the shortened, Pentatonic versions of these diatonic
scales.
In case you
haven't noticed it yet, the five pentatonic patterns match up exactly with five
of the seven diatonic scale patterns, just with a couple of missing notes.
So I'm
going to give you the steps you need to take to learn and MASTER these patterns, eventually building your ability to play
pro-sounding solos and melodies (and these scale patterns allow you to do more
than just that, which is why they're so ultimately important even if lead
guitar isn't the most important thing to you).
Step 1: You must first play each of the
patterns enough times to completely memorize them. Work with one pattern at a
time and plan on playing that one pattern over and over and over again until
you rarely, if ever, play a wrong note. Play the pattern once, then move up a
fret and play the same pattern again. Repeat at every fret you can reach.
Honestly, this will require playing the scale a few hundred times. Don't stress, in an hour you could have played it a
couple hundred times just get started today. It doesn't have to be done all
in one day. Play the pattern a bunch of times today, more tomorrow, more the
next day. You'll get there. Then move on to the next pattern and repeat the
process. Plan on this entire process taking you several weeks to accomplish.
And don't forget to play other stuff too, just to have fun with the guitar.
Step 2: Learn to play each of these
patterns using various exercise patterns, such as "three up, one
back," "four up, two back," etc. I teach many of these essential
exercises in the Logical Lead Guitar course. Click here to order.
Step 3: Learn to lock the patterns
together. They fit like puzzle pieces, and they must remain locked together if
you change keys. Also, by learning the "puzzle locking exercises,"
such as those taught in the course (and in Newsletter #12), you'll become able
to move from pattern to pattern without hitting a bad note. You've got to have
memorized the patterns (Step 1), and become fluent playing them with exercises
(Step 2) before you should attempt this.
Step 4: Noodle around. By that I mean pick a
scale pattern one you've already thoroughly memorized and have begun to
perfect through the use of exercises (as in Step 2) and start playing random
groupings of notes from that scale pattern. Attempt to make these groupings of
notes sound like melodies you would want to hear, but keep them short at first.
This is
actually a lot of fun, once you give it some time. Most people seem to be
afraid of their first meanderings in this method, but this practice method is
absolutely essential. This is how you really learn to use each pattern. Also,
while you're doing this, you'll occasionally come across recognizable melodies.
Go with it, and strive to complete those melodies. And if you think you're too
cool to complete the melody for "Yankee Doodle," then you're simply
not going to really learn how to play the instrument. Just do it.
Step 5: Begin to learn solos by famous
artists, by whatever means possible (songbook, internet tab, a friend showing
you, by ear, etc.). While you do this, notice how the solos fit the scale
patterns. Don't bother trying to learn difficult solos at first you won't be
able to do it, and you'll just be wasting your time valuable and precious
time you could have spent improving your guitar skills so you will eventually be able to play those
harder solos. You won't get wasted time back, so don't waste it in the first
place. Pick easy solos to learn first. You can't run before you can walk.
Gradually, you'll understand the process more and more, and you'll be able to
tackle more and more difficult solos.
Try These
I've begun
to put together a list of what I consider to be relatively easy solos that are
perfect for beginners and intermediate players to concentrate on. There are
literally millions of songs out there, and I obviously can't name them all, but
here are a few that you should attempt, if these songs are in your area of
interest (and even if they aren't, the learning process will still make you a
better guitarist):
"Foxey
Lady" by Jimi Hendrix
"
"Dear
Prudence" by the Beatles
"Come
Together" by the Beatles
"Happiness
Is A Warm Gun" by the Beatles
"In
The Name Of Love" by U2
"Gimme
Shelter" by the Rolling Stones
"Runnin'
With The Devil" by Van Halen
"Comfortably
Numb" by Pink Floyd
"Lips
Of An Angel" by Hinder
"Mr.
Brightside" by the Killers.
Wanna Know More About LLG?
There's so
much more I'm ready to teach you. Are you ready to learn?
If so, CLICK HERE.
My Latest Guitar Industry Projects
I'm now
beginning to book guitar clinics to demonstrate the Logical Lead Guitar course,
and to help players get a better understanding of the essential patterns they
really must know to become a competent guitarist. These will be hands-on
clinics bring a guitar because I will have you playing.
This clinic
is absolutely FREE and you'll go home with free stuff and as a better
guitarist!
Eventually
I'll branch out at least to the surrounding states but If you're in the
Click here for store location information.
Inspiration
Here's a
one-minute video to inspire you:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=W76jJthPFG8&mode=related&search=
This
guitarist, Gannin Arnold, has played in bands with Taylor Hawkins (Foo
Fighters) and Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins). He toured the world a
couple of times with John Tesh, and he's done all right for himself!
I was his
first guitar teacher, when he was 12 to 14. He lived across the street from me
and kept bugging me to teach him until I finally gave in. A couple years later,
when he had learned to play Jeff Beck's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" pretty
much note for note, I knew he was on his way.
As you can
tell from the video, those lessons were awhile back. But I taught Gannin all
the same patterns, exercises, and methods I'll teach you in Logical Lead
Guitar! Disclaimer: Gannin was one of those people who took it and ran with it,
practicing for hours every day all through his teens! You might not get the
same results or awesome career opportunities unless you put in the time!
But you can
do it.
In the
meantime
Practice,
Practice, PRACTICE!
Adam St.
James
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