Looking for a great training DVD

[veniculum]

Hey guys...not sure if this is the right thread to post this in...but of all the different guitar forums that I'm a member of...this one (and maybe the Jemsite forum) are the only places where I think I'll get a good answer.
I play, primarily, hard rock and metal...some classic, and very little blues. I've been playing for 25 years now...but never really had any formal training. I had a guy who taught me how to play songs...but I never really did any method or theory. My knowledge is very limited. Everything I play, write, learn is by ear. Needless to say, I do feel at this stage of the game, that my abilities are severely limited because of my lack of musical knowledge.

So while I probably know a couple hundred songs, and I've written quite a few riffs as well as complete songs over the years, I always find myself being frustrated that I can't do more. This is especially the case when I watch these guys online...some are active musicians in bands...some are guys from the magazines, etc etc.

Bottom line is...I'm looking for a really good DVD..which goes into theory, but also gives all kinds of riffs/licks...scales, chord progressions, etc. I'm looking for a really good "shred" dvd, if you will. Something that's going to step up my game considerably....help me play better, cleaner, faster, all the while teaching me theory so that I can apply this stuff to my own songs

I really am at that point where I feel like I can play quite a bit...but it's my lack of knowledge that's what's limiting me right now...not a lack of chops.
But I also am limited in that I'm not real big of tabs...I don't like reading tabs...I much prefer video lessons...which is why I'm looking for a DVD with video tutorials.

There's a never-ending list of dvds, websites, etc out there...so that's the other frustrating thing...it's almost information overload. Which is why I'm looking for maybe one or two that really helped some of you guys out.

I appreciate any suggestions, as I'm sure some of you have had some success with good training/lessons.
Thanks guys

[roodyrocker]

Time limitations have kept me from really pursuing it but I always wanted to check out John Petrucci's Rock Discipline DVDs. I saw a few clips of it on youtube way back when and it looks like it has just about everything in it.

[Hellbat]

The Loomis DVD he released with Guitar World magazine is quite good but a little too advanced for me skill wise.

[Soap]

Paul gilbert's first two instructional dvd's.

[Spivonious]

Petrucci and Loomis DVDs have little to no theory. If you really want to learn theory, get a book on it or take a class at your local college. I don't really think it would help your playing too much though. It's more for songwriting, improvisation, and harmony.

[BenoA]

Time limitations have kept me from really pursuing it but I always wanted to check out John Petrucci's Rock Discipline DVDs. I saw a few clips of it on youtube way back when and it looks like it has just about everything in it.

Same for me. It's always a matter of "time". I have that DVD and only watched it once!

Right now, the way I'm trying to improve is the tunes we learn for the cover band. We usually go for easy ones, but once in a while, I try to push one with a solo that will ask me to work on it.

I tried to put like 30 to 45 minutes a day exclusively on technique and such but I keep doing it for like a week and stop as my time is so limited and it happens that I can be a few days without touching the guitar... So when free times come back, it's all for the cover band tunes! But at least I'm enjoying it.

Paul gilbert's first two instructional dvd's.

I was able to borrow these from a friend and they have some interesting licks and ideas. On top of it, Paul is a cool guy in these videos!!!

[veniculum]

Thanks for the replies fellas...I really appreciate it. Just like most of you, time is obviously a problem...but not as much of a problem as it was before I got married, when I was doing 20 million things AFTER a full day of work. Now, once the kid is in bed, I literally have a couple hours to kill before I hit the hey. Sure, I get caught up in other things most nights. But I do play my guitar for at least an hour a night. Problem is, I'm at the point now where I really don't have anything new to play. Occasionally, I'll be inspired and will put a song together. Or I'll hear something on the radio and decide to learn/play it. But what I really want are some new challenges. I realize that there will always be certain things that I cannot play...no matter how hard I try...I just don't have that talent. But I really don't think too many people do. I'll play the same thing over and over for hours, and if it's pretty close, I usually call it a day.

I know that this is old hat at this point...but last year at some point, I had seen a video of a kid playing Eruption on youtube. The kid was like 10 years old, and he did it pretty good. Certainly not like the record...but for a kid his age, I was impressed. Years ago, I had started to work on that and just gave up because at the time I just didn't have the speed or dexterity to pull that off. So I decided to revisit it...and now, i just found an video online that showed how to play it note for note, and it took me all of an hour or two to nail the thing...it's quite easy matter of fact..at least for me.
So that's where I'm at. I know I have the ability to play things that I didn't have the ability to do years ago. My problem is knowledge. And you're right...while I would like to learn some theory, to help me develop my own writing a little more..at this stage of the game, I'd be more interested in something that helps me build speed, gives me a million riffs to practice, which, in turn, usually helps me to write my own version of those riffs...etc.

So I guess my question is...do the Petruci, Loomis, or Gilbert DVDs go over things note for note. I really don't want to waste my time on DVDs that show someone playing something, but I have to figure out what he's playing by looking at him. That's not much better than having a song and slowing it down using software. I want instructional videos that really instruct well I hope that makes sense.

Anyway...thanks so much for the replies. I certainly welcome more suggestions...or more info on the DVDs mentioned above.
Thanks again..much appreciated.

[P I K A]

I get in the same frame of mind as you and Im wanting more and more knowledge. Thing that works for me is listening and watching the greats on you tube and getting ideas. Then having some coffee and try to mimic it . Then Ill listen to a band like KSE and just pound away . Bottom line for me is practicing every single day and at least 2 hours. 8 is ideal but who has that. I mix it up playing arpeggios or scales or chords and it just comes together. Dont know if I even answered your question but Im giving you what works for me. Also Ill go on youtube and search for jazz licks and combine some of that with quick runs. Sounds outta the box yet cool. My playing gets really good when I practice daily and for a while. It takes me 30 min just to warm up. So best thing is to increse practice time cause you get out what you put in.

[Soap]

Okay I'm gonna share my response in a practical common sense approach and application.

Theory and shredding... this seems to be a reoccurring topic here and at other guitar forums as well.

It seems to be the areas of interest to players who wish to improve.
He or she connects or thinks that knowing and understanding theory and the ability to shred are identifiable marks of a quality good player.

I'm skipping and jumping over alot but....
What you learn when starting out ( if your taught and learning the right skills ) the value of those things will provide more than adequate tools for the player long term in the future. It will sustain him or her. Don't over think it.

Too many want to shred starting out.
And too many wait years later to learn theory.
Something is wrong, and what it is, is ones approach of learning the instrument.

When Eddie came out I knew what little skills I had at that time I was gonna be learning me some VH. VH1 and VH2 just simply grabbed you by the nutsack and it stayed with you. I knew then, I didn't just want to learn the songs for bragging rights because I knew if I learned the songs right, when I played them for others they would do the bragging for me.

When you emulate/copy another player you (I did anyways) take the larger picture into consideration. That meant, the nuances and dynamics of both the picking and fret hands that most didn't pick up on I wanted to learn them. I had good people in my life giving me sound advice along the way to help instruct and guide me. A good guitar teacher whether an uncle, dad or neighbor is huge, key actually.

So it forced me to develop and improve my ear.
Something is to be said for having a good ear, to hear the stuff.
Hear the slight bend or the light barely noticable hammer on, stuff like that is definitive.

So when Johnny plays running with the devil for his friends it sounds like running with the devil and he's doing a pretty good job and the people are enjoying it. But when Frank plays running with the devil its sound like it does on the record and he's playing it through a practice amp and cheap beater of a guitar, and everybody like Franks version better. Frank's attitude and approach about playing and learning was about picking up on those nuances. Franks ear develop and his playing got kept getting better and he scored more with the chicks than johnny did.

This stuff is the same in other areas of life.
Its about attitude and wanting to learn wanting to be good at something.

Johhny is a press operator he runs and works as a press/machine operator.
Frank runs the same machine/press as johnny does just on second shift but Frank produces better quality and gets more done.

Frank cares more about running the press than johnny and franks work proves it. Frank has learned the tricks of the trade to produce better quality and more. The tweaks and adjustments to the press franks has learned and has equipped him with a knowledge base johnny doesn't have. Frank will be the one engineers in the plant will go to and inquire about the machine and application that relate to the machine. Johnny bad mouths frank and calls him a company man and a brown nosier. Frank is successful because of his attitude and approach to the job. Frank will be the same wherever he goes. Even on a bad day franks stuff will be better than johnny's because johnny doesn't care like Frank.

You will not get better by playing the intro to smoke on the water.
You need to challenge yourself and force yourself to learn and play stuff you normally wouldn't. There are skills in country music worth acquiring, there are skills in jazz worth acquiring, there are skills in disco music/guitar worth acquiring, there are skills in classical guitar worth acquiring. Alex Lifeson is one of the most under rated guitarist but yet I learned more about song writing from studying him then any other player I've studied and learned from.

No, sorry I don't care much for shredding because not too many can do it tastefully where I don't grow bored with it. Although I can play fast I learned from it Eddie, not umvay.

It comes down to the attitude and approach to learning the instrument.
There's a reason why Eddie played hours after hours sitting on the side of the bed and Alex went out.
He's an icon and his playing proved it. He wouldn't have been the icon legend he was/is if he didn't spend the time on the edge of the bed making a personal sacrifice.

You gotta pay your dues, gotta spend time in the wood shed, gotta make sacrifices, got to want to be good at it. When you have that attitude and approach then you concerns about theory and shredding come in due time because its part of the journey.

Just can't buy a DVD or book about theory or shredding and expect to be a master of it in six weeks or so.

But if you want to have gibson les paul and a marshall and put on youtube a video of you playing smoke on the water or metallica's enter the sand man, BUT put you in a real life jamming situation and you can't do anything. Nuff said.

[veniculum]

Soap...I read over your whole post...and I think that's terrific advise...but it's terrific advise for younger players, in my opinion anyway. However, this is not what I'm asking for. And I most certainly don't expect to be a master of anything in 6 weeks. As someone who has practiced for numerous hours a day for quite a few years, I think I'd know better.

I've been playing for 25 years...I can "shred" to some level/degree. That's not a question. I'm looking to improve my overall technique...I'm looking for a million and one sample riffs that build on speed and dexterity...and also will give me ideas to work with. Anything I've ever written in my life was based on a riff that I had heard from someone else. I don't think there's a person on this message board who won't admit to that. Sure, every now and again we feel like we've done something original..but that usually ends up being someone else's too

Once again...I'm a seasoned guitarist. I've played in quite a few bands...I was completely self-taught. Shred is just one aspect of what I want to do..but it is important...at least to me...it's challenging, and it forces you to really practice, and practice hard.
What I want more of is a working knowledge of my instrument...it's chords, how chords are made and shaped all over the fretboard...scales, how to improvise, mix scales, play a scale or a mix of scales in a key, then transition to another key, then back to the first. I want exercises that will help improve my overall playing. The list goes on. At the end of the day...and I said this earlier....I want to become more of a musician than just a player. Being just a player is great...especially when you're young. I would've never practiced my guitar if I didn't have songs and players that I wanted to emulate. When I did take some early lessons, they were not at all based on theory or reading music...they were...here's the song I want to learn...please show me how to play it. And that's how I got started. Quite frankly, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Looking back now, perhaps a little theory thrown in would've been beneficial...but you know what...I practiced, I got into bands, and it got me laid Who can ask for more when your 15, 16 or 17?

I appreciate your posts...Once again...I'm not looking for a lecture about what I should be doing...how I should be going about doing something. I've got more years under my belt than a lot of people at this point...so I don't need that advise. I'm simply looking for instructional DVDs/videos that some of you may recommend..instructionals that really helped step up your game. There's a million out there...I'm looking for one or two exceptional examples. And believe me...I don't look at this as the be all, end all of my growth as a player....I'm just looking to enhance a part of my playing. If anything, I'm the biggest proponent in the world for players who play by ear...who have a natural gift. I like to think I, myself, have a little bit of that gift. So please understand...because I'm looking for some alternative methods of training, that doesn't mean I think these DVDs will make me a different player...or step up my game so much that I could be on the cover of Guitar World next month. That's just silly thinking, and I hope I didn't imply that I thought some training DVDs would help more than 25 years of playing and learning my instrument on my own.
So far 3 or 4 have been suggested (I think). There's gotta be some more...keep em coming. I really appreciate it.
Thanks again.

[Jack Napalm]

Take a look at 'Accelerate Your Rock Guitar Playing' by Scotty Johnson. Scotty knows the instrument and the DVD has a lot of information that you can apply.

[Hellbat]

Back in High School I took a guitar class and spent a spare sitting in with a music composition class. Because I wasn't officially attending the music comp class I didn't pay a lot of attention to the information being offered but a lot of the info in the guitar class was the same. We learned all the scales and modes based off of intervals and how to use tools like the circle of 5ths for creating music that works on paper. Of course I have forgotten almost all of it some 20+ years later but looking back I wish I retained it more because it was awesome rock solid information. Once you have the scales memorized based on intervals it becomes very easy to transpose a scale to another position, key, or even what to change for fingering in an alternate tuning.

If I ever run across my high school music teacher I will thank him for teaching the information so well and apologize for not trying harder to soak it in.