The Successful Cover Band Playbook | Guitargate

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The Successful Cover Band Playbook

Course Intro Video

For 7 years I was a member of one of the most successful cover bands in the Mid-Atlantic region, grossing low-mid six-figures a year. This is an EXTENDED conversation between the band leader and myself about everything that goes into what made us successful.  If you have any interest in gigging - at any level - I'm confident you'll find this very helpful!

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Curriculum

Section 1

1Introduction
2Personal Honestly, Goals, And Attitude
3Gear Maintenance And Redundancies
4Know Your Musical Community
5Building A Repertoire
6To Build Or Join A Band?
7Practicing and Rehearsing
8The Audition Process (Done Correctly)
9Tracks Vs. No Tracks
10Stage Gear And Live Sound
11The Sound Guy And Sound Check

Section 2

1The Look
2The Name
3Marketing Materials
4Paying Your Dues
5Booking The First Gigs
6How Much Money???
7Pay To Play / Exposure Gigs
8Promotion, Promotion, Promotion
9Contracts
10Agents / Representation
11BIG LOCAL MONEY
12Tribute Acts / Gimmick Bands

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Use music theory, bridge the gap between rhythm and lead, and jam with a band. Have fun and keep it in your hands!

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Michael's 15+ award winning courses feature 100's of hours of On-Demand video lessons, jamtracks, PDF's, and more.
16 Lessons
Beginner
  • Chords
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This is the beginning of the Guitargate learning path. If you are a complete beginner, or wish to start at the very beginning (always recommended), you are in the right place. 

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16 Lessons
Beginner
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  • Improvising
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This course introduces the CAGED system, which is the foundation upon which you will learn to build chords, scales, and use these to improvise!

16 Lessons
Beginner
  • Chords
  • Rhythm guitar
  • Lead Guitar
  • Music Theory
  • Improvising
  • Tone
  • Technique
Become Comfortable with your vibrato, legato, and staccato playing techniques. Play 7 Note Major and Minor Scale Shapes. Play Major and Minor Arpeggios In Progressions. Improvise Over Progressions Using Arpeggios, Pentatonic, and Full Major and Minor Scales.
19 Lessons
Intermediate
  • Rhythm guitar
  • Lead Guitar
The Hybrid Picking Roadmap is designed to get you playing and thinking like a piano player. When you navigate the neck playing triads with BOTH hands, your whole neck shrinks and your voice leading choices become clear. Once you start, you'll never go back, never see the neck the same again.
16 Lessons
Intermediate
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  • Improvising
  • Technique
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In level 4 we will build 7th chords on our triads, begin to explore non-diatonic harmony with The Blues, and learn some new and interesting techniques to expand your playing and bring it all together. 

33 Lessons
Intermediate
  • Rhythm guitar
  • Lead Guitar
  • Music Theory
  • Technique

"Bridge The Gap" between rhythm and lead guitar by breaking down larger CAGED System shapes into smaller triad shapes, which are the building blocks of all music.  This is the key that unlocked my neck, and I am confident that triads will do the same for you. Jump in the pool!!

18 Lessons
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  • Caged

In this course we will continue our exploration into triads by adding our missing chord - the diminished triad. The function of this chord is to create the sound of the V7 chord, demanding resolution to the I chord. 

14 Lessons
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In this level, we're exploring some new colors, sounds, and fingerings. We'll dive into extensions, 3 note per string scales, and of course, THE MODES of the major scale. Buckle up :)

13 Lessons
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  • Rhythm guitar
  • Lead Guitar

Non-diatonic harmony. The final frontier!  We do into modal interchange, functioning vs non-functioning dominant chords, whole tone scale, diminished scales, harmonic minor, melodic minor, key center vs chord scale soloing and MORE!

22 Lessons
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Learn The Guitar Styles Made Famous By The World's Best Blues Players!

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  • Improvising

Country music is insanely popular, and Country Guitar stylings are a core part of any well rounded player. This course will take you through the essentials of country guitar guitar playing - which will not only make you a better player  - but it's crazy fun!

23 Lessons
Beginner
  • Lead Guitar
  • Chords

For 7 years I was a member of one of the most successful cover bands in the Mid-Atlantic region, grossing low-mid six-figures a year. This is an EXTENDED conversation between the band leader and myself about everything that goes into what made us successful.

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