Would you take lessons from this guy?

[CyberStrat]

Hey,

I'm looking at taking some more lessons and this is a local guy.

So is he a shreader? It looks to me like he's using many technics & scales. He's a grad from U of Wisconsin, music major.

Youtube link

What do you think?

Cyber

[Mesotech]

Based off of that and his other video, no I wouldn't take lessons from him.

I would have preferred to see him actually "play" something instead of wanking scales and tapping up and down the neck. I also didn't get a real good sense of how he perceives "tone" or "style", you know... subtle inflections of playing technique that add emotional qualities to his playing.

I'm not saying the guy is bad or can't play, because from those two video's it's too difficult to say for sure. Simply not enough information. If you're wanting to learn scales or tapping techniques, you could do just as well with a quick Google search for scale patterns and purchasing a decent metronome. The hard part is the discipline to actually apply yourself, which is something a teacher can't instill in you. Either you have the discipline or you don't.

[Offshore Angler]

Really, you need talk with him and see what his goals are for the student and what his teaching technique is like. I'd insist that at least a part of each lesson is based on applying theory as well. He might be a great teacher or not. The video is irrelevant.

[muddy]

Well, I wouldn't as that is not a style I would want to learn / master.

If that's your bag though try it out.

He seems to be "talking a lot, but not saying much" imho.
While flashy fast scales impress some folk and it surely helps with dextarity, I'd be more interested in learning some cool rhythm chops, tasteful phrasing or something related to timing.

[CyberStrat]

A couple of things I didn't like,

It seemed like it's all speed for him. I wouldn't want to play a solo like that...space is your friend, connecting thoughts & phrases.

I didn't much like his tone, sounded thin, fizzy

I'll sure I'll meet with him and have a lesson or two to give it a try.

Cyber

[NeoFauve]

Is this supposed to market him as an instructor?

5:12 of meedly-meedly, or awesomeness, depending on the beholder.
One might infer any of a number of things from that video.

You'll obviously need to have a conversation.

[thegeezer]

He's quick but doesn't say much. IMHO

[Offshore Angler]

Man, how quick people jump to conclusions! How do you know the guy doesn't play other styles like jazz or country?

Guy's got a music degree. I would suspect there is more to him than what he was showing there - which was pretty cool with all neo-classical elements he juxtaposed into the shred style.

Honestly, I think what he was demonstrating was lost on a lot of people who only saw "shred' and didn't understand the nod to the Pagmieister. Probably "too hip for the room" in a lot of cases.

[Franklin]

Maybe he was targeting shred heads with that video. I didn't watch it....

[refin]

Right off the bat, it's.........
(a) soloing
(b) speed
(c) '80s technique
(d) lacking versatility, feel or rhythmic structure
(e) singular tone,no vibrato,lack of melody
(f) No dynamics

This is totally my opinion,certainly open to different takes!
If he plays what you want to learn,hire him.
One thing that is wrong with guitar over the past 15-20 years--SOLO<SOLO>SOLO!!!
I would get together with this guy and audition him (quietly and secretly).You are the paying party as far as lessons,and he needs to meet YOUR expectations of what YOU want to accomplish,not the other way around.In other words:"Can this guy teach me what I want to learn,and not make me a carbon copy of himself?"
I have been teaching 25 years,and there have been times where I wasn't what the student wanted,even though I thought I knew better.....no offense taken,I let them go to another teacher.
I'm not dissing him-----I'm just saying that if you want to be versatile,seek elsewhere.A music degree means nothing.

[thegeezer]

I practiced three piece last night cause the other guitarist was ill. If i would have used that technique it would have been a very dull practice. And fans aren't that impressed with it either. I did try my new/old Tele last night and I loved the tone. Sorry to fall off track.

[CyberStrat]

We'll thanks for you thoughts.

I'm not that style of player, but if he can teach me new scales & how & when to use them, that would be a help to me.

I'm going to meet with him and see what else he playes.

Thanks again.

Cyber

[thegeezer]

We'll thanks for you thoughts.

I'm not that style of player, but if he can teach me new scales & how & when to use them, that would be a help to me.

I'm going to meet with him and see what else he playes.

Thanks again.

Cyber

That can't hurt anything. Larry Carlton I believe has instruction dvds out and so does Robben Ford if you want useful scales and arpeggios.

[pauln]

I would not because he does not sound like he hears what he plays...
Try to find someone that does, like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3w0r6kQrRI

[hudpucker]

I can already do what he does in the video; HOWEVER, that might be only one facet of his musicianship (I hope). This might be a 'look at my trick bag' vid anyway....

His tone is GAWD-awful to my ears. But tone is subjective. And digital camera mics aren't the best way to record compressed for Youtube vids.

Who knows? He might be a great teacher or he might be terrible at conveying knowledge.

Give him a shot. What do you have to really lose?

[Wilko]

He's apparently an a-hole.
Check out these comments he posted about Steve Howe:

"I believe the cure for "guitar face" lies in knowing the note names one is playing as well as the patterns for soloing with. Check out my solo at "improvised metal guitar solo" by Rob Meronek to see what I mean. (black background, yellow Strat)"

"I love Steve Howe's playing with Yes, but as to weather or not he knows every note name of the notes he's on as he plays them or not, there are two articles you can look up if you're interested.
The first is on page 38 of the January 1998 issue of Guitar magazine, and the second is on page 58 of the July 2008 issue of Guitar Player magazine, specifically the last sentence of the article. I'm not going to reprint them because they are copyrighted material, but you can look them up yourself."

Typical attitude from a music major. Too much "knowledge" kills creativity or expression.

[Doc W]

My answer is no. Wait until he learns how to tune to concert pitch and stop wanking.

[redb]

He's better than me (I think?) so I could probably learn a thing or two from him.

Long term? No.

[boobtube21]

I don't know...I could only get through about 1:30 of that video, and it didn't sound very good to me. He had stuff to play, and he's obviously educated, but that was pretty sloppy. Nothing to do with not liking the style, I've heard guitar players I didn't like that could play circles around that guy...and not just because they were faster.

If you play that sloppy and compare yourself to Steve Howe, you can't have very good ears. So yeah, I'd avoid a guy like that for a teacher.

And yeah, I'd like to hear him do that on an acoustic.

[Wilko]

And yeah, I'd like to hear him do that on an acoustic.

Or that same guitar with no ridiculous gain to cover up his slop.