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The Melodic Minor Scale Deconstructed Part 1
The melodic minor scale is known as the jazz minor scale among seasoned musicians, because of the minor major(-Maj7) sound it creates in your solos. Frequently used by jazz musicians, this notorious sound has also made its appearance in fusion and rock music. The melodic minor has been getting a lot of attention lately because of its unique sound and ability to add a new depth of colour and... -
Olight Arkfeld Review | Light Up My Lessons
The Olight Arkfeld was sent to Guitar Excellence to test and review for our guitar lessons. With load-shedding, we wanted to make our lessons go as smoothly as possible without any interruptions. When we were presented with the chance to take the Olight Arkfeld flashlight for a spin, we jumped at the opportunity. Olight is a great company that make world-class products. We would love to see how the... -
Everyday Carry For The Modern Guitar Teacher
Everyday carry or EDC is a very popular term being used currently. YouTube has exploded with this scene. It was a term commonly used by the “prepper” community but has shifted to the more modern man or women. It simply means – the stuff you carry on you to make your life easier or use every day. What this does not mean is carrying an entire workshop or tool... -
The Top 4 Ear Training Tips
Ear training tips are common. But not so commonly practiced. Training your ears isn’t exactly exciting as learning to play the Randy Rhoads Crazy Train solo. Let’s face it, many guitar players overlook ear training. In particular, the aural element is very important when it comes to ear training. You may be too shy to involve their voice in their playing, even if it’s just counting out loud during... -
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...