How To Play Awesome Guitar Like... Slash

The man behind the music... When we think of innovation and talent in the guitar world, Slash is usually at the top of the list. With many years in the spotlight as the lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses, Slash left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career after the band had musical disagreements. Since then, Slash and two other members that left Guns N' Roses with him (Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum) have formed the very successful band, Velvet Revolver. Born in London, England, in 1965, Slash had exposure to music from a very young age. Both of his parents worked in the music industry. His mother designed clothes for the likes of David Bowie while his father designed album covers for world famous musicians. When Slash was eleven, he went with his Mother to Los Angeles. It's hard to believe that the rock star we know and love today had a hard time fitting in as a child. With his unique style, long hair, and laid back attitude, fitting in with the other kids wasn't an easy task. In later years, Slash's parents broke up and he went to live with his Grandmother. His life, while we may see it as glamorous now, started like many other households around the world. With the frustration of not fitting in and his parents broken marriage, Slash found himself riding BMX. Biking proved to be a near perfect match for Slash, that is, until he received his first guitar from his Grandmother. The guitar she gave him wasn't exactly glamorous. It had one string remaining (low E) but he used that guitar as the foundation to his future success. After a new set of strings, Slash's priorities started to change. His promising career as a talented BMX rider started to take a backseat to his guitar. Soon, Slash was practicing from dawn until dusk. The more he practiced, the more his school work suffered. Eventually, Slash dropped out of High School in grade eleven to pursue his dreams of stardom. Like many guitarists, Slash came across his fair share of obstacles in the music world. After teaming up with his friend Steven Adler, he created the Road Crew. The band was made of the right material, but needed a lead singer to seal their success. That's when Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin came into the picture. They merged members and created Guns N' Roses. The new band made airplay with the infamous song "Sweet Child O Mine." While the band was on the top of their game, Slash fell deeper into drugs and alcohol. While the entire band was using, Slash seemed to be trapped by drugs and unable to escape. It would take almost dying beside an elevator before he began to smarten up. After years of massive success on the world stage, the band took a little break from touring. Meanwhile, Slash wanted to get back to his roots and created Snake Pit. The new band was well received and hit the road. Instead of the usual stadiums which Slash was accustomed to playing in, he preferred to stick to the local club scene where he could be more interactive with his audiences. When Axl and the rest of the band returned to the recording studio, tension rose between Axl and the other members of the band. Axl wasn't involved with creating the record, so Slash filled the gap and produced the album himself. Eventually, Slash left Guns N' Roses to pursue his own solo career. He did work with Alice Cooper and performed on tour with him. This wasn't enough for Slash. While he enjoyed playing with these world famous guitarists, he had the itch for another band. The wounds were still fresh from Guns N' Roses, so Slash had the idea of creating a compilation album consisting of musicians from around the world. When he began to play with some old buddies from Guns N' Roses who also left the band, Velvet Revolver was created. Ironically, they went through more problems with their lead singer but ended up with Scott Weiland from The Stone Temple Pilots. The band has topped the charts with hits like "Slither." You can't keep Slash down, and the creation of Velvit Revolver was living proof of that. The Technique If you want to play like Slash, you need to know some of his techniques. Slash was completely self taught and practiced along to his favorite bands to become a better musician. The first step you can take to become a better player is listen to a variety of music and try to play along with it. Slash hated to replicate any guitarist, rather, he let their style influence his. That's why he wrote so many fresh licks, because he wasn't trying to be anybody but himself. As far as scales are concerned, he relied many on the minor/major pentatonic scales in addition to some mixolydian and Dorian scales for his solos. This may come as a surprise to some, considering how overused these scales have become. The trick to keeping your sound and solos original is to use a variety of techniques coupled with your own ideas. Slash favored vibrato and using hammer on/ pull off's to create speed. His right picking hand isn't used for speed. Instead, he uses his picking hand to add a percussive feel to his solos. The more you change the rhythms in your solo, the more unique and intricate it will become. The solo will take on a life of its own. The bottom line is this: put your heart into the solo, add in some ordinary techniques and cool effects and you have yourself a world class solo. The key ingredient here is practice. Regardless of what techniques you use, you have to know how to apply them in such a way as to move your audience. The Gear It's no secret that Slash has had a love affair with the Gibson Les Paul for quite a while. He was playing on a Jackson for a while until his manager found him a '59 Les Paul. However, it was actually a handmade copy made by luthier Chris Derrig. Slash used it for most of his gigs but retired it after too much tour abuse. To honor Slash for playing their guitars, Gibson has released two limited-edition custom Slash Les Pauls. This is in addition to the approximate 100 guitars already in his collection! In the studio, Slash likes to experiment with the B.C Rich Mockingbird. His live sound is always with a Les Paul. As far as Slash's effects pedals are concerned, he takes a different approach. He uses a Dunlop Crybaby, Boss graphic EQ GE-7 and a Boss DD5 digital delay ...a very modest rig. Now here's the surprise: He uses up to eight wah-wah pedals! Why so many? On stage, Slash likes to move around. By using so many wah-wah pedals, he can easily move around and be near one when he needs it for a solo. That way he didn't have to stand in front of a pedal waiting for the solo to come around. He only used one at a time. As far as amps are concerned, he prefers the tone of a Marshall. Like Gibson, Marshall also has limited-edition amps in Slash's honor. The Songs The song that launched Slash into stardom was "Sweet Child O' Mine." This riff has become a right of passage for many guitarists. Unlike most standard guitar riffs, Sweet Child O' Mine uses some melodic arpeggiated chords found higher up on the neck. This rhythm is the backbone to the song and has been the signature riff of the song since its creation. Without it, Guns N' Roses may have never been successful. It was the first single from the band to hit the airwaves. This rock ballad has earned the reputation as one of rock's best riffs.

10 Easy Ways To Improve Your Guitar Playing Today

Hello, One of the most frustrating aspects of playing guitar is when you reach the point where you are not improving. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned musician, we all face the same problem and ask the question, "Why am I not at the level I want to be and how can I get there?" To add insult to injury, we see our guitar heroes in magazines and on TV everyday and it seems as if they are constantly inventing new tricks and improving their skills. When we read about them in Guitar World to try to emulate their skills and learn their tricks only to leave more confused. Becoming the ultimate guitarist is far harder than it looks. So what is the key to success? While there is no one answer that can solve everyone's problem, there are a number of concepts and theories that can help you break through the barrier that keeps you from reaching your full potential. The one thing that you need to realize is that you don't need to be a genius to become a great guitarist. The two key things you need to have in your possession are interest and commitment. You'll never meet a great guitarist who isn't passionate about music. They didn't get to the level that they are at by being apathetic and lazy. They took the initiative to go out and try to learn something new. The guitarist who dares to challenge himself takes the risk of failing. This is where many musicians lose their battle with low self-esteem and quit. It's not that they didn't take the risk, rather, that they failed and couldn't pick themselves up again. If you realize that failure is a part of growth and that it takes many jam sessions to get some tricks down, you have just acquired the first skill you will need to become the ultimate guitarist. I have compiled a list of concepts that I believe every guitarist should try out. Unlike other articles you will read, these short and simple steps ask you to do, rather that simply read. Thoughts and attitude are important but in the end it's what you do that counts to your audience. Let's get started with the top ten things you can do to obtain maximum results as a guitarist. Top 10 tips for success... Learn something new - Educating yourself is the first step to becoming a better guitarist. Whether you choose to believe it or not, there's always something new to learn and master. If you are currently studying music in a conservatory, at school, or in college, you will find that learning will come more easier to you. If not, I highly recommend that you get in a program. While I believe in teaching yourself, I also know from first hand experience that motivation and encouragement from a teacher is priceless. Once you conquer the subject that you were learning, push yourself to learn something that you're not quite comfortable with. Learning within your comfort zone often results with you running around in circles. Make your time count - Practicing does not make perfect, it makes permanent. That makes the time you spend playing your guitar all the more important. Don't waste your time fiddling around on your guitar. Dig in and learn something that will aid you on your quest for musical success. Set goals and work towards achieving them. Whether it's technique, tricks, or a new song, you can become better just by using your time more wisely. Listen to more music - The more music that you are exposed to, the better guitarist you will become. Listen to the bands that you enjoy most and draw inspiration from them. Take note of what the musicians are doing in their songs and make a list of the techniques you want to learn. This can be the motivating force that gets you to play your guitar more often. Surround yourself with excellence - When you play your guitar with people who are better guitarists, you not only learn from them but feel motivated to push yourself to keep up. At first this idea seems obscure. Why would you expose yourself to that kind of stress? Let's face it, if there's one thing that will make you get motivated quickly it's the fact that people are counting on you. Don't play with musicians who are arrogant and rude. Embarrassment doesn't foster self-esteem and will only get you down. The people you want to learn from are patient and understanding. Eventually you will find yourself at their level. It happens faster than you might think. Ask yourself what will you do when you obtain the skills you want - What do you want to do with what you learn? Perhaps you want to make a CD or join a band and play at some local venues. Start planning for it now and use what you currently have. This ties into setting goals but is not to be underestimated. Knowing how you want to use your talent is important. Create a vision and use goals to act on it. Whether you want to play for others, or to the wall in your bedroom, the choice is yours. Teach someone how to play guitar - To teach is to learn. If the only chord you know how to play is a G chord, show someone that. Why? Because it reaffirms what you know and solidifies your knowledge. I can tell you from personal experience that I have learned more through teaching than I ever learned through being taught. It forces you out of your comfort zone and when questions are asked, you need to know the answer. I'm a firm believer that anyone can teach someone something if they want to. Give it a shot and see the results for yourself. Believe in your ability - Yes, I know how cliché this sounds. However, you need to hear it. You can do anything you put your mind to and if you choose to play guitar well, chubby fingers or not, you can! Don't listen to what others say and be true to yourself. This can be hard seeing as we live in a critical society that doesn't realize how much words can hurt. Keep at it and surround yourself with supportive people. More of a life lesson than a guitar lesson, but as far as I'm concerned music is intertwined with daily living. You are incomparable - In case you haven't picked up the hint yet, you are the ultimate guitarist. There is no one like you and there will never be anyone who even comes remotely close to being like you. Integrate who you are into your music and you will never have a shortage of material. Your music will soon form into your own tone and style. Learn what worked for others - Whether you research your favorite guitarist or talk to your guitar teacher, ask others what worked for them. I don't claim to know all the answers but when everyone puts their heads together, some really neat ideas start to flow. Networking allows you to give and receive at the same time. Crush your weakness - We all know where we lack the most in the guitar realm. For me it's in technique and finger picking, for others it's something different. Whatever it is, don't ignore it while enjoying your recent victory. Keep attacking your weak points and you'll soon see improvement. The secret is that you never stop seeing problems and you continually get better over time. You'll never be stuck without something to do. Take out a sheet of paper and write them down. Then find the resources you need to help you destroy them. It's not unlike a war, but in the end you always win. Don't Believe The Popular Myths You may be surprised to hear that a lot of the common advice distributed amongst guitarists couldn't be farther from the truth. There are myths and tokens of advice that get passed along and guitarists like yourself use them. Try as hard as you like, but you'll end up realizing that what meets you at the end of the road is failure. To avoid that, let's look at some of the most common myths floating around: All good players can play all styles: While great in theory, it doesn't work out in practice. Throughout the history of this newsletter, I have consistently pushed trying various genres of music and becoming a more cultured guitarist. However, no where will you ever hear me, or any other teacher, say that you should be able to master all of them. The fact is that it takes a lifetime to master one style. Some take up two genres that mix well together, such as blues and rock, but those genres are the exceptions. You will never hear a neoclassical shred guitarist play country. Many jazz musicians take decades to perfect their craft and even then they still see areas that need improvement. If you want to be a great guitarist, take the genre and style that you're passionate about and focus on it. Don't get distracted with other music. Your guitar heroes are heroes because they mastered a genre. Very few will ever play outside of their specialty and that's just the reality. You either have "it" or you don't: Let's face it, some understand music more easily than others. That doesn't mean that you can't be as good as them. Everyone can play guitar, it just depends on the effort and time you want to put in. There are dozens of specialties within music and no one knows all of them from the time they are born. Perfect pitch is developed, as is technique and originality. Look at where you started from as opposed to where you are now. Would you say that you are just as original as you were when you first picked up the guitar? I know I'm not. While things may come easier to others, remember that we all have our own struggles within music and that we are in it together. To sound good, you need the best gear - The best gear is nice, and yes, you do sound better. However, it's unnecessary for those who aren't interested in professional music or are just starting out. Beginners love to see the rack of guitars at their local music store and say, "I want the $2000 one." That was me for years but the truth is that a guitar of that caliber is useless to someone who can't play it. Learn on something modest and work your way up. Not only will the experience be more rewarding, it's also nicer on the instrument and your self-confidence. In the end, the guitar is only as good as the person who plays it. I have heard crappy guitars sound half-decent when played by someone who knew what they were doing. The same applies to you. For those who can afford $5000 guitars, my advice is go for it. For the rest of us, I say save your money and work towards being the ultimate guitarist. Think about it, if you sound good on a crummy guitar, how much better will you sound on something that can really produce a good tone? You need to be the most talented to succeed- All too often, as mentioned above, we tend to compare ourselves to others. The ultimate guitarist is you meeting your goals and making progress. There will always be others who sound better in certain areas but who cares? Be the person you want to be and music will be far more enjoyable. Success is measured on a personal level, not n how many CD's you sell. The famous musicians in today's society often find themselves wishing they weren't so pressured by record labels. They want to be in your shoes where they have the choice to do what they want to do. Enjoy yourself and the rest will fall into place. Want to improve your playing but not sure which of our courses would benefit you most

The Truth About Modes

* For blues techniques click here * How many of you reading this have encountered modes and thought the topic was just too confusing to actually use? Maybe you read about them in a magazine and tried to understand their construction. Perhaps you had instructors cover the concept and your brain clouded over like a rainy Seattle day. In this article, I will attempt to demystify the confusion about modes and give you a clear explanation of them. Part 1 will break these modes down to their simplest form and will give you a quick way to memorize them. One more thing before we get started - The modes are not going to be presented as the 1st, 2nd or 3rd mode in a major scale. If modes are learned this way, They all sound the SAME. Instead, all examples will be spelled starting from the same pitch. This way you can see and hear the changes that take effect. The modes are categorized as Major or minor. If the mode contains a major 3rd it's major; if the mode contains a minor 3rd it's minor. Major Modes Ionian = Major scaleExample: C D E F G A B Lydian = Major scale with a raised 4th scale degree.Example: C D E F# G A B................... #4 Mixolydian = Major scale with a lowered 7th scale degree.Example: C D E F G A Bb.............................b7 After observing the major modes, there is only one alteration made to each. Raising the 4th degree makes a very bright sound while lowering the 7th degree makes for a slightly duller sound. Minor Modes Aeolian = Minor scaleExample: C D Eb F G Ab Bb Dorian = Minor scale with a raised 6th scale degree.Example: C D Eb F G A Bb.......................... ......#6 Phrygian = Minor scale with a lowered 2nd scale degree.Example: C Db Eb F G Ab Bb....................b2 Locrian = Minor scale with a lowered 2nd and 5th scale degrees.Example: C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb ............... .....b2 .......b5 After observing the minor modes, there is only one alteration made to the Dorian with a #6 to give a brighter sound. There is also only one alteration to produce the Phrygian mode with a lowered b2 to produce a darker sound. The Locrian is the only mode with two alterations. Lowering the 2nd and 5th scale degrees produces an even darker sound. Because the mode contains minor 3rd and diminished 5th intervals this is called more appropriately a Diminished mode. I hope this cleared up any confusion about constructing the modes. By executing each one from the same pitch ("C" in these examples) you should be able to hear the differences as well. Part 2 will explain the application of these modes as well as new perspectives to further make you comfortable and make you WANT to use them in your next project. Below is a quick reference table to help memorize these modes. Major Modes Lydian - #4 Mixolydian - b7 Minor Modes Dorian - #6 Phrygian - b2 Locrian - b2, b5

String Skipping For Guitar Speed

Hey binaya, In this lesson, I'll show you how to create patterns with wide interval leaps by skipping strings. This creates a wild effect that is unexpected to the listener and sounds as if your fingers are doing back flips on the fingerboard! The first way to achieve string skips in an orderly fashion is to play octaves. If you play a pattern and displace each note with it's octave either higher or lower, you will create a dizzying effect. Exercise 1 demonstrates an octave displacement pattern that will wow your friends! Be sure to alternate your picking strokes and lay your 1st finger across the skipped string to dampen unwanted vibration. SLOW FAST E -------15----------------------------------------------------B ----------------15-----------------15------------------------G --12---------------------14-----------------14---------------D -----------12-----------------12----------------------14\12-- A ---------------------12-----------------12-------------------E ---------------------------------------------------12-------- SLOW FAST This lesson was taken from Speed Guitar Techniques We all want to learn to play faster, right? You see your guitar heroes ripping off fast lines and playing all over the fingerboard and you're inspired to pick up your guitar and play! Then you come to a realization - it doesn't quite sound the same. In the Speed Guitar Techniques course, we're going to be focusing all of our attention on speed and control. Yes, control. Without the "control" all the speed in the world will do you no good.

Jazz Blues Chord Progression = Fun!

Hi There, If you have experience playing the traditional 12 bar blues format you'll make a nice transition to the jazz blues. It's a bit spicier and can get out of hand quickly with substitutions and chord extensions. That means - a lot of fun! In this lesson, we're gonna take a look at stepping out of the traditional blues just a bit by using dominant 9th's and 13th's. These are simply extensions of the dominant 7 chords and add a richer color to the sound, which will enhance your jazz playing. All these dominant chords function in the same manner, 9th's are richer and 13th's are even more rich in color. The spelling of a G9 is written below: G ..B ..D ..F ..A R ..3 ..5 ..7 ...9 Notice that the dominant 7 chord is still present. By adding the 9th, you create a dominant 9 chord. The 9th is the same as a 2nd an octave higher. Therefore, the 9th is always a whole step above the root an octave higher. The spelling of a G13 is written below: G .B .D .F .A .E R .3 .5 .7 .9 .13 Here, you start with the dominant 9 chord and add the 13th. Notice that you skip over the 11th here. The 13th is the same as a 6th above the root an octave higher. This is the formula for any dominant 9th or 13th chord. . Below are a few favorite voicings of dominant 9th and 13th's to help you with the jazz blues progression in this lesson. Have fun!! 12 Bar Jazz Blues ...G7 .....C9 ....G7 .........G13 .Db9 ..C9 ..G7.......... E --------3-------------7----5----4-----3---------10--- B -3------3-------3-----6----5----4-----3----3-----8--- G -4------3-------4-----7----4----4-----3----4----10--- D -3------2-------3-----5----3----3-----2----3-----9--- A --------3-----------------------4-----3-------------- E -3--------------3--------------------------3--------- ....D7 ..D13 ..C7 ...C13 ..G7 .......D9.... E -8----7-----6-----5-----3---------5--- B -7----5-----5-----3-----3----3----5--- G -7----5-----5-----3-----4----4----5--- D -7----4-----5-----2-----3----3----4--- A ----------------------------------5--- E -----------------------------3-------- This lesson was taken from Jazz Guitar Techniques. By taking the time to learn about the concept of jazz guitar you will find your appreciation for it will grow. At this point in your guitar playing jazz might sound like a jumbled up bunch of notes or perhaps you are a rocker who is a little bit curious about the world of jazz guitar. No problems.. with Jazz Guitar Techniques you will learn the secrets to jazz guitar like the great Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis.