In this first post of a short series, I’m going to list a number of books that are off of many guitarists’ radar (but shouldn’t be). Some of these books are not even specifically jazz per se , but I think are they’re really useful to any guitarist (and most will help other instrumentalists as well).
Some of you that have read my other articles know that I’m always seeking ways to grow as a guitarist, expand my style, do something different, or break out of the box.
One of the best ways to do this is to learn songs for a different reason than you normally would.
The beginning of a short series exploring guitar chords in detail. We’re starting really basic here, so if you’re a beginner, join us, or if you’re advanced – share with your students or less experienced friends.
Practicing it in a straight ascending and descending form ad nauseam isn’t going to help you with a lot of long term musical goals. Today, I’ll show you a variation I call “the spider” (because it seems to crawl over the fretboard in what is, for many people, an unfamiliar way). In addition to posing some technical challenges, it also assists with visualizing octaves and may even help you navigate your way around the fingerboard a little better.
Martian Love Secrets is a technical guide, but not the kind that you would expect from a player like Vai, whose reputation is intensely built on technique. Instead, this series mostly deals with harnessing all your technical knowledge and your own life experience to create art.
In case you didn’t have a chance to see Steve Vai’s big online lesson or if you weren’t like me and didn’t record it, but don’t want to rely on your memory – out of the kindness of my heart I’ve decided to give you a summary of what was discussed. You can also watch
