Guthrie Govan: "I’m guessing that when most modern rock players say they want to get their 'fusion' down, they don’t particularly want to learn ‘Autumn Leaves’, they want instant Greg Howe! Listen to Charlie Christian, Django, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery... listen to what those guys could do over a simple blues progression, you’ll start to absorb what’s happening harmonically, and after a while ‘jazz’ ingredients won’t sound so strange to your ears. That’s when you can start really using it!"
Notice how many guitarists with extremely advanced playing style also have quite beautifully developed speech skills and rich vocabulary. Howe and Govan are great examples. Listening to them speak is just as exciting as listening to them do their magic on an instrument.
Why is there always some idiot making comments on these types of videos about "feel". This guy is on the very tip of the spear for human capacity to master an instrument, don't try and take away from that because your plebian taste prefers the simplicity of mainstream guitar players.
I know. I used to joke about that with some of my teachers haha. they're usually old dudes who can't accept change and the fact that guitarists are evolving or at least, have evolved.
I had the pleasure of taking a few lessons from Greg a couple of years ago. Great guy, great teacher, phenomenal player. When I asked him how he got his level of technique, he said he's never been the kind of guy to just sit there and do exercises for technique's sake. He would mostly jam with whatever happened to be playing on the radio or TV at the time. You can tell by his incredibly lyrical playing that he's not your typical 'technique' guy. But my gosh, this guy can burn!!!
I never in my life have heard a guitarist/guitar teacher explain so eloquently the idea of improve and creativity in guitar soloing. Excellent, I felt a gained an immense amount of insight after watching, thank you Greg Howe.
He's a really bright guy in the verbal sense as well. It's great when an amazing player knows how to convey information to others. This is a great lecture...I may even add it to favorites.
This is a wonderful insight in Greg's approach and thinking. I attended Greg's guitar clinic almost 15 years ago and I still remember how down to earth and so talented he was on the fretboard. I find myself returning to this improv guitar lesson video for it is a treasure trove of ideas. I think it's incredible how well structured and grounded his improvisation is. It doesn't feel like notes are being played for the sake of it, but rather to convey an overarching feeling.
Im a drummer and this was extremely informative to me!!! True musicians tend to explain things in a way that applies to other instrumental approaches. Some of the approaches he uses are some of the approaches i use...obviously on a different instrument. His concepts are universal to all instruments!!! Taping into the mind of a musical genius..PRICELESS!!!
Beautiful inspirational lesson. This is Greg playing a one chord vamp and showing contrast and polarity.....it's when the chords change that Greg shows who the boss is!! I wish he would make THAT video!!!
Still one of the most intellectual, yet readily usable improv concept out there (been going back to this for years now). The master even gave it to us for free. Cheers!
I'm a new Greg Howe fan since late last year. I like how he has structured licks and phrasing which are characteristics of rock, and also the "meandering" fluid flavor of jazz improvisation. His tone is very clear, not overly distorted, yet it has enough gain for my taste. His low frequencies aren't buried in the mud - I like that too. In addition to tone, his accuracy makes his playing easy to listen to. It's the product of decades of practice. Be patient kids.
Great summary of thought!! I've came to the same conclusion in my own playing. Challenging yourself to stay out of " autopilot mode" and be more aware of the moment by moment improvisation and creating new ideas as you go. It should be an intentional expression of feeling rather than a mechanical robotic flurry of notes up and down the scales. Play intelligently and thoughtfully like you're trying to get your musical words across to the audience. Use the guitar to "speak and deliver the message" as EVH often said.
Great lesson Greg. I've been trying to incorporate more outside playing lately. Been stuck in the run of the mill scales and licks for a while and trying to break free. Thanks
Greg; first of all I want to thank you for sharing this with us, you are a real musician basically you can play anything!!! The way you control rhythm amaze me. Wish you the best
Greg is amazing sometimes i get in autopilot mode and i get very frustrated. Now I know how to get out of it. One of the best video lessons on youtube, ever.
he's cool i like his laid back approach to teaching, some other guys begin to sound too technical, with this guy i can keep my eye on the prize and not get confused!
He is spot on. Good soloing is filled with contrasts. Perfect example, play as fast as you can nearly always and after awhile the ear adapts and it begins to sound normal speed. Play a medium paced flowing section and throw in super fast passages and they seem like lightning++.
Greg Howe is the FREAKIN MAN!!! You have GOT to have "Introspection" in your collection if you don't have it. It was the first music I had ever heard from him and a friend turned me on to is back when It first came out. I had no idea who he was, but I IMMEDIATELY went out and got everything I could find from him once I heard it. GET IT!! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Introspection was a milestone in all aspects of how an electric guitar could sound. Greg's influence is as important as EVH or Hendrix was at their time. The whole album/production is pure gold
Only discovered him recently. He is such a great teacher and obviously has monster technique. Extremely eloquent, the man seems to be a true genious, by that i mean very very high IQ.
Not only is he incredibly fast but he is such a pocket player. Makes him very enjoyable to listen to. Greg you are in a three way tie with Kotzen and Govan for my absolute favorite. Your new album is perfect.
Greg, Thanks for your humble time, & sharing some great insite & info into your style of improv. I feel your grasp of it is very natural, & risk taking, but yet you know where you want to go as well. Bravo! Troy Clark
without a doubt, one of my all time heros! That hair band trick is just fantastic! It works a treat! I love the ESP/Line-6 combination. (its what I got too)
These concepts are basically ABSENT in all the minds of the absolute most of your followers and even many or your peers, Greg. This is Exactly what's missing in this entire "guitar shred", finger-driven, muse forlorn culture. Having said that - Thank you for letting people know!! ACTUALLY - THIS STUFF IS WHAT JAZZ MUSICIANS PRACTICE/THINK ABOUT TWENTY SIX HOURS A DAY!!! All improvisers MUST address these topics and many similar ones!! All power to you man!! And thanks 4 a much needed insight!!
The textural approach to fast playing is a really interesting concept! But I do wonder why he referred to the fast passages around 6:30 as non-rhythmic? They are 16th note triplets, dead on. Great lesson!
Think of the Chord you are playing over, (or tonal center, i.e. CMin, etc). if you play notes that are part of that chord, you will be considered playing inside, if you play notes that are NOT part of that tonal center.You MAY be considered playing outside.There are several ways to accomplish playing Notes outside, but still be coherent. Greg does it as good as it can be done. When hes playing out, he makes it rhythmically tasty and interesting, and it always resolves perfectly Great Vid!
@MrRuggo I agree. But- just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should. (Music is considered to be a highly individualized artform,so I get your point.) Players are free to hold the instrument any way they wish. For example- a guitarist could put the end of the guitar on the ground with the headstock facing the ceiling like a cello. Don't expect to play "sounds and notes" like Chet Atkins or Greg Howe,however,with the guitar in such an individualized playing posture.
@zappainca An A minor with sharpened 7th is just called A Harmonic Minor. Changing keys refers to whenever you change the tonal centre of an already musically sound scale. Chords can be played in any key and still sound correct (As long as the Root, 3rd and Fifth aren't clashing with an unflattened/sharpened or already flattened/sharpened tone at equal time in the melody). Like playing an AM right on the same beat with the minor in the key of C; which is? :P
@dennoow Yes you can play that over it. But as soon as you add a sharp or flat to the A Minor Scale you've changed keys. Which you would if you played an A Dorian over it as the F is now sharpened; making it in the key of G.
@jay2xtremefy For it to really be considered "outside playing", it also has to resolve back into the key eventually. The point of outside playing is to use "wrong" notes to accentuate the right notes. Hope that helps.
My best all-time guitar legend is Steve Vai, but all I want to be is playing like Mr. Howe. Greg if this is really your channel, the only purpose of my practicing all jazz/ fusion theories is to make my playing sound like 'Five' album.
@snowfosho2 there are e's all over the fretboard as there are every other note, As long as you know where your root note is and your pattern, you can play it anywhere on the neck....
@iAreDeekien 1) Pick up solos, start making small modifications to them. 2) Hear live renditions of solos which have been heavily improvised upon (Stairway to Heaven, Comfortably Numb, She Wolf, to quote some) to get ideas. 3) First listen to So What by Miles Davis, then listen to stuff like So What by Centrifugal Funk to realise what can be done.
I like what the one guy said "my dad was wrong...I'm not a great guitar player"... that's what I've been telling people for years; I'll never be able to come close to Howe's level (even though I try), but at least there's people like Howe to inspire us guitarists!
Just the major scale - sounds like A Mixolydian, depending on the chord progression of the backing track. It just sounds awesome because of the intervals he's playing!
Pretty awesome.. I've been focusing on getting out of my "autopilot" so this helps put a lot into perspective. What's that music at the end remind you guys of? Castlevania maybe?
Line6 Vetta FTW. I wish I could have picked one of those up while they were still being made. It's literally the only product from Line6 I ever liked, and it's a pretty great amp in its own right.
This is awesome in every sense, thanks for sharing this info with us!! Mr. Howe, where is the video that you've done called OUTSIDE PLAYING where you do elaborate on...you know, some of the outside approaches that you tend to use?? I would really love to check it out!
@zappainca A dorian with a sharp 7 is melodic minor ;) You do need to get out of key when playing outside Harmonically. It depends on the progression, G min 7b5 actually IS outside in A dorian. They don't share the same notes. You're playing one semitone higher which is about as outside as it gets! F# minor 7b5 is the "inside" arp.
Great advice and summary by Greg. One of the most influential guitarists when it comes to improvisation. My channel has a variety of backing tracks for improvisation in many styles. Give it a look, I am sure you could find something interesting if you are a musician.
Guthrie Govan: "I’m guessing that when most modern rock players say they want to get their 'fusion' down, they don’t particularly want to learn ‘Autumn Leaves’, they want instant Greg Howe! Listen to Charlie Christian, Django, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery... listen to what those guys could do over a simple blues progression, you’ll start to absorb what’s happening harmonically, and after a while ‘jazz’ ingredients won’t sound so strange to your ears. That’s when you can start really using it!"
Where can i find the video where he talks about this ?
X2
Oh okay
Damn, you right tho 😭
Guthrie, Howe ....
Notice how many guitarists with extremely advanced playing style also have quite beautifully developed speech skills and rich vocabulary. Howe and Govan are great examples. Listening to them speak is just as exciting as listening to them do their magic on an instrument.
Greg Koch is another example.
Greg Koch is a killer! He is a great guy...
Guthrie is quite eloquent while speaking
That's an excellent insight. There is no doubt those abilities are correlated.
Same with Tosin Abasi! They organize their thoughts at a higher level than us mere mortals!
Great stuff Greg, looking forward to more!
Ha, Rick Graham just casually chiming in here before everyone learned that he is a legend.
Why is there always some idiot making comments on these types of videos about "feel". This guy is on the very tip of the spear for human capacity to master an instrument, don't try and take away from that because your plebian taste prefers the simplicity of mainstream guitar players.
I know. I used to joke about that with some of my teachers haha. they're usually old dudes who can't accept change and the fact that guitarists are evolving or at least, have evolved.
Agreed. Though for me they all happen to be old
R. S. Anthony harsh but true
pseudo elitists, these comments are hard to read. you guys are exactely the same, just different angles.
Evaluate
I had the pleasure of taking a few lessons from Greg a couple of years ago. Great guy, great teacher, phenomenal player. When I asked him how he got his level of technique, he said he's never been the kind of guy to just sit there and do exercises for technique's sake. He would mostly jam with whatever happened to be playing on the radio or TV at the time. You can tell by his incredibly lyrical playing that he's not your typical 'technique' guy. But my gosh, this guy can burn!!!
This guy changed the concept of playing guitar. He'll be a legend of guitar mastery. No words to define.
Cool, humble and intelligent, And, of course, a freaking monster.
I never in my life have heard a guitarist/guitar teacher explain so eloquently the idea of improve and creativity in guitar soloing. Excellent, I felt a gained an immense amount of insight after watching, thank you Greg Howe.
He's a really bright guy in the verbal sense as well. It's great when an amazing player knows how to convey information to others. This is a great lecture...I may even add it to favorites.
This video changed the way I listen to and play music. Contrast is an amazing concept. Thanks for posting.
Been following Greg since the very beginning & MAN what a journey it’s been! It all came around & evolved nicely!🎸
The videos are great Greg!!
This is a wonderful insight in Greg's approach and thinking. I attended Greg's guitar clinic almost 15 years ago and I still remember how down to earth and so talented he was on the fretboard. I find myself returning to this improv guitar lesson video for it is a treasure trove of ideas. I think it's incredible how well structured and grounded his improvisation is. It doesn't feel like notes are being played for the sake of it, but rather to convey an overarching feeling.
I've only recently become more aware of Greg Howe. He really is an incredibly thoughtful and articulate speaker and player.
The most fluid and natural guitar player on earth, great teacher!
Underrated Wizard! I was blown away when I heard the introspection album!
Im a drummer and this was extremely informative to me!!! True musicians tend to explain things in a way that applies to other instrumental approaches. Some of the approaches he uses are some of the approaches i use...obviously on a different instrument. His concepts are universal to all instruments!!! Taping into the mind of a musical genius..PRICELESS!!!
Man Greg is such a good teacher, like his licks, his speaking and phrasing of the English language is also precise and intelligent.
Wow! Mr. Howe, your improvisational skills and technique are face melting.
Beautiful inspirational lesson. This is Greg playing a one chord vamp and showing contrast and polarity.....it's when the chords change that Greg shows who the boss is!! I wish he would make THAT video!!!
Awesome job Greg! Playing is Awesome as usual and great presentation of ideas!
Peace,
Rod
Still one of the most intellectual, yet readily usable improv concept out there (been going back to this for years now).
The master even gave it to us for free.
Cheers!
I know Greg has been around awhile but I'd never heard or seen him speak until now. I think he just became one of my favorite guitarists.
This is exactly what I was hoping would be on the official Greg Howe channel. Great stuff! Love the insight into Greg's thinking
Greg’s left hand moves in a really unique way, he‘s like Wes Montgomery in that he doesn’t use the pinky that much. Lots of 3 note per string stuff.
Interesting. I like how he can actually try to explain his playing.
I really love the way u play man
This is great, Greg should make a comprehensive instructional DVD. 8-)
I'm a new Greg Howe fan since late last year.
I like how he has structured licks and phrasing which are characteristics of rock, and also the "meandering" fluid flavor of jazz improvisation.
His tone is very clear, not overly distorted, yet it has enough gain for my taste. His low frequencies aren't buried in the mud - I like that too.
In addition to tone, his accuracy makes his playing easy to listen to. It's the product of decades of practice. Be patient kids.
One of the most informative video's I've seen on TH-cam by one of my favourite players.
Thanks Greg :)
it is sooo good to hear a guitar player with such great way of speaking to students...awesome
Wow impressive.
Not only r u giving an incredible improv but ur also giving the mechanix of it.
Kinda unique when u think about it.
What a great guy, and a fantastic talent!
I saw him play live at Berklee and he was INCREDIBLE!
At first I didn't think this would be useful but once he started to playing to demonstrate it made sense. Thanks!
Great summary of thought!! I've came to the same conclusion in my own playing. Challenging yourself to stay out of " autopilot mode" and be more aware of the moment by moment improvisation and creating new ideas as you go. It should be an intentional expression of feeling rather than a mechanical robotic flurry of notes up and down the scales. Play intelligently and thoughtfully like you're trying to get your musical words across to the audience. Use the guitar to "speak and deliver the message" as EVH often said.
Great lesson Greg. I've been trying to incorporate more outside playing lately. Been stuck in the run of the mill scales and licks for a while and trying to break free. Thanks
Talking about polarity is what really helped me understand all of this.
Greg, you were right, this explains it well. What a great new twist. with the Commentary, over the solo, that was great.
Keep em, coming.
s
Phenomenal. Inside and out never over extended.
Greg; first of all I want to thank you for sharing this with us, you are a real musician basically you can play anything!!! The way you control rhythm amaze me. Wish you the best
Greg is amazing sometimes i get in autopilot mode and i get very frustrated. Now I know how to get out of it.
One of the best video lessons on youtube, ever.
he's cool i like his laid back approach to teaching, some other guys begin to sound too technical, with this guy i can keep my eye on the prize and not get confused!
"Teach Me Greg, Teach Me." This stuff is golden.
This is interesting !!! Nice lesson prof. Greg :) Hope to see more from you, bless Vlad
He is spot on. Good soloing is filled with contrasts. Perfect example, play as fast as you can nearly always and after awhile the ear adapts and it begins to sound normal speed. Play a medium paced flowing section and throw in super fast passages and they seem like lightning++.
Hey Greg, I love your playing, you play every time very tasteful and with a amazing tone!
Thank you for the lesson!
5 stars*****
Best regarts
Richard
Greg Howe is the FREAKIN MAN!!! You have GOT to have "Introspection" in your collection if you don't have it. It was the first music I had ever heard from him and a friend turned me on to is back when It first came out. I had no idea who he was, but I IMMEDIATELY went out and got everything I could find from him once I heard it. GET IT!! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Introspection was a milestone in all aspects of how an electric guitar could sound. Greg's influence is as important as EVH or Hendrix was at their time. The whole album/production is pure gold
Only discovered him recently. He is such a great teacher and obviously has monster technique. Extremely eloquent, the man seems to be a true genious, by that i mean very very high IQ.
Yes,true.I took lessons from Greg for many years.Apart from Greg's ability,He is an Incredible teacher..
This is te most helpfull lesson I've had in the last 2 years or so! You need to know the theory and then you need to know this!
Not only is he incredibly fast but he is such a pocket player. Makes him very enjoyable to listen to. Greg you are in a three way tie with Kotzen and Govan for my absolute favorite. Your new album is perfect.
This helped so much. Improvising is the holy grail of music.
Really enjoy your videos, amazing to see the evolution from playing covers at Warren Hills HS partier with Albert and Wayne!!!
Greg,
Thanks for your humble time, & sharing some great insite & info into your style of improv. I feel your grasp of it is very natural, & risk taking, but yet you know where you want to go as well.
Bravo!
Troy Clark
Its about time, we get some new greg howe vids
Good advice here...!!!
Rock on Brother...!!!
Lehigh Valley, PA.
Sunrise, Florida.
without a doubt, one of my all time heros! That hair band trick is just fantastic! It works a treat! I love the ESP/Line-6 combination. (its what I got too)
greg howe is one of the greatest in the ranks of Vai,Satriani,Tony Macalpine etc
Man do I miss him being 10 minutes from my house!!haha..Greg is an AMAZING teacher!!!
Excellent! I enjoy learning new things and I got alot from this video. Thank You Greg!
These concepts are basically ABSENT in all the minds of the absolute most of your followers and even many or your peers, Greg. This is Exactly what's missing in this entire "guitar shred", finger-driven, muse forlorn culture. Having said that - Thank you for letting people know!! ACTUALLY - THIS STUFF IS WHAT JAZZ MUSICIANS PRACTICE/THINK ABOUT TWENTY SIX HOURS A DAY!!! All improvisers MUST address these topics and many similar ones!! All power to you man!! And thanks 4 a much needed insight!!
Greg is GREAT!!! TRuly Amazing and inspirational musician!
The textural approach to fast playing is a really interesting concept! But I do wonder why he referred to the fast passages around 6:30 as non-rhythmic? They are 16th note triplets, dead on. Great lesson!
How good are you at shredding the guitar?
Greg Howe: Yes!
you know I was just thinking this now for the first time even though I've seen so many vai and howe videos
I want that guitar, I can't believe ESP did not release it as a sig model.
Well done Sir..thanks for the input
Howe am I just finding this guy now!?!?! Amazing technique man! We have so much in common! We need to get together and jam!
Think of the Chord you are playing over, (or tonal center, i.e. CMin, etc). if you play notes that are part of that chord, you will be considered playing inside, if you play notes that are NOT part of that tonal center.You MAY be considered playing outside.There are several ways to accomplish playing Notes outside, but still be coherent. Greg does it as good as it can be done. When hes playing out, he makes it rhythmically tasty and interesting, and it always resolves perfectly Great Vid!
Greg.... that genius! thanks for these useful information!
@MrRuggo
I agree. But- just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should. (Music is considered to be a highly individualized artform,so I get your point.) Players are free to hold the instrument any way they wish. For example- a guitarist could put the end of the guitar on the ground with the headstock facing the ceiling like a cello. Don't expect to play "sounds and notes" like Chet Atkins or Greg Howe,however,with the guitar in such an individualized playing posture.
Marvelous, Greetings from Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
its awesome to see greg talking about those things that he didnt mention in his hot licks first video lesson
@zappainca An A minor with sharpened 7th is just called A Harmonic Minor. Changing keys refers to whenever you change the tonal centre of an already musically sound scale. Chords can be played in any key and still sound correct (As long as the Root, 3rd and Fifth aren't clashing with an unflattened/sharpened or already flattened/sharpened tone at equal time in the melody). Like playing an AM right on the same beat with the minor in the key of C; which is? :P
@dennoow Yes you can play that over it. But as soon as you add a sharp or flat to the A Minor Scale you've changed keys. Which you would if you played an A Dorian over it as the F is now sharpened; making it in the key of G.
@jay2xtremefy For it to really be considered "outside playing", it also has to resolve back into the key eventually. The point of outside playing is to use "wrong" notes to accentuate the right notes. Hope that helps.
My best all-time guitar legend is Steve Vai, but all I want to be is playing like Mr. Howe. Greg if this is really your channel, the only purpose of my practicing all jazz/ fusion theories is to make my playing sound like 'Five' album.
@snowfosho2 there are e's all over the fretboard as there are every other note, As long as you know where your root note is and your pattern, you can play it anywhere on the neck....
Awesome lesson. Great concepts. Thanks.
@iAreDeekien 1) Pick up solos, start making small modifications to them. 2) Hear live renditions of solos which have been heavily improvised upon (Stairway to Heaven, Comfortably Numb, She Wolf, to quote some) to get ideas. 3) First listen to So What by Miles Davis, then listen to stuff like So What by Centrifugal Funk to realise what can be done.
I like what the one guy said "my dad was wrong...I'm not a great guitar player"... that's what I've been telling people for years; I'll never be able to come close to Howe's level (even though I try), but at least there's people like Howe to inspire us guitarists!
love that ESP, never tried Laguna but his model looked like the top of their line.
No greg howe, no guthrie govan...only for that he is a legend among legends.
Great lesson & super inspiring! Thanks! :)
Just the major scale - sounds like A Mixolydian, depending on the chord progression of the backing track. It just sounds awesome because of the intervals he's playing!
great phrasing ... love your style..
Really cool lesson and great playing from Mr. Howe ;)
Pretty awesome.. I've been focusing on getting out of my "autopilot" so this helps put a lot into perspective. What's that music at the end remind you guys of? Castlevania maybe?
greg howe ,you are the absolute man on guitar !!
Excellent lesson, thanks much!
Line6 Vetta FTW. I wish I could have picked one of those up while they were still being made. It's literally the only product from Line6 I ever liked, and it's a pretty great amp in its own right.
This is awesome in every sense, thanks for sharing this info with us!!
Mr. Howe, where is the video that you've done called OUTSIDE PLAYING where you do elaborate on...you know, some of the outside approaches that you tend to use?? I would really love to check it out!
great work greg. Thanks!
@zappainca A dorian with a sharp 7 is melodic minor ;) You do need to get out of key when playing outside Harmonically. It depends on the progression, G min 7b5 actually IS outside in A dorian. They don't share the same notes. You're playing one semitone higher which is about as outside as it gets! F# minor 7b5 is the "inside" arp.
Love that tone!
Child's play in the intro is an awesome composition!
Great advice and summary by Greg. One of the most influential guitarists when it comes to improvisation. My channel has a variety of backing tracks for improvisation in many styles. Give it a look, I am sure you could find something interesting if you are a musician.
very thank you man !!!
Awesome Bro. Greg.... Thanks
Thanks Greg!...You are amazing!!!