Bumblefoot's Artist Series

Artist Series Guitar Course from Bumblefoot

Unconventional... Diabolical... Just plain crazy! Learn a fresh, quirky and MUSICAL approach to extreme guitar playing!

20 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

100% Appoval

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Tabs & Info

Download tabs, helpers, JamTracks and docs included with lessons.

Included

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Full Course Breakdown

"Music starts with the mind... The heart... It just comes out your hands. Music ends with your hands. So it's important to exercise both!"

-Bumblefoot

1

Series Introduction

Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal pulls out all the stops in his blistering artist series. Dive into the intense, yet seemingly effortless, playing style of a true legend in our time. Learn the mental discipline and get the physical training necessary to take your playing to the next level!

4:21 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
2

The Drummer Is King!

Of all the crazy antics and skills you'll learn in this series, learning your place in the rhythm section may be the most important and arguably the most difficult! Learn the importance of playing behind the beat and letting the pulse of the rhythm lead you! Apply this concept over a grotesquely slow metronome setting and LAY IT BACK!

19:07 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

3

Focus on the Rhythm

Now try taking the concepts learned in the last lesson and apply them to chords and strumming. The physical differences between playing chords and single notes provide an interesting challenge when staying continually behind the beat.

13:58 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

4

Do You Have an Accent?

Make sure you're thinking and playing behind the beat...Check! Now Bumblefoot makes sure you are thinking about each note and each beat you play. Just like the spoken word, good guitar playing is punctuated. Learn a great drill for working accenting into your playing!

9:54 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

5

Why...Yes I Do!

Now that you've practiced playing with accents at a basic level, learn this blazing sequence in C major and put your chops to the test!

9:38 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

6

Sweeping Sensation

Done much sweep picking? Whether you are experienced in this technique or brand new, this exercise will dramatically improve your coordination and hand synchronization while sweeping. This isn't your average minor chord sweep!

7:48 Runtime

4.5 Difficulty

7

Sweep it under the Rug

Take the same ascending drill from the last lesson, move it around a bit more, and reverse it. It's even harder going down! Take it slow!

10:43 Runtime

4.5 Difficulty

8

Sweep Up More Stuff!

Slackers beware! Bumblefoot introduces another picking variation and connects the ascending and descending sweeping patterns for one mind and finger boggling exercise. Whatever you do, DON'T CHEAT! Practice the picking exactly as you're shown and keep it clean. You'll be amazed at what this will do for your playing!

11:59 Runtime

5.0 Difficulty

9

Mental Multitasking

A seasoned guitar player can have multiple active channels going in his mind at once. That's what helps the masters play a rhythm and a melody line at the same time. That's what makes singing complex melodies and playing solid rhythm guitar at the same time a possibility. Learn how to separate parts of your mind and allow it to work on many things at once!

8:14 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

10

Huh? Two Scales at Once?

Put mental multitasking to work with your hands. Practice playing a simple C major scale, but play it in a round. Start it, and then while continuing to play it in sequence, start it again!

4:07 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

11

One Step Ahead of Your Hands!

Sharpen your mind like a samurai sword with this exercise! While playing one note, think and speak the next note you will play. Practice this to a metronome with different note values...EEK!

12:17 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

12

Does Your Left Know What Your Right Is Doing?

Here's one more brain tearing exercise! Practice playing different rhythmic groupings with each hand at the same time. Then, try to talk while you're doing it! Make these mental multitasking lessons part of your practice routine, and they will greatly prepare you for things to come!

7:01 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

13

What Do You Have on Tap?

Get a brief tutorial on proper tapping technique. Then, it's off to Bumbleland! Dive into 2 finger right hand tapping phrases, string skipping, and more!

10:06 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

14

I'll Take Two of What She's Having!

Take 2 hand and 2 right hand finger tapping to the next level. Don't forget rhythm! Rhythm is still important when notes are flying by!

6:36 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

15

Now Let's Go Tap Dancing

Take the last two crazy lessons on tapping, and make them a bit more musical. As with the sweeps, DON'T CHEAT! Make sure your playing is clean and calculated at whatever speed you are playing.

14:56 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

16

Be a Bit Abnormal

With this lesson, Bumblefoot delivers the first of a handful of ways to take what you may already be comfortable with and add some quirkiness. This segment focuses on changing the harmony in the major scale to reveal some really cool melody options.

10:20 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

17

Blues it Up!

Bumblefoot alters the major scale a little further and roasts it over a simple blues shuffle. Dive in and see what's cookin'!

5:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

18

The Note Before the Note

Do you like the pentatonic scale? Are you maybe a little tired of being limited by it? If so, this lesson is for you! Learn a VERY simple way to spice it up!

6:47 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

19

Read Between the Frets

Join Bumblefoot for another great way to disguise and spruce up your standard pentatonic ideas!

4:43 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

20

I'm All In!

Before...Between...Now you can add a note after each note played on each string in your pentatonic scale. Practice all three options over the track and work on adding some other embellishments such as slides and bends!

7:09 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

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Guns 'N Roses, Lita Ford, Bumblefoot, Salem

  • Playing since 1976
  • 28 lessons at JamPlay
"Making music has a greater purpose - anything I can do to help others, I try to do." -Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal

I love spicy food - working on recipes for my own line of hot sauces. Been upping my tolerance - currently at 7,100,000 Scoville Units (that's 3x stronger than commercial-grade pepper spray weapon) If anyone asks me about Scoville Units, I'll bore them for a half-hour talking about capsaicin molecules, habaneros and heat measurements. One time in Japan, I stayed up 43 hours straight doing gigs, interviews, instructional videos and going to clubs. I take oral hygiene and fire safety seriously. As a kid, I'd lay the guitar on the ground and play Bach pieces with two hands and one foot. Been a while since I tried that. When I can, I like to do home improvement stuff - mostly drywall and electrical, some simple plumbing. Last thing I did at my house was install recessed lights in the ceiling going to a dimmer, and put in a new bathroom sink and faucet.
Reviews & Feedback 100/100 with 180 ratings
AllTubeAmp

Bumblefoot is good teacher in my opinion. Easily understood and a unique approach to fretwork. Thanks (insert teacher's real name). Robert

attack24

Need to take some lessons, before i can comment. But i will say He made alot of sence. Looking forward to getting started. Thank you!

catrionaagusuna

absolutely all of the above!! this guy is one of the most interesting, clear presenters of important, highly-curated content I have ever seen!!!

dadadrew

Brilliant

Martin2014

Excellent exercises...40 bpm, what a challenge!

ericdelo

first time I seen Bumble foot was at the randy rhoads tribute in ca. I was very happy to see his playing style and then seen him here boom here i am

DianeLiberty

good teacher

efecheverria

Great Lesson

Knique4bz

Having a legend teaching is groovy.

Kyndal

I like Bumblefoot's approach. He takes us slowly through his exercises and we can play along while listening (or watch and inspire from his technique as he repeats the same patterns).

Modocblood

Outstanding

Mordi Cai

Rhythm, it seems, gets frequently overlooked. When rhythm is taught it is usually time signatures and note division, essential knowledge for sure. But this is RHYTHM, that thing thing that seems most helpful to FEEL, therefore not easily taught

Kennyrowley

Ron is just a monster player, looking forward to diving deeper in these lessons!

mjb1971

Thal is a monster and breaks things down and gives you some great tips to making the transition to the next steps in what you're studying.

RubenGarayar22

This is great!