Inhaltsverzeichnis für February 2022 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. RICHARD BARRETT One of the most gifted guitarists around Richard has been playing with Tony Hadley for almost 20 years. He’s great in all styles but excels at blues and rock. 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 Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in Total Guitar’s Challenge…

After recommending Victor Wooten’s book, The Music Lesson to a friend, I read it again and I'm so glad I did. In this article I’d like to share one of his many important observations - the 10 elements that make up music. They are all intrinsically linked, but thinking about each element individually and staying aware of how much attention you give them might influence your playing in a very positive way. It sure did for me. The 10 elements are: notes, articulation, technique, feel, dynamics, rhythm, phrasing, tone, space, and listening. While NOTES is the first item in the list, it’s often massively over emphasised. While notes are obviously important there are other elements that are as, if not more, important. Notes can be subdivided into harmony, scales, tonality…

Like many in the guitar and jazz communities, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Pat Martino. While many of the ‘jazz greats’ are only remembered through ‘classic’ recordings and black and white images, I knew Pat in rich and recent technicolour. He started playing professionally at the age of 15 touring with (and intimidating) musicians three times his age. His award-winning career continued for 60 years and was only briefly interrupted by his devastating brain surgery in 1980 and his final struggle with a chronic respiratory disorder in the last two years of his life. Many have heard the story of how - after an enormous aneurysm was removed from his brain - Pat was stripped of not only the ability of how to play but any…

Chicago is synonymous with legendary blues names such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. These, and many more would make a name for themselves in the clubs and juke joints of the South and West sides of the city after migrating from southern states like Mississippi in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. At a time when electrifying guitars was new, drums and amplification were being used in the clubs to create a sound that was louder, and a far cry from the acoustic sound of the South. Pioneers like Waters, Elmore James, Little Walter and Jimmy Rogers would go on to influence many aspiring musicians who themselves would sign with Chicago record labels like Chess, Cobra, Chief and Delmark. Later, world famous names like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton…

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Missed one of our recent fabulous issues? Get one now while stocks last. NEVER MISS ANOTHER ISSUE Turn to page 38 to subscribe! JANUARY GT329 GARY MOORE This cover feature is all about Gary’s hard rock and fusion periods, where his playing was unashamedly ferocious. Check out five style examples and four full solos. Plus blues, jazz, shred, Southern boogie, Celtic picking & more! DECEMBER GT328 JOHN MAYER John Mayer Blues! He’s a fine player in many styles, but he’s a natural bluesman. We offer 10 examples and three full solos, Mayer style. Plus: Rory Gallagher, Molly Tuttle, Jennifer Batten, Allen Hinds with Jon Herington & much more! NOVEMBER GT327 GROOVE GIANTS Using ideas from 21 great groove guitarists, take your rhythm playing to the next level. Joel Hoekstra plays…

Brought to you by… TIM MOSENFELDER / GETTY IMAGES At the age of 27, Mateus Asato has already played with top artists such as Tori Kelly, Jessie J and Bruno Mars. On top of that he has not one, but two signature guitars from Suhr and a few other custom products bearing his name. Hailing form Brazil, Asato attended the famed Musicians Institute in Los Angeles in 2013 before finding fame with the help of his content on Instagram and YouTube. Asato’s guitar playing is incredibly lyrical and melodic, resulting in a vocal-like sound to his phrasing. Combined with great technique and a mastery of the guitar, Asato executes rapid-fire lines that complement his style and add a real sense of excitement. His picking combines both alternate and economy styles…

Brought to you by… MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES In this month’s column we examine the use of the tonic Major Pentatonic scale over the I and IV chords. Again we’re in the key of C. Note that using the C Major Pentatonic over the C Major 7 th chord has a very different effect to using it over the F Major 7th chord. This is because the notes of the Major Pentatonic exert different tensions over the different chords. We’ve looked at C Major Pentatonic over C Major 7th before and noticed that, if overused, this can be a somewhat bland sound. Using F Major Pentatonic on top of F Major 7th obviously has the same relative effect, but if we use C Major Pentatonic here instead, the…

MEMORY IS A funny thing. When I worked for SynthAxe in the mid 80s, myself and a colleague were in charge of our stand at the Summer NAMM Show, in Chicago. What a great experience. One of my favourite US cities, it’s the perfect blend of New York edginess and the laid-back atmosphere of LA. It was high summer and we both felt amazing being somewhere so exciting. Allan Holdsworth was with us all week and he played some incredible stuff both on the stand and on the performance stage. He also explained modes to me (which he didn’t call modes) and showed me how to pour the perfect bottled beer – “You order it with two glasses, pour the bottle into one, then tip that glass into the other,…

There was once a satirical sketch from the Monty Python gang featuring a judo instructor and his captive audience of fresh faced students. The protagonist is employed to teach self defence to his captive charges but it becomes apparent quickly that he’s deranged and instructs them instead as to how to defend themselves against attack by endless varieties of fruit. “Have we done pineapple?” “Yes sir, we did it last week.” “What! Tinned and fresh?” “Yes. Can’t we learn how to defend ourselves from an attack by a man with a pointed stick?” “I see. Fresh fruit not good enough for you, eh? Well, let me tell you my lad, if some homicidal maniac comes at you tonight with a bunch of loganberries, don’t come crying to me!” Which, if…

1 A7-D7 Vamp This two-chord vamp was specifically designed for exploring the switch between the I7 chord and the IV7 chord, which is of course very common in blues. A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G) works throughout, but try A Mixolydian (A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G) on the A7 chords and then switch to A Dorian (A-B-C-D-E-F#-G) – also known as D Mixolydian – for the D7 chords. 2 G Minor Groove Jam G Minor Pentatonic (G-Bb-C-D-F) works throughout this jam, but for extra colour, use G Dorian mode (G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F) for the main sections, and then switch to the G Minor (G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F) for the B sections. 3 Acoustic Blues (A) You’ll get off to a great start mixing the happy sounding A Major Pentatonic (A-B-C#-E-F#) with the moodier A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G) on this jam. Take…

This month we are looking at another cracking lead performance courtesy of fusion master Oz Noy (check out Oz on the funky Grease & Grit from GT319). Guzzle is a retro ’60s groover and the second piece recorded by Jason Sidwell especially for Oz. This one is influenced by Booker T and The MG’s, the Stax house band that was central to much of the label’s artistic output (Otis Redding to Aretha Franklin). The track is in the key of E Major (more about that later) for the verses but to add harmonic colour, various other chords were added as well as temporary shifts to other keys for the various sections. For the Intro’s B7b5 chord, Oz uses a strong rotary speaker effect courtesy of a Univibe style pedal. Very…

Alfred Lion founded Blue Note Records in 1939 with the help of his friend, executive and photographer Francis Wolff. Together they created a label that featured a staggering number of legendary jazz artists, developing and promoting their talents with help of graphic designer Reid Miles and iconic sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder. They produced not only the unique Blue Note sound, but also its look and, crucially, vibe. They recorded them all, Monk, Davis, Coltrane, Shorter, Hancock, literally a who’s-who of jazz. The label was at the cutting edge for bebop, hard bop and avant-garde styles. Two crucial differences between Blue Note and other labels was for both the enthusiasm of Lion and Wolff for ‘music for music’s sake’, not purely as a commodity to make money. Secondly, they always…

Brought to you by… EXAMPLE 1 EASY LICKS JOHNNY RAMONE This riff is built entirely from powerchords. When playing the chords rooted from the fifth string (Bb5 and C5), extend your first finger to include the adjacent note on the sixth string. This makes the 5th of the powerchord the bass note, which maintains continuity and weight alongside the other chords. Select your bridge pickup and add a moderate amount of gain. Much of the aggression comes from the picking hand. So, use downstrokes all the way and dig in with the pick. EXAMPLE 2 EASY LICKS PAUL KOSSOFF This riff includes single-note sequences from the E Minor Pentatonic scale (E-G-AB-D), arpeggiated chords, and rhythmic, powerchord strumming. Take note of the upstrokes at the end of each arpeggiated figure. This resets…

Brought to you by… DAVE HOGAN / GETTY IMAGES This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Big Country founding member and frontman Stuart Adamson. Along with the likes of Simple Minds and Del Amitri, Big Country were one of the greatest Scottish bands of the 1980s. Blending melodies and rhythms from bagpipe music and military bands, with rock guitar and catchy pop tunes, they were one of the most recognisable bands of the decade, if one of the most unsung. Founders Adamson and fellow guitarist Bruce Watson were joined by Tony Butler on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums, and by the time of their second single, Fields Of Fire in 1983, the group had broken the UK top 10. Their debut album sold over a million…

Brought to you by… Rockabilly is a term that describes the melting pot of styles that emerged as one of the earliest offshoots of rock and roll music in the early 1950s. Rock and roll had emerged in the US during the late 1940s, and itself was a mixture of blues and country – specifically rhythm & blues and western swing, with its jazzier chords and ‘swinging’ rhythm. However, it wasn’t labelled rock and roll until the mid-50s. Many consider rockabilly to be the purest form of rock and roll. It’s a joyful music, with driving, infectious rhythms and characteristically dynamic guitar work. It has a particular feel, but more importantly a specific sound all its own. There is nothing quite like it and once you get hooked on the…

RIVERSIDE TRIO SOMETHING LIKE THE PARK Outside Music 9/10 Following his new music and collaborations on Snapdragon, Oz Noy interprets jazz standards with his Riverside Trio album, Something Like The Park. As he discussed earlier this issue (see p30), this was a lockdown band that played in Central Park with minimal fuss but with extensive fun. Among the pieces are All The Things You Are, Anthropology and Have You Met Miss Jones; all played with verve and sparkle. Billie’s Bounce is a uniquely laid-back vibe with Oz playing gorgeous chords and sweet melodic passages. Donna Lee is full-on as the melody twists and turns and the band interplay is sharply rhythmic. At an even faster tempo is the closing Sunny where Oz pulls the stops out as he punches with…

ERIC GALES CROWN Provogue 10/10 At a music show in London a couple of years ago, many of the staff of our guitar magazines witnessed a jaw-dropping solo performance from Eric Gales. Even without a band – just a looper and, eventually, a bass player – the man was simply amazing. It was obviously only a matter of time before we saw Eric’s ascension to the stratospheric heights of six-string superstardom – and this latest studio album could be the one that puts him there. Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, Crown is Gales’ most personal album to date, dealing with the topics of substance abuse, racism and the hope for continuing sobriety and explosive creativity in the future. It’s not all lyrically dark and downbeat, though; check out…

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 two 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.…

As usual, we’re taking a normal progression, but substituting four chords of the same type. This isn’t as totally bonkers as you might think, since there are plenty of punk songs with just Major chords, blues songs with just Minor chords, or 70s Motown songs with jazzy chords moving in parallel. In the original progression above, all chords are from E Minor, but by using a single chord type, you inevitably leave the ‘home’ key, instantly affecting the possible melodies you might add. This means you can no longer fall back on the familiar E Minor scale. Big changes from the start. Our original progression was in E Minor (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D), but we’re now in E Major (E F# G# A B C# D#). However, the next three chords completely change…

Francisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea, or ‘Quiquet’ (Frank) as his friends called him, was born November 21st, 1852, and had a somewhat complicated start in life after a traumatic incident as an infant left him partially blind. One version of this backstory published by his pupil, one Emilio Pujol, is he was thrown into a river and left for dead by his nursemaid. He was ultimately saved by neighbours but the trauma left him with lifelong eye damage that he required surgery for, for the rest of his life. ALAMY Owing to this medical implication Tarrega’s journey into music started out with him learning piano and guitar exclusively with music tutors who were themselves blind. Tárrega quickly excelled at both, though his prodigious talent for guitar made him fall…

Brought to you by… TOM HILL / GETTY IMAGES My favourite guitar players all have one unifying attribute: attitude! Whether that be the high-energy tapping of Van Halen, the ferocious picking and vibrato of Yngwie, or the wild blues-rock phrasing of Pat Travers, all these players do what they do with passion, guts and fire. And Johnny Winter is definitely no exception. Johnny displays a wonderfully fluid rock technique alongside a sophisticated blues vocabulary. What makes his playing stand out is his sustain, fiery vibrato and rapid Pentatonic phrasing. Johnny was influenced by many of the usual suspects, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker and BB King, but was also inspired by non guitarists. Little Walter was a sensational mouth organ or ‘blues harp’ player and Johnny, captivated by his…

Brought to you by… ETHAN MILLER / GETTY IMAGES Throughout his career Greg Howe has donned many hats, starting in 1988 with his Shrapnel Records self-titled debut which showcased his technical command and creativity. To date Greg has released 10 more solo albums which have progressively evolved into the jazz and fusion genre. Greg has worked extensively as a session guitarist too, having toured and performed with some of the biggest names in pop: Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Rhianna, ’N Sync and Justin Timberlake to name but a few. We have five examples that offer an insight into Greg’s style, from techniques like sweeping and tapping to some jazzfusion improvisational concepts. For our first example we start with a moderate speed lick based in A Dorian (A-B-C-D-E-F#-G). Rather than playing…

DAVID REDFERN / GETTY IMAGES One of the keys to getting Celtic music sounding ‘right’ is to introduce ornamentation into your playing. This generally means notes that are sounded very briefly before the melody note, and are known as ‘grace notes’ in the classical world. Sometimes this can be one note while some players introduce longer streams of rapid grace notes before the melody. This is all done to mimic the way traditional pieces are played on instruments like fiddles, whistles and pipes. Listen to great Celtic guitarists from John Renbourn to Tony McManus and you’ll hear they all have their way of doing it. Typically this involves techniques like rapid legato (hammer-ons and pull-offs) or slides. The challenging thing is that the embellishments have to be so brief that…

MORE OF THE WORLD’S BEST LESSONS… FEATURE #2 VIDEO ANTOINE BOYER Enchantment The brilliant acoustic and classical guitarist goes electric with this superb European flavoured jazz groover. CLASSICAL TAB MATTEO CARCASSI Study No. 1, Opus 60 Declan Zapala arranges and transcribes a brilliant etude from the great Florentine guitarist. FEATURE #3 JIMI MEETS JAZZ The 7#9 Connection John Wheatcroft discovers how the ‘Hendrix chord’ was a staple of jazz guitar long before the Seattle genius! NEW SERIES! DARREL HIGHAM Rockabilly Rebellion! The UK’s top rockabilly axeman’s second lesson on how to master this rocky-country-jazzy guitar style! 50 years of rock legato licks will make you play… MORE GREAT LESSONS 30-Minute Lickbag Six licks in a cool variety of styles Susan Tedeschi Play two full blues 12-bars Lita Ford Runaways and…