Hamilton's Legendary Guitar Player and Teacher

Based in Hamilton New Zealand, Simon is an experienced guitar tutor who began teaching in early 1992.
He has since taught thousands of people in various New Zealand high schools, and from his home base.
He has developed a rapport with each and every one and has tutored them to what ever level they are prepared to work to.
Simon has in depth resources and knowledge to help you reach your goal as a guitarist and musician.
In addition, Simon is guitarist with N.Z. rock band 8forty8, and has been performing live nearly 20 years, starting in childhood.

If you are interested in being tutored by Simon, please e-mail him.

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If you like instrumental music in the style of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Phil Keaggy then this song is sure to appeal to you. The new instrumental gem by Simon Koretz.
"Walk with me is an instrumental i'm very proud of, and i hope you enjoy listening to it as much as i enjoyed creating it."-Simon ( read more). Click here to play The new instrumental track Walk with me
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Lesson 1 - The Minor Pentatonic Scale.
Download Power Tab file.
Here are 6 different positions of the Minor Pentatonic scale. I have exampled them in the key of (A), they are moveable shapes so you can play them in any position. Learn them in this key first then try moving them around the fretboard once memorized.In my next lesson I will show you how to create licks with these scales.

Lesson 2-Licks in A minor
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For this lesson, I have constructed some example licks using the Minor Pentatonic scales from Lesson 1. Here I've used hammerons, pulloffs, bends and vibrato within the pentatonic patterns.
Learn these to help develop techniques you can use to create your own licks.These examples range in difficulty. I've put bass playing backing chords to give the licks some context.

Lesson 3 - Major Scales
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In this lesson I have included 2 major scale patterns exampled in the key of (C). As with all scale shapes they are moveable but learn them in this position first then shift them to different keys later. I have also included 2 ascending exercises within these patterns, play them slowly at first then speed them up as you get use to them. They are very useful to all you would-be shredders. Make sure you use all 4 fingers. When you have mastered the ascending patterns, try playing them descending (backwards).

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The selected tutor in Dimebag Darrell Memorial Scholarship A Dimebag memorial was held at Hamilton's 6ftUnder bar Where a Pantera cd autographed by Dime himself and an awesome painting of Dime were auctioned off. The funds raised were put toward a 1 year guitar scholarship for a worthy guitarist in the spirit of Dimebag, to receive a years free tuition with local guitar teacher Simon koretz, who the axeman Paul Martin chose as the tutor. A young and talented guitarist Chris Wood was selected and will kick off his scholarship in a fitting manner learning the Pantera classic Cemetary Gates including Dime's great solo. R.I.P Dimebag.
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Lesson 4 - Chord Studies 1 Triad Inversions
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Definition of a triad = A chord containing three notes.
A three note triad can be found in three positions, on the same string group, within an octave. I have exampled these in the key of (A), using both Majors and Minors. These shapes are great used on their own, or over top of conventional open chords to create a nice contrast.

Lesson 5 - Powerchords (made heavier)
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What is a powerchord ?Not talking about the one that plugs your amp into the wall socket. A power chord is the root note and the 5th note of a major scale. A commonly used shape in blues, rock, metal and pop. In this lesson we learn how to make these chords instantly sound bigger and heavier. When playing a root 5 powerchord (root note on the 5th string) use your index finger to bar the two top strings,this brings in the lower octave of the 5th, creating a meaty sound.


Lesson 6 - Gigging : Are you prepared? (a beginners guide)
You're a guitarist in a band, you've got a gig booked. Assuming you've rehearsed well, and are confident that you and your fellow bandmates can play everything in your set confidently, you're ready to go!! Or are you? In this article I will cover some of the necessities required for a successful gig. Lets start with gear. Make sure you're well prepared for anything that can possibly go wrong,and the best way to do that is to limit the things that can go wrong. For example,you're far more likely to break a string if they are old. Always re-string your guitar before a gig, especially if you use a whammy bar, where the strings weaken at the pivot point on the saddles. If you have a locking tremelo, you might get away with the same strings for 2 nights if you undo them at the bridge, and clip off the ends so that it creates a new pivot point on the string. Make sure you give new strings a good stretch, and play them in for a while until they hold their tune in the pitch you will perform in. Make sure you always re-tune with a tuner directly before you take the stage - any change in temperature for example can throw your guitar out of tune, and it doesn't matter how well you play, if you're out of tune it isn't going to sound good. Now lets look at what's in your trusty gig bag. Here are the things that in my experience are a must. Spare strings (in case some break - pretty obvious). String cutters of some description, a string winder, (to speed up the replacement process), some screw drivers, normally smallish phillips head and a normal head,(in case anything on your guitar or amp works loose). Some plyers always come in handy too, as does a battery tester. Make sure any batteries used to power effects pedals, active pickups, wireless packs etc. are checked and have plenty of charge. There's nothing worse than things dying on the night. Check all leads and patch leads, make sure they are all working at 100%. A faulty or dodgy lead is no good, if they're going to play up, you can be sure it will be at the worst possible time. Have any spare fuses your amp uses in case one blows - this is a common occurance. Make sure you have experimented with your amp settings and have written down or memorised the desired sound you wish to produce. I will cover that topic in more depth in a later article. Carry a torch with you, because it's normally pretty dark on a club or pub stage and it can be difficult to see when you're setting up your equipment. I would also suggest having a spare amp in case yours craps out - borrow one off a mate if you can, as it isn't unusual for an amp to shit itself. Nothing worse than travelling halfway across the country, your amp blows up and your gig's over. Lastly, don't forget your guitar strap, you'll look pretty funny rocking out on a chair on stage! This is only a brief overveiw , but hopefully I've covered most of the important parts. So relax, enjoy, and rock on.

Lesson 7 - Minor scales exampled in the key of A
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In this lesson i have included 3 different minor scales, the Natural minor, the Harmonic minor and the Melodic minor.Each scale has its own unique sound, learn them all to give youself plenty of options when writing or improvising solos.

LESSON 8-Open Position Chords
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Here are 25 open position chords,Majors,Minors,Minor 7's,Major 7's and Dominant 7's. Memorise each shape and their name, it is very important to have good chord knowledge.Look out for more chords in upcoming lessons.

Lesson 9- Music Theory-Notes on The Staff
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In this lesson i explain how to identify the notes on a music staff,it is very beneficial to learn to read music notation as tablature can only give you positioning not timing. By learning to read notes you can take all the guess work out of getting the right timing on that favourite song you want to learn.See lesson 10 for note values.

Lesson 10-Music Theory part 2-Note Values
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In this lesson i teach you how to identify types of notes and count their timing. Learning these does take time so make sure you keep at it,it's well worth it in the long run.

Lesson 11-Notes on The Fretboard
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# = a Sharp sign, Sharp means higher in pitch
b = a Flat sign, means lower in pitch

Here you can learn where to find all the notes on your fretboard. The musical alphabet = A B C D E F G. You will notice that some positions can be named either #'s or b's eg.A , A#/Bb , B. The middle note is sharper than A, but flat of B, therefore it can be refered to as either. You will notice that there is #'s and b's between all notes other than B to C or E to F. Once you've memorised all the notes along the 1st string it should be easy to get the rest as they follow the same sequence, just starting on a different note.

Lesson 12- Bar Chords
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. What is a Bar Chord? It is chord where you hold your index finger flat across all the strings to create a bar and add other notes with the remaining fingers. Bar chords are moveable shapes, the root note determines which chord it is. Some bar chords have their root note on the 6th string and some on the 5th. If you play a Major Bar Chord (root 6)starting in the first fret, that note on the 6th string is an F, therefor it will be an F Major chord. If you moved it up to the 3rd fret, that note on the 6th string is a G therefor it will be a G Major bar chord and so on. Use the (Notes on the fretboard)lesson to identify where the notes are positioned.

Lesson 13- Rhythym Work pt:1
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(Counting basic timing)
In this lesson i've arranged a simple rhythym using power chords. This should help you get a grasp on the concept of counting the timing of your strumming, having this knowledge is very beneficial as it allows you to learn your favourite songs straight from a magazine, book or powertab file. Here i've used Semibreve's, Minim's, Crotchet"s and Quaver's, familiarize yourself with look and count of each of these note types.

Lesson 14- Rhythym Work pt:2
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In this continuation on rhythm work i have created another simple structure using powerchords. This time i have included semiquavers and rests. As with the previous lesson, get familiar with the different note types and the way to count them. Also note the double bar lines with dots at the start of the score and again at the end of bar 4, these are repeat signs and mean that you repeat the first 4 bars.

Lesson 15- Arpeggio's Exampled in (A)
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A major Arpeggio consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the Major scale eg. in the key of (A)major it would read
(A) B (C#) D (E) F# G# = (A C# E)
  1   2    3    4    5   6   7
A minor Arpeggio consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the minor scale eg. in the key of (A)minor it would read
(A) B (C) D (E) F G
  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 = (A C E)
The notes of an Arpeggio are sounded seperately, not sustained as a chord so each finger must quickly be lifted off the fretboard after the note is struck.

Lesson 16-Jazz Chords
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Anyone tired of using the same old chords?
Here are 28 Jazz Chords exampled in the key of (A) to check out, all of which are moveable shapes so once you memorise them you can shift them to any key. Jazz is a very different concept to rock, generally using far more intricate chord voicings. Some of the chord names here vary between the tabbed chords and the chord charts as the powertab programme wouldn't allow me to name them as I prefer using #'s rather than +(augmented) symbols, however either way is correct.
In future lessons we'll look at chord substitution and where and how you can apply these new chords.

Lesson 17-Arpeggio Inversions
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Here i have demonstrated Arpeggio inversions in the key of A Minor. Note the picking sequence of down and up strokes. Play these Arpeggio's slowly at first with precision and speed them up as you become more accurate.

Lesson 18-Sliding scales
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In this lesson i've demonstrated some 3 Octave scales that use multiple slides,this allows you to play smooth ascending scale patterns that start low and finish high. If you've learnt scales before you will know that it is easy to become trapped playing the same old box shape patterns,this lesson should help you start to think outside of that box.

Lesson 19-Triplet Ideas
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In this lesson i've created some exercise licks using triplets. I've used a C major scale, an A Natural Minor scale, an A Minor Pentatonic scale and an a Major Pentatonic scale as examples, but as always you can apply this technique to any key or scale. I've included both ascending and descending patterns here, play them slowly at first and then speed them up as you get used to them.Remember, playing with precision and accuracy is paramount.

Lesson 20-MODES (Exampled in the key of c)
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In this lesson we are looking at modes. There are 7 modes, Ionian,Dorian,Phrygian,Lydian Mixolydian,Aolian and Locrian, each one has it's own unique sound and formula, learning these will open up many new possabilities when writing solo's or improvising lead. I have given 2 examples of each Mode, 1 root 5 pattern and 1 root 6, i have also included some of the chords used under or with each mode, enjoy.

Lesson- 21 Minor Pentatonic Exercise
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Here is an exercise on the G,B and E strings using 5 Minor Pentatonic scale patterns, be sure to play it slowly at first and gradually build up your speed, make sure you co-ordinate your picking hand and alternate your pick strokes, Down, Up Down, Up etc.. This exercise will also help teach you to think beyond (Pat 1) of the Minor Pentatonic scale, enjoy!

Lesson-22 The Major Pentatonic Scale
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Here are 5 patterns for the Major Pentatonic scale,this is to be applied over major chords. If you have already learnt the Minor Pentatonic scales, you'll notice that these are the same shapes only starting three semitones(Frets) below the key you are in, for example,playing the A Major Pentatonic Scale is the same as the F# Minor Pentatonic only you use the A note as the root or centre rather than the F#.

Lesson-23 Exercise in C Major
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Here is an exercise in C Major, i have included examples with both root 5 and root 6 scale patterns. Both these exercises start on the root note and ascend in four note groupings, these are great licks for playing long build up sounding phrases, the likes of players like Joe Satriani have often used this technique, one example that springs to mind is the solo on "Crushing Day" from the "Surfing with The Alien" album where he applies this technique to a G Minor scale. Once you have thoroughly explored this with the major scales in various keys, try it in a descending form and then with some of the other scales and Modes from my previous lessons.

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