7 TYPES of GUITAR LESSONS, Part Four-Rock
by Rick Cittar
Rock music is the bastard child of the music world. It encompasses so many different sub-genres because it is influenced by many kinds of music. In private guitar lessons I have the greatest number of students who want to play rock, and the first thing I tell them is “Rock music is about attitude and loud electric guitars”.
The best approach to learning rock music is on a song-to-song basis, because there are thousands of simple rock tunes that are fairly easy to learn. Armed with proper power chord technique, a few pentatonic scale patterns, and a flash riff or two, the beginning student can be ready to rock out in a very short time.
Rock music is also about the study of the combination of the player, the guitar, and the amplifier. Every rock player is looking for great tone, and there are hundreds of effects ready for the budding rocker to play with. I look forward to helping my students get the best sound out of the equipment they have, and to advise them on the quality of equipment that is on the market.
One focus of rock guitar lessons is building upon fundamentals of good guitar technique. Picking exercises, practice with a metronome, modal and scale patterns, and challenging left-hand studies will enable the student to get better at playing more interesting tunes, and also help develop their ability to solo.
Let’s Rock at Arcadia Music Studio, 1381 Franquette Ave, D-8, #4 in Concord, CA. I offer private lessons in guitar and bass, and you can reach me at 925 818 6026, or email rickcittar@yahoo.com.
