Mike Keneally

Mike Keneally

From Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dethklok, Mike Keneally Band

Mike Keneally obviously doesn't like to be labeled -- he's a bandleader and bandmember, a rock and jazz fusion player, and also an outstanding guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, and percussionist. Taking up keyboards at age five, Keneally's life changed when he moved from New York to California in 1970 and heard Frank Zappa for the first time at age ten. Woodshedding for the next 15 years as a self-taught guitarist, Keneally formed a band called Drop Control in his hometown of... (more)

Mike currently offers 20 guitar lessons at JamPlay, with 20 lessons in our Artist Series.

Mike Keneally's contribution to JamPlay

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Keneally Retrospective

Join Mike Keneally in a retrospective of his music over the past 3 decades. His work with Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dethklok and others have heavily influenced his own original compositions creating a truly unique mash up of eclectic styles.

1

Series Introduction

Mad scientist guitar player for Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dethklok and others brings a retrospective artist series to JamPlay. Draw on his experience as a "first call" band leader and musician, learn how to put old licks into a new context, and learn to play passages of many staple Keneally songs that span his lengthy and diverse career!

4:44 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

2

Fingerpicking/Hand Sync Challenge

Mr. Keneally looks at an excerpt from one of his original songs "Dee 'n' A" and presents quite the musical workout for both the right and left hand. Have fun! There's a lot more to come!

13:01 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

3

Cause of Breakfast - Interlude, Part 1

Mike teaches some key licks from the instrumental interlude to "Cause of Breakfast" off of his 1994 album <i>Boil That Dust Speck</i>. Be prepared for some wicked string skipping and interesting harmonic dissonances! See Mike play the whole song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmAUUU4lYQg"> HERE!</a>

9:23 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

4

Cause of Breakfast - Interlude, Part 2

Mr. Keneally continues with part 2 of 3 on the "Cause of Breakfast" interlude. Get an idea of the crazy, yet calculated compositional ideas that went into this solo and learn some classic sounding licks used in an unconventional context!

10:04 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

5

Cause of Breakfast - Interlude, Part 3

Put all the pieces together and play the entire interlude as a whole. Be sure to check out the complete song too! Mike dives deeper into the process of stream of consciousness writing and talks in greater detail about the subtleties in this arrangement.

15:29 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

6

Using Counterpoint

Keneally teaches the verse to his song "Dee 'n' A" and illustrates how you can play a constant bass line at the same time while playing counterpoint melodies and rhythms. There's only ONE guitar track here, folks!

15:28 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

7

How to Solo over Shifty Chords

Mike Keneally details his process for developing and executing musical ideas over a chord progression that never seems to repeat by looking at the solo section of his tune "Dee 'n' A" . Put your thinking caps on!

9:42 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

8

Open String Licks and an UGLY Riff

Odd times and odd chords mixed with blazing open string licks comprise the recipe for this section of Keneally's "Ugly Town," a song from his very first album called <i>Hat</i>. This is a great exercise for the mind and the fingers!

11:01 Runtime

4.5 Difficulty

9

Messin' with Chuck Berry

Welcome to the first of many lessons where Mr. Keneally takes a 'standard- sounding' lick and shakes it up! He creates some truly intriguing sounds with a familiar phrase by changing the harmonic context and by tapping into the modes.

6:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

10

Messin' with Country

Mike Keneally screws up a typical country lick based on 6ths. By keeping the rhythm the same or similar, Keneally pulls it out of country and into progressive or blues. It's amazing what changing the intervals around will do!

5:53 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

11

Messin' with Hendrix

Mike Keneally takes a classic Hendrix sounding lick and substantially screws with it. Take some of the same Jimi flavors and inject new notes and a new context. You'll have something totally new with a familiar flavor!

4:17 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

12

Messin' with the Blues

Mike Keneally takes a lick that is traditionally used in a 12 bar blues progression and re-harmonizes it with two very interesting chord progressions. Play the same lick but it takes on a completely different vibe over new chords!

7:33 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

13

Not So Standard Pentatonic Licks

He's done it again. Take a very standard A minor pentatonic lick and royally screw it up! Add some whole tone flavors. Work in some double stops. This is another wonderful example of familiar phrasing being used for new and unique sounds!

5:07 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

14

Screw Up This Sequence!

Make a familiar pentatonic run sound like a whole new animal. Harmonize with it. Harmonize against it! Grab a buddy and try it together!

5:42 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

15

1988 Was A Million Years Ago

Mike Keneally's dissonant yet soothing fingerpicking is displayed in all its glory here in this passage from his album "Boil That Dust Speck". You'll not only give your hands a work out, but you'll also learn a cool melody that is interwoven between some unconventional chords.

9:41 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

16

1988 Was A Million Years Ago, Part 2

Keneally turns up the dissonance and the tempo as he teaches another passage from this unfamiliar, yet familiar sounding tune. Enjoy!

14:34 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

17

The Desired Effect

We have an alternate tuning and multiple melodies going on at the same time! Good fun! Learning material that tests your rhythmic and melodic sense at the same time will help you look at your songs with a big picture mentality.

12:25 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

18

Waiting On Williams

Clean pentatonic riffing is the name of the game with this '90s tune from Mr. Keneally. Get in the groove and stay in it! Play it with others or by yourself! This is a great exercise in playing rhythm and lead at the same time.

9:50 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

19

3 Octave Warm Up!

Get both hands warmed up with this 3 octave major scale drill. You'll stretch your fret hand and work on getting it sync'd with your pick hand. Try it in different keys and with different scales. Start slow and work to more challenging tempos. Just make sure you're keepin' it clean!

5:39 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

20

Lots of Sliding!

It's easy to slide. It's not easy to slide over and over again targeting specific notes at a constant tempo while skipping strings. That's what this exercise works on.

4:46 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

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