Hi this is Dan Mumm.

In this program, Im going to be teaching you a variety of excerpts from popular

Classical pieces that Ive translated for Metal guitar. Beyond the enjoyment you should get from
learning these recognizable melodies and passages, my goal in creating this program is to help guitarists
break down mental boundaries and increase their overall playing and learning capabilities. This program
is meant for the full spectrum of intermediate level players, but it should also prove useful and
enjoyable to the most advanced players. Probably the most important aspect of this program is its
focus on what, for the sake of this program, Ill call general lead guitar skill or rather, aspects of lead
guitar that are crucial for reaching your potential but are often overlooked. Players who have goal of
mastering lead guitar are typically distracted by flashy techniques and focus a great deal of their practice
time on mastering just these techniques specifically. Each time the player becomes aware of a new
technique, they approach that new technique almost as if they are mastering a new instrument. But in
truth, all guitar techniques are connected, and an approach to practice that takes this into account is
incredibly effective.

Im going to take a moment to define two terms before continuing.

Alternate picking is a term that simply refers to alternating the direction of the picks motion on each
subsequent note played. In other words, on the first note you would pick in a downward motion and
then on the next note pick in an upward direction, and then the process is repeated. When done
properly, this technique disregards string changes. It allows the player to play faster in general. While
this is one of the most basic guitar techniques, at higher speeds it becomes one of the most challenging
to master because it demands coordination of both the picking and fretting hands.

Tremolo picking is a term that refers to an unconscious version of alternate picking where a string is
picked up and down rapidly. I say unconscious because tremolo picking does not take the amount of
notes being played into consideration. At full speed, the player is simply moving their pick as fast as
they can with little regard for whether they are actually linking up with a specific note change or not.
This is commonly used for shredding in lieu of alternate picking because its considerably easier.
However, when used for anything other than special effect, its highly limited compared to alternate
picking. Tremolo picking can be used for shredding simple or repetitive patterns, but it becomes useless
when applied to fast melodies that werent written with tremolo pickings limitations in mind. This is
important to note because this program is in part intended to help cure guitarists of their need to use
tremolo picking as a crutch. That being said, tremolo picking is still an important technique to have in
the arsenal and its perfect for patterns written with it in mind. Some guitar purists might even say that
true shredding is done with tremolo picking only but this is almost exclusively used as a disparaging
remark. So, we should all master alternate picking just to stick it to those so-called purists.

Now that weve defined these two important terms, here are some of the reasons why practicing for
general lead guitar skill is so effective. Many players will practice their shred technique, typically
focusing on tremolo picking as opposed to alternate picking. But if a player masters the fundamental of
alternate picking, they will easily be able to learn any shred pattern thats thrown their way. More than
that, shred patterns mostly focus on specific scales or 3-note modal patterns - so the guitarist gets stuck
playing specific types of patterns, and only has the ability to play them slowly or at shred speeds.
Ideally, you should work toward being able to play any pattern, whether it be 1 note per string (such as
sweep picking), 2, 3, or 4 notes per string, whether inside a standard scale, or changing scale patterns
constantly and at any reasonable speed: slow, fast, and anywhere in between. This is a long term goal
that guitarists should strive for. Heres an understatement for you: dont expect to reach this level
overnight.

Anyway, while this sounds like a lot to take in, you really dont have to worry or even think about any of
this while working on this program. Practicing the variety of segments from Classical pieces of music
that Ive included in this program will cover and help you achieve everything Ive just mentioned,
whether youre aware of it or not. Bear in mind that these Classical excerpts werent written with the
shred guitarist in mind. Ive arranged them for that purpose, but the way theyre situated will force you
to work a little bit outside of your comfort zone - which, of course, is the best way to increase your
overall guitar skill. While practicing fundamentals and keeping your current arsenal of techniques in
shape is critical, the most powerful approach to achieving higher skill is to seek out the areas where your
playing is the weakest. Absolute mastery of this general skill, as Im calling it, would be achieved
when you cant find those weak areas anymore even when working on completely new and different
patterns or techniques. At that point, you will literally be able to play anything on the guitar. Thats a
pretty motivating thought, isnt it?

One more thing before we get started. This program is meant for intermediate players first. And, while
some of these patterns may seem intimidating at first, youll be surprised at how much easier they are
to learn than they seem. Still, Id highly recommend working on the exercises that feel most natural to
you first. Ive tried to order the program in such a way that it starts with easiest exercises and work its
way up in difficulty, but it may be different for each player. After going through the program, the most
effective thing you can do is to pick out a single segment to complete. Focus on the exercises for that
excerpt until youre comfortable playing it in its entirety at a reasonable speed. Take as much time as
you need for each section. While it might be more fun to rush through and try to learn as many excerpts
as you can, its a highly ineffective method of practicing. Hone in on one exercise at a time and when
youre done, youll actually be able to play the excerpts the way theyre meant to be played. The
satisfaction youll get from learning the very first one properly will be proof that youre on the right
track. Besides, if you do it this way, each subsequent segment will be that much easier for you to learn.
Thats the general skill, Ive been talking about, in action.

Exercises 1 and 2 Alternate picking warm-ups

These exercises will be very helpful to use as warm-ups, both for the sake of this program and for your
playing in general. The first exercise focuses on 2 note patterns, while the second exercise focuses on 4
notes. 2 and 4 note patterns are the least common of all shred patterns. Because of this, it will be
difficult to fall back on tremolo picking habits and will allow you to focus specifically on alternate
picking. Even if youve never begun using tremolo picking, these exercises will prove incredibly helpful.
Since your goal is to become a better guitarist its essential to practice these exercises with a
metronome. Start out at a tempo thats extremely easy for you and allows you to play the exercises,
with proper alternate picking, absolutely perfectly. If this is challenging for you, it may be best to start
at a tempo that seems absurdly slow. Once you find the right slow beginning tempo, practice the
exercise with the metronome until you are able to play it 5 times in a row without making a mistake of
any kind. Once you do, increase the tempo on the metronome by 2 bpm. Repeat the process. Set a
reasonable and easy goal for each days practice. For example, try to go up somewhere between 6 and
10 bpm a day. Dont rush it. The reason that this is the most effective practice method is because you
are always moving forward. If you push yourself too hard one day, you may force yourself to backtrack
on the following day. If this happens, youll lose momentum. Steady and gradual improvement is what
were looking for. If you keep it up and follow these instructions, youll be absolutely amazed at your
progress in a month let alone in 3 months or 6 months, or a year. If you take nothing else from this
program but this practice method, youll have more than gotten your moneys worth. It will literally
transform you as a guitarist and set you down the path of mastery. Oh and by the way, you can use this
practice method for any technique, song, or exercise.

I'll mention one other thing here. Guitar Pro 6 files are included with this program. You'll find the Guitar
Pro speed trainer an invaluable tool to gradually increase the tempo as the section you're practicing is
repeated. Doug Marks has very good tutorial that explains how to use the speed trainer on our Metal
Method YouTube channel.

Exercise 3 Intro Toccata and Fugue in Dm J.S. Bach

This first exerpt is the iconic intro to J.S. Bachs Toccata and Fugue in Dm. In my arrangement of this
piece, this is the only part of the Toccata Ive included. Also, this is one of the longest individual
exercises Ive included with this program. While it could be broken up into sections, each part is simple
enough that I felt it made more sense to work on it as one exercise. There are a few different techniques
that youll be using in this exercise including alternate picking, slides, vibrato, and hand position
changes. It ends with an arpeggio where youll allow two notes to ring out at the same time on a couple
occasions which works its way into the chord ending. If you havent worked on changing hand positions
before, this may seem rather difficult at first. You could skip on to the next segment but, then again,
why not iron out that weak link right now?

Exercises 4-7 - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

This grouping of exercises makes up the beginning of Mozarts popular Eine Kleine Nachtmusik or, A
Little Night Music. (Now, this isnt a music appreciation course, but if youre saying to yourself right
now oh, man, lame. A major key? This isnt Metal. Take a moment to reflect on what you might be
missing out on because of, what might be, arbitrary and self-imposed limitations. Thats all Im going to
say.) Anyway, this excerpt includes vibrato, simple arpeggios, alternate picking, trills, and slides. In one
section youll find a 3 note chord is used. For players closer to the beginner range, the chord can be
easily substituted with a single note. By playing only the note on the 2nd string from the chord instead of
the chord, you will still get the basic feel of the song.

Exercises 8-13 Concerto in Am

Exercises 6 through 11 make up the beginning and most recognizable passage of this Concerto in Am by
Vivaldi. This particular segment is considerably easier than it seems, although it should still provide a
nice challenge. The techniques used in this segment include alternate picking, changing hand positions,
sweep picking and string skipping. Theres a section of descending hand positions where the same basic
pattern is played through each hand position. While the basic pattern is the same, the steps between
notes will change according to the scale in each position. (demonstrate)

Exercises 14-17 Concerto in Bm

The following group of exercises makes up a segment of a Concerto in Bm, also by Vivaldi. Like the
exercises that preceded this, youll find similar patterns descending down different hand positions in the
scale. The larger second part of this segment is made up mostly of simple arpeggio patterns. The most
challenging aspect of these exercises will be the fret stretch that goes with the different arpeggios.

Exercises 18-22 Turkish March

Heres another famous song from Mozart. This is the beginning and most recognizable section of
Mozarts Turkish March. This segment utilizes nearly constant alternate picking, slides, 2 string sweep
picking, and string skipping. This one is easier than it seems in some parts and deceptively challenging in
others. Its also tremendously fun to play.

Exercises 23-26 La Folia

The next grouping of exercises is taken from my arrangement of Corellis version of the very old
standard known as La Folia. La Folia itself is basically just a chord progression and the different
composers, who have worked it out into a full composition of their own, usually just go through
variation after variation on the chord progression. These are melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic
variations. This particular variation, taken from Corellis version, is mostly just the arpeggios of the La
Folia progression. These exercises include alternate picking, simple arpeggios, a 2-string rolling barre,
slides, a trill, and tremolo picking. To highlight the functionality of tremolo picking, well use it instead of
alternate picking for the shred run that occurs at the end of this segment. As the shred run is simply
going through 3-note patterns, its particularly well suited for tremolo picking. While using alternate
picking would give it much clearer and more articulate sound, it would be too difficult for the level of
this program. However, its something that Id encourage you to work on if/when youre ready.

Exercises 27-30 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Now we are going to come back to Mozarts Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for another highly recognizable and
enjoyable section of the song. This section includes alternate picking and trills with slides. In the TAB
the trills are written out instead of being indicated by a trill symbol. This is because these trills start with
the higher note instead of the lower note in other words, they begin with a pull-off as opposed to a
hammer-on. If youre very familiar with this piece, youll notice that Ive slightly simplified the rhythm
in a couple of sections. I made this change in order to bring down the difficulty level. The full TAB of my
arrangement of the song uses the proper rhythm for these sections.
Exercise 31 Toccata and Fugue in Dm

This next exercise is the iconic pedal tone theme from Bachs Toccata and Fugue in Dm. For those who
arent familiar, the term pedal tone is applied to a melody that uses an unchanging tone in between
each note of the melody. This term comes from the pedals of an organ which can only ring one note at
a time therefore, if an organist holds down a pedal with the left foot and plays a melody on the pedals
with the right foot, every time the foot is taken off of the pedal playing the melody, a pedal tone will
sound out from the pedal thats being held down. This will instantly make sense to anyone whos ever
played an organ. J.S Bachs favorite instrument was the pipe organ, so its not surprising that he used a
great deal of pedal tones throughout his music. This exercise uses finger tapping instead of organ
pedals. This pattern uses a pedal tone that is higher than the melody so you will need to tap the pedal
tone in between each note of the melody. However, if you were to play a pedal tone pattern with a
lower pedal tone, such as using an open string in between each note of a melody, you can simulate the
effect of the lower pedal being held down on the organ.

Exercises 32-35 Toccata and Fugue in Dm

Next we have yet another excerpt from Toccata and Fugue in Dm. It seems that out of all popular
Classical pieces, this is the one that Rock and Metal guitarists want to learn the most so I included
three excerpts from it in this program. The 3rd excerpt here is, by far, the most difficult. This focuses on
alternate picking and string skipping. If you havent worked with string skipping before, you may want
to wait on this excerpt. On the other hand, if you havent worked with string skipping before, now is
your chance to get started! I will warn that this is a challenging one, but at slow speeds it should be
both great practice and a lot of fun. Pay close attention to my fingering as it will be critical for getting
these exercises down. Ill also point out that this segment uses a great deal of shifting pedal tones. One
of the most recognizable aspects of Bachs music is his preference for showcasing the relationship of the
notes of a melody to a root note, through pedal tone. Thats a rather simplified way of looking at it, but
if youre new to Bach, its a great way to help you understand some of what hes doing in his music.

Exercises 36-40 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

The last excerpt well be going over is from Franz Liszts universally known Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.
This song is just a blast to play. The excerpt Ive selected is from my arrangement of this piece and
intermingles two recognizable sections of the song together. The patterns included are a great
demonstration of familiar scales being blatantly disregarded by a composer. This segment includes
slides, alternate picking, hand position changes, rake picking, artificial harmonics, and some other more
basic techniques. Take your time working on each exercise before trying to put it all together. While
this is one of the most challenging excerpts included in this program, in my opinion its also one of the
most enjoyable to play.

Closing

If youve just finished watching this program for the first time, youve probably realized that the most
effective way to use it will be to work on one segment at a time. Many guitarists are impatient and as a
result, accumulate a rather sloppy repertoire of many different techniques or songs - but have mastered
none. It may seem like focusing on one thing at a time would give you a limited repertoire, but in truth,
once youve mastered one song or technique, each subsequent one will be exponentially easier to learn.
Before you know it, youll be at a level of skill where you can easily master one or more new and
complex songs per day. But if you dont take the first step, dedicating enough time to one song or
technique to master it, youll never reach that level of skill.

As a guitarist, two of the most powerful tools you can have at your disposal are patience and discipline.
Taking the time to acquire and sharpen these tools is a necessary part of the path to mastering the
guitar. Theres just no way around it. But if that idea seems discouraging or disappointing, just
remember that those feelings will be short lived. Disillusionment precedes enlightenment. If you
commit to it and stick with it, before you know it, those feelings will be replaced by satisfaction and
enjoyment.