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Schecter guitars are divine.

After I got a Schecter 3 years ago, my other guitars have been neglected. Their necks are magnificent, their tone is outstanding (mine has seymour duncan pickups), and you can't get a better guitar for the money. Go play one and you'll understand! Schecter guitars are amazing!

1) Make sure intonation is right. Can't stress how important this is, check out your tuning at the twelth fret. It's where the action is and you don't want it to be sharp or flat.

2) Get the right tone, single coil, plenty of gain, ignore how fuzzy chords sound.

3) What key is the song in?

Key of E (E7 A7 E7 - B7 A7 E7 B7 progression). Robot head shape on 10th.

   10th fret
    V
-I--IoI--IoI--
-I--IoI--IoI--
-IoI--I--IoI--
-IoI--I--IoI--
-I--IoI--IoI--
-I--IoI--IoI--

The 'o's are notes you can play

Key of A robot head shape is on 3rd, but blues box shape is on 5th.

   5th fret
   V
--o----o--
--o----o--
--o--o----
--o--o----
--o--o----
--o----o--

Key of G 'robot head' is on 13th fret and 'blues box' is on 3rd.

Key of C 'robot head' is on 6th fret and 'blues box' is on 8th.

Key of Bb, the blues key,  robot head is on 2nd and  blues box is on 6th.

4) Run up and down the shape like this;

-I--I10I--I11I--
-I--I-8I---I-9I--
-I6I---I---I-7I--
-I4I---I---I-5I--
-I--I-3I---I-4I--
-I--I-1I---I-2I--

The numbers just show you the order to play in to get an ascending run, yep it's a scale really. You don't finger them individually that would be way too difficult. Simply assign a finger to a fret. In this case your first finger just does notes 4 & 6. All of 1, 3, 8 and 10 are held with the second finger and your third covers the row of 2,4,5,7,9,11.

Remember you aren't placing a finger tip on any of these notes you're simply slamming the whole flat finger across the whole fret like a paddle. Just practise it till your finger goes in just as you pick the string.

5) Now you can play those notes in any order but nearby ones make musical combinations. You should be rocking your fingers back and forth and this should follow the beat. Move up and down the scale till you get fast, then as you can run up dwell on some notes then run back down again, work a note then run again. Basic blues stuff and when you get to the high notes, work them back and forth quickly, hey you're soloing!

6) Get Ralph Argesta's 'Blues: Jam Trax' book it has all of this and more. Shapes and keys I haven't mention which can worked in, a CD with backing tracks to solo over. Can you tell I've had fun with it this afternoon?

I was working on an acoustic version of Blondie's "Dreaming" this weekend--easy song, sounds pretty good on the acoustic.  Working on a couple Toad the Wet Sprocket songs--"Something's always wrong" and "All I want".  On the electric, I'm working on a couple Offspring songs & I'm working on a bunch of old songs, but trying to play them with different chords from the fifth fret up on my electric.

Hi Tim0473,
Like Russell Harding, I am working on some original stuff.  Had big plans for doing lots of projects around the house on this day off (MLK Day), but mostly just relaxed and took it easy.

Found a scrap of an idea in my song writing notebook - a scribble really - and have been playing with the idea this evening.  Tentatively entitled "My Cowbelle".

Someday, it might actually be a song - but not quite yet!

Hey Tim,

I would never call anyone who uses power chords a cheater.  Yes, they really don't sound as good or as full as real barre chords, but they often do the trick.  Most rock bands use these with lots of distortions, and most of the time they sound find. 

However, if you are going to be a life-long player, knowing the correct chords will only benefit you.

Tim0473 wrote:

Sad to say that I actually found ways around barre-chording ... alot of the 5th/6th string powerchords can suppliment (ex. C5 powerchord can suppliment a barred "C" or open C) ... my buddie is a barre chord junkie and I'm still learning so I switch to my powerchords and he calls me a cheater lol but hey, it works for now until I get the barre chording down pat!