Zakk Wylde is undoubtedly a great inspiration for young guitar beginners. Known for his work alongside Ozzy Osbourne and as the leader of Black Label Society , who are currently working on a new album, the iconic guitarist offered advice to his fellow musicians.
The Guitar Villains podcast , Wylde emphasized the importance of studying theory to keep evolving. “Theory is incredible, understanding the guitar fretboard and having knowledge… You should know your scales,” he began (via Ultimate Guitar ). “It doesn’t hurt, on the contrary, to know more. Not that you’re going to need to use minor or diminished scales, or anything like that, but you know them, just in case you want to use them. If you want to, you know them.”
To summarize the message, the guitarist made a comparison that explains it well: "It's like Batman ; it's not like he has to use everything on his belt, but if he needs to, it's there," he explained.
In addition to encouraging the study of music theory, Wylde left an important piece of advice for young people who dream of pursuing a professional career in music. “You start small and then you play for 10 people, then you play for 12 people, then we play for 18 people…”, he encouraged, before using the example of Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin , who was a hired musician for years before finally founding the band.
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