Sommaire pour August 2020 de 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. 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 GOULDING One of the world’s foremost rock and metal guitarists, Martin teaches for dime-online.org and has written for many of the world’s top guitar mags. CHARLIE GRIFFITHS Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in Total Guitar’s Challenge Charlie series. He’s also guitarist with…

Go to www.pocketmags.com, search for Guitar Techniques to purchase a single just . ; or enjoy GT with audio and animated tab on any device! * PLEASE NOTE: Only the Apple and Pocketmags version contains interactive tab and audio. Zinio and others do not. DISC AUDIO (PRINT VERSION ONLY) Sometimes the GT CD features some of the backing tracks as mp3 files due to space. These will be found in a folder on the CD-ROM section of the disc, accessible only via a computer, and will not work in a regular CD player.…

GT: What is so appealing to you about instrumentals? Geoff: I was always fascinated with the raw power and energy of an electric guitar, pumped up loud through a tube amp, in that it’s so primal and emotional. It’s a perfect instrument to be featured as a melodic and rhythmic centre of a well composed and produced song. But to be honest, I don’t especially care for most guitar instrumental music. There are some amazing players in the world today, but the flashy, technique-first style of many of them I find tedious, like watching someone do the same card trick again and again. I prefer a great player, combined with composition-first types of albums like Jeff Beck, Satriani, Steve Morse, Django Reinhardt, or the old albums from Bill Bruford featuring…

GUILD INTRODUCES THE STUART cutaway archtop guitar, fully bound (including f-holes and scratchplate) with an ebony bridge and fretboard and pearl block abalone wedge inlays. The instrument comes loaded with a pair of humbucking pickups, volume and tone controls for each and a three-way selector switch. The fittings are gold-plated and the distinctive harp-style tailpiece was made by Muller in Germany. The X-500 sports a sunburst finish while the X-550 is natural blonde. A QUARTER OF BRITISH HOUSEHOLDS now own a television set with many buying one to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. A full colour film of the event is also shown in cinemas all over the UK and national street parties are organised to celebrate the event. New TV watchers enjoy The Quatermass…

Any fingerstyle player knows how crucial it is to develop good technique in their picking hand. Once in full flow this hand relies almost exclusively on touch and feel. Unlike the fretting hand, which gets plenty of visual attention, the picking hand is rarely glanced at. This feature focuses mainly on classical techniques with some basic flamenco elements thrown in. And although everything here can be translated to steel-string, I am addressing tone and touch in a way that’s more relevant to nylon strings so this should make a great companion article to my regular column on classical guitar arrangements. “A COMMON MISTAKE IN FREE STROKE IS FOR THE FINGERS TO BE CLAW-LIKE AND PULL AT THE STRINGS” The techniques will include ‘apoyando’ and ‘tirando’. Apoyando is the Spanish term…

In this issue, we look at a work by a new composer in this series, the Austrian theorist, organist and composer Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). His compositions were well informed by years of humble study and dedication as a student, teacher and well-respected organist; and only started composing at the age of 37. When he did so his music had a wild, modernist and dissonant flavour which belied his humble and diffident manner. These were met with some controversy and disdain, which did not help his lifelong issues with anxiety and depression, and he often revised his works on the basis of such criticism (which incidentally has created a real challenge in the cataloguing of his works). Despite this contemporaneous resistance and a faltering confidence, his work is highly praised by…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 JERRY CANTRELL CD TRACK 30 This example of simple chord changes is designed around the melancholic moody tracks from the 90s Alice In Chains records. Keep a controlled tempo and practice the chord changes and the picking directions until you have them down. Use a little overdrive and reverb for an authentic tone. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 ROBIN TROWER CD TRACK 31 You can play this open E Minor Pentatonic example with your fingers or a pick. Gently bend the notes and make sure the hammer-ons and pull-offs are crisp and clean. If using a single-coil guitar, as Robin did, aim to make it sound as fat as possible. A touch of phaser will add a very Trower-esque effect. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 BILLY GIBBONS CD…

DAVID REDFERN / GETTY IMAGES The Half-Whole Diminished scale is commonly applied to functional progressions such as the II-V-I as well as over non-functional Altered Dominant vamps that include the natural 6th/13th degree, and where the scale will give a darker and more atmospheric sound. It’s a common sound in jazz, fusion and progressive modern rock and metal styles. This eight-note symmetrical scale is built from consecutive half and whole tones (steps), with the formula: R b 2( b 9)-#2(#9)-3- b 5-5-6- b 7. Before we move on - a quick note regarding the formula. It may be more common to see this formula written to include the #4th degree, and which gives a more logical numerically ordered set of intervals, due to the fact that this scale is more…

WHEN I WAS learning to play the guitar, I’d often find myself with no plectrum, having lost it, broken it or whatever. So I’d cut up various bits of plastic, from washing-up bottles to old vinyl records, in order to make my own. Not exactly satisfactory. So I learned to pick with my thumb and first finger, and found that I could do all sorts of things better than was possible with a pick. Stuff like crossing from the first string to the third, from the second to the fourth, and so on. I also worked out a form of chicken picking and, as Jeff Beck has said he does, held the thumb tight to the first finger and used the latter’s fingertip as a plectrum. Listening to the records…

I’ve had over 10 emails recently from ‘older learners’ worrying that they started too late to learn guitar and might never be able to play well. Can we define ‘older’? Some people in their late 20s think they started too late. So while I see this as primarily a mind game, there are some physiological impacts for learners over 60-ish which we’ll come to in a bit. You’re an older learner if you think you are, but that bit is just in your mind. My earliest memories are with guitars and music; it wasn’t ever a choice, it just was. However, the majority of my professional guitar player friends started in their late teens; some in their late 20s and a handful that in their 40s. There are advantages of…

INITIALLY THIS IS A TYPICAL string-skip tapped arpeggio; however, when it gets to beat 4 of bars 1 and 3, and beat 2 of bars 2 and 4, that the interesting stuff happens: Notice how the E moves down to the b 5 (E b ) and back again in bars 1 and 2 and then how this happens again in bars 3 and 4 only this time as the E descends to E b the A simultaneously ascends up to C. This creates a pretty cool and unusual sounding ‘opposite motion’idea. To play it effectively you will need to take a lot of care over string damping. I use both my fretting hand and picking hand palm to do this and I don’t tend to use a fret-wrap…

Hybrid picking is one of those techniques that fascinates and terrifies guitarists in equal measure. This may stem from that the fact that our first exposure to the technique is often via the burning licks of players like Albert Lee and Brad Paisley – country pickers for whom hybrid is second nature. However, there are many guitarists who use it in other genres often to more subtle and less challenging effect. For instance, the intro to Cream’s Crossroads is largely played hybrid. Rock and roll and rockabilly are also areas where hybrid picking finds favour (check out Brian Setzer), and of course there are many great blues guitarists that opt for a similar appproach, like Rory Gallagher. Rock players such as Brett Garsed, Zakk Wylde and Ron Thal also use…

Some time ago we had one of those wonderful and rare ‘hallelujah’ moments where you get truly knocked off your feet by a player you’d never encountered before. Jonathon Long, a 32-year-old from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, may not be a household name quite yet, but his effortless command of country, jazz and blues licks recalls greats such as Danny Gatton – not a comparison one uses lightly. When we caught up with Jonathon last summer, he was playing on a blues-themed cruise hosted by Joe Bonamassa. But he’s about as far from the popular blues-rocker as can be, citing Johnny A, Tony Rice and Guthrie Govan as equally important influences in his rich inner musical landscape. He’s also got huge chops, which he delivers with the passion of a travelling…

Fretting-hand technique on the classical guitar can be physically very strenuous, particularly when we require a melody line, bass line and middle accompaniment all simultaneously. If you experience aching or pain in your fretting hand and forearm during practice, stop and rest for a few seconds. Try to build up stamina by practising pieces in small sections, repeating many times slowly and never forcing it. Try to minimise the use of barre chords whenever possible - and remember to practice regularly!…

David Gilmour is one of the world’s most revered guitarists. In 1967 he joined Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd when Barrett, the main singer, songwriter and guitarist’s mental state was making it hard for him to continue. Singles See Emily Play and Arnold Layne had already charted, gaining the band a loyal following. But these Barrett compositions sound very different to the Pink Floyd we’d recognise today, with a clear Beatles influence combined with trippy lyrics and psychedelic instrumentation, including Barrett’s heavily echoed Fender Telecaster, often played using slide technique. When Barrett parted ways with the band it left Waters and Gilmour in the creative driving seat, Waters becoming the chief mastermind behind their most iconic albums. In 1973, Floyd released the now…

IAN DICKSON / GETTY IMAGES Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis was to take the music scene by storm. From the almost instant success of the early albums they were breaking records and establishing themselves as one of the most successful groups of all time. Their 1995 album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? is one of the biggest-selling of all time, shifting over 20 million and counting. Furthermore, in 1996 Oasis performed two legendary concerts at Knebworth to a staggering 125,000-strong audience each night. The line-up originally consisted of Liam Gallagher on vocals, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar, Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan on bass and Tony McCarroll on drums. However, it was the addition of Noel Gallagher on lead guitar and vocals that dramatically changed the group’s fate. Noel, who had…

Album of the Month SONS OF APOLLO MMXX InsideOutMusic ★★★★★ The prog-metal supergroup is back with a new album, MMXX with almost an hour of power riffing, blazing solos and searing vocals. Considering it’s only their second studio outing, their stylistic breadth is breathtaking, from the ominous build on Goodbye Divinity, to the staggering 16-minute closer, New World Today. Within the quintet is Bumblefoot, who plays guitar on a par with Guthrie Govan; precise, fast and with great imagination. He can match the blazing synth chops of Derek Sherinian and they trade off in ways that few bands outside of Dream Theater can pull off; on Wither To Black, Derek’s synth blaze is followed by Bumbelfoot’s stunning chromatic flurries over a pounding half-time groove from Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan.…

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 ’s main lessons have mag 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.…

Once Upon A Time it came to pass that Muhammad Ali was honoured with a gala birthday dinner at The Grosvenor House Hotel. Not for nothing is its main function space known as The Great Room. It’s the largest event venue in London and, even if observing today’s guidelines, could probably seat many hundreds of socially distanced guests. It had been deemed appropriate that this glittering array of boxing aficionados, celebrity drinkers and hangers-on in need of a hip meal should be entertained at the conclusion of the formalities. As it transpired, that conclusion was to bear comparison with other astronomical measurements: ie, the nearer one travelled towards it, the further away it seemed to become. My bit part in proceedings was to provide Freddy Green stylings for a big…

PAUL NATKIN / GETTY IMAGES ➊ Super Slow Blues (F) We start with an extremely slow blues in F Major. If you have problems keeping time, this track will aid your awareness as it’s really easy to speed ahead at this slow tempo. Use F Major Pentatonic (F-G-A-C-D) and F Minor Pentatonic (F-A b -B b -C-E b ) as a worthy starting point. ➋ Minor Jam (Am) Here’s a simple slow jam in A Minor consisting of two sections. Use A Minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G) throughout. A Minor scale (A-B-C-D-E-F-G) and A Harmonic Minor (A-B-C-D-E-F-G#) work great for the first sections, whereas A Dorian mode (A-B-C-D-E-F#-G) is better for the chorus. ➌ Jazz Blues (F) Here’s a fun swinging jazz-blues in the key of F Major. This is the blues,…

Learning to hybrid pick is all about taking things slowly at first - bear in mind that if you have never fingerpicked before then this is a skill that is worth studying alongside hybrid picking. As soon as the picking-hand fingers have some independence and awareness of where they should be picking the strings then the process of learning how to hybrid pick will become much easier. As with everything it’s about starting as slowly as possible and building up the speed very gradually.…

PETE STILL / GETTY IMAGES Slade can lay claim to one of the greatest accomplishments any band can hope to achieve; with Merry Xmas Everybody they have a tune that a good proportion of the Earth’s population knows and can sing along to. Not to mention the ongoing royalties that accompany a tune that’s released every year and played almost constantly each Christmas. In fact, based on singles sales Slade is one of the most successful British bands of all time, and also the first group to achieve number one status with all three of their first self-penned singles - something even The Beatles didn’t manage. Formed in Wolverhampton, UK in 1966 Slade went on to become one of the most important bands of the early 70s glam-rock era, and…

The enclosure technique (a prominent musical feature when playing single-note lines in jazz) has been an aspect of classical music for centuries, from the ‘musica ficta’ of Medieval and Renaissance music, to Baroque composers such as Bach, Mozart and Haydn, up to the Romantic music of Schubert, Chopin and beyond. AFP / GETTY IMAGES In this series, we’ve been looking at the use of non-scale notes in order to add spice to our lines. By mobilising notes that are not in the key (chromaticism), we get to nearly double the amount of different notes in our musical palette (from seven per octave, to 12) and this can really enliven our solos and make them sound much more sophisticated. Crucially, chromaticism provides us with the opportunity to use tension (dissonance) and…