Weight Resistance While Playing Your Instrument

One of the best tools on the market to help you play faster are RiffBANDZ. RiffBANDZ are basically rubber resistance bands you wear while you play. Building muscle is a great way to increase your speed in anything you do, including playing an instrument.

I started using RiffBANDZ around the summer of 2011. From the moment I started playing while wearing them I was instantly hooked. I love having added resistance to help me improve upon physical activities, and these RiffBANDZ turned out to be perfect.

The first pack I bought came with three individual resistance bands. You can use one for a little resistance, or all three for a bigger challenge. At one point, I bought an additional set so I could practice with six bands. That was way more difficult than just three! It definitely worked though. My fingers felt super nimble and were just flying all over the place once I took the bands off. This is what I did to keep my fingers in top notch playing shape to break my Guinness record again in HongKong.

For those of you who play fingerstyle on guitar, or play the bass with your fingers, you could even use these on your picking hand to build up strength and speed for picking faster.

Currently, I use my RiffBANDZ to get a super fast warmup for band practice and shows. Sometimes I'll wear them for an entire practice session to get a better workout. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to improve on their playing. Even if you aren't interested in playing super fast, RiffBANDZ are perfect for a speedy warmup and will definitely making playing anything easier.

Soon, I will have a video(s) up where I demonstrate using these. For now, check out guitarist George Adrian in this video to see the RiffBANDZ in action:

Huge Convenience - Small Guitar Stand

I have some portable guitar stands from Re-AXE Products called Axe-Handlers. They have such a simple design yet provide me with such a huge convenience.

Being a guitar/bassteacher, I have to put my instrument down a lot when I'm moving around the room where I teach. I used to have to balance my guitar/bass in between some tables and hopefully not knock it over.

Where I sit in my office, I don't really have room to place a traditional guitar stand. With my Axe-Handler, I can place it on any flat surface. Having it on one of the tables that sits next me has provided a safe and reliable place to set my guitar/bass. I've even ran into my instrument a few times when it's been sitting in the Axe-Handler, and the portable stand was more than sturdy enough to prevent my instruments from taking a big spill.

Because of it's small size, it's awesome being able to put my Axe-Handler in my guitar case so I can have it available wherever I go.

I really think this is a must have for any guitar/bass player.

Check out some of these videos to see just how useful this product really is:

 

2012 Best of Westminster Award in the Instrumental Music Instruction Category by the Westminster Award Program

We're pretty honored to have received this award. This was a very pleasant surprise!

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Doctor Hot Licks' School of Guitar Receives 2012 Best of Westminster Award 

Westminster Award Program Honors the Achievement

WESTMINSTER October 15, 2012 -- Doctor Hot Licks' School of Guitar has been selected for the 2012 Best of Westminster Award in the Instrumental Music Instruction category by the Westminster Award Program.

Each year, the Westminster Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Westminster area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2012 Westminster Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Westminster Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Westminster Award Program

The Westminster Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Westminster area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Westminster Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Westminster Award Program

CONTACT:
Westminster Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@awardprogram.org
URL: http://www.awardprogram.org/

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10 Guitar Tabs - 10 Bass Tabs - Free and Growing

So far the free tabs hosted on facebook are up to 10 for guitar and 10 for bass. This is just a start - so much more to come!

Bass Tabs
Guitar Tabs

http://www.drhotlicks.com

Free Guitar and Bass Licks and Riffs

The Dr. Hot Licks' School of Rock and Metal is going to bring back the "hot lick of the week" in a different manner. Past riffs for both guitar and bass that are felt to be interesting enough will be posted in photo albums on the facebook page.

Guitar Tabs
Bass Tabs

Over the next several days the tabs will begin to fill these albums. Eventually new ideas will be put into these albums when they are written in moments of inspiration. No more forced licks and riffs to meet a deadline, just small snippets of music that I, John Taylor, write and think is good enough to share with you and help create some inspiration.

Student Feedback for Brent Boutte'

Here's some great student feedback on drum instructor, Brent Boutte':

As a beginner in general to music, I am so impressed with the progress Brent has helped me achieve on the drums. He has patiently taught me the proper way to read and play. Brent's easy-going attitude creates a comfortable environment. His advanced knowledge and impressive playing are an inspiration to continue practicing and improving. I love that Brent can appreciate rock/metal music and is prepared to teach me the technique necessary for me to play that type of music. I couldn't agree more with Dr. Hot Licks' School of Rock and Metal's motto: Why go to a school that doesn't specialize in what you love?

-Lesondra Kline-

Visit DrHotLicks.com for more info and lessons.

News Updates

It's been some time since there's been a new blog, and there has been very little content her since this was started. Brent Boutte, the drum instructor for this school, has suggested we use this blog for news updates as well. So let's do that! Here's a quick recap on some of what's been going on:

The music school's name has changed. It's no longer known as a school of guitar, but the Dr. Hot Licks' School of Rock and Metal. Because we teach bass and drums, along with guitar, Brent and I thought it was time for an appropriate name change.

I, John Taylor, got to be in a Volkswagen internet commercial which can be seen here:
http://youtu.be/q4G51NN2oFY

On July 1st a couple new e-books were released. One is titled, "Be the Fastest Guitar Player in the World" and "Dr. Hot Licks' Guitar Workout." You can read descriptions of the book here:
http://www.drhotlicks.com/onlinelessons.html

I'm offering the e-book, "Be the Fastest Guitar Player in the World" for only $5 for those willing to help promote this school on facebook. If you'd be interested in this, please send an e-mail to DrHotLicks@yahoo.com and I'll tell you what to do.

Other e-book ideas that still need to be started and/or finished:
Sweep Picking Shapes for Guitar (There will literally be at hundreds of them.)
The One Second Riff (This will be about completing various scale runs in one second. The goal will be to have several riffs containing as little as 5 notes, and the as many as 40. I have a 33 and 36 note per second riff so far.)
Bass Arpeggios (Much like the sweep picking guitar book, this one will cover a large amount of chord arpeggios for the 4 string bass.)


Eventually there will be a wide library covering everything I know, but that will take several years to complete.

Last, I used to have a "hot lick of the week" for both guitar and bass. I would post a new "lick" up each week, accompanied with video and audio, but it proved to be too time consuming and I abandoned the idea. However, I'm thinking of bringing it back, but only providing tablature this time around. This way I can get some new ideas out there to everyone in a quick and easy manner.