Transcription: The Guitar Chapter - Michael Romeo

General Music Discussion
#1

I’ve got a lot of inspiration from this instructional by the great Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo. Now transcribed in SoundSlice for your pleasure (or agony). :smiling_imp:

I’ve tried to accurately reflect the actual picking - not what he says he’s playing or what’s (incorrectly) transcribed in the original booklet.

As a general rule, Romeo uses Eco picking when moving in a single direction across adjacent strings (mostly 3NPS scales or 1NPS arpeggios), and 2WPS Alt picking when string skipping, or even-note groupings on a string (2 or 4NPS patterns) and mixed groups (3NPS + 4NPS patterns).

Descending Economy runs are UPS, but he will start the high note on a Downstroke DPS and 2WPS into UPS Eco.

The Solos are work in progress. Stay tuned.

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Michael Romeo from Symphony X
#2

One year later, I’ve finished transcriptions for the 4 Solos performed in this monumental guitar lesson video. These were very challenging to notate! I suspect they’ll be extremely difficult to perform, but filled with incredible lines to develop your picking and legato technique.

You can see the slow and closeup versions in the full Guitar Chapter soundslice above. The performance versions are below. Enjoy!

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#3

I love Romeo’s playing hes fantastic. One on of the best, newer neoclassical players.

Thank you so much for this!!

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#4

Awesome - these are fantastic!

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#5

Amazing transcription of an amazing player - thank you!

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#6

GOLD ! Thanks :pray:

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#7

Really amazing you did all of that. Previously I was going on a backwater Russian site for the tab book and reading it alongside the YouTube video lol. It’s so strange being able to see it all in one spot. His technique has held up so well throughout the years.

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#8

@LuckyMojo You already impressed me with The Sails of Charon transcription but this is another level ! Thank you very much !

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#9

When are you doing the solo from this? :crazy_face:

#10

You just want to know that chromatic run right? :wink:

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#11

that whole solo would be cool as a soundslice

#12

Thank you for your work, that’s awesome!

#13

Thanks, your work is very much appreciated!

#14

ive been working with this course again… very challenging, especially the tapping… yikes! :astonished:

I have another tab booklet (in japanese) for another course Romeo did called “Chaper X for Practicing”
it mirrors the Guitar chapter, but it’s all different examples

Doe anyone know if there is a DVD for this available?

#15

I have the Young Guitar Practice Ultimate, which is an amazing book that compiles a couple decades of Young Guitar interview-lessons from great guitarists. I think most of these had videos that were part of the DVD attached to the monthly magazine. There is not a compilation DVD sold with the Practice Ultimate book. Chapter X for Practicing is part of the anthology. I’m not sure what original issue it appeared in.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe there’s an easy way to download the video lessons for most of these. I’ve written to Young Guitar on a few occasions to request them, but no dice. Maybe I’ll need a japanese translator to get the message across! It seems the only sure way to find this material is hunting down magazine back issues with the DVD still in tact.

On a side note, Marty Friedman has a couple chapters in Practice Ultimate, and also did a fantastic CtC interview. He has been living and working in Japan for years. I wonder if @Troy might persuade Marty to pull some strings at Young Guitar to release all of the lessons in Practice Ultimate as a streaming/downloadable video collection. Long shot probably, but it would be a shame for this material to sit in an archive forever, instead of being a mighty document of guitar instruction history.

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#16

Some screens and contents from Young Guitar Practice Ultimate!

yg ult 1
yg ult 11080×1080 209 KB

yg contents
yg contents1080×1080 180 KB

yg4
yg41080×1080 193 KB

yg3
yg31080×1080 208 KB

Almost 350 pages of exercises, fretboard charts, and artist closeups like these.

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#17

Wow, that book looks awesome. I have some of those individual lessons, but that compilation looks fantastic.

Thanks for your quick reply, and willingness to helpI really appreciate it.

If Troy would lend a hand in this endeavor that would be awesome.

Best,

Nick

#18

I’ve been learning “Sea of Lies” lately, mostly because I wanted to get into tapping and economy picking, for effiecieny reasons, my hands have a few issues and I need to reduce excessive movement.

Thank you for your work, it’s a treasure for guitar freaks like us.

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#19

Forgot I commented here haha! Did you ever transcribe/soundslice this solo?

#20

haha no not yet…