Inhaltsverzeichnis für July 2019 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. 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. RICHARD BARRETT One of the finest blues and rock guitarist we know, Richard is a stalwart columnist for Total Guitar, Guitarist and GT. He’s also Tony Hadley’s touring six-stringer. JON BISHOP Jon is one of those great all-rounders who can turn his hand to almost any style. He’s also rock’n’roll legend Shakin’ Stevens’ touring and recording guitarist. MARTIN GOULDING One of the world’s foremost rock and metal guitarists, Martin teaches for dime-online.org and has…

I’m working on a series of lessons on my site that explains how to ‘make the changes’ in a blues. One of my students challenged me to explain that journey for GT because it’s something that baffles many people. But it’s a really wonderful adventure that can kick in new life to your blues playing. What I’ll present here is a pathway you might like to try out – it’s by no means the only one, but it works and is fun. Some of the things I mention might not make much sense unless you’re ready to upgrade – but my site has lessons that will take you right the way through, so you’ll understand in detail what you’ll encounter and practise for each stage. Stage 1 – Minor Pentatonic…

THIS IS A QUESTION-ANSWER idea with the‘question’found in bars 1-2 and the‘answer’following on from that. Bars 1-2 contain a C Blues scale phrase (C-E b -F-G b -G-B b ); two things to look out for here are the rhythmic phrasing - which contains a mixture of 1/8th and 1/16th-note triplets, and also the couple of points where you mute the fourth string to add percussiveness. The‘answer’idea makes use of a Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B) arpeggio against a C7 chord (C-E-G-B b ); you might assume that the B is ‘wrong’ and could potentially clash with the b 7 note (B b ). In fact, it doesn’t clash at all because the notes are phrased so the maj7 note acts as a chromatic passing/tension note that is then nicely resolved at…

Our Guitarist Of The Year competition is now open for 2019 and we’re delighted to reveal not only a new category this year but also some of the star judges who will help to choose the finalists. In addition to last year’s Guitarist, Young Guitarist and Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year, there will now be a Bass Guitarist category in our search for new talent. Mark King (Level 42), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai), Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) and Robert Trujillo (Metallica) have been confirmed as judges for the video submission stage. For Guitarist Of The Year, we’re delighted to announce Toto and session icon Steve Lukather, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders as judges, with virtuoso Andy McKee confirmed as the first judge for…

“I’D BE WITH MY BUDDY JEFF, WHO WAS ROBBEN’S TECH, AND HE’D PICK UP GEAR FOR STUDIO SESSIONS AND I WAS LIKE, ‘YOU CAN DO THIS FOR A LIVING?’” Before the cameras rolled for our video lesson we talked to Kirk about his new album, Hold On.”Hold On means something to everybody,” he says. “It can be holding on waiting on the train, waiting on your child to be born, or whatever.” Recorded in Bristol in January the album features Matt Brown on drums and Jonny Henderson on keys. “You’ve probably heard Jonny with Matt Scofield,” Kirk continues. “He’s an organ player but he plays bass on the Hammond B3 and it’s fantastic!” The album offers a mix of soul, gospel and 60s-style R&B, with Kirk’s smooth baritone a perfect…

Roger Waters and Nick Mason first met while at college in London, and after starting a few different incarnations of different bands they joined forces with Richard Wright and Syd Barrett to form what would in 1966 become Pink Floyd. Originally they played mainly rhythm and blues songs, before heading down a more progressive route. After signing to EMI Records they released their debut single Arnold Layne; this was followed by See Emily Play, which reached number 6 in the UK charts. Everyone will know David Gilmour as the main guitar player from many of Floyd’s most popular and big selling albums. He also became principal songwriter and lead vocalist after the departure of Roger Waters in the mid 1980s. Gilmour took the lead in the band for the 1987…

Grammy Award winner James Taylor released his first album on The Beatles’ Apple label in 1968 and immediately set a precedent for his generation of singer-songwriters. Taylor’s sweet melodies and meditative lyrics blend in perfectly with his well-crafted guitar parts, which, although serving as an accompaniment, are always memorable and self-contained. A typical Taylor guitar part will feature a memorable intro that serves as the song's primary hook, and his chord sequences often feature surprises such as diminished passing chords. In addition, ornamentation is a major feature of his guitar lines - instead of simply playing through a chord sequence, he will add in techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs to bring even more interest to the music. In order to play through James Taylor’s music, there are specific things to…

In this current series, we are looking at a range of Mixolydian solo studies that are medium-paced throughout so that you can aim to play each from start to finish. It’s a great opportunity to take some of the things that we have studied previously and look at applying them in a relevant and well-balanced context: in this case, a full solo and not just short examples. So far, we have looked at various diatonic triads and arpeggios and, over the next few lessons, we’re going to study solos that have been composed mainly by using various Pentatonic (five-note) scales that exist with the seven-note Mixolydian mode. The Dominant Pentatonic is just such a scale and can be thought of in several ways. Choose the method that fits your preferred…

Missed one of our recent fabulous issues? Get one now while stocks last. JUNE GT296 PAUL GILBERT EXCLUSIVE Mr Big and Racer X’s ace guitarist brings us a stunning video masterclass, writes the Welcome page and more! Plus: a fabulous Chris Corcoran jump blues masterclass; Bridget arranges and demos The Lord’s My Shepherd. Also: Alvin Lee, Cream, African & Celtic guitar. MAY GT295 CHORD MASTERCLASS Ever heard a guitarist play gorgeous chords, and wondered what they are? This lesson highlights those jazzier shapes and shows where and how to use them. Plus brilliant Martin Simpson acoustic video masterclass, Bonamassa and Gilbert Q&A and more. SPRING GT294 STRONGER FASTER BETTER! We have devised 10 brilliant mini-workouts to beef up your finger and hand strength, leading to greater control over bending, vibrato,…

AFTER LAST MONTH’S take-over by Paul Gilbert we’re back to normal. But what an amazing lesson that was and Paul, who’s rather bluesier these days, played some amazing lines that went outside blues’s usual Pentatonics. A lot of it was arpeggio based, which always makes a solo sound articulate and musical. So this month we thought we’d take that concept and run with it. At some point in our development we’ve all listened to other players and thought they must have some secret scale to which the rest of us aren’t privy. But that’s not the case. As with anything in music, it can be learnt (feel, touch and tone are still down to you). With this in mind Andy Saphir, who’s always a trusted pair of hands with this…

How Things Began - if I may plagiarise the radio fossil fest that was popular when first I plonked plectrum to plucked Picato. Contrary to assertions that the world was once an endlessly wondrous playground, learning to play the guitar with the instruments available to a 10-year-old foot-tapper was both tortuous and terrifying. And on one occasion, tantamount to terminal. Having heard the life changing strains of Duane Eddy’s Peter Gunn Theme, The Ventures’ Walk, Don’t Run and The Shadows’ FBI seemingly beamed to Planet Earth via a hotel juke box, it came as a crushing blow to discover that my first £12 dance band, f-hole axe was puzzlingly incapable of reproducing the stylings to which I had been attracted. And most others, to be honest. Not that I am…

PAUL NATKIN / GETTY IMAGES ➊ G Blues Shuffle We start with this fun and simple blues shuffle in G. Try mixing G Minor Pentatonic (G-B b -C-D-F) and G Major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E) for that old-school blues sound. Arpeggios are always good to include so try these: G (G-B-D), C (C-E-G) and D (D-F#-A). ➋ Medium Swing Jazz Blues (Cm) Here we have a standard C minor jazz blues. Use C Minor Pentatonic (C-E b -F-G-B b ) and C Minor scale (C-D-E b -F-G-A b -B b ) to start. Then consider A b Lydian Dominant (A b -B b -C-D-E b -F-G b ) for the A b 7 chords, and C Harmonic Minor (C-D-E b -F-G-A b -B) for the G7s. ➌ G Dorian Groove Jam This…

READ MUSIC Each transcription is broken down into two parts... MUSICAL STAVE The five horizontal lines for music notation show note pitches and rhythms and are divided by bar lines. TAB Under the musical stave, Tab is an aid to show you where to put your fingers on the fretboard. The six horizontal lines represent the six strings on a guitar – the numbers on the strings are fret numbers. GUITAR TECHNIQUES: HOW THEY APPEAR IN WRITTEN MUSIC... PICKING Up and down picking • The first note is to be down-picked and the last note is to be up-picked. Tremolo picking • Each of the four notes are to be alternate picked (down-& up-picked) very rapidly and continuously. Palm muting • Palm mute by resting the edge of picking-hand’s palm…

An absolute master of blues, soul, gospel and funk guitar, Kirk Fletcher has gone from fronting his own band to playing rhythm guitar for Joe Bonamassa (and then just about everything else in between). In this masterclass, he shows us some of the techniques – and a few of the licks – that make up his guitar style. Drawing from a range of influences, Kirk’s playing relies on a big, semi-clean guitar sound. As you can determine from the interview and video, he goes to great lengths to keep his sound full, fat and creamy. Check out his use of pedals at the start of the video and then move on to the examples……

HERITAGE IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES In this issue, we return to a work by one of France’s greatest composers, Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924). Fauré, as well as being a respected pianist, organist and teacher introduced into the prevailing late 19th century Romantic era an ingenuous blend of advanced compositional concepts with a popular accessibility. As such, he may be seen as an important link between the Romantic and Modernist era, with an indelible imprint on both ‘classical’ and popular music today. Fauré wrote hundreds of beautiful works for solo instruments, voice, small ensemble, orchestra, and orchestra with chorus. In this latter category, the Requiem (composed over several years with its final form completed in 1900) remains a seminal and enduring work of the late 19th century. The seven-part choral-orchestral work is…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 JOHNNY CASH CD TRACK 28 Approach this part using a downward strum with the thumb to master the chord shapes, then move on to the p/m/i (notated) to develop the fingerstyle. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 KEITH RICHARDS CD TRACK 29 Practise the on-off fretting between the A and C shape chords, then introduce a strong downward strum, preferably with a single-coil sound and a loud and clean amp tone. Visualise moving up to the 5th and 7th frets playing the same shape for an authentic‘Keith’guitar part. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 PETE TOWNSHEND CD TRACK 30 This Who-style example should be slightly overdriven, starting with an arpeggiated‘G shape’E major chord in the first bar (think Hendrix, too) . Syncopate the chord inversions off the open string to…

When playing in an ensemble it’s common for guitarists to consider their role to be quite specific. They are either choosing appropriate chord voicings, comping rhythms to accompany a melody or soloist, or they are providing the melody or solo and never the twain shall meet. Pianists generally don’t have this distinction, adopting a more inclusive approach where melody and harmony can coexist on one instrument, helped no doubt by the ability to devote one hand to chordal duties and the other to melody, if you’ll permit an oversimplification here. This gives the pianist something of an advantage when performing completely solo. Fortunately for we humble guitarists, historically speaking there has been a number of incredible trailblazing players that have approached the instrument from a more polyphonic perspective in all…

EBET ROBERTS / GETTY IMAGES This month we start a mini-series which looks at the seventh mode of Melodic Minor – the Superlocrian, otherwise known as the Altered scale: R- b 2-#2-3- b 5-#5- b 7. One of the most commonly used Melodic Minor modes, Superlocrian is applied over altered dominant chords. That is, dominant chords that contain alterations to the 5th and/or 2nd degrees. To recap: a dominant chord is said to be functional if it is acting as a V chord which resolves to a tonic chord a 5th lower (or 4th higher). For example, E7 would be treated as a functional dominant if it’s followed by an A major or minor tonic chord. The V dominant chord may be ‘altered’ to include intervals such as the flattened…

THE MUTE GODS ATHEISTS AND BELIEVERS InsideOut ★★★★★ Formed by Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson), this is the band’s third album, largely the collaboration of Nick with Roger King (Hackett) and Marco Minnemann (Wilson, The Aristocrats). The theme is about truth not being fashionable, with Knuckleheads being one of the more obvious references. For prog fans there’s much to commend here; more than half are over five minutes long and some feature solos within riffy and interesting chord progressions. As the central focus, Nick’s moderately high voice has good diction and contrasts well with the powerhouse performances (how he sings and plays such basslines is amazing). One Day features Rush’s Alex Lifeson on guitar (a catchy pop progger) while the longest track, Twisted World Godless Universe is an…

FEATURE #2 VIDEO STEVE LUKATHER Electric Blues Masterclass He has feel, chops, touch and tone; can let rip with the best or be the master of taste. Take a lesson with Luke! CLASSICAL TAB VIDEO MORNING HAS BROKEN Traditional Bridget Mermikides arranges this trad song made famous by Cat Stevens but originally the Gaelic tune ‘Bunessan’. FEATURE #3 VIDEO MATTIAS IA EKLUNDH The Barking Crow For his second GT masterclass Mattias takes a freakishly brilliant look at another Jason Sidwell penned track. TECHNIQUE & THEORY GREAT STUFF TO LEARN Dynamics & the ‘Parker’ effect Add shape to your blues solos using dynamics. And see how bebop saxist Charlie Parker’s influence still prevails. Our cool mini workouts are a great way to... FIX YOUR TOP 10 PLAYING PROBLEMS…

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 All the mag’s main lessons have the audio built in with a moving cursor that shows you exactly where you are in the music. Simply tap the ‘play’ button and you’re off - 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 (recommended) or smartphone. PLUS! * PLEASE NOTE: Only the Apple version contains interactive tab and audio. Zinio…

DAVID BROW GT: What is it about instrumentals that appeals to you? GH: I love instrumentals going back to Jeff Beck, Dick Dale, Green Onions, Frankenstein. I like that the focus is on the melody and not the words, and they are so fun to play. GT: What can an instrumental provide that a vocal song can’t? GH: I feel like having no words can take the listener to wherever their imagination can go. I’ve had college students tell me they got a good grade when they listened to my all instrumental albums while they studied; they say words can distract them but no words gives them a lift and motives without distracting. GT: Any tendencies you aim to embrace or avoid? GH: The great thing is you can go…

GIBSON INTRODUCES THE NIGHTHAWK with a radical new look. Although the basic body shape owes much to the company’s own Les Paul it has a sharper cutaway, a nipped-in waist and through-body stringing. Available as the Custom, Standard or Special (depending on cosmetics), all three Nighthawks are fitted with two or three pickups. The covered mini-humbucker at the neck and the slanted open humbucker at the bridge are common to all, while the third unit is an NSX single-coil situated between the two. CREAM REFORMS BRIEFLY TO PERFORM at their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony; Depeche Mode reach number one on the Billboard 200 with their Songs Of Faith And Devotion album; Suede’s eponymous first LP enters the UK charts at number one, the fastest ever for…

In this feature we’re going to be looking at a great way of broadening the melodic scope of our blues playing by creatively using three-note (or triad) arpeggios to produce tonal colours that give a different sound and feel to the Major and Minor Pentatonic approaches characteristically heard as the basis for blues soloing. Naturally, there is of course nothing wrong with using those Pentatonic sounds, and indeed, in order to sound ‘bluesy’, we need to keep those flavours in our solos, but with some carefully considered mixing of these two different approaches, we can develop a significantly more sophisticated and melodic dimension to our playing. Players like the legendary Larry Carlton use triad based arpeggios to wonderful effect and so this approach is ideal for the player who wants…

This month we start with the first in a new series of four video masterclasses with Swedish avant-garde guitar virtuoso Mattias IA Eklundh. As with all the lessons in our video masterclasses series, each one of the four performances will be transcribed and then analysed from a technique and theory point view. You can then learn the techniques and concepts with a view to broadening your vocabulary and musicianship. The backing track and chord chart is, as ever, included. Today we’re looking at a new track penned by Jason Sidwell, this one written especially for Mattias and entitled Dorian Diffusion. As Mattias explains, his main focus at the beginning of the track was improvising like a maniac, and getting everything captured ‘in the moment’ and all in one take. The…

Fingernail care For professional players, the picking hand nails are our tools for producing a good tone and they need to be shaped and polished to perfection. The pluck itself is usually a combination of fingertip flesh and nail combined and there is therefore an argument, particularly for beginners, to play without nails. In the early stages of learning, it is common (and indeed preferable) to master a consistent tone and control of the pluck, both rest stroke and free stroke, without the use of nails. I find with my own pupils that the nails can be gradually introduced at around Grade 5 level.…

The late 70s and the early 80s was a particularly exciting time for guitar music. Players were getting heavier and more technical, pushing the boundaries of musical styles and guitar technique. In 1976 at just 19 years of age Steve Lukather was invited to join the band Toto, and would go on to forge a legacy for himself, as one of the world’s greatest rock guitarists. His unique sound and approach set him part from the rest of the rock guitar community and to this day ‘Luke’ as everyone calls him, has one of the most recognisable voices on the instrument. Lukather’s most well known works with Toto are from the iconic fourth album (Toto IV), with hits like Rosanna showcasing not only his virtuosic soloing abilities, but also his…

DAVID REDFERN / GETTY IMAGES Chord melody is one of those approaches that can sound amazing on almost any instrument, from a nylon-strung classical to the‘in-between’tone of a Strat with delay and chorus. Of course, as this is our Jazz column we’d be seeking a warm, neck pickup tone with a bit of edge rolled off either at the guitar or amp (which is set dead clean or with the slightest hint of hair in the tone). A light dash of reverb will add the lush and expressive tone we’re looking for.…

DuringThe Stones’psychedelic era Keith Richards and Brian Jones played a plethora of guitars including Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Strats and Teles, Guilds, Epiphones and others. Amp-wise they ran the gamut of Vox, Fender, Ampeg, etc. For this month’s track a basic clean tone is what’s required for most parts, with a bit of drive added here and there (and a phaser for the pseudio sitar tone). Either use your guitar volume to dirty or clean things up, or step on a medium drive pedal. A mild splash of reverb will help, too.…

NEIL LUPIN / GETTY IMAGES Expanding and developing ideas and concepts is the key to unlocking your creativity. Repeating the same licks and exercises too much can cause your playing to stagnate, which can in turn result in being stuck in a frustrating rut. This month we will start with something simple and endeavour to explore new possibilities. We will start with a single idea, then develop it using four different concepts. Creativity is a somewhat mysterious thing, which is part of the fun of playing, but rather than waiting for those moments of inspiration to come around, we can utilise some tried and tested methods to get things moving. In this lesson we will look at four approaches. We will adapt the notes to imply different harmony, we can…

DAVY GRAHAM MIDNIGHT MAN/HAT Decca ★★★★★ For some, Davy Graham is known either for DADGAD tuning, or for the instrumental, Anji. Truth is, there was a lot more to him, and these two reissue albums, Midnight Man and Hat, are fantastic. Midnight Man (1966) was Davy’s second album and features 14 pieces that span blues, jazz, pop and originals. Lao Schifrin’s The Fakir has a wonderful makeover with percussion and bass augmenting Davy’s modal performance. The Beatles’ I’m Looking Through You features his vocals and some great licks while Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man is a richly realised arrangement. For blues fans, Stormy Monday is a corker and Davy plays some very tasty licks on Walkin’ The Dog. Hat (1969) also has 14 tracks; just as broad but with a few…