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9-Year-Old Girl Covers Paul Gilbert's Version of James Brown's "I Got the Feelin'"— Video

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One or 2,457 of you might remember Li-Sa-X, a young Japanese guitarist who covered Racer X's 1987 instrumental shred tune "Scarified" on YouTube late last year.

Earlier this year, Racer X axman Paul Gilbert made a video of his own, during which he praised Li-Sa-X's playing and invited her to become a student at his online ArtistWorks guitar school, offering her a free pass to sign up. We're not sure if she took him up on his offer.

Anyway, a few months have gone by, and Li-Sa-X — who is now a whopping 9 years old — decided to grab her Ibanez guitar and cover a brand-new Gilbert recording: his instrumental version of James Brown's "I Got the Feelin'," which can be found on his well-received (I know I like it!) 2014 album, Stone Pushing Uphill Man.

Be sure to check it out below! And remember, she's only 9 years old!

If Li-Sa-X looks familiar for other reasons, maybe it's because she's also covered Guthrie Govan's "Fives."(Watch it here.) Enjoy!

Also, we can't find a legal version of Gilbert's recording of "I Got the Feelin'" on YouTube. So we've included the James Brown version instead. We aim to please!

Additional Content

Pantera’s “The Art of Shredding” Percussive Acoustic Guitar Cover — Video Finds

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Believe it or not, Pantera’s “The Art of Shredding” translates awesomely to acoustic in the hands of the masterful percussive player, Sam Westphalen.

Here he is in the studio at the Australian Institute of Music laying it down.

Westphalen has made a point of performing metal classics on acoustic guitar, and he also performs his own tunes.

“The Art of Shredding” is the final track from Pantera’s acclaimed 1990 release Cowboys From Hell.

View more from Westphalen at samborayjr.com. Check it out here:

Additional Content

Review: Epiphone PRO-1 Acoustic and Les Paul Classic-T Guitars

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These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the November 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.

Playing guitar is supposed to be fun. That’s why it’s called “playing” guitar and not “working.”

However, there are times when playing guitar isn’t as much fun or as easy as it could be. Epiphone has addressed a few of these instances with a pair of new guitar models: the PRO-1 acoustic and the Les Paul Classic-T solidbody electric.

Epiphone’s line of PRO-1 guitars is designed primarily for beginners, with the goal of providing them with instruments that are comfortable and easy to play as well as affordable. The Epiphone Les Paul Classic-T, on the other hand, is the world’s most affordable self-tuning guitar, featuring the motorized Min-ETune system that physically adjusts and corrects tuning quickly and accurately.

Davenport Cabinet Premiere New Album, 'Damned Renegades'— Exclusive

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Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of Damned Renegades, the new album by Davenport Cabinet.

The project, which started out as a solo venture for Coheed and Cambria guitarist Travis Stever in 2007, has expanded into a full-band endeavor where he is joined by Tyler Klose (vocals/guitar), Tom Farkas (bass) and Michael Hickey (drums, percussion, vocals).

The album will be released September 30 via Equal Vision Records. It's available for pre-order right now at merchnow.com. You can check out the album's complete track listing below the Soundcloud player.

"Damned Renegades is a very personal record, lyrically and sonically," Stever says. "My relationship with the album was much like that of a mad scientist and his experiment. While writing it, I was anxiously awaiting becoming a new father and focused all of that excitement and energy into the music.

"As much as I wanted to just center on preparing for the birth, I felt that I needed to record the music we were creating first. The rest of the Davenport guys very willingly came along with me for the ride, adding in their own music styles and flavors all over the record. The record stretches all over musically, showcasing the diversity that lies within the Cabinet."

Stever adds, “Damned Renegades finds Davenport Cabinet exactly where I have always wanted it musically. With Tyler, Tom and Mike, I was able to achieve the full band sound and group interaction I’ve always wanted with the project. I couldn’t be more proud of this record.”

Damned Renegades is the followup to 2013’s Risks in Magic EP. Preceding the EP were two full-length albums — 2013’s Our Machine and 2008’s Nostalgia in Stereo.

For more about the band, visit davenportcabinet.com.

Damned Renegades Track List:

01. 41°15’22.0” N
02. Everyone Surrounding
03. Aneris
04. Bulldozer
05. In Orbit
06. Sorry For Me
07. 74°21’31.7” W
08. Students of Disaster
09. Damned Renegades
10. Glass Balloon
11. Missing Pieces
12. Graves of the Great War

Michael Franti Announces First Acoustic Tour

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Singer-songwriter-guitarist and philanthropist Michael Franti will strip down for his first ever acoustic tour of the West coast in November.

Pre-sale tickets are on-sale now, and tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, September 26.

“In every show that I do with my band Spearhead, I always take time to do a few songs with just me and my guitar and strip it down to the bare bones so the lyrics and melody can shine through. I've done lots of acoustic sets but never an entire tour, so I am thrilled to be doing this for the first time!”

Franti will perform songs from his tenth studio album, All People (2013), as well as new material. “I find inspiration in simplicity and when I write a new song it has to stand up as an acoustic song before I record it with other instrumentation,” he explains. “I've been writing songs for a new record and I'll be working many of them out on this tour. I'll be playing a mix of old, new and songs still in their seedling form.”

All People is the follow-up to Franti’s’s wildly successful 2010 release, The Sound of Sunshine, his highest charting album to date. Recorded primarily at his home with guitarist J Bowman, the two recorded some 35 songs before settling on the final track list for All People.

A high energy performer, known for a raucous dance/party atmosphere, Franti won’t veer too far from his signature show, “When I play acoustically it's still an energetic dance affair, but I space stillness between songs to explain their origins, share a few stories about my life and the world and tell more than my fair share of jokes.”

And Spearhead bassist Carl Young and guitarist Jay Bowman will accompany the tour. “We are going to wrap up each night with Jay and I DJ'ing after the acoustic show, so bring your dancing shoes... or your bare feet!”

Tour Dates
11/6 Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre
11/7 Grass Valley, CA @ Center for the Arts
11/8 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theatre
11/9 Petaluma, CA @ Mystic Theatre
11/11 Ashland, OR @ Ashland Armory
11/12 Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Casino
11/13 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
11/14 Vancouver, BC @ The Imperial
11/15 Victoria, BC @ Sugar
11/17 Arcata, CA @ John Van Duzer Theatre
11/18 Chico, CA @ El Rey Theater
11/19 Agoura Hills, CA @ Canyon Club
11/21 San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House
11/22 San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern

Find out more at https://www.michaelfranti.com/

Jazz Guitar Corner: Introduction to the Lydian Pentatonic Concept

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One of the most common ways to expand your soloing ideas over maj7 chords is to explore the Lydian sound, which produces a maj7#11 chord.

While learning the Lydian scale itself is definitely one way to go when adding a maj7#11 sound to your solos, there’s another common and cool-sounding concept you can explore to bring this sound out in your lines.

In today’s lesson, we’ll be looking at how you can apply a major pentatonic scale a tone above any maj7 chord to bring out a Lydian vibe in your jazz guitar solos.

The Lydian Pentatonic Concept

Though it has a big name, the Lydian Pentatonic Concept is a rather easy way to bring out a cool, new sound in your jazz guitar soloing lines and licks. To break it down to its smallest form, the concept is as such:

“Playing a major pentatonic scale a tone above the root of any maj7 chord produces a Lydian sound in your solos.”

Here’s how that concept looks with a Cmaj7 chord and D scale. When played over a Dmaj7 chord, the D major pentatonic scale produces the intervals:

R-2-3-5-6

But, when you play this same scale, D major pentatonic, over a Cmaj7 chord, you produce a Lydian sound in your lines.

9-3-#11-6-7

As you can see, by playing a major pentatonic scale a tone higher than the maj7 chord you are soloing over, you are outlining a maj7#11 sound in your lines.

This is a great way to bring out the Lydian sound in your solo, but not just run up and down the normal 7-note Lydian mode in your lines and phrases.

Lydian Pentatonic Concept Application

Now that you know what the Lydian Pentatonic Concept is, let’s look at how the D major pentatonic scale sounds and looks when played over a Cmaj7 chord.

As you will notice, though it is a major pentatonic scale fingering, when played over Cmaj7 the D scale takes on a whole new character, essentially giving you twice as much musical bang for your buck with this fingering.

I’ve written out a sample fingering I like to use for this scale, but feel free to use any fingering you like or prefer, as long as you play a major pentatonic scale a tone higher than the root of the maj7 chord you are soloing over the concept will work.

Lydian Pentatonic 1.jpg

Now that we've checked out the theory background on this concept, let’s explore a sample lick and find out how you can apply this concept to a ii V I chord progression in your jazz guitar solos.

Lydian Pentatonic Concept Lick

To help you take this concept further in your studies, here is a sample lick that uses the Lydian Pentatonic Concept over the Imaj7 chord, in this case Cmaj7, during the last two bars of the phrase.

After you've learned this lick in the given key, try taking it to all 12 keys, and then write a few similar licks of your own that use this concept over the Imaj7 chord.

Finally, put on a ii-V-I backing track, in one key to begin then in the other 11 keys from there, and solo over those changes using the Lydian Pentatonic Concept over each Imaj7 chord in your improvised lines and phrases.

Lydian Pentatonic 2.jpg

Do you have any questions about the Lydian Pentatonic Concept? Share your thoughts in the COMMENTS section below.

Matt Warnock is the owner of mattwarnockguitar.com, a free website that provides hundreds of lessons and resources designed to help guitarists of all experience levels meet their practice and performance goals. Matt lives in the UK, where he is a lecturer in Popular Music Performance at the University of Chester and an examiner for the London College of Music (Registry of Guitar Tutors).

Bass Player LIVE! Set for November 8-9 in Los Angeles

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Bass Player LIVE! returns to Los Angeles for a seventh year November 8-9, 2014.

The event will included two full days of clinics and exhibitions at S.I.R. Studios, plus a special Saturday-evening session featuring the presentation of Bass Player’s Young Gun Award to Henrik Linder of Dirty Loops and the Lifetime Achievement Award to session legend Abraham Laboriel.

The wide-ranging clinics for bassists of all styles and skill levels include the Bass Player LIVE! debuts of Gary Willis and Chuck Rainey, TV’s “Face of Bass” Rickey Minor, prog/metal hero dUg Pinnick, a bass education roundtable led by Steve Bailey, a bass setup panel clinic that includes master luthiers Roger Sadowsky and Mike Tobias and more.

Tickets are on sale now at bassplayerlive2014.eventbrite.com. Single-day and weekend packages for the Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibits are available and priced as follows:

• S.I.R. Studios day pass for Saturday OR Sunday – $37.50 plus fees
• S.I.R. Studios weekend pass – $52.50 plus fees
Note: Each day pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player magazine. All Saturday and weekend passes include access to all award presentations and performances during the special Saturday evening session.

The Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibitors will be located at S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Saturday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bass players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to attend.

The special Saturday-evening session at S.I.R. runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. November 8, featuring performances and award presentations including:

• The presentation of Henrik Linder’s Bass Player Young Gun Award, followed by a trio performance with Henrik, Gary Willis and drummer Kirk Covington

• The presentation of Abraham Laboriel’s Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award, followed by a performance by Open Hands, with Abraham, keyboardist Greg Mathieson, saxophonist Justo Almario and drummer Bill Maxwell

• An All-Star Jam in Clinic Room B featuring artists from the event

• Additional special performances to be announced

Bass Player LIVE! daytime clinics on Saturday and Sunday include:

• A live clinic interview with super-hot Swedish fuze/pop trio Dirty Loops’ bass sensation Henrik Linder

• A VSOP clinic performance by Abraham Laboriel, Bakitihi Kumalo (Paul Simon) and Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), presented by Kala

• The Bass Player LIVE! clinic debut of iconic fretless bassist, solo artist and Tribal Tech co-founder Gary Willis

• Bass Education, led by Berklee College of Music Bass Department Chairman and renowned solo artist Steve Bailey, and featuring BP Lifetime Award Recipient and Cal Arts bass instructor Alphonso Johnson, LAMA Bass Dept. Chair and low-end specialist Jerry Watts, Nashville session bassist and Belmont University instructor Roy Vogt, and noted web teachers Janek Gwizdala (solo artist, Mike Stern) and Norm Stockton (solo artist, Bobby Kimball)

• TV Bass Roundtable with Mike Merritt of Conan, Jimmy Earl of Jimmy Kimmel Live and John B. Williams of Doc Severinsen’s Tonight Show band and the Arsenio Hall Show’s Posse

• A clinic performance and discussion with TV’s “Face of Bass,” award-winning producer and American Idol and Tonight Show with Jay Leno bandleader Rickey Minor

• A solo clinic by master rock bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick of King’s X and Pinnick/Gales/Pridgen

• Legends of New York Bass: A historic clinic featuring past BP Lifetime Achievement Award Winners Chuck Rainey and Jerry Jemmott, who collectively have played on seminal Gotham recordings by Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, B.B. King, Roberta Flack, the Rascals and more

• Latin Bass Roundtable clinic led by Oskar Cartaya (Spyro Gyra, Herb Alpert, J-Lo), with Carlitos Del Puerto (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Chick Corea), Jon Pena (Larry Cartlon, Tania Maria, Steve Vai) and others

• A multi-string metal mashup clinic featuring Jeff Hughell (Six Feet Under, Reciprocal) and Nick Schendzielos (Cephalic Carnage, Job for a Cowboy)

• Our annual International Bassist clinic with Wojtek Pilichowski (Polish solo artist and vituoso web sensation)

Also slated to appear are: Lee Sklar (BP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, session legend, Phil Collins), Brian Bromberg (solo artist, Bass on the Broadband), Hadrien Feraud (Chick Corea, Zawinul Legacy Band, John McLaughlin), “Ready” Freddie Washington (session legend, Steely Dan), Tal Wilkenfeld (2014 BP Young Gun recipient, solo artist, Jeff Beck), Sean Hurley (L.A. session star, John Mayer), Bob Glaub (session legend, Jackson Browne), Miles Mosley (solo artist, Chris Cornell), Nik West (solo artist, Dave Stewart), Bobby Vega (Sly & the Family Stone, Mickey Hart), Robert “Bubby” Lewis (solo artist, Lupe Fisaco, Snoop Dog) and Phil Chen (Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck)

Among the participating manufacturers at Bass Player LIVE! 2014 are Warwick, Aguilar, Sadowsky Guitars, Tech 21, Kala, Ashdown, D’Addario, Ampeg, Paul Reed Smith, Dunlop, Eden, GHS, Ibanez, Lakin Basses, N.S Design, Spector, TC Electronic, EBS, Carvin, and Mayones Basses.

Previous Bass Player LIVE! honorees and attendees include Chris Squire, Larry Graham, Geezer Butler, Verdine White, Bootsy Collins, Jack Casady, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Charlie Haden, Rocco Prestia, Mike Watt, Billy Sheehan, Victor Wooten, Robert Trujillo, Marcus Miller, Lee Rocker, Darryl Jones, Don Was, Tal Wilkenfeld, Nathan East, and more.

Visit bassplayerlive.com for the latest information on tickets and participating artists and manufacturers.

Guitar World's Battle of the Greatest Live Bands: Round 3 — Black Sabbath Vs. Rush

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We don't know about you, but around here, September brings to mind tours and massive live shows — probably because it's the only month where summer and fall, the two biggest rock touring seasons, collide.

So, as our thoughts turn to the gigs we've reported on, witnessed and celebrated this year, we thought we'd get our readers — as in, you guys! — involved as we attempt to pinpoint rock's greatest live band or artist!

Welcome to Guitar World's official readers poll for September (It's the first readers poll we've conducted since November 2013, all you poll haters out there), the Battle of the Greatest Live Bands. It kicked off Wednesday, September 3.

Although we (obviously) had thousands of artists and/or bands to choose from, we decided to narrow things down to a mere 32 names, which is perfect for a month's worth of intense — and fun (it's supposed to be fun, people!) matchups. All the artists were carefully selected by Guitar World's entire editorial staff.

Most importantly, note that this poll involves ONLY still-existing bands, so you won't get to watch the Doors duke it out with Led Zeppelin! Pantera will not go head to head with Cream. The Jimi Hendrix Experience will not compete with ... you get the idea.

Here are our 32 artists, in alphabetical order, and you can check also out the entire bracket of matchups at the end of this page.

AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers Band, Black Sabbath, Dillinger Escape Plan, Eagles, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Jack White, Kiss, Korn, Metallica, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Phish, Queen, Radiohead, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Rolling Stones, Rush, Slayer, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Tool, U2, Van Halen and ZZ Top.

Today's Matchup: Vote Now!

BLACK SABBATH go head to head with RUSH. We don't need to tell you about these bands. We'll let the recently shot videos below do the talking! Vote now; you have one full day!

Let's Go to the Video!

Yesterday's Winners

QUEEN (54.83 percent) edged out ZZ TOP (45.17 percent). Thanks for voting! Head HERE to see every matchup so far. Tell your friends so that they, too, can see every matchup so far!

Behold the Latest Bracket

Live Bands Bracket

How the Bracket Was Compiled

Here's how the bracket was — very unscientifically — compiled.

We drew the artists' names out of a hat (It was, in fact, a Quebec Nordiques baseball-style cap) to help us create our bracket, which is available for your viewing pleasure below. Obviously, none of these of bands are ranked or come from a previously compiled list, so we chose purely random matchups to have as little impact as possible on the final outcome. We're actually pretty pleased with the way the bracket turned out!

Remember that, as with any poll, genre might occasionally clash against genre, so you'll just need to decide which artist has (or has had) the most to offer within his/their genre, perhaps which one has or had more natural talent or technical skill, which one had the biggest influence on other live acts, etc.

As always, you can vote only once per matchup (once per device, that is), and we'll be posting match-ups pretty much every day of the month, sometimes more than once per day, just to give you an early warning!

Additional Content

New Book: Learn the Tabs, Tones and Techniques for 25 Top Acoustic Songs

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25 Top Acoustic Songs — Tab. Tone. Technique. is now available at the Guitar World Online Store.

This series includes performance notes and accurate tab for the greatest songs of every genre.

From the essential gear, recording techniques and historical information, to the right- and left-hand techniques and other playing tips — it's all here!

Master 25 acoustic tunes, including:

• "Big Yellow Taxi"
• "Closer to the Heart"
• "Free Fallin'"
• "Going to California"
• "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
• "Hey There Delilah"
• "I Got a Name"
• "Lola"
• "Losing My Religion"
• "She Talks to Angels"
• "Wish You Were Here"

... and more!

The book is available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $19.99.

Guitar World's Battle of the Greatest Live Bands: Round 3 — The Allman Brothers Band Vs. Rammstein

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We don't know about you, but around here, September brings to mind tours and massive live shows — probably because it's the only month where summer and fall, the two biggest rock touring seasons, collide.

So, as our thoughts turn to the gigs we've reported on, witnessed and celebrated this year, we thought we'd get our readers — as in, you guys! — involved as we attempt to pinpoint rock's greatest live band or artist!

Welcome to Guitar World's official readers poll for September (It's the first readers poll we've conducted since November 2013, all you poll haters out there), the Battle of the Greatest Live Bands. It kicked off Wednesday, September 3.

Although we (obviously) had thousands of artists and/or bands to choose from, we decided to narrow things down to a mere 32 names, which is perfect for a month's worth of intense — and fun (it's supposed to be fun, people!) matchups. All the artists were carefully selected by Guitar World's entire editorial staff.

Most importantly, note that this poll involves ONLY still-existing bands, so you won't get to watch the Doors duke it out with Led Zeppelin! Pantera will not go head to head with Cream. The Jimi Hendrix Experience will not compete with ... you get the idea.

Here are our 32 artists, in alphabetical order, and you can check also out the entire bracket of matchups at the end of this page.

AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers Band, Black Sabbath, Dillinger Escape Plan, Eagles, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Jack White, Kiss, Korn, Metallica, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Phish, Queen, Radiohead, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Rolling Stones, Rush, Slayer, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Tool, U2, Van Halen and ZZ Top.

Today's Matchup: Vote Now!

Even though it's a ridiculous pairing (We are fully aware of this, people!), THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND are going head to head with RAMMSTEIN. We don't need to tell you about these bands. We'll let the recently shot videos below do the talking! Vote now; you have one full day!

Let's Go to the Video!

Yesterday's Winner

RUSH (63.76 percent) destroyed BLACK SABBATH (36.24 percent). Thanks for voting! Head HERE to see every matchup so far. Tell your friends so that they, too, can see every matchup so far!

Behold the Latest Bracket

32 Bracket Master File 5 Bracket

How the Bracket Was Compiled

Here's how the bracket was — very unscientifically — compiled.

We drew the artists' names out of a hat (It was, in fact, a Quebec Nordiques baseball-style cap) to help us create our bracket, which is available for your viewing pleasure below. Obviously, none of these of bands are ranked or come from a previously compiled list, so we chose purely random matchups to have as little impact as possible on the final outcome. We're actually pretty pleased with the way the bracket turned out!

Remember that, as with any poll, genre might occasionally clash against genre, so you'll just need to decide which artist has (or has had) the most to offer within his/their genre, perhaps which one has or had more natural talent or technical skill, which one had the biggest influence on other live acts, etc.

As always, you can vote only once per matchup (once per device, that is), and we'll be posting match-ups pretty much every day of the month, sometimes more than once per day, just to give you an early warning!

Additional Content

Whole Lotta Sound Effects: Michael Winslow Covers Led Zeppelin — Video

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We know this isn't exactly a new video, but it seems the 3-year-old clip was randomly "discovered" and shared — several thousand times — on Facebook earlier this week.

It's a bizarre, brief but nifty cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" featuring actor/comedian Michael Winslow — that guy from Police Academy, Spaceballs and Gremilns.

Winslow is known as the "Man of 10,000 Sound Effects," and it's easy to see why in this clip.

The (real) guitar player is a fellow named Odd Nordstoga, and the clip is from a Norwegian talk show called Senkveld med Thomas og Harald. Enjoy!

P.S.: If you want to see and hear more of this sort of thing, check out Michael Winslow Covers Jimi Hendrix ... with His Mouth — Video.

Additional Content

IK Multimedia Now Shipping iRig Pads — Portable MIDI Groove Controller for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac/PC

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IK Multimedia has announced it's shipping iRig Pads, the full-featured, ultra-portable MIDI groove controller for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as well as Mac and PC.

It's the perfect companion for the mobile electronic music producer on the move: Now you can make beats, grooves and mixes anywhere you go.

Effortless portability

iRig Pads is designed to be effortlessly portable. It's smaller than an iPad and less than 1" thick — it's the smallest groove controller in the market. It has a slim, compact form factor and it's lightweight, which means that it can be slipped into any iPad or laptop bag or backpack and carried around with ease.

For maximum portability, iRig Pads is a low energy consumption device — it draws its power directly from its host device and does not need a power source to be fully functional. It can be used with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via its included Lightning cable (30-pin connector sold separately) without the need of an adapter as well as Mac and PC via its included USB cable. *iRig Pads are being tested for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus compatibility.

Extreme versatility, custom controls

At the heart of iRig Pads is its 4x4 grid of 16 velocity-sensitive, backlit multicolor rubber pads. Each pad lights up in multiple colors — red, green, orange and every shade in between — depending on the velocity of your playing and the MIDI information sent by your chosen music app or software.

But iRig Pads does more than your average mobile pad-based MIDI controller. Its full spread of controls — two knobs, two buttons, one slider and one pushbutton rotary encoder — let you get creative. All controls are MIDI assignable and customizable: Up to 16 distinct MIDI maps or "scenes" can be saved, which allows for full control of apps and software on stage or in the studio. iRig Pads comes with 6 pre-programmed scenes designed to work with many of your favorite apps and software right out of the box.

Apps for Beats, Loops, Decks and more

To help you get in the groove, IK is working to make iRig Pads the ultimate controller for beats, loops and more by adding support for a growing suite of powerful apps and software. iOS users will be able to make beats out of the box with the included SampleTank free, and they'll soon be able to control grooves and launch loops with GrooveMaker 2 free for iPhone and iPad and remix their preferred tracks with DJ Rig free.

On Mac/PC the included SampleTank 3 SE (worth $99.99/€79.99), available as a standalone and a plug-in virtual instrument for every major DAW, includes over 6.5 GB of sample contents, 400 instruments and 150 MIDI patterns, for a complete music production workstation, out of the box (coming soon as download from the IK user area). In addition, by registering their iRig Pads, users will be able to receive The Grid, an exclusive and free additional collection of 50 instruments (800 samples) and 50 MIDI patterns — designed exclusively for beat makers and groove performers who use iRig Pads — for SampleTank on iOS and Mac/PC (a value of $9.99/€7.99 for iOS and $39.99/€29.99 for Mac/PC).

The SampleTank Free App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/sampletankfree

The SampleTank App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/sampletank

The GrooveMaker 2 Free App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/groovemaker2free

The DJ Rig Free App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/djrigfree

And that's only scratching the surface. iRig Pads is also fully MIDI class-compliant, which means you can use it and customize its controls for use with virtually any MIDI-compatible app such as FL Studio Mobile, iMPC Studio and GarageBand or Mac/PC software such as MPC Studio, Ableton Live, Maschine, GarageBand and more.

Pricing and Availability

iRig Pads is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide for $149.99/€119.99 (excluding taxes) as well as on the IK online store. Thanks to its generous feature set, included content value and universal uses for iOS devices as well as Mac and PC, iRig Pads offers the best quality to price ratio of any MIDI groove controller on the market.

For more information, visit kmultimedia.com/products/irigpads.

Review: Zoom G1Xon Guitar Multi-Effects Processor

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These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the November 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.

I’ve spent piles of cash and countless hours chasing down various stomp boxes over the years.

So when I got my hands on Zoom’s G1Xon Guitar Multi-Effects Processor, I was tempted to moan, “Oh, I’ve wasted my life,” like the Comic Book Guy in a certain “Treehouse of Horror” episode of The Simpsons.

For probably less than what I paid on batteries to power one vintage fuzz box, the G1Xon provides a lifetime’s worth of effects and amp models (105, to be exact) plus built-in rhythm patterns, a looper and a tuner. All this power is packaged in a compact foot controller that’s about the same width and length as an iPad and features an expression pedal.

Watch Jimi Hendrix's Death Announcement from ABC News — Video

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Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix died in London 44 years ago this month — on September 18, 1970. He was only 27.

Although all these facts have become common knowledge for rock and guitar fans, there was a moment when it was actual news — the sort of announcement that makes you always remember where you were when you heard it.

For instance, I remember I was in my crib with a fresh bottle of baby formula in my hands.

Regardless, check out this actual ABC News announcement of the guitarist's death.

Although it was totally normal and expected at the time, it's amusing how the reporter treats rock music as if it's something from another planet, a sign of the generation gap that still distanced reporters from a growing segment of the people they were reporting to.

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Machine Head Premiere New Song, "Now We Die"— Listen

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Machine Head have premiered a new song, "Now We Die."

Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments or on Facebook!

The track is from Bloodstone & Diamonds, which will be released November 10 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

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Joe Satriani Performs "Satch Boogie" at New York City's Iridium — Video

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On June 9, Joe Satriani performed an exclusive 99th-birthday commemorative concert for Les Paul at New York City's Iridium. I know it was exclusive because I couldn't get in!

The performance was filmed for Front and Center, a public-television music series. Satriani’s performance will begin airing October 21.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a sneak peek at Satriani's episode right here, right now. In the pro-shot clip below, you can watch him perform "Satch Boogie," his masterful 1987 instrumental.

As always, be sure to tell us what you think in the comments or on Facebook!

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LessonFace with Steve Stine: Assembling Concepts — Absolute Fretboard Mastery, Part 9

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Steve Stine, highly sought-after guitar educator, teaches live online group and private classes at Lessonface.com. His "Soloing" course starts October 4, 2014. Enrolled students can attend live AND watch later. Head here for more information.

Hey, guys! Welcome to the ninth installment of my “Absolute Fretboard Mastery” series.

Today’s lesson is a very exciting one because we’re finally going to start putting together everything we’ve learned over the past eight months into making great music on the guitar.

If this is the first time you’re checking out the series, I suggest you hold off on this lesson and get started from the beginning. You can find parts 1 through 8 of this series directly under my photo to the left of these words (Just look for RELATED CONTENT).

When I was starting out as a guitar player, it took me a while to understand the ultimate purpose of playing guitar. During those early years, I had some chops and I knew some theory, but my playing felt like it lacked purpose. That’s because it took me a while to understand that the ultimate purpose of playing guitar, at least to me, was to make the instrument an extension of your own self.

In the same way a painter uses a brush and a canvas to express what he sees in his mind’s eye, a guitarist should be able to express what he hears in his mind’s ear through his instrument, fluently and freely.

In that sense, the various scale theories, chord theories and playing techniques we’ve covered over the last eight months are a guitarist’s color palette and brush strokes. Over the rest of the year, we’re going to learn how to put everything we’ve learned so far to paint our musical pictures.

For example, if you decide to jam in a specific key, there are various musical directions you could choose from, ranging from a chunky heavy metal riff or a bluesy guitar solo. But to express these musical ideas, you would need to be familiar with the various scales, expansions, chord progressions and shapes we’ve spoken about over the last eight lessons (Again, check out RELATED CONTENT under my photo).

Say, for instance, you were jamming over a G major chord. The first step you could take is to identify and visualize the G major pentatonic scale across your fretboard:

diagram1 620.jpg

What you can do next is to start thinking about the notes you can add to the G major pentatonic scale to expand it to create the diatonic scale:

diagram2 620.jpg

If you’ve followed this series, you’ll remember our practice of “meandering” on these various scale patterns we've learned. If you've worked on your “meandering,” it should have gone a long way toward helping you visualize these scales across your fretboard. But the thing with meandering is that it alone doesn't add much musicality to your playing.

In the case of this example, what I could do next is to go back to the CAGED chord system and identify the various G major chords across the fretboard:

diagram3 620.jpg

Once you can see your G major pentatonic and diatonic scales as well as the G major chords across the fretboard, you can layer them together, if you will, instead of simple playing up or down a scale or an arpeggio.

If, for instance, while your rhythm plays a G major chord, you can utilize the notes in any of the five shapes of G major according to the CAGED system along with the notes in the pentatonic or diatonic scale to “meander” with and create melodic phrases.

Let’s say your rhythm moved on to another chord. Say, for instance, E minor. You’ll know from our last lesson that the CAGED chord system doesn’t work as well with minor chords. But you’d still be able to identify at least three shapes of E minor across your fretboard:

diagram4 620.jpg

Then you’d be able to identify your E minor pentatonic and diatonic scales across your fretboard and then entwine those notes with the notes in the various E minor chords to create melody.

I call this style of playing "chord chasing," and you can do it with any chord you encounter during your playing and composition. Say you were jamming over a chord progression of G, E minor, C and D; the first thing you’d do is identify that you were playing in the key of G major. Then it’s simply a matter of deciding what scale to use and then understanding which notes to emphasize on at specific points.

If I were to break down what we’ve learned so far into three categories, they would be:

01. Understanding: Knowledge of the various theories we’ve learned so far
02. Technique: Mastering the physical aspect of playing and executing what you’ve learned
03. Creativity: Making what we play sound musical.

It’s this last aspect of creativity that I want to work on over the rest of the year. What I want you to do this month is to take a simple chord progression like G, E minor, C, D, and work on this style of chord chasing where you layer your scales with the CAGED chord system.

But remember, this doesn’t mean you should religiously follow each and every chord while playing. For instance, you could add a little lick or riff here and there, which doesn’t necessarily fall inside this specific theory. The point is to start understanding the fretboard with these visual layers and also get a feel for navigating the fretboard with theory and musicality.

As always, if your technical ability interferes with this exploration of the fretboard — say, for instance, you can’t speed pick or you can’t sweep pick — work on those things simultaneously.

Next month I want to get into what goes through a guitar player’s mind when soloing. That’s going to be a very interesting lesson! Practice hard as always and feel free to get in touch with me with whatever questions you might have at Lessonface.com.

"Steve Stine’s Soloing Course," a four-week course that enrolled students can attend live AND watch later, starts October 4, 2014. Click here for more information and to enroll.

Steve Stine is a longtime and sought-after guitar teacher who is professor of Modern Guitar Studies at North Dakota State University. Over the last 27 years, he has taught thousands of students, including established touring musicians, and released numerous video guitar lesson courses via established publishers. A resident of Fargo, North Dakota, today he is more accessible than ever before through the convenience of live online guitar lessons at Lessonface.com.

Ten Easy Acoustic Guitar Power Ballads

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Who doesn’t like a power ballad, that soft underbelly of a hard rocker, rarely seen in the light of day?

You’ve probably heard the story…the power ballad is often the biggest hit for heavier bands, opening their music up to the love-song loving masses.

What makes a song a “power ballad?” They are typically characterized by intense emotional lyrics, a quiet verse with a heavy hitting, sing along chorus. And massive amounts of drama.

They’re metal’s version of love songs, and you should add one or two to your acoustic set, don’t you think?

The beauty of these selections are their simplicity. Yes, will they bring a tear to your eye? Could be. Will you be able to figure out how to play them? Most likely.

Poison - “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”

This song is the very definition of power ballad. Drama to the max.

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was released in October 1988 as the third single from Poison's second album Open Up and Say... Ahh!.

It is the band's only number-one hit in the U.S., reaching the top spot on Christmas Eve in 1988 for three weeks (carrying over into 1989) and it also charted at #11 on the Mainstream Rock chart

The verse basically starts in G and moves to Cadd9for each phrase, ending with D to C.

The chorus echoes this chord pattern with G to C for two lines, then G D C with the final line G to C.

Easy and rocking’!


Whitesnake — “Is This Love”

Another power ballad about love that rocks it.

“Is This Love” is taken from Whitesnake’s self-titled album, which was released in 1987.

It was long rumoured that the song had originally been written for singer Tina Turner. David Coverdale confirmed these rumours in the booklet of Whitesnake's 20th anniversary edition, by saying:

"Before I'd left [for the south of France] a friend at EMI had asked me for any ideas that would work for Tina Turner. So that was where the original idea for 'Is This Love' came from."

"Is This Love" became one of the most popular Whitesnake songs.

The verse chords are Em7, Bm7, Cadd9
The verse uses C9, `D/C, Bm7, C, Bm7, Am7, G7


Skid Row - “I Remember You”

"I Remember You" is the third and final single from Skid Row's 1989 eponymous debut album.

This power ballad was released in November 1989 and written by bandmates Rachel Bolan and Dave "the Snake" Sabo.

In a 2007 interview, vocalist Sebastian Bach commented, "'I Remember You' was the #1 prom song in the United States of America in the year 1990....You talk about making memories! Literally the whole country of America did their prom dance to 'I Remember You' one year, and that's a real heavy memory to beat."

This song is literally the easiest one to play of all the songs listed here.

The verse uses G to C. The chorus is G, D, Em, C, D, G.

Go ahead and try it!


Warrant - “Heaven”

This song was released in 1989 as the second single from Warrant's debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich.

The song was Warrant's most commercially successful single, reaching number one in Rolling Stone, number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Heaven" took Warrant's record company by surprise. Once the widespread appeal of the song became apparent, the band were instructed to re-record the track to lend it a "bigger radio sound". The first 250,000 copies of the record featured the original version while later pressings featured a new version.

This song uses the chords G, D, Dsus2, Cadd9 throughout.


Cinderella - “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)”

This song is from Cinderella’s second album Long Cold Winter.

Released in August 1988, it was their most successful single, peaking at number 12 on US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1988.

A 254-show tour to support the album lasted over 14 months and included dates on the Moscow Music Peace Festival alongside other metal acts, such as Ozzy Osbourne, The Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Skid Row.

The tour's stage show included Tom Keifer being lowered to the stage while playing a white piano during the performance of "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)".

This song uses these chords: E, F#m, E, D, A
Chorus Bm, F#m, Bm, F#m, E, D, A


Night Ranger - “Sister Christian”

“You’re Motoring!” What a great lyric!

One of my personal favorite power ballads no doubt.

It was released in June 1984 as the second single from Night Ranger’s album Midnight Madness.

It was written and sung by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, for his sister, when he was surprised by how fast she was growing up.

It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and staying on the charts for 24 weeks. It also reached number-one in Canada.

The song was also featured in Friday the 13th, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Saints Row 2, Boogie Nights and Superstar.

Another super easy one, it uses these chords: C, F, G, E-D-C
Chorus: C, F, C, F, Bb, F, Bb, Bb-A-G


Foreigner - “I Want To Know What Love Is”

This song hit #1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States and is the group's biggest hit to date.

"I Want to Know What Love Is" was the first single released from Foreigner's 1984 album, Agent Provocateur. The song features backing vocals from the New Jersey Mass Choir.

The song was written and composed by Mick Jones, with an uncredited portion (somewhere between 5% according to Jones and 40% according to Gramm) by Lou Gramm.

Verse chords: C, F, Bb, Dm
Prechorus: Gm, C, Bb, F, Gm, Bb, C
Chorus: F, Dm, C, G, C, F

Here's an acoustic version!


Aerosmith - “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”

This Aerosmith hit was written by a true songwriting master, Dianne Warren.

This song was recorded for the 1998 film Armageddon, which, no coincidentally, featured Steven Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler.

The song debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 - the first #1 for the band after 28 years together!

Take the time to learn this crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t like an Aerosmith ballad?

Verse chords: D, A, Bm, G, D, Em, A
Chorus: D, A, Em, Bm, G, D


Heart - “What About Love”

"What About Love" is a song originally recorded by Canadian rock group Toronto, but is best known for the 1985 release by Heart.

The song was Heart's "comeback" single. It was the first Heart track to reach the top 40 in three years, and their first top 10 hit in five.

It was released as the first single from the band's self-titled 1985 album, Heart, as well as their first hit single on their new record label, Capitol Records.

Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas, co-lead vocalists of Starship at the time, provide additional background vocals on the song.

Check out these chords and then give it a try! Super easy.

Verse chords:Em, C, G, D
Chorus: G, C, D


Motley Crue - "Home Sweet Home"

"Home Sweet Home" is a power ballad by Mötley Crüe.

It was originally released in 1985 on the album Theatre of Pain, and again in 1991 for the Decade of Decadence. compilation album.

It has been recorded as a cover version by several artists, and was released as a single by Carrie Underwood in 2009.

Along with "Wild Side,” "Home Sweet Home" is one of the rare Mötley Crüe hits to have Vince Neil credited with the songwriting, though he did play a part in writing many of their non-hit songs.

Chords: Em, G, C, D
Chorus: G, C, D

The Almighty Riff: Suggestions for Stimulating Musical Creativity

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The following is a classic column from Guitar World magazine.

Every great rock song has a great riff, be it a single-note melody or a chordal-based sequence, and that's probably what makes it a great song.

Like a great frontman, a really good rock riff should have a hypnotic, star quality. A great riff can take you over; you might find yourself playing it repeatedly for 10 minutes. There's something about it that makes you want to indulge in it.

"Siva," from our first album, Gish, had one of those riffs that let me know immediately that I had a song, even though I had yet to work out all the parts. That riff sounded like my band-it had instant identity-and it got my blood going right away. There was something about it that was so distinctive that it made a lot of other songs I'd written seem wimpy and weak by comparison. Since then, I've always tried to find that weird marriage of a great riff and a song that fits with the riff.

The "Siva" riff crystallized everything I was trying to do with the band. It had power and immediacy, and the song seemed to write itself around the riff.

When I wrote "Siva," I was working in a record shop, and I used to bring an acoustic guitar in with me to work. When no one was in the store, I'd just sit behind the counter and play. So, this was a riff that I wrote on acoustic, keeping in mind that I would transfer it to loud, heavily distorted guitar later. It was buzzin' in my head!

Almost a reverse-case scenario occurred with the song "Today," from Siamese Dream. I had all of the chords and the melody, but no opening hook. At that point, we just started the song with the verse chord progression [Eb-Bb-Ab], which in and of itself is catchy because of the inherent melody. I knew I had to come up with some sort of opening riff.

Then, out of the blue, I heard the opening lick note-for-note in my head. That's the state of mind I've trained myself to be in: I'm always looking for the guitar hook. When I added the opening riff, it completely changed the character of the song. Suddenly, I had a song that was starting out quiet and then got very loud. I could start to hear the shifts in the song as it progressed. I knew that I was going to bring that riff back in for emphasis, and I knew where I could do that.

In the realm of songwriting, you really have to mine the territory and search for good riffs. Both of these examples show that heaviness is not the only thing that makes for a good riff; of far greater importance is the context within which the riff is used. To me, the best rock riff writer right now is Diamond Darrell of Pantera. At the other end of the sonic spectrum is the Edge from U2, who plays completely stylized parts that propel the songs.

When I find that I can't seem to escape the shackles of what's already been done, or if I feel that I'm locked into a "traditional" way of thinking, I turn to rhythm guitar. Ultimately, that seems to open up infinite possibilities-far more than just sitting around noodling. Another option is to play the bass, which seems to push my writing in a more rhythmic direction. "I Am One," from Gish, is an example of a song that has a pretty decent guitar riff, but a killer bass riff to support it.

Another way to inspire yourself to come up with good riffs is to use effects, and to try different tunings. The great thing about effects is that they change the way you hear the guitar, thereby changing the way you react to the guitar. The most mundane licks can turn into something completely different with the right effect. Phasers, flangers, fuzzboxes and especially delay units will all inspire new ideas. David Gilmour has done some incredible things with delays in Pink Floyd.

For the song "Starla," from Pisces Iscariot, I had a riff which didn't really do much for me. Then, I ran it through a fuzz (which gave it a drone-y sound and added some different harmonics), and panned it back and forth in time with the song. Soon, I started to hear an orchestration for the song. The effects inspired the arrangement, even though I didn't end up using the original effects on the final version of the tune.

Different tunings, like effects, will make the guitar seem like a whole new instrument. James wrote "Mayonnaise" [Siamese Dream], after just screwing around with tunings until he came up with something he liked (Eb, Bb, Bb(same octave), Gb, Bb, D) . Using this tuning, he stumbled across an Ebsus2/Cm/Ab chord progression, which ultimately shaped the song. For the record we're working on now, we're tuned down a half step for everything. This alone is altering the way we play and how our songs will sound.

You must force yourself away from what you know into territory that is often uncomfortable, and occasionally disappointing. There is as much potential in songwriting as you are willing to mine, but it doesn't always come easily. You've got to work at it. I wish you the luck of the Metal Gods.

Additional Content

'20 Essential Metal Licks' DVD: Master Techniques used by Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden and More

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Master the essential metal techniques used by artists like Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden and many others.

In the feature-filled 20 Essential Metal Licks Lick Pack DVD, you'll learn the essentials of metal guitar playing, such as two-note harmonies and power chords, alternate-picking and hammer-on accents, pentatonic wide-stretch leads, string-skipping arpeggios, fast alternate picking, legato arpeggios and more!

You'll also be treated to artist-specific licks, including melodies à la Metallica and Testament, Dimebag Darrell-style picking techniques and Slayer-inspired thrash!

With more than 60 minutes of instruction, you'll learn to play in the styles of:

• Dimebag Darrell
• John Petrucci
• Metallica
• Iron Maiden
• Slayer
• Randy Rhoads
• Jake E. Lee
... and many others!

Your instructor is Metal Mike Chlasciak. A longtime contributor to Guitar World magazine with his Metal for Life instructional column, Metal Mike plays guitar for Halford and with his own band. His latest releases are The Metalworker and This Is War, which are available from metalmike.net.

This DVD is available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $9.99.

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