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A Guitarists Journey: Enjoying The Milestones
A guitarists journey and even musicians in general share the idea that they are never done. There is always one more piece, another technique, an alternate phrase, better tone, and, a plethora of other things. These ideas coupled with the selfish nature of learning an instrument the tendency can be to focus on deficiencies instead of what we have accomplished. Why is this? I know that I am guilty... -
Top 5 Chord Progressions
The top 5 chord progressions are the order in which chords are played in a song. They are the foundation of harmony in Western music from the Classical period to the 21st century. Chord progressions define how the melody and rhythm of a song will be determined. Chord progressions are identified by using Roman numerals, this enables players to quickly transpose to a new key and recognise the song’s progression. All styles of music have... -
The 3 Things Slowing Down Your Guitar Progress
In this blog we are going to discover the 3 things slowing down your guitar progress. As every guitar player has a blind spot these are important to take head of. Most guitarists will often find out the hard way down the line losing valuable practice time. While every guitarist wants to accomplish different things. One may want to become a full-fledged shredder whereas the other might want to... -
Funk Guitar Lesson: The Muting Technique (Part 1)
In this lesson, we’re going to work on three things: Developing your 16 note rhythmic prowess at different tempos. Feeling 16 notes to a metronome is considerably more challenging than 8th notes. The muting technique – playing all the strings without a single note or harmonic ringing out. This gives it a very percussive feel. Strumming speed (increasing tempo gradually), consistency (keeping a 16 note pulse for a long... -
Jazz Guitar Lick | Free Guitar Lesson
This is a III-VI-II-V-I Jazz Guitar Lick in the key of C Major. The lick utilizes all the “inside notes” of the harmony. It outlines the exact functions of the chords as played in the progression. So, in terms of modes, you will be highlighting Phrygian, Aeolian, Dorian, Mixolydian and Ionian. This would be a typical Be-Bop sounding line. It uses 8th notes throughout the line as well as... -
The Boom-Chick Rhythm | Country Guitar Lesson
A very popular country guitar technique is a rhythmic device called boom-chick. Click the video below to learn how to play this simple but creatively rewarding technique: ►To get FULL ACCESS to our video lesson library click here: https://www.guitarexcellence.co.za/product/video-membership/ ►For more great lessons and other valuable free content delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here: https://www.guitarexcellence.co.za/newsletter-sign-up/ ►For more FREE lessons subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/oTbwrS Notes: The boom-chick... -
Songwriting With Chords
It could be said that songs consist of only three things and they are namely melody, lyric and chords. Let’s have a look at how to focus on the use of guitar chord changes in the songwriting process and, how you can use them to make your songs communicate more powerfully. Let’s Add Some Chords When you’re adding chords to a new song you get to decide on the... -
Funk Guitar Lesson: ‘Get The Funk Out’
In this Funk guitar lesson, we’re going to work on playing chords and adding muted strumming in-between. This exercise is designed to help you work on getting your muted notes perfectly silent while playing your chords flawlessly too. Always make sure that there is a clear difference or contrast between your muted strumming and when you strum a chord. You need to be able to quickly switch between muted... -
Monster Rock Riff | Guitar Lesson
There’s a very popular combination of legato techniques in Rock guitar playing. It starts with a bend-and-release, followed by a pull-off and then a hammer-on a few notes later. This classic combination is clearly displayed multiple times in this monster rock riff. Practice this combination until it’s like second nature to you, and your Rock riffs and solos will improve tenfold. A few things to look out for: * Playing... -
Rock Lick in A Minor | Guitar Lesson
This rock lick uses two different pentatonic shapes from the previous two licks – Pattern 1 (Major Pentatonic Root 5) and Pattern 5 (Minor Pentatonic Root 5). Like before, we have hammer-ons & pull-offs, slides and bends all combined into one awesome rock lick. Small details like the tuning of your bends, not over-sliding, the clarity\loudness of your hammer-ons and pull-offs will make or break this lick so it’s...
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