Mick Dennis Guitarist

guitar_lessons_beginner_intermediate_advanced_tabs_recordings_videos_music theory_instructional

Technique/Theory

Click on photos to enlarge.

Guitar Technique - Ultimate Barring Challenge
In this video, I am demonstrating how to do bar fingerings on the guitar fingerboard using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers. I show bar fingerings of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 strings at a time! 
PLEASE NOTE: I am using a Gibson Les Paul with low action and light gauge strings. Proceed with caution! Slow and Steady Wins the Race!
The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Custom Billm Modified Fender Blues Junior, D'Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Strings 09-42, Horizon right angle cable, PICKBOY Exotic Pick-horn. The video was shot with an iPhone 6s Plus with the FiLMiC Pro using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

Europa-Key Of Am-combining negative-positive harmony
The PDF lesson sheets feature the chord progression of the backing track and a guitar tab "pencil sketch" of the guitar solo that I created for this video.
4:20 - play your own solo!
5:08 - trade 4's
In this video I am applying the concept of "negative harmony" to the progression of Europa by Carlos Santana in the Key of Am. Each of the original chords in the progression is proceeded by it's negative harmony. For example, the original first chord of Dm7 is proceeded by a Gm7 chord.
You can go to my video "Europa - Key of Am - improvising with pentatonic chords" where I go through the basic chord progression.
The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster (Channel 1), Earthquaker Devices Dispatch Master, ART Levelar-Tube Compressor, D'Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Strings 09-42, Road Hog cable, Herco Flex 75-Holy Grail Guitar Pick.
The backing track is using the iReal Pro app with an iPad Air being played through Tapco S-5 Active Studio monitors.
The video was shot with an iPhone 6s Plus using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone. Lighting is "2" Fancier Studio Fan 500A 3 LED Light Panels.

How to hold a bass note with each finger and improvise a melody
In this video I am holding bass notes on the 6th string with my thumb and then with each finger individually and playing small pieces of the C major scale to create melodies based around the C(I), F(IV) and G(V) chords in the Key of C. 
The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Custom Billm Modified Fender Blues Junior, D'Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Strings 09-42, Horizon right angle cable, PICKBOY Exotic Pick-ebony.
GUITAR PLAYER HACK: use a right angle cable if you want to sit comfortably on a couch.
The video was shot with an iPhone 6s Plus using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

Guitar Shred Tutorial - A Dorian - D Mixolydian
The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Custom Billm Modified Fender Blues Junior, D'Addario NYXL Nickel Wound Strings 09-42, Horizon cable, Golden Gate MP-12 Deluxe Tortoise Style Mandolin Pick.
The video was shot with an iPhone 6s Plus using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

Guitar Practicing - Key Of F - Raagini - DrumJam - Warm Up
Perhaps someone will find this useful!?!? Playing very loosely before shooting the Guitar Practicing videos!

Guitar Practicing - Key Of F - Raagini - DrumJam - Part 2
In this video I am giving you a behind the scenes look at of one of my practicing routines. I'm using a digital Raagini
and the DrumJam app to create a background to demonstrate, practice, play and improvise in the Key of F.
The video was shot with a Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS. There is no audio processing.

Guitar Practicing - Key Of F - Raagini - DrumJam - Part 1
In this video I am giving you a behind the scenes look at of one of my practicing routines. I'm using a digital Raagini
and the DrumJam app to create a background to demonstrate, practice, play and improvise in the Key of F.
The video was shot with a Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS. There is no audio processing.

In this video I am giving you a behind the scenes look at of one of my daily guitar practice routines. I'm using the DrumJam app and a digital Raagini to create a background to demonstrate, practice, play and improvise in the Key of Eb. 
The video was shot with an iPhone 6s Plus using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

This video is a continuation of - Practicing Guitar - Theory - Technique - Part 1
I start off with the typical 2 octave major scale pattern at the 9th position. I introduce some D major arpeggio shapes starting at 0:38. I talk about a 3 note-per-string scale at 0:55. In the 12th position I point out the E minor pentatonic-G major pentatonic and E Dorian scale at 2:12. I change the Raagini background to an E5 power chord at 2:55 to show how a D major scale, played against an E5 chord sounds like an E Dorian scale. I demonstrate some fast E minor pentatonic scale licks ala early John McLaughlin with The Mahavishnu Orchestra at 3:18. I introduce the 5 positions of B minor pentatonic-D major pentatonic starting at 4:40. In the 7th position I play through some of my favorite blues box pentatonic lick variations at 6:10. I show a triad with bass note rhythm device at 6:42. I talk about a Jimi Hendrix rhythm device ala "Wind Cries Mary" at 7:15. I talk about a Jimmy Page lick ala "Dazed and Confused" at 8:13. I talk about sweep arpeggios at 9:05. 
Below are links to the videos I am referring to.


I talk about and demonstrate grouping the Key of D scale into "2" string groupings starting at 9:31. Mick Goodrick covers this topic in his Amazing Book "The Advancing Guitarist". Highly Recommended! I also include some licks where I freely interject the open E & B stings between the notes of the "2" string scale fragments at 10:10. 
Rock On! Cheers! Peace Out!

In this video I am demonstrating one of my practicing sessions using a Raagini to create a background of a D5 power chord to play in the Key of D - D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D. I am using "16" different picks throughout this practice session and continued into - 
A photo of my pick collection can be found on the Home page.
I start off by playing and saying/singing the note names up and down all 6 strings. I'm also creating short melodic fragments based off the Root, 3rd & 5th of the Key of D - D, F#, A. Next I go into the 5 position scale system, sometimes referred to as the CAGED system at 6:00. I introduce some D major arpeggio shapes starting at 7:50. In the 5th position I talk about the concept of creative visualization of the guitar fingerboard at 8:39. In the 7th position I point out the B minor pentatonic-D major pentatonic at 10:18. I talk about a version of a 3 note-per-string scale pattern that is used by Berklee School of Music, Jack Grassel and Zakk Wylde at 11:17.
Rock On! Cheers! Peace Out!

In this video, I am demonstrating how to add notes from the E major pentatonic scale for the E triads and A major pentatonic scale for the A triads. I'm also adding the sus4 note to each of these triads. 
NOTE: You could also refer to this "theoretical concept" as using 1) E hexatonic scale - E F# G# A B C# for the E chord and 2) A hexatonic scale - A B C# D E F# for the A chord.
NOTE: You could also refer to this "theoretical concept" as using 1) a combination of the E major triad - E G# B  & F# minor triad - F# A C# for the E chord and 2) a combination of the A Major Triad - A C# E  & Bm triad - B D F# for the A chord. These rhythm guitar devices have been used by many guitar players, including Jimi Hendrix. The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Dunlop ULTEX .060 large triangle pick, Horizon 15' cable, Custom Billm Modified Fender Blues Junior.
The video was shot with an iPad air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

In this video I am giving you a behind the scenes look at of one of my daily practicing routines. I'm demonstrating how to play a ii minor 7 to V dominant 9 rhythm riff in various keys. You can skip around to the various keys by looking at the timing marks in the description below the video. 
The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Herco Flex 75 Nylon pick, Road Hog cable, Ampeg AC12.
The video was shot with an iPad air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

This video is a continuation of a behind the scenes look at of one of my daily practicing routines. I'm using a digital Raagini to create a background to demonstrate, practice, play and improvise in "7" modes around an E root note. There is also a Part I video, where I am mostly playing in the Key of E major.
The video was shot with an iPad air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

In this video I am giving you a behind the scenes look at of one of my daily practicing routines. I'm using a digital Raagini to create a background to demonstrate, practice, play and improvise in the Key of E. There is also a Part II video, where I demonstrate "7" modes based on an E root note.
The video was shot with an iPad air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

In this video I am showing some of my favorite chromatic devices to use with an A minor pentatonic scale. The equipment being used is: Gibson Les Paul Historic, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, 18ft Road Hog cable, Golden Gate pick. The backing track is being played through a Jawbone BIG JAMBOX. The video was shot with an iPad Air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.

Canon in D-sweep arpeggios with slide-Root 5

In this video I am demonstrating how to play sweep arpeggios using a slide on the 3rd string based on Pachelbel's Canon in D. Each of the basic arpeggios start from the 5th string.

The equipment being used is: Gibson Super 400, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Road Hog cable, Golden Gate pick. The video was shot with an iPad Air using a Tascam iM2 stereo condenser microphone.


Canon in D-sweep arpeggios with slide-Root 6

In this video I am demonstrating how to play sweep arpeggios using a slide on the 3rd string based on Pachelbel's Canon in D. Each of the basic arpeggios start from the 6th string.

The equipment being used is: Gibson Super 400, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Road Hog cable, Golden Gate pick. The video was shot with an iPad Air using the internal mic.


How to play a G chord with one hand


How do you play a G chord?

In this video, I am showing how to take several versions of an open G chord and add notes from the open position G major pentatonic scale. The G major pentatonic scale is the same notes, for all intents and purposes, as the Em pentatonic and E blues scales.(technically speaking, the E blues scale adds a Bb note)  This scale pattern is commonly called the "E blues box".


Lesson Palette Tutorial-Key of C-Key of Am-July 30, 2012

This video is a tutorial about guitar soloing using "symmetrical patterns" from the Key of C/Key of Am. Here is a link to the page on my website where you can find this scale diagram - Lesson Templates

The progression I am soloing over features chords that are diatonic(in the key) to C major and A minor. The basic progression is: ||D5 E5 C5 D5|G5 A5 F5 G5||


Dm chord over descending bass line-Jan. 11, 2012

In this video tutorial I am using a Taylor 12 string guitar to play an original riff that uses "3" inversions of a Dm chord on strings 321 combined with a descending bass line of: D C B Bb.
The chord progression could be notated as: Dm - Dm/C - Dm/B - Dm/Bb or
Dm - Dm7/C - Bm7b5 - Bbmaj7.


Strumming 16th Note Rhythms-Acoustic Guitar-July 6, 2010-Part 2

Part 2 of a tutorial on combining various quarter, eighth & sixteenth note subdivisions to create your own rhythms on acoustic guitar. This video is based on the Fast Track-Book 2 by Hal Leonard pg 9-Exercise 17.


Strumming 16th Note Rhythms-Acoustic Guitar-July 6, 2010-Part 1

Part 1 of a tutorial on combining various quarter, eighth & sixteenth note subdivisions to create your own rhythms on acoustic guitar. This video is based on the Fast Track-Book 2 by Hal Leonard pg 9-Exercise 17.


Canon in D-sweep arpeggios w/slides-July 17, 2010_Part 2


Canon in D-sweep arpeggios w/slides-July 17, 2010_Part 1


Canon in D-3 string arpeggios-May 4, 2010

This video features arpeggios played on the top 3 strings using different inversions. Tabs are included in the "beginning" of each video clip. There are also lesson sheets of the "3 string arpeggios" on this page - Food For Thought


Practicing-March 29,2010

A free form practice session lasting about 5 minutes. I'm mostly using various permutations of 1 2 3 4 fingering & targeting for notes from specific scales such as A mixolydian, D mixolydian, A "blues" scale etc.


Amazing Grace-played with chord arpeggios, natural harmonics and melody in the 5th & 12th positions 


Sweep Arpeggios-Diatonic 7th Chords-Key of C/Video#3-camera on headstock


Sweep Arpeggios-Diatonic 7th Chords-Key of C/Video#2-camera on headstock


Sweep Arpeggios-Diatonic 7th Chords-Key of G-camera on headstock


Sweep Arpeggios-Diatonic 7th Chords-Key of C/Video#1-camera on headstock