Metal Mike's METAL Heroes Music Academy

As the world we live in extracts new technologies that often speed up the pace we can do something, it is important not to lose track that some things take time. Some things do not happen overnight and it cannot be otherwise.

What does it mean to master something? To master something is being able to call on something to produce a result in a quick manner. If you have mastered the spelling of a word you don’t have to think what letters make it up.

However, to master something it takes time.

Where I am…

How To Be A Better Guitar Player ...

This must be one of the most common questions I get asked.

But, in general terms, my answer is always true and simple. Invest in your learning. Invest in your abilities. Attend classes, workshops, take lessons and don't be afraid to hang with players that are further along than you are.

Don't spend all of your money on gear to "improve". This is a cheap way out and never works. This reminds of the golf guys who spend double for a ball that goes 5% further. These…

What is DVDnitus? Well, it's my own term, obviously.

Here's where I'm getting at - I see students of the guitar (and other instruments) get caught up in always buying a new book, new DVD, Blu Ray, etc in order to learn something new.

Come on, raise your hand if that is you. We are all or have been there.

This can be good, but many players and I mean MANY don't even scratch the surface of what each product has to offer before they get "bored" and move onto another one.

Once the initial high of something…

I hear quiet a bit of chatter about guitarists learning things by watching instructional videos on You Tube. Let's face it - You Tube is full of amazing information and many guitar instructors strut their stuff all over the net. Heck, even my "Metal For Life" instructional videos have been seen by close to 4 million people.

It can be fun watching a snippet of a new guitar idea and then taking it even further or taking the challenge of learning something new note per note. 

There is one ceveat.  That is a…

Hey Metal-heads,

I want to take a brief moment and talk about something that is truly important to your journey as a musician. That is the attitude you apply to a task or a situation.

As some of you might be aware, I recently took part in the Axes & Anchors Cruise that sailed from Miami, FL to the Bahamas. It was a star studded event that featured some amazing music acts and guitar players. Anyone and everyone was there and while it would take a long time to mention everyone, let's just say some of the…

What is aggressive patience?

Let's apply this to getting better on your instrument. In short, this unofficial term means staying focused while chipping away at the stone and not expecting the returns on your work to happen overnight.

Let's face it, as humans, we are pretty impatient. We want everything today. But, this is not a way to approach getting better on your instrument or anything else.

Be patient while constantly chiseling away at practice, new techniques or whatever else. It takes belief and…

Everybody goes through periods of when they don't practice their guitar or instrument. Everybody!!

That means you or a professional guitar player you might admire. Things like travel, family, vacations or plainly lack of inspiration to play all take a role in it. Guess what? It is ok. There is no law that states you can not take a few days or even weeks (or months) off.

There was a period when the only time I picked up the guitar is when I needed to do something with it. Could be a show, could be a…

Quick Guitar Tip!

Do you use active pick-ups (such as EMGs) in the your guitar and your sound is sounding fuzzy, harsh or plain weird lately?

Chances are you need a new 9 Volt battery. Alkaline batteries are best.

This is a simple, but often overlooked item. I'm pretty certain that if you leave your guitar plugged in your battery is constantly getting drained, so make sure to unplug your axe after you are done playing it through an amp. If you have a habit of leaving your guitar plugged in - before…

I often get asked about tips on how to to keep guitars playing well.

Outside of the technical stuff like intonation, new strings, thruss rod adjustments and so forth, I often mention keeping the fretboard well hydrated. As we practice or play live lots of crud, oil and general dirt sits around the fret area. Every so often (or, at every string change) I recommend cleaning all that stuff out with products such as lemon oil or Hydrate fretboard conditioner that Planet Waves makes. They all work in similar…

Ok, here's a nice quick guitar tip that will help you keep your guitar in tune. When changing strings on a guitar that has no locking pieces at the nut, right before I put the string into the grove at the top of the neck - I sprinkle some graphite from a pencil. I take the pencil, move it up and down the groove in the nut and enough of the graphite will quickly fall in. I get the big pencils that are used for construction at Home Depot. Then, I put the string in.

Why does it work? Graphite is very…