...I just made up my mind that I really would practice and just develop.
- Wynton Marsalis
Daily Definition:
Bass-Strum Style
A right hand technique which involves picking a bass note then strumming the rest of the chord.
Our Partners:
Red Belt: Level 6 Guitar Lessons
Alternate Picking
This lesson deals with an often overlooked and almost always underdeveloped technique in most guitar players: alternate picking. Learn tricks and tips from the best in the world, and blow your friends away.
Category: Red Belt: Techniques
Subcategory: Picking
Published on: 14 Oct 2003
Compound Intervals are intervals that span more that an octave, but less than two. These intervals are important to learn in jazz guitar because jazz uses so many extended chords, 9ths, 11th, and 13ths, all of which are extend beyond the perfect octave.
Category: Red Belt: Ear Training
Subcategory: Intervals
Published on: 13 Oct 2003
An interval is the distance between two notes and is measured in whole or half steps. An understanding of intervals is required in order to understand any discussion of melody or harmony. Intervals played sequentially create melody, intervals played simultaneously create harmony. Intervals are classified as either perfect, major or minor.
Category: Red Belt: Ear Training
Subcategory: Intervals
Published on: 13 Oct 2003
Scale modes are essential to all aspiring lead guitarists. Few self-taught players know what modes are, and even fewer know how to use them effectively. This lesson explains how to get started with modes as scales that fit over the chords in the harmonic scale.
Category: Red Belt: Scales
Subcategory:
Published on: 13 Jan 2004
To always be ready for peak performance, we need to be sharp and at our best physically, mentally and spiritually. This lesson will give us a complete list of musical Vitamins, that when taken in recommended doses will help us to enable us to absorb the music we ingest, process it, and derive energy from it. Musical vitamins also help us grow, stave off disease that can afflict musicians and heal ourselves musically.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
Been playing for 10 years and still can't read standard notation? It's not because you haven't tried... it's because it can only be taught by one who really knows how. By the end of this course, you will be hearing music in your head anytime you see written music.
Category: Red Belt: Theory
Subcategory: Reading Music
Published on: 09 Jan 2004
Nashville Numbering System Adapted for Black Belt Guitar
To help you learn how to use the Harmonic scale the way the pros do, we have adapted a system developed by old-timer Neal Matthews, of Nashville fame. Neal's numbering system evolved in Nashville as a way of quickly communicating diatonic progressions that could be used by musicians in the studio who did not all read music, but they sure could play! Learning this system will be a serious time-saver for all guitar players who want to play solid music by ear without having to read music.
Category: Red Belt: Chords
Subcategory: Chord Progressions
Published on: 10 Oct 2003
A black belt guitar player should be both wide and deep, as explained in the sections below. Also the black belt guitar player should be continually expanding both horizontally and vertically. This lesson has a few ideas to keep you growing and make you a wider and deeper player.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
Reading Music for Guitar: Pegging Notes to Fretboard
In this lesson, we present you with a free and useful tool that will help you tie the notes you read on paper to the positions on the fretboard. You can download the graphic, and make it your desktop wallpaper to help you learn it while you are waiting for your hourglass to go away.
Category: Red Belt: Theory
Subcategory: Reading Music
Published on: 12 Jan 2004
High-octane double-stops fuel hot country and rockabilly solos. This lessons introduces double-stop picking, and gives you the are some ideas for supercharging your leads.
Category: Red Belt: Techniques
Subcategory: Lead
Published on: 17 May 2004
Scale Modes as Substitutes for Major and Minor
Scale modes as colorful scales are essential to all aspiring lead guitarists. This lesson explains how to think of scale modes as substitutes for major and minor scales, and how to use them.
Category: Red Belt: Scales
Subcategory: Scales
Published on: 30 Nov 2004
Even when you have learned 1000 songs, and have achieved superstar status... the most you'll ever be able to play for an audience in one concert is about 20. Most gigs we play while coming up through the ranks are much shorter, so what you don't play is as important as what you do play. This lesson will help you polish your performances to knock the socks off your audience.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
Listening to music, we hardly notice how music flows from one measure or from one phrase or section to the next. But playing flowing music requires many months of study and training. Developing timing and flow cannot be rushed any more in music than in learning a new language. It takes time, effort, practice, trials, errors and reinforcement and celebration of successes.
Category: General
Subcategory: Wednesday
Published on: 26 Jan 2005
This lesson explains the Circle of 5ths, where it came from, what it is used for, and what its limitations are. All guitar players who want to really know how music works, should know this cold.
Category: Red Belt: Theory
Subcategory: Music Theory
Published on: 13 Oct 2003
Want to Turbocharge your Guitar Learning Abilities?
Effective Learning habits and methods can teach you how to transform any idle time into quality practice time whether you have your guitar or not. This reference will teach you how to effectively learn to play your instrument... even when you don't have your instrument with you. You can potentially be learning to play guitar 24 hours a week, even if you only have a guitar in hand for 5 or 6 hours a week.
Category: General
Subcategory: Learning
Published on: 13 Oct 2003
This lesson gives some ideas that help to boost concentration. By gaining total control over our ability to concentrate, we open the physical, mental and physical channels that allow music to flow freely.
Category: General
Subcategory: Concentration
Published on: 06 Jul 2004
