Troy Stetina HM Lead Guitar

[Soap]

i still haven't used any sweeping in a solo of my own yet.

I rarely sweep either.
For one, I'm not all that good at it and the ones I do are mostly 4 strings and
not 6 string sweeps.
Secondly, I just don't hear it when working on a solo.
I hear everything else, but rarely do I hear a moment or spot for a sweep.

[Cygnus X1]

I've done some wicked arpeggios, for a very long time, it was one of my "hooks", so I suppose sweeping wouldn't be all that difficult.
Like tapping, I just don't go there much. I'm a bit hardheaded. I like cleanly picked notes.

[sonicsamurai]

I've done some wicked arpeggios, for a very long time, it was one of my "hooks", so I suppose sweeping wouldn't be all that difficult.
Like tapping, I just don't go there much. I'm a bit hardheaded. I like cleanly picked notes.

have u ever tried tapping out of the typical eruption style box? i sometimes don't pick a run up the fret board i tap and slide with it. so its smooth and legato-ey. tapping and bending is good fun too. might be worth a try.

[Cygnus X1]

have u ever tried tapping out of the typical eruption style box? i sometimes don't pick a run up the fret board i tap and slide with it. so its smooth and legato-ey. tapping and bending is good fun too. might be worth a try.

Yes.
I broke down years ago and learned Eruption.

[jacksoncsplayer]

I was at that point about eleven years ago and I quit for ten years. I was stuck and had stopped setting goals for myself. After playing again for a year, I realized half the shit I was doing back then was nice to be able to do, the tapping, sweeping, but it got me into the keeping up with the joneses mode and I forgot about the soulful expression of a minor harmonic scale. Simplicity is wonderful when you can place emotional expression inside it. Revamping my style now is an emotional journey rather than a technical journey, and it's awesome to have a new passion. I'll never be Eddie or Marty, and I no longer want to be. Be Kevin and play what you feel and play it well.

[Bengal65]

I have several of his books. They are all great! I just need to discipline myself to practice. His "speed" book is very good IMO!

[thebeggar]

I have several of his books. They are all great! I just need to discipline myself to practice. His "speed" book is very good IMO!

I have that opened permanently down in the garage. Got some good stuff out of it.

[darrellm]

I'm tired of myself.

So, question: Has anyone else used this method?
And, at 45 years old, with 30 plus years of pentatonics and majors under my belt, should I even bother? I have spent three weeks getting through the modes, and exercizes, and find I'm still at half speed! Arg!

This topic made my day - both me and the other guitarist in my band learnt stuff from those books back around 1990 (on a Charvel Model 4 and Model 6). Don't worry, I didn't get the speed either - just treat it as a way of expanding your knowledge/repertoire. Brings back fond memories - no wife/kids/mortgage to worry about, leave work early on Firday to spend the afternoon practicing guitar :-)

[Vass]

Funny this is coming up- I recently bought Metal Lead Guitar, which starts extremely basically but then builds into some cool stuff, and Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar, which I also started messing with- I can tell you that for the drills alone the second book is worth it. Hand's stronger, pinky doing more than it usually does. Lots of great exercises that I could see doing to warm up/keep in shape for the rest of my playing life.

Metal Lead seems worth it too- just haven't spent as much time with it.

Vass

[Cygnus X1]

Bumping myself...
I'm definitely getting a lot better!
I am having a problem with speed picking going into the third string, though.
The pick always wants to hang up there, as if the strings are too light for me.
I'm using .009's on a 25.5 scale DKMGT. I'm thinking of trying a set of .010's,
to see if it makes a difference. I'm using a thick, pointed green tortex mini pick.

And, trying to use a stylus pick to build speed is useless. Anyone had luck with the stylus method?

[jacksoncsplayer]

Hey Kev, what area do you think your most improving in? After reading this thread a couple times i'd like to check this guy out.

Bumping myself...
I'm definitely getting a lot better!
I am having a problem with speed picking going into the third string, though.
The pick always wants to hang up there, as if the strings are too light for me.
I'm using .009's on a 25.5 scale DKMGT. I'm thinking of trying a set of .010's,
to see if it makes a difference. I'm using a thick, pointed green tortex mini pick.

And, trying to use a stylus pick to build speed is useless. Anyone had luck with the stylus method?

[MartinBarre]

Bumping myself...
I'm definitely getting a lot better!
I am having a problem with speed picking going into the third string, though.
The pick always wants to hang up there, as if the strings are too light for me.
I'm using .009's on a 25.5 scale DKMGT. I'm thinking of trying a set of .010's,
to see if it makes a difference. I'm using a thick, pointed green tortex mini pick.

And, trying to use a stylus pick to build speed is useless. Anyone had luck with the stylus method?

That green pick is the one I use for playing my bass!
Try a purple tortex, or thinner.

[Cygnus X1]

Hey Kev, what area do you think your most improving in? After reading this thread a couple times i'd like to check this guy out.

Reach, (I've always been strong with the pinky), note accuracy, timing, and
phrasing. Mind you, I'm not coming into this blind...I've been playing since I was 11, and had a little bit of classical training eons ago. I just fell into this RUT, and I'm digging myself out instead of giving up.

Martin, I'm not all that keen on changing picks now, I guess. I've tried switching, but I am so used to these. Just wondering if trying the Stylus Pick might help train my crazy right hand. I have a heavy touch with it.
Hell, it was developed playing Gibbons and SRV, to pull tone out of the notes. Now it's hurting my training, I think.

[Cygnus X1]

Alright, I have spent ALL DAY with the stylus pick.
The grabbing issue going into the third string has gone away, because
I discovered that "tone" thing was part of a very heavy picking technique.
So, my speed through the scales has improved, and I need to spend some time on this.
I'm still on page 7, doing the scales and the practice solos, and have hung back a bit to make sure I have the technique down before moving forward.

[Foolius Maximus]

I'm tired of myself.
I can play,by ear, classic heavy metal, rock, blues, classic rock, whatever.
I got stuck in about 1981. I refused to pick up EVH, because I had invested so much time to get to "Life in the Fast Lane", or whatever. I knew every damn guitarist on earth would be tapping away, and I refused to have any part of it. So, I killed my own learning by stopping.

So, I picked up "Heavy Metal Lead Guitar Volume 2" by Troy Stetina.
I skipped V1 because I already knew basic theory and had classical training, to a point. I let this book (and tape) lie for the last ten years or so.

So, question: Has anyone else used this method?
And, at 45 years old, with 30 plus years of pentatonics and majors under my belt, should I even bother? I have spent three weeks getting through the modes, and exercizes, and find I'm still at half speed! Arg!

i find myself going through the "i'm sick of my playing and i need to freshen things up" thing but when you're older, i'm 40, it's hard to dedicate the time it takes to learn and play the stuff at the speed you want to play it at - i'm currently working on alternate picking as i have always been the hammer on pull off guy but it's not easy to practice the way you use to when you were younger - i do it because i love the guitar and will always play whether i make money at it or not - it's a passion - neddi