Save time learning guitar on YouTube
Plus, an awesome 10 week guitar bootcamp
Hey there, and welcome to this week’s edition of Six String Sunday! I’ve pulled together some of the best guitar stuff I’ve found this week, and there’s a little something for everyone.
Whether you’re setting new practice goals with Jeff Scheetz, rethinking how you use the blues scale with Corey Congilio, or learning some killer Steve Vai licks, there’s plenty to dig into. Plus, I found an awesome video for simple guitar mods, a trick for playing more melodic solos, and even tips on how to navigate YouTube like a pro. Let’s get into this week’s links!
This week’s guitar links!
🎸 Guitar Bootcamp: Goal Settings and Practice Habits With Jeff Scheetz | TrueFire - TrueFire is doing an awesome, free guitar bootcamp for the next ten weeks. They have all sorts of great creators giving lessons - everyone from Tim Lerch to Jack Ruch and more. For the first week, Jeff Scheetz talks about setting goals for the next ten weeks. But rather than just telling us "set goals" and walk away, Jeff gives some good tips on setting sub-goals to get to where you want to go (the Premack principle). He rounds out the video with some best practices on how to get set up and what to avoid for productive sessions. You can check out the free bootcamp by using my link here. If you end up picking up any lesson packs or subscribe to All Access (like I do!) you’ll help support Chasing Sound. I think it’s one of the best deals in guitar education.
What NO ONE Teaches About the BLUES SCALE! - I've been watching a ton of Corey Congilio videos lately. In his latest video, Corey talks about going beyond understanding the blues scale as just a box shape. What's funny, is this type of thinking is so important in any facet of your practice - going that extra step to get even more value out of what you're learning by digging down another layer.
I Know Every Note of This Song, But I’ve Never Played It… Until Now - Tyler from MusicIsWin put out a great video this week - it highlights one of the most fun tracks off of Steve Vai's ‘Passion and Warfare’ album, “Ballerina 12/24". Not only does he show us how to get that cool, ping pong tone (reminisicent of The Edge), he also shows us how this lick can be used as a warm up exercise.
7 Steve Vai Licks That Will Change Your Playing - And speaking of Steve Vai, and his awesomeness, if you want to get to grips with some of Steve Vai's playing habits, check out this video from Cameron Cooper. You'll learn some fun licks that incorporate Vai's use of legato, bending and great phrasing. And if you want even more legato ideas, check out these 2 tips from Leon Todd.
Use This Legato Lick To Supercharge Your Middle-Ring-Pinky Finger Independence - And because I like to combine similar links close together, you should also check out this legato lesson from David Beebee. He shows us an awesome legato exercise that’ll really give your fingers a workout. This idea is perfect for working on finger independence.
THE Guitar (micro) BENDING Technique That Makes You Sound like a PRO! - After you're done with that Vai video above, and you've got some licks that incorporate bends under your fingers, why don't you check out this video from Marty Schwartz, who's talking about micro bends. These type of bends always add some extra greasiness into your licks.
3 BB King Style Slow Blues Licks! - If we're talking about incredible blues scales, and awesome bends, who's better to learn from than B.B.? Jack Ruch gives us 3 slower blues licks to incorporate into our lick vocabulary.
Play MELODIC SOLOS by THINKING LIKE A SINGER - Another thing that'll take your lead lines to the next level, is thinking like a vocalist when creating melodies. The idea is to think like a singer, emphasizing phrasing, dynamics, and emotion in your solos. Getting into this mindset will make your guitar lines sound more emotional.
Hate Sweep Picking? Try This Instead | 5 Minute Licks - I have a love hate relationship with learning sweep picking. It’s funny that this short video from Leon Todd put the technique into perspective. He starts with posing the question - why are you learning sweep picking in the first place? He goes on to give us 2 helpful tips, including getting better with understanding rest strokes and more.
Guitarist's Guide to YouTube Shortcuts–Keyboard AND Touchscreen - I had to include this link in this week’s issue, because I think it’s so important for the way that modern day guitarists learn guitar - on YouTube! David Pots breaks down the most important keyboard shortcuts for YouTube, so you can navigate videos quickly, and worry less about moving around with a mouse. With that being said, I’ve recommended the Vidami Blue many times to friends, and they’ve all loved it. It lets you not have to take your hands off your guitar at all for navigating not only YouTube, but many other music education platforms. You can pick one up with my link. There’s no additional charge to you, and you help support what I do!
Unusual Guitar Mods That Actually Work - It's a new year, which means it's a great time to check in on your gear. If you've ever wanted to mod your guitars, you should check out this video from Robert Baker. He goes over bridge mods (we were just discussing this in the Discord!), dampening strings with a simple hair tie, fixing string rattling issues, and more. Don't be afraid to work on your own guitars!
I Discovered the Secret Chord for Writing Epic Prog Rock Songs! - Tension and release are big elements of any song, but typically show up a lot in lengthy prog rock tunes, to make them sound extra epic. I liked this video from QJamTracks, where they talk about how artists like Dream Theater and Plini create these soundscapes. It's all about a singular chord that's very impactful - which has the root, b3, 5th, b7, and b13. Learn all about this chord and how you can harmonize it for your own songs.
