The mad scientist, Troy Grady is back
Plus, how to master the metronome
Welcome to this week’s issue of Six String Sunday! I’m covering some amazing new lessons, starting with Kerry Marshall’s take on nailing smoother chord progressions - which is perfect for anyone wanting to bring an R&B vibe to their playing. If you’re feeling stuck, John Cordy’s got great tips on avoiding the dreaded guitar rut, focusing on mindset over technique. We’ve also got an inspiring interview with Mike Stern, where he shares stories about playing with Miles Davis and other jazz legends. All that, and much more! Let me know what your favorite link is, or if I missed anything fun. Let’s get into this week’s links!
The BEST Way To Nail Smoother Chord Progressions - Kerry Marshall is one of the biggest guitarists in the R&B community, and his lesson videos are always helpful. In his latest video, he talks about how to attack a song like a pro - from mapping it out, to recording yourself, and more. Come for the tips, stay for the awesome Strat tone in the vid.
Stuck In A Rut - I've played for nearly 3 Decades - Here's How To Avoid the RUT - Is getting out of a rut, one of the all time guitar problems that everyone runs into? I feel like I've heard about it constantly over the past few decades. John Cordy shares some tips on how to avoid the rut in the first place. Rather than playing advice, this is more advice for your mental state - not comparing yourself, playing what you're good at, and most importantly enjoying your time playing. Great video to check out this weekend.
Mark Lettieri Shows Us How to REALLY SHRED on Guitar - Tyler from MusicIsWin sat down with the always awesome Mark Lettieri. The two talk about his PRS signature guitar, how to hang while guesting in a number of bands, why knowing theory is so helpful, and much more. Mark is such a solid player, no matter what band he’s a part of. Check out his work in Snarky Puppy, and then spin a few of his solo albums.
My Favorite Wah Tricks | Tom Strahle | Pro Guitar Secrets - Maybe it was my love for all things Kirk Hammett, but I grew up loving the wah pedal. Tom Strahle posted a helpful video talking about all sorts of things you can do with a wah. Even though it’s at its core an EQ, there’s so much tonally that you can do with it. Listen to Hammett, Vai, Satch, Jerry Cantrell and more for inspiration. If you want even more players to listen to, check out my top 25 wah players post.
Master the Metronome: Beginner to Expert - If you’ve read this newsletter for a long time, you know I love using backing tracks to practice over. But there’s always room to practice with a metronome. Check out this video from Brad Harrison that shows you how to go from simple back and forth timekeeping, to messing with different accents and feels.
Two picking techniques square off. Who wins? USX vs DBX - The mad scientist, Troy Grady, is back in the lab. This time to talk about escape motion. Ever start playing a run and feel like you’re getting stuck in between the strings? Or that your picking hand is tripping over itself? Check this video out, and I’m sure you’ll go down the rabbit hole of pickslanting, escape motion and more. Check out all of Troy’s Cracking the Code series.
Guitarist Mike Stern Plays & Shares Stories of Miles Davis, Jaco and Pat Metheny - I always love how down to earth Mike Stern is, while at the same time being a legend of the jazz scene. Rick Beato had Stern on to discuss playing with Miles Davis and other greats of the jazz scene, and why even he struggles with emotions when it comes to learning new things. It was super interesting to hear his thoughts on learning in general - there's a lot to learn in this interview.
The Jimi Hendrix Blues System - Rotem Sivan breaks down 10 steps of how to get into a Hendrixian way of playing the 12 bar blues. I love how this video started with breaking down the basics of a 12 bar blues, and in a short time, really got into some nice flourishes you can add to sound more like Jimi. Oh, and if you want another Jimi-related video, check out this barre chord "hack" from Justin Johnson. Oh, and if you’re looking for more blues, check out this great SRV video from Jon MacLennan.
HOLY GRAIL Marshall Collection! | Iconic Amps - Not much to say about this one, other than if you love classic gear, this video is for you. Tons of collector/holy grail style gear makes an appearance in this vid - from a ‘58 Strat to a ‘66 Marshall JTM45. This video sounds fantastic, and I’d love to have been in the room at Chicago Music Exchange for this one.
“The idea of the ‘rhythm’ side and the ‘lead’ side as distinctly separate entities has become somewhat blurred”: Mateus Asato is a modern master of combined rhythm and lead playing – he shares his poetic soloing secrets - Mateus Asato has been one of my favorite players of the last decade - his incredibly melodic soloing and his insane use of chords is amazing to hear. Guitar World did a short lesson on why his playing is so unique, along with 3 examples you can practice to try and get this style under your fingers.
A lesson in how to play like Tommy Emmanuel - Tommy Emmanuel has always been a guitar player's guitarist - even earning the coveted CGP title from Chet Atkins (look it up!) I remember attending a gig at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, and Tommy guesting with one of the bands. His playing always blows me away. If you want to learn to play like Emmanuel, check out this lesson from Guitar Player, where they go over some of his essential techniques - travis picking, banjo rolls, and more.