Originally Posted by: shahnenHey I have been playing rock/metal guitar for about 5 years and I kinda want to learn a completely new style like reggae, country, or classical but I don't know where to start. I have a hard time finding music in these styles, but when I do I like it a lot. That is not really my problem though because Google will help with that. I was wondering how I can learn and become efficient in a style out of my comfort zone. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Pat Martino states that styles are like dialects and music is the language. So the way you start speaking a different dialect, is that you immerse yourself in that dialect. If you wanted to learn to speak the "style" of the English language known as the Irish brogue, you would move to Ireland and talk with those who speak it. So if you want to learn a new style, it helps to jam with those who speak it: listening to that music, jamming with those musicians, hanging out with those who like that music, and jamming along with the records. It all uses the same 12 notes, but it is how they use them that makes the style, but to understand that as Pat Martino suggests it is more than just learning the quirks with head-knowledge by reading an article or two, but getting used to "speaking the lingo."

Hope that helps,
James Erickson
www.jamesericksonmusic.com