Metal Guitar Licks
Blues Rock Licks; Unison Bends for Killer Licks
Whether it’s Slash, Schenker, Hammett, Rhoads, Hendrix, Page, Satch or any other great rock player…you can bet they’re using the sound of unison bends in their licks and solos!
But what are unison bends, how can you nail them and how can you use them to play killer solos and licks of your own?
In this lesson you’ll learn the secrets of playing monster unison bends as well as how to use them for powerful and high impact solos.
Discover
- The 2 most important unison bends all the great players use!
- The common mistakes guitar players make (leading to unison bending disasters!)
- How a simple tweak can double the number of unison bending licks you know!
- Plus more…
Once you’ve studied this lesson you’ll be on the road to bending like a boss!
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Blues Rock Licks – Unison Bends for Killer Licks!
Lesson breakdown:
0:09 Blues Rock Licks demo with unison bends. Check out this intro jam to hear the kind of blues rock licks you can play with the unison bends you’re going to learn in this guitar lesson.
0:31 Unison bends…what are they?
If you don’t know what unison bends are, well you’ve definitely heard them before! It’s when we play the same note twice in a row, but using a bend to sound one of them. Even though the note is the same…the sound of the bend creates a cool effect. Here you’ll learn one of the most common unison bends there is. It’s show in the key of C# minor.
1:40 Unison Bending Lick 2
Here we see another of the common bends you hear in all the blues rock licks of your favorite players. You’ll also learn an essential guitar technique for controlling your string bends.
2:39 Technique Tips for Awesome Unison Bends
How good your blues rock licks sound is in large part down to how good your string bending technique is. Here you’ll learn some guitar technique tips for great unison bends.
3:40 Using Unison Bending to Create Blues Rock Licks and Solos.
Here we’ll combine some of the unison bending moves to create some blues rock licks you can use in your solos. It’s not hard to come up with dozens of licks just by using a little imagination!
4:48 Unison Bends and Double Stop Bends
Play both notes at the same time and you get a double stop unison bending. This is a favorite move of players like Slash, Hendrix, Wylde…pretty much everyone!
Check out the essential technique tips for powerful double stop bends.
5:34 Blues rock licks can easily be created simply by combining some of these bends. Follow the picking tips and guidelines shown here to make them easier to play.
6:27 Now you can experiment with using these bends to create a load of blues rock licks of your own. Try anything you can think of and keep a note of what works best. Have fun!
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Blues Turnaround Lesson
How To Add the Classic Blues Turnaround Into Your Solos
In this episode of the ASK JAMES GUITAR SHOW I’m going to show you exactly how to do it.
Watch this short lesson to find out:
- What is a ‘turnaround lick’ and how you can use it to give your playing that ‘polished’ sound
- How to play the classic turnaround lick all the blues legends use (step-by-step breakdown included!)
- How you can learn to ‘drop into’ the lick anytime at the end of your solo for that classic ending
- How to practice this skill…for speedy results!
Have fun…and remember you can ASK A QUESTION on the Ask James Guitar Show page…
SUPERCHARGE your Blues Trick Bag with my awesome ‘Blues Guitar Bundle’!
Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this lesson:
- 0:25 What is a ‘turnaround lick’? Here I answer this question and demonstrate the turnaround lick we’re going to be using.
It’s in the key of G and I’m going to demonstrate it over a 12 bar blues in the key of G. - 1:12 Here’s how to play the G blues turnaround lick we’re using in this lesson.
- 2:18 The lick begins on beat 2 of the 11th bar of the 12 bar blues. So you need to improvise up to that point before dropping seamlessly into the turnaround lick. I’m going to demonstrate how to do this over a 12 bar blues backing track.
- 3:21 Here I explain what I did in my improvisation. Also how to learn to ‘feel’ when it’s time to begin the turnaround lick.
- 3:44 If we isolate the final 4 bars of the 12 bar blues and practice playing round and round over that section it focuses our attention on combining the lick in with our solo. Do this unaccompanied at first. Then take a 12 bar blues backing track and loop the final 4 bars around so you can play over it.
- 5:07 Another tip for tagging your turnaround lick onto the end of your blues solo.
- 5:46 The ‘turnaround’ isn’t just a lick! It’s actually the final 2 bars of the 12 bar blues chord sequence. You don’t have to play a ‘turnaround lick’ there at all if you don’t want. It’s fine just to carry on your solo. Hear me demo this approach.
Questions? Leave them in the form on the ASK JAMES GUITAR SHOW page
Hope this lesson helped you out and see you next time!
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Avoid Common String Bending Mistakes Most Guitar Players Make
(And Make Your String Bending Sound Awesome!)
What do all the great electric guitar players have in common?
Answer:
Awesome string bending technique!
It’s a fact: nothing destroys your solos quicker than weak or out of tune bends…so it’s crucial that you get this right.
Dive in to this lesson and learn how to do it the right way and avoid all the common mistakes most guitarists make with their bending (I did it wrong for years)
Then…sit back and hear the transformation that awesome string bending technique can have on your guitar playing!
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Guitar String Bending – How To Bend Strings the Right Way!
String bending is one of the most important guitar techniques that guitarists need to master. In this String Bending Workshop you’ll learn how to do it it the right way. Covers string bending hand position, bending action, bending strings in tune and tips on 3 common types of string bend you’ll see all the time.
String Bending Workshop
0:18 String bending is an essential part of most guitar styles – especially rock, metal, blues and country guitar. Hear a short demo of bending used in a few different style guitar solos here.
1:05 Correct string bending hand position. Thumb position is essential. Keep your thumb over the top of the neck as you bend. This is essential for control and stability in your bending. This will help you get your bends sounding in tune and with a big juicy tone!
2:00 Bending Fingers. Back up your bending finger with any other available fingers. This gives stability and control to your string bends and will help you execute large bends much easier.
3:01 Bending Action. Let’s examine some key points when you bend a string. Keep your thumb down and still, the guitar as still as you can and rotate your hand and wrist upwards to push the string. Try not to just flex and push up with your fingers. Using your wrist and hand will lead to much better string bending in your playing.
5:50 Bending in Tune. Getting your bends in tune is obviously essential! Play the note you are bending up to a few times to ‘plant’ the sound of it in your ear. Then grab the bend and try to hit the note accurately. Bending practice will pay off here! Be patient and monitor your tuning as you play and use bends in your solos.
7:16 String Bending Exercises- 3 Types of Bend. Let’s examine 3 common types of string bend you’ll use in your playing. Nailing these exercises will really help you get your bends sounding great when you use them in licks and solos. Remember to apply all these techniques and guidelines in your favourite licks and solos.
Good luck!
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Pinch Harmonics – How To Get Screaming Harmonics
Just Like Your Favourite Rock and metal Guitarists!
The scream of pinch harmonics is a characteristic part of modern rock and metal guitar playing!
But how can you get ’em? In this guitar lesson you’ll learn exactly how you can get sceaming harmonics from your guitar – just like you hear in the playing of Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai, Slash, George Lynch…in fact nearly every major rock guitar player heard today.
Get Your Free ‘Pinch Harmonics Guide’ Featuring Full TAB For This Lesson!
Want to nail pinch harmonics? In this guitar lesson you’ll learn how you can master this essential tool for rock, blues or metal guitar. Discover correct technique, tips for getting them whenever you want, awesome harmonics licks you can use use in your solos and exercises to get you on the road to pinch harmonics mastery!
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll learn in this lesson:
1:02 What are pinch harmonics? Hear what they sound like and learn how and why you might want to use them in your solos.
1:40 How you can consistently get them in your playing (so that they sound big, fat and punchy!). The technique might sound simple, but it does take a little practice to master. You’ll probably find them a bit ‘hit and miss’ to start with but by following these guidelines you’ll soon be ripping them out whenever you want.
2:40 Technical tips for effortless ‘squealers’ whenever you want them! Where you pick the string and how you’re holding the pick can make a big difference. We cover this and more in this section of the lesson.
7:12 Adding vibrato to harmonics (here’s the secret to making them sound truly awesome…). It’s when you ‘shake’ pinch harmonics that they really start to come to life. This is what gives them that lyrical ‘scream’ that we hear in the playing of guitarists like Zakk Wylde. Check him out, he’s possibly got the most aggressive pinch harmonics out of any player out there!
8:00 Bending strings with pinch harmonics (for high energy rock and metal licks which will really turn heads!) Adding a harmonic to a string bend adds a whole new sound to your ‘bending toolbox’. Check out some tips and techniques here.
9:20 Three licks for pinch harmonic practice and to use in your guitar solos. These licks are coming from the A minor pentatonic scale and give you some cool ways to integrate harmonics into your solos. Try them out over a backing track in A minor to see how you can get them to work.
12:05 How to use picking hand muting to make your harmonics stand out even more (all the legends do this simple trick…)
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Play Guitar Faster Today
with these proven speed building exercises and techniques
I’m not gonna lie to you…lots of people have said I ramble too much at the start of this lesson. It’s true! It was my first ever video and I was a little nervous! You can skip ahead if you like and get to the meat of the lesson. Either way check it out because these speed building and metronome practice techniques will massively increase your guitar playing speed if you use them. Have fun!
Get Your Free ‘Play Faster Guide’ Featuring Full TAB For This Lesson Plus Bonus Exercises!
Play Guitar Faster – Speeding Up Your Guitar Playing – Conquer fast guitar licks, speed up your guitar playing, improve your finger independence, fretboard hand strength, stretching and soloing ideas!
2:45 – 5 super important principles you need to know about increasing the speed of your guitar playing and how to practice building your speed. Starting slow, using a metronome, working on problem areas, making up your own guitar exercises and licks and more. Doing all of this will hep you to play guitar faster.
7:20 – 3 step action plan for building your speed and learning to play any lick or exercise faster. Use this in your practice routine and you’ll see great progress! You’ll probably see an increase in your playing speed in just a couple of minutes. Find your cruising speed – this is the speed at which you can comfortably loop the lick or exercise around. Then bump up the metronome speed and practice playing the lick once at this speed. Then play it twice, and when you’re ready play it 3 times. When you’ve got it try looping it round and round at the new speed. A good target speed for sextuplet licks is 120 bpm (beats per minute) on your metronome.
8:19 The minor pentatonic scale shape and Lick 1. This is in the style of Randy Rhoads, but it’s a very commonly played lick. It’s straightforward and easy to slip into your playing. Here you’ll see a demonstration of how to use the metronome to effectively increase your playing speed.
14:58 How to make sure your playing is totally in time. This is a super important guitar tip so check it out!
15:25 Lick 2 is a blues rock lick in the style of Slash, Zakk Wylde and many other great guitarists. How to use the metronome and 3 step action plan to increase the speed of this lick.
18:10 – Lick 3 is a great left hand hammer on and pull off exercise in the style of guitar players like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads and most other modern rock guitar legends. The A minor lick is in 16th notes and will help you improve your finger independence, fretting hand stretching ability, and little finger strength and accuracy. Then see how to break it up into chunks, work on each section with the metronome to build your speed, before putting it back together to get a great guitar workout. A great target speed for 16th note type licksis 160 bpm on your metronome. Give it a shot!
25:20 – Lick 4 is a great speed guitar lick using the A blues scale. It’s an awesome left hand hammer on and pull off exercise which will work great in a guitar solo. Break it up into chunks and perfect each part of the lick before adding them together for a left hand blues scale shredfest!
28:20 – How to integrate licks and exercises into your playing so you can use what you learn from your practice time.
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Nail Any Guitar Scale Shapes In Record Time
with this simple,scale practice hack!
Learn The All The Must Know Guitar Scales With My ‘Essential Scale Guide’ !
Fed up with spending hours playing scales up and down the guitar neck and still your scales let you down when you play a guitar solo or try to make up your own guitar licks?
Well in this video I’ll show you 3 super powerful exercises you can use to turbocharge your scale knowledge and boost your guitar playing and improvisation. They’re super easy to do and really work – whatever level of guitar player you are. So grab your guitar and get started!
0:30 This video will show you 3 powerful exercises for learning, remembering and using guitar scale shapes. These involve practising them in a way that relates to how you actually use them.
0:38 It is ESSENTIAL that any time you learn guitar scale shapes you learn which note in the pattern is the ROOT NOTE. This simple thing is the key to unlocking the guitar fingerboard, moving scales around to other keys and being able to solo confidently and fluently on your guitar. So…ROOT NOTE..LEARN IT!
1:40 These exercises are demonstrated on the A minor pentatonic scale shape at the 5th fret (but it works on all guitar scale shapes). Watch this video to see a recap on the shape.
2:56 Need a lesson on this scale shape? Click the box in the video or click here:http://youtu.be/fJKenmHWKyc
3:07 Here’s how most guitar players practice their scale shapes. They just play them up and down the guitar neck over and over.
3:29 This approach falls short because it doesn’t relate to the way you’re going to use the scale when you’re using it to make music. When you solo you are not going to just play up and down the scale shape, and if you do it probably won’t sound that good!
4:19 Scale exercise 1 focuses on being able to see the scale shape clearly on the guitar fingerboard. To do this tap out the pattern on the neck with your picking hand. This will help you learn the pattern without your left hand fumbling around trying to remember the notes.
4:47 Scale Exercise 2 is all about starting the scale shape in different places. Often we always practice the scale starting on the same note. Then when we’re playing a guitar solo and start on a different note we get lost easily! So practice playing the scale shape from any starting note.
6:04 Exercise 3 is the Random Note Scale Exercise. This is super powerful so practice it lots! Practice playing the notes in the scale in a totally random order. This breaks down the scale pattern so that you really get to know where the notes are instead of just memorising a pattern.
8:25 Here I demonstrate the scale exercise one more time on guitar. Take it slow and check you can see the notes. Don’t guess them whatever you do!
9:00 Let’s recap on the three guitar scale exercises you learned in this guitar lesson.
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Are You Wasting Your Practice Time?
3 Simple Guitar Practice Tips for Powerful Practice!
Get My ‘3 Awesome Practice Hacks’ Ebook For Even More Practice Tips
(no.1 is a killer!)
Guitar Practice Tips – How To Practice Guitar
Guitar practice: do you do it the right way or are you wasting your guitar practice time? Maybe your guitar practice could be fine tuned to really get you where you want to be as a guitarist?
This video will give you 3 powerful guitar practice tips to help you get the most out of your practice time.
How should you practice guitar? Here’s a breakdown of what I share in this video:
0:20 How should you practice guitar? I’m asked this a lot, so in this short video I’ll give you 3 powerful practice tips to help you focus and fine tune your practice routine. I’ll also share a powerful bonus practice tip which holds up a lot of guitar players.
0:37 Like any serious guitar player I’ve done hours and hours of practice. But I’ve also wasted a lot of my practice time practicing badly or practicing the wrong things. It’s not just about how much you practice your guitar: it’s also about how smart you practice! Using these guitar practice tips will help you think about what you want to achieve in your practice, and make your practice time really count.
1:20 Guitar Practice Tip 1- What’s Your Goal?
Imagine you’re the guitar player of your dreams. What are the core elements of your guitar style? What would you play, how would you play, what would you sound like? Getting a clear answer to this question is important because it give you vital clues about what to work on in your practice time and routine.
1:57 Guitar Practice Tip 2 – Prioritize
Now you have a clearer idea of what to practice, make these things the prioity in your guitar practice routine. It’s ok to introduce other things into your routine to keep things interesting but don’t get too dragged off course by them! It’s easy to get distracted and hop from one thing to the next, making your guitar practice time less focused and less productive.
2:53 Guitar Practice Tip 3 – Practice Using What You Practice
Don’t just practice doing, practice using! I’ve found this is essential if you are going to remember and be able to use the new things you practice in your playing style effectively. Use backing tracks, drum loops, band practice, open mic nights – anything you can think of to practice using what you are learning in a musical situation.
3:47 Guitar practice tip summary.
4:02 Bonus Practice Tip – Avoid Overload!
Everywhere you look there are guitar players telling you to ‘learn this’, ‘learn that’, ‘learn the other.’ The result? Information overload and lack of focus! Just because someone tells you that you need to be able to do something, it might not fit with your goals and could just be a distraction from what you really need to work on.
Also avoid trying to practice too much in your guitar practice routine. This is an easy mistake to make. Remember to prioritize the most important things which will get YOU where YOU want to be as a guitarist.
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