Videos of Tom Hess

Videos of Tom Hess playing excerpts from Hess ~ Opus 2:

Kingdoms (Op. 2 No. 2)

This tune is very neoclassically influenced (although the proper term for what guitar players call "neoclassical" is actually "Neo-Baroque". The music you hear is way more influenced by composers from the Baroque era than by composers from the Classical era).

In any case, the part of the tune in the video is in A minor and it's played at 144 bpm. The opening is an ascending harmonic minor sequence on 1 string, followed by a pedal point section, a 5-string arpeggio section and a fast descending scale sequence. I can teach you how to play this (and more importantly, how to compose music like this) in my personalized Breakthrough Guitar Lessons online.

Many of my guitar students play and write music at this level.

Through The Trials (Op. 2 No. 6)
Excerpt 1

This excerpt has a progressive feel to it (because of the mixed meter involved). It is then followed by a single-string pedal tone lick, combined with a fast picking speed burst. But believe it or not, the hardest thing to get right in this excerpt is the pick up switch right before the fast picking run at 0:11. It needs to happen in time, so I can play the rest of the lick in time.

Through The Trials (Op. 2 No. 6)
Excerpt 2

This is a long, progressive-sounding sweep picking arpeggio sequence. What makes this section progressive? 2 things: alternating meters (5/4 and 4/4) and the harmony. The harmony uses many advanced (Romantic-era) techniques, such as: Chromatic Mediant Modulation. This is what makes the arpeggio section sound so dark and sinister.

Videos of Tom on tour with Rhapsody Of Fire:

These shows happened on the 2011 and 2012 Rhapsody Of Fire tours.

In my Music Careers Mentoring Program, I show you all the things I did to build my music career to the level where I got into the band, toured with them and helped the band's career grow (while mine grew as well).

It all came down to the 2 things I talk about incessantly to musicians I mentor: add maximum value and reduce all possible risk. When you can add value (i.e. solve problems, create new opportunities, help others reach their goals) with minimum risk, you build a reputation that attracts others to you, like moths to a flame.

Bands, record companies and musicians seek you out and ask you to partner with them to help your career grow.

That is the proven and fail-safe formula for unstoppable success in the music industry. If I (and other musicians) did it - you can too. Want me to help you build your music career? Start here: https://tomhess.net/MusicCareer

On The Way To Ainor

Triumph Or Agony

Ad Infinitum & From Chaos To Eternity

I Belong To The Stars