Learn the art of shredding guitar with our comprehensive lesson collection. From scales to arpeggios and sweeping, master the techniques and skills needed to play fast and fluid guitar solos.
Steve Morse is a highly regarded American guitarist who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency, melodic sensibility, and eclectic style. He was born on July 28, 1954, in Hamilton, Ohio, and began playing guitar at the age of five. As a teenager, he was inspired by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, and he quickly developed his own unique style. And Today we will learn 3 Amazing Alternate picking exercises lesson from the master.
Morse first gained national attention as a member of the Dixie Dregs, a progressive rock band that he co-founded in the 1970s. With the Dixie Dregs, Morse showcased his impressive technical skills and innovative approach to guitar playing. Which combined elements of rock, jazz, and classical music. He also became known for his use of the electric guitar as a lead instrument in a genre that typically emphasized keyboards and synthesizers.
After the Dixie Dregs, Morse went on to have a successful solo career, releasing numerous albums and collaborating with a wide range of musicians. He has also played with a number of well-known bands, including Deep Purple, Kansas, and Flying Colors. Morse is known for his virtuosic guitar playing, his ability to improvise and create complex guitar arrangements, and his dedication to music education.
What is alternate picking?
Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique where the player alternates between downward and upward strokes with their picking hand to play notes. This technique is commonly used in various genres of music, including rock, metal, jazz, and blues.
The basic idea of alternate picking is to play each note with a downstroke followed by an upstroke and to continue this pattern throughout the piece of music. Or the section being played. For example, if a guitarist is playing a series of notes on a single string, they would play the first note with a downstroke. The second note with an upstroke, the third note with a downstroke, and so on.
Alternate picking is used to play fast and intricate guitar passages with clarity and precision. By alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes, the player can maintain a consistent rhythm. And avoid getting caught up in the same picking direction, which can cause fatigue and reduce speed.
The pentatonic scale is a five-note scale that is commonly used in many different styles of music, including blues, rock, and metal. It is important for guitarists to learn the pentatonic scale because it is one of the most versatile and commonly used scales in popular music. Today we will learn 5 Pentatonic Scale guitar licks.
Here are some reasons why the pentatonic scale is important for guitarists:
Versatility: The pentatonic scale is a very versatile scale that can be used in a wide variety of musical contexts. It can be used to create melodic lines, solos, and riffs in many different genres of music, including blues, rock, and metal.
Easy to Learn: The pentatonic scale is one of the easiest scales to learn on the guitar. It is a simple five-note scale that can be played in many different positions on the fretboard, making it easy to improvise and play solos.
Improvisation: The pentatonic scale is a great scale for improvisation. It allows guitarists to easily create melodic lines and solos over chord progressions, making it a valuable tool for jamming with other musicians.
Foundation for Other Scales: Learning the pentatonic scale is often the first step for guitarists in learning other scales. Many other scales, such as the blues scale and the major scale, are based on the pentatonic scale, making it a fundamental building block for guitarists.
Guitar dynamics refer to the varying levels of volume and expression that a guitarist uses to create a more interesting and engaging musical performance. It involves using techniques such as varying pick attacks, fingerpicking, palm muting, adjusting volume and tone controls, and playing with feeling to create a range of tones and emotions in the music. Dynamics are an essential aspect of guitar playing, as they can add depth and interest to a performance and help to convey the emotion and intention behind the music. In todays lesson we covered 5 Really useful Guitar Dynamics Lesson.
How To Increase Dynamics in your guitar playing:
To increase dynamics in your guitar playing, you can try the following techniques:
Use different pick attacks: Varying your pick attack can create different levels of volume and intensity. Experiment with using different pick angles, pressure, and speed to create different sounds.
Practice fingerpicking: Fingerpicking allows for a greater range of dynamics compared to using a pick. Use your fingers to pluck the strings with varying degrees of force to create a wider range of volume and tone.
Utilize palm muting: Palm muting involves lightly resting the palm of your picking hand on the strings near the bridge to reduce the sustain and create a muted, percussive sound. Varying the amount of pressure can create different levels of dynamics.
Experiment with your guitar’s volume and tone controls: Adjusting your guitar’s volume and tone controls can also create different levels of dynamics. Experiment with turning the volume up or down, and adjusting the tone to find the sweet spot for your desired sound.
Practice playing with feeling: Dynamics are not just about volume, but also about expression. Practice playing with feeling, using vibrato, bends, slides, and other techniques to convey emotion in your playing.
Remember that dynamics are not just about playing loud or soft, but about using a range of volumes and expression to create a more interesting and dynamic musical experience. Practice these techniques regularly, and experiment with different combinations to find the right balance for your playing style.
Guitar warm-up refers to the practice of preparing your fingers, hands, and arms for playing the guitar. It’s essential for guitarists of all skill levels to warm up before playing to prevent injuries and enhance performance. The warm-up routine typically consists of a series of exercises designed to loosen up the muscles and increase flexibility, speed, and accuracy. Today we will learn 5 Guitar Warm Up Exercises.
The purpose of a guitar warm-up is to:
Increase circulation: Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles, which helps to reduce the risk of injury and improve performance.
Loosen up the muscles: Playing the guitar requires a lot of finger and hand movements that can be repetitive and taxing on the muscles. A good warm-up helps to loosen up the muscles and prevent cramping.
Improve technique: A warm-up routine can help to improve your technique by focusing on specific areas that need improvement, such as finger strength and speed.
Enhance focus: Warming up can help to clear your mind and prepare you mentally for playing the guitar. It can also help you to focus on the music and the nuances of your playing.
There are various types of guitar warm-up exercises that you can do to prepare yourself for playing. These include finger stretches, chromatic exercises, scales, arpeggios, and chord progressions. It’s important to start with gentle exercises and gradually increase the intensity and complexity of the exercises as you warm up. Here are 5 Guitar Warm Up Exercises:
Paul Gilbert Lesson – Terrifying Guitar Trip is a comprehensive guitar course designed to help guitar players of all skill levels improve their playing abilities. The course is taught by Paul Gilbert, a renowned guitar virtuoso known for his lightning-fast playing style and intricate solos.
The course consists of a series of video lessons that cover a wide range of topics, including picking techniques, scales and modes, arpeggios, legato playing, tapping, and more. The lessons are designed to be accessible to guitar players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players.
In addition to the video lessons, the course also includes a variety of exercises and practice routines that are designed to help guitar players develop their skills and improve their technique. The exercises are designed to be challenging but manageable, and they are accompanied by detailed explanations and demonstrations from Paul Gilbert himself.
Overall, Paul Gilbert’s Terrifying Guitar Trip is an excellent resource for guitar players who are looking to take their playing to the next level. With its comprehensive lessons, challenging exercises, and expert instruction from Paul Gilbert, the course is a must-have for anyone who is serious about improving their guitar playing abilities.
In this post i will share tab and mp3 for all those exercises.
The Cascade Run is a guitar technique that involves playing a series of fast descending notes with a smooth, flowing motion. It’s a technique that adds a lot of flair to your playing, and is often used in genres like rock, blues, and jazz. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Cascade Run, how it’s used, and some tips for incorporating it into your playing.
What is Cascade Run?
The Cascade Run is a guitar technique that involves playing a series of descending notes in a quick, fluid motion. It’s often used to add speed and excitement to a guitar solo, and can be played using a variety of different scales and modes. The key to playing the Cascade Run is to keep your hand relaxed and use a light touch, allowing the notes to flow smoothly and seamlessly from one to the next.
Who uses the Cascade Run?
The Cascading is a popular technique among guitarists in a wide range of genres. It’s commonly used in rock music, where it’s often employed in fast-paced guitar solos to create an intense, energetic sound. It’s also commonly used in blues and jazz, where it can add a touch of sophistication and complexity to a solo. Eric Johnson, Shawn Lane (RIP), Joe Bonamassa used this in lot of their musics.
Start slow: The Cascade Run is a fast technique, but it’s important to start slow and work your way up to speed. Practice playing the notes slowly and smoothly, gradually increasing the tempo as you become more comfortable with the technique.
Use alternate picking: To play the Cascade Run quickly and smoothly, it’s important to use alternate picking. This involves using an alternating up-down motion with your picking hand, which allows you to play the notes quickly and evenly.
Experiment with different scales and modes: Cascade can be played using a variety of different scales and modes so experiment with different patterns and scales to find the ones that sound best to you.
Lesson 1: Legato Exercise In Cascade – Lower Harmony
Guitar tapping is a technique that has become increasingly popular in modern electric guitar playing. It involves using the fingers of the picking hand to tap on the fretboard to produce notes, instead of using a traditional picking or strumming motion. Guitar tapping can add a new dimension to a player’s sound and allow for fast, intricate solos and melodic lines.
Guitar tapping was popularized by guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani in the 1980s and has since become a standard technique for many guitarists across a range of genres, including rock, metal, jazz, and fusion. With the rise of modern technical metal and progressive rock, guitar tapping has become even more prevalent, with many guitarists pushing the boundaries of the technique to create new and innovative sounds.
Why you should learn Guitar Tapping:
One of the reasons this technique become so popular is because it allows for fast, precise playing that can create complex and intricate lines. It also allows guitarists to create a unique sound by using both hands to produce notes, rather than relying solely on the fretting hand. Guitar tapping can be used in a variety of ways, including creating fast arpeggios, playing chords, and creating melodic lines that would be difficult to play with traditional picking or strumming techniques.
In addition to being a popular technique in modern electric guitar playing, guitar tapping has also influenced other instruments such as bass guitar, keyboard, and even drums, where players use tapping techniques to produce unique sounds and rhythms.
To become great in guitar tapping, advanced guitar players can benefit from practicing more challenging tapping exercises that incorporate advanced techniques and concepts. Here are five tapping exercises for advanced guitar players:
How to be great in guitar tapping:
Four-Finger Tapping Exercise: This exercise involves using all four fingers of your picking hand to tap on the fretboard. Start by tapping each finger separately on a single fret and gradually increase the complexity by moving up and down the fretboard.
Tapping Arpeggios: This exercise involves tapping arpeggios by using a combination of tapping and hammer-ons and pull-offs. Start with simple arpeggios and gradually increase the complexity by incorporating more notes and chord progressions.
Tapping with Chord Progressions: This exercise involves tapping along with chord progressions to create unique and interesting melodies. Start with simple chord progressions and gradually increase the complexity by incorporating more advanced chords and progressions.
Tapping with String Skipping: This exercise involves tapping while skipping strings to create unique and complex patterns. Start with simple string skipping patterns and gradually increase the complexity by incorporating more advanced patterns and techniques.
Tapping with Tonal Centers: This exercise involves tapping along with a specific tonal center to create interesting and melodic lines. Start with simple tonal centers and gradually increase the complexity by incorporating more advanced tonal centers and modes.
Jason Becker used sweep picking extensively in many of his songs. Today, we have created advanced sweep picking exercises tab from three of his songs: ‘Altitudes,’ ‘Images,’ and ‘Serrana.
Jason Becker is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, known for his incredible technical prowess and innovative playing style. One of his signature techniques is sweep picking, which involves playing arpeggios with a sweeping motion of the pick across the strings.
For guitarists looking to take their sweep picking to the next level, Jason Becker has shared some advanced exercises that can help develop speed, accuracy, and fluidity. These exercises are not for the faint of heart, but they can be incredibly rewarding for those who put in the time and effort to master them.
Exercises 1: Altitudes
This instrumental guitar masterpiece is a fan favorite and showcases Becker’s incredible sweep picking abilities. The song features intricate melodies and fast arpeggios played with precision and fluidity. This instrumental guitar masterpiece was released on Jason Becker’s 1988 album “Perpetual Burn.” The album was a critical success and has become a cult classic among guitarists and metal fans.
This song is a fusion of rock and classical music, with Becker’s virtuosic sweep picking serving as the centerpiece of the piece. The song features sweeping arpeggios, intricate fingerpicking patterns, and melodic riffs that showcase Becker’s exceptional talent as a guitarist.
Images released on Cacophony’s 1988 album “Go Off!,” which featured both Jason Becker and Marty Friedman on guitar. The album was a groundbreaking release in the world of instrumental rock and metal, showcasing the duo’s virtuosic playing and musical synergy.
Serrana” – This song is a flamenco-inspired piece that highlights Becker’s versatility as a guitarist. The song features intricate fingerpicking patterns, rapid-fire sweeps, and a wide range of dynamic and emotional playing. It is a masterclass in sweep picking and demonstrates Becker’s ability to seamlessly blend different genres of music. This song was also included on “Perspective,” which was Jason Becker’s last album before he was diagnosed with ALS. Despite the physical limitations imposed by the disease, Becker continued to compose music and inspire countless musicians around the world.
Trying hard to fast play guitar? how to play guitar faster?
Do you want to play guitar faster and smoother? Legato playing might be just what you need. Legato is a technique that allows you to play notes in a smooth and connected way, without picking each note separately. By using hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides, you can create fast and fluid lines that sound great and are fun to play.
In this article, we’ll show you 5 legato exercises that will help you improve your speed, accuracy, and dexterity. Each exercise comes with a tab, so you can easily follow along and practice at your own pace.
5 Tips to getting better in Legato Technique:
Start Slow Like with any new technique, it’s important to start slow and gradually increase the speed as you get more comfortable. This will help you develop good habits and avoid mistakes that can be hard to correct later. Start with simple exercises or scales and play them at a slow tempo, focusing on getting a clean and smooth sound.
Use Proper Fingerings Proper fingering is crucial for legato playing, as it can affect your speed, accuracy, and tone. Make sure to use the right fingers for each note, and avoid unnecessary movements or stretching. Use your pinky finger whenever possible, as it can help you reach higher notes and play faster lines.
Practice with a Metronome A metronome is a great tool for practicing legato playing, as it can help you develop your timing and precision. Start at a slow tempo and gradually increase the speed as you get more comfortable. Focus on playing each note in sync with the metronome, and avoid rushing or slowing down.
Work on Your Hammer-ons and Pull-offs Hammer-ons and pull-offs are the core techniques of legato playing, so it’s important to master them. Practice playing simple patterns using only hammer-ons and pull-offs, and focus on getting a consistent sound and feel. Gradually increase the difficulty of the patterns as you get more comfortable.
Incorporate Legato Playing into Your Solos The best way to improve your legato playing is to use it in real-life situations. Try incorporating legato playing into your solos or improvisations, and see how it affects your sound and style. Experiment with different rhythms, phrasings, and dynamics, and have fun with it!
The 80’s were a defining decade for the guitar shredding genre, with some of the most iconic and influential players emerging on the scene. This article is a tribute to the legends who paved the way for this genre of guitar playing. The 10 guitar shredders highlighted in this article are Randy Rhoads, George Lynch, Greg Howe, Marty Friedman & Jason Becker, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and Van Halen. Each of these guitarists brought their own unique style and flair to the genre, influencing countless players around the world. From the hard-hitting metal riffs of Randy Rhoads and George Lynch, to the technical virtuosity of Greg Howe and Marty Friedman & Jason Becker, to the lightning-fast runs of Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai, to the timeless classic rock of Van Halen, these guitarists set the bar for what it means to be a shredder.
This article features lessons and techniques from each of these legends, allowing players to dive into the world of 80’s shredding and learn from the masters themselves. Whether you’re an experienced player or just starting out, these lessons are sure to inspire and challenge you to take your playing to the next level. Those licks are Not played by them however we just followed their style. Here are 10 Shread Guitar Exercises from Legends:
Lesson 1 – Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads was a virtuoso guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a member of the bands Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. He was known for his fast and flashy playing style, as well as his incorporation of classical music elements into his solos.
George Lynch is a guitarist who first rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Dokken. He was known for his aggressive playing style, incorporating fast legato runs and heavy distortion into his solos.
Greg Howe is a guitarist known for his technical proficiency and virtuosity. He rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s as a guitarist and composer, and has since established himself as one of the leading guitarists in the world of shred.
Lesson 4 – Marty Friedman & Jason Becker (Cacophony)
Marty Friedman and Jason Becker are two of the most influential and technically gifted guitar players of the 80’s. Both rose to fame as members of the metal band Cacophony, and went on to establish successful solo careers. They are the reason i am playing guitar : )
Paul Gilbert is a guitarist known for his fast and flashy playing style, as well as his ability to incorporate intricate harmonies and complex chord progressions into his solos. He first rose to fame in the late 1980s as a member of the band Mr. Big, and has since established himself as one of the leading guitarists in the world of shred.
Eric Johnson is a guitarist known for his clean and melodic playing style, as well as his ability to incorporate intricate fingerpicking and complex chord progressions into his solos. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as a solo artist and has since become one of the most respected guitarists in the world.
oe Satriani is a guitarist known for his technical proficiency, musicality, and innovative playing style. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as a solo artist, and has since established himself as one of the leading guitarists in the world. He has been a major influence on generations of guitar players and continues to be one of the most respected and revered guitarists in the world.
Yngwie Malmsteen is a guitarist known for his neoclassical playing style, incorporating elements of classical music into his solos. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as a guitarist and composer, and has since established himself as one of the leading guitarists in the world of shred.
Steve Vai is a guitarist known for his technical proficiency, musicality, and innovative playing style. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as a solo artist and as a member of the band David Lee Roth, and has since established himself as one of the leading guitarists in the world.
Van Halen is a legendary rock band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band’s lead guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, was known for his fast and flashy playing style, as well as his innovative use of the two-handed tapping technique.
