Dennis Hodges

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For better or worse, Dennis Hodges cannot stop playing music, and (he hopes) will never stop playing music.

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Dennis had a tremendous passion for drawing. He couldn't stop copying moves from bands he saw on MTV, though, and it didn't help that his parents filled the house with Santana, Stevie Ray, and Allman Bros. (on real records, no less!) so it wasn't long till he got his first guitar. It was junk. Within a few weeks his parents traded in a poor acoustic for a less junky 3/4-size electric.

Dennis started lessons right away at the age of 8. He still remembers hating it for awhile, and not taking it seriously until he was 12. He is thankful his parents forced him to practice early on and kept paying for lessons, even though rational thinking should have stopped them after a year.

Around this time drawing became less important, and guitar consumed all his attention. After 6 years of lessons he parted ways with his teacher and, after trying out two others with no results, decided to continue alone. His nerdistic tendencies paid off, as he put in hours working on picking and left hand exercises and learned as many Randy Rhoads and Kirk Hammett solos as he could.

Luckily, there were playing opportunities at school talent shows and church. Dennis was playing bass at his church when he was 13, helping to hone his performance skills in a group setting.

In high school, Dennis joined the marching band on sousaphone for all 4 years. It was as awesome as you could expect. He was also fortunate enough to be in several different metal bands, still play at church, and get the incredible opportunity to play guitar for many local community theaters. This kept his sight-reading in shape and gave him an appreciation for different styles of music (and paid pretty well, from a high schooler's perspective).

In 2001, Dennis came to Bexley, Ohio to study guitar at Capital University with Stan Smith. His studies emphasized jazz and classical guitar. Here his metal past merged with a deeper understanding of the instrument and music in general, and the basis for most of his teaching style was set in motion.

Dennis now plays guitar for Upper Arlington Lutheran Church every Sunday, for St. Christopher in Grandview, Ohio, with the youth group, and also plays for touring Broadway shows that stop in Columbus. Occasionally, he plays weddings and private parties, and he is starting a new cover band with some friends, called Dr. Awkward. He is blessed to have his understanding and supportive wife Kate, and is glad to be at JamPlay! (Less)

(More)

Meet Dennis Hodges
Video Runtime of 2:00

Dennis's Contributions to JamPlay.com

Dennis Hodges has 70 videos at JamPlay, with 42 intermediate lessons, 22 song lessons, 2 Lick & Riff Library entries and 4 entertainment videos. Use the tabs below to learn more.

Subscribing to JamPlay gives you unlimited access to all of Dennis's lessons,
as well as all lessons from our roster of instructors.

Intermediate
Songs
Licks
Entertainment
Live Schedule

Get ready to rock in this metal lesson series with Dennis Hodges. From 80's Metal to modern Dennis loves it all.

Lesson 1

Basics of Metal

Dennis covers important guitar basics such as note names and technical exercises.

Length: 33:00

Lesson 2

Power Chords and Rhythm

Dennis introduces power chords and basic rhythm concepts. Both subjects are very important...

Length: 22:00

Lesson 3

Essential Techniques...

Learn a variety of essential techniques commonly used in the metal genre, including palm...

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Lesson 4

Essential Techniques...

Metal lesson 4 brings you some info on hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, bending, and the...

Length: 45:25

Lesson 5

Left Hand Overload

Dennis delivers left hand techniques and exercises, with topics including spider walking...

Length: 62:36

Lesson 6

Rhythm and Timing

While using a metronome, Dennis covers essential techniques and exercises to obtain great...

Length: 35:00

Lesson 7

"Metal Poisoning"

Written just for JamPlay and his Metal series, this song will allow you to put all your...

Length: 28:54

Lesson 8

Time Signatures Part...

In this lesson Dennis teaches the following common time signatures: 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 9/8,...

Length: 33:12

Lesson 9

Time Signatures Part...

This time around Dennis explains odd time signatures. Similar to Part 1, he uses a musical...

Length: 45:07

Lesson 10

Rhythm Pt. 2

Dennis continues his metal series with part two of his look at rhythm and timing.

Length: 56:24

Lesson 11

Right Hand Overload

This lesson is the long lost sibling to "Left Hand Overload."

Length: 52:11

Dennis Hodges blends conceptual lead instruction for developing solos, improvising, and harmonizing along with lead techniques such as legato, sweeping, and alternate picking.

Lesson 1

Major Scale Improvising

Dennis covers the basics of the major scale. Then, he introduces you to improvisation...

Length: 25:45

Lesson 2

Minor Scale Improvising

Dennis introduces the minor scale. You will improvise within this scale and work on a...

Length: 26:20

Lesson 3

Harmonizing

Dennis teaches harmonization in 3rds, diatonic and non-diatonic 4ths, 5ths, diatonic 6ths,...

Length: 27:16

Lesson 4

Lead Guitar Improvising

Dennis teaches key improvisational concepts such as blending scales, phrasing, and staying...

Length: 29:16

Lesson 5

Sweep Picking

Dennis Hodges teaches sweeping technique, 3 string triads, and 2 octave arpeggios. Also...

Length: 39:18

Lesson 6

Tapping: Basic and Advanced...

Dennis covers many tapping techniques in this lesson. From basic to advanced, get ready...

Length: 39:47

Lesson 7

Lead Concepts and Techniques:...

Dennis teaches a bunch of cool metal and rock tricks in this lesson!

Length: 34:27

Lesson 8

Writing A Rock Guitar...

Dennis Hodges teaches you some of the basics to writing your own solos!

Length: 47:13

Lesson 9

Lead Guitar Improvisation

Dennis Hodges teaches the basics of improvising a solo over a backing track.

Length: 28:44

Lesson 10

Interpretation

Dennis teaches some basics on how to interpret a piece of music and make it your own.

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Lesson 11

Soloing In E Minor

Dennis dissects a solo he wrote that stays in the 12th position box of E minor.

Length: 15:10

Lesson 12

Soloing In A Minor

Dennis Hodges dissects an advanced, extended solo he wrote in A Minor for this lesson.

Length: 33:28

Dennis Hodges teaches jazz for students with a rock background. In this series you will learn to play jazz chord progressions and licks without theory being forced upon you. Dennis has arranged each lesson so that you can learn the example piece first and then learn about the theory in the following scene if you want.

Lesson 1

F Blues Solo

Dennis kicks off the lesson series with a lesson on an F major blues solo.

Length: 27:19

Lesson 2

F Blues Comping

Dennis covers the rhythm accompaniment to the F blues solo presented in the previous lesson.

Length: 16:58

Lesson 3

Bb Blues Solo

Learn how to play a 12 bar jazz blues solo in Bb. Dennis provides an in depth analysis...

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Lesson 4

Bb Blues Comp

Dennis teaches the accompaniment part to the Bb blues solo taught in the previous lesson.

Length: 13:03

Lesson 5

Eb Blues Solo

Learn a 12 bar jazz blues solo in Eb.

Length: 21:55

Lesson 6

Eb Blues Comping

Learn how to accompany a 12 bar jazz blues in the key of Eb. Dennis uses a walking bass...

Length: 18:58

Lesson 7

Ab Blues Solo

Learn this Ab jazz blues solo taught by Dennis Hodges.

Length: 21:18

Lesson 8

Ab Comping Lesson

Dennis explains the accompaniment part to the Ab blues solo taught in lesson 7.

Length: 14:14

Lesson 9

Db Blues Solo

Dennis teaches a jazz blues solo in Db major.

Length: 20:45

Lesson 10

Db Blues Comping Lesson

Dennis teaches the accompaniment part to the solo in lesson 9.

Length: 7:46

Lesson 11

Gb Blues Solo

Learn this Gb blues in 6/4 time based on the Miles Davis tune "All Blues."

Length: 12:42

Lesson 12

Gb Blues Comping

Dennis teaches the accompaniment to the solo in lesson 11.

Length: 12:58

Lesson 13

B Blues Solo

Dennis continues his straight ahead jazz series with a lesson on a jazz blues solo in...

Length: 18:59

Lesson 14

B Blues Comping

Here's a lesson on jazz blues accompaniment with a walking bassline.

Length: 12:54

Lesson 15

E Blues Solo

Learn jazz guitar with this straight-forward look at a solo in E major.

Length: 13:52

Lesson 16

E Blues Comp

Learn the accompaniment part to the solo in lesson 15.

Length: 3:28

Lesson 17

A Blues Solo

Dennis Hodges continues his growing Jazz-Blues series with a lesson on a solo in A.

Length: 15:33

Lesson 18

A Blues Comp

Learn the accompaniment to the solo in lesson 17.

Length: 11:14

Lesson 19

D Blues Solo

Learn jazz with a straight-forward lesson on a solo in D.

Length: 21:39

Metal Songs with Dennis

Learn to rock out to the heavy metal classics throughout history.

"Beast and the Harlot"Avenged Sevenfold

Dennis Hodges teaches "Beast and the Harlot" by Avenged Sevenfold.

Length: 59:00

"Toxicity"System of a Down

Dennis brings you "Toxicity" off of the 2002 album from System of a Down. Get your metal face ready.

Length: 29:22

"Laid to Rest"Lamb of God

Learn "Laid to Rest" by Lamb of God. Released in 2004, this action-packed tune is the first track on their third album, Ashes of the Wake.

Length: 25:34

"Symphony of Destruction"Megadeth

"Symphony of Destruction" is track #2 on Countdown to Extinction. This tune is a Megadeth fan favorite.

Length: 26:43

"Walk"Pantera

Off their 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power, this Pantera song redefined "respect".

Length: 32:46

"Inside The Fire"Disturbed

"Inside the Fire" is the first single from Disturbed's fourth studio album, Indestructible. Dennis teaches all parts of this song including the solo!

Length: 33:28

"Waking The Demon"Bullet For My Valentine

Dennis Hodges teaches Bullet For My Valentine's "Waking The Demon" off their Scream Aim Fire album.

Length: 41:54

"Hammer Smashed Face"Cannibal Corpse

This is the title song from Cannibal Corpse' first EP. Released in 1993, this is the bands most popular song mainly due to an appearance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Length: 33:05

"The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)"Judas Priest

Dennis Hodges shows you how to play this Judas Priest classic, which is actually a cover of a Fleetwood Mac song.

Length: 30:06

"Achilles The Backbreaker"The Showdown

Released in 2008 on The Showdown's third record, Back Breaker. This song features pummeling rhythm guitar and a tricky solo.

Length: 35:47

"(sic)"Slipknot

Learn how to play "(sic)" by Slipknot in this lesson.

Length: 20:12

"Metal Rudolph"Dennis Hodges

Dennis puts a heavy metal spin on this classic Christmas song.

Length: 18:04

"Future Breed Machine"Meshuggah

Dennis Hodges teaches this pummeling metal song from the band Meshuggah.

Length: 56:12

"3 Libras"A Perfect Circle

Dennis Hodges teaches an acoustic only version of this hard rock song by A Perfect Circle.

Length: 20:15

"Trust"Megadeth

Learn this great Megadeth song from their album Cryptic Writings.

Length: 39:39

"Tornado Of Souls"Megadeth

Learn this Megadeth classic from Rust In Peace.

Length: 53:39

"Sweating Bullets"Megadeth

Learn this Megadeth classic from the Countdown To Extinction album.

Length: 36:16

"À Tout Le Monde"Megadeth

Learn this great ballad from the Youthanasia record.

Length: 36:32

"Blackened"Metallica

Dennis Hodges teaches this Metallica classic from the band's 1988 album ...And Justice For All.

Length: 69:02

"Quintessence"Mastodon

In this lesson, you'll learn how to play "Quintessence" by progressive metal band, Mastodon. The song is on the critically acclaimed album Crack the Skye, which was...

Length: 33:01

"In My Dreams"Dokken

Dennis Hodges teaches this Dokken classic note for note. From the signature riffs to the blistering solo, Dennis breaks it all down for you in this lesson.

Length: 41:39

"Caprice No. 5"Niccolò Paganini

Here is a lesson on this devastating piece of classical music written by Niccolò Paganini in the early 19th century. The lesson is aimed at shred guitarists because of the...

Length: 49:14

Rock Songs With Dennis Hodges

Dennis Hodges is known on JamPlay as a "Metal" guitar instructor but in this series he'll teach you classic songs from bands such as ZZ Top.

Title	Detail	Genre	Runtime	Skill
Sweeping Lick in Bm	Dennis Hodges teaches you an eerie sounding sweeping...	Metal Lead	6:49 minutes
F# Phrygian Dominant Lick	Mr. Hodges delivers a picking lick in F# Phrygian Dominant,...	Metal Lead	6:40 minutes

Live Schedule for Dennis Hodges

You can now interact directly with JamPlay's teachers. You can ask a question in the chat and receive a video response via webcam. All you need to do is launch the JamChat when a session is scheduled.

When		Starts In	Duration	Topic
Sun, May 26th	11:00 PM	3 days, 3 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, May 28th	10:00 AM	4 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Sun, Jun 2nd	11:00 PM	10 days, 3 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jun 4th	10:00 AM	11 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Sun, Jun 9th	11:00 PM	17 days, 3 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jun 11th	10:00 AM	18 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Sun, Jun 16th	11:00 PM	24 days, 3 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jun 18th	10:00 AM	25 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Sun, Jun 23rd	11:00 PM	31 days, 3 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jun 25th	10:00 AM	32 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jul 2nd	10:00 AM	39 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jul 9th	10:00 AM	46 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jul 16th	10:00 AM	53 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jul 23rd	10:00 AM	60 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Jul 30th	10:00 AM	67 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion
Tue, Aug 6th	10:00 AM	74 days, 14 hours	2 hours	Open Discussion

* All times are shown in GMT-5: New York City (EST).

Dennis Hodges

Meet Dennis Hodges

Dennis's Contributions to JamPlay.com

Metal with Dennis

Lead Concepts & Techniques

Jazz Guitar With Dennis Hodges

Metal Songs with Dennis

"Beast and the Harlot"Avenged Sevenfold

"Toxicity"System of a Down

"Laid to Rest"Lamb of God

"Symphony of Destruction"Megadeth

"Walk"Pantera

"Inside The Fire"Disturbed

"Waking The Demon"Bullet For My Valentine

"Hammer Smashed Face"Cannibal Corpse

"The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)"Judas Priest

"Achilles The Backbreaker"The Showdown

"(sic)"Slipknot

"Metal Rudolph"Dennis Hodges

"Future Breed Machine"Meshuggah

"3 Libras"A Perfect Circle

"Trust"Megadeth

"Tornado Of Souls"Megadeth

"Sweating Bullets"Megadeth

"À Tout Le Monde"Megadeth

"Blackened"Metallica

"Quintessence"Mastodon

"In My Dreams"Dokken

"Caprice No. 5"Niccolò Paganini

Rock Songs With Dennis Hodges

Lick & Riff Library Entries

Entertainment - Licks and Riffs

Live Schedule for Dennis Hodges