Today we’re going to look at some basic string skipping drills to help improve your speed and precision. The string skipping technique, as the name suggests, involves skipping over one or more strings to the next.
For example you might be playing on the low E string and then skip the A string and move straight to the D string. Remember to practice these string skipping basics slowly until you have built up your ‘muscle memory’. In this lesson we will be focusing on string skipping whilst alternate picking.
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Welcome to this 2nd instalment of exotic scales & modes. Today we’re heading to the far east to unearth some inspiration. This is a sound from the depths of ancient Japan. This Hirajoshi Scale is a 5 note scale which makes it a pentatonic scale. Penta meaning 5 in Greek.
These Japanese style pentatonic scales are easy to learn because they feel so similar to the traditional pentatonics and dominant pentatonics. This scale will open up new ideas therefore imbuing your playing with an exotic new sound. If you know your pentatonic scales then learning this Hirajoshi scale will be an exciting addition to your modal arsenal. Additionally if you know your 3nps Major Scale Modes then you can derive these scales from those as well.
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Today we’re going to look at some ways of playing chords with high gain amp settings.
With high gain, power chords sound great, basic triads can sound pretty good too depending on your tone.
7th Chords and beyond however, start to sound ‘muddy’ and unclear like this:
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Today we’re going to be adding some sweep picking into our heavy riffs. Note that I said “INTO” and not “over”. The difference is that these examples would be played on one guitar. Not a lead guitar playing over the top of a rhythm guitar.
In this lesson we’ll be looking at incorporating arpeggios into riffs. We’ll be looking at an example on an 8 string guitar and another on a 6 string. One of the reasons I like 7 and 8 string guitars is because you can get plenty of low end without losing any of the higher notes. Mixing lower riffs with arpeggios that go up into the higher notes can give your playing some really interesting dynamics. So, let’s check out these ideas with some examples.
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In this quick licks webisode we’re going to look at extending the basic 5 string sweep picked arpeggio shapes to make them sound much bigger and more interesting. This is a good exercise in beginning to advance your sweep picking ability. Lets look at some easy extensions you can add to the two most common sweep picked arpeggio shapes.
These will make your arpeggios sound much bigger and cover more of the neck. These extended sweep picking ideas are the next step in becoming an efficient sweep picker. The basic 5 string shapes now cover 6 strings, however we’ll do this in a way that still feels familiar. It’s important that you apply the correct fingering technique to ensure these sound as smooth as silk.
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Welcome guitar fans! In this webisode we’re going to learn to extend the modes of melodic minor into a 3 octave format. This will help you explore more of the guitar neck using these modes. We’ll also learn some modal theory to understand how to use these modes in practice.
If you’ve already checked out the three octave major scale modes or the three octave harmonic minor modes you’ll know how this three octave formatting works. However in this lesson we’ll be looking at the 3 octave melodic minor modes. Because this is a really simple formula you can apply it to any scale or mode and cover more fretboard. As a result you’ll add more diversity and possibility to your lead playing.
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In this lesson we’re going continue to build on our knowledge of music theory and learn how to use the Circle of Fifths to change keys.
Let’s take a simple chord progression and put it under the microscope. Analyzing an example like this using the circle of fifths will help you to write your own music and ideas using this concept. If you’ve started to learn about music theory the following progression might seem ‘wrong’:
E Major – D Major – G Major – D Major
This is because there is no Major key which contains all three of these chords. If you want to learn about which chords occur in each key check out this post.
If I play that progression E – D – G – D, it sounds like this:
Today we’re going to look at the ‘Circle of Fifths’. You may have come across the term before, or the ‘Circle of Fourths’, or just ‘The Circle’.
Check out the diagram below and then we’ll look at what it means and why its useful.
As you can see if we move clockwise in The Circle of Fifths we go up in fifths, e.g. C to G. If we move anti-clockwise we go up in fourths, e.g. C to F. The inner ring shows the relative minor key of each Major key. For example the relative minor to C Maj is Am. The relative minor of G Maj is Em etc.
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This episode we’re going to look at the 3nps modes for extended range 7 string guitar. The tuning will be B E A D G B E. If you want to know more about modal theory then check out this post for some extended ideas on how the modes for 7 string guitar work. Let’s Go!
Let’s take a look at the major scale modes for 7 string guitar. If you know the modes for 6 string guitar then this will be made even easier since we can reference these. However if you started your guitar story on a 7 string then this will be a helpful starting point. You can also check out the pentatonics for 7 string if you’re not ready for these yet. If you don’t know the modes at all it might be worthwhile getting comfortable with these first. You can check out the 6 string major scale modes here.
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Playing through a scale is a great way to warm up your fingers before going into an intense practice session or playing a gig. Today we’re going to look at a simple warmup sequence using the Mixolydian mode, the fifth mode of the Major scale.
You can play this warmup sequence across 6, 7 or 8 strings or extend it further if you have more.
Warming up is very important, especially if you are going to be playing fast, complex or intense riffs. The last thing you want is to strain the ligaments in your hand during practice. Warming up helps prevent repetitive strain injuries and the dreaded condition of carpal tunnel syndrome.
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In this lesson we’re going to breakdown this awesome melodic sweep picked arpeggio sequence by Iceferno. This creative sequence covers a few different chord tonalities, 7ths & inversions and ties them all together in one badass progression. If you want an overview of the lesson then you can just download the tab. Godspeed!
Here at Strings Of Rage we’re massive fans of the amazing songwriter Iceferno, who is also based in the UK. Like us Iceferno is also a huge fan of the Streets Of Rage series. We were super stoked to hear his interpretation of a Streets of Rage style album. His song ‘Vengeance II’ incorporates a sick melodic sweep picking progression that blew us away when we first heard it.
Melodic Sweep Picking: Arpeggio Sequence
Let’s take a listen to this arpeggio progression in it’s entirety so we know the desired result! Make sure you notice how many times each arpeggio is played. This caught us out a few times while we were transcribing this. Also be aware of the clever and subtle change from the minor 7 to the dominant 7 on the 2nd arpeggio.
Today I’m going to write a rhythm part for a metal song and explain the process I go through at each stage. I’ll go for a combination of Thrash and Melodic Death Metal.
I’ll assume that you have a “metal tone” for writing metal rhythm guitar, but in a future post we’ll cover some tips for getting a good tone. For now just remember that you want plenty of mids, and a decent amount of gain, but not too much. We want a nice tight rhythm not tons of crackly white noise and feedback.
Writing Metal Rhythm Guitar : First Steps
I’ll start by playing around with a combination of 8th notes and “gallops”. Below is a quick example of an E5 power chord played as 8th notes:
Today we’re going to look a little ripper of an alternate picking lick. This one ascends across all 6 strings from the low E string. This is an interesting idea because we’re using sequences across groupings of two strings. Let’s Go! Full Shred Ahead! If you want a quick overview of the lesson then Download the Tab.
This alternate picking lick is based around a little sequence that begins on fret 10. The lick starts with a descending idea. Once you’ve got the basic mechanics of the lick under your fingers it’s then simply a case of moving it through the positions.
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In this lesson we’re going to look at a creative way to approach sweep picking using the dorian mode as our road map. We’ll also take these ideas to make a blazing sequence across all six strings.
Conventionally a lot of players will tell you that sweep picking is essentially taking chords and playing them in a single note, or arpeggiated fashion. While this is true we can break out of the norm by using our mode shapes to create new and exciting possibilities for advanced sweep picking ideas.
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Welcome! If you’re reading this you’re probably looking to take your modal playing to the next level. If you want to know how to start covering more of the neck with your lead lines then check this out.
These 3 Octave Major Scale Modes work in a 3 and 4nps linear fashion. You’ll have a 7 note pattern across 2 strings. The 8th note is simply the octave of the root. These shapes are great fun and super easy to play because of the way they repeat. For each mode we’ll have a different 7 note, 2 string pattern. Once you know one shape for each mode you can simply repeat this pattern every 2 strings in octaves.
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Tremolo picking involves picking the same note multiple times in a row, usually at least four. This technique originates from classical guitar and other stringed instruments. The idea was to create modulations in volume by finger picking a note multiple times with harder and softer plucking.
In rock and metal Tremolo Picking is more common to use the technique to maintain volume by giving each note less time to decay. It also provides more attack giving a harsher, more aggressive sound.
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Today we’re going to take the next step in modal freedom. 3 Octave Harmonic Minor Modes! If you’re visiting this post you’ve most likely got the 3nps Harmonic minor modes under your fingers & under control!
These 3 octave harmonic minor modes cover much more ground in a linear fashion across the neck. You’ll have probably noticed that these versions of the modes switch between 3 and 4 notes per string. Each of these shapes have a repeating 7 note pattern across two strings. Once you know these, they become really easy to play because they repeat in octaves.
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Welcome to this intervallic tapping webisode! In this quick lick lesson we’re going to use big intervallic sounds with chord extensions to create a tapped arpeggio sequence.
In this intervallic tapping lesson we’ll be in the key of A Major. That’s the notes A B C# D E F# G#. We’ll also be tapping the extensions Add 9 and Add 11. In addition we’ve included a bonus extended lick in the downloadable tab book as well. You can download the tab now or read the lesson first and then download the tab at the bottom.
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Welcome to this first episode of exotic scales and modes! In this episode we’re going to be unearthing the secrets ensconced within the Gypsy Major scale!
There are many different names for exotic modes. We’ve done our best to find out the original names for the parent scales where possible. For reference you may know the Hungarian minor scale. This is mode number 4 of this scale! Exotic scales and modes can yield a unique set of new ideas that will imbue your playing with creative new sounds. Let’s Go!
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