String Skipping is one of those techniques that seem so easy when you see it done but when you try it yourself you realize it’s not that easy, especially when you try to skip two or more strings at a time! Before we get into it, let’s clarify what string skipping is so we’re all on the same page. The technique is really a non technique in the way that its whole purpose is to ‘miss’ playing the notes, and is simply where you play one string then jump over the next one or more and land on another string. In essence, ‘skipping’ over from one to another and leaving an unplayed string in the middle. This technique is used more in electric guitar so if you want a challenging electric guitar lesson, this is it!

There are some things to point out when practicing this that may seem obvious at first, but it’s essential to make sure you play them this way so when you speed it all up you’re not picking up bad habits. Check out these tips and add them into your next scale practice runs:

Economy picking – We’ll cover this technique in detail at a later stage but it is simply picking in the most economical way and only moving your picking hand as much as you need to, to get the job done. When using this in string skipping it refers to how you pick the first string and then land on the next after the skip, and it all depends what you’re trying to achieve. Go for what feels the most natural to play in order to let you make a clean jump and land dead on the note.

Hammer ons – This is a great way to play a few notes before the skip and give yourself enough time to make the jump. If your left hand (or fretting hand for left handers) is tied up with a few notes while your other hand is clearing the strings preparing for the land then it can make it so much easier, so try it slow and see what gives you the best chance of making it smooth.

String Noise – This is one to eliminate at all costs (unless that’s what you’re after of course). Because there is movement in the strings on either side, it’s easy to transfer that noise to the unplayed string(s). You can and should practice playing clean notes slowly to get the feel of what works and what doesn’t before you speed it up, but there is another way as well…

Palm Muting – Another technique for another post, but the basics of this are resting the palm of your picking hand on the strings slightly to ‘mute’ the sound. This doesn’t cut all the sound out, just deadens it and cuts out the noise – you hear it a lot in heavier music and it’s very useful for any technique where you’re trying to cut out string noise. Try it here especially at the immediate point of the jump.

A good to practice these is in scale runs, and definitely with a metronome. Start out with going up and down the scale once. The next time skip one string both on the way up and back down, then two strings etc…until you have a few strings and then work back down until you’re playing the scale again. It’s hard at first, but well worth it!

Technorati Tags: easy guitar lesson, electric guitar lesson, how to play guitar solos, how to play lead guitar

Learning how to play guitar solos is easy when you know how, but becoming a master at any specific technique is another level. There are a few techniques that are considered more advanced because of their level of difficulty, and Artificial Harmonics for a lot of guitarists fall into this category.

Natural Harmonics are produced by lightly tapping a string in set places along the neck, resulting in a bell like sound. These can be sounded at multiple positions, such as 5^th, 7^th and 12^th frets, and can be played with very little effort.

Artificial Harmonics on the other hand require a specific technique, and although are a little harder to play, they can be played on any note or position on the neck. There are a few ways to play these Artificial Harmonics such as playing a note first and then lightly touching the same string at an interval equivalent to a natural harmonic i.e. if you play a note on the second fret, you can move the natural harmonics that are usually in 5^th, 7^th and 12^th fret positions up two frets to result in the same harmonic but two semi tones higher. This is very similar to a natural harmonic and is self explanatory once you know what a natural harmonic is, only moved up by the note you choose to play beforehand.

The main way I choose to use artificial harmonics when learning how to play guitar solos is through the use of Pinch Harmonics.

Pinch Harmonics are simply ‘pinching’ the string with your playing hand as opposed to your fretting hand resulting in a harmonic squealing sound. To do this, all I do is rest my thumb and the edge of the pick on the string at the same time. When I strike the note with both the thumb and pick it results in a Pinch harmonic and you should be able to hear the difference straight away, however mastering this can take a little time so be patient and keep working on it.

The reason I prefer this in general (and this is only a personal preference) is because it frees my left hand to continue with whatever other technique I want to use with the harmonic. You can use this while simply bending a note, adding it as an accent in a fast scale run, or any other variation including with dives and other more savage techniques.

If you have trouble getting the sound smooth, try moving your picking hand position to get either more pick than thumb or vice versa, or even to cut more through the strings in a downward motion. Play around and use what feels comfortable to you.

Here’s a great video for getting a pinch harmonic sound, regardless of your level of expertise – enjoy!

Technorati Tags: easy guitar lesson, electric guitar lesson, how to play guitar solos, how to play lead guitar

If you’ve ever want to learn how to play guitar solos with a level of intensity that makes others stop and take notice, then mastering the tremolo or whammy bar is a must. Because the variation that you can achieve with this is so great, it can go either way between creating or playing a killer solo, or just sounding sloppy.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to tame that tremolo and make it work the way you need it to!

1. Practice it slowly with all the control you would use for practicing anything else. It can very easily turn into a mess when you don’t know what you’re doing, so fluid movements and control over the bar are a must.
2. Practice to a metronome. It needs to be said that if you want to improve any notes you need to play to a backing of some kind, and the easiest and cheapest is a metronome.
3. Aim for a Specific note. Things like dives and the more intense moves sound so random that they’re often mistaken as being a ‘hope for the best’ technique, but as with all other techniques if you have a sound or note in mind before going for it then you will give yourself a greater level of control. After all, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.
4. Mix it with other Techniques. When learning how to play guitar solos it helps to combine a few different sounds and apply a range of techniques to the overall section. Try combining slides, hammer ons, scale runs with some tremolo technique and see the difference it makes.
5. Experiment. These are all general guidelines and with everything that is considered an ‘art’, there are no real rules, only ways of doing things that get a result. Play around with different effects while learning these, and get different moods and tones, all of which can add to the fun of practicing and make you a better overall player.

Here’s a video of Dimebag Darrel showing you how to pull off those trademark screams and other tremolo tricks, have fun with it and I’ll speak to you soon!

Glenn.

Technorati Tags: easy guitar lesson, electric guitar lesson, how to play guitar solos, how to play lead guitar