26 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

No I wouldn't approach it like that although you could look at it like that if you wanted to. The notes of the major scale and all of the modes are exactly the same notes. So in essence your are playing those modes over the chords. In this case I would just think and teach to play the major scale over the complete progression.

If I hung on the V chord for two measures then the IV for one followed by the I for one measure I would then go for the Mixolydian over the V chord and go after the tones from there on the IV and I chord  playing around with chord tones and tension tones to pull to the I chord. The way I use modes in a non modal progression is to use this as a base. If there is a G played for two measures then an F followed by a C. I would go directly to the G note, or possible one of the other chord tones, to start with. I can see the Mixolydian patterns all over the neck. I can mix the mixolydian and G pentatonic. Since I'm in the mindset of Mixolydian I'm thinking automatically chord tones of G and since there are two measures of G this would  make sense. In my own playing I would then play around with chord tones and tension tones over the F and finally the C.

If I were teaching it to a student that knows nothing about chord tones and how things resolve I would also teach them to start with the mixolydian in this case, play around and use his ear and then try to target the C over the C or play major type licks when the C chord comes around. That would be the first step. They are getting practice with the mixolydian scale and then most likely questions would come up of why switch over to the C note and major scale licks over the C chord. This then would open the door to get more deeper into the theory side of what we are doing. I like to start it as simple as possible and go from there. My student is here so I'm off. See ya!

Back again!

My approach to modes is at first more pattern based then function based. I want my students to get used to the mode patterns and also be able to play them in real life situations. I don't want to just use them when a modal progression is being played. This is something they at first are not ready to comprehend. If they can just jam to a progression using a mode in the same way they would the major scale or the minor scale we are in a good position when it comes time to talk about subjects like actual modal playing. Also it makes it a little less intimidating when I explain thay the major and minor scale they knowalready is actually two out of the 7 modes. So they already have two down!

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27 Reply by don p

(4 replies, posted in Recording / Studio)

Hey Alun,

I hate to go out and get another camera since I'm getting a great looking video from it. If I can't figure out the audio part of it I may end up having to do that though. I'll have to keep experimenting I guess! Thanks!

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28 Topic by don p

(4 replies, posted in Recording / Studio)

How do you guys record your guitars and vocals on video? I have a logitech pro 9000 webcam and I would like to do some instructional video's where I play guitar and talk about what I'm doing. I can't seem to get a good clean sound like I hear on video's from youtube. I can do ok with the vocals but I can't seem to get a good sound either through the webcams mic or when I go into the audio interface. When I go through the interface I run everything into my sonar recording program and I put amplitube onto my guitar. It just doesn't come out sounding to great.

I hear plenty of video's on youtube that sound fine so I know somehow it can be done. I just don't really know what I'm doing here.

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29 Reply by don p

(4 replies, posted in Everything Else)

Nothing to laugh at there! I envy you actually. Although from time to time I stumble onto something new those instances where I find something that gets me excited like first discovering sus chords is few and far between. So enjoy the ride and have fun!

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30 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

I actually do have one guy I think is ready to handle the whole playing modal concept. This thread gives me some good idea's on area's we can delve into. I wish I had more students like this then the kids. Don't get me wrong they can be fun but teaching the same melodies and chords over and over get old. I love it when I can dig in deep with a student!

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31 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

I never took it as you saying my way is wrong. I'm pretty confident in my own way of doing it. As you know I have formal training so I know the so called "rules".  I just think that you do not need to stick with the major scale when you are not playing modally. Playing to a modal vamp is a way to bring out the distinct sound of the modes but they still are used in regular diatonic situations. It is not just the major or minor scale and that's it.  I guess what I'm saying in a nutshell is you can still play the modes without playing 100% modally.

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32 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

Don't get me wrong Instuctor. You have very valid points and knowing what chords and tones pull to what is a great thing to know. I suggest everybody learn this stuff! I just think sometimes theory can get taken a little too literally. When it comes to a point where you say I can't do that even though it sounds fine when you play it things are going a bit to far. It can end up hurting your playing instead of improving.

I remember when I was younger and a theory fanatic I used to tell people what they were playing was wrong. You can't do that! But why? This one guy I was playing with played something that sounded pretty cool and he showed it to me. I then analyzed it and told him he was playing in and out of key. He needed to adjust it a bit to fit into the correct theory side of music. I wish I could remember more of the specifics but he refused and I'm glad he did. It would have ruined the whole feel of what he played. If I would have kept digging more and more I could have most likely rationalized in theory what he was doing. Why bother though. What he played sounded cool and that was good enough.

The way I teach my students is to show them the correct theoretical part of things but also explain that you can really play just about anything. I know I keep saying this but it's a key point I drill into my students. You learn the rules and then adjust them in any way you want. Play the out of key chord. Play the note that is supposed to sound horrible. If you play around enough you can make it work and create something more interesting the if you stuck with the "rules" of theory.

So again what you are saying is important stuff. I just think it's important to also tell them that the ear is the final judge no matter what I or any music theory book tells them they are supposed to play.

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33 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

Again put aside your theory book and just try it. It will sound completely "together" What could sound more solid over a Dm chord then one of it's chord tones?

It sounds fine when my students play it so I would think you should have no problems. Remember that whether you call the scale you are playing a C major scale or the D dorian you are playing the same exact notes! I don't think you mean to suggest I ignore the chord tones for Dm when the Dm is being  played? Especially if I'm playing it for two full measure?

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34 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

If you would like to know the reason I would use dorian I'll explain. Say I had a progression of Dm for a measure and the next measure I have Em and F. The next measure I have Dm for a measure followed by Em and C for a half a measure each. The Dm chord dominates the whole progression. What I mean is It starts with the Dm for one measure and comes back in at the third measure for a complete measure. The other chords last for a half measure a piece. I look at these other chords as more passing chords.

Since the focal point of the progression revolves around D and I'll be targeting the chord tones for Dm for two out of the four measures it makes more sense to me to think of this as Dorian. If I were to think of this as just playing the C major scale I would tend to associate it with the chord tones of C major which would be tension tones over the Dm chord except of course the C note itself. Also since the C chord only comes up in half a measure out of four full measure the C is not the focal point of the progression. I would target the chord tones for C when it came around or actually maybe some of the tension tones so it doesn't sound at rest.

So my approach is more from the chord tones but since Dm is the focal point of the progression I tend to think dorian. You could of course think C major and target the tones in the same way I was talking about since C major and D dorian are the same exact notes but again because of the progression consisting mostly of Dm I think dorian. I know you have cadences that pull towards chords like if I played Dm,G7 to C it would be common to think of this as playing the C major scale and this would be correct. For me it would depend on how long the chords are being played. Again if I had two measures of Dm, a measure of G7 and a measure of C I would still think more of D dorian and then targetting the chord tones over the G7 and the C. I could also think of switching the modes to mixolydian over the G7 and ionian over the C. I don't really think in this way though. I would think of my base being dorian and then target the chord tones for the rest. This way if for some reason I get lost I can find my D and play my dorian. Since D is played for two measures it's a safe place to go to. If C was played for two measures then the major scale (ionian) would be the base for me.

Again I don't really care if the progression is a modal progression or not. If I want to take that approach, which I also like to do, then that is good but if there is a progression made up from a jam without regards to what chord pulls to what I'll take the chord that is the tonal center and play the mode that matches up with the diatonic chord. I want to jam not think of what the theory books are telling me what to do at that point. When I'm composing that's a different matter. That's were I'll start to think more on the theoretical side at times.

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35 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

First yes I meant Dm. When I have them jam with say D dorian I'll make a hard rock/metal progression with power chords. I just stay on D5 for a measure and throw in other 5th chords in measure two. Yes with some of them according to strict theory the resolution would be to the C chord I suppose but it comes back to throwing away the theory book and letting your ears tell you what to do. The students job is to concentrate on playing the dorian scale. That is the goal for them at this point. Not to get into a deep discussion about chord resolution. I'm trying to teach them to play the patterns of the modes.

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36 Reply by don p

(24 replies, posted in Music Theory)

Modes are not that confusing if you take it a step at a time. I already addressed this in the other post but if you learn the patterns first and just start by matching the mode with chords in the diatonic scale you will be fine.

In the key of C if you focus a progression around the D chord then play D dorian. If it's E then E phrygian etc... This way you are getting used to playing the actual patterns of the modes. If you were to play a G mixolydian scale over a progression based around the G chord you certainly wouldn't be playing the wrong scale.

The thing here is you are getting used to the patterns of the modes. From there you can get a step deeper by talking about what gives the modes thier distinct sound, what a modal progressions is, how to apply them in different situations etc... This is all much easier if you already have the patterns memorized beforehand. Again if I played an F lydian scale over a progression that had the F chord as the tonic chord I wouldn't be playing the wrong scale. Yes as I learn more about modes I can look at it in a different way depending on what other chords are involved. As I learn more I can gain the knowledge of how  to approach and use modes but in the beginning just learning the patterns and using them is the most important part for the time being. By the way when I say I I'm talking from a more beginner student perspective. I already know this stuff pretty well! default/smile

I wish I had more time to get more involved with this but I'm just very bogged down with things to work on now. I do enjoy reading this stuff though. I love hearing others perspectives on things!

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37 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

I do agree that I can quickly tell you what tone is what under each chord. This is something I struggled with for awhile. I thought I would never get this down but now it's pretty much second nature. I'm glad I put the work in.

Yes the 3's and 7's are the most important tones. They give each chord their distinct sound and you can build anywhere from there. Students are always surprised when I explain that you don't even need the root in the chord when playing them.

The thing is this is something that comes later on. For a student in the beginning to intermediate stages I think they should learn the modes before getting into all this. They learn the major scale and minor scale first. I explain that these are actually two of the modes themselves. The Ionian and Aeolian. Then I just explain that again in the key of C major you play D to D you are playing dorian, E to E phrygian and so on. I may mention about using certain chords to play in a true modal way but I won't get into it because it's just to confusing to a student at this stage.

If someone plays a progression that evolves around the D chord in the key of C major I don't think it's the best approach to just tell them to play the C major scale and target the 7th. For me this goes along with targetting the other chord tones which should be taught later on. To me it's makes more sense to have them learn the D dorian. Yes this is the same as the C major scale but they can now play lines between the two D's instead of having the major scale of C to C  but playing the different tones. To me this can get more confusing. Whether you are playing a true modal progression or not does not change the fact that you are playing a D dorian when you play the D to D in a major scale. I think it is much easier if I were playing a progression with the D as the tonic chord to just tell them to play the D dorian scale. They can then go to any D note and play a dorian scale from there. Plain and simple. If I were to tell them play the C major scale they would most likely play licks  that evolve more around the C major and totally forget about the chord tones of D except the C which would be the b7th. The root note of the D would most likely be passed over and almost certainly the b3rd F would be past over. What do you do next? You need to explain the whole concept of targetting chord tones which is a whole other big subject to cover. To get them to get used to playing D dorian and go strait to that is a much easier way to approach it. If they get used to playing the actual patterns of the modes then by the time we get to what a true modal progression is or how to use them in more creative situations they already have the patterns down and can understand what I'm teaching them much easier.

I really have no problems at all teaching the modes to my students. I'm really confused when I here that teachers have problems getting them to understand the modes. If you start simple and build up it shouldn't be a problem.

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38 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

Instructor my answer to you is my ears. Knowing theory is great and I love learning it but I also know when to set it aside and let my ears take over. When I'm playing I don't think of what tone resolves to what or anything else for the most part. I'm trying to concentrate on a good melody, lick or something else musical. Knowing this stuff is a powerful tool but you have to also have the power to shut it off and let things flow naturally!

The flat 2nd is actually an avoid note for Em. It's also the note that gives the mode it's distinct sound. It's actually an avoid note for the Am and the C chords. I use the tone to create tension over these chords. I can go to E,C or whatever note I want. I look at it as a way to play around with the sound and giving a solo a little different sound as opposed to thinking of what exact tone it should resolve to. Sometimes it works great and others not so great but as long as you use your ears you will come out fine in the end.

Learning this stuff I think is very important and will make you a better player. At the risk of sounding cliche
you need to learn this stuff and then forget it. Troy Stetina said somewhere in one of his books, I think it may be Fretboard Mastery, that he doesn't even think of the scales anymore. He plays strictly what is going through his head. Of course he has the sounds of all the scales and modes ingrained into his head so he knows what these scales sound like. The point here is learning this stuff allows you to get to this point so I'm not recommending anybody to forget theory and strictly use your ears. Learn this stuff but know when to not be held back because such and such is not supposed to work because theory says it's note supposed to work that way. If you dig deep enough you can most likely find a reason why such and such would work. In the end if it sounds good then it is good! Who cares what the theory books say!

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39 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

One of the simplest ways to hear the different sounds of the modes is to play an open E and play around in each mode. You'll be able to hear how they all sound a bit different from each other. Think of them as different moods instead of modes. Each has a specific mood it conveys. Because of this modes are very important in expressing your self in certain ways.

Say you had a simple E5 and A5 vamp going. You could of course just play E minor over the whole thing if you would like. You could also play A minor over the A going back and forth between the two. You could also play in E minor for awhile over the whole thing and then switch to E phrygian, then maybe E phrygian dominant followed by strait E harmonic minor. They all have a specific sound to them and if used creatively it can make an otherwise dull jam into something full of life!

Also in it's very simplest of forms as I already mentioned in my other post in the key of C major if you play from D to D you are playing D dorian, E to E you are playing E phrygian etc...   In the progression I mentioned you could just think of it as playing the A natural minor but keep coming back to the E notes but you may possibly target the A's from time to time because you have A  minor in the mind. Why not think of it as E phrygian. Then you can really work the chord tones and play around with the flattened 2nd. It just makes more sense to me to go right to the source.

That is the simplest application but there is so much more you can do with modes.

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40 Reply by don p

(21 replies, posted in Guitar Techniques)

Although yes you are not necessarily playing a modal progression if say in the key of C you play Em, Am, C, Dm it's much easier when thinking of what to play over it to think I will play E phrygian.  That is what you would play if you just played an E drone. To think of it as either an E minor scale with the flattened third is makiing it more complicated then it needs to be. Also to just think of it as playing the A minor scale but E being the root you just loose out on a chance to see the phrygian pattern or whatever mode you want to use. It's good to explain what playing modal really is but sometimes it gets a little much if you take theory too literally. Over a progression like this I would always see my E notes and play an E phrygian over it. I don't really care if it is not a true modal progression. If it works it works. Don't know if I said this on here before but a quote I heard from one of my instructors that really sticks with me is "It's called music theory. Not music rules!"

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41 Reply by don p

(9 replies, posted in Music Theory)

One thing I want to make clear is I'm not talking about knowing what every note is when say I'm playing a ripping solo with the notes going by in a fraction of a second. That would be pointless. When soloing I tend to think more in degrees then the actual notes because say I'm playing in the key of F# minor, there are 3 sharps in there. When I hit a G# I'll look at it as the 2nd degree or the C# as the fifth degree of the scale. When I have a note ringing and I want to jump to another part of the neck a bit up farther I might quickly take a look for an F# up in that area. Because I have my natural notes memorized well it will take only a split second to find the F and then go up one fret. From there I know the pattern.

Even with the degree's I only use it when I'm consciously thinking about what chord is going by. Otherwise yes I'm thinking more in patterns but more importantly I'm thinking more of playing a good melody.

Where knowing the notes comes more into play is when I need to quickly figure out things and I'm analyzing what I'm doing. If I need say a G#min 7 at the ninth fret within about a second I can find that. I don't have to stumble around for a couple minutes while everyone looks at me like I'm an idiot. Also if things modulate to different keys it's much easier if you can find the notes on the neck quickly.

So no you don't have to know what notes you are playing at all times. I certainly wouldn't suggest anybody to do that. You should be trying to create the melody or chord progression that is flowing in your head. When things switch up or you need to figure something out having the notes memorized in combination with theory makes life alot simpler.

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42 Reply by don p

(9 replies, posted in Music Theory)

To be honest I already use and teach the notes by using the octaves to find the other notes. The thing I hadn't really thought about and thought was a cool idea was the the dot approach as anchors. As far as the other stuff I do find it interesting and may use some of it but I have my own system I'm used too and I'm note ready to chuck it all quite yet. It works pretty well for me. Although I don't teach in the same way what the course has done for me was spark a few idea's and remind me of some things I used to use and for some reason slacked off on teaching currently.

I do like the playing more horizontal approach because alot of players forget that yes you can play this way also. Years back I learned an approach kind of along the same lines from a book called the advancing guitarist by Mick Goodrick. Don't know exactly why I strayed from it. What I use alot is what I call crossover scales. One is a pentatonic scale the crosses over a good portion of the neck and a second to get the rest of the neck. I got this from Randy Rhoads. Not personally. I wish! The other approach is more 3 note per string scales and playing in a more Satch type approach I guess where you play the scale slide up a position,play there,slide up to another position. Not completely horizontal but much more then simply playing the scales up and down the box shapes.

Overall I would say the course so far would be good for someone wanting to learn more about what they are doing. I haven't seen alot of the course yet but it looks pretty good so far. I have seen some of the methods before in other shapes and forms but overall it is a unique approach!

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43 Reply by don p

(9 replies, posted in Music Theory)

The thing with say the chords is you are limited if all you think of is Am at open, 5th and twelfth. you are missing three other spots in the neck that you could play the chord. Let's take the Am,G,Dm,Em. How would you play this? All bar chords based from the E string? If you are playing an Am at the fifth fret and you know your notes you can quickly jump your index finger downwards two strings and play a G with the root based from the D string, move your index finger upward one string, play a Dm root based from the A string and then up two frets for Em or you could still stay in that position and play the Em there but I would more likely just move up two frets.

Let's say you wanted to get into 7ths,9ths etc...  You don't want to be limited to certain area's you have memorized patterns. You want to know where the closest chord is so you can do some nice smooth voice leading into the next chord.

When you have a complete progression and you know where the notes are on the neck you can quickly move through the chords knowing in an instant where you can play the chords plus you will know many different places you can play the chord on the neck. This is great for when you are getting real bored with just playing in the same area of the neck through the progression or song.

Think of this. If you are able to see all the A's when the Am chord is playing, G's when G is being played, D's when Dm is played and E's when all the Em's are being played you would be in good shape. You can then easily play all over the neck moving freely without any barriers no matter what area of the neck you are in. You can also play 7ths, 9ths etc... and transition smoothly from chord to chord without jumping all over the neck. The reason you can do this is on what ever chord you are on you can quickly see where the root of the next chord is in that area. You then will have a certain chord pattern memorized based on where that root is located on whether it be on the E A D G B or high E strings.

By using just patterns you are limiting your possibilities and even if you can figure out how to play another chord in the same area of the neck as the last one you need to first find a pattern you are familiar with and then figure out where the next one would connect. By this time the third chord is already there. Isn't it much easier to know "Hey there is a D there at the 7th fret so I can play a Dm7 there"? If you memorized what a minor 7 pattern with the root on the G string is then boom you are there in a split second!

Hey a person that just wants to learn to play some songs could do just that and never have a clue of what they are doing when it comes to creating something or analyzing the song they just learned. You could also just learn one box shape of the pentatonic shape and create solos and improvise for the rest of your life. This is fine if that is as far as you want to go. You can also be fine if you have your scale positions memorized and a few area's where you can play chords. Nothing wrong with that! There are some great players out there that can play fine like this. This does not mean that they could not be even better players if they learned the notes on the neck and music theory.

If you are happy with where you are then don't worry about it but if you really want to get to the next level learn the notes on the neck and your music theory!

Music theory takes a bit more work but learning the notes on the neck is very easy! You are putting more effort into resisting learning them then what it takes to actually learn them. If you memorize the notes on the E and A strings you can use your octaves to find all the rest of the notes on the neck. It really takes little effort. Just continual repetition to ingrain them in.

Let me ask you this. If you don't know your notes on the neck that how are you sure that the A minor at the 5th fret is actually an Am and not a Bm? Just because you have seen it done this way in books? I would guess that if I asked you to play a D on the E string you could find that right? Learning the rest of the notes on the neck is no more difficult then that.

So in the end I think yes is depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are just enjoying yourself and having fun then maybe it is not that important. If you want to become a more serious competent musician then learn the notes on the neck!

Also never compare yourself with guitar hero's. For one I believe some of these artist like to dummy down what they know in there interviews. Like Slash for instance. He may not be a scholar in music theory but I suspect he knows a little more then what he lets on. Even if he or others are not dummying things down they have a natural talent that makes up for it. Only about 10% of the guitar players out there have this natural talent and can get away without knowing this stuff. The other 90% of us need to put the work in. Always remember that these guys are the exception to the rule not the rule!

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44 Reply by don p

(16 replies, posted in How to Start)

Make them learn it again! This is where working on something they want works to your benefit. You can tell them they need to work on this stuff before we move onto the next part in the song. It becomes a good bargaining chip.

There are certain things you can let go and others they just plain need to know. Learning the names of the strings and the numbering them is something they need to do. It's not that hard. If they can't do that then all I can say is good luck with them. Do you give them a sentence for memorizing the strings?

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45 Reply by don p

(9 replies, posted in Music Theory)

You don't have to memorize every single note on the neck just memorize the natural notes. If you need a # or b note just find a natural note and go up or down a fret.

One of the things is what happens when someone says play an Am,G,Dm and an Em for me. You don't want to be stuck to playing open chords. You want to be able to play the bar chord versions of these chords also. You want to be able to do this instantly and not go through a whole process of trying to figure it out. Everybody will be looking at you and be a bit ticked off. If you absolutely don't know your notes at all then they will have to show you where to put your fingers and that is just an embarrassing situation to be in.

Also is you are improvising in say E miinor in the first few frets of the neck and you want to jump up to the higher frets things can be a little easier if you know where the E notes are up there. You can quickly jump up to the E and you will know the pattern that goes with this. I'm talking beyond just jumping up an octave. If you know where all the E's are on the neck you will be able to jump around the neck effortlessly and not depend on working your way up or down the patterns or jumping up to the octave.

The more you know the fret board the better the musician you will be!

These are just a couple reasons why knowing the notes can help but there are tons more and I'm sure others out there can add to this.

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46 Reply by don p

(16 replies, posted in How to Start)

The key here though is balance. You need to make sure they are playing some actual music along with learning theory and the other things. Most of the students that come in the door will never go on to become professional musicians. They just want to learn to play their favorite songs. If this is not part of their lessons there is a good chance that after awhile they will leave. When their friend who is taking lessons for this other guy can already play 10 songs and all this kid can do is play exercises it won't be long before they leave and move onto the other teacher. I wish more students realized the importance of learning this stuff but all they really care about it playing the songs.

Even with advanced students I need to remind them to put some actual music in their routines. I stress the importance of applying all their techniques to actual improvising, creating their own songs or analyzing there favorite songs. Over and over I have got intermediate to advanced students that can't understand why they are stuck and can't make it to the next level. They say they practice for 2-3 hours a day but they seem to be getting nowhere. The first thing I ask is do they have some actual playing of music in there practice routine.  Many times they don't. It's easy to get into a rut of doing nothing but practicing exercises, working on theory and so on but forget why they are doing all of this. It's to play music!

I tell all of my students no matter if they are a beginner or and advanced player that it is essential to have something in your routine that is just plain fun to do. This is essential for keeping your inspiration up. Just playing scales and exercises will burn you out and ultimately turn playing the guitar into a chore rather then something fun to do.

My approach is to combine both approaches into one. We always work on something I think they need to work on like some theory, technique or ear training type stuff and also a song they like or having them create a song of their own.

I also make sure when possible to take what we are working on and have them do something musical with it. There is alot of improvising and composing in my lessons in both lead and rhythm. Just learning techniques is useless. You need to know how to apply these techniques to actual music.

So the key to keeping your students is a balance of a little of what they want and a little of what you want. Also always keep reminding them of why they are working on all these things you are giving them to do. It's to play actual music!

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47 Reply by don p

(16 replies, posted in How to Start)

Whether a student has natural talent or not makes not difference. You need to teach both of them. They both have their benefits and challenges. Most students will be in the second group.

The only secret formula is to give them a little of what they want and have them do a little of what you want them to do. You tell them ok we will work on that as long as you also work on this.

It's just a simple fact that if they are not enjoying there selves they will eventually quit. I recommend to anybody that they should be working on something they really enjoy within their daily practice routine. If all you do is scales and exercises everyday you will burn out and maybe even quit after awhile. Everything you work on will not be a load of fun but having something in your routine that you really enjoy doing is essential to keep you motivated.

So if there is a secret to teaching that would be it. Make sure they are working on something they enjoy along with the other things that may not be so fun to work on.

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48 Reply by don p

(17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)

You can set it up both ways. I have it set up in my sonar recording program. It's great! You just jam and run through the drum patterns trying them out and when you hear one that fits well you just grab it and drop it strait into the midi track in your recording program.

I usually set up a general drum track and go back in and add in the cymbals manually. Alot easier then my old Alesis sr 16 drum machine!

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49 Reply by don p

(17 replies, posted in Your Recordings)

Sounded pretty good there Olly! I have a habit of going a little crazy with the licks. I need to bring more melody back into my playing. I have to get my butt going and get back into recording again. I barley pick up the guitar anymore besides teaching my students. Getting bogged down with the business side of things.

By the way I also have Ez drummer. I love that program!

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50 Reply by don p

(13 replies, posted in Music Theory)

In strict theoretical terms the Bm does not fit in the key but since the B dim is very ugly sounding you can sub both the Bm or Bbmajor. I teach my students these two alternatives. B5 is what you would actually see more being subbed. Take a look at some metal tunes. It's subbed all over the place. Enter Sandman is one that comes strait to mind. It's in the key of E minor so you would have E minor, F#dim and G major. You play a regular F#5 chord. No flattened 5th. They also play the F5 chord in spots which is the bII power chord which along it the bV power chord is used alot in metal tunes to give that more sinister evil sound to the progressions.

The Bdim is just a very ugly sounding chord. With some practice you can get some good use out of it but for beginners they are not going to be able to create something where it will sound too good.

Don't get me wrong I also make sure when they are memorizing the diatonic chords they memorize it using the VII chord as diminished. I just explain these subs to them.

The one thing I ingrain into my students heads is it's called music theory not music rules. If your ear tells you something sounds good then it is good!

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