Indice dei contenuti per March 2023 in Guitar Techniques

JIMMY PAGE. Where does one start when admiring Led Zeppelin’s guitarist? Riffs? Of course. His have shaped what rock music means all over the world, from Black Dog to Immigrant Song. Lead solos? Definitely, from dynamic blues phrasing to roaring flurries, his range is beyond impressive. Heartbreaker’s middle solo is just one example. Rhythmic elements? Absolutely, odd time signatures, syncopated darting between the beats and emphatic power statements are rife. For starters: Kashmir. Acoustic picking? His acoustic chops are as arresting as his electric abilities. Going To California and Tangerine are just two of my favourites. And so the list goes on. In short, there isn’t a guitarist that has staked more sonic ground, more imagination with more breadth to bigger audiences than Jimmy Page. He is, pretty much without…

you don’t feel it, you don’t do it. Do not try. Do not try to write,” "W I heard my hero Neil Young say on a TikTok clip. It echoes a brilliant poem by Charles Bukowski called So You Want To Be A Writer. Look it up. It holds a lot of truth, but not the whole truth. Is developing expression something that takes time and practice? There will be many questions here and a few stabs at answers, but this article is about uncertainty and an elusive definition… When you first start doing anything it’s likely to be clumsy - you need time to learn the fundamental skills that make the art. Right? But is expression related to skill or technique? When a child dances along with music, they…

➊ Slow Blues (C) We start with a simple slow blues in C, where C Minor Pentatonic (C-Eb-F-G-Bb) and the C Major Pentatonic scale (C-D-E-G-A) are great places to begin. Dig in to milk the notes and tone! ➋ G MixolydianVamp This jam is a simple two-chord vamp (G-F), exploring Mixolydian mode in the context of a bluesy trip-hop vibe. Aside from the obvious G Mixolydian (G-A-B-C-D-E-F), I recommend G Minor Pentatonic (G-Bb-C-D-F) and also G Major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E) to produce an uplifting Major key feel. ➌ Jazz Blues (F) Here’s a slow jazzy-blues in one of the more highly favoured keys of jazz musicians -F. You can mix between F Major Pentatonic (F-G-A-C-D) - same five notes as D Minor Pentatonic - and F Minor Pentatonic (F-Ab-Bb-C-Eb) to great…

ABILITY RATING Moderate/Advanced ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Info https://bit.ly/3EsttvD Will improve your… Execution of trills Key G Tempo 102/60bpm Dynamic balance Creation of different string tones This month’s classical arrangement is a hugely recognisable piece among singers, perhaps due to its accessibility as a short-form and self-contained aria. It has found itself a staple of both the stage and the classroom for these reasons, which has secured its continued popularity 250 years after its inception. “From a very early age Tommaso found himself immersed in a life of music, travelling around Europe with his parents and siblings” The piece’s composer, Tommaso Giordani, had a rather unconventional musical training. He was born in Naples in 1733 and initially grew up watching his local Neapolitan contemporaries such as Domenico Scarlatti…

AC/DC needs very little in the way of introduction, but for those (about to rock) who need it, they were formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia by Scottish born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. The Young brothers have been the bedrock of the AC/DC sound since they began and the classic line-ups of the group consisted of drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams and singer Bon Scott, who was replaced after his death by Brian Johnson. Johnson’s first album with the band was the classic Mutt Lange-produced Back In Black. The most notable recent name to have a stint with the band was Axl Rose, who temporarily took over lead vocal duties when Brian Johnson needed to get medical help for hearing loss issues. The band’s sound has always been…

Brought to you by… Funk is one of the most important musical styles of the last 60 years. Its musical tentacles reach into so many genres that it’s difficult to overestimate its influence. It can feed into all aspects of your playing, from holding down a basic rhythm to helping develop groove within your soloing. “All forms of funk lead back to the pioneer and Godfather Of Soul, James Brown” In this series of lessons, we’re embarking on a funk odyssey, from its early roots with the James Brown-era guitarists, through to modern players of the YouTube generation, like Cory Wong and Mark Lettieri. All forms of funk lead back to the pioneer and Godfather Of Soul, James Brown who, in the mid-60s, began to experiment with the syncopated rhythms…

This month’s column continues our investigation of the use of sextuplet rhythms. This time we explore economy picking and position shifting. Both of these techniques constitute a huge part of the great Eric Johnson’s technique. Don’t worry! We won’t go for the blazing speed that Eric is known for, plus many of these lines rely on the Minor Pentatonic scale. However, I thought I’d push the envelope a little by being a bit more adventurous with the last two examples. In these I’ll combine classic Blues scale and Minor Pentatonic ideas with the Half-Whole Diminished scale over a D7 chord. The notes of this scale are D-Eb-F-F#-G#-A-B. Notably, this scale gives us the flat AND sharp 9ths with the Major 3rd and the #11. With experimentation, you will note that…

FEATURE VIDEO #1 CARL VERHEYEN Good To Go This great American session player performs and explains a vibrant solo over Jason Sidwell’s track! FEATURE VIDEO #2 ANT LAW Playing lead in 4ths tuning London based Ant Law demonstrates a variety of stuning phrases and licks in 4ths tuning. CLASSICAL VIDEO JULIO SAGRERAS El Colibri (The Hummingbird) Declan Zapala arranges and tabs this stunning piece from an Argentinian guitarist, teacher and composer. FEATURE THE CROSSROADS Hendrix turbo-charged blues John Wheatcroft shows the links between Jimi’s fiery blues style and those that came before and after.…

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. DECLAN ZAPALA Declan is one of the UK’s top classical guitarists and teachers. He is a Master graduateofRCM andhissolo arrangements are sublimely creative. 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 Charlie is a well studied guitarist who specialisesinhighendrockplaying and plays with top UK metal-fusion band Haken. His debut album is…

To go with the release of his new album, First Light, we ask gypsy jazz expert and GT tutor John Wheatcroft, to demonstrate six favourite licks in this fascinating style. ABILITY RATING Moderate/Advanced ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Info https://bit.ly/3EsttvD Will improve your… Stylistic authenticity Key Various Tempo Various Swing feel Articulation and expression Long-standing GT tutor John Wheatcroft’s new album, First Light, explores his life-long passion for the music of the gypsy jazz genius, Django Reinhardt, but with a sound also inspired by more modern jazz influences, from players such as Michael Brecker, Joe Diorio, Allan Holdsworth and many more. ‘It’s all fair game,’ say John. ‘I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to perform with many of the truly great current gypsy jazz guitarists from within this…

EXAMPLE 1 TED TURNER (WISHBONE ASH) This riff uses the open D Major chord shape and slides it to a range of positions along the fretboard. Look out for the sus4 chords within the sequence. On these variations, add your fourth finger to the first string, a fret above the usual note within this chord shape. Also, take note of the Ebsus#4 in bar 3. Here, we stretch the fourth finger one fret higher than the typical sus4 shape. Use your bridge pickup and enough gain for some grit, then, add chorus and a splash of reverb. PLAY EXAMPLE 2 TAYLOR YORK (PARAMORE) This riff uses octaves, along the fifth and third string, to create a smooth melodic sequence. To control the un-played strings, let the tip of your fretting…

JANUARY GT343 HANK MARVIN Three full pieces to demonstrate Hank Marvin’s iconic style plus interview. Exclusive Joel Hoekstra & Emiliano Sampaio videos, Greensleeves for classical guitar; George Benson, Paul Gilbert, Robert Cray, Keith Urban & Pearl Jam. DECEMBER GT342 FOLK ROCK Learn the licks of UK guitarists that forged a whole new style from the late 60s on: Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, Martin Barre, John Martyn, Jimmy Page & more! Plus: Dave Grissom, Slash, Smith/Kotzen, TJ Helmerich & more! NOVEMBER GT341 MARK KNOPFLER Learn five rhythm and lead styles that make him unique. Steve Morse and Brett Garsed video masterclasses; exclusive tutorial lessons from two masters. Plus: Michael Schenker, Earl Hooker, Scott Henderson, Glen Campbell. NOVEMBER GT340 BRITISH BLUES EXPLOSION! Learn how five British guitarists took influence from the blues…

When it comes to using a plectrum there are two main ways of doing so; alternate picking and economy picking. Whereas alternate picking uses a strict succession of up and down strokes to play single-note lines, economy picking takes a different approach where the choice of whether to pick up or down is directed by which string is being picked. For example, when tackling an ascending three-notes-per-string scale, the pick strokes will follow the pattern of down-updown on each string, meaning that the third note on each string is played with a downstroke while the plectrum continues the same downward motion to strike the first note on the next string. When descending a three-notes-per-string scale, the picking pattern would be up-down-up on each string. Try playing a three-notesper-string scale with…

Oddly enough, I find that the most stressful aspect of studio work is not the fear of failure. The nightmare of being handed a guitar part that you can’t sight read. Or then, having blundered through a stormy sea of semiquavers, discover that it’s technically beyond your ability due to tempo torture or musicality malfunction. Modesty, humility and other undesirable professional defects dictate that I must confess that any or all of the above can happen on occasion. But the thought doesn’t keep me awake at night clutching my Bonnie Raitt comfort teddy. In truth, my particular confidence crusher is the constant anxiety that something, somewhere along the human/instrument interface will let go with an accompanying bang, crash and involuntary four-letter outburst. To be followed by a silence in which…

ABILITY RATING Moderate ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Info https://bit.ly/3EsttvD Will improve your… Lead feel and phrasing Key Various Tempo Various Articulation and vibrato Fingerpicking Welcome to this month’s main feature, which focuses on the guitar styles of Jimmy Page. Page started his career in the 1960s and quickly became a sought-after session guitarist on the London recording scene. In 1966 he served his apprenticeship in R&B supergroup The Yardbirds and in late 1968 he formed Led Zeppelin with fellow members John Paul Jones, John Bonnham and Robert Plant. In this article we aim to identify many of Jimmy’s key techniques and innovations from his Led Zeppelin period, with a view to incorporating these ideas in your own style. Page’s early recordings featured him mostly using a Fender Telecaster.…

ABILITY RATING Moderate ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Info https://bit.ly/3EsttvD Will improve your… Bluesy jazz phrasing Key G Blues/C Tempo 106/200bpm Blending major and minor Use of tritone substitution Billy Butler was a wonderful guitarist with a beautiful tone, inventive lines and impressive stylistic range that included authentic blues, swinging jazz, genre defining R&B chops and much more besides. Probably most famous for his work in the mid 50s with pianist and organist Bill Doggett, and more specifically for the 1956 instrumental that he co-wrote with Doggett, Honky Tonk, Butler maintained a steady career as session musician, sideman and leader in his own right. Butler’s playing swung like crazy and was rooted in the blues, although the influence of Charlie Christian was also clearly evident. Billy’s lines were always…

South Africa may not be a place tht one most associates with producing blues guitar virtuosi, but this month’s featured artist provides us with an incredible exception to the rule. Hailing from Johannesburg, Dan Patlansky has carved a career path in a world that must have seemed out of reach as a young budding musician hooked on the blues. Dan himself describes how his music taste made him a bit of an outlier growing up, as the only teenager for miles with a burning passion for the music that made up his parents record collection. He wasn’t to let this deter him though, and his ambition saw him forming bands in his teenage years, eventually leading him to release his debut album in 2000. Since then he has been working…

Zakk Wylde was born in New Jersey in 1967 and since his appearance on Ozzy Osbourne’s No Rest For The Wicked in 1988, has remained one of the most respected and renowned players in the hard rock and metal genres. Zakk’s combination of bluesy feel, shredding alternate picking and trademark pinched harmonic vibrato is as legendary as it is recognisable. Zakk’s tenure with Ozzy has continued throughout the years with No More Tears and Ozzmosis being highly recommended rock guitar masterpieces. As well as this, Zakk released the acclaimed Pride And Glory in 1994, which paved the way for his Book Of Shadows solo works and Black Label Society, with whom Zakk has released multiple albums. His bluesy Southern metal style makes him the perfect choice to honour Dimebag Darrell’s…

✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ABILITY RATING Easy/Moderate Ihicipsum rem. Info https://bit.ly/3EsttvD Will improve your… Cross picking Erite dolorum Key: D Tempo: 81 bpm Chord enrichment Embellishing progressions enditio. Mod que volupta ssequos Country superstar Brad Paisley was born on October 28, 1972 in Glen Dale, West Virginia and began learning guitar aged eight. His first performances were in the local church and by his early teens he was writing his own music. Soon he was performing regularly and opening for major acts like Ricky Skaggs and George Jones. Unlike many musicians, his entrance to the business followed a planned trajectory - he studied music business in college and worked as an intern at Atlantic Records before signing a publishing contract with EMI just a week after leaving college. His…

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