Lessons

Loud & Proud: Building Patterns in the Pentatonic Scale

Glenn Proudfoot — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:50:38 +0000

This video is related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the first edition of Glenn Proudfoot's new Guitar World column, "Loud & Proud," the Australian guitarist looks at a few simple ways of building patterns inside the pentatonic box.

"Early in my development, I always struggled to find ways to build nice-sounding runs that moves across the neck," said Proudfoot. "I found that grouping notes in different patterns of threes, fours and gives, as well as other patterns, helped me tremendously in this pursuit."

For all of the March 2012 videos, head here.

Exotic Techniques: Eight-Finger Tapping

Cyamak Ashtiani — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:35:09 +0000

Eight-finger tapping has been pretty popular lately.

There's been so much talk about it that I've decided to do a lesson based on a relatively simple Cmaj7 arpeggio using this technique.

Please check out the three figures below and be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this blog post for additional help.

Also, be sure to check out my four previous lessons, which are listed to the left under "RELATED CONTENT."

And now for the lesson:

FIGURE A shows us this arpeggio ascending, ending on the major seventh of the arpeggio. A dampener can make life easier for this, but depending on how much gain you are using and your guitar's setup, it isn't absolutely necessary.

FIGURE B shows the Cmaj7 descending in a slightly different manner, just to give it a little bit of an exciting and complex twist.

The last example combines FIGURE A and FIGURE B, so you can play one long ascending and descending arpeggio. Also, you will notice the specific fingers for the fretting hand notated by numbers ('1' for index, '2' for middle, '3' for ring, '4' for pinky) and the specific fingers for the tapping hand notated by letters ('i' for index, 'm' for middle and 'a' for ring).

Cyamak Ashtiani is an award-winning rock/pop guitarist and songwriter who has written, toured and recorded with a multitude of major and indie recording artists. Recently, he has toured with Rockstar: Supernova's Lukas Rossi and country/rap artist Mikel Knight. You can catch his new project with former Dry Cell frontman Jeff Gutt at ShadesOfTheVillain.com and his clothing line at 1251Clothing.com, of which he is a cofounder.

Metal For Life: Mega-Metal Licks in the Style of Metallica, Testament and Pantera

Metal Mike — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:39:06 +0000

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the March edition of "Metal For Life," Metal Mike Chlasciak shows you a smattering of metal riffs in the style of thrash titans Metallica, Testament and Pantera.

"I've designed these riffs to help you build both your pick- and fret-hand technique in regard to executing pure metal ideas like these with power and precision," said Metal Mike.

Part 1

Part 2

In Deep: Andy Aledort Goes In Deep with The Doors

Andy Aledort — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:29:18 +0000

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

This month's "In Deep" sees Guitar World's Andy Aledort taking a look at the guitar artistry of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger.

"The Doors created their own distinct style that was both dreamily hypnotic and powerfully heavy," says Andy. "In this edition of 'In Deep,' we'll examin Krieger's contributions to guitar artistry."

Part 1

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

This month's "In Deep" sees Guitar World's Andy Aledort taking a look at the guitar artistry of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger.

"The Doors created their own distinct style that was both dreamily hypnotic and powerfully heavy," says Andy. "In this edition of 'In Deep,' we'll examin Krieger's contributions to guitar artistry."

Part 2

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

This month's "In Deep" sees Guitar World's Andy Aledort taking a look at the guitar artistry of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger.

"The Doors created their own distinct style that was both dreamily hypnotic and powerfully heavy," says Andy. "In this edition of 'In Deep,' we'll examin Krieger's contributions to guitar artistry."

Part 3

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

This month's "In Deep" sees Guitar World's Andy Aledort taking a look at the guitar artistry of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger.

"The Doors created their own distinct style that was both dreamily hypnotic and powerfully heavy," says Andy. "In this edition of 'In Deep,' we'll examin Krieger's contributions to guitar artistry."

Part 4

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Guitar Strength: Journey to the Core of Zakk Wylde’s Pentatonic Shred

Scott Marano — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:37:50 +0000

With the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s No Rest for the Wicked in 1988, a sound was unleashed on the world that changed the lexicon of rock guitar and redefined the meaning of “Guitar God."

Plucked from anonymity in Jackson, New Jersey, at age 20, Zakk Wylde (formerly Jeff Wielandt) forged a new path of style, personality and tone that continues to grow and evolve to this day.

Zakk Wylde is an amalgam of his influences, performed with his own personal "Jersey fury." Zakk was (and is) a bull in a china shop with a guitar in its hands, with an appetite to devour and regurgitate licks and tricks learned from masters such as Randy Rhoads, Tony Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, Al Di Meola, Jimi Hendrix and (especially) John Sykes and Frank Marino.

Add to that a massive, unique tone achieved with a minimal amount of carefully selected, effective tools and it’s easy to see how so many guitarists respect and admire him, and how no generation of guitarists that has followed him has not been influenced and inspired in one way or another by his contributions to the vocabulary of modern guitar (the prevalence of heavily vibrato'ed pinch harmonics on the low strings, for example - usually the 3rd, 5th or 6th fret of the lowest string -- is almost a cliché in today’s modern metal, but you didn't hear them a lot before the song “Crazy Babies” was released).

Other than tone, huge riffs and sheer style, Zakk’s major contribution to the guitar world was his use of pentatonic scales in previously unheard of ways. When Zakk first came on to the scene in the late '80s, three-note-per-string scales and sweep picking were the norm, and only (then) underground players like Eric Johnson were using creative manipulation of pentatonic scales to define their individual niche.

Zakk had his own take on the pentatonic scale that helped him forge his own style that has continued to develop over his long career, yet at the core of that style/take on performing that scale, there are a few simple patterns that define the fundamentals on upon which the whole of the “Zakk style” is built.

Boiled down to its most basic form, the Zakk Wylde-style of executing fast pentatonic licks can be found in Example 1A, 1B and 1C. Using an A minor pentatonic scale (A, C, D, E, G), example 1A is the simplest dilution of Zakk’s trademark licks, simply running a two-notes-on-two-strings pattern fretted with the ring and index fingers.

Be careful not to barre the 17th fret to cover both strings. Instead, “walk” the index finger from string to string when necessary. The lick will be much cleaner and more articulate for it, and with sufficiently aggressive pick attack (You can really dig in since it’s always a downstroke when you switch strings), you’ll be ready to channel the Wylde in you in no time!

Example 1B manipulates the pattern to work as sextuplets (six per beat. Say: “O-zzY-O-zzY-Os-Bourne”), and example 1C changes it slightly more into a syncopated pattern.

Zakk likes to add more interest to these patterns by adding in the next higher note adjacent to the pattern. In this case, it’s the D note on the high E string, 22nd fret, fretted with the pinky. Examples 2A-C shows this “afterburner” (as Zakk calls it) in action.

Example 3 is a six-note pattern descending the scale three strings at a time. The first example is the six-note pattern played with a 16th (four per beat) note rhythm. The cool thing to note here is that the start of each group of six doesn’t coincide with the downbeat. Example 3B shows what it looks like relative to the beat if it were played as sextuplets.

Examples 3C and 3D mirror the previous examples not only in terms of their rhythmic difference, but with their directions reversed as well.

Example 4A is an Am pentatonic scale moving up the neck through all of its positions/shapes, culminating in Example 4B, where a six-note pattern is syncopated as 32nd notes, bringing an epic climax to the whole line through its switch of rhythm and intervallic complexity. Be sure to add a fast, wide vibrato to the bend on the last note.

Example 5 moves the trusty pentatonic shapes to D minor and employs the use of economy picking. Fretted with the pinky, ring and index fingers, the lick moves though Dm pentatonic (D, F, G, A, C) and D Blues (D, F, G, G#, A, C) and requires that you mix alternate and sweep picking to properly execute it.

To start the pattern, you’ll begin on a downstroke, but as the pattern repeats, you’ll need to perform the first note of the pattern with an upstroke. This is easy, though, since the economy picking will set that upstroke as the only option. To perform the lick, pick the first note, do the pull-offs, then pick “down-up-down” on the B string, and then let your pick follow gravity and fall through the B towards the high E string, coordinate your pick “pushing through” the high E index finger anchor note, then come around with an upstroke (with your pinky fretting the first note of the pattern) and repeat.

For extra Zakk-style attitude, be sure to finish off the lick with the pulldown bend on the G string, 17th fret, the ensuing simultaneous grab of the B string, 17th fret and shaking it like you mean it!

I am confident this will let you channel the spirit and style of Zakk Wylde and that you’ll find a way to work these into your own solos. Happy shredding!

Scott Marano has dedicated his life to the study of the guitar, honing his chops at the Berklee College of Music under the tutelage of Jon Finn and Joe Stump and working as an accomplished guitarist, performer, songwriter and in-demand instructor. In 2007, Scott developed the Guitar Strength program to inspire and provide accelerated education to guitarists of all ages and in all styles through state-of-the-art private guitar lessons in his home state of Rhode Island and globally via Skype. Visit Scott and learn more at www.GuitarStrength.com.

Additional Content

Exotic Techniques: Techno Arpeggios for Dance Music and Beyond

Cyamak Ashtiani — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:45:51 +0000

Here's a technique I use that helps me groove with an electronic four-to-the-floor dance groove.

It's also is reminiscent of the "arpeggiator" plug-ins you hear in modern dance music, electronic music and even modern pop music like Pink, 30 Seconds to Mars, Lady Gaga and other well-known artists.

Before we get started, remember there's a video at the bottom of this blog post that will help you out. Also remember to check out my previous three lessons, all of which are listed to the left under RELATED CONTENT.

OK, on to the figures:

FIGURE A shows a two-octave arpeggio of an A minor where you notice the notes are doubled to create the "arpeggiator" effect.

FIGURE B shows a two-octave arpeggio of a G major in the same manner.

The last example shows the knowledge from the previous two examples being integrated to outline the chord progression from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." Here you can see the one- and two-octave versions of these techno arpeggios employed. Alternate picking is required for this technique.

Here's the video that goes with this lesson.

Guitar Strength: Slippery, Sliding, Open-Voiced, String-Skipping 7th Arpeggios

Scott Marano — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:27:22 +0000

This time around, I’d like to share a trick based around a deceptively easy-to-play, simple concept that will add some sophistication to your improvisations (while also being sure to turn heads with its attention-grabbing coolness!): open-voiced, string-skipping 7th arpeggios.

The basic idea is this: Instead of playing 7th chord arpeggios sequentially in a root-3rd-5th-7th manner, we’ll split up the arpeggios into six-note patterns with two notes per string on three strings, skipping a string in between each.

The resulting intervallic shift of these patterns “opens up” the voicing of the chords and creates an ear-catching sound that gives the illusion of being somewhat “outside” while still remaining completely within the confines of the key. Plus, with savvy use of these arpeggios and a rudimentary understanding of music theory, these shapes can be a shortcut to extreme harmonic depth.

Just to get us all on the same page (and to satisfy my fellow theory nerds out there), please be reminded of the following rules of 7th chords:

1) 7 means b7 (flat 7)
2) “Minor,” “min” or “-" only refers to the b3
3) “Major” or “Maj” in a 7th chord (or higher) only refers to the “natural” (A.K.A. “major”) 7th
4) The 5th of the chord is “natural” or “perfect” unless otherwise noted (“+” for #5 or “b” for flat 5)

So, defining the basic (and a few more) 7th chords:

• 7, "dominant 7" = 1, 3, 5, b7
• -, "minor 7", m7, min7 or -7 = 1, b3, 5, b7
• M7, "major 7" or the delta symbol = 1,3,5,7
• half diminished = m7 (b5) = 1,b3, b5, b7
• dim = "diminished 7"= 1, b3, b5, bb7 (this chord with a major 3 would be a "6(b5)”)
• m7M, “minor Major 7," -M7,-7M (abbreviations vary) = 1, b3, 5, 7
• m7M(b5)= 1, b3, b5, 7
• 7(b5)= 1, 3, b5, b7
• M7(b5)= 1, 3, b5, 7

Remember the rule: "7" means "1, Major 3rd, 5th and FLAT 7."

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the really fun stuff. All of the examples are in the key of Bm (B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A). The 7th chords in key are Bm7, C#m7(b5), DMaj7, Em7, F#m7, GMaj7, A7.

Example 1a is the basic minor 7th shape/pattern (I’ve also included the standard chord shapes so you can see how the arpeggio relates). Using the two notes-per-every-other-string concept, the voicing of the arpeggio is Root, minor 3rd, minor 7th, Root, 5th, minor 7th. Notice how the shape is comfortably reminiscent of a minor pentatonic scale.

Since any given natural major or minor key has four types of 7th chords (major, minor, dominant and minor 7 flat 5th), examples 1b through 1d illustrate the other three shapes in the key of Bm (to play the other chords in the key, simply move the shapes relative to the other root notes).

Technique-wise, try linking together adjacent shapes as in Examples 2a and 2b. The hip thing about linking together the two shapes is that by adding the DMaj7 (D,F#,A,C#) pattern to the Bm7 (B,D,F#,A) pattern over a Bm harmony, you can imply a Bm9 (B,D,F#,A,C#)!

Hmmmm … What if we kept going? Example 3 continues the link with the “pinky note of the first arpeggio becomes the root note of the next arpeggio” idea and ramps up the harmonic complexity to a full Bm13 (flat 13) chord (B,D,F#,A,C#,E,G - every note in key but spread out in patterns like fractal art)! Note the explanations of the theory in the notation, and try this with the other chords in key (also check out the pattern in the missing notes in the extensions for further fun). Experiment with the directions in which you play the arpeggios and with where you start the “extensions” relative to the underlying harmony.

Example 4 is a melodic/thematic idea that should get you started with messing around with combining and moving around these shapes.

And just in case that hasn’t given you enough to work on, Example 5 takes a different turn on the concept and shows a sequenced shred pattern of the C#m7(b5) shape. Try this sequence with the other arpeggios in key and see if you can’t find a way to fit it in as a head-turner in a solo!

Move these arpeggios to your favorite keys and use the theory ideas to inject some mental and physical Guitar Strength into your improvs and compositions that’s guaranteed to get some love from your listeners when used creatively. Happy shredding!

P.S.: Food for thought on a completely unrelated note: If you haven’t focused on it seriously for a while, work on your vibrato!

Talkin' Blues: The Versatility of Sixth and Ninth Chords

Keith Wyatt — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:26:14 +0000

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the March edition of "Talkin' Blues," Musicians Institute instructor Keith Wyatt looks at the versatility of sixth and ninth chords.

"The number of theoretically possible guitar chords is seemingly infinite," says Wyatt," but when it comes to playing a given style, most players wind up with a relatively small set of go-to voicings." Check out the videos below for tips on how to break out of these habits!

Part 1

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the March edition of "Talkin' Blues," Musicians Institute instructor Keith Wyatt looks at the versatility of sixth and ninth chords.

Part 2

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the March edition of "Talkin' Blues," Musicians Institute instructor Keith Wyatt looks at the versatility of sixth and ninth chords.

Part 3

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

These videos are related to the March 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In the March edition of "Talkin' Blues," Musicians Institute instructor Keith Wyatt looks at the versatility of sixth and ninth chords.

Part 4

Lesson Contents
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Video Lesson: Pop Evil Show You How to Play "Monster You Made"

Josh Hart — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:14:35 +0000

In the following video, Michigan's Pop Evil show you how to play one of the hit singles off their latest album, War of Angesl, titled "Monster You Made." The track is tuned a half step down with the low E string dropped to C#.

Pop Evil have a busy year on the road planned for 2012, including a string of headlining shows and a run with Theory of a Deadman. You can check out all their tour dates for this year here.

You can check out the video lesson for the first single off War of Angels, "Last Man Standing," right here.

Video: Lamb of God Guitarist Mark Morton Demonstrates Riffs from 'Resolution'

Josh Hart — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:07:52 +0000

Roadrunner Germany just posted the following video, in which Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton demonstrates some of the key riffs from the band's new album, Resolution. Scroll down to learn how to play the intro riff to "Desolation," the main riff to "Ghost Walking" and more.

Lamb of God released their seventh studio album, Resolution, yesterday, January 24.

The band also just kicked off a world tour over the weekend, and you can get the first dates for the trek here.

Talkin' Blues: Conversational Phrasing

Keith Wyatt — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:34:39 +0000

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

February's "Talkin' Blues" column looks at the ways in which everyday speech patterns influence blues guitar playing, a concept called conversational phrasing. Conversational phrasing could be best epitomized by the guitar work of Albert Collins, but as Keith Wyatt points out, it has remained a secret ingredient in the arsenals of many guitar greats.

Part 1

Lesson Contents
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

February's "Hole Notes" column looks at the ways in which everyday speech patterns influence blues guitar playing, a concept called conversational phrasing. Conversational phrasing could be best epitomized by the guitar work of Albert Collins, but as Keith Wyatt points out, it has remained a secret ingredient in the arsenals of many guitar greats.

Part 2

Lesson Contents
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

Part 3

Lesson Contents
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

In Deep: Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin

Andy Aledort — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:17:57 +0000

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 1a

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 1b

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 2

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 3

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 4

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "In Deep," our own Andy Aledort takes a close-up look at the blues guitar artistry of Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin, the guitarists who epitomized the sound of Chicago blues.

Figure 5

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Figure 6

Lesson Contents:
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Exotic Techniques: Reverse Pedal Point Technique

Cyamak Ashtiani — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:02:03 +0000

In this lesson, I will demonstrate an interesting method of utilizing your index finger on your picking hand, which is traditionally used for two-handed tapping.

The tablature shows a descending legato run in the key of A natural minor comprised of groupings of eight notes.

There are no picked notes whatsoever here, just unassisted hammer-ons and pull-offs. The note that you see notated as being a "tapped" note with the capital "T" symbol is actually fretted with any finger from your picking hand. This allows you to use your fingers on your fretting hand to pull off and hammer onto the "reverse pedal point" (the note being fretted by your picking hand), as I like to call it (for lack of better terms).

In essence, this allows you to cross one hand over and behind the other to create this effect. After every bar (every 16 notes) in this example is when I like to move my reverse pedal point to the next string. The most challenging aspect of this technique is keeping the strings from ringing out around the note being fretted.

With a little trial and error, you can experiment with your own methods and find a specific angle and position for your left and right hand that will allow you to execute this example without much excess noise. This technique also requires considerable strength from your fretting hand, because the notes being generated are created by the momentum of one hand, rather than being picked and fretted by two hands.

Check out the video and figures below.

Hole Notes: The Chord and Rhythm Patterns of Django Reinhardt

Dale Turner — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:11:06 +0000

These videos are related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

In this month's "Hole Notes," Musician's Institute instructor Dale Turned takes a look at artistry of guitar great and inventor of "gypsy jazz," Django Reinhardt. Because his famed quintet, Hot Club of France, didn't have a percussionist, the rhythmic patterns and chord choices in Django's unique brand of jazz were of paramount importance.

Part 1

Part 2

Metal For Life: Using a Metal Approach with Classical-Style Themes

Metal Mike — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:31:47 +0000

This video is related to the February 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full text and tablature for the column, you can pick up the issue of newsstands now or in our online store.

This month's "Metal For Life" shows you how to utilize a metal approach when playing classical-style themes. Classical music -- being used as an umbrella term to cover the Classical, Romantic and Baroque periods -- has been a major influence on heavy metal, particularly after the arrival of the "neoclassical shred" movement in the '80s.