Hey,

Here’s something that you might find interesting…

Alternate tunings.

Most people who have played guitar in the last 10 years know about
what’s commonly referred to as "Drop D" tuning.

It’s pretty simple…

All you do is "drop" the E string (the low one) down to D.

This means that your bottom three strings are D, A, D.

This is a nice, open sound because you have the tonic (D) and the dominant (A) with
the tonic (D) an octave higher.

In other words, you have a power chord with a extra octave on the root.

So, in standard tuning, if you wanted to play an E power chord it would look like:

——–
——–
——–
2——-
2——-
0——-

But in drop D an E power chord is:
——–
——–
——–
2——-
2——-
2——-

So you can fret any of the bottom three strings and you’ve got a simple, power chord.

But, I like to go further…

Sometimes I’ll bring the D string up to E.

That makes your E power chord look like…
——–
——–
——–
0——-
2——-
0——-

Or I’ll drop the E down to A. And take the D up to E.

Then, when you play the bottom 3 strings open you have A, A, E. (A perfect 5th).

This tuning gets out of tune easily is you really hammer on the bottom string
(especially if you play 9’s).

If you try this one, you may have better luck taking the E to C (down a major 3rd)
then take A up to C (up a minor 3rd) and the D up to E (up a major 2nd).

Then when you play the bottom three strings you’ll have C, C, G.

This way, you’ll keep the bottom string taut, which cuts down on vibration and hence,
you’ll get the bottom to strings in better tune when you strum them.

The point is, you aren’t stuck with standard tuning or even with Drop D.

Play around and you can find all kinds of amazing ways to mix it up.

Cheers,

Dan Denley

P.S. If you’re playing a gig and you include any songs with alternate tunings, you’re
going to need to have a separate guitar already pre-tuned, off stage.
You don’t want to be fiddling around on stage trying to get your alternate
tuning ready. It can be disastrous. Especially if the venue your playing is noisy.

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14. Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Hi,

Here’s Part 6 of the 6-Part "Amazing Guitar Secrets" Mini-Course:
Part 6 – "The 12 Bar Blues: How To Play It Just Like Eric Clapton"

———————————
Part 6 – "The 12 Bar Blues: How To Play It Just Like Eric Clapton"

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–

You know, growing up in Memphis has been a real treat, for me.

There’s so much blues music here, it’s incredible.

BB King’s restaurant is here, as well as the world-famous Beale Street — where you can go anytime of day or night to hear some great blues music.

If you’re going to play blues, there’s one thing you should definitely know — the "12 Bar Blues."

Basically, the twelve bar blues is this:

I7 chord for four bars | IV7 for two bars | I7 for two bars| V7 for one bar | IV7 for one bar | I7 for one bar | V7 for one bar

Add all the bars (or measures) together and you get twelve "bars."

So, here’s what that means:

Let’s say you’re in the key of E Major.

The tab for the chords you’d play are:

E7 (I7 in the key of E) for 4 bars (four measures of 4/4 time)
|—0—|
|—3—|
|—1—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—0—|

A7 (IV7 in the key of E) for two bars
|—3—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—X—|
|—X—|

E7 (I7 in the key of E) for 2 bars
|—0—|
|—3—|
|—1—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—0—|

B7 (V7 in the key of E) for one bar
|—2—|
|—0—|
|—2—|
|—1—|
|—2—|
|—X—|

A7 (IV7 in the key of E) for one bar
|—3—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—X—|
|—X—|

E7 (I7 in the key of E) for one bar
|—0—|
|—3—|
|—1—|
|—2—|
|—2—|
|—0—|

B7 (V7 in the key of E) for one bar
|—2—|
|—0—|
|—2—|
|—1—|
|—2—|
|—X—|

Then, start the whole thing over again.

Now, if you’re going to play a solo over this twelve bar blues, you’d need to know which scale to use.

Because you’re in the key of E Major, you’d use the E Blues Scale.

Here’s that scale in it’s first position in the key of E Major:

|————————————-12-15-|
|——————————-12-15——-|
|———————-12-14-15————-|
|—————-12-14———————-|
|——-12-13-14—————————-|
|-12-15————————————-|

Use this scale to solo over the 12 bar blues rhythm above.

If you’d like to hear a quick example of me playing this progression using the Blues Pentatonic scale, turn your speakers up and go here:

 

Hope that helps get you pointed in the right direction as far as playing blues.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my 6-Part Mini-Course. I hope you’ve gotten some real value out of it!

I wish you all the best with your guitar playing.

Cheers,

Dan Denley

P.S. Please keep an eye out for more tips, tricks and licks. I’ll be posting new "Mini-Lessons" to you from time to time.

P.P.S. If you are serious about improving your guitar playing skills, I invite you to read the rest of this email. It can truly change your life.

————————————————————————–
TO GUITARISTS WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING THEIR PLAYING, BUT CAN’T GET STARTED:

In 1989 an amazing thing happened to me.

I got my first guitar. I still remember that night. It was my 13th birthday. I was in the 8th grade.

The guitar was an nasty yellow, Gibson Epiphone. My pops bought me a little gorilla amplifier to go with it (nothing too big, because my parents weren’t sure if I was serious about learning to play or not.)

It was cold — the dead of winter (which for a Southern boy, like me, means 35F.)

I remember leaving the music store with my new "axe" under my arm ready to go home and SHRED. Of course, there was just one problem, though…

I COULDN’T PLAY A THING!

So, I still remember my first song — the theme from the movie 007. I figured it out by ear and then spent the next few days playing pretty much nothing but that. (Yeah, my parents got pretty sick of hearing that!)

Then something began to happen…

I began to be able to pick other songs out by ear. (It didn’t hurt that I had been taking classical piano lessons since I was five, either.)

I worked at it. And I worked HARD and put in LOTS and LOTS of hours.

I devoured everything I could get my hands on — every book, every video tape (no DVD’s back then), and I hit up every guitarist I could find to teach me any little "tricks" that they knew.

But, the thing is, I never really had anyone who sat me down and started from the beginning and said, "Ok, Dan, here’s what you need to do first… Then you should move on to… then you’ll want to learn…"

That just didn’t happen. I had learned what I knew by trying to fit all the piecesof the puzzle together BY MYSELF. And to be really honest with you, that wasn’t easy.

In fact, I spent so many hours listening to songs and trying to pick them out by ear,reading tab books, and spent so much money on videos and private lessons, that I have no doubt that I (and my parents) spent THOUSANDS of dollars on my music education.

My mom used to call me, "The boy who lives upstairs" because I used to practice about 3, 4 sometimes 5, hours every day.

I used to ride "The Big Cheese" (i.e., the school bus) home from school everyday.

I vividly remember riding home in the bus. Not talking. Not acting up. Not making conversation. Not horsing around. Just sitting…

Sitting and thinking. Thinking about how as soon as the bus door flew open at my stop I was going to RUN off that bus and SPRINT up to my room, grab my guitar and get to work. And I did…

In fact, I got soooo obsessed with getting better that I quit football — my parents and my coach were NOT happy. I was pretty good, too. But, I just couldn’t stomach the fact that I would spend 3 hours everyday after school practicing FOOTBALL instead of guitar.

So, I quit…

Shortly after that I quit baseball, too — for the same reason. I couldn’t stand the thought of letting those precious hours slip by playing BASEBALL instead of guitar.

And by the time I reached my senior year in high school, I was playing in a band that had a 12-song set of all originals, and could pack (300+people) the New Daisy theater on the world famous, Beale Street here in Memphis, TN.

That same year I received a full-ride to the University of Memphis on a merit-based scholarship — to study voice.

As time went on I observed a lot of folks who had gotten guitars, but hadn’t made any real progress.

For example, my brother (a truck-driver for UPS) has been playing for about 30 years. I know that he plays at his church. And I also know that he can play about 8 or 9 chords. But that’s about it.

And when he’d come over, he’d always want me to show him anything I could on guitar. "Show me how to…" or "How do I…" or "Teach me something new…"

Well, that’s frustrating for me (though I’d gladly do it.) Because there’s only so much you can show a person in 30 minutes or an hour. And if a day or two goes by, chances are (unless he went home and practiced hard) that he’d forget what I just taught him.

And I’m not just picking on my brother. It’s the same way with everybody.

So, I looked around at the options for learning guitar to see if I could find something that I’d feel comfortable recommending. But, I couldn’t…

Most of the stuff in music stores and online is INCOMPLETE to say the least. And some of it is plain, old garbage.

So, I got fed up. And I finally said, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I decided to create a complete, SYSTEM for learning guitar.

I wanted to create something that any guitarist — regardless of goals, could pick up and actually learn something:

If all you want to do is play a few chords at your Wednesday night church service, then I will teach you…

If you want play "campfire" guitar, then I’ll teach you that, too.

If you want to learn how to play the 12-bar blues, then I’ll show you how.

If you want to learn how to play complex chord progressions like "Cm7b5, F7#5, Bbm7" then I’ll be there for you.

If you want to learn how to use the Spanish Phrygian mode over a harmonic minor chord progression… well, you guessed it, I’ll show EXACTLY what the Spanish Phrygian scale is AND how to play it.

I want to point out to you something that I just said five times…

I just said ** "I WILL…" ** teach you, show you, be there for you, etc.

And that’s a BIG point.

I’m not going to just send you a couple of DVD’s and send you on your way, and never talk to you again.

I’m not some, big mindless robot that sells guitar courses on the internet.

I’m a guitarist. Living. Breathing. Struggling. Just like you. And I’m going to be there for you as you learn, grow and become a better musician.

I’ve laid everything out in a systematic, step-by-step way that’s easy to understand.

You can go to any level you want.

Here’s a few comments from folks just like you:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dan,

I just had to write you…This course is AWESOME! In fact, I just quit my lessons today for two main reasons:

1) They cost $30 bucks per hour and
2) People would usually just laugh at me… But they aren’t laughing now!

I’ve learned more in 2-3 hours with your course, than I have for 6 months of trying to teach myself or taking lessons.

Great job, Dan!

– Tyler A., California

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dan,

You deserve a medal!

My lessons came in on 6/11/05 and I couldn’t ask for more — this is the best!
Great job, Dan on putting this together.

I even bought a DVD player so I can watch and learn while I’m working.
You’re right, there’s a LOT of information there — but that’s a good thing.

Thanks again — Jack James, Oklahoma

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And so, I urge you so make the decision today to become a better guitarist.

HERE’S THE COLD, HARD TRUTH:
If you do the same thing you’ve always done, you will continue to get the same results! And that’s no lie.

Think about it. If you want something to change in your life, do you wait around and hope-against-hope? Or, do you MAKE things happen?

Trust me, your playing is NOT going to get better just by doing what you’ve always done or playing what you’ve always played.

Isn’t it time you decided to really start to play, instead of just "playing-around"?

Now, I know that may sound harsh. And I don’t mean it in that way.

It’s just that I’m REALLY passionate about music. And I’m sure you are, too (why else would you be reading all this?)

How much is it worth to you to be able to play nearly anything you want?

How much is it worth to you to NOT be embarrassed to play for your family, friends or in a music store?

How much is it worth to you to be able learn at YOUR OWN PACE? In the privacy of your own home? So, if you make 100 mistakes, who cares?

What value would you place on being able to really ENJOY playing guitar, instead of just trying to find the right notes?

What value would you place on being able to have me, ready and willing, to leap to your side… to help you with anything, EVEN if it’s 3:00AM?

Well, I’d say those things are REALLY valuable.

In fact, when you look at it in those terms, suddenly the cost of the course seems tiny.

HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE ACTION TODAY:

As you know, today is {!date long+0}.

And there’s a very important reason you should take action, NOW. If you order before {!date long+3}, I’ll also include 4 additional, "unadvertised" bonus video lessons.

[WARNING: There is NOTHING on my website about this offer, because I don't want the word to get out about my "secret" videos. So, please don't forward this email to anyone -- Thanks.]

I sincerely want you to become one of my most successful students.

Go here, to get your copy of the Amazing Guitar Secrets course and change your guitar playing forever:

http://www.amazingguitarsecrets.com/secretbonus.html

As soon as you’ve secure you copy, then send email to"support@AmazingGuitarSecrets.com" with the subject line, "I grabbed Dan’s course!"

We’ll verify your order and email the secret link to you, so you instantly watch these unadvertised, video lessons.

All the best to you and your guitar-playing.

Cheers,

Dan Denley

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14. Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Hey,

Here’s part 5 of 6 of the 6-Part Email mini-course:
"The A Major Scale In All Seven Positions"

Special Bonus#1: A Fatal Mistake To Always Avoid

———————————
Part 5 – "The A Major Scale In All Seven Positions"

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–

I hope your guitar playing is going well…

I’ve gotten so many questions about scales lately, I thought I send this to you, too.

Hope you find it helpful.

It’s the tab for A Major scale in all seven positions.

You can get it at my site here:

http://www.AmazingGuitarSecrets.com/newsletters/a_maj_scale.pdf

(If you can’t click on the link, just copy & paste it into your browser.)

Take care, keep in touch.

Cheers,
Dan Denley

P.S. For the most incredible, authoritative, hands-on, here’s-how-you-do-it, no-holds-barred, step-by-step, SUPER GUIDE to guitar playing anywhere around,go to http://www.amazingguitarsecrets.com/subscribers_only, right now.

———————————
Special Bonus Article – Special Bonus#1: A Fatal Mistake To Always Avoid

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–

 

I’d like to share a story with you. It’s long, but worth it…

In 1996 I was a sophomore at the Eastman School of Musicin Rochester, NY.

I was studying operatic voice. It was an amazing experience. I was surrounded by some of the most amazing musicians in the world.

There were people there from every walk of life and just about every country on earth.

I was a real eye-opener for a country boy from Coldwater, Mississippi whose father was in construction.

These kid’s parents were all musicians. They had all formal training since they were 3.

They were miles ahead of me before they even started school.

So, I had to kind of play it safe. Not show my ignorance. Not let everyone know that while they had were learning Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto #3 at the age of 10, I was out riding a four-wheeler in the Mississippi mud.

But after a while it began to get to me…

I started to believe that I didn’t stack up. I really wasn’t "worthy" of being there.
That it was somehow a mistake that I had gotten in this prestigious music school.

Then a funny thing happened…

It was a blistering, cold winter that year. The wind chill was -30F. Snow blowing sideways so hard, that you literally could not open your eyes. You could practically lean into the wind and it would hold you up.

And low and behold, Steve Vai came to play at our school.

(For those of you who don’t know… Steve Vai, whether you like his music or not, is unarguably one of the most talented "rocker" style guitarist around. He’s a virtuoso guitarist, lots of instrumental stuff. Mega talented.)

It was a weird venue.

He played in the Eastman Theater. Which was strange because it was normally reserved for "real" concerts: Brahms’ Requiem, Verdi’s Otello, Piano Concerto’s.

I remember seeing Vai up on the concert-hall stage. His band all around him.
It just seem strange seeing this rocker playing in a concert hall that had a chandelier worth $30,0000.

Anyway, he played a great gig.

Though there was hardly anyone there. The hall was practically empty. Maybe 100 people showed up to see this guy. Not many people even knew who he was.

After the show, my friend, Matt, walked up to Vai and congradulated him on a great show and invited to buy him a cup of coffee.

At the crowded, little coffee shop across the street from the hall, Matt, a classical guitar major there at Eastman, sat and picked Vai’s brain for a couple of hours.

Vai was extremely humble. In fact, after talking to him for those brief moments, Matt walked away a changed person.

Turns out that Vai had told Matt that he wasn’t "worthy". He insisted that we (those of us attending "classical," conservatory) were the "real" musicians. He didn’t "deserve" to play for us conservatory types.

Strangely enough, it seemed like he was intimidated.

Now, I wasn’t there. I didn’t hear those words come from his mouth. In fact, it was a private conversation that Matt had with him. So, I can’t personally vouch that every word is true. But, then again, I have no reason to doubt what Matt had said… he was a good friend and quite trustworthy.

So, what the heck is the point?

Good question.

The point is you can NEVER, ever compare yourself to other people.

Just don’t do it.

This is such an important point, I’m going to say it again…

NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR ABILITIES TO OTHERS!

Why?

Because there will ALWAYS be someone out there who’s faster, better, quicker, smoother, more clever, writes songs better, has more finesse, etc.

Always. Always. Always.

It still astounds me that Steve Vai, who was at the top of the guitar world at that time, would say something as silly as, "I don’t belong here.
You guys are the real musicians."

You’ve got to focus on what you do. And forget what other people think.

Don’t get caught up in it. It’s just stupid. You will wear yourself out. You will NOT be happy. You will NOT be a better musician for it. You will, in fact, go backwards. You’ll burn out. You’ll get frustrated.

That experience taught me to snap out of it.

To completely focus my energy, not on how I compared to other musicians, but on how I was doing… how I was doing this week as compared to last week.

How I was going to be better today than I was yesterday. How I could maximize my abilities vs. how I stacked up against the next guy.

I realized that if Steve Vai could beat himself up about not being a "real" musician, (which I fully believe he is) then this whole thing of comparing yourself to others can really be destructive.

It can be blinding. Damaging. Dangerous.

So, I swore not to do it any more. And I don’t. As soon as I start to even think about how much better some person is than me, I stop.

I remind myself that no matter how good you are… even if you’re Steve Vai, there will always be people who are better.

The point is… make good music.

Progress in your own right. In your own style.
Focus on accomplishing YOUR goals as a guitarist.

Maybe your goal is to be the next Steve Vai. Or maybe it’s just to learn how to play three chords for your Wednesday night church service. Maybe you decided to play guitar so you watch less TV. (Which we all could probably use less of.)

Whatever your motive, keep it pure. Keep it true. Keep it focused.

Don’t get off on the ugly road of comparing yourself to other musicians.

It’s a dead end.

Keep up the good work. Fight the good fight. Until next time…

Cheers,
Dan

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14. Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Hey,

Here’s part 4 of the 6-Part "Amazing Guitar Secrets" Mini-Course:
"Chords: How They’re Built And How To Play Them"

———————————
Part 4 – "Chords: How They’re Built And How To Play Them"

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–
In this lesson we’re going to cover chords in the major scale.

(Psst… hey, you might find it easier to print this page out and play along on your guitar vs. reading from your computer monitor. Either way, you need your guitar in hand for this to make any sense).

OK, so now you know (based on part 6) that a Major scale is made up of 8 notes. And that between each note is either a whole step or a
half step. And that a Major scale has these "intervals": W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

OK… there’s a new word: "intervals".

In order to understand chords, you have to understand the concept of intervals:

Let’s take our D Major scale from last time.

E—————–| <– 1st string
B—————–| <– 2nd string
G————-6-7-| <– 3rd string
D——-5-7-9—–| <– 4th string
A-5-7-9———–| <– 5th string
E—————–| <– 6th string

Intervals are REALLY simple. First, you name each note according to where it falls in the scale.

HERE ARE THE INTERVALS IN THE D MAJOR SCALE:

MAJOR 2ND:

|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|-5-7—|
|——-|

MAJOR 3RD:

|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|-5-9—|
|——-|

PERFECT 4TH:

|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|—5—|
|-5—–|
|——-|

PERFECT 5TH:
|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|—7—|
|-5—–|
|——-|

MAJOR 6TH:
|——-|
|——-|
|——-|
|—9—|
|-5—–|
|——-|

MAJOR 7TH:
|——-|
|——-|
|—6—|
|——-|
|-5—–|
|——-|

PERFECT 8TH: (Also called an "octave")
|——-|
|——-|
|—7—|
|——-|
|-5—–|
|——-|

Go play these intervals, now so you can start getting the sound of them in your ears.

Now, here’s the great thing…

Once you understand intervals, you’re ready to start playing CHORDS! Because chords are just notes put together in a certain scale.

There are two basic chords in any scale: Major and minor.

And these Major and minor chords are made up of three notes (called a "triad").

A triad has these intervals of 1, 3 and 5. So, let’s look at the D Major chord in the D Major scale.

D MAJOR SCALE
E——————————–
B————-2-3—————-
G———2-4——————–
D—–4-5————————
A-5-7—————————-
E——————————–

D MAJOR CHORD
E——————————–
B——————————–
G———2———————-
D—–4————————–
A-5——————————
E——————————–

Notice that the intervals are 1, 3rd and a 5th. Now, you can play these notes any way you want. Here’s another way they could be played.

D MAJOR CHORD (1st inversion)

E——————————–
B————3——————-
G———2———————-
D——4————————-
A——————————–
E——————————–

Or you could play these notes this way…

D MAJOR CHORD (2nd inversion)

E—————2—————-
B————3——————-
G———2———————-
D——————————–
A——————————–
E——————————–

Congratulations! You now know how to play a D Major chord in all three of its "inversions." (More on that later).

Now, you can add as many notes to that chord as you want as long as they are always the 1, 3rd and 5th of the D Major scale:

You could play
E—————2—————-
B————3——————-
G———2———————-
D——0————————-
A——————————–
E——————————–

Or…

E—————2—————-
B————3——————-
G———2———————-
D——0————————-
A—0—————————-
E——————————–

There’s still only 3 notes (the 1, 3rd and 5th of the D Major scale, I’ve just added a few octaves).

Remember last time I said that music is a lot like math? Well, it’s a lot like riding a bike, too. Once you learn how, it seems like to
easiest thing in the world. But before you can ride without your training wheels, it seems absolutely impossible.

The point to this lesson is to show you that from the D Major scale, we get the D Major chord.

What I’m building up to is teaching you how to pick up any book or song be able to play it. How good would THAT feel?

Until next time, take care and practice hard.

Cheers,

Dan Denley

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14. Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Hi,

Here’s Part 3 of the 6-Part "Amazing Guitar Secrets" Mini-Course: "How To Understand Scales, Once And For All"

———————————
Part 3 – "How To Understand Scales, Once And For All"

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–

Do your eyes start to roll back in your head when
you people start talking about scales and key signatures?

Well, never fear. It’s actually a lot simpler than most eople make
it. Here’s what I mean…

Scales are just notes put together in a certain way. And there are
only 8 note possibilities in any scale.

Let’s take C major for example. The notes in a C Major scale are C,
D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

(Go grab your guitar, right now and try this.
I promise it will make a lot more sense.)

If you played these notes on your guitar they would be:

E———————————–
B———————————–
G———————————–
D———————————–
A-3-5-7-8-10-12-14-15—————
E———————————–

Simple enough, right?

Now a scale is made up of whole steps and half steps.

A whole step would be 3 to 5 (you skip fret 4). A half step is 7 to
8.

So, a C major scale played on the A string is:

3-5 (Whole step)
5-7 (Whole step)
7-8 (Half step)
8-10 (Whole step)
10-12 (Whole step)
12-14 (Whole step)
14-15 (Half step)

Now, here’s the beautiful thing:
Once you memorize this formula
W, W, H, W, W, W, H you can play ANY major scale!

So if you want to play a D Major scale, you simply start on D and
follow the formula:

E———————————–
B———————————–
G———————————–
D-0-2-4-5-7-9-11-12—————–
A———————————–
E———————————–

Now, you can play these same notes anywhere on the fretboard, it’s
all the same scale!

E———————————–
B———————————–
G————-6-7——————-
D——-5-7-9———————–
A-5-7-9—————————–
E———————————–

You can play this same scale here also:

E———————————–
B———————————–
G———————————–
D——————-11-12———–
A———-10-12-14—————–
E-10-12-14————————–

Now, notice that each scale above is made up of 8 notes. From E10
to D12 is a "octave." ("Oct" stands for eight. Remember, an octagon
has eight sides?)

From E10 to D12 is an octave. And if you wanted to play the D Major
scale in two octaves, it would look like:

E————————–7-9-10—
B——————-7-8-10———-
G————-6-7-9—————–
D——-5-7-9———————–
A-5-7-9—————————–
E———————————–

So, now you know how to play a D Major scale in two octaves!

But, guess what. If you can play a D Major scale, you can play ANY
major scale!

All you’ve got to do is follow the formula I gave you:

Pick any note. Let’s say E, for example. Start on E, and then
follow the W, W, H, W, W, W, H formula:

In tab, it looks like this:

E———————————–
B———————————–
G———————————–
D———————————–
A———————————–
E-0-2-4-5-7-9-11-12—————–

Ok, now that you know how a Major scale is formed, you should go
practice these.

Find any note. Then follow the W, W, H, W, W, W, H formula to play
the Major scale in that key.

Once you’ve got this down, fairly well, we can move on to the other
scales that you’ll come across in guitar playing: Natural Minor,
Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor.

Then, once we’ve got those, we can go to chord structure. Then
chord progressions.

In part 7, we’ll move on to some chords that can be made from these
notes in the Major scale. So, make sure you practice this lesson
before you start the next.

Music is a lot like math. Each concept builds on the previous. You
can’t multiply 2 X 2 until you can add 2 + 2.

So, don’t put off practicing the concepts in this lesson.

Take care…

Cheers,
Dan

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14. Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Here’s Part 2 of the 6-Part "Amazing Guitar Secrets" Mini-Course:
"Improve Your Playing In Only 10 Minutes A Day! Strength Training Exercises"

PLUS: Special Bonus#1: What To Do When You’re Completely Out Of Ideas

———————————

If you follow this simple plan, you’ll immediately and dramatically improve your
playing, guaranteed.

But first, let me give you a real-life example…

How long do you think that Brett Favre (Super Bowl winning QB of the Green Bay Packers)
would have lasted if he said something like…

"I really don’t want to work out. I don’t like it. It’s mundane. Tedious. Boring.
I just want to go out and play."

What if during the off season he sat around and did nothing?

No running. No weight lifting. No swimming. No biking. No conditioning.

Well, you and I both know the answer to that hypothetical situation.

If Favre had refused to condition his body, not only would he not have made it
to the NFL, he wouldn’t have made it on the Southern Mississippi football team,
or his local high school team, for that matter.

It’s a fact.

If you’re an athlete, you MUST train your muscles for competition.

But there’s more to it than that.

There’s the physiological phenomenon of your body being able to do what your brain
tells it to.

Here’s what I mean.

Brett Favre could tell his arm that he wanted to throw a pass 50 yards all day long.
But, unless his arm was physically capable of responding to that "brain command" he
still wouldn’t be able to do it.

It’s the same way with guitar.

You have to "train" your hand and arm muscles to do what you tell them to.

You have to condition them.

You have to think of your body like an athlete does his or hers.

How do you do this?

By doing a little "conditioning" every day.

You should start, NOW.

Don’t put this off.

********************************************

QUICK EXPLAINATION OF THE EXERCISES:

* These are tablature.
* Each dashed lined is a string.
* The numbers are frets, not finger numbers.

|———————1234-2345———————| <– E string
|—————–1234———2345—————–| <– B string
|————-1234—————–2345————-| <– G string
|———1234————————-2345———| <– D string
|—–1234———————————2345—–| <– A string
|-1234—————————————–2345-| <– E string (big)

********************************************

Start with some simple exercises like this:

|———————1234-2345———————|
|—————–1234———2345—————–|
|————-1234—————–2345————-|
|———1234————————-2345———|
|—–1234———————————2345—–|
|-1234—————————————–2345-|

Then go to…

|———————4321-5432———————|
|—————–4321———5432—————–|
|————-4321—————–5432————-|
|———4321————————-5432———|
|—–4321———————————5432—–|
|-4321—————————————–5432-|

Then go to…

|———————1423-2534———————|
|—————–1423———2534—————–|
|————-1423—————–2534————-|
|———1423————————-2534———|
|—–1423———————————2534—–|
|-1423—————————————–2534-|

Then try…

|———————1324–2435———————|
|—————–1324———-2435—————–|
|————-1324——————2435————-|
|———1324————————–2435———|
|—–1324———————————-2435—–|
|-1324——————————————2435-|

You will want to take these all the way up to about the 12th fret. Then reverse them
and come all the way back down. Also, you can practice these same exercises
picking both up and down, then all down, then all up.

And if you really want to get serious grab your metronome and use it while your
practicing. Is this fun? Well… for geeks like me, it kind of is.

But, that’s not the point.

Do you think that when Favre was running 3 miles a day,he was grinning the whole way
saying, "Gee, this is great!" No. He was thinking about winning the Super Bowl,
which WOULD be fun.

Even if you play guitar "just for fun" these exercises are still for you.

Why?

Because once you train your fingers to do what you tell them to by conditioning them,
playing guitar will be MORE fun because you’ll be in greater control.

I promise you this: if you take seriously these few exercises
and practice them every day for 10 minutes BEFORE you start to play,
you will see a significant improvement in your playing in as little as 14 days.

Hope this helps. Keep in touch…

Cheers,

Dan Denley

P.S. Don’t go nuts with this right off the bat. Build up speed and duration,
gradually. And if you feel any PAIN whatsoever, stop immediately.
These should be effortless and smooth.

P.P.S. Can’t get enough of this strength and conditioning fun? You can download
20 of them from my site by going here:
http://amazingguitarsecrets.com/newsletters/strength_exercises.pdf

=============================================

Special Bonus Article:
"What To Do When You’re Completely Out Of Ideas"

It’s REALLY important in order to create your own style.

So, I hope you’ve found some time to break out your favorite records and try to
play a little "copy-cat."

If you have, you’ll probably notice a couple of things:
1) Just by "copying" other people’s style you improve yours and
2) You get a flood of new ideas, riffs, licks, etc.

So, today I want you know about something a little weird.

Well, at least I’ve never really heard anyone talk about it much.

That is, have you thought about trying to imitate other INSTRUMENTS on your guitar?

Now, you’re probably thinking, "What the…"

Let me explain.

In the early 1700’s there was a tendency to write music for the voice that imitated
instruments.

So, for example, if you listen to Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, you’ll hear that
he wrote much of the solo vocal music to imitate instruments like the violin or flute.

There would be just a few words in any particular solo. But there would be
hundreds of notes.

And many of these notes are sung a single syllables of a single word.

Later (much later) there were composers who did the opposite.

Think about it.

Where did the Blues come from?

If you ask the average person that question, they’ll probably say, "Memphis"
(my home) or "St. Louis" or "New Orleans."

But that’s only partially correct. Those are cities where famous Blues and Jazz
musicians come from. But…

Blues actually came from spirituals.

And these Blues guitarists were doing the opposite of what Bach had done.

They would make their guitar sound like the human voice, not vice-versa.

That’s where the saying, "He can really make that guitar SING!" came from.
(At least that’s my guess.)

But there are other ways to experiment with this idea, too.

Why don’t you grab your favorite classical record and try to imitate the oboe solo
from a Beethoven symphony?

Or try to figure out a particular violin passage from a concerto.

Or try to play the melody to a piano concerto.

The point is, you want to think outside the box.

WAY… outside.

I remember playing in a heavy metal band, years ago…

I walked in to a practice session once, and announced that I had some new material
that I wanted to show everybody.

Then I said, "Yeah, this is so cool. I just swiped this right from the sound track
to the Dracula movie." (Which by the way had NO guitar in it, whatsoever.)

There was dead silence.

Everyone was just staring at me.

Then the drummer said, "Dan, you’re a freak man. A real freak."

Of course, to me that meant, "Man, you’re doing stuff we’ve never even thought of."

Which to me was a big compliment.

So, there you have secret #2 from me…

Go learn new material by imitating other instruments (including voice) in other
genres of music.

In part 3, I’m going to reveal some more *SECRETS* so, hold on to your hat…

Cheers,

Dan Denley

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14.  Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

Hi, You are reading my 6-Part, "Amazing Guitar Secrets" mini-course!

Here’s part 1 of 6 of the 6-Part Email mini-course:

———————————
Table of Contents for the 6-Part Mini-Course:

Part 1 – "Save Time, Play More Guitar! Guide To The Top 10 Tab Sites On The Internet"

Special Bonus#1: Guitar Tuning Resource
Special Bonus#2: The Unrevealed "Secret" To Developing Your Own Style

Part 2 – "Improve Your Playing In Only 10 Minutes A Day! Strength Training Exercises"

Special Bonus#1: What To Do When You’re Completely Out Of Ideas

Part 3 – "How To Understand Scales, Once And For All"

Part 4 – "Chords: How They’re Built And How To Play Them"

Part 5 – "The A Major Scale In All Seven Positions"

Special Bonus#1: A Fatal Mistake To Always Avoid

Part 6 – "The 12 Bar Blues: How To Play It Just Like Eric Clapton"
———————————

 

Part 1 – "Save Time, Play More Guitar! Guide To The Top 10 Tab Sites On The Internet"

By Dan Denley
————————————————————————–

Here’s the guide to my top 10 picks for tab sites on the internet.
You’ll need Adobe Acrobat to open it. (Chances are 99% that you already have
this software on your computer. If you don’t you can get it here: www.adobe.com)

http://www.amazingguitarsecrets.com/newsletters/top10tab.pdf

If you can’t open the link above, here’s the same info:
=================================
Top 10 Tab Sites On The Internet

1) http://www.guitaretab.com
This is a pretty sweat site. Mostly for rockers.
Has links to top guitar sites, too.

2) http://www.ultimate-guitar.com
Nice little search feature, right on the home page makes finding
the exact tab you’relooking for pretty easy.
You can search by Song Name or Band Name.

3) http://www.tabseek.com/main.html

4) http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/tab.html
HUGE site. Type in any artist and you’ll get several returns, some for
the same song! Also some good info on reading and writing
tab.

5) http://www.guitarnotes.com/tabs/ Nice, clean layout. Easy
to find what you’re looking for.

6) http://www.guitartabs.cc/ Good place to begin looking for
tabs. They’ve got a cool, little interface. I typed in
"Nirvana" and got 518 returns!

7) http://www.guitarboard.com
Also has lyrics.

8 ) http://www.tabpower.com
Says they have the most tabs on the net. But who’s counting?

9) http://www.thetabworld.com
Big and a little goofy. But probably worth the hassle
of trying to navigate because there’s a lot of info.

10) http://www.directtabs.com
This is a well designed site. They also have online lessons.
=================================

————————————————————————–

Special Bonus#1: Guitar Tuning Resource

This resource will help you tune your guitar
(especially when you don’t have a tuner handy!)

http://www.amazingguitarsecrets.com/newsletters/tune.html

————————————————————————–

Special Bonus#2: The Unrevealed "Secret" To Developing Your Own Style

One of the biggest mistakes I see folks make, especially when they’re
just starting out, is NOT playing copy-cat.

What do I mean by "Copy Cat?"

Well…

Let me explain.

As you may or may not know, I graduated top of my class with a
bachelor’s degree in Music History, with a minor in classical piano
and operatic voice.

(Go here if you’d like to see all the courses I took in college,
including the the grade I got, http://www.amazingguitarsecrets.com/transcript.htm)

Anyway, I don’t say that to brag or boast. That’s not it at all. I just mention it,
so you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

Anyway, when I was in music school, one glaring fact hit me straight between the eyes
like I had been shot with a diamond…

Brahms wouldn’t have become Brahms, without Beethoven.

Beethoven wouldn’t have become Beethoven, without Mozart.

Mozart wouldn’t have become Mozart, without Haydn.

Haydn wouldn’t have become Haydn, without Bach.

Bach wouldn’t have become Bach, without Palestrina.

Palestrina wouldn’t have become Palestrina, without Gregorian Chant.

And so endlessly goes the parade.

So, what’s all this got to do with playing guitar?

Well, a lot, actually.

See, I know a lot of guitarists who, to put it bluntly, are just too
dang lazy to get up off their butts and learn a few songs (or even a few licks)
from someone who’s gone ahead of them.

They say things like, "Ah… I just want to play my own stuff, man. I don’t
want to be playing other people’s songs. I want to write my own."

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Here’s the whole point.

You CAN’T play "your own stuff" until you’ve learned the styles, tricks, sounds,
and methods of other players.

You just can’t.

Let me put it another way.

If Beethoven had to learn how to play Mozart’s sonatas to be able
to develop HIS unique style, do you REALLY think you’re going to develop
yours by just "playing your own stuff?"

Come on…

So, go ahead.

Break out that Clapton recording you’ve got. Blow the dust off.
And play "copy cat" all afternoon.

I guarantee you, you’ll wake up tomorrow with all kinds of
endless variations floating around in your head.

And THEN you’ll be ready to start experimenting with your own style.

Cheers,
Dan

 

=============================================
About the Author:

Dan Denley began playing guitar in 1989 at the age of 14.  Mr. Denley is a
self-taught guitarist, classically trained musician and graduate of the Scheidt School of Music (University of Memphis). He is the author of more than 10 home-study courses for improving
your guitar playing. To learn more about how you can improve your guitar playing visit us online.
=============================================

One of the most frustrating aspects of playing guitar is when you reach the point where you are not improving. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned musician, we all face the same problem and ask the question, “Why am I not at the level I want to be and how can I get there?”

To add insult to injury, we see our guitar heroes in magazines and on T.V. everyday and it seems as if they are constantly inventing new tricks and improving their skills. When we read about them in Guitar World to try to emulate their skills and learn their tricks only to leave more confused. Becoming the ultimate guitarist is far harder than it looks.

So what is the key to success? While there is no one answer that can solve everyone’s problem, there are a number of concepts and theories that can help you break through the barrier that keeps you from reaching your full potential.

The one thing that you need to realize is that you don’t need to be a genius to become a great guitarist. The two key things you need to have in your possession are interest and commitment. You’ll never meet a great guitarist who isn’t passionate about music. They didn’t get to the level that they are at by being apathetic and lazy. They took the initiative to go out and try to learn something new.

The guitarist who dares to challenge himself takes the risk of failing. This is where many musicians lose their battle with low self-esteem and quit. It’s not that they didn’t take the risk, rather, that they failed and couldn’t pick themselves up again. If you realize that failure is a part of growth and that it takes many jam sessions to get some tricks down, you have just acquired the first skill you will need to become the ultimate guitarist.

I have compiled a list of concepts that I believe every guitarist should try out. Unlike other articles you will read, these short and simple steps ask you to do, rather that simply read. Thoughts and attitude are important but in the end it’s what you do that counts to your audience.

Let’s get started with the top ten things you can do to obtain maximum results as a guitarist.

Top 10 tips for success…

1. Learn something new – Educating yourself is the first step to becoming a better guitarist. Whether you choose to believe it or not, there’s always something new to learn and master. If you are currently studying music in a conservatory, at school, or in college, you will find that learning will come more easier to you. If not, I highly recommend that you get in a program. While I believe in teaching yourself, I also know from first hand experience that motivation and encouragement from a teacher is priceless. Once you conquer the subject that you were learning, push yourself to learn something that you’re not quite comfortable with. Learning within your comfort zone often results with you running around in circles.

2. Make your time count – Practicing does not make perfect, it makes permanent. That makes the time you spend playing your guitar all the more important. Don’t waste your time fiddling around on your guitar. Dig in and learn something that will aid you on your quest for musical success. Set goals and work towards achieving them. Whether it’s technique, tricks, or a new song, you can become better just by using your time more wisely.

3. Listen to more music – The more music that you are exposed to, the better guitarist you will become. Listen to the bands that you enjoy most and draw inspiration from them. Take note of what the musicians are doing in their songs and make a list of the techniques you want to learn. This can be the motivating force that gets you to play your guitar more often.

4. Surround yourself with excellence – When you play your guitar with people who are better guitarists, you not only learn from them but feel motivated to push yourself to keep up. At first this idea seems obscure. Why would you expose yourself to that kind of stress? Let’s face it, if there’s one thing that will make you get motivated quickly it’s the fact that people are counting on you. Don’t play with musicians who are arrogant and rude. embarrassment doesn’t foster self-esteem and will only get you down. The people you want to learn from are patient and understanding. Eventually you will find yourself at their level. It happens faster than you might think.

5. Ask yourself what will you do when you obtain the skills you want – What do you want to do with what you learn? Perhaps you want to make a CD or join a band and play at some local venues. Start planning for it now and use what you currently have. This ties into setting goals but is not to be underestimated. Knowing how you want to use your talent is important. Create a vision and use goals to act on it. Whether you want to play for others, or to the wall in your bedroom, the choice is yours.

6. Teach someone how to play guitar – To teach is to learn. If the only chord you know how to play is a G chord, show someone that. Why? Because it reaffirms what you know and solidifies your knowledge. I can tell you from personal experience that I have learned more through teaching than I ever learned through being taught. It forces you out of your comfort zone and when questions are asked, you need to know the answer. I’m a firm believer that anyone can teach someone something if they want to. Give it a shot and see the results for yourself.

7. Believe in your ability – Yes, I know how cliché this sounds. However, you need to hear it. You can do anything you put your mind to and if you choose to play guitar well, chubby fingers or not, you can! Don’t listen to what others say and be true to yourself. This can be hard seeing as we live in a critical society that doesn’t realize how much words can hurt. Keep at it and surround yourself with supportive people. More of a life lesson than a guitar lesson, but as far as I’m concerned music is intertwined with daily living.

8. You are incomparable – In case you haven’t picked up the hint yet, you are the ultimate guitarist. There is no one like you and there will never be anyone who even comes remotely close to being like you. Integrate who you are into your music and you will never have a shortage of material. Your music will soon form into your own tone and style.

9. Learn what worked for others – Whether you research your favorite guitarist or talk to your guitar teacher, ask others what worked for them. I don’t claim to know all the answers but when everyone puts their heads together, some really neat ideas start to flow. Networking allows you to give and receive at the same time.

10. Crush your weakness – We all know where we lack the most in the guitar realm. For me it’s in technique and finger picking, for others it’s something different. Whatever it is, don’t ignore it while enjoying your recent victory. Keep attacking your weak points and you’ll soon see improvement. The secret is that you never stop seeing problems and you continually get better over time. You’ll never be stuck without something to do. Take out a sheet of paper and write them down. Then find the resources you need to help you destroy them. It’s not unlike a war, but in the end you always win.

Last week we covered equipment needed for a band. This week is all about the gigs and publicity.

There are many ways to create public awareness of your band. The most obvious are publicity, competitions, and live performances.

The easiest way to make a name for your band is to enter competitions. Don’t be too selective about which competitions you enter. Any publicity is good!

The more competitions you enter, the more experience your band will get playing under pressure. You may also want to try putting your hand up to play at functions or at public events, like school fetes.

Organizers are always looking for cheap entertainment, and it’s a great opportunity for the public to hear your sounds. Who knows what type of people the audience may include!

When you first start playing in public, avoid original songs. Popular cover songs are much safer, as they are just that – popular! Play them well and the audience will warm to your band. Once you have built up an audience, then you can slowly try mixing in original material.

Even though playing cover songs may go against your creative processes, remember that if you want to make it as a live act, you are at the mercy of your audience. You must do everything to attract and hold your audience. A proven formula is the cover song. Find ones that genuinely reflect the type of band you are. This will give the audience a feel for your band without hitting them full on with your presence. It is easier to build up a fan base this way.

Just because you are playing covers doesn’t mean that you can’t be unique either. Research other bands, see what they are doing, and do things differently. Play against the norm. It’s a lot easier to attract attention when you are swimming upstream. Your uniqueness will stand you out from the crowd.

A large part of attracting an audience is publicity. Make sure you play to this by getting as much publicity as you can. Local media is a good start. They are always looking for a new story. Contact your local newspaper or radio station before gigs or after any success in competitions. Tell them what you are up to. Often they will find an angle to it and it may lead to some much needed free publicity. Developing your own website is always useful as well. It may come as a shock to newbies, but the fact of the matter is that the product only counts for 10% of the success. 90% is advertising and publicity, so do what you can to spread the word!

No matter how popular the cover songs you pick are, or how frequently you perform, your band will fail without performance consistency. After working so hard to attract an audience, you don’t want that audience labeling your band as inconsistent. There is no excuse for a bad day in the live music industry. If you’re going to take this seriously, make sure you have had enough practice, and air out any problems (be they technical or personal) before you hit the stage.

Now you have all the parts to forming and maintaining a successful band! It can be a tricky process. There will be ups and downs for any band. The test of a good band will be how they survive the lows. Keep working at it, because the highs completely over shadow the lows.

Remember: Guitar Tips love to hear about your success stories! If you have used Guitar Tips and have managed to start a band, drop us a line and tell us about it!

 

WRITTEN BY GUITAR TIPS
If you’ve always wanted to learn to play the guitar but never had the chance, give me 17 minutes a day for 90 days and I’ll show you how to play virtually any song you want! Visit http://www.guitartips.com.au

WRITTEN BY GUITAR TIPS
If you’ve always wanted to learn to play the guitar but never had the chance, give me 17 minutes a day for 90 days and I’ll show you how to play virtually any song you want! Visit http://www.guitartips.com.au