BenHigginsOfficial

If you want to feel really confident in your picking abilities then you're gonna want to do this...

Something players like Vinnie Moore are really excellent at are using picking to play ultra-clean, super-precise pedal tone licks

GEEK INTERLUDE: Pedal tones are those repeating classical sounding licks where one note is always repeating, acting as a tonal anchor point, whilst other notes are played around it. It comes from organ players, where the organist would depress a foot pedal to keep one note sustaining, whilst still being able to play other notes!

The result is that it sound f*cking badass but it's also a really cool physical feat to be able to pull off with the picking hand. Plus, it really cleans up your picking technique and makes your string crossing abilities unshakeable!

It doesn't stop there either. There's more 3-note-per-string adventure waiting for you on the other side. So if you want a picking technique that just works, whenever you want it to, learn this

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will set fire to fretboards on Sunday 28th September - 1 DAY TO GO! This musical sequence will be available with it then

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 42

BenHigginsOfficial

If you want to be able to play really tasty melodic runs that feature sudden fast flurries in them, then somebody like Steve Lukather is a great inspiration for that

Being able to go from a really tasteful, singing string bend to a lightning quick pentatonic descent is a signature move from such a master of melody

So we're gonna work on doing that. If you're comfortable with your pentatonic box positions (and most of you are, seeing as how everybody is trying to escape them!) then this is gonna use something you're already confident with – to turn the heat up a few degrees!

And there's also a surprising slide-based move waiting for you on the other side which is going to feel weird at first – but then makes you feel like a total pro (or should that be Toto pro?) when you nail it!


The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will set fire to fretboards on Sunday 28th September - 2 DAYS TO GO! This musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)

1 week ago | [YT] | 36

BenHigginsOfficial

If you struggle with licks that combine different techniques like bending alongside hammer-ons and pull-offs, then this is gonna help you make everything natural and easy

Using repeating triplets with accurate string bends over a rocking, shuffle type rhythm (think UFO's Doctor Doctor) is something that Dave Murray is a master of. Melodic, tasty, yet deceptively challenging. It makes you pay better attention to your bending, your timing and the cleanliness of your legato technique

Put simply; this is gonna make your fretting hand more reliable and competent. That's a big f*cking win in my book!

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will set fire to fretboards on Sunday 28th September - 3 DAYS TO GO! This musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 45

BenHigginsOfficial

Wanna get better at picking?

Then buckle up! We’re going to work on your picking accuracy so that you can play really cool, iconic sounding repeating licks that use two strings and have every note picked. Normally, your pick might get stuck when doing this - or you might fumble and lose the flow. So this is gonna nail that for you!

This is the kind of thing played by Michael Schenker on the live versions of Into The Arena

And then, following the Schenker theme, we’re gonna get your hammer-on trills smoother so that you can move up and down the fretboard, changing positions, without messing up the flow of hammer-ons. You know what I mean? When the timing and flow gets messed up when you try and move to a new fret! That sucks balls – so we’re gonna eliminate that

Better picking. Better hammer-ons. Always a good thing!

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will set fire to fretboards on Sunday 28th September - 4 DAYS TO GO! This musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 30

BenHigginsOfficial

Fair Warning isn't just the name of a Van Halen album - it's also what I'm giving everyone today

The discount code runs out at midnight tonight (Sunday August 31st!) and I've been really clear about this so if you miss out - I won't be doing any special, day-after, 'okay, just for you' discounts. Once it's gone, it's gone

So, for the last day only, you can still get 20% off any courses and bundles by using the code: SUMMER20

The summer of guitar gains is now becoming the Autumn of Awesome Guitar Playing. So let's go into this next season strong!

1 month ago | [YT] | 40

BenHigginsOfficial

Ima be real, duders. This month's episode is ridiculous amounts of fun. Before we even mention the licks, I've just gotta say that I'm addicted to the rhythm parts of the jam track

Vai's rhythm chops back in the Roth days are something to be studied. They're so cool, they're so melodic, quirky and really satisfying to play. And this jam track is diving head-first into that style of playing

The techniques we're using; legato, minimal picking, hybrid picking, tapping... it all combines to create flashy, melodic playing which begs to be unleashed over red-blooded hard rock like this

Grab your guitar, load up with carbs and fizzy pop, and unleash a monster horde of licks and riffs that are more fun than a Corvette blasting down the Pacific Coast Highway!

And if 80's hard rock ain't your thang then there's also lessons using the styles and techniques of thrash, neo-classical shred, prog metal, traditional metal, 70s hard rock, power metal, rock ballads, even death metal - there's a reason this is The Home of Rock, Metal and Shred Guitar

Make guitar practice great again by joining us in The Complete Guitarist

1 month ago | [YT] | 58

BenHigginsOfficial

In the leadup to the upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist, we've established that we're gonna be hitting on legato, a bit of hybrid picking, some tapping... well, guess what?

I'm going to show you how players like John 5 combine ALL 3 techniques together

And, yes, in a wild stroke of fate, Mr 5 is another Roth guitar-slinger! For those who don't know, John 5, under his real name of John Lowery, played on Dave's 1998 album 'DLR Band'

If you've never really played around with techniques like hybrid picking or tapping, you're going to see how easy it is. Instead of being more difficult, these techniques actually make guitar playing easier because they allow you to articulate more notes with less energy

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will come alive on Thursday 28th August - 1 DAY TO GO! This John 5 musical sequence will be available with it then, along with everything else, including the badass Dave Lee Roth style riffs of the jam track!

So grab a hot dog and a shake, and let's really start bringing the heat with this, duders

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 23

BenHigginsOfficial

The party never stops here at Castle Higgy – and the guitar gains just keep coming in The Complete Guitarist

Ima show you how Adrian Smith uses descending legato runs, with minimal picking, to craft beautifully catchy melodies that shred!

Adrian is a really melodic player who knows how to craft a memorable solo with the right amount of flash. You can learn a lot from him. And we are going to do so

The might of Maiden meets the Sunset Strip swagger of Dave Lee Roth. Crazy, right? But this is the kind of shit we do every month. Why? Because we can

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will come alive on Thursday 28th August - 2 DAYS TO GO! This Adrian Smith musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 50

BenHigginsOfficial

I've studied the guitar legends, taken what works and discarded what doesn't

That's what I share with you in everything that I teach, including the upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist

In a few days, we're gonna look at how my fellow countryman, Guthrie Govan, uses sliding phrases and chromatic, hybrid picked legato to brew up a storm on the fretboard!

Before you soil yourselves and run away in fear – let me assure you this is doable. Yep, I said it. You CAN do this. I'm not throwing you in at the deep end and pummelling you with note values that are so fast that the Hadron Collider can't recognise them – this is gonna be manageable. It's a great way of learning guitar chops that are used by players like Guthrie - without the stress!
So grab some fizzy drink that looks like nuclear waste, take a big swig, and get your most comfortable guitar ready. We're doing this

The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will come alive on Thursday 28th August - 3 DAYS TO GO! This Guthrie Govan musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)

1 month ago | [YT] | 46

BenHigginsOfficial

If you wanna be great on guitar... then you've gotta do what the greats did

That means learning musical phrases and applying them in real-time, not just cycling drills

That's why guitarists who are part of The Complete Guitarist are making better progress than sifting through random exercises and Youtube vids

When you have a plan to follow that covers everything you need, you're gonna consistently improve instead of getting lost in the wilderness

And we continue our journey in episode 32, coming out in a few days...

Fans of the Vai-era David Lee Roth albums are gonna explode over this month’s licks and jam track. Even if melodic 80s hard rock isn't your thing (although, why the hell would it not be? You even human, bro?) you'll still elevate your playing by applying the lessons we're gonna go through...

We’re gonna tear up the fretboard like it’s 1986, and the first thing we’re gonna do is use the Dorian mode for some cool AF phrasing

You’ll see how Steve Vai uses intervals to make his tapping licks sound ‘alien’ and how you can do this easily in your own playing

This one’s a celebration of everything great about guitar playing that balances flash with melody. It’s so authentic to this era it should be delivered in vinyl format!


The upcoming episode of The Complete Guitarist will explode into life on Thursday 28th August - 4 DAYS TO GO! This Steve Vai musical sequence will be available with it then (along with everything else - more info tomorrow...)


As always, if you have any questions about The Complete Guitarist or any of the courses, just hit me up here!

Ben Higgins

Aka

Lord Higgy

1 month ago | [YT] | 50