Table of contents for September 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,…

1 Shuffle Blues (C) Instead of the usual V-IV-I in the last four bars (G-F-C), this track’s turnaround goes: V-bVI-V-I (G-Ab-G-C), thus ending on the V (G) in the last bar for a nice build-up to the next round. You’ll find that C minor Pentatonic scale (C-Eb-F-G-Bb) is a great choice for soloing over this track. 2 Bossa Minor Blues (Gm) For this light and breezy bossa nova feel track, use G minor Pentatonic (G-Bb-C-D-F) and G minor Blues scale (G-Bb-C-C#- D-F) as well as G Minor scale itself (G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F). In order to really paint the colours of the chord progression, a great idea is to spell out the arpeggios of each chord as it comes around. Aim to make it sound musical though, and not like an exercise. 3…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:C major TEMPO:94 bpm CD:TRACKS 51-53 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Clean arpeggio playing Controlled lead work Timing and feel FORMED, UNSURPRISINGLY, IN Chicago in 1967, Chicago have played various styles of rock over the years, including some more experimental and jazz influenced music, as well as the commercially very successful softer rock style of the 80s and early 90s. Originally named Chicago Transit Authority, the band changed their name to Chicago and took the inspiration for their now well-known logo from Coca-Cola. They are also one of the most successful American bands of all time, second only to The Beach Boys in terms of album sales, with 18 platinum and eight multi-platinum albums among the 100 million sales they’ve achieved. Formed originally by saxophonist Walter Parazaider, guitarist Terry…

TRANSCRIPTION #1 THE KNACK My Sharona This perfect 70s pop-rock track is full of top-class guitar playing, great to learn and Jon Bishop has tabbed it for you! TRANSCRIPTION #2 JS BACH Prelude In D Minor Bridget Mermikides arranges and transcribes a stunning work for you by the master of classical composition. FEATURE PARALLEL WORLDS Yin and yang, matter and dark matter – major and minor. Learn how these two musical worlds interact and how to solo over changing keys and flavours! VIDEO LESSON NIGEL PRICE Exclusive Masterclass, Part 2 Sensational modern jazz guitarist Nigel Price shows Dario Cortese his chord melody approach. This lesson could be your playing’s turning point... SORT OUT YOUR PICKING! Picking is almost every player’s weakest point. Getting it right is only a matter…

THIS MONTH WE have a triple artist focus, all very different styles, feels and genres. First is a man who has been on top for decades. He shot to fame with a set that took Woodstock Festival by storm. His liquid style sounded like nothing we’d heard before and his band’s Latin rhythms had the vast crowd dancing in the mud. Yes, it’s Carlos Santana. And while Carlos does divide opinion, who can deny a career that spans six decades, 10 Grammys and album sales that top 100 million? That his recent works, Supernatural and Shaman are among his most successful of all is testament to his generation-spanning appeal. Phil Capone looks at Carlos’s unique style, covering Latin rhythms, bending and picking, tone, choice of scales and more; all ending…

Intruder Alert! Dear Theory Godmother I was looking through a songbook the other day and I found a song in the key of G that includes the chord F#7. I know that F#7 doesn’t belong in the key of G and so I’m wondering how you’d approach soloing over this change. The rest of the song appears to stick to the chords in the key of G but this oddball change seems to upset my attempts to play over it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Dave I’ve outlined the changes you sent me in Ex 1 and, yes, the F#7 really does impose itself as a visitor in an otherwise G major chord sequence. Normally you would solo over the Gmaj7, Am7 and Bm7 using a mixture of scale…

One of the easiest ways to spice up your arpeggio licks is to add chromatic passing notes between the chord tones. Here I have achieved this simply by playing all the notes that occur between the 5th (D) and 3rd (B) of the G major arpeggio – beats 2 and 4 of bar 1. Notice that, as this arpeggio is played over an Am chord, these notes function as 11th (D), major 3rd (!) (C#), b3 (C) and 9th (B) – creating a nice jazzy effect. Bar 2 contains an ascending sliding phrase that’s all played with the same fretting finger – very Van Halen! Be careful not to rush the timing of the chromatic notes, but sound them all as cleanly as you can. Also be aware that during…

GLOBE PHOTOS / ZUMA PRESS / ALAMY ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:Various TEMPO:Various CD:TRACKS 4-27 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Authentic licks and phrasing Latin rhythm playing Picking dynamics DURING THE EARLY 60s the bossa nova movement marked the beginning of a surge in the popularity of Latin music. By the end of the decade it had made its way into mainstream rock, spearheaded by Carlos Santana’s self-titled band. Santana’s fusion of Latin and rock was a million miles away from the easy listening bossa nova of the early 60s; it was more aggressive, often jammed and, of course, it featured Carlos’s loud, distorted guitar solos. Santana was a true visionary and pioneer. The first rock musician to create a signature sound based on traditional Latin American and Afro Cuban percussion. Carlos Santana…

DAVID REDFERN / GETTY IMAGES ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:Various TEMPO:Various CD:TRACKS 30-38 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Fingerstyle technique Folk and acoustic blues General acoustic repertoire THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR world lost one of its true pioneers when the great John Renbourn passed away earlier this year. Although often referred to as a folk guitarist, Renbourn’s range on the instrument was staggering and he was equally at home with DADGAD style folk, Mississippi blues, traditional classical styles and a whole lot more. Unlike many players from the acoustic world at the time (John was a stalwart of the 60s and 70s scene) Renbourn was a schooled musician who had taken classical guitar grades. While he travelled through many styles musically, the precise technique of the classical fingerstylist would always be at the core…

EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 1 FLEETWOOD MAC CD TRACK 41 Given the slight country feel that Fleetwood Mac employed at times in the 70s, this example utilises a typical country style pre-bend lick with natural harmonics at the 12th fret, followed by C#m7 then Asus2. Try this with a clean or slightly driven amp tone. EASY LICKS EXAMPLE 2 JOE WALSH CD TRACK 42 This example is all about the aggressive rhythm style in the picking hand and an up/down stroke feel. Continue the strumming motion despite the rests, which will help to keep you in the groove. A high output, low gain classic blues sound is the order of the day here. INTERMEDIATE LICKS EXAMPLE 3 LES PAUL CD TRACK 43 This example Lic uses Les’ warm tone and soft…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:C maj/min TEMPO:Various CD:CD-ROM WILL IMPROVE YOUR Chord melody playingChord knowledgeComping vocabulary WELCOME TO PART one of this new series of video lessons with acclaimed jazz guitarist Nigel Price. Nigel might not be known to the wider public, but over the past few years he has garnered a growing reputation as one of the finest guitarists on the British jazz scene. His style is characterised by a blend of fluidity, flawless technique, colourful harmony and melodic inventiveness, as well as mastery of the blues side of the jazz tradition. To investigate the secret of his success we caught up with Nigel and asked him to shed some light on some of the grey areas of jazz guitar; the thinking behind it, so to speak. In this first…

EXAMPLE 1 G MIXOLYDIAN ASCENDING AND DESCENDING CD-ROM Here’s a straightforward G Mixolydian scale exercise (G-A-B-C-D-E-F) with the root on the sixth string. This pattern extends to just beyond two octaves. As you play the example, listen to the notes and make sure you’re aware of the major 3rd and minor 7th intervals, which provide the Mixolydian sound. EXAMPLE 2 MIXOLYDIAN WITH ARPEGGIOS AND PENTATONICS CD-ROM Starting on the major 2nd note (A), this idea uses a G Mixolydian sequence in bar 1, going into a G7 arpeggio (G-B-D-F) in bar 2. Bar 3 starts with a more Pentatonic sound on the fifth and fourth strings before returning with a descending Mixolydian line. EXAMPLE 3 BLUESY MIXOLYDIAN CD-ROM This lick has a more bluesy flavour in addition to the Mixolydian…

JOBY SESSIONS ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:VariousTEMPO:VariousCD:TRACKS69-86 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Jazz vocabularyFretting-hand slursThumb articulations JIM MULLEN WAS born in Glasgow in 1945. A natural left-hander, Jim picked up his first guitar aged eight and taught himself to play. Frustrated with his less articulate right hand’s ability to hold a pick and unaware that he could switch the guitar around, he decided to abandon the plectrum altogether. Over time he developed a picking technique based upon exclusive use of downstrokes with the thumb, assisted from a speed and agility perspective with an abundance of hammer-ons and pull-offs. Rather than be considered a weakness, this approach to producing the notes, coupled with his swinging phrasing, intelligent note selection, encyclopedic knowledge of jazz vocabulary and a superb time-feel all add up to one of…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:VariousTEMPO:VariousCD:TRACKS 89-90 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Notation readingFretboard knowledgeEmployability! IN THIS READING study we will continue to revise some of the skills you will have previously learned in this series, including: key signatures, notes, rests, ties, articulations, directions and sign posts. Although we have looked at all of these elements in isolation before, integrating them into an entire piece will give you the opportunity to test your skills in a more realistic setting. As always, we have provided a backing track for you to play along with and this time we have set the tempo at 120bpm, which means that the quarter-notes are played at the same rate as the downbeats. This speed is set out at the beginning of the track with a one bar count. As…

WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN: Buy it Excellent Good Average Bin it! ALBUM OF THE MONTH ARISTOCRATS TRES CABALLEROS Boing Guthrie, Bryan and Marco return with a new studio album that is full of the feel and tempo changes you would expect. It’s a musical triumph that will keep you intrigued from start to finish while being overwhelmed by the abilities of these guys. Again, it’s an all instrumental affair but there’s so much texture in what they play that the brain has no time to switch off. As a result it can be pretty full-on at times but the occasional softer sections, like the opening of Pig’s Day Off and the aptly named Pressure Relief, provide a lighter side. The expertise and quality of playing is way off the scale…

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…

JANI MAHKONEN GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? EL: When playing slide I get a louder sound with Dunlop fingerpicks. I use a thumb pick and a middle-finger pick. I need fingerpicks to be able to play Travis picking style with heavy gauge strings. When playing regular guitar, I use a red Dunlop Jazz III. It fits my small hand well and makes my playing precise. GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, could you do it and what would they be? EL: Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah-wah. In addition to the wah sound, you can leave the pedal in different positions to get this nasal sound. TC Electronic Flashback Delay with Looper, so many pre-sets to have fun.…

CHARVEL RELEASES THE ST CUSTOM, another Strat clone with a modern touch with super slim neck, cherry sunburst body, black hardware and a white pearloid scratchplate making this instantly eye-catching. Although equipped with just volume and tone controls it offers multiple sound options from the three pickups by way of the regular five-way pickup selector plus a three-way mini-toggle so all pickups can operate together as well as out of phase. BRITAIN IS HIT BY GALE FORCE WINDS and 27 people die as a result; the M40 motorway is finally completed providing a direct link through Oxfordshire to London; the government introduces Tax-Exempt Special Savings Accounts to promote personal savings; and Helen Sharman becomes the first British astronaut in space as part of the crew of the Soyuz TM-12 mission.…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:D TEMPO:156 bpm CD:TRACKS 28-29 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Slide intonation Open E improvisation Slide vocabulary STATESBORO BLUES WAS originally by Blind Willie McTell and was effectively the starting point for Duane Allman’s unbelievable bottleneck skills. In 1968, his brother Gregg went to visit him on his 22nd birthday, while he was recovering from a horse riding accident. Gregg brought along a bottle of Coricidin pills for his injury and the debut album by guitarist Taj Mahal as a gift. In the intervening hours, Duane had poured the pills out of the bottle, washed off the label and was using it as a slide to play Statesboro Blues (covered by Taj Mahal). Gregg elaborates: “Duane had never played slide before, he just picked it up and started burnin’.…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:C major TEMPO:62 bpm CD:TRACKS 39- 40 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Fingers and thumb balance Playing contrapuntally Voice leading IN THIS INSTALMENT of GT’s classical guitar series we tackle the delightful Study In C (Op.6, No.8) by the Spanish guitarist and composer Fernando Sor (1778-1839). Sor might not be a household name today and is perhaps considered a minor composer among the pantheon of the ‘greats’ of his time, but in terms of the classical guitar world he is a figure of enormous importance and influence. He was, in fact, the first great guitar virtuoso, a touring solo performer and a composer of many works for a wide range of instruments and genres (including two operas, nine ballets and three symphonies). Furthermore, Sor was a consummate educator who…

ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:Various TEMPO:Various CD:TRACKS 47-50 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Blues and rock vocabulary Rhythm and articulation Stylistic awareness JOHN MAYER WAS born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the USA but raised in nearby Fairfield. He attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston but didn’t complete his course. Alongside Clay Cook, he settled in Atlanta, Georgia and formed a band called The Low-Fi Masters. Although this set-up was short-lived, Mayer soon set about building a name for himself in the local area playing in clubs and bars. By 2001 he had a record deal, first with Aware Records then Columbia Records. He released two albums, Room For Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (203), both of which achieved multi-platinum sales and he won a Grammy in 2003 for his vocal…

DAVID LYTTLETON ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:C (Am) TEMPO:120bpm CD:TRACKS 54-56 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Ability to maintain interestUnderstanding of octavesFretboard knowledge THE PREVIOUS SERIES was devoted to the practice of compressing the information of a musical entity (triad, arpeggio, Pentatonic scale etc) into a single string pair, so that the same shape (melodic ’cell’) can be shifted up and down over three octaves via string-pairs sixth and fifth, fourth and third, second and first. By confining our approach to these particular string-pairs, the fingering will remain the same in every octave (since we’re avoiding the awkward third to second-string jump), providing physical and visual convenience. It’s a technique that is very convenient on guitar and allows us to adopt a musical approach that’s used by every piano player. When composing the…

J SHEARER / GETTY IMAGES ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:VariousTEMPO:VariousCD:TRACKS 57-68 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Heavy riffingFluid rock solosBlues-rock feel GUNS N’ ROSES have had more than their fair share of guitarists over the years including: Buckethead, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, Richard Fortus, DJ Ashba, Tracii Guns, Gilby Clarke, Paul Tobias and Robin Finck. Although all of those guitarists have undoubtedly made valuable contributions to GN’R, it has to be said that the pairing of Izzy Stradlin and Slash was a match made in guitar heaven. Between Izzy’s rhythm and songwriting prowess and Slash’s lead guitar chops and timeless guitar hooks, the Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion albums remain all-time classics. The GN’R style could be described as Rolling Stones meets Led Zeppelin with Izzy Stradlin channelling Keith Richards’ rock’n’roll style…

LIVEPIX ABILITY RATING INFO KEY:E major TEMPO:101 bpm CD:TRACKS 87-88 WILL IMPROVE YOUR Blues fingerpickingAcoustic blues soloingBlues chords & repertoire PICTURE ERIC CLAPTON and the first images that come to mind are probably the long-haired, 335 toting blues-rocker of the Cream days. Or the be-suited blues troubadour cradling Blackie, his famous Strat, in one of the legendary 24 Nights at the Albert Hall. As we all know, however, he is a multi-faceted player who is equally adept on acoustic and electric guitar. As his career has progressed the steel strung flat-top has increasingly come to the fore – for an entire generation his 1992 MTV Unplugged live album with its heart-rending version of Tears In Heaven was their first introduction to this blues legend. Some would even go so far…

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! MAY GT243 BANISH BORING SOLOS Learn how chromatic notes can add extra colour to your lead lines and how a little bit of theory can also go a long way! Plus, a full transcription of Steve Howe’s Clap and learn how to play like John Denver, Django Reinhardt, Oz Noy and Steve Miller. 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…

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.…