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.

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.

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!

For guitar players, quality cables are sometimes an overlooked item. We are always looking to buy the best guitar, the best amp and the best sounding pedals we can afford. Then, once we got 3K invested in our gear, we go out and connect everything with cheap guitar cable.

The truth is, guitar and speaker cables matter – a lot.

With guitar signal, you are indeed as strong as your weakest link. I have seen guitar players connect their guitar set-ups with the lowest quality guitar cable you could ever buy. It is pointless to buy a great instrument and try to carry its sound across with something that is not only not up to the task, but will actually work against it. No matter how many noise gates or signal maximizers you connect in your signal chain – it will not help.

The bottom line is – you need good cables.

Let us rethink this.

Leave The Screaming To The Fans. A good cable will be quiet on stage and in your practice room. Sometimes so quiet that the noise gate you purchased will be obsolete. The only feedback coming out of your guitar will the one you intend on.

Don’t Be A Singer. A Good cable will not be microphonic. What I mean by that is that when you run around with your guitar, no strange noises, hollow sounds, pops or feedbacks will be coming through your guitar. If you take the cable plugged into your guitar (and amp) and whip it across the floor, it should stay quiet. If you hear things – it is microphonic. This is not a good thing for a cable, especially if you play loud and with distortion.

Built To Last. A good cable will last for years. It is true. A good guitar cable will last for years to come. By paying the higher price, you are allowing the cable manufacturer to use higher end jacks, components and the cable itself. I have some patch and guitar cables in my set-up that I have been using for, get ready for this – 12 years! Yes, you read that right. They have been around the world more than few times and sound as good as new. Now, that is a lot of savings in the end versus buying a new cable every 6 months.

The Full Spectrum. Most importantly, quality cables will sound great. You will hear clear highs; you will hear well-defined lows and everything in between – Loud and Clear. Did you hear me say Loud and Clear? Good cable will carry and support the tone of your guitar. The notes will sound cleaner, fuller and with more sustain. The last sentence should have sold you by now. The difference is super noticeable.

If your cables are not of good quality – consider getting a better product. And, give the bad cables as a gift to your keyboard player.

Let’s talk about the simple things you can do to extend the life of your good cables.

Take Pride In Your Metal. Before and during each touring cycle, during studio work or every few months or so, I always ask my tech to clean the ends of my guitar and speaker cables.

If you look at some of your cables right now, you will notice that their tips might be no longer as shiny as you remember them. There is a reason for it. I found out more by asking cable guru Jean-Marc of Intex Cables about what he thinks. He mentioned to me that simply the environment affects metals (Steel, brass, copper, silver, etc) and they corrode. This corrosion causes intermittents (a scratchy sound) in the cable. He recommended using #00 steel wool to get rid of the corrosion and blemishes on the connector once every few months.

I will also add that in between the steel wool treatment, it is important to wipe down all the ends with a small amount of hand soap and a terry towel (Or, something similar.) I promise – you will notice a difference. While at it, wipe down the rest of the cable.

Don’t Cook – Rock! If you cables look like spaghetti, you need to get it straight. Literally. Then, get your cables in neat loops and tie each one up with Velcro. A good idea is to use 3 colors of Velcro. Each color for speaker, long and short connector cables. This will make your set-ups quicker and more professional. Nothing speaks amateur like the dude who pulls out a bundle of tied up cables from a suitcase. Don’t be that guy. You are not cooking dinner – you are here to rock.

You can also bundle several cables together with one of those larger orange cable tiers you can purchase at home improvement centers.

Keep It Clean. While making your trip to the home improvement center, pick up some Goof Off (And, some gloves). Goof Off is a cool product that takes away gunk, dirt and sticky stuff from surfaces. You can dilute Goof Off with water and use it to wipe down your cables every so often. Personally, I cannot stand dirty guitars or cables, so I have them both wiped very often. There is nothing worse then grabbing a guitar cable that is dirty and slimy and then picking up the guitar to play. No, thanks.

While we are talking about this, do not use duck tape to tape down your cables. It leaves a sticky mess and makes you look like an amateur. Research a few internet retailers that service the touring and movie industry. Then, buy a couple rolls of Pro Gaf tape. This tape is easy to tear by hand, leaves no mess and is very strong. You need this. You will never use anything else after you have experienced the power of the Gaf Tape.

Keep It Short, Stupid. Lastly, keep your cables as short as you need to get the job done. Even with good cable, you do not want to keep the length too long.

For effects pedals, you only need a foot of cable in-between. Get some good ones and not the 10 in a pack for $5 patch cables. The longest cable I would ever recommend is 30 feet. Remember, this is times two if you run your pedal board to your amp. If you play smaller venues, cut it down. This means, better sound for you and less clutter on stage. Unless, you want to trip your singer. I have other tricks for that one.

Same concept goes for a speaker cable. Buy a well-constructed, thick cable and only as long as you need.

Use your ears and follow your heart. See you next time.

Many guitar players often struggle with finding the time or feel the need to be inspired in order to practice their instrument. Sure, there are days when we are all inspired to pick up our guitars and play. How about the other days?

Welcome to 10 Ways To Boost Your Practice Session

1) Remember that starting to practice your guitar is similar to starting a car. It takes the most battery juice and power in order to actually start a car. Starting your practice session is no different. Once you pick up your guitar and get going, you will be amazed how quickly sometimes the time flies.

2) When the inspiration strikes to pick it up and play – do not delay. Or, keep the thought in your mind until you can actually grab a guitar. The universe sends us these little inspirational hints and the best results happen when we follow them right away.

3) Organize your practice area. I keep my studio (where I also practice) clean and organized. Whenever I walk into it – everything is in its right place. It is simply a lot less stressful and more pleasant to be in. It hardly takes me more than a few minutes to find any piece of gear, a book or anything that I might be looking for. I can not get anything done otherwise. It is hard for me to be in any place that is not organized. We process millions of thoughts in our heads without even being aware of them, so although it might seem that some things (or the way your practice area looks) “do not bother you”, you would be amazed what happens when things are right. There are reasons why hotel rooms are clean and neat when you enter them. How would you feel if you walked into a messy hotel room? How do you feel when you walk into your practice room?

4) Revamp your practice area. Look around your walls and see what no longer feels right to you. Do some pictures seem outdated, does some furniture or CDs you might have no longer represent you? I often re-arrange pictures, furniture to make the space look different. It energizes your mind.

5) It is important to remember what you are practicing for. It is a lot easier to get to playing if you know why you are doing it. It can be as simple as – I just want to play for an hour so my technique is maintained, or today I will write a new song, today I will learn a new guitar solo, I will come up with 5 new guitar licks, I will work on vibrato, etc.

6) Say GO! Yep, coming out of the I should practice to I am now practicing zone can simply be walked through by saying GO to let you know that you have officially started to practice. If you want to practice for an hour today – you know when it begins. It also helps to saying it out loud and sometimes practicing takes a new meaning then.

7) Our guitars work in a funny way. Truth is that we do not need to play 8 hours a day to get better. To be the fastest in the world? Well if that’s your thing, then yes. But, to be better? No. As I have mentioned in one of my Guitar World “Metal For Life” columns, you can maintain your playing proficiency by playing anything fast for an hour a day. These can be solos, repeating a lick over and over, fast rhythms. Just remember to keep it going for an hour.

BREAKING THE BARRIER

Sometimes you will get a free gift – what I call Breaking The Barrier. What happens is that you keep playing, playing and pick it up next day and day after that. And, all of the sudden one day – you are executing things with incredible ease. Its almost as if you cut off some chains that were holding you down. You have clearly surpassed where you were few days ago. Take notice of that. This means that you have made enough progress to clearly notice it.

8) There are no plateaus. I hear guitarists tell me that they have reached a plateau. And, technically generally speaking to guitarists worldwide – there are no plateaus in guitar playing. If you are not getting better, faster, smoother – you are getting worse. Sorry, its that simple. Of course, you can do the hour of maintenance every day to keep your technical proficiency … but many guitar players that I know, do not. They either play or do not. And, although we are mostly referring to technical ability here, the same could apply to more ‘inspirational’ side such as writing songs or riffs. You get better at writing songs, creating riffs or writing guitar solos when you do them often – which again, brings us back to practicing doing these tasks.

9) Sometimes in order to get practicing you have to reach for some serious power tools. These can include listening to the CDs that love, or watching You Tube videos of your favorite bands. Remembering what made you love the guitar in the first place will very often get you back on track.

10) Find a practice buddy and say get together with them after school, work or even just the weekends. You want to look for some sort of a routine. A practice friend will not only help, but also inspire you – especially if they seem to be getting really good at something. You want to look for some sort of a routine. Remember that inspirations fade, but routine keep things going.

Last, I will leave you with a quote from Muhammad Ali:

“I hated every minute of training, but said, don’t quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

One significantly important area for musicians is the world of written agreements and how one’s services relate to the industry they work in.

Let’s get the first thing out of the way. Most musicians hate talking about business and money with their employers and partners. Or, should I say, most hate talking about it publically, because when you get a couple buddying musicians together in private one subject that usually comes up is the business. The main reason many do not like to talk about it is the fear that others might consider them difficult to work with or that they might seem demanding when it comes to asking for and agreeing on what they want to get paid while on tour, when they record in a studio, etc. Some simply don’t know what they want or what their work is worth. Either way, read on because it gets a little more interesting.

Here is the deal. If you take the words Music Business and split them in half you get two separate words that are “Music” and “Business”. We often try to do our best to take care of the music part, but then we are still missing the other half. Joe Perry from Aerosmith said that whenever you mix money with art you are playing with the devil. It is true on several levels. However, Joe clearly understands that without the business most professionals (people depending on their art to make a living) will not be able to make art. It’s a necessary evil that all musicians should embrace and learn to navigate through. If you, like many artists, are not comfortable in negotiating find someone who can it on your behalf.

Through my experience I have found out that many professional organizations will welcome to idea of setting up a written agreement when hiring you for a tour, an album project or whatever else it may be. From their perspective it protects them as well.

One of my favorite lines in the biz is that friends don’t need contracts. Well, maybe. In honestly, they actually do. One thing is certain that you will wish for one if the time comes when you are no longer friends. What happens to the work you did together? Who owns what? Here is my favorite – what if the work you did together is beginning to generate a lot of money?

Another reason for a contract is that both parties understand clearly what one and the other is willing to do for each other. It takes the guess work out, the tongue biting and ultimately it allows you to concentrate on the music.

You have to be responsible in your own happiness in any situation and a huge foundation for this is being comfortable with the terms you want to work with. It is silly to expect anyone in the music world to take care of you just because they love you. That’s what moms are for.

I’m actually going to go a step further and say that others will try to exploit your biggest weaknesses. This is not only in the music business, but it certainly applies here. In some ways, this called being human. Your weakness could be a fear of not finding another gig so you stay in the same situation, it could be your aloofness to the business of music or whatever else it may be.

We have all heard the musicians stories or fables as to how one got screwed, ripped off or what not. These things are real and do happen. Just remember, as you allow to have your weakness exploited someone will. It is ultimately up to you to educate yourself, know what you want to get paid and how, or negotiate a proper deal. Otherwise, we have ourselves to blame.

Now, l’m not saying that everyone in the music business is a shark waiting to rip you off. And, some things are truly beyond our control. Just take whatever you want from this article and maybe see things through a different perspective.

I have been in positions when I negotiated agreements before an engagement took place (a tour, an album recording, etc) and have also been in situations where things were done on a more loosely based terms. It was still an understanding that as soon as anyone is not happy we just part ways with no strings attached. This can be definitely beneficial in several ways, but I only take on these situation when I really feel at ease with the other party or only when necessary. There is nothing wrong with it and many things in the industry are done via this laid back system.

What I want to stress via this post is that contracts are indeed necessary, completely accepted and completely expected in reputable circles. All professional bands, managers, record labels, clubs, promoters, merchandisers and other entities all work within the framework set-up through an agreement.

Keep in mind that not all contracts are for something that will last a long time such as a record deal. Some can be for a personal appearance that lasts a couple hours. I even lay out some simple terms of how I would split songwriting copyrights when I write a song with someone – ahead of getting to work. These do not have to be huge negotiations, but it gives you a framework you agree on. The agreement can even be a hand-shake in the beginning, but I love to work with a clear head of what is expected of me and what I can expect in return. It makes things much easier.

Think about this and see how you feel about the points above.

Let’s talk about a topic that is not often discussed in guitar circles.

In 2006 when I played guitar with former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach, we have done quite a lot of touring with Guns N’ Roses. While on that tour, I have spent some time speaking with Chris who was a guitar tech to then GN’R guitar player Robin Finck.

In one of our conversations, I asked Chris how often he changes strings on Robin’s guitars. Since Robin then traveled with about 10 guitars, I thought to myself that this is quite a lot of string changing. Upon my question, Chris answered with something that I have thought about ever since then.

Chris told me that since Robin eats pretty healthy he does not sweat a ton of “junk” on his strings – thus the strings lasted a lot longer versus someone who eats badly, has a lot of band stuff in their bodies and sweats a bunch of toxins onto the strings.

I have thought about that and realized how true this is. Then we can go on and think – would that slightly change the tone of the notes? I think so. Would that change other things that we are not even considering?

This tip is just a simple way of letting you guys onto this story. Figure out what this can mean for yourself. I have applied this knowledge to my own life. When I was recording my album The Metalworker I was eating especially clean and healthy and I do think it translated into better guitar tone.

In my case, my string changing regiment is pretty much the same. The main guitars that I play get their strings changed every other night. I like the slinkier feel of the strings the second night in when they have a chance to stretch a bit more. However, recently my new tech Travis Doering (Travis has worked with several greats including Al DiMeola) had my guitars really tuned in. They played so well, that even the first night my strings played as good as I liked. On the guitars that get less use ie: 1 or 2 songs a night – we would change strings every 3 shows. I play D’addario XL Strings.