GUEST COLUMNIST:
ROLF MUNKES
This is a longer phrase in the key of G-Major. It combines running up and down the strings and the neck. Lots of people use running up and down the strings. It makes your playing much more interesting if you are able to play around the neck. Try also arpeggios on one string (hard stuff)!!
This one is a tune called "Legatomizer". It's an instrumental tune, and the title describes the music and my style of playing. It's in the key of E-Aeolian (GMajor) BTW the modes helped me a lot to improve my playing. It's not only that you learn your scales, it's also that you get familiar with all the fretboard (not only vertically but also horizontal). You can call it "The Big Form"! Too many guitarists think and play vertically!!
That is from my CD "No More Obscurity". It has a little 5/4 rhythm inside which makes it a little interesting. I like that!!
Here is a little combination of a riff and a following lick. Mute the strings in the chromatic run a little and mute the strings with your right hand behind your left when playing the last lick. So, no picking in the last phrase!
The following includes one possibility to move down the neck without picking the strings. Slide always on your index finger down. It's possible for exercising to move from very high to very low without picking. Try it!
This is a typically repeating pattern. Check out Jimmy Page for that! He did that a lot. Very small amount of notes and very fast repeating. I did it with a bigger amount of notes here. That's what I like more. The most of the guitar player I know, do repeating stuff!
This is a part of the song "Where do we go from here". Mute the strings with your right hand behind your left. Experiment with these kind of ideas. It's fun!! Be creative with all these ideas because there is no reason to "only" learn them. Look at the technique, change the notes, vary them and make it your lick!
This is the beginning of a tapping solo peace called "Tunnel strut". It's not very hard to play these kind of tunes but it's real fun! Actually it's recorded with a second guitar on the album. It adds the higher notes. I picked that kind of playing up from Joe Satriani.
We did a cover of "Message In A Bottle". Here is the (for the original song very untypical) solo. It's in the key of Cm. The arpeggio in the end is played like that: Pick the first note(15) with the pick, pick the next(16) with your middle finger and the last one(18) with the ring finger. No sweep!
the following bio material provided from www.empire-rock.com
In 1998, after having set up his own digital studio, Rolf dedicated himself to working on the songs for his solo project. At the 1999 Frankfurt International Music Fair Rolf presented his demo CD live, where he received excellent feedback. In September 1999, Rolf won the German Rockprize in the category "Best Instrumentalist" and he showed his versatility as guitarist on two Michael Suljic productions for Walt Disney Enterprises.
Rolf`s first CD "No More Obscurity" was released in November 2000 by the Finnish label Lion Music with guest musicians Anders Johansson and Lance King.
Aside from his solo work, since October 2000 he has been guitarist with the German metal band Vanize, and he will be recording a new CD with the band in 2001.
Together with Lance King as singer and Gerald Kloos as drummer, he has taken part in the Jason Becker tribute album "Warmth in the Wilderness" with the song "The Dogtown Shuffle".
For his second CD "Hypnotica", he searched for some world-class musicians and with them he has now founded the band Empire. In January 2001 ex-Whitesnake and Black Sabbath bassist Neil Murray came to his studio to put down the bass tracks, and in April Rolf travelled to Minnesota to record the vocals with Lance King. His good friend Gerald Kloos was once again on the drums.
As an extra highlight, Rolf found three superb guest musicians: Anders Johansson played the drums on two songs, Mark Boals sang on two tracks and Don Airey added keyboards to the ballad "Spread My Wings".
In June, Rolf goes to Stefan Kaufmann's Roxx studios in Cologne, where the CD will be mixed. The worldwide release by Lion Music is planned for September.