Irene Ketikidi
Irene is a Guitar instructor at JamPlay.com
Irene Ketikidi is a force to be reckoned with in the world of instrumental rock guitar. Her solo album "Martial Arts & Magic Tricks" (2013) received excellent reviews and has been complimented by the likes of Guthrie Govan, Greg Howe, Nita Strauss, Alex Skolnick and David Kilminster. Young Guitar Magazine has included Irene in the "Heroines of Now" column in 2014 and she has been featured in numerous publications such as Guitar World, Guitar Interactive and the Sound Guitar ... (more)
Irene currently offers 30 guitar lessons at JamPlay, with 30 intermediate lessons.
Irene Ketikidi's contribution to JamPlay
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Secrets of Melodic Rock
When you want to compose a guitar solo, write an instrumental piece or even just jam to a backing track, the way to tell your story really comes down to one thing: Melody.
Series Introduction
In this first lesson, Irene gives us an overview of her course, laying out her plan to help you create melodies using your voice, bring those melodies to your fingers, add expression, play with different dynamics and shape your guitar tone with both pick and fingers. You'll then be able to apply all these concepts to your improvising as well as your original music!
5:38 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
Back to Basics: The Blues Scale
First things first - let's get back to some basic foundations that will come in handy down the road in this course. Irene starts with the blues scale in different positions and different string sets.
30:35 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Back to Basics: The Dorian Scale
The Dorian scale is one of the most widely used minor scales in any guitarists toolkit. Irene helps us learn to use this critical tool in different positions and string sets.
32:57 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Back to Basics: The Mixolydian Scale
The Mixolydian scale provides us with interesting tonalities bordering on exotic at times. Getting this foundational scale under your fingers in different positions and string sets will serve you well later in this course!
31:59 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Mixing and Merging the Three Scales
Irene's selection of the three previous scales was not by accident! These widely used scales will make up a good portion of any rock guitarist's arsenal. In this lesson, Irene takes what we've learned so far and combines the scales for some unique tonalities!
29:00 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Back to Basics: Major Triads and Melodic Fills
One of the easiest ways to explore melodies is to use the notes surrounding your triad shapes. This lesson helps us explore some major triad shapes and neighboring notes we can access quickly and easily.
24:43 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Back to Basics: Minor Triads and Melodic Fills
Now we look at the minor triad shapes and neighboring notes that we can use to create cool minor melodic fills.
20:45 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Back to Basics: Lead Picking Position
Let's look at some basics of the picking hand. Getting this hand in the correct position for lead playing will help you execute all the scales and melodic ideas Irene will be covering in this series.
18:54 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Back to Basics: Fingerpicking Position
Using your fingers creates a very different sound, and a very different mood and dynamic. In this lesson, Irene gives us her take on fingerpicking hand position.
23:33 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Singing Intervals and Scales
Now it's time to relate our voice to the scales that we know, and in turn our voice will be the vehicle that gets melodies from our head to our fingers!
33:32 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Sing and Create Melodies
In this lesson, Irene takes simple 2-bar melodies over chord progressions - singing them first, then bringing them to our fingers.
24:46 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Phrasing - Slides
Irene shows us a sliding exercise that will help us learn our scales all on one string, plus help us learn to be accurate when sliding notes on the fretboard.
24:02 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Phrasing - Bends
Bending can add vocal-like qualities to your playing. Using whole and half step bends alike, Irene shows us how to apply these bends to some of the melodies we've already created.
18:37 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Phrasing - Legato and Left Hand Hammer
Legato playing is not only a speed tool, but a tool for getting a different kind of tone from your fingers and your strings. In this lesson, Irene explores the use of hammer ons and pull offs with your fretting hand, without the use of a pick.
22:57 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Phrasing - Dynamics
Dynamics can be a key component to becoming expressive with your melodies. Irene applies some dynamic expressive techniques using our fingers to the melodies we've already created.
13:23 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Articulation - String and Pickup Choice
The strings and pickups you choose has a great impact on your tone, dynamics and articulation. Irene takes a look at some different pickup and string combinations that can help you achieve the desired sound.
11:05 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Articulation - Legato, Staccato and Percussive Phrasing
Diving deeper into articulation, Irene shows us the effect that staccato or legato playing can have on our expression. She also shows us a technique called 'skank' picking.
17:04 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Articulation - Octave Melodies and Tapped Harmonics
One more layer of articulation brings us to octave melodies and tapped harmonics. Use these techniques to add another dimension to your expressive melody playing.
28:51 Runtime
3.5 Difficulty
Build Up or Break Down Melody
In this lesson, Irene shows us how to build up a melody from a very simple idea, and vice versa - break down a more complex melody to it's very core components.
11:09 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Straight, Shuffle and Laid Back Feel
Exploring different feels is the name of the game in this lesson. Change feels while only playing to a click, comparing the differences in mood and sound.
14:51 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Motifs and Recurring Rhythm
Writing good melodies is not only about the note choices, It's also about the rhythmic phrasing, and recurring rhythms you come up with. Irene shows us how to create a rhythmic motif that will make our melodies and phrases more memorable.
19:00 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Call and Response
Call and response is a tried and true method to melody and motif writing. Using the motif we explored in the previous lesson, let's develop a 'response' to complete the musical thought.
15:09 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Building Tension Using Call and Response
There are different ways you can use call and response, and one of those ways is to build tension. Learn how to use variances like increasing the difficulty of your technicality, to help you create tension in your motifs.
19:44 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Arpeggiating Chord Progressions
Melodic ideas can come to you in different ways. Using arpeggiated chord progressions can be one way to explore melodies that are living very near to your chords!
24:25 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Arpeggios and Intervallic Playing
In this lesson, Irene uses the 7th chord arpeggios we learned in a previous lesson to create movement and a key root chord. She then adds the triad approach to get that intervallic playing sound.
23:06 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Interval Study and Harmonizing
Now it's time to practice intervals so we can learn the differences between sound and feel. Irene takes a look at 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths and octaves in the Dorian scale.
20:49 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Applying Concepts, Solo 1: Beautiful Mind
Join Irene for the first of three solos composed for this course. First up is 'Beautiful Mind'. She will explain the concepts used, add a slow demonstration, and an 'at tempo' performance.
28:27 Runtime
3.5 Difficulty
Applying Concepts, Solo 2: Cool Run
The second of three solos is 'Cool Run'. Irene breaks down the techniques and concepts she uses in this melodic solo.
28:49 Runtime
3.5 Difficulty
Applying Concepts, Solo 3: Blacktop, Part 1
Now for solo number 3 - 'Blacktop'. There is a ton of useful techniques, concepts and expressiveness in this solo! Learn the solo, but more importantly, apply the techniques to your own playing!
13:54 Runtime
3.5 Difficulty
Applying Concepts, Solo 3: Blacktop, Part 2
Part two of 'Blacktop'. Irene teaches us the remainder of the solo, and gives us a chance to practice it with her.
20:16 Runtime
3.5 Difficulty
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