Hey there, fellow pickers. I hope you’ve been practicing my previous lessons with your metronome and slowly building up speed. It will prepare you for this month’s lesson. If you’ve missed any of our previous topics, you can find them all at premierguitar.com.
This month, in line with this column’s title, I would like to begin teaching the basics of surf guitar. Having recorded the soundtrack to the surf classic, Endless Summer II, I learned a great deal about surf music, surf culture, and even had the honor to record with the King of Surf Guitar, Dick Dale.
When it comes to surf music, typically the guitar is drenched in high levels of reverb to emulate the sounds of the surf rolling in, but as always, you can adjust it to your taste. The tone is not real dirty, it’s more of a clean sound but big in tone. For the rockers, a crunch tone can also work (medium distortion).
Surf guitar involves very fast tremolo picking with the right hand and playing repetitive patterns with the left hand. Another technique often heard is sliding your left hand over the strings while running your hand down the neck and picking fast. This creates the sound of the waves crashing. When it comes to rhythm parts, a common effect used is tremolo. They come in small foot pedals and amps sometimes have them built in.
Of course, surf guitar is not as easy as it sounds. You don’t have to know how to surf or even love surf music, but it’s a style you should study. Keep your mind open to all types of music, because diversity is what makes a great musician. Playing different styles of music can get you out of a rut. I grew up playing blues, rock, funk, surf, jazz, country and basically whatever gave me a new challenge. Here are a few examples to add surf to your guitar vocabulary.
Exercise 1)
This is an exercise using a harmonic minor scale, similar to the scale used in the surf classic made famous by Dick Dale, “Misirlou.” Try recording the chord progression E major to F major for 5 minutes, and then play the scale up and down the neck. Your goal should be to reach 180 beats per minute, but take your time getting there.
Exercise 2)
This is the same as example 1, but now you are playing on the low E string. Many classic surf songs are built around open string playing.
Exercise 3)
Now we’re cooking! This will put your tremolo picking to the test. Start slow – about 55 beats per minute – and try to reach 180 beats per minute. Always use the approach I gave in my earlier columns to speed up: every 60 seconds, increase your metronome’s speed one click.
Exercise 4)
You should use a tight muting technique to create a surf/spy sound on this one. Surf music has a big connection to the blues, as many of the riffs are built on a I-IV-V blues progression. It’s common to hear an open string riff that is repeated over a I-IV-V. Try recording the open minor chords and play the riff over it.
If you’re new to playing surf guitar, try checking out Dick Dale, the Safaris or the Ventures for a taste of some classic surf. For a more modern approach to surf rock, check out my CDs, Monster Surf or Endless Summer II. Keep shredding, surf’s up!
Gary Hoey
you can email Gary at: info@garyhoey.com
garyhoey.com
myspace.com/garyhoey
Welcome back to this month’s lesson, fellow pickers. I hope you all got your metronomes cranking last month. Well, keep it running, because this month we will cover getting your scale patterns to connect across the neck.
| “Many players practice scales in different positions but don’t know how to connect them for fluid lines that weave across the neck.” |
This month’s examples use a very common technique among guitar shredders like Satriani, Vai, Gilbert and yours truly. It uses three notes per string while moving from position to position.
The picking pattern is an alternating down, up, down, up. You’ll need to shift your hand up to the next position by always starting the next position with your first finger on your left hand – similarly, you will shift with your pinky finger when descending. You can also try doing these as pull-off and hammer-on exercises. Make sure you start your metronome at a slow tempo of 55 beats per minute. Every 30 to 60 seconds, speed up one click until your playing becomes sloppy.
Exercise 1)
This example uses the A minor scale – or A Aeolian mode – with a triplet timing. There are three notes per beat or six notes per beat when you get faster. It starts on the 5th fret on the root note and ends at the 17th fret. Try recording a rhythm track to jam to – A minor to F major for 5 minutes. Then practice the examples and make up a few of your own.
Exercise 2)
This example is a descending pattern with a triplet timing. This one will most likely be harder to play fast, so take your time, start slow and then try all pull-offs to strengthen your left hand.
Exercise 3)
Here we are using the E minor scale – or E Aeolian mode – with a 16th note timing. However, if you look at the pattern, you’ll see it could easily be played as a triplet run. Playing 16th notes gives it a cool syncopated feel. As with the last example, try recording an E minor to C major backing track to jam to.
Exercise 4)
Here’s the descending version, again with 16th notes. Try to see all the notes in the scale and not just memorize the pattern. The more you explore the neck, the freer you’ll become with your ideas.
Good luck with it. Visit me online if you have any questions.
Gary Hoey
you can email Gary at: info@garyhoey.com
garyhoey.com
myspace.com/garyhoey
Hi there guitar fanatics, and welcome to the first of many monthly
columns for Premier Guitar. I thought I’d start my first installment
from the bottom up and share my practice techniques. I’ve talked
to many guitar players who can’t always see the progress from
all the work they do. Here are my favorite exercises for building
speed and dexterity (hand strength), and some things to get you
focused.
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Make sure you have a place where you won’t be disturbed.
- Let your family and friends know this is your time to focus and you need their support so you can improve.
- Also try to be consistent by playing five days a week from 15, 30 or 60 minutes a day.
- Buy a metronome or drum machine to help your timing.
- Take breaks periodically, rest your hands and shake them out to avoid problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other muscular problems.
- Don’t practice in front of the TV all the time. It’s fun sometimes, but you need to focus. Now, if you’re sitting there trying to learn the themes to all you favorite TV shows, that could be some good ear training.
- Don’t always practice with full distortion, as it can mask sloppy technique. Try using a clean tone as well.
Pick with a good, strong contact with the string, use conviction
and don’t be wimpy. I use heavy picks, as they are better for fast
picking. When you play slow you should hit the string harder and
as you speed up play lighter. You need to have your left and right
hand in sync. The key to playing fast is playing slow. By starting
slow you stay in control.
Exercise 1)
Use strict alternate picking. This is a common four finger exercise,
but I’ve added some different combinations to explore. Make sure
to go up all the strings (only the bottom two strings are shown)
and then shift up one fret and come down the next fret.
Start your metronome at 50 BPM and play the exercise in a cycle
for 30 seconds; after 30 seconds bring the metronome up one
click and play for another 30 seconds. Keep speeding up until you
start to get sloppy. At that point stop and write on a note pad the
speed you reached (maybe 100 BPM). Then go to the next exercise
and start back at 50 BPM. The next day when you start to
practice, try to beat your previous number (i.e. 110 BPM).
Exercise 2)
C major scale. This is a simple scale pattern to help you to build
speed and use a common fingering for melodic playing. Use the
same approach – start slow and build up every 30 seconds. Try
experimenting with your favorite scales or modes and apply the
same technique.
Exercise 3)
E minor pedal tone. I use pedal tone licks to practice staying close
to the string while picking; if you can keep the pick close to the
string and don’t hit adjacent strings you will sound cleaner. This
uses an E minor pedal tone lick with a triplet timing. It’s 3 notes
per beat (123,123,etc.).
Exercise 4)
This uses an A minor scale pattern on the top two strings only. Try
it in different octaves (same notes but higher or lower pitch) and
remember to start slow.
I’ll see you all next month for a new lesson. In the meantime,
practice hard, have fun and it will pay off in the long run. Visit me
online if you have questions.
Gary Hoey
you can email Gary at: info@garyhoey.com