Whitesnake - Tech Session by Jamie Humphries

Lesson Overview

Welcome to the "Whitesnake - Tech Session" by Jamie Humphries, a comprehensive guitar lesson series that dissects the intricate and dynamic guitar work of Whitesnake. This session is designed for guitarists looking to expand their technical skills and musical expression through detailed, note-for-note instruction. Jamie Humphries, a seasoned guitarist and educator, guides you through each lesson with clarity and precision, ensuring you grasp every nuance of the techniques used by Whitesnake.

Performance

In addition to the detailed lessons, this series includes performances by Jamie Humphries that demonstrate the application of these techniques in a musical context. Watching these performances is invaluable, as it allows you to see how the techniques are seamlessly integrated into a song. This not only reinforces your learning but also inspires you to incorporate these skills into your playing with confidence and musicality.

Techniques Focused in the Lessons

Vibrato

Description: Vibrato is a crucial technique that adds expression to your playing by creating a slight variation in pitch. It involves oscillating the pitch of a note using finger movement. Benefits: Learning vibrato enhances the emotional impact of your solos and melodies, giving your playing a vocal-like quality.

Alternate Picking

Description: Alternate picking involves alternating downstrokes and upstrokes with the pick. This technique is essential for playing fast, precise passages. Benefits: Mastering alternate picking improves your speed, accuracy, and overall picking efficiency, enabling you to tackle complex riffs and solos.

Legato

Description: Legato playing involves smooth, connected notes achieved through hammer-ons and pull-offs, rather than picking each note individually. Benefits: Legato techniques create a fluid sound and increase your playing speed, making your solos more effortless and seamless.

Double-Stop Bends

Description: Double-stop bends involve bending two strings simultaneously to create harmonic tension and release. Benefits: This technique enriches your solos with harmonic complexity and expressive power, making your leads more dynamic.

Pinched Harmonics

Description: Pinched harmonics are produced by lightly touching the string with the thumb after picking, creating a high-pitched, squealing sound. Benefits: This technique adds a distinctive, aggressive edge to your playing, perfect for emphasising certain notes in solos.

Trills

Description: Trills involve rapidly alternating between two adjacent notes, usually with a hammer-on and pull-off. Benefits: Trills enhance your finger dexterity and add a flashy, technical flair to your solos.

Tremolo Picking

Description: Tremolo picking is the rapid alternation of a single note using quick upstrokes and downstrokes. Benefits: This technique increases your picking speed and adds a dramatic effect to sustained notes.

Arpeggios

Description: Arpeggios involve playing the individual notes of a chord in sequence rather than simultaneously. Benefits: Arpeggios enhance your understanding of chord shapes and improve your ability to outline chord tones in solos.

Dive Bombs

Description: Dive bombs are a whammy bar technique where the pitch of a note is dramatically dropped and then returned. Benefits: This technique adds excitement and a wild, expressive sound to your playing, often used in rock and metal genres.

Pull-Offs

Description: Pull-offs involve plucking a string by pulling the finger off the fretboard, producing a second note. Benefits: This technique improves your legato playing, making your solos smoother and faster.

Palm Muting

Description: Palm muting involves lightly resting the picking hand on the strings near the bridge, creating a muted, percussive sound. Benefits: This technique adds rhythmic control and dynamic variation to your playing, essential for tight, aggressive riffing.

Barre Chords

Description: Barre chords involve using one finger to press down multiple strings across a single fret. Benefits: Mastering barre chords allows you to play a wide variety of chord shapes and progressions up and down the neck.

Sweep Picking

Description: Sweep picking involves a continuous motion of the pick across multiple strings, often used to play arpeggios. Benefits: Sweep picking enhances your ability to play fast, intricate passages with precision.

Rakes

Description: Rakes involve dragging the pick across the strings in a controlled manner to create a rhythmic effect. Benefits: Rakes add a percussive quality to your playing, useful for adding texture and rhythmic complexity.

Slides

Description: Slides involve moving your finger along the string to a different fret, creating a smooth transition between notes. Benefits: Slides add a fluid, vocal-like quality to your playing and enhance your expressiveness.

Sustain

Description: Sustain refers to the length of time a note rings out after being played. Benefits: Developing good sustain control enhances the musicality and emotional impact of your playing.

String Bending

Description: String bending involves pushing or pulling the string to raise its pitch. Benefits: Mastering string bending enhances the expressiveness and emotional impact of your solos.

Guitar Techniques List

• Vibrato
• Alternate Picking
• Legato
• Double-Stop Bends
• Pinched Harmonics
• Trills
• Tremolo Picking
• Arpeggios
• Dive Bombs
• Pull-Offs
• Palm Muting
• Barre Chords
• Sweep Picking
• Rakes
• Slides
• Sustain
• String Bending

This "Whitesnake - Tech Session" by Jamie Humphries offers an immersive learning experience that covers a wide range of techniques. By mastering these skills, you'll be well-equipped to tackle the demanding and expressive guitar work characteristic of Whitesnake, enriching your musical repertoire and enhancing your overall guitar proficiency.