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Chops of Steel
by JEFF BEASLEY
This was their philosophy: imagine having control over every note on your instrument, being totally free to express yourself without worrying about physical limitations
Greetings Premier Guitar readers, and welcome to this month’s edition of Lethal Guitar. I’m gearing up for another summer of teaching for the National Guitar Workshop. This is my fourth year and I’m proud to be a part of this great organization. I’ll be teaching a seminar in June 2007 called “Full Shred Ahead” in Maclean, Virginia, as well as my usual Rock III classes in Nashville, Tennessee in July 2007 at Vanderbilt University. I hope to see you there!
In college my classical guitar teachers were absolute task masters when it came to technique. This was their philosophy: imagine having control over every note on your instrument, being totally free to express yourself without worrying about physical limitations. Fear of failure causes you to not take a chance, and therefore limits creativity. Consider creativity as simply taking a chance. Technical control eliminates fear and allows you to truly express yourself. It isn’t just a matter of speed, but also of accuracy, and most importantly, control. This month, I am going to share some of the technique-building ideas conveyed to me by my teachers.
I’m truly thankful to my instructors and their insistence that these techniques be a part of my daily regimen. Initially I hated doing them because they required so much concentration. Gradually, they became easier and easier, and I eventually understood the importance of controlling my instrument in order to freely express myself. Try these on for size, and even if you only use one or two, you’ll see a great improvement in your own technical ability.
Example 1) There are 24 different left hand fingerings possible with your four digits; here are a few. Strictly alternating your pick is of utmost importance, and changing your starting point from down on one example, to up on another, is also critical to technical development.
Example 2) Now let’s expand to the use of two strings, while continuing to focus on our alternate picking.
Example 3) In our final example, we’ll make use of all the strings with one of my favorite technique-building workouts.
That does it for this month. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll see you guys next month. God bless!
Jeff Beasley
jeff@guitarsource3.com
Jeff Beasley holds B.A. degrees in Music and Classical Guitar. He offers his readers 30 years of experience in studio, teaching and performance. He is on the National Guitar Workshop faculty in Nashville, TN. Jeff's CD "Tiebreaker" is available through CD Baby, Guitar 9, and Jeff's website; GuitarSource3.com. Jeff holds endorsement agreements with Peavey, DiMarzio, RKS, THD, Ensotec, Robert Keeley, Knucklehead and In Tune.
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