Guitar Lessons and Theory

Singing Instruments

Historians believe that Music was born out of speech and in the beginning there was singing. And indeed, singing what you play is an obligatory exercise when learning to improvise. For instance, George Benson sings and plays in perfect unison (this is also his trademark). Listen to Keith Jarrett’s indistinct hum (he’s not the only one, you may see in live performances players singing while improvising but the over-all sound covers their hum)! Is it a reminiscence of his improvising practice or does he want to add more phrasing to his playing?

Another approach would be play on your instrument while you listen to your favorite singers and imitate their phrasing. Stylish singers, like Al Jarreau, Ray Charles and Billie Holiday would be preferable. Take the recording of your improvisation that you think it's the most "lyrical" of all. Could you write words for it?

Also: don’t forget that your solo like a story, it's supposed to have a beginning, an end and dramatic peaks in-between.

Old Songs, New Solos

Let's take an exercise that is meant to test your musicality:

Take one of your favorite songs, a song that has a strong guitar solo. Look for its MIDI file (at http://www.myguitarsolo.com/midis.htm or http://www.musicrobot.com). Open the MIDI file in your music editor, mute the solo guitar track, play and record your own solo. Do it again and again until you are satisfied. Now listen to what you recorded and compare it to the original solo. Is it a valuable one? Is it in your style or it still sounds like the old one?

Suggestions? I'd try Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing, Van Halen's Jump, Yes' Yours Is No Disgrace, Santana's Europe, Yngwie's Black Star, Deep Purple's Blind Man, Metheny's Are You Going With Me, Gary Moore's Jumping On Shadows but it depends on the music style you like.

What to Play

Many players are surprised when, in spite of the fact they make music exactly like the last hit on the market, nobody wants to hear them. Let's say you love Children Of Bodom, you made some songs in their style and your band plays like them. Still nobody wants you. Why? Because there is already a group called Children Of Bodom. Or, let's say you spent a lot of time to learn to play like Yngwie. Still nobody wants you because there is a Yngwie and nobody needs a second one.

The conclusion: enjoy other's music but make your own thing. Those that have idols don't make it. You want to be a real musician, be an iconoclast.

Don't restrict yourself to only one genre. Listen to blues, rock, jazz, fusion, classical and contemporary music, flamenco and raga. Only by having a wide view, you will be able to hear that new thing you are looking for and that sounds like nothing else heard before.

Your instrumental technique should serve the music. In order to be versatile, try to study guitar players that are very different one from each other. For instance: Steve Vai, Joe Pass, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sylvain Luc, David Gilmour, Larry Carlton. For the beginning.

Focus

Any improvising musician knows how important concentration is. Let's talk about several things that may disturb your focus:

• The other musicians in the band. You don't play with them for enough time to get used to what they do, they surprise you from time to time, you have to listen to them more than you listen to your own ideas.
• The instrument. It's not comfortable enough, you have to fight with it. Or: there are some dead spots where the sound is buzzing or doesn't sustain and you avoid them. Or: the sound is not exactly what you want, you think more about the next effect you should use than about the next phrase of your solo.
• Disrespect towards the audience and yourself. You think: "They can't appreciate my music, I'll just do some fast licks, that's all they want. I'll keep my music for myself".

Being aware of the difficulties that are standing against the communication between you and your audience is the first step to make your act a real musical show. If you've got the gift of music, don't give up! You have the right to become a performing musician.

Virtuosi and Musicians

In the 19th century, the violin world was dominated by virtuosi. The overwhelming impact Paganini made on anyone who attended his concerts, convinced many violin students to follow his style. The trend crossed the strict domain of the instrument and more and more pianists tried to reach a certain level of virtuosity that will fascinate audiences.

It took about 100 years before violinists and pianists became musicians. In the 20th century, a long line of musicians started to think and feel what they were playing and serve the music. By that time, the fact that a violinist would be technically competent was implied.

The rock guitar stage nowadays looks more like the violin world in the 19th century. Most of the guitar-oriented albums sound as if the featured guitarist is doing his home-work. People crowd the concert halls to see (and maybe listen) the guitar virtuoso of the day. As Yngwie Malmsteen put it: "There will always be a large audience interested in virtuosity".

But there are still a few guitarists that reached that superior stage where great technique serves music. Among them: Mike Keneally, Jeff Beck, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Eddie van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore and Gary Moore. If you want to listen to real music and great guitarists, try this short list.

Scales. When and Where.

Beginners should learn to play scales on simple chord sequences. Take again Band in a Box and choose at "Juke Songs Now" rock and blues styles. You'll see that blues, major and minor scales are enough. Usually, you don't even have to change the scale during the whole song.

The next step: play patterns you like in other roots. For example: you like a certain pattern in E-blues. Try to play it in Flat A, Flat B, Sharp C, Flat E, Sharp F.

Now, open Band in a Box and choose some jazz styles at "Juke Songs Now". You'll notice the chord sequences demand a more complex approach. You'll have to change roots during the songs or you'll have to play diatonic or melodic minor modes on certain chords.

The point is to practice on as many chord sequences as possible. You'll become a real improviser when you'll be able to create valuable melodic lines on any given chords sequence. To achieve this, you'll have to reach a point where you are so used to scales and modes that you don't have to think about them too much and they don't interrupt the musical flow of your improvisation.

The Best Guitar Player in the Universe

There is not such a thing. People vote usually guitarists that revolutionize the guitar technique. Jimi Hendrix and Eddie van Halen occupied the poll position. What about Roy Buchanan who invented no less techniques than Jimi Hendrix? Maybe he lacked charisma and was never interested to become a pop star. What about Sylvain Luc and Tuck Andress nowadays?

Any decent student can learn any technique. What really matters is the music. You are not a good guitar player if you copy another guitarist's playing. Musicians are worth to be listened only if they are different, original. How can anyone compare things that are completely different? How can you tell which guitarist is better? Steve Vai or Stanley Jordan? Marty Friedman or Buckethead? Larry Carlton or David Gilmour? They are all individuals that make their own great music. No other great guitar player is interested to play like any other great guitar player. He/she will try to find a style that is proper to the music he/she wants to bring to people. Music is not a competition (against the impression that stupid ceremonies like the Grammy Awards and the MTV Awards make), it just expresses a person's feeling and it sounds sincere only when the musician doesn't care what others do.

I tried to make a list of the guitar players that I could remember that are worth listening. I'm sure that there are still several thousands that I didn't have the chance to listen to and are important enough to be included in any collection of this kind.

Daily Progress

Many musicians enjoy playing and that's it. They take their instrument and play again and again what they already know well enough. This will take them nowhere. They'll get bored fast and will play less every day. Yes, it's important to enjoy playing and it's fun to play again what you already acquired but this is not enough.

Spend at least 50% of the time you hold the instrument in your hands studying new things. If you are a guitar player, maybe you should try Guitar Solo. Have you done all the licks there? Jamming with Band in a Box is a great way to go to achieve a better level and to have fun at the same time. When you listen to radio or look to the TV, take your instrument and try to play along with music you hear for the first time.

Learning music must be fun. When you feel you're bored, go to the next exercise then go back to the boring part and remember: what you don't finish today, you'll have to finish tomorrow.

Playing in a Group

One of the most important things is playing in a group, letting people know that you exist and you are a musician. You can't do this right from the very beginning, you have to acquire a certain level first. The moment you feel you can play, gather your friends that study music and convince them to play together.

The members of the group will bring their own instruments. You already invested time and energy studying and practicing so you should also invest some money to make the group sound as well as possible.

Maybe you won't find a genius fellow musician that will agree to play with you in the beginning but it's necessary that at least one of the fellows in your group will be a decent musician. Any group, at any stage, must improve and the only one who can take it to the next level is a good musician.

Years passed by and you made a name for yourself. Now you can choose. Pick those musicians that play a music that intrigues your ears. Think what instruments and what voices will fit your project.

It's not enough for a group member to be a good musician. He/she must also share your vision, your ambitions and, most of all, be an agreeable person. You'll spend a lot of time with those mates and, if there's no understanding, life will be hell and the group will soon disassemble.

There will be also a member of the group who is not a musician: a promoter or a manager. Usually, he/she is the nicest person around. But what really matters: does he/she do his/her job as it should? Does he/she get enough gigs for you? Does he/she fight for you? Is he/she ambitious enough?