In many ways, Cory Wong is the Nile Rodgers of the modern age. The Minneapolis-based guitarist has a knack for making rhythm guitar a lead instrument – often saying more with a handful of simple, punchy notes than most technically driven players could ever get close to.
He spent the end of last year on tour in Europe with American funk outfit Vulfpeck, including two sold-out nights at Brixton Academy, before heading out for some smaller, sold-out shows of his own...
Anyone who can hang on guitar with Joe Dart tearing up the bass...and make it look easy. Wow.
1. Get your time together
“No matter how great you think your timing is, it’s probably not good enough. And I say that for myself as well! It’s a constant thing to keep learning.
2. Think heart and hook
“What separates the amateurs from the pros is how you find the perfect part for the song - something so good that it has to be played every time the song is heard. That’s the difference between the players who blindly make noise to the ones who find where they belong in the song.
3. Remember there’s always plenty more to learn
“As well as you think you know the pentatonic scale and major scale, there are permutations out there that will make you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing at all and get you lost. Rather than being discouraged by that, look at it as a fun thing - there’s a lot more mileage in the pentatonic and major scales than you ever imagined.
4. Transfer the same knowledge between scales and chords
“Take that exact same concept and play two notes at a time as chords, going up in 3rds on two strings at a time. Harmonising your scales up and down the neck with just two notes will give you such a different perspective of the scale and how the guitar is laid out under your fingers
5. Then bring in the chromatics
“Once you’ve really honed in on that CAGED system, you’ll have a lot to work with. Look at a G chord and take it through the wringer, learning all the arpeggios in all five shapes. That will leave you with five chords, five arpeggios, five pentatonic shapes and the major scale notes.
Read the full Music Radar article, with a lot more detail, here
