Heres another great advanced lesson from Tomhess.net this time providing some great tips on how to master the art of heavy metal soloing.
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This great sample video from Tom Hess at Hessmusic.com introduces some great techniques you can take and practice, practice, practice! This is that last installment of the guitar strumming for beginners series from InfiniteGuitar.com.  Strumming Basics - Strumming with C and FMaj7 Chords Now let’s try some patterns with the C and FMaj7 chords. These patterns are a little more difficult because there is a lot more silence between the strums. The more silence there is, the more responsible you are for keeping good timing during the silence. Strum Pattern #4 is especially tricky. There is a lot of silence between the strumming motions. Make sure you keep your strumming hand moving at a constant 8th note rate. Even when there’s a lot of silence, motioning the 8th note strums will help you keep proper timing. However, the faster the strum tempo is, the more impractical it might be to do all the silent motions. In the video, when I played Pattern #4 at a faster tempo it was a bit uncomfortable. If it weren’t to demonstrate the silent strumming motions, I probably would have played it a bit differently. So depending on the tempo of the strumming, use your discretion when deciding whether or not to do the silent strumming motions.  Strumming Basics - Strumming with C and FMaj7 Chords  Strumming Basics - Strumming with C and FMaj7 Chords Great job! Once you have these patterns down, I encourage you to go make your own variations. Use different chords, use different strumming patterns, have fun and be creative! Heres part two of a very useful set of lessons from InfiniteGuitar.com.
As mentioned in the video, for all our strumming exercises we’ll be using chords with similar shapes. Doing this allows us to keep most of our focus on our strumming hand. Before playing the patterns below, watch the video a few times and study my timing and form. Then when you’re ready, give the patterns a try. I’d also highly recommend that you count the 8th notes out loud while you play these patterns, as it will help you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. And whenever you see an arrow, that means you need to strum the strings in the direction of the arrow. It’s also really important to see how my strumming hand is constantly moving, whether I’m supposed to strum the strings or not. For example… In this first exercise, do you see how there aren’t arrows on every 8th note count? The “+” count after “1″ is empty for example. However, even though I don’t actually strum the strings there, I still do an upward strumming motion in order to keep my hand moving. Keeping your strumming hand moving is a critical step in maintaining your sense of timing. Ready to go? Give them a shot!  strumming for beginners 1  strumming for beginners 2 Check out this great free guitar lesson on strumming for beginners from Infiniteguitar.com Welcome everyone! This tutorial is designed to lay out the very basics of guitar strumming. If you’re just starting out on guitar, then these lessons are for you! First, be sure to review the important posture points that I bring up in the video. Keep those points in mind, and make sure that you’re completely relaxed. If you aren’t relaxed when strumming, then it’ll sound like you aren’t relaxed! Let gravity do its thing. When strumming on a downward motion, let your hand gently fall. And when strumming on an upward motion, pretend your wrist is being gently pulled up by a string. Whether strumming fast or slow, strumming is ultimately a very gentle technique. Lastly, make sure you don’t grind the pick in the strings when strumming. The pick should only graze the strings lightly, just enough to produce sound. No more, no less. Now, let’s look at things rhythmically. In the next couple lessons, we’re going to be playing strumming exercises based on eighth note patterns. The 8th note count will be written below each exercise. You’ll see it written as follows: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . (pronounced “one and two and three and four and”) For each beat, there will be two 8th note strumming motions. The first motion will be downward, the second motion will be upward. Those two motions will repeat for each beat. Take a look at the following image…
In the image above, we have 1 full measure written out, and the beats are separated by green lines. Notice how there are 4 beats in each measure? Also, observe the arrows. The arrows will indicate what strumming direction your strum should be on each count. If the arrow is pointing down, then you’ll play a downward strum over that count. If the arrow is pointing up, you’ll play an upward strum over that count. Lastly, we also want to make sure we know the difference between downbeats and upbeats. With these exercises, anytime we strum a down on the number counts (beats), we’ll be playing downbeats. And anytime we strum an up on the “+” counts, we’ll be playing upbeats. If what I just said doesn’t make sense, check out the image below where it shows the difference between where the downbeats are played, and where the upbeats are played.
Time to introduce two more basic and very useful guitar chords, the chord of E and the chord of A. Playing an E Chord
One at a time, place each finger in position, starting with your 1st or index finger. As you place each finger, pluck the string with your other hand. You should be able to get a range of different sounds depending on whereabouts within the fret your finger lies and how much pressure you use. Try experimenting with this until you can hold the string over the fret and get a smooth tone every time when you pluck it. Just like the G major chord from the first lesson, once you have got your fingures in place you strike all 6 strings too make an E. Playing an A Chord
Armed with these chord and those from the previous lesson, G, C and D you should have what it takes to play many well know songs, as well as getting creative and beginning to create your own tunes. Remeber, even if your chords changes are quite slow and clumberson at first, with plenty of pratice your fingers will begin too ‘know’ where to go next and their correct positions, makin geverything much more fluid.
Heres another great sounding blues lick from Robert Renman at Dolpinstreet.com using the E minor scale.  E minor Blues scale lick
‘ This blues lick uses the E minor blues scale, and this scale consists of the notes E, G, A, A# (Bb), B, D. In this lesson, you can hear how it sounds played slow, and how it sounds played faster. It is a really useful line, and I use it a lot myself. It could perhaps be a “Robert Renman-lick”, haha! In this video lesson, I also try to give you an idea how you can use licks like these – by ending the phrase/lick on different notes, depending on which chord you are playing over. A lick always sounds strong if you end it with a chord note. Have a look, and hopefully this makes good sense.’ Robert Renman. Part for of the series from Robert Renman on very handy blues turnarounds, sure to improve your guitar playing and impress others!  Blues Turnaround lick 4 ‘This turnaround lick in E is inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan. I think he played this turnaround on one of his popular tunes, I just can’t remember which one it was. It sounds cool played at a moderate tempo. I don’t think it sounds so exciting at slower tempos. Have a look at the TAB or the GP5 files if the video isn’t helpful enough. Oh, and I made a mistake when I said C7 and B7. Those chords I played are in fact inversions of C9 and B9… ‘Robert Renman’ This great sample video lesson from livetojams beginner banjo dvd runs through a simple song called ‘Liza Jane’ which is sure to help perfect some essential banjo skills and techniques, especially your timing.
The full Banjo DVD package can be purchased here, a great introduction to banjo guitar playing. Heres a short sample lesson from livetojam.coms Bluegrass Mandolin dvd, running through a short civil war melody called ‘Soilders joy.’  Soldiers Joy The full bluegrass mandolin lessons DVD package can be purchased here, a great introduction to the mandolin. | |||
