The Serious Guitarist: Rock Chops: Guitar Book & MP3 CD

Hurwitz refuses to separate technique from musicality. Every exercise lives inside rock vocabulary, so students aren't drilling abstract finger patterns; they're building the specific tools they'll actually use when soloing. The inclusion of speed picking, sweeping, tapping, and harmonics means you're covering the full contemporary rock toolkit without leaving any technique orphaned.

You're not grinding through classical etudes or jazz standards. Every exercise lives in rock territory, written to sound like the solos you actually want to play. The material feels immediately relevant, and you can hear yourself progressing in real time through the MP3 demonstrations.

Rock guitarists who feel capable of making musical ideas but hit a ceiling when executing them. Whether you're self-taught or working with a teacher, this book addresses the specific technical demands of rock soloing: fast, articulate, and expressive playing across the entire fretboard.

• Work through the exercises slowly and deliberately first. The MP3 demonstrations show tempo, but your job is to build precision before speed. Accuracy always comes before velocity.
• Use the demonstrations as a roadmap for tone and phrasing, not just as a metronome. Hear how each technique sits in a musical context, then apply that sensibility to your own playing.
• Focus on finger independence and flexibility drills before jumping to the flashier techniques like tapping and harmonics. The foundation work pays off immediately in everything else you play.

Assign this as a self-directed supplement for rock-focused students in your studio or ensemble program who want to deepen their soloing abilities. It works especially well for players preparing for auditions, jam sessions, or original music projects where individual technique will be on display.

• Speed picking and fast note articulation
• Sweep picking across multiple strings
• Tapping and left-hand independence
• Natural and pinch harmonics
• Scale sequencing and finger strength
• Flexibility and finger independence across the fretboard