Behind the Player: Dan Jacobs: Guitar DVD

This DVD captures a working professional at full intensity, showing exactly how shredding technique translates to actual songwriting and band performance. The VideoTab system paired with live jamming sessions gives students a rare window into how session-level precision develops and what it demands, while the behind-the-scenes material grounds the technical work in real career context.

Intense, uncompromising, and direct. The material demands accuracy without apology, channeling the raw energy of contemporary metalcore through disciplined fretwork and rhythmic control. There's an immediacy to watching Jacobs work through these songs with a professional drummer that mirrors the adrenaline of the music itself.

This DVD serves guitarists in the intermediate to advanced range who already read TAB and understand basic metal technique but want to accelerate their precision and see how professional players construct and execute demanding riffs. It's equally valuable for students studying modern metal composition and those serious about building session-ready playing skills.

• Slow the VideoTab playback to isolate the picking patterns and fretting hand mechanics before attempting tempo. Notice how the economy of motion supports speed rather than fighting against it.
• Study how Jacobs uses gain and amp tone to shape note clarity within dense guitar textures. The distinction between lead and rhythm approaches will become clearer when you separate the tonal control from the technique itself.
• Lock into the drum timing by watching how Jacobs positions himself in the pocket relative to Brandon Saller's kick drum. This visual reference point translates directly to your own rhythmic accuracy in ensemble settings.
• Work the lesson material in sections rather than attempting full songs immediately. Building comfort with the signature riffs first gives you the foundation to execute them under performance pressure.

Feature this in advanced guitar instruction or ensemble settings as a case study in metal composition and technique. The behind-the-scenes content works well as motivation material during technique-intensive rehearsal blocks, while the lesson sections provide concrete study material for students working toward performance-ready proficiency.

• High-speed picking accuracy and muting technique
• Fretboard navigation in extended range and drop tunings
• Rhythmic precision relative to professional-level drumming
• Translating notation and TAB into efficient hand positioning
• Understanding gain and tone management in heavy musical contexts
• Analyzing riff construction and song arrangement through a working musician's process