"So Who's Your Favorite Famous Electric Guitar Player?"
Preview Of Upcoming Guitar Instructional Video Download.
Guitar tutorial in the style of George Harrison,Hendrix,and Beck
WATCH THIS! IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE GUITAR BY LEARNING SONGS,GUITARISTS OF ALL LEVELS WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS PART 1
+ 2 TUTORIAL.I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF WATCHING THIS
IT WILL TEACH YOU PROPER CHORD MELODY,CHORD VOICINGS,CHORD BACKUP,AND GIVE YOU IDEAS ON HOW TO APPROACH LEARNING BEATLES,DOORS,SONGS ETC...
http://youtu.be/h6dlrtNs9TI
WATCH THIS PART 2
Simple but effective open string country lick! Key of G.
You're here because you want to learn how to play the guitar better
and improve your musicianship. My number 1 goal is to help you with
that and provide you with as many free instruction videos and samples as I can. But first lets go to our headline question for a moment.
“Your Favorite Famous Electric Guitar Player?” That's a question where
you'll get lots of different answers and opinions. But one thing these
famous musicians all have in common is that they performed the intros to some
of the greatest rock songs ever written.
You've probably heard these classic rock intros played countless dozens
of times on the radio and TV etc...
But you want to be able to play these intros and songs yourself right?
Well, here is the website you've been searching for. You've come
to the right place.I'm going to show you exactly how to play them.What you need to do the steps involved the proper licks etc...
(A small caveat here...I'm sure all you musicians have heard about the RIAA copyright crackdown...so to be on the safeside I've had to remove all my Beatles,Doors,Hendrix,etc...guitar instructional videos
but there is still lots of my guitar instruction under sneddonguitar
on youtube...and I can still teach all the famous rock band stuff
in a private lesson or a skpe lesson.)
And all for free.The only thing you invest is your time and willingness to learn. Granted,there's a lot of reading on here.But its
all geared towards making you a better guitarist and musician.
We're
going to show you how to play the cover versions of these intros and songs
and the exact steps you have to take in order for you to succeed.
The whole intent of this website is to be a workstation for serious
guitarists. Those players who want to improve their chops,
techniques,learning intro's and songs etc...and become better
overall players and musicians.
Gosh,sounds like a musical self-improvement course and it is.
This is a how to play guitar course specifically tailored for you.
I haven't put any fancy pictures of rock bands,or rock stars up.
Because looking at pictures isn't going to improve your guitar
playing. But watching my free instruction videos will. I just hope you can
get used to looking at my bald shiny head on video. Adjust picture
sharpness if you have to for the glare.
I want to say one thing before we go any further. If you are lazy
and looking for a quick-fix,superfast, shortcut, guitar method and are not prepared to put in the
work and time commitment to become the best guitarist you can be. Then
this website is not for you.
In my opinion and in my 40+ years of experience as a guitarist/teacher/songwriter./
I have never come across any learn guitar fast method
that was any good, or a substitute for good old fashioned
hard work and study. To me they are on the same level as a get-rich
quick scheme.
Don't get me wrong there are some fantastic guitar courses
on the internet. But I'm talking about the 1 day, 1 week,
1 month, etc... quick-fix methods.
Think about it. If it were possible to play fantastic guitar
in one week or 1 year then the world would be full of virtuoso players.
Well,I'm here to tell you its not possible.There's just far too
many musical factors involved for that to happen.
I can save you time,money, and show you the way and point you in the right musical
direction, and help you avoid the pitfalls and time consuming
mistakes,made by many inexperienced guitarists.
But ultimately,you are the one who has to do the work.
I'm just your guide.
And guys lets be sensible here,don't start writing me telling
how you've never played guitar before,and you got a special
fast method guitar course and now a week later you can play a
C Chord. I hate to tell you but playing a C chord doesn't make
you a virtuoso. Your just getting started and still a beginner.
This website is a labour of love for me,and I'm going to show you
all the tricks and shortcuts I know and have learned over my
career. So there's a lot of guitar information for you on here either in video form or written out. So for optimum results make sure you go
through all the pages of this website.
Anything new that I learn or can think of that will improve your guitar playing in the fastest
shortest time frame possible will also get added to the website,
along with the free instructional videos that are already on here.
There are probably those of you who can't wait to get started
learning rock songs and intro's etc...I share your enthusiasm.
Go to YouTube and I have about 27 guitar instruction videos up.
Type in sneddonguitar and then just click on the part at the top
where it says something to the effect of total or all 27 videos.
Or you can just get started with the video at the bottom of this
page,that starts off with some backpicking,or sweep picking techniques,and then goes right into some Beatles.
With the YouTube instruction videos you'll find classic rock
like Beatles,Doors,Police,Rick Springfield,etc...And don't
forget to come back to this website for all the videos, tips,and pointers,
guitar techniques,etc.
Now,lets get back to the main website and talk about how
to make you a better guitarist, and what we need to do so that
you can figure out and play these intros,licks, and songs.
To start we're going to need some tools to help us and you as a
musician probably already own the essential tools you'll need such as a
cassette tape recorder,your computer,CD's,tapes,and a tuner etc...
And as a guitarist hopefully you also own a ton of natural talent and ability.
One more thing,if you haven't done alot of work in the area of copying
guitar licks off of recordings it may seem intimidating and strange to you at
first don't let it be. You can do it just perservere and don't give up.
This involves really using your musical-ear and intense concentrated listening.
But it's a valuable life-long musical skill that you can develop and it will
serve you well.And working together we can accomplish your goals in this area.
You're going to have to work hard to learn these concepts and it's not easy.
So patience and a good work ethic are essential to your success.
But learning intros and whole songs is a great way for you to develop
your musical ear. And you know what? The more you do it,the easier it
becomes and you become more proficent at picking up licks off of recordings.
And after time you won't need anybody to show you how to
decipher licks off videos and recordings,because you'll be able to figure it out for yourself just by using your ear.
OK lets get started we're going to run through the steps that we must
complete so that you will have a good understanding and knowledge
of how to figure out guitar intros,and songs we'll also discuss any problems
you may run across in the process and the solutions.
We're also going to use some video examples of intros and songs
to fasttrack your learning in these areas.
OK the very 1st thing we have to do to copy licks off of recordings
is to get into tune with the recording.
Yeah you guessed it get out your electronic tuner and get into pitch
with the record.
OK now you've tuned up everything is good you're ready to go right?
Just hold on a second,there could be a small problem. Now, I know
your probably saying to yourself we haven't even got started yet and
already there's a problem “What the ####.”
Just hold on and have patience and I'll explain.
You've tuned up to A-440 which is the standard pitch on your tuner
And 8-9 times out of 10 you'll be good to go but every once in a
while you still won't be in tune with the recording. Why?
Maybe it was recorded at a different speed,maybe the guitar is in an open
string tuning,perhaps your cassette tape recorder is playing slow,maybe the guitar had a capo on it,maybe it was recorded a half-step or even a whole-step lower, whatever
the reason. You're not in pitch.
What do you do now get mad? And no...don't go smashing your tape recorder into
the wall...at least not yet.And besides those old cassette players
are hard to find.
No,what we do is start using some insider tips and tricks.
We,re going to start searching for clues... and no not the Robert Palmer song.
My fellow guitar players if it's a rock or a pop song you're trying to work
out.Most of those are written in simple keys like G,A,C,D,E, sometimes F.
So it might just be a matter of tuning the instrument up or down a bit
to get into pitch even though it might deviate a tad from the A-440 tuning.
Here's another guitar secret if it's a country or a folk song your trying to
work out and you can hear a real low droning open string in the bass,
it could be in the key of D with the low E or 6th string tuned down to
a open D note.
Another tactic we can employ when we can't figure out what key a song is in
is to listen for the use of any natural harmonics in the song.
Guitar open string natural harmonics sound like little high-pitched
bells or chimes there's no mistaking their distinctive sound or drone.
They are played on the guitar at the 5th,7th, and 12th frets by very lighty
laying the 3rd finger of your left hand on top across all 6 strings above
the bottom metal fret bar. Don't push down the strings,you want to create
the harmonics. When you hear the little bell sounds you've got it right.
Then with your right picking hand you strum all 6 strings in a
downstroke with the pick to produce the natural open string harmonics.
You can also play them at the bottom of the 4th and 9th frets and other positions
on the neck.But the main open string harmonics are the 5th,7th, and 12th frets.
Here's an example... on the recording if I hear the open string harmonics
played at the 12th fret that gives me part of an Emin chord or also part of a
Gmaj chord.So this tells me the song may possibly be in the key of Emin or Gmaj.
And of course I use my ear to determine whether the overall tone
or flavour of the song is in a major or a minor key.
OK, here's another common problem you'll run across when trying
to figure out intros,licks, and songs.
Let's assume you're in tune with the recording you hit the play
button and the first strains of the song start to come out.
But for the very life of you,you cannot figure out what the 1st chord
or lick is or even what key it's in. You've listened to it 20 times
in a row and come up with nothing. You're stumped!
What do you do now throw a tantrum,jump up and down,hold your breath
till you turn blue? No! Save all that for later. You've got to
keep breathing!
Instead do this...listen very carefully to the background music
and instruments that are playing in the foreground behind the
lead instrument.
This might give you a clue as to what chord they are playing.
Here's another tip...listen to the note the bass guitar player
is hitting 9 times out of 10 he'll be playing the root
or naming note of the chord.
And if you're using a real high quality tape or CD player to figure
the licks out,you may be able to separate the sound on the speakers
from left to right, for example...have only the bass coming out of the
left hand speaker.
But what do you do if it's a solo guitar intro? Throw your hands
up in the air and start swearing a blue streak...you could try that
but it won't help I've already done it and it didn't work.
Do this instead...if the intro is a chord pick out the lowest
bass note and match it. Now try to match up each note you hear
in the chord. Your ear will tell you when you have the combination
of notes exactly right.
But what if it's a guitar lick intro and I can't figure it out.
Should I just switch instruments and become a drummer instead?
No...because they have too much equipment and junk and hardware
to lug around.
Instead try this...
Are 2 strings ringing in unison or the same pitch? If they are
then he is bending the string to match the pitch of the other string.
Or he may be playing a fretted string and an open string together.
Example...E on the 2nd string at the 5th fret played together with the open
E on the 1st string.A real good example of this ringing open E string is
the intro to the song "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughn also listen to him run the gamut of other open string licks on this song. another example is G on the 4th string 5th fret played together
with G on the 3rd string open.
Perhaps he's playing 2 notes together a 3rd interval apart.
Example...D on the 2nd string 3rd fret and F# on the 1st string
2nd fret.
Perhaps he's playing 2 notes together a 4th interval apart
Example... D on the 2nd string 3rd fret played together with
G on the 1st string 3rd fret.
Well we're on the subject talking about these little 2 note licks
just for your information they are called doublestops...and don't get
that confused with shortstop that's totally different. OK back to our
discussion.
Or maybe he's playing 2 notes together a 6th interval apart.
Example... the B on the 3rd string 4th fret and the G on the
1st string 3rd fret.
Another possibility is he's playing tri-tones also known as a
raised 4th. I know tri-tone sounds like some sort of skin disease,
but it's actually a musical expression.
An example...F played on the 4th string 3rd fret played together
with B on the 3rd string 4th fret.
Tri-tones are contained in your 7th,9th,13th,7th+5 and diminished chords.
And various other chords.
But,that's just a simple explanation and I don't go into too much
music theory on this website, it's geared more towards showing you
how to play intros,songs,and techniques.
But anyway when learning an intro match one note then get the second
note etc...and you're on your way to learning the intro or song.
Remember there can be various scenarious, and you've got to listen close
to the music and experiment with different note combinations.
And be aware there could also be an open string in the chord voicing.
Your ear is the deciding factor and will always tell you when
you've nailed it. Unless of course you've got a tin ear or couldn't
carry a tune in a bucket of nails,in that case you might want to
be something other than a musician or singer-songwriter.
OK so what else is on this website to help you to advance your lead playing?
Well...of course there's the free classic rock intros instuctional video
that also covers some country,jazz,and classical styles. And no...it's not
one of those videos where I play 500 rock riffs or intros in 1 minute. We're
going slow and in detail so that you can actually learn and play them.
And there's some in-depth discussion and samples of famous electric
guitarists on their playing styles,analysis of their technique,
musical equipment they use, very short bio or history of them and bands
they played in etc...
And on this website although the emphasis is placed on electric guitar
it also applies to acoustic too.
So acoustic players don't fret or get your knickers in a knot,
you haven't been left out or abondoned because
there's also a special section in here for you too.
And there's also some general discussions about electric guitar
manufacturers. Their models,history,etc...but I don't go into the
customizing,pick-up wiring,or varied electronics of the instrument.
After all we want to concentrate on doing everything possible
to improve your musicianship and playing and not have this
website read like a rocket science report right?
And besides...I failed all those high-tech courses in high school
but I did well in music.
OK back to the business of your musicianship and improving
your abilities as a player.
It is the sole purpose and intention of this website to teach
and assist guitarists of all skill levels and styles,with answers
to their questions and problems. And also to save you time by showing
you musical concepts that would otherwise take you months or years to learn.
I should also mention that this website is geared more towards players
with some knowledge of the instrument as opposed to a complete beginner.
But we've tried to offer something for everyone and to teach you some
new concepts or licks no matter what style or level your at.
And we've tried to keep the information you need under one roof
so that you don't have to visit 10 different websites to find
the information you seek.
Obviously, it's impossible for me to anticipate or answer every question or concern you may have.
But if you have a general question about the instrument or a famous
players style,chances are you'll find the answer here on this website.
We're brand new and still under construction and slowly adding
more pages and content that is geared toward your musical improvement,
and education,but we want to deliver material that will give you the highest
learning benefits this all takes time so please bear with us.
OK we're almost done this guitar sermon just a few more things
I want to add.
Your musical education is a very serious subject and our number #1
priority. But we've tried to keep the website interesting and funny
with lots of humor thrown in as we cover the subjects. The intent is to
make you laugh as you learn.
We think this makes for a happier more involved student and one
that learns faster. After all there's nothing more boring or tedious
than going through page after page of music text that's inducing you
into a coma right? Sort of like reading the telephone book.
And just a few more things, this electric guitar website originates
from beautiful Edmonton,Alberta Canada,I'm located at #203-10021 116th st NW,Edmonton,Alberta T5K 1V5. Yeah it's beautiful here
in Edmonton alright! As long as your here in the summer and not
trapped here in the -40 below zero winter.
Then it's so cold that even Polar Bears won't come down here,
unless they happen to be guitar playing mammals which I doubt.
Just before we end things off here I would also like to add that
it is my pleasure to aid and assist you in the development of
your music career. And I hope these concepts will benefit and speed
up the learning process for you.
And finally to wrap up this discussion of teaching you how to play
the guitar and also learning intros,riffs and songs. I want to say this.
Believe in yourself,never doubt your abilities as a musician. You and you
alone are the one responsible for your success. You have to do the work.
Is it easy? No! But you will never give up just have dogged persistance.
Sure, they'll be guitar runs that'll give you trouble but just listen
over and over again till you get it. And when you do get it and you learn a
new song or difficult lick. It's like a musical light bulb clicking on.
It'll all start to make sense and your musical direction and focus
will start to take shape and you'll see the musical road you're
heading down.
You'll have such a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Gosh...you will almost feel like you've won the lottery.
Well okay...maybe not that good...but the musical jackpot feeling.
Congratulations to your future musical success!
And Thank you for visiting this website I hope you return to it often.
Best Regards -
Gary Sneddon – Webmaster and guitarist.
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