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Poll

Help me decide what to do next!!!

  • Another "I Tried Learning (X) in a Day" type video 43
  • technique-focused lick or exercise 232
  • Meet the Machines on that sweet Ibanez Universe i just got 51
  • FAQ You with a little of everything 41
  • Lesson on a specific song or solo 185
  • Riff Retrospective on a rad album 153
  • 2024-06-05
  • 705 votes
{'title': 'Help me decide what to do next!!!', 'choices': [{'text': 'Another "I Tried Learning (X) in a Day" type video', 'votes': 43}, {'text': 'technique-focused lick or exercise', 'votes': 232}, {'text': 'Meet the Machines on that sweet Ibanez Universe i just got ', 'votes': 51}, {'text': 'FAQ You with a little of everything', 'votes': 41}, {'text': 'Lesson on a specific song or solo', 'votes': 185}, {'text': 'Riff Retrospective on a rad album', 'votes': 153}], 'closes_at': None, 'created_at': datetime.datetime(2024, 6, 5, 4, 22, 43, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'description': None, 'allow_multiple': False, 'total_votes': 705}

Content

My lovely and loyal Patrons! Lend me thine grey matter!

I started to make a new video today, and i ended up getting caught in endless option paralysis, as i sometimes do!

I can't decide what i want to put up next on my channel, so i want YOU to!!! Check the options below, and feel free to drop suggestions down in the comments to help me out! Thanks a ton, y'all, means a lot.

-BE

Comments

Mark Herrera

Kinda random and not saying you should do this type of thing exactly but I recently watched your Dirge for November lesson from years ago and it is extremely satisfying to play!

Arrr

Try learning Iron Maiden’s Starblind in one day 🤘🏻

Devon Ward

For The Love of God. Ya, you know.

Nelson W

Hey UB, what happened to the YouTube practice session thing? Was it not so popular?

Shahar Bar

Some Steve Morse love would be nice too… dude is legendary!

Steve Burnham

Riff Retro on Emperor of Sand?

Paco Jazztorius

OK, maybe it's just me but I pay Uncle Ben to teach me shit. I don't give a fuck if he learns how to stroke Paul Gilbert's schlong in a single day. Uncle Ben, you're a fun and excellent teacher and I really like your stuff but put out the "in-a-day" crap on your channel outside of teaching the Patrons where our stepdads went wrong. If I could learn Cliffs of Dover, I wouldn't be here anymore. I'd be in HillBilly Heaven just down the street from you, stealing your gigs and your womenfolk! 🤣❤️❤️❤️

Horacio Rios

For a riff lesson. It would be rad if you could show us Morning After by Ratt. It's a sick riff that I'm having a hard time nailing and finding the correct tab.

Māris Drīksna

Break down Still Of The Night solo. Your video about the song was the best which i found, when i was trying to learn it. In isolated track you can hear that John himself plays it sloppy, How it will sound clean?

Norman Burt

Maybe the intro to “Buried Monuments” by Job For A Cowboy? That’s both a specific lick and a great exercise as well (hand synchronization). And a kickass song.

Gaclav

Our Dairy Shred / Weakwand Wankshop about some laser-speed tapping or "non-guitar" techniques like maybe slap/finger-plucking? Something to help gettn' out of "traditional shredi knight" mindset? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for trad-shreddn' but something that borrows from other instruments, just to broaden our horizons? What do you thing, Uncle?

Javier Bellido Sánchez

What about a riff retro on Queenryche's Operation Mindcrime, the album?

Shreddy McGuire

Grats on the Universe, I preordered mine in '97 and it still shreds. Maybe some wang bar tricks would be in order

Trevor Dillon

You’ve put up a few videos with your new Schecter KM-6 MK-iii and mentioned a possible “Meet The Machines” about it. We need to meet that machine!

George

Lamb of god riff retrospective?

Octavio Stenberg

More Opeth, please! A song, an album, a solo (anything from Still Life especially!), or even a "Stuff Opeth Does" video. Haven't been able to get enough Opeth lately. And I can really only find a few channels that sound like they're playing things correctly in lessons or playthroughs, one of which is yours. Mikael writes such unique riffs (and some damn tasty solos, I think), Peter might be the smoothest player I've seen and makes anything seem effortless, and Fred can melt your face off with something like the Heir Apparent solo (and some great backing vocals like in Cusp of Eternity).

MrTriggerhappy

Hell yeah. The hardest part is trying to pick where to start. Played through As The Palaces Burn on a whim last weekend, scary to think they've been writing consistently great riffs for 20+ years already.

Gregg B.

I'll be honest with you, uncle, I selected "Meet the Machines on that sweet Ibanez Universe i just got". But aside from that It would be out of THIS universe if you taught us how to play the solo in "Souls of Black" by Testament's one and only Alex Skolnick.

Lou

Ah yes, paralysis through analysis. I know it well. How ‘bout some picking exercises for those who need it (and those, like myself, recovering from carpal tunnel surgery)?

Mean Dean

How bout some Uncle wisdom on some hammers and pulls and trills accuracy and speed exorcize will be cool

Matthew L Juge

More on songwriting, please!

Ryan Nutick

Riff Retrospective - Album: Badlands by Badlands

David Geer

Ben Eller, please break down the Still Of The Night legato solo. It's so fast, and all versions of the tabs look wrong. I like Carl Brown but I think his version is wrong as well. I don't think their is an accurate tab on that solo. You are the best! Please alot of people want that solo, and you said on another rainy day. That was a long time ago!! Thanks so much!!

David Geer

Also Round and Round by Ratt the whole song. The best part of the solo is the ending legato solo. That's incredible. No one ever tabs the ending of the solo fade out. I have the Ratt Tab book, and I think it's right. It has the ending solo, but the legato technique is really hard. I got most of it down awhile back, but you would make an exercise out of it so it would be easier🤘🤘🤘🤘

Blair Coleman

Yes Please! I was going to say the same thing. A lesson on a specific song Lamb of God - Memento Mori 🙌🏻🔥

Oliver Meyer

How about some Black Sabbath? They just released the remastered versions of the Tony Martin era albums. There is virtually nothing on Youtube on the Solos to Headless Cross, When Death Calls or Nightwing. All epic and very underrated.

Henry Stinkler

I will forever keep requesting Ratt’s “Nobody Rides for Free” solo lesson. Sorry about that!

Abhishek Gairola

Personally struggling on a solo that has a few runs of fast sweeping with alt picked notes within those runs (Matriarch by TBDM for reference) - tips/exercises on combining sweep and alt picking/quick changes in "direction" would be cool!

Teddeeh

Riff retrospective- ugly kid joe

Glenn

Jason Becker

Dave Duvalier

Anything Black Sabbath

El Raymundo

I'd love to see/hear your take on the Good Times Bad Times solo, with some notes about amps, amp settings, tone, and how to get the manic feel Page has as he rips through that solo!

Bogdan Frigioiu

I like both "learning the song in one day" and the "riff retrospective" options. They help me focus on the cool or challeninging parts of artists I probably wouldn't really be into

John

Steve Lukather's smoking work on the Tubes "Talk to ya Later" please!

Mike Conroy

From a WIIFM perspective, I get the most out of learning a technique-focused lick or a cool song/solo. I love the rock/metal content, and I appreciate a twangy solo every so often. I'm still trying to break the step-dad speed limit on that "Summer's Comin" solo.

John Cullen

Nagasaki by Whitecross (Rex Carroll - Guitarist)

Tor

Yes! Throwing in a piggyback request for a tutorial for the sweet sweet dueling solo work on Breaking the Silence

Dazza

+1 for the great riffs from America's Least Wanted

Markus Dreßen

A non-sequenced lick would be a good choice. There has been a little too much of sequenced licks since quite a while. More complex and less beginner-friendly. Something to chew on. That'd be great! :)

Dave Huffy

Lots of great choices here. But the technique/lick videos have helped my speed and overall technique tremendously in just a few months.

Erik Berg

The Uncle Ben breakdown of Jimmy Page would be awesome. Give us a little insight into the structure and then on to the variety of ways it was done "in the field" at MSG or RAH or other famous performances.

Mace

Were you ever into Children of Bodom? Alexi Laiho was such an inspiration to me and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him mentioned here!

CC

Riff retrospective on King's X please

William Hamler

Do video of Don’t Pass Me By. The Georgia Satellites cover version of the Beatles song.

Peter Murphy

I'd like to see a breakdown of different bands like you have previously done with Mastodon and Meshugga. Or a breakdown of some different genres like stoner rock, doom or heavy blues. Like a breakdown of riffs, song structures and tunings common to the different genres.

Taos Smith

I'd like something 7 String to show off the new Universe

kai S

+1 for Finnish metal. Wintersun would also be AWESOME

Jeff Hirshberg

How about recording guitars at home 101? How to do it, how to punch in, use IRs, sims, etc.

Louis-Simon Carle

Riff retrospective on XYZ's Hungry & Marc Diglio!

dean mestas

Riff retrospective on Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

Brian Dwyer

Would like to see another "daily shred" episode.

Corey Solman

Or a Riff Retro on the master George Lynch on any of the 1980s Dokken albums

Andrew Maul

I'm in dire need of some exercises (and/or specific a song lesson) to improve my legato technique!

Corey Solman

Saw Ratt 30 years after their debut album and Warren was still shredding like a master ! So good

Chris Frankman

Lesson for the solo from Van Halen’s so this is love, studio or live

Gregory Taylor

That is the coolest Beatles cover EVER. I was gonna ask for a dive into the Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” as a sort of “stepdad shred”. That song is a library of cool basic rock riffs.

Gleicon Moraes

What do you think about recording high gains guitar, or maybe how you recorded the van halen tribute ? Recently one video like this teached me to set the right levels and combine plugins in a way that I had to get back to your picking videos to fix my sound - a new plugin was not enough.

Gamble

Thunderhorse in a day

Frederick Herbert

Solo lesson on deep cuts that don't normally get any love because they weren't a hit single. Especially if they have an interesting technique to teach.

Christopher Marion

2 Riff retrospective ideas. 1) I’m ALWAYS here for EVH riff content. Any album, any era. Just love the breakdowns of how Eddie constructed riffs and danced within/between chords. 2) maybe a Ben Eller rifftacular?!?!??? Been super cool to listen to the 🧟‍♂️ master tracks, and obviously you’ve been involved in so many projects, it’d be awesome to hear you work back through some of that stuff and pick some of your favorites from over the years.

Christopher Marion

Also, thought of a series idea called “So you think you can x?”. Where you pick a technique and a master of said technique. Like “So you think you can trill?” And talk about SRV’s minutes long trill marathon on Little Wing(?)

Bryan Carpenter

Riff Retrospective on something Iron Maiden... maybe Somewhere in Time or Piece of Mind?

Ryan DeMott

How about a Nuno Bettencourt licks lesson or song lesson. Another thing that would be cool is a country lesson for shreddy country like Andy Wood, Brent Mason, Albert Lee, Johnny Hiland type stuff.

Jake Raymor

Really enjoyed the last couple lessons on simplifying Ratt - the 'How to play tough tracks without crazy stretches' vids. This was great not only because those songs are fun, but it was a really nice illustration of how to reconfigure and figure out how to play things different ways across the fretboard

DrReiCow

Voting on a lesson on the Vai solo on Go! by M83. Moo

Chris Corke

I'd love to see a lesson on Journey's The Partys over

Ty Barnes

All great ideas, regardless of the vote outcome \m/

Michael Cunningham

Riff retrospective- Pantera, CFH album. So much juicy material throughout that album, maybe touch on some overlooked riffage?

Kevin Nelder

Riff retrospective no rest for the wicked. Hugely under rated guitar album.

NYCM&AHole

FAQ with recording - I think you said at some point you run the ox box to your cab and mic that as well. As someone who just started doing a bit of recording, how loud do you record the speaker at? Do you have the gain bumped a couple db? I tried recording and it took like 120db of volume to get a good signal, so very curious how you get a good signal at lower volumes

Diogo Camacho

Here’s one: The second solo to Sultans of Swing. Sure, easy peasy. To make it challenging, no pick, like Knopffler does it, and a strat.

JohnD

Solo to Spirit Carries On

David DeBruin

Love to see a Riff breakdown on one of the Alter Bridge albums. Tremonti is so good.

Luca

I wanna see that Universe! hell yeah!

stefen woods

How to solo over Jazz changes( ii V I )

Themadnoodler

I would like to see either mind crime or rage for order. For a riff album. They used funky chord,s effects, guitars..

Themadnoodler

Solo to goodbye to romance. Please please find out the real way he plays it. There are a lot of different ways to play and not a lot of reference material.

~ Keyframe ~

Thanks UB! Riff Suggestion! Extreme - Teacher’s Pet - opening riff! Especially that tappy harmonicy fill of Nuno awesomeness.

James Curtis

Andy Timmons - Groove or Die Continues with the “monster guitarists who don’t get lumped in as shredders” theme Also think there’s some unconventional picking in there as Andy has said that it’s picked rather than swept (I think)

Joe McKenna

Man I would love to meet all your machines. I always go back to the video of your road flare red RG 7 string because I love to hear you talk about the background and overall thoughts about your gear.

Martin Mac

Loved the Gary Moore solo in a day feature what about his blues solo on Walkin By Myself

Rez Ak

Some harder Pantera riffs and Dime solos would be 🔥

Paul K.

Hi Uncle Ben, I wouldn't mind a Daily Shred vid if you're still planning on making more either :)

Brandon

What about a Tutorial on Guitar Pro 8? I know there are many out there, but they are stepdad quality...just sayin. Thanks

Snake

Riff Retrospective Ratt and Dokken Albums

Kostas Trev

Please do the solo for the Unforgiven and talk about bends, triplets/sextuplets, and other stuff in that solo

Mike Maley

Messiah Will Come Again live at montreaux 1990 Gary Moore

Mike Maley

Saw Andy T many years ago at a UK clinic. He asked for requests and I raised my hand and said GOD. He said he hadn’t really planned to do it but he did and brought the house down. Ridiculous player and a very nice man

Dan Conley

Would more stuff related to "chicken pikcin" for rock dudes. I am starting to get into hybrid picking and additional content in that direction would be rad. And/or how about a lesson on the Nashville Numbering system?

MrTriggerhappy

Even his solo stuff. All I Was is a killer hard rock/ metal album- tone for days. My personal favourite tracks is Wish You Well

Welsh wizard

Hi I've just signed up.. can't find any videos on whammy bar excercies (only a video rating which ones are best). I have 3 guitars with whammy bars but still rarely use them 😕

Paul Jones

What about a little love for gilmour or lifeson?

Ralf

There's videos everywhere "your pinky is too weak". I find I'm having more trouble with the ringfinger, can't get it to position with the tip on the fretboard and also finger-rolls are difficult for me. Any ideas/exercises?

Graeme Mcmurtry

Randys Rhoads spotlight solo on the tribute album🤘 I think would make a great lesson .