guitarhabits

Archive for the ‘Practice’ Category

I grew up listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan. My oldest brother was a big fan of Stevie and he introduced me to the wonderful world of blues and rock. He did not play guitar himself but he loved listening to guitar players all the time.

I started playing guitar at the age of 9, but it took another 6 years before I started listening and learning the songs of Joe Satriani, John Frusciante, Scott Henderson, Jimi Hendrix, Dimebag Darrel, Marty Friedman, Slash and Frank Gambale to name a few.

Much later I began listening to pretty much the rest of the list presented below. Listening to all these guitar players enriched my playing and my life as a musician and music lover. I hope it does the same for you.

This is a list of the most greatest, influential and famous guitar players of all time in no particular order. The list is not complete, because it can never be.

It is a wonderful guide to learn from, listen to and read about. The musicians and their music will inspire and motivate you. If you want to become a great guitar player then these are your teachers.

I present to you: The gurus, revolutionaries and guitar heros. Enjoy!

001. Jimi Hendrix (Blues/Rock)
002. Robert Johnson (Blues)
003. Albert King (Blues)
004. B.B. King (Blues) Read the rest of this entry »

For all you blues beginners out there, in this video I will teach you the A pentatonic scale and three basic blues licks that use this scale.

The Pentatonic scale is the most often used scale for soloing and improvising in blues and rock. If you are just starting out in blues you should definitely check out this video. The 3 blues licks are free and for you to use in your own improvisation. Copy them, rip them apart, turn them around and make them your own. Use the pentatonic scale to create your own licks and solos. Be cool!

Tablature explanation:
p = pull off
h = hammer on
bd = bend down
bu = bend up
\ = slide

A PENTATONIC SCALE: Read the rest of this entry »

I am happy to announce the first GuitarHabits Lesson Video. I will teach you three cool blues licks to spice up your improvisation skills. There are a lot of blues licks out there that sound a little ordinary so here are some cool blues ingredients to make your improvisation sound more alive. I wrote down the tabs (tablature) below. Do check out the video to hear what they sound like and how to position your fingers.

Enjoy!

 

LICK #1: Read the rest of this entry »

photo by Tiny Froglet
My daughter is now 20 months old and our second child is on the way. I love spending time with my daughter and I very often do, but as parents know children have a tendency to occupy all your time.

When I play guitar, my daughter wants to play guitar also. I bought her a little guitar of her own, but she wants to play on my guitar when I play it. That is just great. :) I don’t mind, but my practice workouts become a little difficult this way. Therefore and for a lot of other reasons I designed the Zen Guitar Practice Workout.

Zen is more and more finding its way into the western world along with minimalism and new lifestyle designs.

A major benefit for all who are seeking a different and more effective way to self improvement and development.

Zen is also very good to apply when it comes to guitar practice.

Guitar practice is in itself a form of meditation. You need to stay focused on what you practice and not let your mind wander.

It is about concentrating on your fingers, your technique, letting go off tension, recapturing yourself, letting it happen, continually shaping and getting back to the essence of your practice.

Zen Guitar Practice is a way to combine the rules of Zen Buddhism and the rules of guitar practice into your workout.

Here are the steps to benefit:
Read the rest of this entry »

photo from Flickr
Blues is one of the most important things to learn when you want to become a rock – jazz – metal – country – all round guitar player All these genres are related to or arisen from the blues. There is also a lot of blues in the songs you hear on the radio without even realizing it.

It’s hard to be a great rock n’ roll guitar player without learning the blues first. Okay maybe you can, but you will probably sound like crap. :-) Blues is what makes your guitar cry, shiver and scream. It’s got anything you need to express your feelings. Besides that there are so many cool blues songs, progressions, licks and tricks out there that will ensure you have a great time practicing and will really improve your playing a lot. So sit down, read through these essentials, get your guitar amp all cranked up, plug in your favorite blues guitar and let’s get down to serious business.

Here are the 6 essentials to master the blues. Check it out:
Read the rest of this entry »

                                            photo from Istockphoto
Wouldn’t it be great if you could figure out the chords, the melody and the rhythm of a song on your own because of the lack of sheet music or just because you needed or wanted it right away?

Of course that would be awesome!

Well, it’s happening…
Right here, right now!

The key to becoming an amazing guitar player and musician is transcribing music.

Here are 12 ways to develop this wonderful skill. Read, listen and learn:
Read the rest of this entry »