Author Archives: John

Playing the Changes Using the Modes and Arpeggios to Define the Chord Changes in Guitar Solos Years ago, a guitarist came to me in search of instruction. It seems his band was really going places, but when it came time … Continue reading →

Learning Better Guitar Technique Guitar Fingering Rules There are 3 main rules when it comes to finding the best fingering for any passage you play on the fretboard of the guitar. I call these the “Rules of Superior Guitar Technique.” … Continue reading →

Beyond Shredding — Think as Fast as You Play Playing single note passages on the guitar rapidly doesn’t really take much work, but learning to think and hear fast can take a lifetime. Infinite Speed We have jets that can … Continue reading →

Modes in Improvisation Improvisation means making up the music spontaneously. Improvisation can be in a solo, or "ride," where the "lead" instrument is showcased and is making its own musical statement. Improvisation can also be scattered throughout a piece of … Continue reading →

Becoming familiar with any mode or scale on the guitar means knowing how all the notes on the guitar sound and being able to change direction or skip any number of notes easily. Going straight up the sequence of notes … Continue reading →

The Lydian Dominant Mode Lets take a look at one of my favorites, the Lydian Dominant, and see what makes it tick… Intervals The Lydian Dominant is one of the modes that are derived from the Melodic Minor Scale. The … Continue reading →