BenEllerGuitars

Riff Retrospective: Extreme II

It's here!!!! Because YOU ALL voted for it, here's a guided tour through Extreme II: Pornograffitti, one of the greatest guitar albums of ALL TIME! Whats your favorite riff on this incredible record? Make mine the chorus to Suzi.... or the intro to Lil Jack... or maybe its Decadence Dance? There's too many to choose from!

Snag the TABs below and learn these riffs with me. And also, next post up will be the Patreon only Nuno tone shaping video, so you don't wanna miss that!

Thanks ...

Patreon Only! PATTERN SMASHER Secrets!

As promised, here's a special patreon only video just for you all to go along with the EVH Van Scalen pattern video! Eddie influenced so many players with his pattern-based shenanigans, so lets take a look at a few of the coolest ones. Who's your favorite? 

Thank y'all as always for all the support. I've got a RAD exclusive video coming for y'all next week, its a music theory MIND-BLOWER. Stay tuned! 

What is the VAN SCALEN!?!?!

Hey y'all! 

Lets keep the EVH deep dives going! What is Eddie's bizarre secret scale he used all over songs like I'm the One, Jump, and Spanish Fly (among many others)? Lets talk about it!!!

This is a fun light theory and technique video about the sound of the KING! I hope you all dig it, i had such a fun time making it. I actually made it twice because the first time i filmed it, my freaking mic was unplugged hahaha.... i also had a blast dialing in this Van Hagar-era tone! ...

The Impossible Van Halen Riff, Patreon cut!!

Here's the super extended, highly detailed, very nerdy cut of my Impossible EVH riff video! This one has more of everything, more picking ideas, more nerdy stuff, more hair, wider lens... more is MORE, right?!?!

Enjoy, and grab that TAB! 

What EVH classic should we dive into next?!

This Van Halen Riff is IMPOSSIBLE! (standard cut)

What EVH riff is IMPOSSIBLE to nail?!?! 

Well.... basically all of them. But especially this one! Grab the TAB below and follow along! I'm SO excited for this video, its one of my favorites i've done in a LONG time.

This is the regular cut of the video. I've also made a Patreon-only cut that was longer and with WAY more detail, so look above this one and check it out if you want even MORE!!!

What Van Halen tunes should we deep dive into next?

What should the next Riff Retrospective be?!?!

Hey y'all!

I've been loving making these RR videos. While i love getting super technical and talking lead playing skills, its not the whole ballgame! Even if you have the most chops of anybody on the planet, if you don't have great rhythm guitar skills and riffs to use the other 99% of the song, you've got nothing! And that's what Riff Retrospective is all about: Worshipping at the altar of the almighty RIFF!!!

So which album should we talk next?!?! I'm gonna put up some options a...

Patreon Only! Skid Row Review

It’s a Skid-RowView!!!

I’m going over a couple classic Skid tunes for a show tomorrow, and I’m bringing y’all along for the ride! Youth Gone Wild, 18 and Life, and I Remember You are on the menu today. Let’s see if I can remember them!!!

Riff Retrospective: Girls, Girls, Girls by Motley Crue!

Its time for another RIFF RETROSPECTIVE! 

This time, we're tuning down to D standard and taking a tour through the choicest cuts from Crue's incredible 1987 record. There's so much awesome bluesy stuff on this record! You're really gonna learn the magic of the I-IV progression, too, cause its aaaaaall over this record!

Grab the TAB below and dig in! 

What record should i do next?!?! I'm listening! 

Patreon only! The Common Tone Arpeggio KINGS!

Hey y'all! 

Here's a very special Patreon-only video, just for you guys! This is a followup to last week's common tone magic video that was in the main feed. I got a question about using arpeggios with common tones and how that would work, and it sparked an idea for a followup! How do Marty, Eddie, Angus, and Kirk use the magic of common tones in their arpeggio playing? You gonna find out!

Snag the TAB and follow along! Lemme know any questions y'all have! 

The MAGIC Hidden Inside a SINGLE NOTE!

Hey guys!

Here's a rad theory-based video for you all! A lot of your favorite songs have one thing in common: the use of common tones being used against a set of moving chords! I'm gonna explain how it works to you all using examples from White Lion, Queens of the Stone Age, Yes, and MORE to help you get this trick down and make it a part of your music!

What theory topics would you like to see covered next? Let me know!

MASTER Two Handed Tapping with this Awesome Etude! WW348

Hey y'all! 

Getting into two handed tapping can be a DAUNTING task... are you expected to just jump straight into the deep end and tackle a Stanley Jordan piece?! Heck no! Start out with this sweet neoclassical etude i've come up with on WW348!

Grab the TAB, practice tracks, and Guitar Pro file below and hop to it! As long as you visualize these common chord shapes and take it slow, you'll have Harpsichord Hands in no time flat!

What technique do you want an etude for n...

Mastodon "Mother Puncher" breakdown!

Lets goooo!!!! Its time to dig deep into one of my absolute favorite old school Mastodon songs from the Remission days! On WW347, we're gonna set those terrible internet TABs straight. The guitar playing and drumming on this song are absolutely bonkers, you gotta listen to it if you haven't! Grab my TAB below and start slamming!!!

What Mastodon song would you like to see a complete lesson on? Let me know! 

Patreon Only | Transcribe With Me! Pushing the Tides, Mastodon

Hey y’all!

Wanna transcribe a tricky tune with me in real time? You’re in luck! I’ll be showing you all a bunch of my tricks for nailing tunes by ear as I work my way through Pushing the Tides by Mastodon!

Let me know if you wanna be a fly on the wall for other transcriptions I’ll do in the future!

Cheers, happy Monday!

Ben

Riff Retrospective: Static X Wisconsin Death Trip!

Hey guys!!!

Let's take it back to the nu metal heyday of the late 90's for some of the fattest, grooviest, funnest riffs ever! WDT is still a blast to listen to with its evil disco style and crushing C standard riffs. Plus this is one of the albums that really taught me how to trust my ears and figure stuff out on my own back when i was a wee Nephew Ben! Snag the tabs below and follow along!

Scope out how brutal that Synergy 6505 module sounds. I'm really digging these amps!

SO MUCH cool stuff coming!

I've been working like a maniac on all kinds of cool stuff for you all to enjoy over the next several weeks! I'm really amped up and on a roll, so i wanna keep the momentum going with whatever you all want to see next! Especially in the areas of:

-Riff Retrospective videos going over the hottest riffs of your favorite albums (i love making these)

-WW etude style videos, utilizing a cool piece of music written to help you along the way with a certain technique 

-Gear stu...

Unlock Your Sweep Picking Potential! WW346

Hey y'all! This one is sure to.... SWEEP you off your feet! 

This is a fun arpeggio sequence i use to warm up with all the time. I'm gonna show ya how to play it, then hit you with some life-saving sweep technique tips to help you become the next YIngYang Milkshake! 

Get ALL the bonus goodies below! TAB, practice tracks, plus Guitar Pro file for ya! Dig in!!! 

What technique should we work on next??

Hey Nineteen (Steely Dan) Chords + Solos Breakdown!

Hey y'all!

Its time for a brand new MONSTERS OF YACHT! I'll be your captain aboard this journey of high-density expensive chords through Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan! What a fun song with so many amazing chord progressions. They way i'm gonna show you isn't EXACTLY whats on the record, but its a great way to play the tune on your own or in a small band setting. 

Grab the charts below and learn this masterpiece with me!

What yacht rock classics do you want to learn next?! ...

A Les Paul Through a Marshall Plexi Sounds INSANE!

Early post just for you all! Here's a super extended edition of my newest video, in which i invite you to savor the flavor of the magic that happens when you plug a Les Paul into a CRANKED Marshall Plexi! I'm using my variety of LP's through my Marshall 1987X 50W Plexi (into the Suhr RL/IR box), and i'll toss a couple different boost pedals in front as we go along. Which combo sounds best to your ears? Let me know!

Whats the next guitar or amp you wanna see taken for a spin on my channe...

From the WW Archives! Seventeen, the REAL way!

By request! Here's the TAB for a Pre-Patreon classic. What a sick riff!!! One of these days i need to break down some of his leads. Any favorite Winger solos that need a lesson?

Enjoy the olden days whiteboard TABs below. Lord, i do NOT miss drawing those straight lines week after week, hahaha

Cheers, y'all! 

Patreon Bonus Cut! Diagnose Your Pick Slant for MAX SPEED WW345

Hey y'all!

Troy Grady's Cracking the Code series changed my LIFE and exposed me to the POWER of the PICKSLANT! But how do you know what kind of pickslanter YOU are??? The sooner you figure it out, the sooner you can start playing to your strengths and achieving speeds and control you never thought possible! And i'm gonna show you how!!!

SO MUCH bonus stuff below... practice tracks for both licks. TAB. The super long cut. PLUS (finally) Guitar Pro files thanks to my buddy Brent Fox...

Plexi + Les Paul. Whatcha want to hear?

Hey y’all! Remember when I did my “10 minutes of hair metal riffs on my Friedman BE100” video? That was a blast! I wanna show off the utterly insane sound of my Les Pauls through my 1987X Plexi next!

What classic, nasty rock and metal riffs would YOU play on the most iconic rock rig ever?! I’m taking notes!

EXTENDED CUT! How to Have the BEST NGD Ever!

Hey y’all!!! Wanna make your new guitar day the BEST DAY EVER?! Of course you do! Watch this super extended cut of tomorrow’s video, and learn the secrets before anyone else does!

I’ll be showing you the process I go through with every guitar I get, from inspection to truss rod to action to nut height to tone checking… all of it! It’s everything you need to make a new guitar feel like YOUR guitar!

Thanks so much for watching, y’all! Lemme know ANY questions you have!...

New series idea: ADHD GTR

Hey y'all!

So i had an idea for a fun series the other day.... I constantly have people asking me what i've been working on, practicing, playing, learning, whatever. And its VERY hard to answer that question, because in any given week, i can be:

-working on technique

-writing

-learning songs for a set

-building a new pedal setup or searching for a tone

-trying out new pieces of gear

-transcribing

-recording/doing sessions

I'm all over the ...

TIWYSAG: Matching Chords and Melodies!

Here's a BRAND NEW episode of TiWYSaG for you all, featuring the secrets of one of the HARDEST aspects of songwriting made EASY! Ever written a killer melody but had no idea what chords should go behind it (or the other way around)? I think we've all been there! Here's the easy way to find the right chord progression EVERY time!

I love making technique-focused videos, but at the end of the day, writing memorable tunes is my passion. Would you all want to see more creatively-oriented vid...

No video this week! Been a studio rat

Hey y’all! I’ve been living the dang studio life working with Andy Wood on his next record this week, so I’m afraid I won’t have a video for you until Monday. BUT!!! I have a killer video cooked up for you all!

Have you ever come up with an awesome melody, but have no idea what chords to put under it? I’ve got you covered. This is gonna be a good one! New This is Why You Suck at Guitar coming at you!

WW344: Economy Picking Workout For MAX GAINS!

Hey y'all!!! 

Want to make economy picking part of your playing? This is the workout you need!!! This is a fun and simple pattern that combines alternate and economy picking for maximum gains. I've snuck some picking and phrasing tips in there too to help you get as comfy as possible slipping some economy picking into your diet! This is also a very useful pattern to slip into your soloing, and i'll show you how.

Grab the TAB and practice tracks below, and lets get shredding!!...

My Shiprocked 2023 voyage!!!

Hey y’all!!! You want a taste of my adventures at sea, melting faces across the Bahamas on Shiprocked 2023?! Well, you guys get an extended cut of my voyage just for helping support the channel!!!

How in the world did I end up sharing the stage with David Ellefson, Randy Blythe, Ron Bumblefoot Thal, Phil Demmel, Chris Fronzak, and more?! Find out!!!

Thank y’all for everything you do! Hope everyone is doing great.

Now editing! My Shiprocked experience!!!

Playing Metallica’s “One” with members of Lamb of God and Megadeth? Slappin the bass alongside Corey Glover from Living Color and Jason Hook? Playing Bawitdaba and…. ENJOYING IT?!

Uploading a video aaaaall about my amazing experience and many jams aboard Shiprocked 2023! You patrons are getting an extra long and juicy cut, so stay tuned!

Coming next week: the ULTIMATE Punisher workout!

A while back, I introduced you all to The Punisher: possibly the best picking exercise ever. But what happens when you combine it with speed bursts and the powers of pick slanting?! Stay tuned, you’re about to find out (plus get this dope practice track I’m making for you all)!!!!

Youthanasia Riff Retrospective TABs!!!

Hey y'all!!!

I'm back from my voyage at sea melting faces aboard Shiprocked!!! Holy moly, it was amazing and i can't wait to tell you all about it. I'm sure some of you all have already seen the video floating around of me playing Metallica's One alongside Randy Blythe from Lamb of God and David Ellefson of Megadeth, but that was just one of many magical moments from the week. More about that soon!

As promised, here's the TABs i made to go along with the Youthanasia Riff Retrospec...