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Metal For Life Blog

~ The official blog of Metal Mike. I'm a heavy metal musician most commonly known as a long standing guitarist to Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford. I'm a highly sought after heavy metal guitar and music coach. I am also a solo artist, an entrepreneur, a business owner, an avid car nut and a closet extrovert. I believe Heavy Metal should be lived loud & proud and it has been a highly motivating source in my life. I'm here to share my thoughts, pass on lessons learned and sometimes chew on big subjects. If you enjoy the content of Metal For Life, I only ask you to share my blog with one more person. Thank you & welcome.

Metal For Life Blog

Monthly Archives: June 2017

Quick Tip On Better Guitar Tunage

23 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by Metal Mike in Gear & Reviews, Guitar & Music

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Ok, here’s a nice quick guitar tip that will help you keep your guitar in tune. When changing strings on a guitar that has no locking pieces at the nut, right before I put the string into the grove at the top of the neck – I sprinkle some graphite from a pencil. I take the pencil, move it up and down the groove in the nut and enough of the graphite will quickly fall in. I get the big pencils that are used for construction at Home Depot. Then, I put the string in.

Why does it work? Graphite is very slippery and slick and having some of it in the nut helps the string move or adjust as you bend or tune your guitar. If the above doesn’t make sense, keep re-reading it until it does. I have been using this trick for years and have found it very helpful.

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Learn From Players Who Are Better Than You

20 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by Metal Mike in Guitar & Music, Inspiration & Motivation

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As long as I can remember I have always been in bands and projects with musicians who were better than me.

It actually started when I first picked up the guitar in High School and many of my friends were playing since they were 9. Nine! I had a lot to catch up. But, it got me better, quick. I practiced extra hard because I did not want to be the worst guitarist out of all my friends.

When I started to join metal bands in my neighborhood many of the musicians in them were a lot better then me. I kept playing and learning from them.

I know many younger players (and, some older ones as well) get intimitated by playing with more experienced or better musicians – but, don’t let that stop you.

When I joined Halford, the band got one of the greatest drummers in metal – Bobby Jarzombek. Now, let me explain something. Bobby is a machine. Always on, extremely steady, perfect meter and on top – he is very intuitive, he knows what I’m going to play next. Imagine that. I worked hard to keeping up with him, to be honest. Sometimes humbled, sometimes frustrated I eventually could tear it up alongside Bobby and it was a great triumph.

I found out that many older and more experienced players enjoy teaching younger ones and this is precisely why my Metal Heroes Summer camp works so well. Younger kids look up to to older players in return and love when someone takes the time out and teaches them something. This works for all ages and levels. Sometimes it is important to swallow our pride and just jam with people that are better than us. If someone is unwilling to help out, then find some other musicians.

Summer Months And Related Practice Ideas

11 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by Metal Mike in Uncategorized

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Summer is always an interesting time of the year as the weather gets nice and family and personal activities, trips and events kind of pop-up. Frankly, it is hard to sometimes keep up with the guitar in the warm months unless you are a working professional. So, I am here to just bring that up and give you heads up that things will compete for your guitar time just about now.

I remember when I was younger, I’d literally lock myself in the basement and I’d play and play. While all of my friends where on the Jersey Boardwalk, I’d be practicing on my B.C. Rich Platinum Warlock. I remember clearly when a couple of my friends showed up at my house and wanted me to go to the park and I told them no because I was deep into learning Ozzy’s Killer Of Giants song. This happened quiete often. One of the great things about this approach back then is that when the school started again, I would seriously have a leg up on many guys who were better than me on the guitar.

I had 6 musical notebooks filled with scales and licks and I would go through everything in each one. That was good enough for back then.

I still have them.

When players ask me how I practice these days I say that it depends what I’m trying to do. So, in short, I do not have a set practice schedule.

When I am working on lessons for students, I plan them out and work out the examples that I want to show. When I have to do a clinic somewhere, I work on the live material (relearning music) and I work on what I will cover.

In othe older days, I’d set out 30 minutes for exercises (like playing my technique building licks for 3 minutes each), working on chords, scales for another 30. I would then work on songs that I knew and I’d spend another half hour trying to come up with riffs. I’d put a cassette recorder by my amp and tape what I came up with. I’d finish each session with another 30 minutes of exercises. Back then, I practiced constantly. I’d keep a planner and I’d write down how many hours I played each day,

One thing I do today is when I feel that my playing is feeling little off is that I sit down and work on different scales. Playing them 3 notes per string, in thirds, fifths, etc. I feel then like my whole playing gets glued together. This sounds very simple, but it works. I kind of got this little regiment out of an interview I watched with Billy Sheehan, who is one of my favorite bass players.

For practicing, if you have a hard time getting a full hour in, break up your sessions into 15-20 minute jams. Do a couple of them per day. This approach works well.

On the weekends, it is a lot of fun to wake up early, brew some coffee (strong in my case) and just play before anyone wakes up.

And, sometimes you have to bribe yourself. If you hit 5 hours of practice per week (just an example), you can get something, be it a CD, a tuner, etc. Us humans, we respond to this.

Lastly, and most importantly, in order to keep wanting to do anything, we must keep fueling the fire. Just like an old school locomotive, we must keep that furnace going with coal. For us, it is spending time here, listening to great music or reading about music. When we move away from something and stop fueling it, very often the interest dims. And, we lose focus.

Loosing focus is the #1 killer of why people fail at accomplishing something they set out to do.

Are You Suffering From DVDnitus?

08 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by Metal Mike in Guitar & Music, Inspiration & Motivation

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What is DVDnitus? Well, it’s my own term, obviously.

Here’s where I’m getting at – I see students of the guitar (and other instruments) get caught up in always buying a new book, new DVD, Blu Ray, etc in order to learn something new.

Come on, raise your hand if that is you. We are all or have been there.

This can be good, but many players and I mean MANY don’t even scratch the surface of what each product has to offer before they get “bored” and move onto another one.

Once the initial high of something new wears off and we have to put in work to get something deeper out out it – we guitar players get bored. How about that!

In a way we are addicted to getting something new for that initial spark of new info and then it’s all over. We move onto something else – another DVD, lesson plan, etc.

Think about it. Don’t become an information junkie. In order for the information to work you have to put it in real use. Get the most out everything you have.

Break Your Rhythm – And, Take Confidence In Taking The Lead

05 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by Metal Mike in Guitar & Music, Inspiration & Motivation

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While doing my metal guitar workshops, one of the topics I hear a lot about is the art of tackling the ability to play lead guitar.

I often hear guitarists tell me they want to know how they can begin to play more lead in their band. They are interested in sharpening their skills, but they seem afraid and unsure of just how to dive in. Often they feel there is an invisible wall stopping them. They just don’t know.

I’ve been thinking about it for a bit and realized there is a gray factor that surrounds this. This gray factor has mostly nothing to do with the technical side of learning how to play (scales, techniques, etc.). It is more of a mental battle in honestly becoming open to learning something new.

Therefore, I want to touch up on some topics from a different perspective. Hopefully you can pick up some ideas for yourself.

It’s One Big Puzzle.

First, I have never looked at guitar playing as falling into two separate categories consisting of lead and rhythm. I just thought of it all as guitar playing. I don’t know why these two have become so segregated. Many people think playing lead is harder than playing rhythm, but believe it or not, there are countless guitarists who feel the opposite way. They both take a lot of hard work to master.

Interest and Talent.

Know that if you are interested in becoming a better lead player, the “interest” is often your “talent” telling you to give it a shot. What happens is that life gives us these little nudges of interest on different topics that we can ignore or check into. In my view, whatever interests you is very often something you can become good at.

You do not wake up as a child, your talents presented to you on a silver platter from A to Z for you to simply pick and go with. It takes a lot of trial and error. But it is obvious if you have a talent for something. Our initial interests lead to discovery of it. Know that if you are interested in playing lead guitar, you might very well have the initial talent for it.

If you doubt it, I still have good news. With practice, we can become better at almost anything. Just because you will not become a professional football player doesn’t mean you cannot get good at throwing a football. I really believe that if you have no talent at all in something, you can still become better at it with practice.

Excuse Me While I Make An Excuse.

The “Lead guitar isn’t my thing” statement has been around as long as wind, fire and water. Let me ask you: Do you hate guitar leads? If you really hate them, then stop reading right here. Then again, ask yourself why you got this far in the first place.

If not, here is the truth: There is no reason you cannot get better if it is what you really want. If you have enough interest and can set time aside and determine yourself to learn, you will learn.

Fear Is a Four-Letter Word.

Fear is a four-letter word. Let’s be frank. Most of the time, fear is a sneaky, destructive snake that slivers into everyone’s psyche. And if I had to pinpoint one thing that stops anyone from starting to learn to be better at anything, not only lead guitar — it’s fear. We are afraid of sucking at a task. We are also afraid that it will take a lot more time and effort to learn something. We fear leaving our comfort zone. So, we say the heck with it!

But guess what? It happens to everyone. Remember that it is you who will have to realize that unless the fear is a protective instinct used to a good cause (As in walking too close to hand feed a wild bear), it is simply just a reaction that negatively affects us. It is just a four-letter word. Realize for what it is and squash it in its beginnings while it is at its weakest.

Like the posters in offices across the world say, “Remember that everything is hard before it becomes easy.”

I sometimes meet people who have never left the state they live in. Just imagine how much they are missing. Do not get stuck where you are. Not only you are better than that, you deserve it. Guitar playing becomes damn boring unless you learn something new.

Are you with me?

The next question is more technical, involving what you can do to pick up some lead techniques. Here are simple general tips for you to do some homework on.

Yours For The Taking.

Everything you need is in front of you. It really is. With the wealth of information available to you via the Internet, friends, DVDs, home study courses, schools, private instructors or Guitar World, you have more tips available to you then ever before. In fact, you have no excuse.

Record Yourself.

Learn how to record a simple rhythm track and solo over it. It does not matter how bad it sounds. You will hear what sounds bad — and then you’ll improve it. Be honest and you’ll get better. Listening to your playing recorded is like looking in the mirror — you know what you like and what you do not like. Save the good, fix the bad. Recording is the best and often quickest way of improving on the guitar.

Master Small Tasks First.

Set smaller, realistic goals at first. These can be as simple as learning how to alternative pick through a scale. Learn that and become good at it. Keep it simple. Learn it. Then move forward.

Confidence Leads to Conquering Bigger Goals.

Once you conquer smaller goals and build confidence, set more challenging ones. These can include writing and recording a lead or getting together with a friend and trading simple licks.

Back To The Future.

In closing, I also want you to think what you did that provided success in you learning how to play rhythm guitar. Just think for a few minutes and write it down. Did you play for two hours a day? Did you come up with your own riffs? Were you trying to become faster than your buddy? These same movements and techniques are the map for you to learn other techniques. You already know the answers that work for you.

Go!

Above all, I just want you to know that you should see a big green light that says “Go” in front of you if you are thinking of learning new guitar techniques — lead or whatever else. Do it! And just as important, keep those horns swinging high!

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