Innehållsförteckning för November 2015 från Guitar Techniques

RICHARD BARRETT One of the best players around, Richard is adept at most styles but truly excels in the bluesier side of rock. He currently plays with Spandau’s Tony Hadley. 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…

1 Acoustic Blues (A) Here’s a fun, head-bopping blues shuffle in A (to go with our great cover feature). Mix up A major Pentatonic (A-B-C#-E-F#) and A minor Pentatonic (A-C-D-E-G) for maximum blues vibes. Knowing the 7th arpeggios will come in handy as well – A7 (A-C#-E-G), D7 (D-F#-A-C) and E7 (E-G#-B-D). 2 11/8 Curveball (B) Up for a challenge? Then try this odd-meter track (in 11/8) in the key of B major. Counting 4, 4, 3 will help. The chords are: B-B-Gmaj7-E, an example of modal interchange, meaning it goes from major (B major, B chords) to minor (B Minor/ Dorian, G and E chords). Think B major Pentatonic (B-C#-D#- F#-G#) to B minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A). 3 Funk Blues (Am) You can give your groove guitar playing a workout…

DALE BENVENUTO ABILITY RATING The technique of economy picking, where adjacent strings are picked with consecutive down or up-picks, has been around longer than you might think. Django Reinhardt used economy picking to create his incredibly fluid solos. The late, great Les Paul also used economy picking as part of his virtuoso technique. And let’s not forget that jazz guitarists have been playing sweep picked arpeggios since the days of bebop. But it was during the 80s and 90s that economy and sweep picking became the techniques for creating full shred solos. Undoubtedly one of the catalysts for this obsession with speed and gymnastic ability was the solo Eddie Van Halen played on Michael Jackson’s Beat It. The single dominated the airwaves on its release, simultaneously making Van Halen a…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 JEFF BECK CD TRACK 43 Jeff Beck has an extremely distinctive sound, almost like a brass instrument at times. Use the vibrato arm to dip just before each note to create a slide guitar effect with a slow and defined vibrato at the end of each phrase. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 PORCUPINE TREE CD TRACK 44 Steven Wilson is somewhat underrated as a guitar hero, but his writing and composition of guitar parts is extremely skilful. He’s also a fabulous producer and he has remixed many classic prog albums. Use a light vibrato with the bar and delay or phaser that can emphasise these moody chord changes. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 LIVING COLOUR CD TRACK 45 Living Colour’s Vernon Reid has an unmistakable style but a…

ABILITY RATING Welcome to the third part in our series of video lessons with jazz guitarist Nigel Price. In the first two instalments we looked at Nigel’s approach to chord melody and single-line playing. We’ve tried to highlight the thinking behind it in order to provide readers with a systematic approach to those areas. This month we’ll be looking at how Nigel approaches playing over a major jazz-blues. Without getting into too much detail, it might be worth pointing out that the jazz-blues structure has a few differences from a standard Albert King type of blues. Firstly, the ‘traditional’ blues is often in a guitar friendly key such as A or E, whereas the jazz blues is more likely to be in Bb or F. This is due to the…

ABILITY RATING Since their formation in 1973, Kiss have remained one of the quintessential hard rock acts. Although best known for their over-the-top stage antics, fire breathing and make-up, their music has endured the test of time and made them one of the most successful bands of all time, as their 30 gold albums can attest. Over that time the band has produced some bona fide rock anthems such as God Of Thunder, Strutter, Detroit Rock City, Rock And Roll All Nite and God Gave Rock & Roll to You, to name just a few. Of course, it has not been an entirely smooth ride and there have been numerous line-up changes, including five different lead guitarists; Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are the only two members who have remained…

ABILITY RATING In this series on reading music we started from the beginning and learned the notes on the stave as well as those on the ledger lines above and below it. We also learned how bars can be subdivided into many interesting rhythms and we have seen a whole host of methods to help us navigate song charts and add musical expression to the piece. This month, we will continue to practise applying all of these elements by combining them into a short musical work. In the last couple of issues we have been practising reading chromatic scales by using accidentals in the notation. This month, however, we are remaining completely within (or diatonic to) the key of E Minor (E-F#-G-AB-C-D-E). It will help a lot if you already…

WE GET LETTERS about blues all the time. The nay-sayers treat it as one great mire into which they don’t ever want to sink, while the lovers adore its almost infinite variety of styles and feels. As if to reinforce the latter view this month’s cover feature focuses on one aspect of the blues: the shuffle. This single ‘feel’ has powered the music of great artists from early ragtime to the legendary Stevie Ray and beyond. We’re pleased to say that Richard Barrett is back in GT; a splendid rock and blues player, Richard nails the shuffle’s range of styles perfectly. Some would say that the perfect pairing of rock and blues was Gary Moore’s classic Parisienne Walkways. A perhaps surprising hit in 1979 when punk and new wave were…

GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? MB: Manson’s medium, in yellow. GT:You have to give up all your pedals but three – what are they? MB: (Amazingly) I don’t use pedals but I have an Alesis Picoverb on the send and return of the amp, set low! GT: Do you play another musical instrument well enough to do so in a band? MB: Actually, I play flute but I can’t think of a band stupid enough to want one! GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it? MB: Yes, but I need a day or two. GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference?What make are yours? MB: I use Line 6 radio: they make life…

P G BRUNELLI / ICONICPIX ABILITY RATING The ‘shuffle’ or ‘swing’ beat is a fascinating musical device that completely transforms the feel of a piece of music. Instead of a regular, even 1-2-3-4, the shuffle has an asymmetric pulse, alternating longer and shorter notes. Try playing only the first and third notes of a triplet (1-2-3) pattern, and you’re playing a shuffle or ‘swing’ rhythm, as heard in many a 12-bar blues jam – but there’s much more to the shuffle than that! Some of the earliest recorded examples of shuffle can be heard in the ragtime piano music of the very late 19th and early 20th century, in which the left hand plays a ‘straight’ bass pattern against a syncopated right-hand melody. Check out Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag…

ONTHECD TRACKS41-42 From Saint-Saëns’ magical suite, Carnival Of The Animals, comes this challenging but beautiful piece. Bridget Mermikides introduces ‘Le Cygne’. THE PIECE IS NOT SO EASY TO PLAY, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE MELODY FLOWING AND THE ACCOMPANIMENT BALANCED. ABILITY RATING This month we return to the excellent composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), whose Aquarium we tackled in GT245. Saint-Saëns had a wide range of skills, from respected music teacher (with students such as Gabriel Fauré) to multi-instrumentalist (piano, organ, conductor) and a prodigious composer for a wide range of instruments and ensembles. Despite his enormous output of superb pieces, it is perhaps one small set of works that he composed as a ‘distraction’ – when he should have been writing his third symphony – that has endured…

ABILITY RATING Albert King was born Albert King Nelson in 1923 in Indianola Mississippi. He grew up picking cotton as a child and would sing alongside his father who played guitar in church, as well as absorbing influences from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson and T Bone Walker. Like so many greats, Albert also took several menial jobs before he could follow his musical path. He started his professional life first in Arkansas then Missouri and Gary Indiana, before moving to Chicago where he recorded his first single for Parrot Records. He then moved to St Louis where he had a minor hit with I’m A Lonely Man. Only when he moved to Memphis and signed with Stax Records in 1966, did his career finally take off. Alongside Booker T…

ABILITY RATING In the previous lesson, we started looking at a simple but useful concept that provides a great way of creating fresh sounds and 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 in which the black notes show C Major in a three-notes-per-string pattern, one could play the three black notes on the first string (D-E-F) as F-D-E. This would represent a ‘unit’ that follows a 3-1-2 note-sequence (note-order) whereby 3 is the highest note, 1 is the lowest note and 2 is the middle note. If this same ‘unit’ was then applied to the notes on the second string, we would get C-A-B. On the third string, it would…

ABILITY RATING Wayne Krantz has one of the most unique styles in contemporary jazz guitar. Considering himself a jazz musician in spirit, rather than from the idiomatic vocabulary of the genre, he has built a career as bandleader, sideman with jazz royalty such as Michael Brecker and Billy Cobham, and toured the world as a member of Steely Dan and with Donald Fagan. Wayne graduated from Berklee in the late 70s and has refined his style to create an approach that combines elements of rock, blues and funk but with the exploratory mindset of the jazz improviser. Krantz goes to great lengths to nurture his voice, avoiding clichés and striving for originality. There are three crucial aspects to Wayne’s playing. First, his time-feel is flawless. A devotee of the metronome,…

OCTOBER GT248 SORT OUT YOUR PICKING An exclusive lesson in part 1 of our picking series. Banish sloppy alternate picking and enjoy more accuracy, speed and tone. Plus, get your teeth into The Knack’s wonderful classic, My Sharona – a track chock full of glorious riffs and plenty of solos. 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.…

VENNART THE DEMON JOKE SuperballMusic Guitarist Mike Vennart honed his skills during his 13 years with psychedelic rock band, Oceansize; and more recently as touring guitarist with Biffy Clyro. But this is his first solo venture and, as debut albums go, this is one unique musical experience. The Demon Joke takes you from blissful sonic soundscapes into total musical chaos, yet from the outset you feel compelled to follow. By today’s standards this is arguably far more prog than psychedelic as it has the tendency to plummet into unexplored musical depths while tripping between time signatures and curious riffs. More importantly, it’s an attention grabber and the songs are great. The musical prowess of all involved is second to none and, although there are no guitar solos as such, Mike’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 bit.ly/guitartechniques (if you…

THE IDEA HERE is to encircle pairs of notes from a chord using scale notes from above and chromatic notes from below. The chord is A7 (A-C#-E-G). Albert Lee, Johnny Hiland, Eric Johnson and many other players regularly use this type of idea. Pick, fingerstyle or a pick and fingers will all work here. Notice how the first phrase is a beat and a half long and repeats three times before the descending part, which begins on the‘and’of‘1’in bar 2. Keep steady and don’t rush! I have given a suggested fingering but feel free to amend it to suit your style. Don’t forget to work on similar licks of your own – try playing the same thing with other chord types in as many places on the neck as you…

LEO FENDER IS HARD AT WORK  on the prototype of his first commercial guitar, the Fender Broadcaster. With three-a-side tuners on the all-maple neck the guitar lacks that certain something and the surface-mounted rectangular control plate and small scratchplate offer a lack of coordination. But when presented in 1950 all the design elements are in place and a classic is born. TWO MEN FIGHT OVER A GIRL  at a dancehall in Twist, Arkansas and knock over a barrel of burning kerosene causing the building to blaze. BB King dashes back into the burning building to retrieve his Gibson guitar only later to realise what a foolish thing he’d done. He then names that and every other guitar he plays, Lucille, the name of the girl the men were fighting over,…

GEORGE CHIN / ICONICPIX ABILITY RATING Though deservedly remembered by many for his excellent rock and blues recordings, Gary Moore actually had a very wide taste in music and experimented in a variety of genres. Parisienne Walkways was recorded during the 1978 sessions for Gary’s Back On The Streets album and features Thin Lizzy’s often underrated drummer Brian Downey, plus Phil Lynott himself on vocals and upright bass. It captures Gary’s playing at a pivotal stage, making the transition from the jazz-rock style of the Colosseum II albums a couple of years earlier, to his eventual reunion with Thin Lizzy for the Black Rose album in 1979. Of course, there was never any shortage of fire in Gary’s playing whatever the genre, and he sounded just as at home on…

Music is often compared to sport, more often than not in a way that’s not helpful at all: who’s the fastest and so on. But there’s one area where music and sport definitely do relate, and that’s in the quality of focused training – or practice, as we’d call it. Sport is very specific on aims, often nurtured through precise and diligent training. In this regard the average blues or rock guitarist lags way behind in development terms. But it doesn’t have to be this way. One approach favoured by sportsmen is targeting: the footballer takes numerous shots at goal from one position on the pitch; the snooker player repeatedly sets up a long ‘white to black’ shot on the table; the table tennis player gets the ball to hit…

ABILITY RATING San Franciscans Faith No More formed in 1981 featuring bassist Billy Gould, drummer Mike Bordin and keyboard player Roddy Bottum. The classic line-up from the band’s heyday of the late 80s and early 90s also featured vocalist Mike Patton, who had replaced Chuck Mosley, and guitarist Jim Martin. The band had gained a local following before they released their first album and managed to achieve some minor MTV airplay of the single We Care a Lot, which featured on their debut album of the same name, and was re-recorded for 1987’s Introduce Yourself. The band had recorded this album without any major funding or help from a record label, but they managed to achieve moderate success nonetheless. When Patton joined the band in the early 90s they hit…

This month sees the last in our Chops Shop series. We’re taking a final look at the Mixolydian scale by expanding our use of it by playing three Mixolydian key centres. In other words, we’re playing over a I-IV-V chord progression in G (G major, C major, and D major), but we’re adapting each of them to dominant chords, giving us G7, C7, and D7 (like you’d find in a standard 12-bar blues in G). We’re going to be playing the separate Mixolydian scale of each chord; ie: G Mixolydian over the G7, C Mixolydian over the C7, and D Mixolydian over the D7. This can present some tricky fretboard and aural challenges but when approached musically, it can really mark the chord changes and make your playing sound much…

ABILITY RATING One of the most enduring stars of country music, Willie Nelson has been crafting hits for over 60 years. Starting as a songwriter and disc jockey in Texas in the late 50s he found success as a writer with tracks that would become staples of the country music canon. As with many other successful songwriters (most notably Bob Dylan) you don’t always associate him with hits; think of Crazy and you immediately conjure an image of Patsy Cline, but that track was actually written in 1961 by Nelson while working as a struggling writer in Nashville. Believe it or not several country artists had previously turned it down. Nelson was a key exponent of the ‘outlaw country’ sound, a rougher-edged approach to songwriting that emerged in the late…

MUSIC} REVIEWS WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN Buyit Excellent Good Average Binit! MARTIN BARRE BACK TO STEEL www.martinbarre.com As the title suggests Barre’s back on electric guitar after his recent acoustic forays that included re-examined Jethro Tull material. He does a bit of that here but only for Skating Away and Slow Marching Band. It’s Martin’s sixth solo release and coincides with his 50th year in the business. And what a fitting tribute it is. Barre avoids the ‘instrumental only’ approach, bringing in Dan Crisp on lead vocals and a full band for a varied album that’s full of twists and turns but with exquisite playing throughout. We particularly enjoy the dual guitar on various tracks, including the title song and his stunning arrangement of Eleanor Rigby. Barre has again produced…

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.…

TRANSCRIPTION #1 JOE SATRIANI Always With Me, Always With You Steve Allsworth tabs this iconic track from the album Surfing With The Alien. TRANSCRIPTION #2 EDUARDO DI CAPUA O Solé Mio It’s Now Or Never! Bridget Mermikides tackles one of classical music’s most famous songs (but not the Elvis version). FEATURE PICKING, PART 3 Hybrid Picking In our final picking feature Phil Capone examines one of the most useful styles of all – pick and fingers, or ‘hybrid’. VIDEO LESSON NIGEL PRICE Masterclass, Part 4 This month, Nigel completes his four-part masterclass series with a fantastic minor jazz-blues jam – it’s awesome! MORE GREAT LESSONS Chris Rea Tasteful blues and more Allan Holdsworth Fusion icon, awesome soloist Dokken The great George Lynch System Of A Down American nu-metal rockers Richard…