I set my alarm this time as I’m pretty sure I missed the last one. Sending good vibes from Florida!!

A non-musical related post, just wanted to jump in and say I hope wherever you are, that you are having a wonderful day 🐈🤙🎸

Hi guitarwavers, last Friday I attended a clinic by Chris Buck at Music Store in Cologne. For those who don’t know him: Chris is an outstanding guitarist (currently touring a lot with his band Cardinal Black). His solo playing has fascinated me for years, and his YouTube channel — especially the sadly discontinued Friday Fretworks series (https://youtu.be/QonHlw4oBWw?si=pJsrlD74f2r2wrOm) — has been a big source of inspiration for me. Besides plenty of guitar-nerd topics (including his Yamaha signature model), he spoke during the clinic in depth about his approach to soloing. There were so many gems that I quickly took notes and thought I’d share them here. We haven’t talked much about technique and practicing in the community yet, so maybe this is useful for some of you. Key takeaways: • Start slow and low. He usually begins in the lower register and plays sparsely, then gradually moves up the neck and increases intensity, telling a story with introduction, build-up, climax, and resolution. • A/B phrasing. He often structures phrases as a question (suspension) and answer (resolve). • Don’t be afraid of repetition. Good melodies need time to sink in. He often repeats phrases and later restates them an octave higher. • Study singers, not guitarists. He focuses on vocal phrasing, melody, and character, then translates that to guitar. • Single-string playing. He mentioned that around 70% of his solos happen on a single string. This prevents scale “noodling” and forces you to think melodically, while physically feeling the intervals. • Vibrato like a singer. He lets notes sit flat first, then adds vibrato gradually — similar to how a singer’s vibrato naturally appears as the breath fades. The short video I captured is a great example of all of the above. Here’s the original version (recorded for Paul Davids’ challenge): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl8CaZVMQzw&t=1514s

hello my friends, I hope you're doing great! I'm thinking of you. if you have time, let's hang out tomorrow at 2pm Berlin time. and a bit of context under which rock I'm buried right now 🦦

a little early christmas present to you all. hope you guys have super smooth holidays and can relax. may this episode help you with that 🫶🏼🦦