Paul Davids Electric Elevation [TUTORiAL]
P2P | 11 January 2025 | 3.04 GB
Elevate Your Electric Guitar Playing
Learn to play by “feel,” develop your ear, and play more expressively than ever before
When Great Playing Feels Just Out of Reach
If you're a guitarist with some experience under your belt, you already have a sense for what truly great playing is like.
You've heard it in the playing of John Mayer, David Gilmour, or Mark Knopfler, who can inspire us or move us to tears with what from the outside might look like just a simple scale or melody.
You know how their playing, along with so many singer-songwriters, draws us in because it tells a story – their tone and note choice conveys just the right feel, they create extraordinary solos from seemingly basic scales, and they know exactly how much or how little tension to add to each phrase.
But you also know how elusive that level of playing can feel at times. And instead of expressive freedom, the following might sound more familiar:
You might be able to play through a famous solo and hit all of the notes and rhythms, but feel like something is still missing
You might find that your mind is so concentrated on the technical aspects of playing, you're not able to relax and lose yourself in the music as you've always dreamed of doing
Or, you might feel stuck playing within a particular key or scale, and wish you could break free from limitations in order to express yourself more fluently through your music
These roadblocks are ones that every ambitious guitarist – including me – has encountered.
And at times they might make us wonder if another level of playing, guided by ear and feel, is actually feasible… and if we have what it takes to get there.
But the good news is that you might be closer to overcoming them than you think.
Because developing more freedom on the guitar is something every guitarist can do.
You just need to know how to approach it…
How to Make Your Playing “Click”
Many players believe that becoming a great guitarist involves purely technical development like playing with amazing speed, mastering ever more complicated solos, or learning exotic scales – and there was a time when I also shared this mindset.
But over the 15 years of my professional guitar career, I have realized that playing with confidence and freedom has nothing to do with having the fastest fingering or the fanciest picking.
Because the key to beautiful playing isn't in your hands alone…
It's in what you focus on, the decisions you make, and how you think about a song.
And there are two key skills that are particularly essential for becoming a more expressive guitar player.
When used together, these skills can allow you to understand exactly what a song needs in order to sound great, and to let your ear be your guide in bringing music from inside your head to the fretboard.
While these two skills might initially seem like opposites, in combination they are the key to getting one step closer to “great” playing:
1. Zoom out to see the big picture
Rather than just focusing on landing the right notes, the greatest players know how to zoom out and see the big picture of everything happening in a song.
You can begin to do this by asking yourself questions like:
“What is the function of the guitar in this piece of music?”
“What is the key of the song, and what notes and techniques can I use to tell a great story?”
“What approach does this chord progression ask for?”
At first, it might not be easy to answer these questions for yourself – maybe you've never even asked these questions before – but with practice you will learn to get better at seeing a song as a whole.
By repeatedly stepping back to see the big picture, you'll get better at making musical decisions with confidence, like knowing which notes create tension, which scales and arpeggios might sound the best, and how much space you should leave between notes and phrases.
Ultimately, you'll be able to play with more freedom and expression, knowing your playing will make the song or track you are working sound even better.
2. Zoom in to add the magic
While it's important to be able to see the big picture in a song, you also need to practice zooming in – which eventually will allow you to add the details that can transform your playing.
Because by fine-tuning the small stuff, we bring life and emotion to a song.
For example, you can make even a simple melody fascinating by adding the right amount of vibrato in just the right place, dialing in the perfect tone for the job, or using dynamics and phrasing to keep the listener tuned in.
To build this skill, it actually does help to practice some technique. However, it's not about getting fancy; it's about working toward mastering the core techniques every player – or pro – should know.
Things like fingerpicking, vibrato, bending, spread triads, intervals, embellishments, and percussive elements are just some of the core techniques that can add the “magic” to your music.
And as you become more comfortable with these techniques, you'll be able to intuitively use them in your playing to add a little “spice” and make each note or phrase sound more meaningful and expressive.
For example, even when you play just a simple chord progression, there are so many little things that you can do to make everything sound much more captivating. You can play some embellishments with a lot of vibrato to make them stand out, or play some staccato notes with a few muted ghost notes in between, or decorate chords with a subtle grace note in front.
It's all about finding the best choices that match the mood you're trying to create.
As you try out different techniques to bring life to the song, you'll begin to intuitively know what works, and you'll be able to relax and play more and more by feel.
The better you get at “zooming in” and “zooming out,” the more consistently you'll be able to bring an expressive sound to even the most basic chord progressions.
And you'll be able to make every note you play more meaningful, knowing what each song needs in order to really shine.
But what's the best way to practice this?
Cultivating Your Growth as a Guitarist
Even though you've probably used many helpful practice techniques over time, it will take something more than familiar habits, creative noodling, or learning some songs from tabs to move you toward this more advanced level of playing…
And unlike the past when you learned the fundamentals of guitar, you'll want to move beyond focusing on purely technical exercises.
Instead, you'll need a strategic approach where you get to practice playing by feel, building confidence in improvising, and developing your ear.
This means you will need guidance, not just about what to play, but about how and why to play it, so you can develop an intuitive sense for creating music that sounds amazing.
That's why I decided to create a course to be this guide for you. It will help you cultivate the skills you need in order to play expressively by “feel” – and by ear – with more freedom and confidence than ever before.
In the course, I'll show you how to zoom out and see songs as a whole so you can understand the big picture of whatever you're playing.
And I'll show you how to zoom in and dig into the details of a song, so you can bring it to life with the musical elements that turn simple scales into great music.
And along the way we'll hone the techniques every guitar player should know – like fingerpicking, adding a beautiful vibrato, playing with the right tone, knowing different voicings on the entire neck, modern bending techniques, and more – so you can feel confident using them in songs as you develop your own voice on the guitar.
Following this guide, you'll find that your playing has evolved into something “more” than it was before.
You'll begin to feel more at home with your guitar, knowing intuitively how to navigate your way on the fretboard and transfer the ideas from your head to the guitar.
And you'll be able to create something beautiful from even the simplest chords or melodies by combining the elements we practice in the course.
And eventually, you'll find that your guitar playing begins to “click” in the same way it did for me so many years ago – so you can relax and let your music take on a life of its own.
home page
Learn to play by “feel,” develop your ear, and play more expressively than ever before
When Great Playing Feels Just Out of Reach
If you're a guitarist with some experience under your belt, you already have a sense for what truly great playing is like.
You've heard it in the playing of John Mayer, David Gilmour, or Mark Knopfler, who can inspire us or move us to tears with what from the outside might look like just a simple scale or melody.
You know how their playing, along with so many singer-songwriters, draws us in because it tells a story – their tone and note choice conveys just the right feel, they create extraordinary solos from seemingly basic scales, and they know exactly how much or how little tension to add to each phrase.
But you also know how elusive that level of playing can feel at times. And instead of expressive freedom, the following might sound more familiar:
You might be able to play through a famous solo and hit all of the notes and rhythms, but feel like something is still missing
You might find that your mind is so concentrated on the technical aspects of playing, you're not able to relax and lose yourself in the music as you've always dreamed of doing
Or, you might feel stuck playing within a particular key or scale, and wish you could break free from limitations in order to express yourself more fluently through your music
These roadblocks are ones that every ambitious guitarist – including me – has encountered.
And at times they might make us wonder if another level of playing, guided by ear and feel, is actually feasible… and if we have what it takes to get there.
But the good news is that you might be closer to overcoming them than you think.
Because developing more freedom on the guitar is something every guitarist can do.
You just need to know how to approach it…
From the Studio of Paul Davids
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
I remember when things on the electric guitar really started to “click” for me.
At the time, I was already pretty comfortable with basics like chords and scales, I could play in a variety of different styles, and with practice I was able to nail some more challenging solos.
But even though I was having lots of fun, I still wasn't able to play as fluently or as expressively as I wanted.
When I listened to more experienced players, there was still something “more” in their playing compared to my own, though I couldn't really put my finger on exactly what I was missing.
However, eventually I discovered the missing pieces that transformed my playing.
From that time on, things started to come together in a way that made me see my guitar in a whole new light.
For example, the pentatonic scale was no longer just a simple scale to me, but it became a springboard for unlimited creativity.
I began to understand how things like tone, intonation, vibrato, phrasing, and articulation are just as important as playing the right notes.
And I finally saw how keys, chords, and scales relate to each other and could be brought together to add a new dimension to my playing – without giving it too much thought.
I began to feel at home, no matter where on the neck I was playing, and my playing became so much more natural – the notes weren't guided by knowledge, but by “feel,” and by ear.
And I eventually experienced freedom and expression in my playing that I never knew I had in me.
But although I was ultimately able to reach this place in my playing, there were many times along the way when I wondered if I would ever get there.
At times I wondered, “what am I missing, that so many others seem to understand?”
And if you've been playing guitar for a while, you might have had this feeling too…
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
I remember when things on the electric guitar really started to “click” for me.
At the time, I was already pretty comfortable with basics like chords and scales, I could play in a variety of different styles, and with practice I was able to nail some more challenging solos.
But even though I was having lots of fun, I still wasn't able to play as fluently or as expressively as I wanted.
When I listened to more experienced players, there was still something “more” in their playing compared to my own, though I couldn't really put my finger on exactly what I was missing.
However, eventually I discovered the missing pieces that transformed my playing.
From that time on, things started to come together in a way that made me see my guitar in a whole new light.
For example, the pentatonic scale was no longer just a simple scale to me, but it became a springboard for unlimited creativity.
I began to understand how things like tone, intonation, vibrato, phrasing, and articulation are just as important as playing the right notes.
And I finally saw how keys, chords, and scales relate to each other and could be brought together to add a new dimension to my playing – without giving it too much thought.
I began to feel at home, no matter where on the neck I was playing, and my playing became so much more natural – the notes weren't guided by knowledge, but by “feel,” and by ear.
And I eventually experienced freedom and expression in my playing that I never knew I had in me.
But although I was ultimately able to reach this place in my playing, there were many times along the way when I wondered if I would ever get there.
At times I wondered, “what am I missing, that so many others seem to understand?”
And if you've been playing guitar for a while, you might have had this feeling too…
How to Make Your Playing “Click”
Many players believe that becoming a great guitarist involves purely technical development like playing with amazing speed, mastering ever more complicated solos, or learning exotic scales – and there was a time when I also shared this mindset.
But over the 15 years of my professional guitar career, I have realized that playing with confidence and freedom has nothing to do with having the fastest fingering or the fanciest picking.
Because the key to beautiful playing isn't in your hands alone…
It's in what you focus on, the decisions you make, and how you think about a song.
And there are two key skills that are particularly essential for becoming a more expressive guitar player.
When used together, these skills can allow you to understand exactly what a song needs in order to sound great, and to let your ear be your guide in bringing music from inside your head to the fretboard.
While these two skills might initially seem like opposites, in combination they are the key to getting one step closer to “great” playing:
1. Zoom out to see the big picture
Rather than just focusing on landing the right notes, the greatest players know how to zoom out and see the big picture of everything happening in a song.
You can begin to do this by asking yourself questions like:
“What is the function of the guitar in this piece of music?”
“What is the key of the song, and what notes and techniques can I use to tell a great story?”
“What approach does this chord progression ask for?”
At first, it might not be easy to answer these questions for yourself – maybe you've never even asked these questions before – but with practice you will learn to get better at seeing a song as a whole.
By repeatedly stepping back to see the big picture, you'll get better at making musical decisions with confidence, like knowing which notes create tension, which scales and arpeggios might sound the best, and how much space you should leave between notes and phrases.
Ultimately, you'll be able to play with more freedom and expression, knowing your playing will make the song or track you are working sound even better.
2. Zoom in to add the magic
While it's important to be able to see the big picture in a song, you also need to practice zooming in – which eventually will allow you to add the details that can transform your playing.
Because by fine-tuning the small stuff, we bring life and emotion to a song.
For example, you can make even a simple melody fascinating by adding the right amount of vibrato in just the right place, dialing in the perfect tone for the job, or using dynamics and phrasing to keep the listener tuned in.
To build this skill, it actually does help to practice some technique. However, it's not about getting fancy; it's about working toward mastering the core techniques every player – or pro – should know.
Things like fingerpicking, vibrato, bending, spread triads, intervals, embellishments, and percussive elements are just some of the core techniques that can add the “magic” to your music.
And as you become more comfortable with these techniques, you'll be able to intuitively use them in your playing to add a little “spice” and make each note or phrase sound more meaningful and expressive.
For example, even when you play just a simple chord progression, there are so many little things that you can do to make everything sound much more captivating. You can play some embellishments with a lot of vibrato to make them stand out, or play some staccato notes with a few muted ghost notes in between, or decorate chords with a subtle grace note in front.
It's all about finding the best choices that match the mood you're trying to create.
As you try out different techniques to bring life to the song, you'll begin to intuitively know what works, and you'll be able to relax and play more and more by feel.
The better you get at “zooming in” and “zooming out,” the more consistently you'll be able to bring an expressive sound to even the most basic chord progressions.
And you'll be able to make every note you play more meaningful, knowing what each song needs in order to really shine.
But what's the best way to practice this?
Cultivating Your Growth as a Guitarist
Even though you've probably used many helpful practice techniques over time, it will take something more than familiar habits, creative noodling, or learning some songs from tabs to move you toward this more advanced level of playing…
And unlike the past when you learned the fundamentals of guitar, you'll want to move beyond focusing on purely technical exercises.
Instead, you'll need a strategic approach where you get to practice playing by feel, building confidence in improvising, and developing your ear.
This means you will need guidance, not just about what to play, but about how and why to play it, so you can develop an intuitive sense for creating music that sounds amazing.
That's why I decided to create a course to be this guide for you. It will help you cultivate the skills you need in order to play expressively by “feel” – and by ear – with more freedom and confidence than ever before.
In the course, I'll show you how to zoom out and see songs as a whole so you can understand the big picture of whatever you're playing.
And I'll show you how to zoom in and dig into the details of a song, so you can bring it to life with the musical elements that turn simple scales into great music.
And along the way we'll hone the techniques every guitar player should know – like fingerpicking, adding a beautiful vibrato, playing with the right tone, knowing different voicings on the entire neck, modern bending techniques, and more – so you can feel confident using them in songs as you develop your own voice on the guitar.
Following this guide, you'll find that your playing has evolved into something “more” than it was before.
You'll begin to feel more at home with your guitar, knowing intuitively how to navigate your way on the fretboard and transfer the ideas from your head to the guitar.
And you'll be able to create something beautiful from even the simplest chords or melodies by combining the elements we practice in the course.
And eventually, you'll find that your guitar playing begins to “click” in the same way it did for me so many years ago – so you can relax and let your music take on a life of its own.
home page
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