April 25, 2010
March flew by. So did April! Uncle Sam the Tax Man has monopolized most of my time, but I'm glad to say I'm done with the taxes. Tried to get my wife to let me have the refund for some toys (I could really use another B. C. Rich, or a Gibson Explorer - you know, for alternate tunings), but she wants to use it to pay for school. Oh well, someday…
I was able to get a handful of pages uploaded over the past couple months. If you haven't been to visit recently, here's the list:
New Guitar Amplifier Pages for March
New Guitar Contest Pages
- Win A Custom Taylor Guitar!
- Win a Sammy Hagar Signature Gibson Les Paul - You also get to hang with Sammy in sunny Mexico!
Also got some additions to the Guitar Heroes page, with some interest in Kirk Hammett, Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie Montrose. Check out what the gang has to say here.
More Changes
Now you can add your opinions and comments. As promised last month, you can now let everyone know who your guitar heroes are. This could be someone famous, but it's a lot more interesting if you have someone in your life that really inspires you to rock out. It could be a teacher, a friend or family member. This is your chance put their name in lights, so to speak. Ya know, give them the props they deserve.
People from all over the world visit Learn To Play Rock Guitar. Let 'em know about your guitar heroes here.
I've also got a page for your to show off your favorite guitar gear. Brag a little - share a picture. Tell us why it's your favorite, how you get your tone. I love checking out gear and seeing what other rockers are playing. Share your guitar gear here.
Get all the updates at the Play Guitar blog page.
A Good Resource
Came across some good instructional videos for playing rock guitar. The eHow.com website has bunches of videos free for the taking. All ya gots to do is go over here and check it out.
- For rock rhythms, here's a whole series to watch: How to Play Rock Rhythms on the Guitar
- For metal guitar playing, here's a video series of techniques: How to Play Heavy Metal Guitar
If you have Video Surgeon, you can record these videos and play them back. Slow them down to 50% of the original recording to follow the lessons. It's easy, and can really help improve your playing. If you haven't tried Video Surgeon, you owe it to yourself check it out. Get a Trial Download to give it a try.
Coming up…
I'm still working out the details for the new lessons. I gotta hand it to the guys (and gals) that teach and create courses - it's a lot of work. When you're a full-time working stiff like me, it's tough to squeeze out time after a long day to write and work on lessons. Not that I'm bitching - this stuff is almost therapy for me. It just takes a long time to get it put together. Thanks for the patience!
In the meantime, be sure to check out Kenny Salter's DVD course "Guitar in 60 Seconds". I'm learning a lot from him, and you could, too. Check out his sample videos to see if his teaching style works for you.
And if you've already got the basics down and are more interested in building up your shredding chops, one of the best ways to do this is practicing different picking techniques and exercises. One of the best courses I've come across for speed picking is Pro Speed Picking.
One of the more important points taught in this course is the need to be diligent in your practice. By setting aside time every day, whether it's 15 minutes or two hours, you will progress much faster than if you try to cram all your practice time into two hours on a weekend afternoon. It's better to have short, daily workouts than to do a marathon once a week.
With 101 exercises to keep you busy, there's no doubt if you follow the Pro Speed Picking method, you'll build speed and accuracy. Take it slow to start, focus on the accuracy, and before you know it, you'll be rippin' it up!
Until Next Month…
Keep on rockin'! Peace~
Dave