Inhaltsverzeichnis für Spring 2016 in Guitar Techniques

RICHARD BARRETT One of the best players around, Richard is adept at most styles but truly excels in the bluesier side of rock. He currently plays with Spandau’s Tony Hadley. SHAUN BAXTER One of the UK’s most respected music educators, Shaun has taught many who are now top tutors themselves. His Jazz Metal album is considered a milestone. JON BISHOP Jon is one of those great all-rounders who can turn his hand to almost any style. No ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’, he nails every one with ease! LES DAVIDSON Les has worked with Mick Taylor, Rumer, Jon Anderson, Pete Townshend, Tina Turner & more. He also runs a recording studio and teaches at BIMM London. CHARLIE GRIFFITHS Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in…

“IN THE 60S AND 70S THERE WERE NO GOOD TEACHING METHODS – APART FROM BERT WEEDON’S PLAY IN A DAY” ALL THAT JAZZ I’ve been reading GT for many years and always get something from it. But one genre has always alluded me – jazz. No doubt the articles you write on it are of great use to those already ‘in the know’, but for those of us on the outside looking in they can be a bit over our heads. It’s frustrating, as I’d love to make some ground in this style. I’ve heard that with jazz you really have to start at the bottom, learning how to comp first, but above all, learning repertoire. So how about a monthly jazz section that addresses that? A new jazz standard…

Award winning guitarist and long time Guitar Techniques’s acoustic specialist Stuart Ryan releases his brand new book and CD of fingerstyle arrangements, The Heritage, on March 7th. The follow-up to his critically-acclaimed first book, The Tradition, this new collection features 10 arrangements taking players on a journey from traditional Irish airs and reels to New Orleans funeral ballads via Gospel blues, American Spirituals and more. Each arrangement is presented in tablature and notation and includes detailed performance notes, fingering suggestions and an audio recording on the accompanying CD. With pieces ranging from easy to challenging The Heritage is the ideal collection for any fingerstylist looking to increase their repertoire while developing the essential techniques for solo playing and performance. Like The Tradition, this new set of arrangements is destined to…

GRETSCH EXPANDS ITS ROC JET range of guitars with the 7610 featuring an arched, bound mahogany body and Florentine cutaway. The mahogany neck has a bound rosewood fretboard, 22 frets and pearloid thumbnail inlays. The two exposed pickups have chrome surrounds, individual volume and tone controls plus the usual Gretsch master volume on the cutaway bout plus a three-way selector switch. THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION Treaty is ratified by the United Nations and comes into effect. Its aim is to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons around the world, work towards disarmament and cooperate for the safe development of nuclear energy. The Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet makes its first commercial passenger flight to London for Pan-Am carrying 332 passengers and 18 crew. Concorde makes its first supersonic flight and Edward…

MICK HUTSON / GETTY IMAGES “A FEATURE OF DIME’S LEAD PLAYING IS HIS USE OF WIDE VIBRATO, WHICH BENDS AND RELEASES THE STRING BY ABOUT A TONE” ABILITY RATING Info KeyF#m/Am Tempo120/140 bpm CDTRACKS 18-19 Will improve your… Clean, ringing, picked arpeggios Tight and aggressive riffing Pinched and natural harmonics When Pantera released their breakthrough album Cowboys From Hell in 1990, it had a seismic effect on the metal world. By this point Pantera had already recorded four albums that were in more of an 80s hair metal style, but this album had a new sound with a perfect marriage of power grooves and virtuoso guitar playing, all delivered with a fierce, aggressive attitude. Pantera went on to release four more albums throughout the following decade and remained one of…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 JOHN DENVER CD TRACK 21 John Denver had a very controlled guitar style to support his appealing voice. This melodic chord movement should be tackled slowly and as restrained as possible, using a strong strumming technique and then crisp arpeggiating. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 GEORGE BENSON CD TRACK 22 This fingerpicked jazz guitar line descends with a staccato‘play and rest’type of feel, and outlines a pleasing Harmonic minor sound. Use your strumming hand fingers to pick, then mute the strings. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 ZZTOP CD TRACK 23 Approach this ZZ Top-style‘part rhythm, part lead’line, with a moderately overdriven tone. Go for a bluesy Hendrix style, raking into the chord voicings and sliding out of the licks in appropriate places for stylistic emphasis. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE…

“SOMETIMES THE EMOTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE EXECUTION” Allen Hinds ABILITY RATING Info Key:A minor or G Tempo:105 bpm CD:CD-ROM Will improve your Switching between tonalitiesOdd-time lead workUse of 16th-note syncopation The difficulty goes up yet another notch this month with a tricky, instrumental rock-style backing track to navigate as we continue our six-part video masterclass series with LA session guitarist Allen Hinds. Each month, he solos over a backing track by Jason Sidwell, which is transcribed and analysed from a technique and music theory point of view. This then facilitates the learning of approaches to broaden your vocabulary and musicianship. The backing track and chord chart are, of course, included for you to work from in addition to a full transcription of Allen’s performance from the video. In…

ILPO MUSTO / REX “AFTER TOURING SLIP OF THE TONGUE, COVERDALE PUT THE BAND ON HIATUS; VAI WENT ON TO FORGE HIS SUCCESSFUL CAREER” ABILITY RATING Info Key:VariousTempo:VariousCD:TRACKS 42-47 Will improve your… Riffing and picking staminaNatural and touched harmonicsTwo-handed tapping Whitesnake have been rocking since 1978, cementing their place in hard rock history with classic albums like Ready An’ Willing, Saints & Sinners and Slide It In. Those albums featured Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, who was subsequently replaced by Mel Galley. The mid to late 80s saw a significant line-up change; vocalist David Coverdale remaining as sole original member and signalling the band’s most commercially-successful period. The 1987 eponymous album featured the harder-edged and higher-gain skills of one-time Thin Lizzy member John Sykes. His more modern riffing style shines…

LIVEPIX “PLAY WONDERWALL WITH STANDARD OPEN MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS AND SEE HOW MUCH OF THE TRACK’S APPEAL DISAPPEARS” ABILITY RATING Info Key:E minor Tempo:116 bpm CD:TRACK 57 Will improve your Strumming with a swing feelApplication of add9 chordsUse of suspended chords This month we are looking at the acoustic guitar style of one of the singer-songwriters that defined the sound of the 90s during the UK’s Britpop heyday. It’s hard to escape the impact Noel Gallagher has had on popular music over the last 20 years and his melodic, perfectly-crafted rock sits equally well on electric or acoustic guitar. The erstwhile Oasis backbone and now frontman of High Flying Birds was born in Burnage, Manchester in 1967. Gallagher took up guitar at age 13 inspired by the playing of…

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN Buyit Excellent Good Average Binit! Album of the Month DREAM THEATER THE ASTONISHING Roadrunner Well publicised and much-anticipated, The Astonishing is a truly remarkable piece of work. Heralded as the latest ‘rock opera’ it spans two CDs offering a total running time of over 130 minutes. It’s obviously been conceived with live performance in mind: in fact, Dream Theater are currently touring Europe with it so by the time you read this many of us will have experienced it first hand. The songs are melodic and expansive and while the ‘linking’ pieces are complex and brutal at times, the piece as a whole remains balanced and entertaining. Guitarist John Petrucci is on staggering form. The track The Gift Of Music is available as a download and…

TRANSCRIPTION #1 BB KING & ERIC CLAPTON Three O’Clock Blues Richard Barrett sets his sights on the guitar giants’ 2000 re-working of this 12-bar blues classic track. TRANSCRIPTION #2 HOLST I Vow To Thee My Country Bridget Mermikides arranges and transcribes this patriotic, turn of the century piece by Gustav Holst. ACOUSTIC VIDEO LESSON CREATIVE ACOUSTIC By Chris Woods Part four of our series on how to make the most of your modern acoustic toolbox. This month: partial capo. ELECTRIC VIDEO LESSON ALLEN HINDS EXCLUSIVE Bada Bling Allen picks up his Strat to solo over a tricky rock-sounding backing track. Text and tab by Jon Bishop. You play acoustic? You like blues? You’ll love... 4 LEVELS OF ACOUSTIC BLUES Something for every ability! We look at acoustic blues in four…

And yet another iconic musician passes on. Like many of my era, I first heard The Eagles when songs like Lyin’ Eyes, Take It Easy and Desperado filled the airwaves. Country was so out of fashion at the time yet this band, with its stunning vocal harmonies, effortless instrumental ability and the whole being even greater that the sum of its parts, shone through like diamonds in the sea of glam and pseudo-doo-wop that seemed to be all the rage. Our band did at least five Eagles covers so I – and I bet many GT readers perusing this right now – got a lesson in arrangement, in playing ‘for the song’ (thank you Bernie Leadon), in guitar tones and, most certainly in my case, in how to create a…

 GT:What is it about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you? “SERIOUSLY, I USE MAJOR TOO MUCH TO EVER BE EMBRACED AS A LEGIT HARD ROCK GUITARIST” SM: The main thing is that the guitar can control the mood and energy. It is totally composed, mixed with some improvised soloing. Vocals are very expressive, and the guitar can be too with a wide range of attack, tone, vibrato, bends, etc. GT:What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can’t? SM: For one thing, less repetition. In song form, the music often stays the same for three rounds of verses. With an instrumental it is better when there is always something changing. Or, to add additional parts. GT: Is there anything you aim to embrace or avoid? SM: As…

THE IDEA HERE is to target chord tones of an arpeggio; in this instance G major (G-B-D). Notice that the root (G) is always played straight and that the other two notes are always approached chromatically from a semitone below, thus creating typical bluesy b 5-5 and b 3-3 movements. The way these notes have been treated is important. There are two different ways; either as melodic notes played as even eighth notes or as ‘grace notes’played quickly before the beat. Being able to interchange these two functions at will is a great asset and should be worked on when you develop your own ideas. I have given a suggested fingering but you can obviously modify this to suit; just take care that all the slides are played for the…

›Blues Shuffle (G) Play along to this slow blues shuffle jam in G using easy open chords (G-C-D) or have fun soloing on the G minor Pentatonic scale (G-B b -C-D-F). You can also mix in some G major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E). Here are the I-IV-V (7th) arpeggios: G7 – G-B-D-F-C7 – C-E-G-B b and D7 – D-F#-A-C. ›ReggaeVibe (C) The tempo here is 60 bpm and this jam is ideal for both beginners and advanced players. Improvise with just the C Major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) or C major Pentatonic (C-D-E-G-A). A sections: C-Am-F-G and B sections: F-F-C-C-F-F-G-G7. Arpeggios: C – C-E-G-Am – A-C-E-F – F-A-C-G – G-B-D and G7 – G-B-D-F. ›Happy G Major Blues Chord progression: G-Cmaj7-G-G-Cmaj7-Cmaj7-G-G-E b maj7-Dm7-G-G. Try the simple approach of using G major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E) for…

“ITS THUNDEROUS DIMINISHED CHORDS AND ‘CHURCH ORGAN’ CONNECTION MAKE IT AN ESTABLISHED CLICHÉ OF THE HORROR MOVIE” ABILITY RATING Info Key Dm Tempo 80 bpm CD TRACK 20 Will improve your… Arpeggios Thumb and finger alternation Fretboard harmony This month we return to the great Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). JS Bach was recognised as an outstanding composer and multi-instrumentalist during his lifetime, but he had to endure a gruelling work schedule. It was only around 100 years after his death when – helped by great admirers of his work such as Chopin – a significant and deep appreciation of his music emerged. His incredible control of harmony, melody and counterpoint is generally considered by many as being as close as possible to musical perfection and ‘truth’. The technical skill and…

PICTORIAL PRESS/ALAMY “THE BLUES – IT’S A KIND OF RELIGION REALLY” Peter Green ABILITY RATING Info Key:C minor and C Tempo:Various CD:TRACKS 27-30 Will improve your Pentatonic phrasingArpeggios in bluesClassic blues-rock feel Fleetwood Mac founder and former Bluesbreaker, Peter Green was a pioneering musician and guitarist and a key player in the British blues boom of the 1960s. His exquisite touch, taste and passion were revered by his musical peers, and thus Peter has left an indelible imprint on the style of many guitarists who've followed in his wake. “Peter Green, he has the sweetest tone I ever heard,” said BB King of Green, who was born Peter Greenbaum in 1946 in the East End of London. Like many future guitar heroes his first guitar was a cheap Spanish hand-me-down.…

DAVID LYTTELTON “BOTH SCALES PROVIDE US WITH THE MEANS TO PRODUCE TENSION AND RELEASE IN OUR SINGLE-NOTE LINES” ABILITY RATING Info Key:A (A7) Tempo:90 bpm CD:TRACKS 34-35 Will improve your… Use of tension and release Knowledge of scale intervals 16th-note triplet vocabulary In this series we’ve been building a working vocabulary in all five CAGED shapes, combining Mixolydian with the minor Blues scale over a dominant chord or tonality. Before we start dipping into the lines we should start with a recap, so that you understand the harmonic principles involved. Strictly speaking, the Mixolydian mode fits best over a 7th chord because it contains all the relevant chord tones; however, the minor Blues scale is also used as a form of tension. This is because many players find the 'correct'…

LIVEPIX “I GOT TURNED ON TO JOE PASS AT 14 AND WAS VERY HUNGRY FOR MORE OF THAT VOCABULARY”Larry Carlton ABILITY RATING Info Key:VariousTempo:VariousCD:TRACKS 48-56 Will improve your Jazz-blues phrasingUse of tension and releaseDiminished/altered playing Larry Carlton is a multi-Grammy award winning guitarist and composer with a pedigree that’s second to none. From the early 70s on, Larry has produced a staggering body of work, as a session player, bandleader in his own right and composer. Highlights from his session career include stints with Steely Dan (check out Kid Charlemagne), Michael Jackson, Christopher Cross and Billy Joel. At one stage Larry totted up as many as 500 sessions a year. Carlton has somehow found the time to release many albums under his own name, hitting his stride in the late…

LIVEPIX “GENTLY SQUEEZE YOUR FIRST THREE FINGERS TOGETHER TO MAXIMISE YOUR GRIP, THEN SIMPLY TURN YOUR WRIST TO PRODUCE THE BEND” ABILITY RATING Info Key:Various Tempo:100 bpm CD:TRACKS 58-62 Will improve your… String bending strengthBending intonationGeneral string control The art of accurate string bending depends on being able to control a number of variables. The first thing to consider is which string you are playing; the approach used to bend the sixth string is quite different to the technique of bending the first string. When bending the sixth string the only option we have is to pull the string down towards the floor; pushing upwards will result in falling off the fretboard. The opposite is true when bending the first string. In that case the only option is to push…

RELATING TAB TO YOUR FRETBOARD HAND LABELLING Here are the abbreviations used for each finger: Fretting hand: 1, 2, 3, 4, (T) Picking hand: p (thumb), i (first finger), m (second), a (third), c (fourth). NUT & FRETBOARD The fretbox diagram above represents the fretboard exactly, as seen in the accompanying photo. This is for ease of visualising a fretboard scale or chord quickly. CHORD EXAMPLE The diagram represents the G chord in the photo. The ‘O’ symbol is an open string, and a circled number is a fretting finger. Intervals are shown below. CHORD EXAMPLE (WITH CAPO) The blue line represents a capo – for this A chord, place it at fret 2. Capos change the fret number ordering – here, the original fret 5 now becomes fret 3,…

Tap the links Finding your way around the magazine is easy. Tapping the feature titles on the cover or the contents page, takes you straight to the relevant articles. Any web and email links in the text are tappable too! Animated tab & audio Songs and lessons have the audio built in with a moving cursor showing you exactly where you are in the music. Simply tap the‘play’button then you can fast-forward or scroll back at will. Play the videos Certain articles have accompanying videos full of useful insight and additional information. Once again, tap the play buttons to enjoy video masterclasses on your iPad or smartphone. PLUS! Get a FREE iPad/iPhone sample of GT. For full details and how to receive our digital edition regularly, go to bit.ly/guitartechniques (if…

 GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? “WHEN I WAS YOUNG I WOULD DREAM OF PLAYING JIMMY PAGE’S LES PAUL” LL: I have used Dunlop .73 MM Tortex picks, the yellow ones, since 1988 when I was just starting to play guitar. I have tried a lot of different ones but I always came back to the yellow Tortex picks. I love the way they feel and I love the tone, and it takes me a while to wear them down GT: If you had to give up all but three pedals, what would they be? LL: I would have to have my Big Joe Stomp Box Co. Johnny Winter Texas Screamer, Big Joe B-304 Analog delay and a Korg Pitchblack Tuner. GT: Do…

ICONICPIX “IT’S A GOOD TIME TO APPRECIATE THE BAND THAT FREY FOUNDED WITH DON HENLEY, RANDY MEISNER AND BERNIE LEADON” ABILITY RATING Info Key Various Tempo Various CD TRACKS 4-17 Will improve your… String bends Phrasing Composition and arrangement There can’t be many places in the world where the opening few bars of Hotel California wouldn’t be instantly recognised – and even fewer guitarists who haven’t marvelled at the exquisite phrasing of Don Felder and Joe Walsh, or attempted that famous harmony solo. In the wake of Glenn Frey’s recent passing, it seems like a good time to appreciate the legacy of the band he founded with Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon back in 1971. The four members first worked together as Linda Ronstadt’s backing band in Los…

LIVEPIX “I COULD NEVER GET OVER THE FACT THAT THE PIXIES FORMED, WORKED AND SEPARATED WITHOUT AMERICA TAKING THEM TO ITS HEART”David Bowie ABILITY RATING Info Key:C Tempo:125 bpm CD:TRACKS 31-32 Will improve your… Playing dynamicsTheory knowledgeMelodic playing The Pixies formed in 1986 in Boston, with Black Francis on rhythm and vocals, Joey Santiago on lead, drummer David Lovering and bassist Kim Deal. Francis and Santiago met at University where they wrote and rehearsed in between studies. Their styles ranged from hard rock to surf and psychedelic. Although they weren’t a huge commercial success during their initial career, they were highly influential on bands such as Nirvana, Radiohead and Bush. Francis discovered punk after a childhood listening to classic 60s pop and early prog such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer.…

As with last month’s 11th chords, we build 13ths by stacking extra 3rd intervals above simple major or 7th chords. So, in the case of C7 (C-E-G-B b ), by adding the 9th (D), 11th (F) and 13th (A) we create C13. Clearly, this is a seven-note chord, so on the guitar we remove some of the less vital intervals (often the 5th, 9th and 11th) and play them as much more guitar-friendly four-note shapes. You can also build 13ths from other intervals in the C Major scale (and all other keys, of course). So, from the second degree of C Major (D) we get: D (root), F ( b 3), A (5), C ( b 7), E (9), G (11) and B (13). This is Dm13 From the fifth…

JON SIEVERT / GETTY IMAGES “USING ARTIFICIAL HARMONICS, YOU CAN ARPEGGIATE WHOLE CHORDS AND EXECUTE ENTIRE RUNS” ABILITY RATING Info Key:Various Tempo:Various CD:TRACK CD-ROM Will improve your… Natural harmonicsArtificial harmonicsSlapped harmonics Sonically, there’s a host of exciting tones to be created using harmonics and a whole range of ways to do it. There are two main approaches: first, natural harmonics and, second, artificial harmonics. In this column we will be looking at both – and even one or two beyond. I’ve created 20 examples to give you some inspiration. Some of the techniques may be new to you; some may not, but be sure to see them as creative offerings to kick-start some new ideas of your own. I’m going to begin by focusing on natural harmonics. If you’ve never…

APRIL GT254 GENIUS OF CLAPTON With nine pages of solos, riffs and licks, we explore the genius of Clapton! Plus, our tribute to David Bowie is a look at his personal style and an exploration of his stellar six-string sidekicks! Plus, video lessons from Allen Hinds and Chris Woods and more! MARCH GT253 FASTER FINGERS Follow our step-by-step plan for quicker, slicker, better playing – guaranteed! Get your fingers around Free’s 70s smash hit rocker, Wishing Well; learn the art of modern percussive playing in part 1 of a new video series, Creative Acoustic plus much more! FEBRUARY GT252 CLASSIER SOLOING! Take Larry Carlton and Robben Ford’s lead to create dazzlingly musical solos; learn SRV’s Tightrope and Un Bel Di Vedremo from M. Butterfly - both full tab; discover our…