Guitar Hackers,
Here we go, Kiko will be hosting the last live of year for Guitar Hacks paying members this Saturday, Dec 19th at 2PM EST (11AM PST, 8PM CET).
I can’t believe we’re already at the end of year!
Thanks to all of you for actively participating in these lessons and keeping our community thriving!
As usual, Kiko will pick the top 3 or 5 most liked questions in this topic to cover during the live. So ask away!
I’ll give this one another shot.
I’m really interested in an in-depth look into the setup that Kiko used to get the wonderful sounds that we can hear in Open Source.
All I can find for now is a rundown of his rig when playing with Megadeth .
I do know he’s using some Neural DSP plugin as well, but that’s probably for casual playing, not for the album.
Hi Kiko, just 1 simple question about modes. I love your song “Dreamlike” and how you cross the moods at the end of that song. That song starts at A lydian and at the end cross to C lydian than E lydian. Am I right? Thanks for the answer and wishing you and all guitar hackers family all the best in 2021.
Rasto
Hey @kiko! I was wondering if you have any tricks to manage double stop bends on floating bridges…
I would really like a rundown of the best chords in a key (I, ii, ii, etc) to use 7th chords and which you can substitute with dominant 7th chords. Along with any other tips on borrowing things that are typically used in jazz for metal.
I’d like Kiko to comment on the usage of dominant and secondary dominant 7th chords for each of the modes. Including examples of usage.
Hi Kiko,
don’t know if my fellow students know how important this topic might be for their technique.
But I often experience, that explaining how the muscular memory works, really helps my own students to understand, why we should practice in a certain way and that training this memory is the main reason, why we are practicing at all.
Starting from mistakes that we suddenly make and can’t get out again, to the chord changes we never really master, because the fingers just don’t move like they should.
I’d love to know how you approach this and I really think this would help my fellow guitar hackers!
I wish you and your family a great christmas time!
Nils
I was watching your YouTube lesson on finger picking but had to leave early.
Is there a chord you would recommend to practice that can keep the same shape in multiple area up and down the fretboard? Just for ease of practice as I am a newbie.
Many thanks for taking the time out of your day to share your knowledge. It very much appreciated.
Have a great Christmas/ Hogmanay .
Keep safe and well.
Regards
John 
E shaped barre chords will give you any chord you want with the same shape up and down the neck. Just remove one finger to make it a minor chord. If you know all your open position chord shapes then look into the CAGED system it explains how you can play all the chords anywhere on the neck.
If your strings are properly intonated, you just have to do them with light touch. Just enough for the notes to sound clear. Same you will do with any chord.
Actually, Kiko has mentioned many times it is good to take the same approach for lead playing. Just enough strength for notes to be clear.
Now, if you mean unison bends, the only way to make them to be properly tuned, without locking the bridge, is to install a bridge stabilizer like the Mag-Lok or a Tremmory.
I’d include asking him to suggest what mode works the best for leads over each 7th and other similar jazz-y chords.
Hey, Kiko.
What about some exercises/approach suggestions for using the whammy bar.
How do we get the perfect sound? Its not about the equipment we know but how do we navigate the minefield of pedals, amps, and plugins???
Hello all,
I would propose a small time to speak about the bends and how expressive Kiko can make it (we discussed last time about vibrato but bends are also critical for me).
Another question would be the building “strategy” of the different climbings that are so melodic in Open Source (like Vital signs or black ice)
See you on Saturday.
Greg
Hey Kiko, might be too late, but I’d love to hear about your approach on harmony, as in composing, creating progressions, etc… Maybe talk about ‘harmonia em bloco’ as well?
There’s so many famous progressions that people talk about… how they came about, and how to understand them?
Hope everyone have a great Xmas and NY!
Cheers
Gus
Hey man, long time no see! 
Yeah, I was thinking about unison bends and the likes. I kinda know the answer: block the bridge like you suggested (actually not just block, but anchor too, like the Tremmory does, because it’s the forward tilt that casues the problem) or do it on a fixed bridge instrument.
But I was hoping the maybe Kiko has some tricks up his sleeve, like bending on both strings (that’s kinda the joint shifter territory a la Steve Vai) or maybe compensating by pushing down on the bridge or something. Because if you install a Tremmory and set it to fix the bridge, you can’t change it mid-solo and you’re still stuck with either a floating bridge and out of tune when doing certain bends or with in tune bends and a Floyd on your axe as an ornament, not a floating bridge.
YES! This right here.
The Tremmory is not for setting the bridge to “fixed”, it does not block the bridge. It lets you have full floating bridge. It just helps the bridge to stay at home when you do bends or drop the 6th.
Maybe go into talking about visualization of the triads?
Hah, looks like I misunderstood it then! On a closer look it looks like it provides constant tension… Still, it will have tradeoffs I’m sure, so my question is upheld.