Table of contents for December 2024 in Guitar Techniques

As you must now know, you are holding in your hands the very last issue of GT. I was very sad to hear the news from Jason Sidwell recently and so I thought I would share a little about my relationship with the magazine and why it’s been such a treasure to guitarists all over the world since 1994. When I moved from Tasmania to the UK in 1996, one of the very first things I did was buy Guitarist and Guitar Techniques magazines as a way of finding out the lay of the land on the UK guitar scene. I was about to start studying at The Guitar Institute in Acton, London and many of the writers for the magazines were the teachers I would be seeing regularly. I’ve…

This month we are looking at four short string bending ideas that originated in country playing but should be easy to re-apply in other musical settings. As you play through them, it’s always good to relate each one to its nearest ‘CAGED’ chord shape(s). This makes connecting the licks and also transposing them to other keys far easier. Here’s what’s going on: Lick 1 starts with a bend up from the 2nd/9th (E) to the Major 3rd (F#). The following three notes are the 5th (A) the 6th (B), and back to the 5th. Because these notes are played on adjacent strings there’s a cool Major 2nd tension created. Let the notes ring into each other and also hold the bend until it’s released at beat 3. Licks 2 and…

GT: What is it about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you? NP: Well, being a guitarist it’s really interesting to hear how other players tackle material, be it original or more familiar. I used to actively avoid listening to other guitarists as I remember somebody telling me that I would get more from jazz if I didn’t concentrate on my own instrument. But as time went on, I found myself turning toward records with guitarists in the line-up. Almost exclusively, actually! The beauty of the guitar is that it can enthral as much in a solo setting as in a large ensemble, and everything in between. In a small group recording, the guitar has so much to offer, with its ability to take the lead as well as accompany. Someone like…

ABILITY RATING Moderate/Advanced Info https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Key E Tempo Various Will improve your… ✓ Slide guitar technique ✓ Phrasing in 7/8 ✓ Ability to play in open E (E-B-E-G#-B-E) Troy Refern has developed a unique and versatile slide style. We asked Troy to come up with six of his favourite ‘next level’ slide licks and he went for a challenging 7/8 time feel and classic open E tuning (E-B-E-G#-B-E). All the examples combine classic blues-rock slide vocabulary but framed in this more sophisticated odd time setting. But first let’s review the basics of good slide technique. Learning slide has a couple of barriers to entry. The first is establishing consistent contact between the slide and the strings. You may find using heavier strings and a higher action can help here. Troy…

Brought to you by… ABILITY RATING Moderate Info Key: Various Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ String bends ✓ Blues phrasing ✓ Intensity This month, we’re shining a spotlight on an unsung hero of blues: Luther Allison. Known for his electrifying performances and soulful intensity, Allison left an indelible mark on the blues scene, despite never achieving the mainstream success he deserved over his four-decade career. Born in 1939 in Widener, Arkansas, Allison moved to Chicago as a teenager, where he immersed himself in the city’s vibrant blues scene. Influenced by legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, he developed a fierce, soulful style on both guitar and vocals. By his early 20s, Allison was performing regularly in Chicago’s West Side clubs, where his raw energy and emotionally charged…

ABILITY RATING Advanced Info Key: Various Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Alternate picking ✓ Finger dexterity ✓ Odd phrasing Robert Fripp was born in Dorset, England in 1946. His 50-plus years of work with King Crimson is full of mind-bending and finger twisting guitar parts that would take several lifetimes to fully comprehend. So we will focus on the 80s era which featured Fripp alongside Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals. Tracks like Frame By Frame, Discipline, and Three Of A Perfect Pair feature a unique guitar style focused on odd, poly-metric riffs, melodies and motifs played with relentless alternate picking. In 2024 it was announced that a new band named BEAT would feature Adrian Belew and Steve Vai, who was hand picked by Robert Fripp to perform…

ABILITY RATING Moderate Info Key: Various Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Neo-soul fusion playing ✓ Double-stops and triads ✓ Emulating piano & horns Rodrigo’s style is a rich combination of jazz, fusion and soul sounds, always firmly based around strong melodies. Most importantly, he uses the guitar to create a huge range of less obviously ‘guitar-like’ textures. His cascading chord/melodies are reminiscent of a pianist using the sustain pedal, since they beautifully blend into one another. However, on top of this he effortlessly plays quick lines with double-stops or even full triads, channelling an entire horn section! Rodrigo has created several fantastic packages for JTCguitar, including Dorian Sounds, Soul Fusion Masterclass Volumes 1 to 3, plus as a box-set of the above, as well as 20 Neo-Soul Fusion…

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 graduate of RCM and his solo 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 specialises in high end rock playing and plays with…

 “Now is the time to yield a sigh (yield it, yield it). Now is the time to wend our way-ee, until we meet again, some sunny day.”(From the great Peter Cook and Dudley Moore). And so dear reader, I leave with you a smorgasbord of top tips to take forward fret-wise, culled from the pages of a decade’s worth of these Session Shenanigans columns. My mission has always been to entertain while smuggling some allegedly sage advice into the prose, mainly at the request (okay, insistence) of editor Jason. So, here are my top three tips, “in no particular order”, as they intone at regular intervals during Strictly Come Dancing. This old chestnut still rings true. A tourist stops a native New Yorker in the street and asks, “Excuse me,…

Neville Marten (editor 1994-1995 and 2004-2022) Towards the end of 1993 I was editing Guitarist and Phil Hilborne handled the music. We felt the market could stand an all-technique guitar mag so we planned it: real song tabs, popular genres, the best tutors. Before long Phil was doing A-Z Of Great Riffs, Lee Hodgson had Hot Country, Frank Evans did Jazz, Eric Roche handled Acoustic, Shaun Baxter took on Rock, Geoff Whitehorn brought us Blues, and Cliff Douse wrote about Scales And Modes. We also had Guthrie Govan, Dave Kilminster and Jamie Humphries doing full song transcriptions. Launched in March 1994 we were an instant hit. To highlight GT’s sheer reach, in the early 2000s Guthrie and I were strolling around LA’s NAMM Show where he was demoing Cornford amps. As…

ABILITY RATING Moderate Info https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Key Various Tempo Various Will improve your… ✔ Wah operating skills ✔ 16th-note strumming ✔ Popping guitar technique Welcome to our 1970s based funk lesson, the aim of which is to arm you with the skills you’ll need to create great 70s-style funk parts. The first technique to examine is 16th-note strumming, which forms the basis of funk rhythm guitar and we have some easy drills to tighten up your strumming hand. The pattern consists of alternating down and up strums and, as the name suggests, you’ll find 16 strums in a bar of 4/4. Let’s first establish the pattern of alternating down and up strokes. Lay the fingers of the fretting hand lightly on the strings to damp them. Our strumming pattern is counted…

ABILITY RATING Moderate Info https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Key Various Tempo Various Will improve your… ✓ Articulation and accuracy chord shapes ✓ Blues and rock vocabulary ✓ Pentatonic sequencing and phrasing The chances are that you have definitely heard Michael Landau. For a little over 40 years Michael has been a first-call session guitarist, appearing on literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of records. If your preconception of a session player is of some sterile six-string android that churns out note-perfect but soulless and clinical performances at the drop of a hat, then it’s time to think again. Landau’s playing is dripping with feel, emotion, dynamics, and musicality. He has graced the stage with some of the most important contemporary artists in the history of popular music (Cher to Richard Marx, Chaka Khan to…

ABILITY RATING Easy/Moderate Info Key: E Minor Tempo: 150 bpm https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Double-stop riffs and lines ✓ Musical use of delay ✓ Playing for the song The sound of early U2 is one of the most instantly recognisable of the past 40 years in music. It was the delay pedal of guitarist The Edge in particular, along with his clever approach to composing guitar parts that launched the band’s career and a million copycats over the decades. The band formed in 1976 when drummer Larry Mullen Jr posted an advert on the notice board at Temple Mount Comprehensive School in Dublin, and was subsequently joined by bass player Adam Clayton, guitarist David Evans (aka The Edge) and vocalist Paul Hewson, who is obviously known by the singular…

ABILITY RATING Moderate Info Key: Various Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Fingerpicking technique ✓ Major key improvising ✓ Melodic phrasing As lead guitarist and singer with British supergroup Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler has been one of the world’s most high-profile artists since Sultans Of Swing captivated listeners back in 1977. A few years later in 1985 the group’s album Brothers In Arms became a colossal hit, coinciding with its release on the new music format, CD. The iconic song Money For Nothing with its reference to MTV, and a video featuring computer generated animation, caught the wave of enthusiasm Knopfler’s approach is based around a rootsy fingerpicked way of playing (mostly thumb, first finger and second finger). This gives a varied texture and warm tone to solos, comping…

Brought to you by… ABILITY RATING Advanced Info Key: G Minor Tempo: 100 bpm https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ 16th-note time feel ✓ Open-string ideas ✓ Syncopation Although he has been associated with the New York jazz and fusion scene since the 1990s, Wayne Krantz is originally from Corvallis, Oregon where he was born on 26th July, 1956. Krantz took up the guitar at age 14 inspired by The Beatles and was later drawn to progressive rock bands, particularly Jethro Tull and Chicago. Krantz attended Berklee Music School and has described himself as a Pat Metheny-style player during this period. Following his graduation from Berklee, Krantz eventually found his way to the signature gritty ‘edge-of-breakup’ Stratocaster sound which can be heard on solo albums from Signals in 1990, onwards. Krantz…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH QUINN SULLIVAN SALVATION (Provogue Records) 9/10 Bluesy rock is a broad and vibrant style for any singer-guitarist so it’s good to have Quinn Sullivan sitting at a table that’s biased towards great guitar playing. Opener, Dark Love has a 70s driving rock feel with great tones, stinging solo and a vocal delivery that’s very appealing. Hendrix grooving and glistening neck pickup tone on Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray) make it perfect for live audiences. The funky Once Upon A Lie sits almost in Bruno Mars territory; great rhythm guitar, layered vocals, R&B chord changes and lovely neo-soul-esque phrasing. Better In Love is a tasty ballad, demonstrating that Sullivan’s songwriting chops are on a par with his six-string savvy. Leave No Love Behind is a fun ‘cha-cha’ bopping…

Try GT’s digital edition on PC, Mac, Laptop, Desktop or Tablet! 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.…

➊ Dorian Vamp (B) We start with a simple B Dorian vamp (Bm7-E7), where B Dorian mode (B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A) is of course perfect, but B Minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A) and the B Minor Blues scale (B-D-E-F-F#-A) also work great. ➋ 6/8 Blues (E Minor) Next up is a slow blues in good old E Minor, with a 6/8 beat. Start with E Minor Pentatonic scale (E-G-A-B-D) and then head for the E Minor scale (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D) for more colour. ➌ Vintage Soul Vibes (B Minor) Here we have a fun chord progression (Em9-F#m7-Bm9) with a vintage soul type of vibe. Get your oldest axe out and go to town on B Minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A) and B Minor scale (B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A). ➍ Slow Blues (B Minor) We finish with a slow blues in B Minor.…

GT: Do you have a type of guitar pick that you can’t live without? ADM: It’s a normal pick shape, it’s extra heavy. It delivers me the right sound for the type of music I play. GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be, and why? ADM: I would keep my chorus and a little bit of delay, as I like to have a slight bit of repeat. And also my reverb, so those three. GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to do so in a band? If so, what, and have you ever done it? ADM:Percussion. And no, I’ve never done it. But I think I would be a better percussionist than a guitarist. GT: If a music chart were…

ABILITY RATING Advanced Info https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Key A Minor Tempo Various Will improve your… ✓ Sweep-picked arpeggios ✓ Scale runs ✓ Neo-classical rock vocabulary Hailed by countless fans and critics as the dawn of the shred guitar revolution, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Grammy-nominated solo debut built on earlier flashes of genius (in Steeler and Alcatrazz), with a jaw-dropping display of mechanical mastery, classically influenced themes, and reckless, extended soloing. In a time when two-handed tapping was the technique of choice among the big-hair population, Yngwie put Harmonic Minor, baroque-fused themes, ferocious picking, and sweeping arpeggios on the rock agenda. Mechanically, Malmsteen has a very systemised way of getting around, and almost never plays himself into a corner with a musical idea that isn’t perfectly matched with a technical approach. In the scalar picking…

ABILITY RATING Moderate/Advanced Info https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Key D minor Tempo 116 bpm Will improve your… ✓ Scale plucking ✓ Economy of movement ✓ Arpeggiated picking patterns Born in 1806 in Pressburg, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia), Johann Kaspar Mertz is a celebrated virtuoso guitarist and composer who came of age around the turn of the Romantic era. Mertz’s music was rooted in the tonal and textural colours of the great Classical composers, including fellow Austrian predecessors Mozart and Haydn. But he was also heavily influenced by the expressive, rubato-laden and more structurally free compositional approach of many of his Romantic pianist composer contemporaries such as Liszt, Chopin, and Schumann; all of whom were born within a year of Mertz. As such his music is a time capsule that draws from both sides…

ABILITY RATING Moderate / Advanced Info Key: Various Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Down picking ✓ Diad sequences ✓ Pedalling from open strings One of the landmark features that sets Queensrÿche’s music apart from other rock and metal bands is the cleverly orchestrated rhythm guitars. Their classic sound is largely due to the interplay between Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo’s parts. Often one guitar will focus on low, driven, sustaining chords as the other creates high melodic motifs. Or they’ll explore harmonic movement against the open strings, while integrating crystal clean tones to elevate the tension and drama. Despite DeGarmo’s departure in 1997, subsequent guitar players who joined Wilton managed to retain this signature sound by keeping sophisticated rhythm guitar arrangements the staple feature. “Despite DeGarmo’s departure, subsequent…

ABILITY RATING Moderate Info Key: D Major  Tempo: 73 bpm https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Fingerpicking timing ✓ Awareness of register ✓ Alternating basslines Like their contemporaries Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues was a band that formed during the British R&B boom of the 1960s and subsequently underwent a change of line-up and sound. The original group came out of the British blues scene in Birmingham in 1964, and featured guitarist Denny Laine who stayed with the band for just two years. He would go on to be a pivotal member of Wings, with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. The original line-up found success with their smash Go Now, which hit the number one spot in the UK charts and reached the top 10 in the US. After founding members Laine and…

Brought to you by… ABILITY RATING Moderate Info  Key: G Major Tempo: Various https://bit.ly/3WLjVGr Will improve your ✓ Open tuning ✓ Delta blues phrasing ✓ Rock rhythm playing The basic premise of open tunings is that the guitar is tuned to a chord; in this case, open G. To do this the sixth string needs to be tuned down a tone to D, the fifth down a tone to G and the first string also down a tone to D. From the sixth string down this reads, D-G-D-G-B-D. So essentially just the notes of G (root) B (3rd) and D (5th). The advantage of this tuning is that open chords can be played across the neck using just one finger, or with a slide, hence why a lot of bottleneck…