Indice dei contenuti per October 2015 in Guitar Techniques

STEVE ALLSWORTH A most versatile player, Steve has played with Ronan Keating, Lulu, Rod Stewart, Westlife, LeAnn Rimes and Lily Allen. He also teaches rock at BIMM Brighton. 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. LES DAVIDSON Les has worked with Mick Taylor, Rumer,…

DAVID REDFERN / GETTY IMAGES SPECIAL ISSUES & FEATURES The current series on Reading Music by Charlie Griffiths is coming to an end. Could I suggest you bring out a booklet containing all the parts, plus a CD with the tracks? It would also be an idea to include a DVD of the course. This could be on permanent sale, as every year guitar teachers will want their students to buy a copy. It would be the best way to introduce students to reading music notation, a much neglected part of today’s learning process, and will surely give a lifetime of benefit. While I am on the subject – in the past you have produced some excellent series by Stuart Ryan, such as How To Play Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic Blues,…

This month’s lick features a popular approach known as ‘Pentatonic substitution’. The opening section features an ascending G major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E) run over a G major chord. It’s the simplest and most effective Pentatonic to imply the chord. The second part contains a descending sequence using a common substitution for G major Pentatonic; D major Pentatonic (D-E-F#-A-B). Like many rock and blues guitarists, I prefer minor Pentatonics instead of major Pentatonics when soloing: I’m thinking of B minor Pentatonic instead of D major even though they share the same notes. To use this approach in any key, solo over a major chord with the minor Pentatonic starting from the major 3rd of the major chord. Here, we’re soloing over G major with B minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A); the B note is…

In Guitarist this month is a fascinating feature on B-Bender guitars. Invented in 1965 by Gene Parsons and Clarence White of The Byrds to emulate the crying sound of pedal steel, the B-Bender is a rare beast. The prize for the biggest B-Bender obsession surely must go to collector Samuel Ahden of the fabled guitar museum in Umea, Sweden. Samuel owns 41 of the things and has had Parsons (who still builds them to order) install B-Benders in a Tele and LP Junior. Read the full story in Guitarist, issue 398 – out now.…

ABILITY RATING THE HARMONY FOUND in pop and rock songs is often dismissed as ‘simple’ because a song may have only a few chords and those chords might not have long, complicated names. It can, in fact, often take a considerable theoretical knowledge in order to adequately understand a seemingly ‘simple’ song. Like the English language with its various roots, popular music harmony is layered with different concepts and influences and it can be difficult to grasp all of its characteristics and its seeming inconsistencies. Ironically, when a pop song is dismissed as simple, it is often because it has a hidden complexity. Because the harmony does not appear complicated, it’s mistaken for being unsophisticated. This article will explain a very particular harmonic concept that should offer considerable insight and…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 DAVID BOWIE CD TRACK 40 An open chord glam-rock style example that feels like something from the early 70s Bowie and Bolan era with a big strum and plenty of attitude! Be big and bold in your strumming and keep the hand going whether hitting strings or not. A booming jumbo acoustic would be perfect for this. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 BLACK SABBATH CD TRACK 41 The groove-based riffs of Tony Iommi are unmistakable in metal. Small things set him apart: his reluctance to be over-complicated, and putting the 5th as the lowest note in the powerchord, as here. A quick vibrato is also a distinctive facet of the Iommi style. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 STEVE LUKATHER CD TRACK 42 Famed for playing the rhythm guitar…

ABILITY RATING WELCOME TO THE second instalment of our video masterclasses with jazz guitarist Nigel Price. Last month we looked at Nigel’s approach to chord melody and highlighted his thinking behind it. This month, we’ll investigate what kind of skills he relies on when playing single-note lines. Although we’re clearly dealing with a jazz scenario here it’s useful to point out that some of these concepts can be applied in many other styles of music, such as blues or country. The main aim of this article is to shed some light on the thinking that Nigel, along with many other jazz musicians, uses when it comes to choosing what notes to play while improvising over chord changes – probably most guitarists’ biggest challenge with jazz. Improvising is a huge topic…

CONTINUING WITH THE Mixolydian theme we started looking at in the last issue, this month we’re expanding our vocabulary by creating lines over a I7/IV7 progression in the key of G. This means that we’ll be playing G Mixolydian (G-A-B-C-D-E-F) over the I7 chord (G7), and C Mixolydian (C-D-E-F-G-ABb) over the IV7 chord (C7). Remembering that the Mixolydian is the fifth mode of the Major scale, we can work out that G Mixolydian’s parent major scale is C Major (G being the fifth note of the C Major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B), and C Mixolydian’s parent major scale is F major (C being the fifth note of F Major scale (F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E). Although it’s a good idea to ultimately get to grips with the theory side of things, it’s vital that your musical…

ABILITY RATING WHILE EVERY BAND hopes to have perhaps one great, unique songwriter The Beatles, somewhat selfishly, had three! What’s more John, Paul and George each had their own approach to writing as far as the acoustic guitar was concerned. We each have our favourites (for me it was George) but it can’t be denied that each of the three brought their own unique approach to acoustic parts. Paul provided the ‘thumb and strum’ flick approach inspired by the ukulele. George added rich, pastoral arpeggiated parts that were full of melodic content and could even stand on their own as instrumental pieces. John’s approach was perhaps more basic than the other two but delve into his acoustic tracks and you will discover well-crafted, melodic parts. Dig into The White Album…

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN: Buy it Excellent Good Average Bin it! NEAL SCHON VORTEX Music Theories Recordings Ace guitarist Neal Schon never does things by halves. If proof were needed, this all-instrumental double CD of 18 tracks should leave you in no doubt. The opening track, Miles Beyond, introduces a much heavier and darker element to Neal’s playing and it paves the way for much of what’s to follow. There’s a lot of material here and, even with the best of technique and ability, it tends to blur a bit. But there are some seriously great moments that make the ears prick up. El Matador is certainly one with excellent rhythm breaks and the use of classical guitar alongside Neal’s blistering electric work. We love the forceful Tortured Souls, the…

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 quickly.…

OUR COVER FEATURE this month is all about picking. Actually, it’s the lead feature in a set of three that aims to hone your entire picking repertoire, since most players wanting to improve tell us that picking is at the top of their technique wish list. This month it’s that good old stalwart: alternate picking. Now, stop me if I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve always said my own picking is pretty weak (I can’t do Guthrie-style amazing speed bursts, for instance), but my fretting hand is fairly good within my limited style base. A couple of years ago, Shaun Baxter did a feature in Creative Rock where he said something like: “You think it’s your picking hand that’s at fault, when in all probability it’s actually your fretting hand…

AL PEREIRA GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? DD: It’s the medium Gibson pear-shaped ones and you can’t always get them. They seem to grip naturally in your fingers and you don’t feel like you’re really holding anything. They’re pliable but firm at the same time. GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to be in a band? DD: Drums and a bit of keyboard. GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it? DD: Yeah, if it didn’t have all those funny squiggles all over it. GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours? DD: Yes leads make a difference. I don’t like wireless, it’s a bit thin. I was one…

GIBSON’S CONTEMPORARY SEMI ACOUSTIC range is handled by their Memphis division and the ES-390 is not only one of the coolest designs, it’s also one of the cheapest at £1,849 including case. What makes it so desirable is the black- faced twin P90 pickups, floating scratchplate, old style trapeze tailpiece and the gloss nitrocellulose finish. In Vintage Dark Burst it’s a really stylish thinline hollowbody. THE CURTAIN RISES AS KATE BUSH takes up residence at the Hammersmith Apollo for her Before The Dawn series of concerts. It’s her first live performance since 1979 and it’s a phenomenal success. Final curtains, however, for Big Jim Sullivan, Alvin Stardust, Jack Bruce, Glenn Cornick (Jethro Tull), Lynsey de Paul, Robert Young (Primal Scream), John Gustafson, (Roxy Music, The Big Three), Acker Bilk, pioneer…

ALL PHOTOS: LIVEPIX ABILITY RATING PLAYING FAST IS fun and can add extra excitement and climatic potential to your solos. No surprise, then, that it’s top of most guitarists’ technique wish list. Unfortunately, many players fail to achieve their dream because they approach the problem from the wrong perspective; playing fast is not just about fast picking, it’s about the coordination between your fretting fingers and your pick. So it’s vitally important to ensure that your fretting hand is working as efficiently as possible too. The exercises in this article are designed to help you build a slick fretting hand technique (with good finger independence) as well as improving your alternate picking speed. The best news is that you don’t have to spend hours practising; use these exercises as part…

ABILITY RATING THIS MONTH WE return to the work of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) who, although not widely recognised or successful during his hard-working lifetime, is now generally considered one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach’s mastery of counterpoint (the ability to balance many simultaneous melodies and complex harmonies) has been a source of admiration – and inspiration – to countless musicians for over 300 years. Bach was a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and an incredibly productive composer, creating hundreds of works of profound technical skill and expressive power. He deserves as much as anyone the moniker of ‘musical genius’. This month we tackle Bach’s BWV999 Prelude in C minor (transposed here as it often is for guitar to D minor). The origins of the work are unclear but it…

ABILITY RATING BORN GEORGE GUY on 30th July, 1936, in Lettsworth, Louisiana, Buddy Guy has been playing and singing the blues for over 50 years. His illustrious guitar-playing career began on a two-string home-made guitar, later graduating to a cheap Harmony acoustic that now resides in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although younger by several years than Albert King and BB King, Buddy’s name invariably comes up in any conversation about the giants of electric blues guitar and vocals. From gigging around the Baton Rouge area, Buddy realised that a move north to Chicago would improve his career chances. Sure enough, he soon got work as a session man for the legendary Chess Records, behind artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Otis Spann and Little Walter. From this…

ABILITY RATING THE CONCEPT FOR this lesson is simple, but is a great way of breaking out of old habits. It is based around creating self-contained melodic ‘units’ that each follows a particular note-sequence. For example, if you look at Diagram 1, which shows C Major in a three-notes-per-string pattern, one could play the three notes on the sixth string as C-E-D. This would represent a ‘unit’ that follows a 1-3-2 configuration whereby 1 is the lowest note, 3 is the highest, and 2 is the middle. If this same ‘unit’ were applied to the fifth string, we would get F-A- G. On the fourth it would be B-D-C etc. Let’s now take a look at some of the possibilities for three given pitches. For convenience, we are simply going…

ABILITY RATING VAN HALEN FORMED in 1972, and from the original David Lee Roth era (1978 - 1985) released a string of solid gold records: Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women And Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down, 1984 and 5150. These albums mark the division between classic rock and today's modern era. In this lesson we look at some of Eddie Van Halen’s signature techniques starting with a playful up-tempo swung riff. This feel relies on solid picking-hand timing and is based on the first and third notes of a triplet rhythm. Count through the bar slowly ‘1 & a, 2 & a, 3 & a, 4 & a’ and play a downstroke on all the numbers and an upstroke on all the ‘a’ beats; downstrokes should therefore be…

ABILITY RATING THIS PIECE IS written around two different key centres; the first of these is shown at the beginning of the score as two sharps: F# and C#. As we have seen before, this key signature can mean one of two things – either the piece is in D major, or this key’s relative minor, B minor. When you begin to play the piece, your ear will normally deduce whether you are playing a major or minor-sounding melody and in this case we are playing in B minor. But we can go a little deeper than describing the tonality as simply ‘major’ or ‘minor’ by using modal names such as Dorian, Aeolian or Phrygian in order to specify different ‘shades’ of minor. The intervallic differences between the modes comes…

REVIEWS BY ROGER NEWELL WARREN HAYNES ASHES & DUST Provogue/Mascot This is only the third album that Warren has released under his own name and it shows another interesting facet to his music. To help showcase this deviation from Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers, he’s chosen to record with an Americana band called Railroad Earth and it’s a stunning partnership. Warren is singing better than ever it seems. He’s playing a lot more slide guitar too, and it’s hot. Much of the material is new but Warren says some of these songs he’s had around for 20 or 30 years but hasn’t found the right vehicle to release them until now. It’s understandable as there’s a more folksy feel about this album but the material is strong and Warren’s…

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…

1 Univibe brushes blues in Bb This is a 12-bar in the key of Bb (Bb7-Eb7-Bb7-F7-Eb7-Bb7-Gb7-F7), presented in a drums, bass, guitar trio format. Bb may not be your typical guitar key but is common for piano and sax players and worthwhile having some chops for! Minor Pentatonic licks (albeit in Bb) work well here but play the 3/b7 notes of each chord for a bluesier, jazzier sound. 2 Soft Groove in G This runs the progression G-Em-C-Am7-G-F, which is grounded in G Major (G-A-B-C-D-E-F#) except the final chord of F, where you’ll need to tweak your scale usage to G Mixolydian (G-A-B-C-D-E-F) or play mainly notes from the F chord (F-A-C). The second section features G-Am7-G/B-C- G-F, then C-D-Em7-G-Am7-D-G. The same suggestions apply here; G Major mostly, with some…

ABILITY RATING MY SHARONA, RELEASED in 1979 was taken from The Knack’s first, multi-million selling album, cleverly entitled Get The Knack. My Sharona is a classic power pop favourite and features fun-to-play riffs and plenty of lead guitar work. Guitarist Berton Averre is a fine player and his tight rhythm work and energetic lead style are key components of this great track. One of the main focuses of the tune is the hooky G octave riff that drives everything along. This riff is punctuated by chords from the key of F major such as the V chord (C), IV chord (Bb) and the I chord (F). There is also a chromatic chord of Eb added to provide an edgy surprise to the harmony. The song has two guitar solos to…

This issue is packed full of great lessons to get your head and hands around. We kick off with 30-Minute Lickbag where six short examples vary in ability levels; it’s a great, quick payoff but watch out for the fretboard shifts in the final Joe Pass example. Next we focus on a titan of blues guitar: Buddy Guy. We’ve two bespoke solos here; a moody G minor blues and an exclamatory C major one. If you want a great string bend and vibrato workout, this is the article for you. Fans of Queen will love the lesson on Brian May – power chords, inversions, syncopations and a muscular solo full of string bends, note flurries (watch your timing with the 16th-note pull-offs) and whammy bar action. Magic! Our featured video…

RICHARD YOUNG / REX FEATURES ABILITY RATING QUEEN IS A band that needs very little introduction. It’s worth mentioning, however, that among their many accolades they have had a UK Number 1 hit with the same single twice (Bohemian Rhapsody); all four members of the band have individually written Number 1 singles; they have sold in excess of 200 million albums; they have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and delivered what many believe to be the single greatest live rock band performance ever at Live Aid in 1985. Of course, guitarist Brian May has also played the British National Anthem while standing on the roof of Buckingham Palace – he’s certainly the only person ever to have done that! Queen formed in the early 70s…

ABILITY RATING WHEN YOU HEAR about a jazz guitarist that can count players such as Shawn Lane, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson as dedicated fans, then it’s probably a good idea to pay attention. While Ted Greene never became a household name, to those in the know he was a supreme master of harmony. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of chords and how to use them and musical idioms ranging from jazz and blues, all the way to Baroque classical counterpoint. An expert solo jazz guitarist, sadly Ted left us just one album after his premature death in 2005 from a heart attack. Thankfully, there’s a legacy of educational material in a series of much-loved books that are essential material for any serious scholar of jazz guitar. Born in Hollywood…

SEPTEMBER GT247 PLAY LIKE CARLOS SANTANA A guitar icon since he and his band stormed Woodstock in 1969. Learn Santana’s rhythm and lead style. Play The Allman Brothers’ classic Statesboro Blues with stunning solos from Duane and Dickey. Plus we pay musical tribute to John Renbourn – and much more! AUGUST GT246 GENIUS OF: DAVID GILMOUR Want to get inside the playing mind of Pink Floyd’s musical maestro? This feature offers insights into every facet of the great man’s playing. Plus, learn Mr Big’s awesome Addicted To That Rush, get started with Jazz Soloing – and lots more in this packed issue! JULY GT245 JAM THE BLUES! Bands like The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and many others made their name as ‘jam bands’. We look at great tricks to…