Biography

Troy Stetina is an American guitarist, composer, producer, music educator and author. Specializing in all styles of rock, metal, shred and classical-electric guitar, he has created more than 50 book/audio and video methods that have guided a generation of guitarists toward mastery.

 

Troy is one of those rare musicians who has not only mastered the guitar himself as a technician and artist in his own right, but also has the organizational and analytical ability to convey the key nuances and personal insights to his readers and inspire them in the process. This is why his methods have stood the test of time and continue to remain relevant even decades after publication!

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Troy has taught guitar from beginners to rock stars and everywhere in between. He has also conducted workshops and masterclasses around the world, and recorded and performed with various bands.

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Troy endorses Dimis Guitars and Engl amps. He is an avid reader of science, history, cosmology, philosophy, psychology, comparative religion, spirituality, and mysterious phenomena of every sort. He is also an ordained minister. He enjoys traveling, hiking, movies with unexpected plot twists, good TED talks, and a dark, night sky. He lives in New Mexico with his wife Alexis. 

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Troy-fact list:

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• Author of numerous books, book/audio, book/video and DVD guitar methods for Hal Leonard, the largest music print publisher. His books have sold over a million copies worldwide.

• Wrote the first widely-published, standard of pedagogy for rock and metal guitar--the original Heavy Metal Rhythm Guitar and Heavy Metal Lead Guitar methods--back in the mid 1980s.

• Wrote the first shred instructional method--Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar--before shred was even a thing. 

• Wrote the most advanced Masters level music theory and ear training guitar method for electric shred guitar--Fretboard Mastery.

• Has performed at workshop events around over the world.

• Formerly columnist and feature contributor for GuitarOne magazine, Guitar School magazine and Guitar World magazine.

• Formerly guitarist and producer for rock band Second Soul, which released Beyond the Infinite in 2011.

• Solo guitar artist on the instrumental shred guitar album, Exottica, released in 2000.

• Guitarist and producer of prog-rock band Dimension X, "Implications of a Genetic Defense" on Unicorn Records, released in 2007.

• Formerly Director of Rock Guitar Studies at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee.

• Formerly the victim of bad hair and poorly written DVD video scripts, which you can find on youtube to his great embarrassment.

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If you are looking for some deeper insights about Troy, his thoughts on the guitar, music, motivation, and life generally, the video series below offers an in-depth phone interview conducted by Hunts Annex Studies' founded and guitar instructor Jimmy Kane. This interview was recorded with Troy in 2007: