Table of contents for July 2023 in Guitar Techniques

SIMON BARNARD Simon is a graduate of ACM and The Guitar Institute, holding a Masters degree in music. He teaches, examines and plays everything from rock to jazz. DECLAN ZAPALA Declan is one of the UK’s top classical guitarists and teachers. He is a Master graduateofRCM andhissolo arrangements are sublimely creative. JON BISHOP Jon is one of those great all-rounders who can turn his hand to almost any style. He’s also rock legend Shakin’ Stevens’ touring and recording guitarist. MARTIN COOPER A tutor at BIMM Brighton, Martin’s Rock columns show an incredible breadth of technique and style. His 2006 album State Of The Union is out on iTunes. CHARLIE GRIFFITHS Charlie is a well studied guitarist who specialisesinhighendrockplaying and plays with top UK metal-fusion band Haken. His debut album is…

Using scales to make music is more than just choosing the right one. But how does one go about practising scales, and should you bother? Using my favourite analogy, if music is a language then scales are alphabets. With our English alphabet we can make words from many languages, though each will have quirks particular to its dialect. Other languages are narrower in use, the Mkhedruli language of Georgia for instance, which can be understood in much more limited areas. In music, the Major scale can be used in many different styles and ways, whereas a more exotic scale like the Phrygian Dominant is usually used in a specific situation. Bear with me while we take it a step further… If you become fluent in English, does it mean you…

➊ Bluesy Groove Jam -AMinor We start with a fun jam in A Minor, where A Minor Pentatonic scale (A-C-D-E-G) is a great place to start. And there’s an A and a Bsection for you to improvise and practise your licks on. ➋ Slow Blues -C# Minor In this slow blues, C# Minor Pentatonic (C#-E-F#-G#-B) and C# Blues scale (C#-E-F#-G-G#-B) are your first points of interest. For the Dominant chords (G#7), use C# Harmonic Minor (C#-D#-E-F#-G#-A-B#). ➌ CPhrygianVamp Here's a Phrygian mode chord vamp on a blues shuffle. Use C Phrygian (C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb) and C Minor Pentatonic (C-Eb-F-G-Bb) to get started. I especially love using the C Minor Blues scale (C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb) for a more authentic vibe. ➍ Funky Blues Jam -BMinor We finish with a funky blues…

Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a composer from the Romantic period lauded internationally for his operas and ballets. Born in Saint-Germain-du-Val in France in 1836, Delibes was an only child who showed prodigious musical ability in his youth. His fine singing voice was noticed, and as a youth he sang in church choirs and even at the Paris Opera. He was accepted to study at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 12 and quickly excelled at piano, organ, and composition. He would later return to the Conservatoire where he taught composition. “Delibes played many famous operas, including The Marriage Of Figaro and Faust” While still a student Delibes was appointed organist at a local church and became accompanist for the opera company Théâtre Lyrique. Through the latter he became…

JUNE GT348 ERIC CLAPTON Learn five superb pieces that evoke different eras from Slowhand’s career: Beano, Cream, Layla, Journeyman, & Unplugged. Plus: Napoleon Coste’s Barcarella, Richie Sambora, Robben Ford, Plini, Martin Taylor, The Shires, & more! MAY GT347 DAVID GILMOUR Fifty years on from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon we look at the playing of David Gilmour. Plus: Brett Garsed honours Allan Holdsworth; Troy Redfern slide licks; T-Bone Walker, Hubert Sumlin, Thin Lizzy, Tim Henson & tons more! SPRING GT346 JEFF BECK We honour the man that even the best players called The Guv’nor. With 10 Beck-isms and 3 mini pieces to play, this lesson will amaze and enlighten. Plus: Daniele Gottardo video, Gary Moore, Jason Isbell, 6 Country Pickers & more! MARCH GT345 12 STRAT BLUES PLAYERS…

The epitome of slick, modern country pop, Lady A formed in Nashville in 2006. The Grammy-winning group comprises Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood. The band has released nine studio albums so there is no shortage of guitar parts to get your teeth into. However, while Kelley and Haywood do contribute guitar, you are often also hearing session players adding parts, which makes the band a perfect study in how modern country guitar works. Modern country is a fascinating area for acoustic players to study. While acoustic guitars often provide simple open-chord strumming parts to add weight to a track, there are also occasions where the acoustic becomes a feature within the song, and almost works like an electric would. So in this month’s example I’ve created parts that…

SHARING is a big thing in music. We share licks, we share gear, we share albums, we share lifts to gigs, the list goes on. The act of giving and receiving is, without a doubt, central to making music together. Certainly GT has been sharing since we launched in 1994, guiding you to becoming a better musician as regards technical ability, theoretical knowledge, stylistic appreciation and ways to emulate your favourite players. Sharing is also prominent with Joe Bonamassa, who has been on a journey of not only pursuing his own musical goals but also highlighting and encouraging others too. We’ve all seen him celebrate guitar icons, as the British Blues Explosion tour and album demonstrated several years ago. His appreciations of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were…

WHEN PLAYING lines over chords, there are various ways we can approach it. Most obviously, we might play the scale that fits, such as an A Minor scale over an A Minor chord. While this is inarguably a sound approach, it’s by no means the only way to look at this. Just as certain chords fit well together in song structures, certain scales and arpeggios can be overlaid to give an extra dimension to our soloing. It would be very easy to get tied up in theoretical jargon at this point, but there’s no need to unless studying advanced theory is of particular interest. Try these ideas to start with and see where they lead… Example 1 YES, IT’S A CCHORD. Not something you haven’t seen before, but we must…

Jeff Loomis made his indelible mark on the metal scene with the legendary band Nevermore, who over their 20 year career released some of the best albums of their time. From The Politics Of Ecstasy and Dead Heart In A Dead World, to This Godless Endeavor, Jeff’s stunning lead work and sledgehammer riffs gave the band their signature sound. Nowadays Jeff plays with Swedish melodic death band Arch Enemy alongside guitarist Michael Amott. He also continues to release his own solo albums, showcasing his technical riffing and soloing style. Our first example deals with the meat and potatoes of metal playing, alternate-picked palm-muted riffs. Contrary to how this aggressive music sounds, the required picking technique should actually be as relaxed as possible. Use the edge of the pick to cut…

Last time we looked at the basic framework for walking bass accompaniment. Separately, we learned the stripped-back guide-tone chord voicings we use for this style, and began to play some simple walking basslines using chromatic approach notes to target the root notes of the chords as they arrive. Now it’s time to combine these two elements and make it sound like there are two instruments playing together. Our aim here is to allow the steady quarter- note walking bass pattern continue, while the target chords are played on the off beats. We’ll begin by getting the basic rhythm of the two parts working together. Brought to you by… FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TRACK RECORD Martin has a massive back catalogue of album releases, both as a solo artist and as collaborator in…

It’s a common assertion. Guitar players are poor sight readers. Okay, you'd be forgiven for developing a spontaneous inferiority complex upon first exposure to a studio orchestra. Marvel as the string section slaloms through an arrangement of demisemiquavers at the speed of fright. Respect the timpani player who counts interminable bars rest and then makes their entry bang on cue. Tip your hat to the piccolo player who skates through their part seemingly effortlessly with a sound that can cut through granite. “What’s my problem?” I hear you cry as you weep into your mid-session beverage. Which is the point at which a spot of self analysis is in order to avoid more expensive professional assistance later. The parallel between reading music and, er… reading is blindingly obvious, if I…

VIDEO & AUDIO http://bit.ly/3zV8vDQ Joe Bonamassa is surely a household name for most guitar fans. Known for his impeccable guitar skills, great songwriting and vocals in a career that saw him opening for BB King at the age of only 12, he has risen to the level of blues superstar, selling out venues around the world with his amazing live concerts, where his bandmates include legendary musicians such as keyboard and Hammond organ player, Reese Wynans and the late, great Michael Rhodes on bass. Having an impressive recorded catalogue too, Bonamassa’s influences are numerous, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck as well as original blues guitar heroes like BB King. These influences come together in a unique and masterful style which can hear Joe play anything from beautifully…

Pat Metheny is a phenomenal jazz guitarist, an equally incredible composer, improviser and all-round musician. From the early 1970s and while still in his teens, Metheny began to gain exposure as a member of vibraphonist Gary Burton’s band, on fledgling recordings with bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius and as the youngest lecturer to teach at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. From that point to this, Pat’s career has been staggeringly fruitful, as a band leader with the Pat Metheny Trio and Pat Metheny Group, in collaboration with artists such as Michae lBrecker, Ornette Coleman, Brad Mehldal, John Scofield and Chris Potter, as a sideman for Joni Mitchell, Joshua Redman, Bruce Hornsby and many more, and a solo performer, with ambitious, groundbreaking projects such as his Orchestrion Project and on his…

Toto needs little introduction to the musically inclined; as a band they have had over four decades of success, including winning several Grammy awards, an induction into the Musicians’ Hall Of Fame And Museum, and over 40 million albums sold. Perhaps more significant is the fact that they are individually and collectively heralded as some of the best musicians to ever grace the musical arena, having also played on countless sessions for some of the world’s most successful artists. The classic line-up consisted of Steve Lukather on guitar, drummer Jeff Porcaro and his brother Steve on bass, keyboardist David Paich, bassist David Hungate and singer Bobby Kimball. It is this line-up that played on the band’s first few albums, which included Toto IV in the early 1980. It was this…

Brought to you by… LCCM Where music matters Larry Carlton might be best known for his work with Steely Dan, but his star turn on She’s Out Of My Life by Michael Jackson, the stunning solos on Mike Post’s Hill Street Blues theme, and I Really Don’t Know Anymore from Christopher Cross’s debut album, are just three of the hundreds of tracks to feature his exceptionally tasty, liquid jazz-blues style. Carlton mixes jazz language and blues phrasing seamlessly - perhaps why his solos are so memorable. Lick 1 has a distinctive technique of Larry’s that has been used by such greats players as Drew Zingg, the musical director for Steely Dan at the time they did their live album in the 90s. Here I bend the second string from the…