PRESENCE - Volume 24
Inspiration For Guitarists
The Karaoke Job That Changed Everything
One of the coolest—and hardest—gigs I ever had was as a studio guitarist for Sound Choice Studios, back when Karaoke was everywhere.
I was in my late 20s, and Sound Choice (based in my old hometown of Charlotte, NC) was the biggest karaoke music producer in the world. No AI, no vocal removers. Every track had to be recreated note-for-note—from scratch.
Every week or two, I’d get a cassette tape (yes, a cassette) with 4–8 songs. My job was to learn them all by ear, record the basic tracks with the studio band, then overdub every guitar part and solo at my home studio using an ADAT digital tape machine.
Then, I’d drive the tape across town and deliver it before my Thursday morning deadline.
Some Wednesday nights turned into all-nighters.
It was grueling—and incredibly detailed. The tones had to match. The parts had to be exact. The styles changed constantly: Elvis on Monday, Metallica on Wednesday, Simon & Garfunkel by Friday.
I burned out more than once. Quit. Came back.
But it was also one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life.
Because in the middle of all that pressure and chaos, I discovered the 3 skills that kept me grounded and saved me hours of time on every track:
🎯 The Number System
Know what chords are in a key. It unlocks the structure of every song and progression.
🎯 The CAGED System
Play chords anywhere on the neck using a few simple shapes. It makes the fretboard feel smaller and more usable.
🎯 The Landmark Pentatonic System
Solo all over the neck using 2 core shapes and diagonal extensions. It’s the fastest way to sound confident and melodic.
I leaned on these 3 skills over and over again—regardless of the style or complexity. And what really hit me was this:
So many iconic songs and guitar parts are built on these same patterns.
That’s why I hammer these skills in my lessons and courses.
Because once you see how these work, you stop wasting time reinventing the wheel and start spending your energy on the stuff that really matters—tone, creativity, groove, and expression.
It’s the best piece of advice I can give you from 30+ years of playing, recording, and teaching:
👉 Master these 3 essential skills and you’ll finally feel like the fretboard is working for you—not against you.
For some of our favorite guitarists, these 3 tools are their entire toolkit. And they sound amazing.
No fluff. Just foundation.
—Dustin