Artist's Resources

Blackened by Metallica. Covered by Cissie

2011-09-11T13:05:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty good cover of a metallica song, so I figured I'd add it on here. I guess I have a sweet spot for rocker chicks ;)

George Lynch and Dave Navarro Rock Out

2011-09-01T12:11:00.001-04:00

This is actually kind of a cool video, instead of just showing you how to play the guitar, there is actually a lot of how to play guitar, as an artist, in this video. They cover some really cool small things to help you tweak your playing.

Talking to different musicians about how to play the guitar can inspire and influence your own playing, so have fun with this little jam session.

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Jewel: Undercover

2011-08-18T03:39:00.002-04:00

Undercover Karaoke with Jewel from Jewel

Dave Mustaine's Spider Chord

2011-07-12T01:07:00.002-04:00

There's always something new to learn for guitar, Dave's "Spider Chord" is pretty sweet, try it out, it's not really that hard once you get the hang of it. Thanks for teaching me something cool Dave!

Don't Mess With Ozzy!

2011-06-18T22:44:00.002-04:00

How to Draw A Les Paul

2011-06-10T11:28:00.000-04:00

ShooRayner's Drawing School shows you how to draw a Les Paul Guitar. For those who like drawing, or are trying to design their own guitars can use some of these techniques to help improve their own styles.

Krieger and Manzarek of the Doors: Still Rockin It :)

2011-05-10T10:36:00.000-04:00

A bit of an improv version of Break on Through from the Remaining members of the Original Doors and some of the new members.

Blues Refresher: Clapton and BB King Inspired

2011-05-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

Here is a great refresher for those who want to add some blues into their warm-ups or playing. I recommend practicing these licks clean with a little reverb before adding in effects like the wah. For a little something extra, try adding a little wah on the bends, don't go too extreme, just use the foot pedal for accents. Try not to get too loose, because you'll need speed for the changes to keep in the rhythm.

The Study Break Sessions: Session 8: Michigan

2011-05-03T12:58:00.000-04:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 7

2011-04-15T12:14:00.000-04:00

Metallica: Fulfiller's of Dreams

2011-03-08T19:19:00.001-05:00

Restringing Your Acoustic Guitar

2011-03-03T13:40:00.001-05:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 6

2011-02-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

Sample Malmsteen Collection

2011-02-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

Guitar Airbrushing

2011-02-20T20:04:00.000-05:00

Tribal Guitar

2011-02-20T19:54:00.000-05:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 5

2011-02-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 4

2011-02-18T17:46:00.000-05:00

The Top 10 Best Rock & Metal Covers

2011-02-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

The Most Awesomely Bad Metal Cover Songs: Volume 1

2011-02-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

Gibson Dusk Tiger Limited Edition

2011-02-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

How to Draw A Skull with a Top Hat

2011-02-18T12:48:00.001-05:00

Minarik Lotus USA Custom Guitar

2011-02-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Airbrushed Flaming Bullseye

2011-02-18T11:55:00.001-05:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 3

2011-02-18T01:06:00.001-05:00

Steve Vai's "Jibboom" Guitar Lesson

2011-02-17T23:18:00.001-05:00

Help Steve Vai get the Guinness World Record for the Largest Online Guitar Lesson March 3rd. For more information click here.

How to Enamel Swirl A Guitar

2011-02-17T19:13:00.000-05:00

How to Make Zombies in GiMp (For Album Covers)

2011-02-17T18:56:00.002-05:00

The Study Break Sessions: Session 1

2011-02-12T18:09:00.001-05:00

More Guitar Smashing!!!!

2011-02-10T21:35:00.002-05:00

KISS's Paul Stanley Smashing A Toy Guitar

2011-02-04T00:14:00.001-05:00

Henry Rollins is Awesome

2011-02-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

The Jimi Hendrix Explosion

2011-02-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

Andy Timmons Teaches the Basics

2011-02-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising Guitar Lesson Sample

2011-02-03T20:57:00.001-05:00

How to Play Iris By The Goo Goo Dolls

2011-02-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

How to Rock Your Mom's Basement

2011-02-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

How to Play House of the Rising Sun by The Animals

2011-02-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

Playing Speed Metal

2011-02-02T20:59:00.001-05:00

This is me playing some metal.

Guitar Lesson With Metallica!!!

2011-02-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

More Speed Metal Techniques!!

2011-02-02T15:05:00.000-05:00

How the Stratocaster 5-Way Switch Works

2011-02-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

Guitar Pinstriping

2011-02-02T14:04:00.000-05:00

How to Customize A Fender

2011-02-02T13:47:00.003-05:00

Sunbursting a Guitar

2011-02-02T13:39:00.000-05:00

How to Play Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You By Led Zeppelin

2011-02-02T13:21:00.001-05:00

Playing 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

How to Play Come as You Are By Nirvana

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

Playing 'Come As You Are' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

How to Play Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton

2011-02-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

Playing 'Tears in Heaven' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

More on Playing 'Tears in Heaven' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

How to Play Smoke On The Water By Deep Purple

2011-02-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

How to Play "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple -- powered by eHow.com

Top 10 Band Fights!!!

2011-02-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

Guitarists Who Changed History

2011-02-02T01:43:00.003-05:00

Using Recording Software

2011-02-02T01:34:00.000-05:00

There's lots of ways that you can record music, Audacity is the cheapest and easiest, so just do it already!!

Some Vocal Recording Tips

2011-02-02T01:22:00.000-05:00

How to Light A Guitar On Fire

2011-02-02T01:07:00.000-05:00

Creating Photoshop Album Covers

2011-02-02T00:45:00.001-05:00

Cool Guitar Solos

2011-02-02T00:39:00.000-05:00

Buy Zen's Dreams Today!!

2011-01-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

If you're really looking for something cool to read, check out my friend Kesa Carr's new collection of writings Zen's Dreams by Kesa Carr.

How to Play The Immigrant Song By Led Zeppelin

2011-01-22T20:58:00.002-05:00

How to Play "Immigrant Song" on the Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

Learn Johnny B. Goode By Chuck Berry

2011-01-21T19:17:00.001-05:00

Playing 'Johnny B. Goode' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

Learn Crazy Train By Ozzy Osbourne

2011-01-21T19:07:00.002-05:00

Playing 'Crazy Train' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

Gorillaz: Journey to Plastic Beach

2011-01-21T05:50:00.000-05:00

RadioHead: Meeting People is Easy

2011-01-21T05:42:00.000-05:00

Hard N Heavy: Monsters

2010-12-12T00:43:00.003-05:00

Guitar Smashing

2010-11-05T21:58:00.000-04:00

Guitar Smashing is an age-old art that developed as a form of protest. To promote freedom of expression. I'm not saying to go and smash all of your instruments. I'm just saying that it's pretty cool to take a junk axe out with a couple of buddies and beat the heck out of it. In a controled enviroment. Just don't forget to wear your safty goggles.

How to Write a Song

2010-11-05T21:40:00.000-04:00

How to Get Ideas for a Song - Watch more amazing videos here

How to Paint a Guitar

2010-11-05T20:54:00.003-04:00

Engraving

2010-10-11T23:37:00.000-04:00

Engraving makes a sturdy wood look great in addition to sounding great. It takes a steady hand and concentration along with the proper equipment to make something look fantastic.

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Building a Walnut Dreadnaught

2010-10-11T23:16:00.002-04:00

Don't cha love guitars?!

Les Paul: Chasing Sound

2010-04-14T03:44:00.000-04:00

Amazon.com Widgets

Barenaked Ladies: Talk to The Hand Live in Michigan

2010-04-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

Watch this live performance of the Barenaked Ladies during their Talk to The Hand Concert in Michigan. Also, check out their new album, available now!!!

Backstage Pass: Chicks That Rock

2010-03-25T14:43:00.002-04:00

Guide to Guitar Amplifiers

2010-03-19T18:33:00.007-04:00

If you play electric you really want to have a good amp backing you up. Some amps are for basses and some amps are for guitars. What's the difference? Typically, a guitar amp is not fully enclosed if it's not part of a rack or head system.

Their are many different factors to consider when choosing an amplifier. You'll want to look at effects and speaker size as well as wattages and quality of materials.

You don't always have to decide the ability of the player based on the amount of voltage they put out but here I will break it down to you based on skill level, for entertainment purposes.

Beginner:
10W (or lower amp) with no effects. These make excellent practice amps to learn and experiment with. They will help develop tone and overall playing ability until the player is ready to advance to the next stage. Speaker size in this level ranges from pocketsized to 10in.

Novice: 10W to 15W amp with some effects. Beginner players would be wise to stick to Distortion and Overdrive for a metal band and maybe Reverb and Flanger for a regular rock player. Amps in this skill level would be good for serious players who are trying to learn the guitar. Speaker size in this range varies from 8-12 in.

Journeyman: Amps in this skill level are aimed at players that have been playing for a while or players who are seriously into loud guitar. These amps range from 15W-100W and probably have multiple effects built in as well as guitar modeling processors and optional drum machines. These are some really nice amps.Speaker size for this range varies from 10in to 18in.

Roadie: Two or more speakers and more wattage, this includes half stacks and setups using an amp head. These are for people who seriously know how to shred. May just be a basic setup but the music will be loud on one of these. Sometimes the half stack and the head can be the same unit but it's optional depending on the size of the venue you are preparing for. Also fitting in this level are the huge one speaker amps with high wattages. Speakers in this level consist of 2X or more speakers in the sizes of 10-20 inches.

Expert: Full Stack, all the effect pedals you could play with and tons of wattage. These are for players that like to drain the juice of a whole city block. Sometimes the optional daisy chaining of sound equipment may cause small fires so be sure to insure your equipment. Amps in this level usually consist of the Marshall stacks piled as high as the ceiling and a team of movers to move it. Speakers in this level usually consist of high quality materials in an enclosure but usually still in the standard stack configuration.

Having the Right Amp
Your playing style is important to consider when playing on your amp. You want to be able to have the ability to choose how it sounds right? That is the point to playing electric right?

Classical Style Players:
Vintage sounding amplifiers are awesome for vintage players. They have warm tone with little screeching and play a range of tones that were popular in times of bands like the Beatles.

Often, Flanger and Chorus effects will be used with these types of amplifiers to compliment the sound with the vintage feel.

Metal Head:
Over drive and Distortion are your life! Don't forget! Sure you can add some Wah to the mix but doesn't it just sound cooler with Distortion? Metal players can also subsitute their amp with a bass amp for expanded low end range.

Jack-of-all-Trades: I like around 75W for a practice amp, something with Overdrive, Reverb, and maybe Phaser/Flanger. Delay and Wah are much better with the use of pedals so keep this in mind.

Guide To Guitar Strings

2010-03-19T14:45:00.005-04:00

So your at the store and your looking over the guitar strings they have available. Maybe you've just been playing what your friends have been recommending but how do you really know those strings are for you? What are the differences between them all? What are the differences between lite and heavy strings? Will they even work on your guitar?
When buying strings you have to know what kind of sound you are looking for as well as how easy they will be for you to play. Here's a rundown of the types and differences when selecting strings for your axe.

It is recommended that you change your strings every 15 to 30 hours of playing to maintain a full tonal range. Also, it is not recommended to use Stainless Steel strings on a Nylon String guitar.

Acoustic:

Bronze Wound: Pure Bronze wound will give you the most bright sounding tone to your guitar. The downside is that they quickly wear out. This is ok if you don't mind a warmer sound after playing them for a couple of hours. These strings are good if you are looking to record music because you'll get the greatest quality if you want a bright tone to your sound.

Phospor Bronze Wound: Phospor Bronze will still give you a fair amount of brightness to your guitar and often last longer than regular Bronze strings. While not as bright, these strings will give you good sustain and even warm tones to your music. This is probably the most common material for acoustic guitars because of their longevity and quality.

Silk and Steel: This strings are good for both beginners and classical players. They are a softer material so it's easier to depress the string to the fretboard. The downside is that they are softer sounding strings and don't carry volume like the other types of steel strings. These strings are steel strings wrapped in nylon or silk.

Electric:

Nickel Plated: Nickel plated steel around a steel core. These are the most common form of electric strings. They carry volume well and have a good range of both high and low end freqs. They also are great for playing a bright tone and last a while due to the nickel preventing corrosion.

Pure Nickel: Vintage sounding material that has great warm tones to it. Nickel is softer than steel so you won't have as much tension on the strings, you may want to adjust the action on your guitar when playing with these.

Stainless Steel: These strings are very hard, very bright but also cause more wear and tear to your guitar due to the increased tension of the strings. If you use Stainless Steel excessively you may want to make sure your truss rod is adjusted accordingly as to maintain the life of your instrument.

Gauges of Strings:

Heavier gauges of string require you to press harder, give you less action, and more volume. Because the string is tighter, it means that it does't have to move as much to give you the same vibration at a higher action. This means that you can have the strings closer to the fretboard without them making that "buzzing" sound.

If you have been playing your guitar with high tension strings (heavy) and switch to light strings you may notice that your guitar is humming, requiring you to adjust the action on the strings with a bridge or tremelo.

Lighter gauges are what usually come standard when you buy a new guitar and are easier to play and don't rip up your fingers as much. If you don't have an adjustable bridge system, you'll probably want to stick to these kind of strings to create the best sound.

Lesson:"Killing In The Name" by Rage Against the Machine

2010-03-19T12:38:00.003-04:00

How to Play "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine -- powered by eHow.com

RATM has always been one of my most favorite bands. Their guitar playing is both original and funky. While the band took a hiatus a few years back, I would still love for them to make a new album together but who knows if it will ever happen. If your a guitarist and want to try to learn some of their music, be sure to watch the video here to help you along.

Build Your Own Guitar!

2010-03-17T17:44:00.002-04:00

Why Build Your Own Guitar? -- powered by eHow.com

If you've been playing guitar for a while, you've probably seen your fair share of guitars. Custom shops and guitar manufacturers make it easy for you to just pick up a guitar and rock out on it without needing to modify anything. If you want to get something original, your just going to have to make it yourself. This way you can customize everything about your guitar, from the frets and inlays to the pickup types and tuners.
Granted, they may not sound like a Les Paul or a Telecaster but it's definetly cool to have. You'll need to have friends with a wood shop or have a wood working tools if your going to do this on your own.
You'll also have to have some knowledge on electrical wiring for guitars so if you don't know how to do it, be sure to read up on the subject first. Good luck and send me photos of your custom axes and I'll post them!

Develop a Feel

2010-03-13T01:19:00.001-05:00

Having a Feel in your music is like keeping a beat, but more advanced. Keeping a beat is easy, you just have to know how to count. Having a feel is different because you have to really get into it and base decisions more on instinct. You have to get your legs pumping, your head banging and your whole body into it.

When applying a feel to your music you really are just going with the music that others are playing. Music that you play alone always has feeling but developing your feel with other artists is what makes you a more advanced musician. If you need a power chord, you need a power chord. Just go for it but be sure to take it slow so that you don’t lose your fellow players. You’ll probably want to always try to keep rhythm but don’t be afraid to experiment with your solos. The more times you play with someone the better you’ll become overall as a band. Here are some simple steps to keep in mind when developing your feel.

Move

Practice moving along with the music. Bounce your head, tap a coffee table or slap your knee, just do something. Try to count out the beats and keep the changes in time with the rhythm. Play air guitar if you have to.

Jam77 says this:

“I’m always trying to rock as much as possible so when I hear a song I like I usually toss up the horns and bang my head. The more intense the jam, the harder I head bang. If it gets excessive, I usually just scream out “ROCK AND ROLL!!! ”

Besides, always moving will help you develop your stage presence.

You Can Count on It

To develop your feel, you first have to learn the changes of a particular song or common chord progressions and forms. Then you can measure out how long each part of the rhythm lasts and reflect that in your playing. You can practice by playing along with old songs on the radio to help you along if you like. If you have no experience what-so-ever practice counting to four. 1 2 3 4 and so on. Then practice counting to 8 in the same fashion. Then practice counting to 16 in a same rhythm. Remember that measures can also have half notes. So counting to 2 is also acceptable. If you think about division, make a chord change or something. You’ll always want to be counting forward in time.

Expand Your Musical Tastes

If you like metal, try punk. If all you listen to is Floyd find some jazz or something. Just because it doesn’t have electric guitars in it doesn’t mean you can’t make it part of your rock and roll. Artists like Mozart and Bach could send chills down your spine without saying a word. Me though, I’ll stick to Malmstein.

Don’t forget about your solo artists though. Zappa, Santana, Vai and Vaughn all had great feels.

Make Eye Contact

It’s cool to think up your own songs to go along with your band is playing but make sure you get the basics down to avoid conflict. It takes a certain amount of trust to be able to play with someone. You have to think they are cool first. People like when you talk to them face to face. It’s a great relationship building skill for anyone to learn. Plus, sometimes it makes it feel less awkward when your doing something “out of your bubble” to address people to their face. You don’t want to stare your buddy in the face when your rocking out because you have to rock too but sometimes a good glance are used for changes.

Things Not To Do

There are a lot of things you’ll want to avoid when developing your feel.

1. One note solos. Really, play some rhythm chords that fit with the other member is playing. One note songs make it sound like you are way off, it’s ok to come back home every once in a while.

2. Play the same chords all of the time. Dude, you’ve been jamming for how many years and I still see you playing E and A like it’s the only song you know. Throw in some G’s homie or that fancy thing you do with your D. You know, with your pinkie winkie. Yeah that’s cool. Seriously though, more chords will help you develop your feel because you’ll have more places to go and will help you know when to change. Then you can really show off your talents with some fast changing solos when everyone else quits out. Guitarists need that, it’s like rock fuel.

3. Don’t be a poser. We all know why you do it; to get chicks. Yeah we think that you are really awesome. The point is, playing cool is being cool and don’t try to impress me. If I’m impressed, I’m impressed, it’s not really that big of a deal alright? You don’t have to have liberty spikes and rhinestones to play punk rock so going over top will get you over done. Just be normal, we don’t care if you think you are a badass by the cool stuff you’ve done.

Backstage Pass: Ultimate Rockstars

2010-03-11T16:37:00.002-05:00

Want to know more about some killer rockers? Check out this episode of Backstage Pass featuring the worlds most Ultimate Rockstars!

Cool 9yr old Blues Player

2010-03-11T16:11:00.001-05:00

I saw this on America's Got Talent a while ago and now that it's available on the web, I figured I'd share it with you. While his inspirations are somewhat generic for a blues player, I thought his performance was pretty good. So enjoy.

Guitar Buying Guide

2010-03-05T00:31:00.011-05:00

I believe everyone should play a guitar suited for them. I mean, you may not like what other people who also play like. I like my guitars medium heavy and pretty customizable because that's how I play. Other people like hollow bodies and semi hollow bodies over a full bodied guitar.

But how do you know what you want to play until you tried out everything? What if you don't have time to try out all the different kinds of guitars? Well, good thing for you that I'm here to help.

It all comes down to what kind of music that you want to play.

.:Know Your Role:.

Metal Shredder: you want a thinner neck (or jazzneck) on your axe and a full access neck so that you can solo on on the frets. And you definetly want to go electric, it's cool to jam on acoustics but they are only for practice. Then you'll probably want some hot rodded pickups, I like the DimeTime's from Dean because of their high output. Also get some Overdrive, Chorus and Distortion.

PunK: See above, add emo attitude. Maybe some Delay Effects. Always remember to keep your switches to Bright.

Country Style: you'll probably want to go acoustic and get yourself some acoustic pickups just so you can plug in, if you need to. For these, I recommend Martin guitars, hands down. Also, pick your self up some ultra-light strings for the most brillance, which is important in country music.

Classic Players: you really have a variety of options. My advice is get a Tele-Strat and some lipstick pickups or a hollowbody to get those great vintage tones. Get yourself a wah and a tube amp. You might want to get a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge for all your bendy solo's.

All Around Player: Go with a full body guitar, a wah and some distortion. Try to get a guitar with 2 humbuckers and a single coil to cover your bases on tone.

Materials

Guitars are made from a variety of different woods. This include, Maple, Ash, Alder, Rosewood, Spruce, Mahogany, Lacewood, Koa, Walnut and Basswood. Here's how it breaks down essentially.

Maple: Good for high attack and high-mid tones, on the fretboard it's very bright but produce diminished low end tones.

Basswood: Is very soft wood and produces good low end sound.

Walnut: Great overall tones, very hard wood which makes it very heavy wood as well.

Alder: Good midrange wood.

Ash: Ash is a really tricky wood when it comes to guitars, for ash guitars, I would really recommend playing them first before purchasing them, just because there are so many factors that affect the quality of this wood. Ash sounds similar to Alder with good rich mid tones.

Koa: Good tonal qualities, very well rounded and sweet high end sound. You see a lot of fancy guitars made out of Koa wood.

Lacewood: Good wood for low end tones. I really haven't seen a lot of lacewood though,

Spruce: Has good ranges in tone but is often hard to work with and often requires heavy finishes to keep the tonal qualities of the wood sounding right.
I really can't spell Mahogany without looking at it. But it's my favorite. Durable, Good low end, good with finishes.
When you go to the store, most of the guitars are going to be made out of maple, rosewood, mahogny, Koa or some other sort of medium wood.

|***Pickup's***|

Now, I'm not about to try to explain all the different kind of pick ups that are out there because that would be impossible to try to cover, But I will go over the basic's for you to help simplify the process.

Single Coil: Famous on the Telecaster (the slant) Single's are good for playing high end tones with a lot of sustain. Hook these baby up to a Cry Baby and you'll be singing the blues in no time.

Humbucker: Great for metal and anything that needs a "full" sound to it. Not as much high end as the single coil, but it makes up for it in other ways. This types of pickups sound good with distortion and overdrive as well as chorus.

Other: there are other types like the double coil and triple coil pickups but these are essentially single coils just stacked next to each other, they offer up a bit more range than a single coil but that is about the only difference.

Hot Rodding- You can adjust the electronic response in the pickups by tweaking the magnets or using stronger magnets. This will give you a spectrum of sounds to fit your playing style.

(0 <###)====111
(:BodyStylez:)

Full: All wood (or other material), great for modern guitar and classic electric guitar. Alot of Folk and Western players use these.

Semi-Hollow: Good vintage sound, good for country. Semi-hollow guitars don't have to have sound holes or cut outs in them. A good example of this is the 1957 Sears Silvertone.

Jazz-body: Acoustic guitar that's half the width of a dreadnought. I own one of these, mines an Ibanez ATL. This guitars are good on the form factor and feel like an electric when your holding it. My ATL has a jazz neck too, so it's easy to play fast on. I haven't seen very many of these styles of guitars, but since I own one, I know they are out there.
Scaleabilty: You can get different sized guitars too, like the Drednaught or 3/4 size. Different size acoustics will produce a variety of sounds to fit any playing style.

&(|#=Bridges:.

There are also a ton of different style of bridges. I'll try to put them in layman's terms for you.

Fixed: lots of Gibsons and Epiphones are like this. These bridges are a dream to work on and easy to replace by yourself. No special adjustments to make. On some models ou can adjust the height of the bridge (action) by turning some thumb screws.

Floating: A floating bridge, like a Floyd Rose system, are usually inset into the body of the guitar, this means, you usually have to take off the back plate to put on new strings. Floyd Rose Bridges are pretty nice though and offer more customization than a fixed bridge and you can usually do it all on the fly. These are great for hot-rodding your guitar. They also feature a locking neck nut and tremelo and thumbscrews to allow for reliable tuning.

Suspension: Strats have these, they are kind of like a floating bridge but not as customizable, they usually have springs under the bridge that elevate the strings. The bridge rocks back and forth with the use of a tremelo arm (whammy bar). These are more customizable than a fixed bridge because you can adjust the action of the string indivdually.

Learn: "Stairway To Heaven" By Led Zeppelin

2010-03-03T16:08:00.004-05:00

Playing 'Stairway to Heaven' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

This song should be in any serious guitar players arsenal. Be sure to take your time and learn the licks in their entirety. Good luck!

Behind the Music: John Lennon

2010-03-01T14:02:00.001-05:00

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

John Lennon was one of the most inspirational artists in the history of music. Watch the Behind the Music episode courtesy of VH1.

FREE MOVIE: The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks

2010-02-25T11:10:00.002-05:00

The Flaming Lips Rock! Watch Their Movie "The Fearless Freaks" here, now!

Lesson: "Hotel California" by The Eagles

2010-02-22T12:53:00.002-05:00

Playing 'Hotel California' on Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

Hotel California sounds great on both acoustic and electric guitars. If you have ever heard their unplugged performance, it's amazing. Probably impossible to play using one guitar for that version but if you want to learn the song watch the video because Joe Wiles does a great job walking you through the Intro of this song. It's pretty complicated to learn, so take your time and be sure to rewind when you need too. There is a lot of memorization here, but after a few tries with it, you should be fine. Just take it slow and learn at your own pace.

If you don't feel like looking up the tabs for the song, watch this video HERE to help you along.

The Moog Guitar Featuring Infinite Sustain!

2010-02-13T17:16:00.002-05:00

This guitar is awesome, it has sustain and muting capabilities built into the guitar!! Ever wished that your long notes would go on forever? Well with this, they do! Enough chatter, just watch the video! This is a new model and has an estimated value of $6,500. Pick it up for cheap here!!!

Covers That Rock: Toxicity by SOAD

2010-02-10T00:41:00.001-05:00

I'm usually not one for posting covers on the resource section here, but today I found something that was really cool. Toxicity performed using Electric Violins. Awesome video and stellar performance by the musicians in this video. Keep Rocking.

Lesson: Finger Picking D Major

2010-02-08T13:42:00.002-05:00

How to Fingerpick D Major Chords -- powered by eHow.com

Finger Picking is mostly used on Acoustic and Classical Guitars and allow you to "pick" the notes out with your fingers and thumb to create your sound. In this lesson, the instructor covers the variations of the D Major Chord and uses the example to create a simple melody. Learning how to play guitar in this style is a good thing to do if you are wanting to learn country or blue grass music and also comes in handy when you are looking for that one or two notes to complete your song. Simple tricks like this help your guitar playing greatly and will help you to play with a band by ear better.

Lesson: Walking Your Bass Lines

2010-02-02T19:21:00.001-05:00

How to Play a Walking Bass Line -- powered by eHow.com

Walking your bass lines allows for smoother transitions to other chords. The passing tones act as a filler on the bass to keep the rhythm together and keep everyone on time. For guitarists, it's kind of like adding a "chucka" during your changes to make your changes sound fuller and more gradual. If you have a general idea about how songs are arraigned, you shouldn't have a problem following the instructor. Just take your time, practice your scales and you'll be walking your bass like a pro.

Learn: "Santeria" by Sublime

2010-02-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

How to Play "Santeria" on the Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

This song isn't that hard to learn after you practice it a few times. I would recommend, if you aren't familier with the chords in this exercise, that you you practice the chord formations first until you get them down. Then move on to learning the rhythm of the song as well as the finger picking. So, in other words, learn the left hand then the right for this song. After you've mastered it you'll be able to impress your friends with this great song from a really cool band. Sublime was a band that got famous after the passing of their lead singer Bradley James Nowell in the early 90's. Their delicate mixes of guitar and heavy bass lines helped to re-invent ska music. Their music was a combination of Ska and Punk stylings that resulted in feel good music and positive mental attitudes. Their music is both uplifting and soulful.

Learn: Jimi Hendrix Lick In C Minor

2010-01-31T18:07:00.001-05:00

Jimi Hendrix Guitar Lick in C Minor -- powered by eHow.com

Ok, so you've been playing guitar for a while. You know some simple chord songs and can rock them pretty good. You may have also been advancing your solos lately and mastering some wicked metal riffs. But now I'm going to take you away from all of that and help you to rock like Hendrix!

This lick isn't too hard to get if you've some of the basics under your belt. The instructor does a good job of slowing down the lick to allow you to follow along at an acceptable pace. The fingering can be a little tricky on this lick so just remember to practice, practice, practice and then practice some more.

If you want to get fancy with this one, try it with a wah with medium range settings so to spice it up a bit.

Lesson: Mixolydian Mode for Bass

2010-01-30T15:46:00.001-05:00

Playing a Mixolydian Mode on Bass Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

It's time for church again, church modes that is. In this lesson you will learn about the Mixolydian mode. Yeah Mixolydian is a big word and very difficult to spell but the concept of modes isn't that hard if you have some basics under your belt. What are modes? They are different scales within a scale or otherwise known as a mode. There are a few different modes to cover when learning guitar or bass guitar and this lesson will cover one of the most basic. These modes are great to use when warming up and checking to see if your instrument is in tune or not. After some practice, you will be able to tell the notes in the scale, and when your instrument gets out of tune you will be able to notice. In other words, learning modes is good for learning music theory and when you apply the knowledge it makes for good ear training.

Learn: "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead!

2010-01-29T12:24:00.001-05:00

How to Play "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead -- powered by eHow.com

Remember that movie Airheads? Lemy is God. Oh, right, back to the lesson. This time around is Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". This song is not that hard to play, but it requires you tune your guitar to a different setting than just regular standard tuning. You may want to warm up before playing this one at full speed, but once you get it, you should have no problem rocking this one out.

New Products: Misa Digital Guitar!

2010-01-24T19:27:00.001-05:00

While it may not be considered and conventional instrument, technology has allowed designers to take their designs to new and interesting levels never seen before by man. The Misa Digital Guitar is one such object born out of an age of guitar hero and rock band playing experts looking for that something new. For guitarists, it's just something cool to have around your house to show off to your friends. Watch this video though, it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't want to tackle the learning curve.

Learn: "Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden

2010-01-22T16:05:00.001-05:00

How to Play "Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden -- powered by eHow.com

Iron Maiden is one of the most complicated bands to learn when it comes to their guitar riffs. Their music is fast paced and melodic but don't let that discourage you from learning this slick riff. You might want to set up your guitar first before learning the picking pattern on this one, but a little ear tuning should have you up and ready to go in no time. Be sure to follow the instructors instructions when it comes to keeping count in this lesson because it will help you not get lost when actually performing the riff. This song can be a little tricky at first, but that is why people practice in the first place, to make the difficult, less difficult. Good luck with your playing and to read more about Iron Maiden, check out their article here on GuitarWarLord.com

Learn:"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top

2010-01-18T14:42:00.001-05:00

How to Play "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top -- powered by eHow.com

This is a really cool riff to impress your friends with. No matter if your used to playing metal and punk, this song will help your band to discover more variety within your act. If your a soloist, then it's just really cool to learn. Take some time with this one and give it a couple of tries until you have it all down. Then Practice Practice Practice until it's etched into your mind and your playing it in your sleep. Then proceed to rock the house with your awe-inspiring rock and roll. Keep the Horns Up and your Heads Banging.

Lesson: Mastering the Pull Off

2010-01-18T12:13:00.001-05:00

Pull Offs: Lead Guitar Lessons -- powered by eHow.com

Pull off's are heavily used in guitar so it's essential to learn this technique if you want to play guitar at all. Pull off's can be used in conjunction with hammer on's to create a one of a kind feel to your music. Make sure to practice this technique to improve your playing and build your strength to create smoother sounding and cleaner notes.

Learn: "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace

2010-01-15T14:33:00.001-05:00

How to Play "I Hate Everything About You" on the Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

If your looking for something semi-modern to add to your practice sets, try out this song by Three Days Grace. It shouldn't be too tough to pick up and start playing if you've learn some of the guitar basics in this section of the site. You'll have to tune to Drop D for this one, so for all of you "Standard" players, here's some variety to spice up your set list.

Oh and if you haven't heard it yet, pick up their Album "Life Starts Now" included via links on this page.

Learn:"Wanted Dead Or Alive"

2010-01-14T17:55:00.001-05:00

Basic Guitar Chords For "Dead Or Alive" -- powered by eHow.com

Even if your not really a Bon Jovi fan, this is a great song to learn. This song can be kind of complicated at first but once you give it a few tries you should be rocking in no time. Basic chords comprise the song and once you get the formations and the progression of the patterns down it shouldn't be too hard to play. Take it slow and use your ear to help you get the correct sound. Good luck and if you would like to learn more about Bon Jovi, read the article here on GuitarWarLord.com.

Learn: "Paint It Black" By The Rolling Stones

2010-01-13T19:19:00.001-05:00

How to Play "Paint it Black" on the Guitar -- powered by eHow.com

This song was one of the most famous songs ever performed by The Rolling Stones. Not only is it a very cool song to listen to, it's also a great song to learn on the guitar. This song was also featured in Stanley Kubrick's movie "Full Metal Jacket". So take some time to learn this riff, then impress all of your friends/fans/fellow bandmates with it's sheer awesomeness. To learn more about the Rolling Stones, read their article here on GuitarWarLord.com or visit the our store for a great selection of Stones Merch.

Lesson: Using Legato To Play Faster

2010-01-13T16:39:00.001-05:00

Tips on Playing Guitar Faster -- powered by eHow.com

Being able to play fast IS pretty cool. Speed playing is mostly used in Metal and Hard Rock but using a technique such as Legato will also help with your acoustic sets as well. This exercise will help you to build strength in your left hand so that you can hit notes cleaner and play for longer periods of time. You may want to learn some simple scales before you perform this exercise so that your playing will be more structured.

Lesson: Using Hammer On's, the Basics

2010-01-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

Hammer Ons: Lead Guitar Lessons -- powered by eHow.com

Learning how to perform Hammer Ons is essential to someone just starting out learning guitar. Think of it as a tool for you to use within your playing. Combined with other techniques, the hammer on can help you vary your playing style and allowing you to rock out even harder on your axe. The hammer on is also excellent to use when performing a solo when you become an advanced player.