Sommaire pour January 2018 de Guitar Techniques

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! PHIL CAPONE Phil is a great guitarist who specialises in blues and jazz. He teaches at ICMP in London, writes for GT and Total Guitar and has published 10 top tuition books. CHARLIE GRIFFITHS Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in Total Guitar’s Challenge Charlie series. He’s also one of the UK’s top rock, metal and fusion guitarists. PHIL HILBORNE The UK’s original magazine guitar tutor, Phil’s…

TINA K Hope you had fun exploring drop D and double drop D last month. We’re only one step away now from open G tuning which is a foundation open chord tuning and lots of fun… it will open the door to a huge amount of music, especially if you dig The Rolling Stones and slide guitar. For open G tuning, if you’re in double drop D all you need to do now is lower the fifth string (A) down a tone to G – you can use the third string as a reference. If you’re not in double drop D then you also need to tune both outside strings down a tone to D. Now when you play all the open strings you are playing the notes D-G-D-G-B-D which…

TAKAMINE RELEASES ANOTHER ‘Thermal Top’acoustic. The EF740FS-TT is a deep-bodied orchestra model that benefits from a heat-treated spruce top, effectively producing a great played-in sound akin to a vintage instrument. With solid sapele back and sides, a mahogany neck and an ebony fingerboard, this single-cut design also benefits from a traditional slotted headstock. HOME AFFAIRS AS THE UK votes to leave the European Union in a referendum; the new Crossrail line in London is to be called the Elizabeth Line; Lewis Hamilton wins the British Grand Prix for the fourth time; Andy Murray wins the Wimbledon Men’s Singles title for the second time; Chris Froome wins the Tour de France for the third time; and Tim Peake conducts the first ever spacewalk by an official British astronaut. VICTORY AMPLIFICATION UNVEILS…

SWEEP PICKING CAN BE DEFINED VERY SUCCINCTLY, AS AN ARTICULATED STRUM BUT WITH EACH NOTE SEPARATED ABILITY RATING Info Key Various Tempo Various CD TRACKS 17-46 Will improve your… Sweep picking fluency and accuracy Picking control Fretboard knowledge and fluency Many electric guitarists were first drawn to the instrument by witnessing some playing so dazzling that it seemed to defy the limits of the instrument, logic or even the laws of physics, be it fast picking, ultra-expressive bends, dive bombing, pinch harmonics, tapping or playing multiple simultaneous lines. Of all the many guitar techniques, sweep picking may stand supreme in this regard. In its virtuosic execution (not that this is the only way it is or should be used), even non-guitarists go slack-jawed witnessing the seemingly impossibly flurry of notes…

 ON THE CD TRACKS54-56 “MARK KNOPFLER’S RHYTHM MEETS LEAD APPROACH TO DIRE STRAITS SONGS IS INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE” ABILITY RATING Info Key: D minor Tempo: 145bpm CD: TRACKS 54-56 Will improve your… Country blues-rock feel Playing with thumb and fingers Timing and groove Mark Knopfler and his band Dire Straits need little introduction. But among their considerable achievements they have won four Grammys, and their 1985 album Brothers In Arms has spent an incredible 1,100 weeks in the album charts, selling over 30 million copies along the way. They also gave a memorable set at Live Aid (joined by Sting on backing vocals) and were one of the first bands to embrace digital recording techniques, with the Brothers In Arms album being the first compact disc to sell one million copies.…

 ON THE CD TRACKS75-77 WE HAVE SIMPLY TAKEN ALL THE A MINOR PENTATONIC SHAPES AND RAISED EACH MINOR 3RD TO MAJOR ABILITY RATING Info Key: A (A7) Tempo: 120bpm CD: TRACKS 75-77 Will improve your… Indian Pentatonic vocabulary Playing of exotic sounding lines Vocabulary in five CAGED shapes Recently, we’ve been learning how each of the following Pentatonic scales can be used over a static Dominant chord accompaniment: In , weare going Indian Pentatonic scale to this list as it’s another useful five-note entity that exists within the Mixolydian scale: Although it is Mixolydian with the 2nd and 6th missing, it can also be seen as a Minor Pentatonic with a major 3rd instead of a minor 3rd. Diagram 1 shows the A Indian Pentatonic scale laid out in a…

JAMES JEFFREY TAYLOR / ALAMY  ON THE CD TRACKS89-96 YOU CAN USE MUTING TO DEADEN THE SOUND OF A NOTE YOU ARE PLAYING, OR TO CREATE COMPLETELY PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS ABILITY RATING Info Key: Various Tempo: Various CD: TRACKS 89-96 Will improve your… Picking-hand timing Left and right-hand coordination Fretting-hand string muting String muting is a very powerful and useful technique, which you can either use to deaden the sound of a note you are fretting, or you can use it to create completely percussive sounds. This is a fantastically effective way of infusing dynamics and rhythmic interest into your playing. We can split muting technique into two areas: picking-hand muting, and fretting-hand muting. The usual approach to picking hand muting is ‘palm muting’. To do this gently, rest the side…

Neville Marten, Editor neville.marten@futurenet.com ONE OF MY GREAT musical recollections was when we got The Beatles’ White Album. My memory concerns Paul’s song, Blackbird. This acoustic ditty played in thumbed and strummed 10ths was so totally different from anything they’d done before, that it totally captivated me and my neophyte six-string fumblings. Now, I had a cheap acoustic with really heavy strings on, and no idea about concert pitch. So on my guitar the song appeared to be in D, rather than Paul’s G. But I was dying to learn it so one night, when everyone was in bed, I played it endlessly, trying to figure out what was going on. Of course, being in D and using the fourth and first strings to find the intervals, I couldn’t possibly…

SPLASH NEWS / ALAMY ➊ Country BluesWaltz (A) Here’s a fun 12-bar blues progression to add a little country flavour to your blues playing. It’s in 3/4 with three beats to each bar. Arpeggios are A (A-C#-E), D (D-F#-A) and E (E-G#-B). Try mixing A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G) with A Major Pentatonic (A-B-C#-E-F#) for some classic blues moods. ➋ B Minor Groove This groove track is based on the I-IV-V chord progression in B Minor, Bm (Im), Em (VIm) and F#m (Vm). Start with B Minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A) as well as the B Minor scale (B-C#-D-E-F#- G-A), then try adding a cheeky bit of B Dorian (B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A) on the Bm and F#m chords! ➌ Chicago Blues (D) Chicago-style 12-bar blues progression with the ‘end-of-thecycle-turnaround’ of D - D7/C - G/B…

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). 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. SCALE EXAMPLE The diagram shows the fret-hand fingering for the A major scale (root notes in black). The photo shows part of the scale being played on the fourth string with first, third and fourth fingers. 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 shape…

 ON THE CD CD-ROM TRACK “USE THE EXAMPLES AS AN EXCUSE TO EXPLORE THE FULL DYNAMIC AND TONAL RANGE YOU HAVE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS” ABILITY RATING Info Key: Various Tempo: Various CD: CD-ROM TRACK Will improve your Groove playing Fingerstyle control Plectrum control This instalment of our Antonio Forcione video tutorial sees the continuation of our impromptu chat with the Italian guitarist and a detailed look at utilising a vast variety of textures on the guitar. Antonio gives a fascinating insight into building melody and harmony around Cuban basslines, using treble-string drones as a frame for bass-string melodies; if that weren’t enough, he treats us to a smorgasbord of his flat-picking approaches and warm-ups. Having spent considerable time in Cuba and working alongside numerous Cuban musicians, Antonio has a unique…

ON THE CD TRACK 49 EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 DAVE GILMOUR CD TRACK 49 Approach this lick with a controlled and careful picking technique as you are required to‘skip’the third string. A dash of delay and reverb will allow the notes to ring out while you change fingering positions. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 VAN HALEN CD TRACK 49 This guitar part is centred around a B minor chord shape. Work on the picking hand position of the natural harmonics and then add them into the lick with a medium distortion and chorus sound. Start slowly, and build the tempo. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 JIMI HENDRIX CD TRACK 49 Voice an E major chord inversion from the 11th fret, and work on sliding into this shape while hammering on around the…

STEVE THORNE / GETTY IMAGES  ON THE CD TRACKS57-72 “IT JUST FELT BETTER BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE FLESH OF MY HAND WAS RIGHT ON THE STRING. I DIDN’T HAVE THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT KIND OF INTERFERED”John Abercrombie ABILITY RATING Info Key: Various Tempo: Various CD: TRACKS 57-72 Will improve your… Development of motifs Expressive legato articulation Rhythmic control We were saddened to hear of legendary American jazz guitarist John Abercrombie’s passing, aged 72. Raised in the golden age of rock and roll, a teenage John first picked up the guitar inspired by Chuck Berry, but when he heard jazz players such as Barney Kessel he realised his true calling. He studied at Berklee College of Music and upon graduation began to build his reputation as a session…

 ON THE CD TRACKS78-83 TRY BREAKING EACH EXAMPLE DOWN TO FOUR NOTES AT A TIME AND WORK ON MEMORISING EACH ‘FRAGMENT’ BEFORE MOVING ON ABILITY RATING Info Key: G Tempo: 120bpm CD: TRACKS 78-83 Will improve your Alternate picking accuracy Muting, barring and rolling Interval recognition Welcome to this new series. Each month, you’ll be working through a practice routine or ‘master exercise’ based around shapes 1 and 4 of the five-position CAGED system, which will help you develop strength, timing and accuracy with techniques including alternate picking, legato and sweeping. The routines will help develop fretboard visualisation with the chord position acting as a landmark, and triggering a recognition of the associated scale and arpeggio shapes. You’ll further consolidate your visualisation of each position by ascending and descending through…

EAGLES HOTEL CALIFORNIA (40th Anniversary Expanded) Warner ✪✪✪✪✪ If we were being really picky, we’d question the maths involved with this release. Hotel California was actually released in 1976, but what’s a year between friends! In any case, the expanded version comprises a remastering of the original album, delivering a tad more crispness and separation to the listening experience, plus an additional live rendering of the entire work, captured in October 1976 on a second CD. Furthermore, there’s also the 5.1 mix and high resolution stereo and surround versions available on a Blu-Ray, depending on which version you go for. In short, this is a collector’s dream come true – a celebration of one of the biggest sellers of all time in more formats than it’s possible to shake a…

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! Get a FREE iPad/iPhone sample of GT. For full details and how to…

LENNART SJöBERG TALENT SHOWS GIVE PEOPLE HOPE AND THEN THROW THEM AWAY IF THEY ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL QUICKLY GT: What’s the main thing about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you? UW: The melodies and the sound appeals to me. Also, when a melody is not sung it has to be really strong. GT: What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can’t? UW: It can give another colour of the melody. It can leave space for imagination. It can take you to another dimension. GT: What are the tendencies with instrumentals that you aim to embrace or avoid – rhythms, harmony, playing approach, even guitar tones?` UW: I think the possibilities are endless. I would say in any given moment the rhythm is the most important. You…

ONE OF MY BIGGEST THRILLS IS SITTING DOWN WITH A GUITAR OR A PIANO AND JUST OUT OF NOWHERE TRYING TO MAKE A SONG HAPPENPaul McCartney ABILITY RATING Info Key Various Tempo Various CD TRACKS 3-16 Will improve your…  Fretboard knowledge Harmonyandtheoryknowledge Pop rhythm guitar The Beatles, of course, need no introduction. As a band and as solo artists after their dissolution in 1970, this Liverpool foursome’s body of work remains almost beyond comparison. But what marked them out over and above their look, their style, their humour and those cheeky Scouse accents was, of course, their music. When they first hit the charts in 1962 no one had heard their like before. Their songs were fresh, their vocal harmonies less obvious and more complex than those of their vocal…

 ON THE CD TRACKS47-48 “JOHNSON IS THE ONLY NAMED CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER THAT WE CAN SAY FOR CERTAIN WROTE MUSIC FOR SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS” ABILITY RATING Info Key A Minor Tempo 90bpm CD TRACKS 47-48 Will improve your… Contrapuntal playing Late Renaissance lute repertoire Consistency of tone Although the classical guitar is a relative newcomer to the family of western ‘classical’ instruments, it has a distant relative (or at least a kindred spirit) in the lute. With a somewhat similar tone, tuning system, shape and being one of the few other instruments with a direct finger-to-string playing technique, it is natural and perhaps inevitable that so much lute music has been adapted to the guitar. Practitioners in the early 20th century were keen to expand and enrich the guitar’s repertoire and give…

 ON THE CD TRACKS50-53 “TO MAKE A LIVING FROM DOING SOMETHING I LOVE IS FANTASTIC. AS LONG AS PEOPLE WANT TO LISTEN TO ME, I’LL KEEP DOING IT. Steve Winwood” ABILITY RATING Info Key: Various Tempo: Various CD: TRACKS 50-53 Will improve your Pentatonic bending Melodic approach to soloing Solo construction While some musicians dedicate their lives to one instrument, some manage to switch effortlessly between several. What’s amazing about Steve Winwood is his ablity to deliver instrument-specifc vocabulary on each of the many instruments that he performs and writes on. Although mainly known as a singer and organist, when you realise that he plays most of the guitar on his records you might envy the man even more. In 1963, at just 15, Winwood burst into prominence with the…

 ON THE CD TRACKS73-74 “A MEETING WITH ELVIS PRESLEY ON A FILM SET WAS TO START A 10-YEAR-OLD PETTY ON A COURSE HE WOULD FOLLOW FOR LIFE” ABILITY RATING Info Key: F Tempo: 86bpm CD: TRACKS 73-74 Will improve your Use of sus chords Fretting chords with the thumb Strumming 16th notes The world of rock and roll lost another of its greats this month with the sudden and unexpected death from of Tom Petty. He died at just 66 from cardiac arrest. Petty defined a sound for a generation and managed to stay relevant over a more than 40-year career. Many artists would be grateful for success in just one format but Petty managed to reach the heights of rock and roll artistry with The Heartbreakers, as a solo…

 ON THE CD TRACKS84-88 “THESE EXAMPLES DEMONSTRATE LONG SLOW SLIDES ACROSS MANY FRETS, TO FASTER ONES COVERING ONLY A SEMITONE” ABILITY RATING Info Key: E \ Tempo: Various CD: TRACKS 84-88 Will improve your Alternating basslines Use of open strings Fretting-hand muting Open E tuning has been used by a variety of players including Mississippi Fred McDowell, Tampa Red, The Rolling Stones and Allman Brothers. Although more commonly used as an electric tuning, open E offers higher string tension, which affects the tone of the guitar and, for many, makes slide playing easier. Open E has the same intervals as open D tuning but a tone higher, giving E-B-E-G#-B-E (low to high). It’s often referred to as Vestapol tuning, although many players use the word to describe these intervals relative…