A Cheat Sheet Book to Maximize Guitar Practicing, Guitar Lessons, and Jam Sessions

TOMMY GORDON

Shred On Your Guitar Like a Demi-God (for rock, jazz, pop, and blues guitarists)
A Cheat Sheet Book to Maximize Guitar Practicing, Guitar Lessons, and Jam Sessions 

Copyright © 2014, 2015 Tommy Gordon, Fretboard Media Group. 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. 

Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms. Finally, use your own judgement. Nothing in this book is intended to replace common sense, legal, or any other professional advice, and is meant only to inform and entertain the reader. 

The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read his work. Please leave a review wherever you bought the book. 

Thank you for supporting my work. 

ISBN: 978-1-51232-157-9
First Edition, v.1.5 Published by Fretboard Media Group 

Dedication

For the love of my life and our little girl:
You two are so amazing. Thank you for everything.

PREFACE

A Guitar Player's Guide to Simple Practicing, for all styles 

Whether you're a musician taking lessons or completely self- taught, this is the book that helps you simplify your music by changing your attitude about guitar lessons and, more importantly, about your practicing. You can't achieve ultimate mastery of your instrument without rethinking the way that you practice, jam, or rehearse your music. Whether you play solo, or with a band, this is the quick read that every guitarist needs, complementing many other useful music instruction and guitar music books. 

Learn to Quickly Shred Across Your Complete Fretboard with Ninja Arpeggios and Permutations 

This is an HONEST guitar music guide with takeaways for absolute beginners and for seasoned pros. The principal guitar practice techniques presented in the book are applied to all the music that you're already playing or writing, and are not about creating new separate abstract exercises. These arpeggios and permutation exercises will have you completely shredding across your guitar fretboard in no time, especially with your improved practice time efficiency. 

Do you need this book? 

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not making enough progress with my playing." 

"I play my guitar all the time, but I just can't seem to really get better."

"I love playing the guitar, but I don't have a lot of time." 

"I wish I could figure out a better way to work on my music."

"When I practice something, I can't seem to keep it under my fingers for very long."

"I don't actually practice, but I do play in a band and/or at jam sessions. I'm not even sure where to start."

"I have a million things I want to practice, but have trouble making priorities."

"I'm taking regular lessons with somebody, but I'm often overwhelmed or confused by what I'm doing." 

If any of this sounds familiar, then please keep reading. This book is for you. 

- This is a book for all those guitar players who SAY they practice, but don't really, and can't understand WHY they don't get better!

- This is a book for all those guitarists who DO practice regularly, and are STILL frustrated by their progress. 

- This is a book for all those guitar players who JAM, and GIG, and have BAND PRACTICE, and think that all that counts as serious practice on their axe. (HINT: It does not!) 

SHRED. Let's begin...

Chapter One:

INTRODUCTION

I WANT TO THANK you for checking out my new book! Well, now I've done it. Wow! I'm telling the world HOW TO SHRED. (Actually I'm telling you how to more efficiently practice so you WILL really shred!) 

Yes.
How. To. Shred. 

SHRED. Yes, every guitar style has it. Rock, jazz, blues, metal, r&b, country, funk music, and more all have guitarists who SHRED! It's the "flow" that comes from real control of your music and your axe. It's the ability to almost levitate with your guitar. Sure it's speed and chops and technique, but it's mostly about an amazing sense of control. It's really awe-inspiring when you see it... 

[Take a moment here and daydream (with me) about the best guitarist you've ever seen live, and how it really affected you! I just thought of a 

couple AWESOME shows I saw early on that really inspired me to work hard on my guitar playing! These guys made it look effortless.] 

And for many guitarists, seeing that "control and mastery" displayed as a great performance is a big part of the attraction that made us want to become musicians in the first place! 

You know what I mean. 

But seriously (you ask) what's up with the "demi-god" thing in the title? (Well, you know... half-human, half-immortal... it seemed to fit!) When players have that kind of amazing control, total command, boundless ability, and incredible focus with their instrument, and then music just seems to flow out of their fingers-- almost effortlessly -- I needed a good word for that! Shred like a DEMI-GOD! 

Why This?

So let me first say that I've always wanted to write THIS kind of guitar book. Music books don't have to be all the same... And I wrote it because these are ideas, powerful concepts, and a few exercises I really wanted to share with you -- my fellow musicians. 

And I wrote it because I've been looking for this book for a long time! 

What do I mean? 

Several (perhaps many!) moons ago, this is the book I absolutely NEEDED to read. This was the book I was searching for when I first started getting serious about playing my music, but I just couldn't find it anywhere. 

And more importantly, this book is filled with the actual answers to some questions I barely knew to ask back then! These are concepts that would have saved me a lot of time and heartache. I also spent countless hours, and a bunch of cash, seeking out the perfect guitar teacher(s) to help me figure out some of this stuff. But for me, the answers were elsewhere... 

So here is the book that I believe that many musicians will find valuable to their personal and professional development as a guitarist. And I sincerely hope this book helps you! 

Yes, I've been a musician for a sorta-long time, and I can tell you that there is a lot of crazy stuff out there that people say you "really have to know" as a player. When I think back, I remember that all sorts of really crazy people told me all sorts of really crazy things that they thought I should know about being a guitarist and musician. 

The funny thing is that quite a few of those people weren't even really solid musicians themselves. But for some reason they had so much crap they REALLY needed to tell me about how to actually be one! You know the type, right? Hmmmm. Air smack to face of an unhelpful guitar critic. The real stuff is in here, the filler isn't. 

But this book isn't about me... it's REALLY about you! To you, the guitarist and reader, I make two promises right now: 

First, this book is about KEEPING IT REAL, being painfully -- often brutally honest, and sharing real stuff about music, life, practicing guitar, woodshedding, jamming, and more. 

Why? Because life is way too short for more crap or more filler! That's why I call this a CHEAT SHEET book... so you can read this stuff FAST and GET BACK TO IT! You really don't need any other sort of guitar book right now! If you really think about the concepts presented here, refine your practicing, and work through what I've given you -- you will see results! 

And second, I promise that this book will GIVE YOU some real lasting value. Sure the price you paid (unless it was FREE!) was probably not much more money than a cup of coffee and a bagel, or a beer and a pretzel or what-not, but 

I BELIEVE that if you get at least one kernel of useful MAGIC GOLD out of this book, then this book has fulfilled its purpose. 

And I know you will, because this book already ROCKS! (Stay with me pop stars, jazzers, and blues peeps!)

My real sense is that you'd think this book was a complete bargain at 10X the price because it includes many practical topics BEYOND those stereotypical "101 Coolest American Guitar Riffs" books, or cool play-in-the-styles books, or guitar books all about the best gear to buy. (Yes I admit it, I bought a bunch of those books too!) 

Simply, I want to talk about the problems we all share as developing musicians, and how to fix those problems. 

How did I get to this point where I felt that I had to write this? Sure.. I was in various early bands as a self-taught player, then I had a whole mess of teachers, got more serious, played with a huge assortment of players (good, bad, and nearly legendary!), and I've been playing/ gigging/touring/recording for quite some time. 

But you'll find that this book isn't just filled with just my experienced- musician advice to you. This book actually contains my ideas and perspectives, mixed with the BEST ADVICE I'VE EVER HEARD, as well! Sometimes as a musician you're told a single idea by an older musician, and a few years later you realize that it was SO TRUE and critically important... That's what I want to share here as well. 

This book is intended for musicians of any level, and guitarists of any style. This is the stuff that always made the most sense to me. It resonated in ways that made it all real, and made me really progress as a player. 

So for you reading this: Take only from this book what you need, what you're ready to deal with, and what you can incorporate now into your musical reality. And read it in any order, if you'd like. Read it all in one sitting, or read a little bit, and go SHED! 

I do suggest that you simply NOD your head when it's something you already know or already happen to agree with. But as you go through, make sure to look for that one game-changer IDEA for your particular level and style of playing -- then leave me a stellar review if you'd like -- and go back and SHRED some more! 

SHRED like there's no tomorrow. 

Here is the "How to practice, how to get better, how to jam" everything book, in just a handful of pages! I wrote this because I really want you to be the best guitarist you can be. I REALLY want you to succeed. Any player at any stage who really thinks about these simple concepts can make serious progress. 

So, let's get started.

Chapter Two:

TAKING LESSONS OR NOT?

SO DUDE, DO I need to be taking lessons to get a lot out of your book? No. 

So yeah, if I'm actually taking lessons now, will I still need your book?" Yes. 

Okay, let me explain. 

I have known the most amazing self-taught, self-starter, completely motivated guitarists on the face of this wonderful green earth who NEVER EVER took a lesson a DAY in their life. And they were bad-ass, nasty musicians, who played such great things with passion and depth, that they were truly inspiring... 

True. 

But I have also known musicians who got to a ceiling in their playing, sought out a great guitar teacher (or a few), and continued to get better and better over time. And they were bad-ass, nasty musicians, who played such great things with passion and depth, that THEY were truly inspiring... 

Also true. 

But here's your first reality check: 

These self-taught players, or those who claimed that they "only played by ear" actually DID take lessons! Of course they did. 

Huh? 

Every one of the songs they heard on the radio, at live performances and gigs, or on recordings (records, CDs, tapes, mp3s, or videos) -- anything that they EVER used to figure out what and how to play... every one of those tracks was a lesson! If you sit down with a classic John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Dimebag Darrell, Steve Jones, Joe Beck, Freddie Stone, Emily Remler, Alex Lifeson, Nels Cline, Les Paul, Jimmy Nolen, or Steve Vai recording, you're essentially using your EAR to take a real guitar lesson with that player (whether they're living or dead!). 

But you need to really, really LISTEN to any of them to understand what they're telling you about the guitar... (And if you don't know the playing of some of the guitarists listed ABOVE, then do yourself a favor and check them out!) 

Every one of their performances or recordings displays a personal musical approach to the guitar. It's the sound, energy, and timbre that they played through their melodies, harmonies, and rhythms and it can be very instructive. When you're truly recognizing these musical choices by these guitarists, it helps you to decide what you want to work on to enhance your own abilities. 

Now, back to that other guitar player above who WAS taking lessons. He only really gets his act together as a musician when he or she really starts playing by ear, pulling all the pieces together, internalizing his/her practicing, and trusting themselves completely. Or to see it another way, until THEY FULLY BECOME their own teacher. So for all musicians, notice that our development is actually very similar... 

But now, let's take a quick look at taking regular guitar lessons, and how this fits into your plans for shredding... 

Chapter Three:

STUDY WITH A TEACHER

FOR THOSE MUSICIANS WHO reach a point where they sense that they aren't progressing, or those at a complete loss with the direction of their music, a great teacher can be a huge relief. Many musicians will get better so much faster with the help of an older, more experienced master/mentor musician to help them. 

Makes sense... 

Sometimes you just need an outsider to tell you what you should be working on. And maybe you also need someone to listen objectively as you play. A great guitar teacher will also watch your hands as you play, and help you to develop more technique, reduce fatigue, maximize your control, and increase your overall results. 

I agree that another set of eyes and ears is quite powerful and useful for us, and that's really the best part. Plus if you need someone to help you get better at sight-reading notation (or tab), understand music theory, or to introduce a completely NEW musical concept, then a teacher is, of course, invaluable. 

I think it's quite a great thing -- the process of taking private guitar lessons. Some of my best teachers radically helped change my playing -- in what felt like really unbelievable ways. 

So lessons are good, and guitar teachers are cool. (Yeah!) 

But as long as you know that one of the most important aspects of private lessons, the regularity of the lessons, is ALSO a complete crutch. 

Many young -- or not so young -- guitarists stay with their lessons only because they feel like they need the external deadline to get any real work done. "Work on this thing... or learn this song by next week." 

That's okay, but for the long haul, you need to develop your internal drive and practice organization as well. It just plain FEELS GREAT TO GET BETTER, and that's a very important thing to remember, so you don't need to trick yourself into progressing.

If you use the weekly/monthly lesson just to leverage yourself to get some work done on your guitar, then you're kind of missing the point. 

The pressure of demonstrating your work at regular lessons is also supposed to be part of the stimulus to help you finally figure out HOW TO PRACTICE! (We'll get more into this later!) 

But when stressed out students drop their lessons, they usually do so because they feel overwhelmed with their backlog of guitar work. The original problem is still there for those students -- not knowing their musical direction or how to practice -- and now they don't even have the mentor. 

See how tricky this is? Now, let's quickly look at self-directed study for the guitar...

Chapter Four:

SELF-DIRECTED STUDY

SINCE I BELIEVE THAT self-directed study is really the goal of all musicians, then I say the sooner you get there the better. 

You really don't need a teacher (for very long) -- because you must become your own (lifelong) teacher. 

(Before you get too upset -- I imagine even guitarists studying in college/ university/conservatory music programs around the country probably know they don't really "need" a teacher either, so they just try to take what they need from their regular meetings with a veteran musician, while continuing to work on developing their own sound.) 

Think about it. You already know what you have to work on, you already know what you want to sound like, and you probably know EXACTLY what you have to do, so why even waste the fifteen minutes or more in the car driving to a lesson when that time could be spent SHREDDING and SHEDDING on your axe. (Not trying to put music teachers out of work here!) But once you arrive at a certain level of "seriousness of purpose" as a musician, then going to a teacher is very often more of a security blanket than it is a necessity. 

(And seriously, why spend cash money on unnecessary lessons, when you can use your new-found dough to buy all your friends copies of my book!) Boom. 

Study Your iPod and/or CD Collection 

B.B. King, Ry Cooder, John Mayer, Bern Nix, Keb Mo, Bo Diddley, Robert Fripp, Jimmy Johnson, and many many others... (you get the idea!), then you realize that we're all set. We actually have ALL THE TEACHERS that we'll ever need. 

Seriously, when you realize that every live or studio session on your mp3 player/CD player is actually a high-octane music lesson with guitarists like Grant Green, Pat Metheny, Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, 

These are great, super-great, and often-legendary musicians who can teach us about feel, energy, drive, direction, technique, passion, self-expression, and development of that overall personal sound you want as a guitarist. (Plus the more folk, rock, jazz, pop, metal, country, blues guitar players you hear, the more you'll find the clues to your own individual sound, style, and approach that much faster.) 

The answers are ALL in the recordings. Period. 

Every time I think about this I want to just put on my headphones, and get lost in my music collection for the rest of the day! 

So now let's talk about practicing...

Chapter Five:

HOW TO PRACTICE - ALL STYLES

PRACTICING GUITAR IS LIKE climbing a mountain. (A stunning, snow-capped mountain!) It's really got to be step by step. And it's better to work out a system to get slow and steady progress over a long period of time RATHER than have short spurts of development, followed by long periods of musical stagnation. 

When you consider how we develop as musicians -- how we really get our act together and SHRED -- most guitarists are really confused. So what's the source of all this confusion? 

Simple.

We actually don't know how to practice. That's it. PERIOD.

We really don't know how to practice. 

We might think we do, but most of us don't. We grab our axe, switch on the amp, grab a pick, and just start playing. 

But we waste so much time! 

And today's wasted time, with last week's, last month's, and last year's wasted time shows us why we're not playing much better right now!

But aren't we practicing if the guitar's out and we're jamming? 

Sure, maybe we're just warming up. That's fine. 

But if you ask most guitarists about how long they practice each day or each week, and what percentage of that time is spent playing things that they can already do, you'd know why most players don't progress. 

They're not actually working on anything. 

They might learn a new song or two, but most amateur musicians spend the majority of their time playing/practicing what they can already do, and never really work to seriously extend those abilities. 

We all know musicians like this. They sound EXACTLY the same as when you first heard them play. No better. No worse. And actually all the playing, gigging, sessions, and "practicing" that they HAVE done 

has only managed to keep them at the same level. They are regularly "paddling" in their musical waters, but not really going anywhere at all... And sadly, all their years of music-making is essentially "maintenance" for their current performance level. 

Yikes. (That's pretty scary!) 

So we need to really discuss PRACTICING the guitar. 

In this chapter, we'll talk about a change in your general attitude and approach to practicing, and then we'll lay out a few sample practice plans. 

Better Attitude about Practice Time 

Let's start with the big picture about how you approach your guitar... 

GAME CHANGER #1: 

You must start by assuming that every one of your practice sessions can have a permanent, lasting effect on your guitar playing. If you approach your time this way, you'll realize that each day you can be making these small, permanent improvements. It's very empowering. 

GAME CHANGER #2: 

Go into your practice time with the idea that you need to get some very, very specific work done, and then accomplish that goal only. If you have more time, work on your next goal. Be more focused. 

GAME CHANGER #3: 

Shut off all distractions, stay off your phone, the internet, etc, and have a specific plan of action. Develop your ability to really concentrate! 

GAME CHANGER #4: 

Have an idea of the ACTUAL amount of time you have available, and deliberately make use of what you have. If you only have 45 minutes to practice before you need to leave the house, then don't mess around with a long warm-up. 

GAME CHANGER #5: 

Keep notes and get organized! Keeping a practice log or a woodshed notebook really helps keep me focused on what I'm trying to accomplish in the near and long-term. And I can write down specific problems, issues, and reminders for my next practice session (like tunes, metronome markings, etc). That already makes me 100% more efficient with my time. Write down your musical goals! 

GAME CHANGER #6: 

Be very specific about what your practicing. I also like to list all the various topics I'm working on in my practice book, and I try to schedule my practice time to hit all of my "topics." Some guitar players ONLY practice songs, but I try to spend time on tunes, exercises, technique issues, ear training, chord voicings, and more. 

GAME CHANGER #7: 

I try to always have real fun while I practice... then it's never hard. Enjoy the work AND enjoy the benefits of playing better! 

SAMPLE PRACTICE PLANS

So what happens if you only have an hour a day to spend with your guitar? Maybe a little time in the late afternoon or in the evening, perhaps after dinner... How can you be more efficient with your time? 

Take a look at these sample individual practice session plans, and adapt them in any way that fits your music, your current practicing, and your goals. 

One-Hour Practice Session: 

Ten (10) Minutes Warm-Up. 10 Minutes Scales And/Or Arpeggios. 15 Minutes On Song #1. 15 Minutes On Song #2. 10 Minutes On Ear Training. 

Two-Hour Practice Session: 

(First Hour): 10 Minutes Warm-Up. 10 Minutes Scales/ Arpeggios. 20 Minutes On Song #1. 10 Minutes On Soloing/Improvising. 10 Minute Break. (Second Hour): 15 Minutes Scales/Arpeggios. 20 Minutes On Song #2. 15 Minutes On Song #3. 10 Minutes On Ear Training. 

Three-Hour Practice Session: 

(First Hour): 10 Minutes Warm-Up. 10 Minutes Scales/ Arpeggios. 20 Minutes On Song #1. 10 Minutes On Soloing/Improvising. 10 Minute Break. (Second Hour): 15 Minutes Scales/Arpeggios. 20 Minutes On Song #2. 20 Minutes On Song #3. 5 Minute Break. (Third Hour): 10 Minutes Scales/Arpeggios, Other Technical Exercises. 30 Minutes On Songs #1, 2, And 3. 10 Minutes On Soloing/Improvisation. 10 Minutes On Ear Training. 

Twenty-Minute Practice Session: 

5 Minute Warm-Up. 5 Minute Arpeggios. 10 Minutes On Song #1. 

So let me point out a couple of things about these practice plans: 

• You want to try to cover a wide variety of topics in a single session, but not too many that there will be no permanent improvements 

• Plus, the variety of practice activities mixed with short breaks and ear training means that these plans are very scalable for guitarists to practice for four, five, six or more hours a day without burn-out. 

The other thing to notice is that even a very short session with your guitar can be well-structured to include warm-ups, technical work, and working on a tune. 

(**Look at the table BELOW and think about your practice time. What is your current daily or weekly routine?) 

Now let's talk about these SHRED arpeggio exercises... 

Chapter Six:

GLOBAL PRACTICE IDEAS

IF YOU'RE READING THIS book and looking for some good fretboard workouts, let me suggest the most basic and MOST POWERFUL practice regimen I've ever found: it's a ninja arpeggio permutation exercise that's central to ALL of my practicing. And the best part is that this works over ANY SONG you already play, and whatever music you're working on. 

First let's discuss a few more global practice ideas, then we'll get to those arpeggios and permutations. The first two have to do with expanding your tempo comfort zones, and the third is a way for guitarists to make sure they REALLY internalize any song they play. 

BUILD UP TO FAST TEMPOS: 

Always try to practice your music so that you can play it at a tempo much faster than you need. You want to increase your SPEED comfort level -- like a ceiling above your head -- to a level that's much higher than you'll likely ever need. If you develop a sense of relaxed control on your guitar at really fast tempos, it filters back into all of your playing. It has a great (psychological) effect on all of your comparatively slower tempos -- they all feel much easier! 

CONTROL AT SLOW TEMPOS: 

Be sure to ALSO play all the songs you're working on at a very, very slow speed to build up the other side of your sense of control, calm, and musical patience. Being able to hold a song together at less than <40 BPM on the metronome -- without rushing -- is great for your overall command of the guitar. Soloing, strumming, and comping should eventually feel very natural and organic down here, and will give you a greater expressive range over a much wider set of tempos and time-feels. 

LEARN ALL YOUR MELODIES: 

Try to practice through all your songs by playing the full melody, even if you don't generally play it in your guitar part. (For most styles, this means that the guitar players must actually learn to play the lead vocal parts, which is really great for understanding the song's overall architecture, and such an amazing lesson for the ears!) Jazz musicians realize that improvising is a kind of 'theme and variations,' so being able to play the main theme (melody) is actually required to be able to take a logical solo. But for ALL styles of music, many chordal players simply ignore the melody, and either play rhythm parts or take a solo. Internalizing the entire "tune" from the top down will help your ears and overall musicianship immensely. 

NINJA ARPEGGIOS AND PERMUTATIONS EXERCISE

Here is an exercise meant to help you break patterns on your instrument, deepen your harmonic and melodic knowledge, and shred over every tune in your arsenal. I find that
it's just as powerful as playing through scales slowly, but it has the added benefit of creating interesting angular, broken-chord melodies. 

So let's get started... I've found that this Arpeggio and Permutation exercise is the best way to do rigorous "technical" work on the guitar without straying too far from the tunes, songs, and pieces you actually play. These arpeggios work for triadic songs (3-note chords), as well as extended harmony seventh-chord compositions (4+ note chords), common in jazz, funk, and r&b, among other styles. 

It's also a good way to play continuously through any song which really helps your musical stamina, drive, rhythm, forward motion, and overall chops. (And yes... it can be easily adapted from common-time 4/4 to other meters as necessary.) 

For this book, I decided that since the permutations will later contain a wide array of interesting musical shapes and contours, it's probably better to internalize this exercise using just numbers rather than with musical notation or tablature. This shouldn't be a reading exercise -- it's about execution of these lines, breaking patterns that you already play, and really hearing these harmonies. 

So let's begin... 

Play through any entire song (in 4/4) with 4-note chord arpeggios in every bar (playing only quarter notes). If you're playing triads, then start by playing the Root-3rd-5th-Octave (R-3-5-8). For jazz, funk, or other styles with extended harmonies, play the full seventh chord: R-3-5-7. Do this at several increasingly faster tempos with your metronome. (It's also pretty fun to do this at band practice with your bass player, keyboard player, drummer, and others.) 

The goal is to play continuous lines -- very smooth and with great control -- all the way through a composition playing chord-tone notes on all four beats of each measure. 

After you feel comfortable with four in each bar, now play all 8th notes. 

For measures with a single chord, just play the pattern twice: R358R358 or R357R357. (Counted in 4/4, this is obviously: 1+2+3+4+.) Do this exercise at various tempos, gradually getting faster and faster, but always maintaining maximum control. 

When you're ready to change the basic patterns, just move the four or eight notes around into a different order, or permutation. Now this really starts to get interesting... 

Remember, the power of this kind of arpeggio permutation guitar practicing is that you're always applying this to YOUR OWN MUSIC. Instead of new exercises that have no connection to what you play, these are powerful exercises that you can work on over cover tunes, blues, rock classics, jazz standards, and even your own original music. 

And as you take apart the harmony of these songs and put it back together with this kind of playing, the transformations on your guitar will really surprise you. 

Of course, the other really LIMITLESS aspect to this kind of practice is that you can move it all around the fretboard, and play it across different strings so there are many variations. 

Do we need to go to sixteenth notes? 

No, not necessarily. With these 8th note patterns at a number of different tempos, your surface speed will increase dramatically. So I actually don't think practicing 16th note patterns really matters at this point. Personally, I just keep increasing the speed of the exercise so that the eighth-notes are more and more challenging. But if your music could use the sixteenth note workouts based on how your chords move, then by all means practice it that way. 

So back to our permutations... 

Make sure you also play the 4-note patterns that begin with the fifth (5), the third (3), and octave (8) or the seventh (7) of each chord. Then you'll start to realize how much is really here! These exercises will give you an incredible workout for years to come! 

As you can see, this can get VERY advanced with a couple of simple steps. First, try playing the lines over two octaves rather than just repeated in place. Done this way the pattern 35R8 could then move up a MAJOR THIRD to the pattern 35R8 in the next octave. This octave change process makes all of these lines even more interesting, useful, and challenging. With a repeated chord lasting longer than a single measure of 4/4, it's possible to go up additional octaves as well. 

The other amazing step in practicing these ARPEGGIO PERMUTATIONS is the ability to mix and match the permutation patterns. 

Let me give you an example... 

So with a measure of G7, instead of doing a two-octave pattern of 7R53 (F-G-D-B) up to 7R53 in the next octave, you can change patterns after the first grouping. So perhaps a line of 7R53 could be followed by R735 in the next octave and would prove to be very productive. Over G7, this would be (F-G-D-B) and then up a minor sixth to (G-F-B-D). 

[The 7R53-R735 arpeggio permutation example above is shown in G, C, and D -- all with dominant seventh chords It's not just a repeated exercise. It's written this way to give you enough material to take through a basic 12-bar blues on G7, C7, and D7. And once you can hear the contour of the lines, play the same basic shape in other keys: blues in E, A, D, F#, etc.]

If this level of arpeggios and permutations is too difficult for you to plug into a complete song at first, just play it over some single-chord vamps or through a straightforward I-IV-V blues! But remember that if you start any tune slowly enough, anything is playable once you really understand what you're doing. 

Here's another variation, with some displaced octaves: 

For more advanced players, realize that the notes in these patterns can be substituted, and then you can just start all over again. For example, R358 can be changed to 2358, which gives us the sound of a triad with a ninth. For seventh chords, try R357 as a R235, 2357, R256, R347, R267, and more. The octaves in any of these patterns can also be displaced (as above) to add wider leaps to the lines and melodies, or to make the arc of the music more fluid -- depending on the pattern. 

You see all the possibilities? Amazing stuff! Just always write down what you're doing in your practice log, and approach these lines one at a time. 

And if this exercise seems way too intellectual, it's really not. Just remember to always sing along with these broken chords and intervals, and you'll start to hear all sorts of shifting melodies in these lines. It's very, very musical stuff. 

This is also a good time to remind you of the NEED to enjoy the process of working through these challenges on your instrument. Have fun, and remember to be patient with yourself while you practice! 

Now let's have an honest talk about rehearsals, sessions, and band practices...

Chapter Seven:

JAM SESSION/REHEARSALS - BEST PRACTICES

JAM SESSIONS, BAND PRACTICE, and rehearsals with other players can be both VERY productive, and also a serious time-waster for musicians. 

Don't get me wrong, I love playing with a band. When I play my guitar alongside a great bass player and a grooving drummer, it's one of the best feelings in the world. Don't you agree? Add other instruments, or a singer, and the guitar still plays a central role in most groups, and it's very, very cool. 

But I still have a problem with "band practice." The problem is the approach that many musicians take to these sessions and rehearsals. What do I mean? 

Even a group that's trying to rehearse for a specific gig might just get together and sort of hang out. That's cool, you're friends and it's a casual gathering too. 

But once they actually start "band practice" they often jam for a while on music that really doesn't need any specific work. (Sound familiar? It's that same mistake from individual practice!) Afterwards, the new material might just get played a couple times with hopes that the repetition will help pull the music together.

It's not too effective... 

Some sessions and rehearsals can just be purely social gatherings, and that's perfectly fine. And I know that some sessions are really just a chance to get together and play (without a public audience), and there really is no specific work to be accomplished. 

Okay, fine. Just jam. 

But where many musicians waste time and effort is with band practices that are actually supposed to help the group, and its members, get better. 

So here are a few ideas to help. 

If any of these ideas resonate with you, consider adapting what you do now, and/or discussing some of these with your group. 

Each rehearsal should have very specific goals that are agreed upon, in advance, by the members. "We will rehearse these two new tunes, and work on the transitions in this other song." Having musicians practice without a specific plan can create an overly casual attitude about playing together. And if everyone knows what the rehearsal is for, they can come prepared. 

It's fine to do a quick "warm up" with a familiar song, preferably one that needs a little work, but it should be a relatively solid performance to focus the group. The second piece, which should be the one that needs the most collective work, should be the most challenging of all the work to be done that day. It's best to work on this next because the players are warmed up, but still fresh enough for the intense concentration that might be needed. Always manage your practice time for energy, focus, and difficulty to give your group the chance to deliver its best results. 

It's best if the rehearsal starts at a very specific time, so musicians who need to make adjustments to their equipment, or have something else to do, know to get there early enough to be ready to play at the agreed time. Nothing is worse than ready musicians, while one player derails the whole schedule with some avoidable delay. (It also pisses people off!) 

Guests are not allowed at my rehearsals unless everyone agrees in advance. Over time you realize that outsiders can very often be disruptive and distracting to the session. 

The other really common time waster for rehearsals or sessions is drinking and/or partying. Sure, that's cool, but if that is what "band practice" means to you, your group/band/ensemble will take much longer to improve its sound. Somewhere along the way most of us have played or currently play with musicians who were functioning at less- than-100%, or partially intoxicated by something-or-other, and can HONESTLY admit that it doesn't create a real "working environment" for anyone. Enough said. (Not judging... most musicians can understand that it's better to just chill out and party AFTERWARDS.) 

These things remind me of the saying that the "players at the top work even harder" than amateur or semi-pro musicians. And they know what it takes to get those results... Maximizing individual time AND group time with your guitar is the key! 

Now let's talk about your ears...

Chapter Eight:

EAR TRAINING

THERE'S ONE GLOBAL ASPECT to music that WAY TOO MANY guitar players largely ignore. 

Ear Training. 

"They'll just develop, right?" (My ears...) 

Well, true... a bit. Over time your ears will just plain get better. Every gig you play, every session, even the recordings you listen to, combine to create a more attuned ear for music and all of its components. This is a really cool side effect of hanging in there, and playing your music and your guitar for a long time. 

But the problem is that waiting for your ears to develop this way, the organic and natural way of "on the job training," is really NOT enough, and it's also WAY TOO SLOW. 

Do you really want to have GREAT EARS right about the time that you're so old that you're beginning to lose your hearing. (Let's say that happens at about age 125? It is the 21st century, after all.) 

No. You want great ears now. 

Ear training takes a level of specific commitment and -- surprise, surprise -- a plan. Obviously transcribing -- or learning music directly from recordings -- helps a lot, but you also need to work other aspects of ear training. 

Whenever you listen to music, you know that you always have a choice to listen just for pleasure, or to listen on a somewhat analytical level where you can do some ear training like these ideas listed below: 

-As you listen to live or recorded music, focus on the bass part (or lowest register) and try to hear the root motion enough to help yourself figure out the basic chord progression. 

-Sing along with any and all parts of a recording: the melody, the solos, the bass, the percussion, and more. It's all useful. This is a great ear training strategy for all styles of music -- something you can do while flipping around on the radio. (I try to do this while I'm ALONE in the car!) Your ears will develop quickly if you do this a lot. 

-Listen to the chord qualities above any bass pitch, and try to identify the quality of the triads (major, minor, augmented, or diminished) and any seventh chords (major seventh, minor seventh, dominant seventh, diminished and half- diminished seventh). If you combine this with listening for the chord progressions in the bass part, you should eventually be able to list the full chords throughout a tune. 

-Listen for the contour of the melody, and try to identify the actual intervals from each note to the next. Was that a perfect fifth? Is that a minor seventh? For musicians who want to relate this exercise to all the songs they play, identify what you hear in comparison to intervals in your music. 

-Listen closely and try to identify the relationship of a melody note to its underlying chord (for example, "we're in the key of E, that's the IV chord (A) and that sounds like a B-natural in the melody.") If this sounds difficult, get started right away because it's a really great skill to have! 

-For complex harmonies and/or jazz changes, identify the full quality of each seventh chord with its natural, flat, or sharp tensions (9,11,13). Can you hear a major seventh with a #11? If not, just pick a couple basic harmonic sounds, and work on those until you have them. Then build up your skills from there.

That list should keep us all pretty busy, and will really tune up those ears! Musicians with better ears have a skill that immediately translates into better performances, because they are much more aware of their own playing, and their musical surroundings. 

Next up, a list of universal concepts for musicians to think about...

Chapter Nine:

UNIVERSAL CONCEPTS

IN THIS CHAPTER, I wanted to present some ideas and concepts that have really helped me in my development. These are more of my direct and honest thoughts about music, the guitar, and the musician lifestyle.

So here's a list of universal concepts that should help you... 

*Technique just for speed is overrated. Shred is really about control. Great players have real control, never just flash. 

*If you can't hear it -- really hear it in your ear-- you probably can't play it. Work on your ears! 

*Gear matters so little... perhaps not at all. Great music always transcends your guitar and your amp. Sure you need to be heard, but don't make this creative artistic journey about "equipment." Who cares about which pick, preamp, pedal, amp, or axe you have in your hands! What I care about when I hear a new guitarist is whether he/she has anything profound to say. 

*Real musicians (pro or not) always continue to learn, to grow, and to refine their playing. This is a lifelong pursuit people! (And even that won't be enough time...) 

*Technique should just be about what you actually need to get the job done musically. When you hear a different kind of playing in your imagination, that's when you'll need more technique. Rinse and repeat. 

*Styles of music really don't even matter. Great music is just GREAT. Superb musicians with something to say on their axe will transcend all boundaries. 

*When you play with others, don't just listen to yourself. Listen to your playing INSIDE the totality of the entire group. The sooner you do this, the better you'll sound. 

*Just because something is popular doesn't make it BAD. Right! And just because lots of people like something doesn't make it good for us to learn as musicians. And just because a style of music is old or "authentic" doesn't make it better. 

*I say go ahead and play the kind of music you love, but try to appreciate the rest. If you do that, you'll be opening up your mind all the time to fresh influences. Every single guitarist out there has something to teach you. 

*Music can be very serious, but it should also be FUN. 

*Playing in a group or in a band is actually a TEAM SPORT, and good sportsmanship always matters. 

*Stuff always goes wrong, we're humans first, then we're musicians and guitarists. Don't dwell on your bad gigs, rough sessions, or musical mistakes, instead just try to learn those underlying lessons, and move on. 

*Gigging and recording are very different things, so try to get your experiences early with both. 

*Listening to great music is actually half the battle for any musician. When you play, those great sounds will already be in your ears. 

*Writing music, in any style, is important for the development of musicians. Trying to write a really good piece of music has another benefit -- it also makes you appreciate what others have created. 

*A tip for playing with others: you know that phrase "when in doubt, lay out." Very powerful concept. If you don't know what to play, consider just stopping and really listening. You'll be very surprised. 

*Music can accomplish great things, bring lots of people together, and get your friends to smile. So what are you waiting for?

Chapter Ten:

FINAL THOUGHTS

YOU WANT CONTROL, MASTERY, fluency, chops, ideas, great ears, balance, creativity, and consistency. 

Simple. 

We all do. (That's why we keep at it.) 

To me, that's the definition of SHRED. We want to make the guitar SING in our hands. We want to be able to execute any of our musical ideas, right at the exact moment we have them. 

This book was written to help you with those goals. 

I sincerely hope that you have found at least one interesting, useful, and actionable step in this book that gets you one step closer to SHREDDING on your guitar. I'm very glad to help musicians at any stage of their journey. It's very cool for me to share this stuff... (especially with all of you future demi-gods). 

So thanks again for checking out my little guitar book. 

I encourage you to really plan your practice time, seriously restructure your rehearsal time, hunker down on some ear training, write some of your own music, and spin out all those arpeggios and permutations on the music that you're playing or writing. 

You'll be very glad you did.

Good practicing... and happy shredding.

Chapter Eleven:

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

HERE'S THE BONUS ROUND! 

Q. What kind of guitars do you have, do you like, or do you recommend? 

A. Guitars are like a buffet to me. Some nights I want ravioli, other days I want a burger or pizza, and sometimes I want sushi. It's a very personal decision based on so many factors, PLUS it doesn't really matter. Would I ever tell you who to date, or who your life-partner should be? I've seen HACKS with really fantastic gear completely embarrass themselves, and musician-poets with CRAP- guitars tear your heart out with their amazing playing. 

Q. Where can I see you play? 

A. I'm around, but this book is really all about YOU! Just work on YOUR magic and listen to the masters, that's all I ask.

Q. What strings, amps, picks do you use, do you like or do you recommend? 

A. Since every player's hands are different my answer is always the same. Use whatever feels right and helps you get the job done! After that, I don't really care about GEAR! 

Q. What style of music should a beginner start with? What's the most challenging style? 

A. Whatever style you start with is JUST A DOORWAY to the guitar, so just be glad you found a way in. All styles have their merits. Jump around -- nobody cares -- you'll be glad you did. And there are challenges everywhere, and in every style of music: for example, try not OVERPLAYING on one of your very, very slow tunes... that's tough! 

Q. So will you write more books on music? 

A. You betcha. This book needs company on my bookshelf. Thanks for asking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TOMMY GORDON has been a guitarist and a musician for what feels like a very long time. But it's been a great ride... He's gigged, toured, and done sessions with so many great, unknown great, and unknown lousy musicians, that he's come to realize that we really learn something absolutely every time we play. He's really glad you read his book, and he hopes you'll take the time to review it, since most people don't. If not, no worries. Happy shredding. 

Also by Tommy Gordon: 

INSPIRATION FOR GREAT SONGWRITING 

for pop, rock, jazz, blues, broadway, and country songwriters

AUTHOR'S NOTE

HERE IS THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES, 'DVD extras' part of this book. Go ahead and read it if you're interested, but don't worry if you skip it. 

Initially, I started writing a couple books to be able to share what I've learned along the way as a musician -- as you know -- and to be able to pass along some important ideas to a few students I've seen. But now that I've started writing, I love it. It's awesome... 

It's time-consuming, but it's fun -- yes, even when people don't totally dig your whole book. It's amazing when guitarists, musicians, and others from all over the country -- and across the world -- find value in some of your ideas. (And being a musician I already know that it is utterly impossible to please everyone, so I don't even try.) I'm simply aiming to write a useful book that covers the stuff I want to talk about, and that as a younger guitarist -- I would have wanted to read. A simple formula... like my own personal Coca-Cola. 

In the 'new' paperback edition, we've tried to solve the issue of the small music examples and those little permutation grids by re-engraving the entire book. Everything's bigger, there's 'call-out' text throughout the book, which is a modern magazine-style of layout design, and everything is hopefully more clean and clear. (Still plenty of graphics and icons to keep your guitarist eye happy!) 

The book is still in the 6x9 inch trade paperback because it's more of an ideas and concepts book than an exercise manual. That's why I didn't bump it up to 8x10 or something. (There are plenty of those 100% exercise books out there and maybe I'll write one of those too at some point.) I've also opted for a brand new, completely redesigned cover (which eventually will replace the ebook cover as well. This image will be the second for the paperback and third cover for the ebook (version 1.6), and I hope it doesn't confuse anyone... 

I'd also like to take a moment to thank all the readers, musicians, and students who have checked out this little book. The book and ebook versions have been available on Amazon, Createspace, Apple, Google, Kobo, Scribd, Inktera, Tolino, Barnes & Noble, Xinxii, and elsewhere for about a year as I'm writing this, and I'm very grateful for the response. You guys are regularly paying my electric bill, pizza for the family, and more. 

It's kind of sad when music royalties can be so regularly crappy (yes, Spotify, I'm looking at you!), but book royalties are a couple bucks here and there. (Nope, I'm not driving a convertible yet!) But the books have made enough scratch to validate the time, energy, and effort that I've put into them, which is downright awesome. Finally, if you'd like to get in touch, email me at TOMMYGORDONWRITER@GMAIL.COM, and I'll get back to you. Thanks again for reading my book!

SUBJECT INDEX

(Use device search for location)

A

Amazon

Apple 

amp 

arpeggios 

axe 

B

band (play in), (practice)

Barnes & Noble,

bass player

Beck, Joe

blues

C

CDs

chops

Cline, Nels

Coca-Cola

'comping

convertible

Cooder, Ry

country music

cover tunes 

Createspace

D

Darrell, Dimebag

Diddley, Bo

drummer

DVD

E

ear training

Ebook

eighth notes

electric bill

email (author)

F

folk music

fretboard

Fripp, Robert

funk

G

'game changer' 

Green, Grant

gig(s)

Goals

Google

Groove

guitar lessons

guitar pick

H

Hammett, Kirk

harmony

Hendrix, Jimi

I

improvising

Inktera

J

jamming

jazz music

jazz standards

Johnson, Jimmy

Jones, Steve

K

King, B.B.

Kobo

L

lessons, see guitar lessons

Lifeson, Alex

M

Mayer, John

McLaughlin, John

melodies

metal music

Meter

Metheny, Pat

Metronome

Mo, Keb

mp3

N

ninja

Nix, Bern 

Nole, Jimmy

O

octaves (displaced)

P

paperback (trade)

Paul, Les

Percussion

permutations

pizza 

pop stars

practice log/journal

practice plans

practice routine grid

practicing

preamp

Q

quarter notes

R

r&b

Remler, Emily

repertoire

Rhoads, Randy

rock music

royalties 

S

Scales

Scribd

self-taught

Sessions

seventh chords

shred

sixteenth notes

songwriting

speed

Spotify

Stone, Freddie

strings (guitar)

T

tablature

teacher (guitar)

technique

time

Tolino

triads

tunes

V

Vai, Steve

vamps

Van Halen, Eddie

W

warm-ups

woodshed

X

Xinxii

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Did you love Shred on Your Guitar Like a Demi-God: A Cheat Sheet Book to Maximize Guitar Practicing, Guitar Lessons, and Jam Sessions? Then you should read Why You Suck at Guitar: Learn the Top Ten Reasons Why You Don’t Sound or Play Better by Tommy Gordon!

Here's a book intended to challenge you. Here’s a book meant to inspire you. This book is a wake-up call to the global problems and roadblocks for you as a guitarist. This book is meant to be a reality check. Even if guitar playing is a hobby for you, your level of enjoyment and satisfaction will increase exponentially if you get better, start to like your playing and sound, and then continue to move forward. But if you aspire to be a part-time gigging and recording musician or full-time musician/guitarist, this book is filled with the ten reasons that are seriously holding you back. (It might even give you enough clues to help you teach guitar lessons for years to come!)

I want you to attack any or all of these problems that apply to you, and get your momentum back as a guitarist. I’ve always believed that the expression “momentum builds motivation” is the key to developing as a musician. Once you’re truly excited about your playing, your creativity, and your growth, amazing things can happen with your music.

If you’re here reading a book called “Why You Suck at Guitar” then it means that you’re finally ready to deal with those issues that plague aspiring musicians everywhere. It means that you’re brave. Brave enough to face the facts.

I wrote this to help you, and not to make you feel bad — or worse —  about your music. This is your wake-up call — a musician-to-musician intervention — with the goal of helping you get back on the right path. Music should be fun, and it’s always fun to get better. I wrote this to help all guitarists because I know that if we don’t like our sound, our abilities, or our playing, then music isn’t fun at all. It’s an annoying feeling.

By the way, if you’re just looking for a book of guitar exercises, that’s not what you’ll find here. If you wanted to buy another book of riffs that some random musician-author thinks every guitarist in the world should know, that’s fine -- but maybe you don’t understand what being a real musician means. 

What you need is clear. You need a personal sound — and that takes a very personal, grounded approach. That means that you need to deal with some big, global issues in your music-making and not worry about which new lick or riff will suddenly transform your playing.

On the other hand, if you’ve already totally decided what you — as a guitarist — need to do to get better, but you’re kind of pissy and stubborn about it, then may I suggest that you just go and do that thing. Don’t read this book to see if I can or will change your mind. Do what you want! Follow your musician instincts. If you pretty much know what you want as a musician, and you already have a sense about what you need to work on, seriously, just practice that!

But if you do need some more input, some more ideas, some feedback, and a dose of outside inspiration, then you are my ideal reader because:

1) You want to get better now and

2) You admit that you don’t have all the answers

3) You have enough of an open mind to check out what I’m going to say and work on removing those roadblocks that apply to you.

About the Publisher

Fretboard Media Group is a small independent music publisher based in Massachusetts (USA). FMG is the publisher of a series of music books by guitarist Tommy Gordon (guitar playing, practicing, songwriting, and more) as well as some practicing logs and practice planners for all musicians. For more information, please visit www.fretboardmediagroup.com on the web. 