The Power of Ten Minutes
Plus, Greg Koch’s Guitar Genius
Welcome to this week’s issue of Six String Sunday! This week’s issue is jam packed with awesome lessons to make you a better player. From Greg Koch’s wild riffs to Adam Levy’s case for practicing just 10 minutes a day, there’s something here for everyone.
Whether you’re looking to break out of a rut, dive into jazz phrasing, or unlock the secrets of better tone, I’ve got you covered. This newsletter is always a two way street though, so I’d love to know what you’re working on. Reply to this email to say hello, or comment if you’re viewing this week’s issue on Substack. Alright, let’s get into this week’s links!
This week’s guitar links!
The Unsung GIANT of Guitar - I often wonder how many notes Greg Koch must've played in his lifetime. It has to be a scary amount of notes. Whether he's demoing guitars for Wildwood, playing with one of his bands, or just riffing, the man has played more guitar than most. Rick Beato had him on the main channel to discuss his awesome mix of blues, rock, country and more. This is one of those interviews where I watched the full hour, just because it was so good. If you're looking for some great lessons from Greg, check out his page on TrueFire.
Break the Guitar Rut in 2025 - 5 Things to Focus On - I've talked about how much I love Jack Gardiner's playing at length in this newsletter - he's simply one of my favorite guitarists. He put out his own "what to work on in 2025" video, and it goes over a lot of great points. Things like recording yourself (both through audio, and through a notebook for your practice), why it's so important to transcribe, and more. I know a lot of this stuff is common sense for most musicians, but every once in a while we need to hear it again.
The Secret to Better Jazz Phrasing and Rhythm - Triads! We've talked about them so much over the past few years. And it's for good reason - they're so helpful when making bigger chords, or extending your lead lines. Jens Larsen talks about triads in a jazz context, showing us how adding a note here or there can make a huge impact. Oh, and if you want something to warm up with before getting into triads and more complex chords, check out this shapeshifting exercise from David Brewster.
The 3 Practice Mistakes KILLING Your Progress - This video from Chase Maddox was one of my favorites of the week. He compares our guitar practice to starting to work out in the new year. He goes over 3 mistakes that might be hindering our progress on the guitar. This year, rather than trying to say, “I want to learn blues guitar”, it's much better to break it down into focused goals. Check out Chase's ideas on this topic and more.
Salt Creek Bluegrass Guitar Lesson - History, Rhythm, Melody, and Variations! - Some of my favorite guitarists are those who combine a number of styles - thinking of guys like Greg Koch, John 5, Guthrie Govan. These guys seem at home playing so many different styles. All that to say, Lessons with Marcel is one of my favorite channels to learn bluegrass songs. He’s going over a really sweet Salt Creek lesson this week, that's totally approachable for almost any guitarist.
Bach Triads: 5 WILD Applications For Guitar - We've been talking about triads, we've been talking about different styles….well what about taking it back to the days of Bach and using his triads on guitar? Ben Eunson helps us out with a fun lesson that covers the topic this week.
10 Minutes, Every Day - Adam Levy makes the case for practicing 10 minutes each day, rather than cramming everything in on the weekend. 10 minutes is essentially a insignificant amount of time, and once you pick up the guitar, you’ll likely want to play for longer. You can also spread your time across the day, in the cracks of bigger things you need to do. Adam always has great tips, and if you want an entire book of them, I can’t recommend his book “String Theories” enough.
And Justice For All GUITAR TONE. The gear of Kirk Hammett and Metallica. Kirks most UNDERRATED solo? - Kirk Hammett is the reason I picked up a guitar, so I’m always interested in hearing about his playing, tone, and more. I’ve been watching Circle of Tone’s channel for as long as I can remember - he always breaks down different player’s tones in an awesome way. This time, he’s talking about Kirk’s …And Justice For All tone. And of course, there’s talk about the bass, or lack thereof on this album. If you’re not a fan of Metallica, still give Circle of Tone’s channel a look, as his back catalog is fun.
You Don't Need Speed to Gain Confidence & Musicality - If you want to build confidence on guitar, you should check out Eric Haugen’s latest video. It’s all about getting to grips with songs, including figuring out the key, and then ultimately understanding the chords and scales behind it. Eric’s lessons are some of the most laid back and informative on the internet. If you want even more of his stuff, check out his courses on TrueFire.
The ONE Exercise to WIN at guitar in 2025 - This video is short and sweet. The concept is simple, but the time you’ll need to learn it will take you some time. So what’s the exercise? A simple idea to find notes all over the fretboard. Once you learn all the notes on the neck, it’ll open up a world of possibilities.
Better Guitar Playing & Injury Prevention with Julian Lage - Injuries are a fact of life, especially when you play a lot of guitar. But there are things you can do to prevent some of them, and that’s exactly what Julian Lage is talking about in this video for D’Addario. Do you focus on any of these things while playing?
I Wish I Knew This Before Buying An Acoustic: THE TOP - If you’re in the market for an acoustic guitar, you should check out this video from Paul Davids. Paul took a trip to Furch Guitars, and they talked about why the top of an acoustic guitar is so important. My favorite part was the playing examples (5 diff. guitars!), focusing on each different type of wood.
Stop losing your place and play the changes! // Awareness of Form Tip - This might be the first time I’m linking to Guitaring With Ollie. I liked this short video on why being aware of song form is so important when playing over changes. Excited to check out more videos from this channel in the future.
“An original icon built by the same artisans who built them 30 years ago”: Mesa/Boogie is reviving the Dual Rectifier – the hallowed amp head that defined the sound of 1990s high gain music - Before I used plugins and got into modeling, I was a Mesa guy. The sound of those amps, whether it be a Mark series, Rectifier or something else, always clicked with me. After Gibson picked up the brand, I was worried about what'd happen with them, but since then we've seen some pretty amazing amps get released. This week we got news that the next Mesa amp to be reissue would be the legendary Dual Rectifier! If you've ever wanted one of the best sounds in rock/metal, keep an eye out around Jan 14th when the reissue is set to be released.
Adrian Belew: The Ugly Strat Behind Landmark Albums - Linking to this for 2 reasons: 1) We have to keep Guitar Player's spirit alive! 2) Another instance of where a sub $300 guitar has been on all sorts of big name songs.