How To Skip Learning The Modal System

Well, this one is sure to ruffle a few feathers… in fact, it might even make me downright unpopular – scorned even –  in some circles. But yeah, I’ll come out and say it: The modal system is unnecessary for guitar players. Now before you leave some comment and tell me how off my rocker […]

Trouble Memorizing Songs?

One thing that a lot of guitar players struggle with is learning new songs. Memorizing solos, riffs, or even just the chord changes can be a real chore if you’re not going about it in a way that works for you. I said works for you, because there are indeed different styles of learning. That […]

Joe Satriani’s Advice On Guitar Soloing

A long time ago I heard someone interviewing Joe Satriani. Not everyone knows this, but Satriani is actually a very good guitar TEACHER as well as player. In fact, among his students, you’ll find: Steve Vai Kirk Hammett (Metallica) David Bryson (Counting Crows) Kevin Cadogan (Third Eye Blind) Larry Lalonde (Primus) and a bunch of […]

BB King’s Advice When Getting Lost In A Solo

I guess probably everyone has gotten lost in a solo at some point in their lives – the thing that separates the good players from the not-so-good is how they handle it. I read an interview with BB King a while back, and one of the questions he was asked was “What do you do […]

Ever struggle to hold together a guitar solo?

On Saturday I helped a friend move. The first thing I thought of when he asked me was “Does this guy have an old piano?” Over the years I’ve moved several friends with pianos… not to mention my own family growing up. (we had this massively heavy thing made in 1908… we also had stairs!) […]

Cool Cat Guitar Solo

Sometimes animals do the funniest things. There’s a good reason why those cute puppy videos get bazillions of views on Youtube. Anyway, the other day my cat found herself cornered on the stairs. I was above her, and my dog was below her. In her mind (apparently), this was a high level red alert that […]