6 Prog Rock Licks!
John Wheatcroft brings you an exclusive video lesson from virtuoso Terry Shrek, showcasing his phenomenal prog-rock picking and fretting chops.
This month we present an exclusive video lesson from virtuoso prog-rock guitarist Terry Syrek, with six examples that showcase his phenomenal chops, fiery picking, sweeping and more.
Terry is renowned for his command of the instrument, his dedication to perfecting his playing, and his overall musicianship. He has performed with the likes of Paul Gilbert, Allan Holdsworth, Marty Friedman, Brett Garsed, Zakk Wylde and many more and has an impressive portfolio of album releases.
Here are some pointers on how to develop Terry’s impressive facility, directly from the man himself...
“It’s not so much about what you practise, but HOW you practise. The majority of my technique came though doing very simple things, consistently each day, but in an almost meditative state. I would play the same three-note pattern over and over, maybe a half hour at a sitting, but in 30-second to a minute intervals. Play it for 30 seconds on repeat, then rest for 30 seconds, for example.
“Most importantly, you have to be present, 100%, in what you’re doing. Don’t let your mind wander to what’s for dinner or even the things around your room. It’s really difficult to do this. So, to get there, what you can do is to ‘feel’ your fretting hand, as you repeat the exercise. What does your hand feel like? Can you feel the tips of the fingers touching the strings? Are they articulating and landing very precisely next to the frets in exactly the right location? Make it perfect. I think of it like writing; you can move a pencil across a page and scribble your name, but it’s entirely different when you take time and articulate things with your hand, writing as precisely and neatly as possible. Each pass of the exercise, try really hard to make it better than the time before. If you make mistakes, don’t beat yourself up about it. Let it pass and use your energy to improve the next pass through, instead of wasting it on being angry or bummed.
“Next, do the same for your picking hand. Are you articulating the pick precisely? Is the sound very clear and thick? If it’s alternate picking, it should sound like a machine gun or a stick running down a picket fence. Finally, you’ll put your awareness into both hands simultaneously. Here, feel all these things mentioned, but you have to feel the unity between the hands also. They are working together to produce a single thing. You have to transcend the parts, at this point, and feel what they all make.
“You need discipline, intensity and to do it every day. Speed up when you can. Always push. I’d recommend a metronome to give you an actual number, instead of guessing. Always push the envelope, but never to the point where you are entirely o
