Video lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlMOoyccwU0&feature=youtu.be

In this lesson, Dan and I explore rhythmic patterns, how to practise rhythm and work towards playing ‘in the pocket’ and then, using a backing track, we look at how to phrase improvisation. We start this lesson by examining some of the regular rhythmic structures which you can form from quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes and triplets. I show Dan the cards which I created by methodically identifying the possible structures. Dan unpicks most guitarists’ rhythmic journey and how we usually develop over time and as a result of need and gives some of his advice, tips and techniques for helping me. In the second part of the lesson (starting at 26:37 or 27:10 on SoundCloud) we take a look at how to phrase and articulate your melodies over a backing track when improvising to give them form, meaning, interest and clout. After our first improvisation, Dan gives some central focus for us to consider in my phrasing ideas. Finally, we then have another go at improvising and after this Dan gives me some of his thinking as he formed his melodic phrases, some of his licks and things to try.

Timings for the SoundCloud audio version

00:05:08 Gary shows the rhythmic structures for quarter beats on A4 card and talks about his aim to improve his rhythm playing

00:06:42 Great app for strumming patterns - 8 strummer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccNIElEfxL0

00:07:34 Dan's ideas on rhythmic playing and why most tuition is not too methodical

00:11:18 One thing about rhythm playing is that you tend to learn rhythm parts for band songs as you go

00:13:09 Gary on how he's been using a metronome

00:14:10 Sometimes it's really good to count the in-between beats which you don't play – perhaps by saying “miss”, or as part of your usual count

00:15:21 Think like a drummer - playing the different beats using low or high strings with different accents or mutes

00:16:16 Dan: “Maybe it is the offbeats when you lose your count”

00:16:59 Dan: “Using a faux strum is good”

00:18:18 One thing that really caused problems recently for Dan was the riff from Human by the Killers and how it starts after the beat

00:20:18 Dan: “Using downstrokes & upstrokes can also accent notes in different ways”

00:21:42 A difficulty in rhythm playing is trying to make it sound natural rather than robotic

00:22:48 Irish triplet jig rhythms, Dan’s take

00:23:33 Slowing things down can be really useful to hone over time

00:25:34 Using an acoustic guitar is good for strumming practice

00:26:25 A rhythmic part which really challenged Dan was when he was required to play ‘Wheatus – Respect’

00:27:10 Phrasing and rhythmic structures in improvisation

00:28:24 Soloing over a backing track from YouTube - Fancy Fusion Backing Track in Bm

00:37:49 Quick bit of reflection on our first bit of improvising

00:38:36 1) How you group your notes in 3s, 4s etc.

00:39:09 Groups of 3. Also advice on tailing the lick off a bit

00:40:08 Groups of 4s

00:40:54 Groups of 4s in pentatonic licks

00:41:59 Grouping rhythmic notes but not scalar intervals

00:43:13 2) varying the length of your phrases

00:43:53 Start with something small and push it out from there

00:46:26 Quick recap - length of phrases, groupings and follow the rhythmic idea rather than scalar notes

00:47:32 Second improvisation over the backing track

00:53:24 Dan shares some of his thinking on this improvisation

00:53:34 1) swing and groove

00:54:15 2) think like a horn player

00:56:21 3) target certain notes (e.g. 9ths)

00:57:01 d) The 5th is a nice note

00:57:22 e) Resolve to the minor 3rd

00:58:36 f) Thinking chord tones

00:58:52 4) bending licks

00:59:52 5) going down an additional note

01:00:26 c) Going back on the note a little bit

01:00:52 d) Even using a muted note for rhythm

01:01:47 6) scoopy trem lick

01:03:57 7) pentatonic lick with tapping

01:05:04 Giving your licks form

In this lesson, Dan and I revisit the tremolo or whammy bar to go over some of the subtleties of using it to best effect. Dan starts this lesson by giving an overview of the different types of tremolo systems and then we get stuck into some different ideas and uses of the whammy bar to gain different effects. First we look at the subtle warble idea to add some shine and sparkle to your playing (we also return to this as a means of gaining vibrato high up on the fretboard at the end of the lesson). Then we take a look at some ideas widely incorporated into Jeff Beck’s style. Next we look at scooping between notes. Finally we look at the more extreme techniques of dive-bombing to catch harmonics, pinch harmonics and the ‘gurgling’ sound.

Timings for the SoundCloud audio version

00:05:47 I show Dan where my trem bar skills are (or are not)

00:06:19 An exploration of the different types of trem systems

00:08:46 Uses 1) A gentle 'warble'

00:16:35 Point two: you donon't need to move the bar as much as you think

00:17:03 2) Some Jeff Beckisms

00:18:24 2a) Dipping down the pentatonic

00:23:35 2b) similar idea - modulating the pitch up

00:25:17 2c) putting the two together

00:27:38 Moving down the bar for better control

00:30:03 3) Scooping into notes

00:32:53 3b) A variation is to scoop up between notes

00:34:36 3b) Scooping up to the semitone gaps in the Phrygian Dominant

00:38:20 4) Divebomb on the G String catching the harmonic on the way back up

00:43:56 Getting a pinch harmonic and using the trem

00:46:14 Gurgling action of the trem bar by twanging the springs suddenly

00:50:06 Remember the golden rules / summary

00:50:52 Final idea - using the trem as a vibrato when playing high up the fretboard

00:51:58 Most strat trem systems and tuning stability

For more on tremolo bar systems see this useful blog: https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/top-10-tremolo-systems

Video Guitar Lesson 9: Usable ideas for the melodic and harmonic minor scales and selected modes

YouTube version = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LnRYVsaA3g&feature=youtu.be

Guitar Gear Mentions:

Wrist Grips Website: http://www.wrist-grips.com

Sure Grip Guitar Picks Website: http://suregripguitarpicks.com

Curt Mangan Strings Website: https://www.curtmangan.com/

In this lesson Dan helps me to develop what we began to look at last lesson by taking the theory and looking at how we can actually use and implement it. As always, there is plenty of demonstration and guitar playing throughout including over some ideas like the progression in Stairway to Heaven and California Dreaming. Covering quite a few genres and concepts, we hope you get a lot out of this lesson, whether you want to shred or are aiming for some new strategies to add interest to the melody of your improvisation.

All the best, Gary and Dan

https://tunein-toneup.com/

https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup/

Timings for the SoundCloud audio version

00:06:23 The first scale we look at is the melodic minor

00:11:48 The first use is a descending bass line progression like: Stairway to Heaven

00:16:20 Dan's example over Stairway to Heaven progression

00:17:27 Funkier ‘Stairway’ backing demo

00:19:41 Using melodic minor in a horror movie soundtrack for tension

00:21:41 Using in tune where you use an [i IV ii V] progression like Am D Bm E

00:23:42 Considering the mode: Locrian #4

00:24:32 Locrian #4 over the E of Blues in A

00:26:19 Droning an E7#5 for a melodic minor feel

00:28:31 Using over a rock song that sits in a static place

00:35:17 The second scale we look at is the harmonic minor

00:36:56 California Dreaming - using the major chord instead of the v (minor 5th) chord of the minor scale

00:37:29 Demo of this use of the harmonic minor

00:39:45 Metal backing track and the phrygian dominant mode

00:42:58 Using diminished arpeggios

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0XOIw8mCaI

WEBPAGE: https://tunein-toneup.com/2019/03/01/unusual-scale-harmonic-minor-modes-grace/

In this lesson Dan really helps me to further my exploration of the harmonic minor by examining some usable situations in which to employ it. We also talk about grace notes and the value of 'feel'. There is plenty of other material and hints in this lesson too from using the tremolo bar to a major 7th variation of the pentatonic scale. As always, there is plenty of demonstration and guitar playing throughout. We hope you get a lot out of this lesson, whether you want to shred or are aiming for some new strategies to add interest to the melody of your improvisation.

00:00:00 Discussion about my gig with the new band and some insights about gigging

00:02:12 Introduction to the topic of the lesson

00:02:37 What are grace notes?

00:04:21 Blues in A - Gary improvising over the top

00:06:11 Dan demonstrating slides as slides or as grace notes

00:08:17 Discussion about 'feel'

00:10:21 Slides as a useful jazz tool, as indicative of the genre

00:11:04 Whereas Blues is categorised by more bending

00:12:12 Me improvising again trying to use grace notes over a Blues

00:20:37 Appoggiatura

00:22:39 Transition of topic from grace notes to scale choices

00:23:30 Playing the aeolian mode or natural minor

00:24:52 The harmonic minor scale

00:25:31 Harmonic minor demo

00:26:18 demo using the major seventh as a quick flavour

00:28:00 Using harmonic minor modes

00:28:11 E as tonal centre: Phrygian Major

00:31:57 Phrygian Major (Dominant) over a more metal groove

00:33:41 Taking each diatonic chord and changing to add the major seventh from the harmonic

00:37:50 Dorian #4 - Harmonic minor off the fourth (D for A harmonic)

00:39:53 Playing the Dorian #4 over a dorian vamp

00:47:50 Comparing to a diminished arpeggio

00:50:24 Marty Friedman type ideas for getting an unusual sound

00:51:32 Introducing the tremolo bar to increase the pitch capacity of bends

00:52:39 Using the trem to shape the transitions of the notes

00:54:39 Tremolo bar demo

00:58:25 New strange scale - move each root note in pentatonic a semitone lower

00:59:49 Funky vamp demo

01:02:56 Final suggestions

01:07:35 Diminished string skipping ideas

Video Guitar Lesson 7: Performance tips for acoustic guitar by Dan and Gary

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zHvJTDgPM8

In this lesson, I bring to Dan my Epiphone ES-335 Pro with its upgraded pedals (courtesy of Pedro Martins - Brighton Guitar Repairs, https://guitarrepairsbrighton.com/), my PRS and my pedalboard. I spent quite a lot of this lesson without the camera rolling looking at these pedals and checking out my Gibson J45 which Pedro has also done an excellent job of setting up.

We then set the camera rolling, which is a new video camera that I hope will improve the quality of the picture, and I ask Dan to go through some of the sounds which I should be aiming for in an upcoming gig my band and I are doing for my friend's 50th birthday. As always, much of what Dan tells me is stuffed with loads of gems and nuggets and a lot of the general rationale behind music over time and a consideration of what was available then.

At just before 36 mins in, we swap my PRS for my Epiphone ES-335 with the Iron Gear Blues Engines (http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_pickups_006.htm).

Dan gives it a go, but unhelpfully it's in Open G for my Stones parts. I show Dan what I do for Tumbling Dice and Jumpin Jack Flash and we look at the sound which the new pickups give it - pretty much straight away gaining a good tone for those songs. While Dan explains about effects and technologies over time I re-tune the guitar to standard tuning and finally Dan gives it a proper play to hear the different sounds available to it. It seems like a very impressive improvement to this guitar and I couldn't recommend Pedro Martins' work strongly enough.

All the best,

Dan and Gary

https://tunein-toneup.com/

https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup

Video Guitar Lesson 5: Tapping techniques; usable ideas and exercises for improvisation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6TpqchLVg4

In Tune in Tone up's second full lesson we explore the theme of tapping: using the strumming / picking hand to hammer on to notes which would normally be out of reach for your fretting hand.

Dan gives me some hints and useful tips to get me started and help me to develop in this area and we also spend some time trying to put some of these ideas into some improvisation over backing tracks.

As always this lesson has been uploaded warts and all in order to deliver our content to you, the listener, as frequently and in as full a format as we can. We hope that this is useful to you and that there are no glaring mistakes or editing issues.

We really hope that you're enjoying this new format of our lessons (with our audio also released on SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup - as per our older format) and look forward to many more lessons with Dan and I as we tweak our setup and smooth out our production. Do get in touch with us for anything at all, including feedback in the comments below, through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tuneintoneup/) or via our website (https://tunein-toneup.com/) and we'll do our best to respond to your suggestions, ideas and comments.

Tune in, Tone up! Guitar Lessons

Published on 12 Jan 2019

In this full length video lesson with Dan Davies, I hear with you (the viewer) Dan's advice and hints on picking good notes when improvising and study with you the variety of different sounds which you can use to give some different flavour to your solos.

We really hope that you're enjoying this new format of our lessons (with our audio also released on SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup - as per our older format) and look forward to many more lessons with Dan and I as we tweak our setup and smooth out our production. Do get in touch with us for anything at all, including feedback in the comments below, through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tuneintoneup/) or via our website (https://tunein-toneup.com/) and we'll do our best to respond to your suggestions, ideas and comments.

All the best, Gary and Dan.

https://tunein-toneup.com/

This lesson, released on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC80JJZ1RRZ5bxEiphLVi_Jw?view_as=subscriber, is the finale of the first three mini video lessons with which we are kickstarting our conversion to YouTube from an audio only format. The audio for these formats is much more organic that the edited audio only lessons, so we apologise for the farts and whistles which you may or may not hear. We have decided that in the interest of publishing more regular material we will maintain our recorded lesson in it's entirety.

This lesson is all about Eric Johnson's playing and what we can take from it with regard to speed, fluidity and legato - our current topic.

In this second brief lesson on Youtube, Dan explains the rationale and usage of legato and how he uses it to great effect in his playing.