These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
A lot of pedals—from phasers and vibes to so-called rotary effects—approximate the sounds of a rotating speaker cabinet, but it’s rare that one can nail the sound, performance and quirks of the genuine Leslie cabinets used to great effect on recordings by the Beatles, Peter Frampton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many others.
The Pigtronix Rototron is the latest contender, and it comes much closer to the authentic experience of playing through a Leslie cabinet than any stomp box has come before.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
If you spend any time listening to players who own vintage guitars with original PAF pickups, you’ll inevitably hear them extoll the virtues of Seth Lover’s humbucking creation for its full-range tone and clarity.
In fact, some collectors will shell out five-figure sums for a true vintage set or pay top dollar for clones from any number of boutique pickup manufacturers to capture the spectrum of its mythical sound.
Not too long ago, DiMarzio released its PAF 36th Anniversary pickup, a re-engineered humbucker powerhouse with detailed complexity and sweetness, proving real PAF magic doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag or period-correct components.
Building upon that success are the brand-new DiMarzio PAF Master Bridge and Neck pickups, which pay tribute to Lover’s pioneering design but with a slightly hotter output and richer dynamics.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
Can anyone deny the beauty of the perfect acoustic metal power ballad?
I, for one, cannot! Steel Panther’s debut release, Feel the Steel, features the much requested “The Girl from Oklahoma,” which is a great example of a song played in this style. And believe me, the song is a hell of a lot better looking than the girl.
All of the song’s guitar parts are performed on an acoustic, tuned down one half step. I fingerpick all the rhythm parts, using my thumb to pick the bass notes on the bottom two strings and my middle finger, ring finger and pinkie to pick the higher strings.
I don’t use my index finger because it’s clasping the pick in the crook of its knuckle, allowing easy access to it when I switch to flatpicking for the guitar solo.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
Two techniques most rock lead guitarists are familiar with are sweep picking and fretboard tapping, both of which are often employed to perform arpeggios.
Sweeping, like strumming, involves quickly dragging the pick across several adjacent strings in a single downward or upward motion, except when sweeping you try to mute and silence each string with the fret hand immediately after picking it, as opposed to holding down a shape and allowing the notes to ring together like a chord.
Tapping entails using either a pick-hand fingertip or the edge of a pick to hammer-on a note on a single string at a specific fret. In this column, I’d like to demonstrate ways to combine the two techniques to create great sounding licks that can easily be moved around the fretboard.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
This month, I’d like to explore some ideas that do not fall within the “normal” scope of metal soloing or riff writing.
I borrowed the name for this month’s column from an incredible album recorded by the band Apocrypha back in the late Eighties, a very creative metal band that constantly pushed the limits of the metal genre to new and unexplored territories.
If you are unfamiliar with them, be sure to check out this amazing album.
An effective way to create a powerful and memorable metal riff is to imagine a chord progression and then “describe” it with a single-note line, instead of playing any chords, as demonstrated in FIGURE 1.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
All things that are truly great only become greater with the passing of time, an attribute that can certainly be applied to the incredible music of the legendary Jimi Hendrix.
The power, passion, individuality and influence of Jimi’s instantly recognizable style are more apparent now than ever and his legacy will continue to grow as the years pass.
This month, I’d like to explore the intricacies of Hendrix’s soloing style with specific attention on phrasing, melodic content and groove.
One of the earmarks of Jimi’s 1969/1970 Band of Gypsys period was a focus on fat, funky grooves, provided by one of the rock’s greatest rhythm sections—drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox.
The line-up of Jimi, Buddy and Billy occurred in order to fulfill a contractual obligation for an album, and the three musicians subsequently recorded the truly revolutionary Band of Gypsys album live, on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1969. Throughout each track, Miles and Cox lay down a rock-solid foundation while Hendrix soars above, delivering consistently iconic performances.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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 grew up listening to James Taylor, and I admit I know pretty much every word of every song he’s ever performed.
But when it comes to the guitar parts, that’s something I’ve still gotta work on.
Luckily the legendary Mr. Taylor has taken steps to remedy that.
He’s posted a series of free lessons on his site that not only run through some of his most beloved songs, they also incorporate new portable camera technology so that you can see his right hand technique from the inside.
This is perhaps the coolest revolution in lesson technology I’ve seen in ages.
Here’s one of my favorite Taylor songs deconstructed by the man himself. Check out how to play “Fire and Rain.”
Go here for more free lessons from James Taylor, including songs like "Carolina On My Mind,""Country Road," and more. And if you sign up for his newsletter, he’ll keep you posted when more go live.
Here our reviewer, Paul Riario, puts the Ovation Elite TX Premier through its paces.
The Ovation Elite TX Premier’s solid cedar top gives this guitar extraordinary warmth and expands its rich overtones.
Precisely calibrated sound holes on the bass side also add a little extra low-end thump making single notes more defined and clear.
Other features on this unique new Ovation include a dark walnut sound-hole epaulet, ultra-thin satin top coat, and a mid-depth cutaway body which allows comfortable access in the upper register frets.
The Ovation Elite TX Premier 1778TX retails for $949.00
A few months ago, guitarist Andy Alt introduced a new electric guitar pickup—"A Little Thunder"—that allows guitarists to play guitar and bass simultaneously.
A Little Thunder, which was designed to replace a humbucker, adds a bass signal to the two lowest strings on electric guitars, leaving the signal of all six strings in tact.
The addition of the bass feature requires no physical modifications: no drilling, routing or adding strings. Nor will guitarists need to replace 9-volt batteries or use MIDI. They just need to remove their existing humbucker, and—with about five minutes of installation time—they'll have the ability to push a button to activate A Little Thunder.
The three controls are on the custom-designed pickup ring: an on/off switch, a -1 or -2 octave switch and a polyphonic (two bass notes at once) or “low note priority” mode (The pickup detects the lowest note being played and applies the bass effect only to that note).
Because the technology is housed within the pickup, players will experience virtually no latency or tracking issues, which they might experience with external technologies, such as octave pedals.
Below, check out two demo videos for A Little Thunder. You can get even more information at alittlethunder.com.Note that visitors can save $30 on their order by entering code "alittlethunder30" at checkout. You also can follow along on Facebook.
With 2015 about to kick in (in, like, just a few hours), Guitar World is taking a nostalgic look back at the most popular GuitarWorld.com stories of 2014, including viral videos, guitar lessons and other features.
Today, we're revisiting the 10 most popular guitar lessons on GuitarWorld.com, as determined by page views.
Even though it's a best-of piece, you'll still find a fine assortment of useful lessons here—everything from Betcha Can't Play This videos by Marty Friedman and Dream Theater's John Petrucci, not to mention two lessons by Steve Stine of LessonFace. There are some wordy pieces in here, which are balanced out nicely by a few very quick-hit video lessons. But you probably won't be able to miss the fact that our 2014 list is dominated by Petrucci, who happens to be a natural teacher!
Remember you can read the complete lessons by clicking on the READ THE FULL LESSON HERE link at the bottom of each page. Also note that, just because these were our top 10 lessons of 2014, several of them were actually posted prior to 2014 (like the Friedman video, for instance).
Anyway, see you in 2015! Remember to practice! We're serious!
Here's a fast one one that mostly uses the Phrygian-dominant mode. It’s in the key of C. I start with a C power chord as a pickup to the first bar. Sometimes I like to include another fifth below the chord itself.
This brings out overtones that give the illusion of a lower root note, especially when you’re using heavy distortion. Even though the tempo marking is shown as "Freely," the lick is meant to be played as fast as you can.
So in bar 1, I ease into it by starting off relatively slow and move into full speed by the third beat, sort of what it would sound like if a snowball started rolling down a steep hill and got larger and faster on the way down. I like the Phrygian-dominant mode because of its exotic Eastern flavor; you can also think of it as a harmonic minor scale, which in this case would be in the key of F and starts on the fifth scale degree (C).
Notice how I play most of bar 1 legato—there’s nothing wrong with making it easy on yourself. At the end of bar 1 going into bar 2, I go into a series of five sextuplet patterns that gradually descend the neck. The fretboard shapes are a bit more familiar—the first two are minor (C minor and Bb minor), the third is major with an added #4—Ab(#4)—and the last two return to minor (F minor and C minor).
“By the time I get to the third bar, the C minor tonality is firmly established and I riff all the way through until the last beat, where I downward sweep a quick F#• arpeggio (I upstroke the seventh at the end). I use this to lead into the end, which is a bluesy run based on C9 and incorporates the very familiar blues box pattern.”
Over the years, people have noticed that when I play certain runs, my fingers move in the opposite direction of the notes that they hear.
For example, as my fret hand moves up the fretboard, the sequence of notes that is heard descends (and vice versa). For this month’s column, I’ve put together a few runs that demonstrate this unusual approach as applied to both ascending and descending patterns.
This kind of “positional wizardry” can be used to generate interesting melodic patterns that can be used in a variety of ways.
In FIGURE 1, I begin on the low E string in a high fretboard position and end on a high string in a lower position. The run is based on the A Aeolian mode (A B C D E F G), which is also known as the A natural minor scale and is intervallically spelled 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
The overall concept behind this line is a consistent progression of six-note groups, or “cells,” that move to different areas of the fretboard while remaining diatonic to (within the scale structure of) A Aeolian. The run is played in a rhythm of even 16th notes, which, due to its inherent four-note grouping, results in a more unusual melodic “shape” than if I had played the pattern in a triplet or sextuplet rhythm.
In the world of heavy metal, hot guitarists are a dime a dozen.
Yet only a precious few stand the test of time and become enduring guitar gods.
Randy Rhoads was one such player. Joining forces with singer Ozzy Osbourne in 1979, Rhoads burst onto the metal scene like a bolt from the blue.
He was blessed with dazzling chops and an innate comprehension of music theory, and his style had a perfect blend of flash and melodic structure.
Flowing legato sections segued to impossibly fast, palm-muted picking passages; incendiary trills and daring chromatic maneuvers coexisted with classically influenced melodies—all of which were derived from a seemingly inexhaustible supply of scales and arpeggios and laid out across an ever-shifting rhythmic landscape.
What's more, Rhoads was so precise that he could seamlessly double-track anything he played, for maximum sonic density.
Sadly, only three recordings—Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, and Tribute—captured Rhoads' genius before a tragic airplane crash, in 1982, cut his life short. But the musicianship that lies within those grooves is as stunning and inspirational today as it was then.
Sequences and Scales
Rhoads would often sprinkle a solo with a flurry of pentatonic pull-offs such as those in Fig.1. Built from the A minor pentatonic scale (A-C-D-E-G), this lick is inspired both by the opening moments of the first solo in "Mr. Crowley" and by the fill just before the last verse of "I Don't Know." It's interesting to note that while Rhoads possessed the facility to rip through lines such as these using alternate picking, he often chose a legato approach for a smoother, more flowing outcome.
No matter your level of experience, being a guitarist involves pushing your personal boundaries with the instrument.
Many players find themselves struggling to develop the physical abilities needed to play like their heroes, and, crucially, they never settle on a consistent set of exercises because they find themselves drowning in so many different suggestions.
In this column and video, I discuss some straightforward, essential practice techniques you can work into a simple, short daily routine to improve your dexterity, speed, strength and stamina to help you overcome obstacles and become a better guitar player.
These practice techniques are broken into three sections: 01. Picking hand: two three-minute exercises; 02. Fretting hand: a series of 15- or 20-second strength exercises; and 03. Both hands: a symmetrical exercise emphasizing synchronization between the left and right hands.
All in all, these exercises should take about 15 minutes. My students have found that, when done faithfully and properly, they yield significant positive results. Please note that it's a good idea to stretch out your hands, wrists and arms for a few minutes before doing these exercises.
Like the headline says, here are seven habits — habits you'll need to get into — that will, simply put, make you a better guitarist.
01. Visualize: You don’t just have to practice when there’s a guitar in your hands. There’s plenty of time in the day being wasted that you can use to improve your playing. Whenever you have a spare few seconds to daydream or are zoning out in class or at a meeting or waiting in line at the DMV, etc., use the time to go inside your mind’s eye and ears and visualize yourself perfectly executing the lick, riff or song you’ve been working on.
See and hear yourself playing the part with an expert ease, gliding as one with the strings, “virtually” feeling your fingers and your pick in precise synchronization. Repeat this whenever you can and you’ll find you’re better than you were before the last time you picked up the guitar and that the experience of the real guitar in your hands is enriched for the process.
An added bonus of this is that when you get better at connecting the disparate experiences of the imagined and the real, you’ll find that the accuracy of translating what you hear in your head through your fingers to the fretboard will significantly improve, as will your ability to transcribe things you hear while away from your guitar (if nothing else, you’ll be floored at how realistic your air guitar playing will be!).
02. Learn Something New Every Day: This is one of the easiest things you can do to enrich your guitar playing, musicianship and, most importantly, your discipline and motivation. Simply put, find one guitar-related thing a day that you didn’t know already and learn it. And play it. It can be a riff, a lick, a chord, a scale, an exercise, a song, a melody, an altered tuning, a strum pattern, the part of a song you know all of the cool riffs of but never bothered to learn the “boring” connecting transition sections of, whatever.
The discipline of seeking out, playing and internalizing a new piece of guitar knowledge on a daily basis will feed your subconscious musical instincts, add new concepts to your muscle memory and ultimately aid in your ability to express yourself and perform effortlessly on the guitar.
Make this a part of your day and you’ll find that as you continue on your journey, one thing will become two, then three, and on and on until you are devouring as much as you can absorb on the guitar, every day!
Although often regarded as a “shredder’s” technique, the notion of sweeping (or raking) the pick across the strings to produce a quick succession of notes has been around since the invention of the pick itself.
Jazz players from the Fifties, such as Les Paul, Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow, would use the approach in their improvisations, and country guitar genius Chet Atkins was known to eschew his signature fingerstyle hybrid-picking technique from time to time and rip out sweep-picked arpeggios, proving that the technique is not genre specific.
Within rock, Ritchie Blackmore used sweep picking to play arpeggios in Deep Purple’s “April” and Rainbow’s “Kill the King.”
Fusion maestro Frank Gambale is widely considered to be the most versatile and innovative sweep picker and the first artist to fully integrate the technique into his style, applying sweeping to arpeggios, pentatonics, heptatonic (seven-note) scales and modes, and beyond.
Gambale explains his approach wonderfully in his instructional video, Monster Licks and Speed Picking. Originally released in 1988, it remains a must-watch video for anyone interested in developing a smooth sweep-picking technique.
It was Stockholm, Sweden, however that would produce the name most synonymous with sweeping in a rock context, one that gave rise to a guitar movement known as neoclassical heavy metal.
Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore and Uli Jon Roth but was also equally enthralled by 19th-century virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini. Attempting to emulate on his Fender Stratocaster the fluid, breathtaking passages Paganini would compose and play on violin, Malmsteen concluded that sweep picking was the perfect way to travel quickly from string to string with a smooth, fluid sound much like what a violinist can create with his bow.
Malmsteen’s style has since influenced two generations of guitarists, including Tony MacAlpine, Jason Becker, Steve Vai, Mattias “IA” Eklundh, Ritchie Kotzen, Marty Friedman, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, Jeff Loomis, Synyster Gates, Alexi Laiho and Tosin Abasi, to name but a few.
The first five exercises in this lesson are designed to give you a systematic approach to practicing the component movements of sweep picking: from two-string sweeps to six-string sweeps, and everything in between. Practicing each exercise with a metronome for just two minutes every day will improve your coordination and your confidence to use the technique in your own playing.
Work from two strings up to six, keeping your metronome at the same tempo. This means starting with eighth notes, and while this will feel very slow, the technique will become trickier with each successive note grouping: eighth-note triplets, 16th notes, quintuplets and, most difficult of all, 16th-note triplets and their equivalent sextuplets.
Focus on synchronizing your hands so that your pick and fretting fingers make contact with the string at exactly the same moment. Only one string should be fretted at any time (this is key!), and any idle strings should be diligently muted with your remaining fingers.
If you fail to do this and allow notes on adjacent strings to ring together, it will negate the desired effect and sound like you are simply strumming a chord. When it comes to sweep picking, muting is the key to cleanliness. It is also the aspect that will take the most practice to master.
The second set of five exercises handles some common sweep-picking approaches. These are shown in one position and based on one chord type each, thus focusing your attention on the exercise until you have become accustomed to the technique.
The final piece helps you tackle the various aspects of sweeping while bolstering your stamina, as the bulk of it consists of nonstop 16th notes, with only a few pauses for “breathing.” Break it down into four-bar sections and practice each with a metronome, gradually building up to the 100-beats-per-minute (100bpm) target tempo.
Get the Tone
In rock, this technique is best suited to Strat-style guitars, using the neck pickup setting for a warm, round tone. Use a modern tube amp with the gain set to a moderate amount—just enough to give all the notes a uniform volume and sustain, but not so much that string muting becomes an impossible battle.
The thickness and sharpness of your pick will hugely impact the tone of your sweep picking. Something with a thickness between one and two millimeters and a rounded tip will provide the right amount of attack and still glide over the strings with ease.
This is a descending E Mixolydian [E F# G# A B C# D] run that moves across the strings and eventually down the neck in a cascading type of contour.
It’s based on a recurring nine-note melodic motif of three 16th-note triplets, with three alternate-picked notes followed by two double pull-offs.
I begin in ninth position with a fairly compact shape that spans the ninth to 12th frets. At the end of bar 1 and moving into bar 2, the fret hand shifts down two frets and spreads out to cover a four-fret span, from the seventh fret to the 11th. Use your first, second and fourth fingers to fret the notes.
The fret hand quickly shifts down to a lower position at the beginning of bars 3, 4 and 5, so try to make these transitions as smooth and seamless as possible. Make sure your pull-offs are loud and clear, and use the palm of your pick hand to mute the unused lower strings during bars 1 and 2.
This month, I’m going to demonstrate how one can utilize simple triadic shapes and patterns in order to imply more complex and varied chord qualities.
I find this to be a very cool and useful improvisational tool, because you can apply it to playing over either a chord progression that you want to outline melodically or over a static pedal tone or one-chord vamp over which you want to superimpose shifting harmonic colors.
Let’s begin by outlining, and then combining, simple major and minor triads. FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate the notes of a G major triad—G B D—played in seventh position. The relative minor triad of G major is E minor, and FIGURE 3 depicts an E minor triad played in the same position. Notice that both triads share two of the same notes, G and B.
The “magic” happens when we combine these two triads, and we can utilize and analyze the resulting sound within either a G major or an E minor context. FIGURE 4 shows the two triads combined, so in essence we’ve simply added the E note to the G major triad.
Adding E, the sixth of G, implies the sound of a G6 chord. If we play the same pattern over an E minor tonality, the resultant chordal implication is Em7, as shown in FIGURE 5, and the single-note triadic-based phrases evoke a different harmonic impression.
Let’s now apply this approach to a different tonal center. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the combination of the notes of a C major triad—C E G—and an A minor triad—A C E—result in either a C6 sound, as shown in FIGURE 6, or an Am7 sound, as shown in FIGURE 7. The beauty of this exercise is that it demonstrates how the study of one theoretical concept and its associated single-note patterns can easily be applied to more than one tonal environment.
On a grand scale, this means that the study of one idea can be applied to many different harmonic environments, yielding a broader understanding of music theory as well as heightening one’s fretboard awareness.
Another great way to use this concept is to combine two different triads that are found within the same tonal center. For example, within the G major scale (G A B C D E F#), one can build a series of seven different triads by starting from each note in the scale and adding thirds above the starting note while remaining diatonic to (within the scale structure of) G major. If we start from B, the third degree of the G major scale, a B minor triad is formed by playing B D F#, notes that
are all thirds apart, as they occur within the G major.
FIGURE 8 illustrates a phrase that combines G major and B minor triads. We can then apply this approach to the relative minor of G, Em7, as shown in FIGURE 9. When looked at as a whole, combining G major and B minor triads implies a Gmaj13 chord, as shown in FIGURE 10.
Steve Stine, highly sought-after guitar educator, teaches live group and private classes at LessonFace.com.
One key to becoming a more versatile blues soloist is learning to combine the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scales to create guitar lines that go beyond the minor pentatonic scale.
As a prerequisite to this lesson, you should have a basic understanding of the finger positionings for the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scales, particularly the first and second positions of both scales.
Stepping back, I should note that learning to play within both of these scales at the same time opened new doors for me as a guitar player.
Before combining them, I remember first learning to solo over the standard 1-4-5 blues progression, and my teacher at the time gave me a quick trick for alternating between the minor and major pentatonic solos: Use the minor pentatonic for the sections on the “1” and the major pentatonic for the sections on the “4," and alternate back in forth in this manner in the way that sounded best.
While this approach can work to give you a more varied sound beyond merely the minor pentatonic scale, this trick is by no means a hard and fast rule, and moving beyond it to learn to combine both scales makes you a more versatile player.
A quick point of reference to understand about these scales is that, in respect to physical finger positioning, they are identical, with one scale simply falling three frets below the other on the fretboard. That is to say, in any given key: (i) the finger position for the major pentatonic scale falls three frets down from the minor pentatonic scale, and (ii) the root note is the same for both scales.
So, for example, let’s focus on the key of A. The A on the fifth fret of the first string is the root note of both the A minor pentatonic and A major pentatonic scales. This means that, in the A minor pentatonic scale’s first position, the A on the fifth fret of the first string is played with your index finger.
A number of years ago, I was teaching at a guitar workshop in Pittsburgh.
I had taught at this annual workshop a number of times and always looked forward to my week there, not only because I was able to teach a class of students who really wanted to learn guitar, but also for more selfish reasons. I liked meeting and learning from some of the other instructors and clinicians.
So during this week, jazz guitarist Henry Johnson and I were jamming on each other's guitars, and I took the opportunity to ask him, "Hey, how can I, as a rock guitarist, get that 'outside' jazzy/Alan Holdsworth-y sound?"
His answer was so simple and astonishing. I will share it with you here.
He said, "Simply flatten the root of the minor pentatonic scale. Use this whenever you would use the normal minor pentatonic scale."
The concept was simple but profound. I spent a few days getting the new shape under my fingers, and before I knew it, I was slipping this into every solo I could!
The example below shows the new altered A-minor pentatonic scale. In this A-minor example, this "flattened root scale" sounds outside over Am or an A7 chord, but inside over the dominant V chord (E7).
It’s the time when you look back at all the fabulous and horrific moments of the previous year.
But it can also be a time to look forward at new possibilities.
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I have my go-to aspirations. Lose weight. Exercise more. Get more sleep.
But this year, I’m gonna go one step further and propose a set of guitar resolutions that are sure to energize my guitar interactions for the year to come and beyond.
Check ‘em out.
1. Give back.
This year I’m gonna grab my guitar and play everywhere! At a local nursing home, my kid’s school fundraiser, the town earth festival. It’s great for my chops and folks really do appreciate it. Plus I don’t have to wait until I’m perfect. Most folks could care less if you miss a note are two and I’ll share something special with them. Giving back gives you even more. You should try it!
2. Try some new picks.
I know, this seems simple. But for a long time I’ve been having some picking issues (I know, sounds like a personal problem!). So a friend suggested I try a new, smaller pick. Voila!! Took a little bit of getting used to, but it helped me get a smoother more consistent strum. There are lots of pick varieties out there. Give ‘em a spin!
3. Give some new strings a try.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably used the same strings pretty much forever. But believe it or not, there have been new developments in string production that can get your strings to last longer, sound clearer and even feel better. Plus this small investment in string exploration can yield big tonal payback!
4. Try some different practice exercises.
Are you stuck in the same practice rut? Me too. It’s time to jump into something new. New picking patterns. New scales. New songs. There is SO MUCH of this stuff on the internet that I never have to leave your home or studio. Even one new thing can energize my sessions.
5. Build a repertoire of new strums.
Here’s another thing I tend to repeat. I use a lot of the same strum patterns when I play. I guess they just feel comfortable. But guess what? There are loads of possible strum alternatives and they can really change the feel of a song. If you want, check out Acoustic Nation’s Sunday Strum series for a few ideas right now!
6. Play with a wider variety of people.
I just played with someone new yesterday. It was the most fun ever. I felt energized. I loved listening to his stuff. He dug mine. We found songs to jam on together. I was a little nervous jumping in but walked away feeling happy. So this year I’m gonna find more people to sit and have a strum with. Because life’s too short to not jam at every opportunity!
7. Clean my guitar.
I admit it. My guitar is gross. Fingerprints and smudges galore. If you’re like me, grabbing some guitar polish and a microfiber cloth and wiping your guitar down just doesn’t happen. But it will now. In 2015. Yep.
8. Take a lesson.
True story. I sat down to video a lesson with instructor Lily Maase. She said to me, “What are some things that you have issues with?” I gave her a couple of points. Within the hour that we spent together I walked away with some awesome tips for correcting my posture, the way I hold my strum hand, some cool riffs, etc. Even if you are the most amazing guitarist on the planet, a few minutes with someone who teaches for a living can have you walking away with some great ideas for the New Year.
9. Have more fun.
So what. I don’t know the song. I haven’t practiced. I’m not sure if they’ll like my songs. All of these thoughts have crossed my mind. But guess what? Most people don’t care. They just want to have fun. And that’s gonna be my approach for this year. Have fun playing with other people and jump in with a positive attitude. Right now. Wanna jam?
10. Try some new guitars.
I love my Taylor. But I also love checking out a new guitar. Lucky for me my job allows me to do that on a regular basis. But much of the time I’m checking them out and thinking about how other people might interact with the instrument. This year I’m gonna think about what I like and try some guitars that might be just right for me. Yes, there are tons out there. There are even new features like torrefied tops and body contours that might be magical. Let me know if you find any amazing models. I promise to do the same!
Happy New Year!
Laura B. Whitmore is the editor of AcousticNation.com and a singer/songwriter based in the Boston metro area. A veteran music industry marketer, she has spent over two decades doing marketing, PR and artist relations for several guitar-related brands including Marshall and VOX. Her company, Mad Sun Marketing, represents Peavey, Dean Markley, MusicFirst, SIR Entertainment Services, Guitar World and many more. Laura is the founder of the Women's International Music Network at thewimn.com and the producer of the She Rocks Awards. More at mad-sun.com.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the February 2015 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.
In the beginning, Ibanez created the TS-808 Tube Screamer.
Tone-starved guitarists rejoiced, for it was good. Then the TS-808 was gone, and guitarists roamed the barren tone desert for many years until dedicated believers brandished soldering irons and resurrected its spirit.
However, many interpretations of the “one true tone” eventually scattered the masses in confusion, with some dedicated to the JRC4558D, others to the MC1458, and heretics singing the praises of the TL072.
For many years, the tone disciples at EarthQuaker Devices sought their own path to tonal enlightenment, but eventually the force of the 808 became too strong to resist.
Their answer was the Palisades Overdrive, which is not a clone but rather a sort of Unitarian approach that embraces many interpretations of the spirit of the supreme tone being.
From a beef farm in Canada to co-writing with Taylor Swift in Nashville, Ryan Laird wasn't sure who he was musically until he took to the road.
Pop hooks adorn this country lovin' farm boy with a story.
Ryan puts in the work that it takes to make it in the big world of singer/songwriters!
Scot Sax knows his way around a solid pop song. The Philadelphia musician has been writing them for years, whether it was with his own bands Wanderlust and Feel, or as a purveyor of hits for singers like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. It was Sax, in fact, who co-wrote the country duo’s Grammy-winning smash “Like We Never Loved At All.” His catchy “I Am the Summertime,” penned while with the band Bachelor Number One, was featured in the blockbuster “American Pie.” And he’s netted countless TV credits, with song placements in shows like “Ghost Whisperer,” “NCIS,” “CSI: NY” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” He toured as a guitarist with Sharon Little throughout North America supporting Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand. His filmmaking debut, the documentary "Platinum Rush," is currently being entered into film festivals worldwide and will premiere in 2015. Sax lives in Nashville with his family.
Guitar fans might remember seven-string guitarist the Commander-In-Chief from her Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 guitar-duel video, which she made with classically trained guitarist Thomas Valeur.
Late last year, the Commander teamed up with another classical guitarist, Craig Ogden, for a new album of guitar-driven goodness—2 Guitars: The Classical Crossover Album—that takes metal virtuosity back to its classical roots.
Ogden, the principal lecturer on guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, was recently featured as one of the top classical guitarists of all time by ClassicFM.
In addition to inspired versions of Caprice No. 24 by Niccolo Paganini (the Italian composer whose music has influenced scores of guitarists, including Yngwie Malmsteen) and an instrumental version of Carlos Gardel and Alfredo LePera’s tango, "Por una Cabeza,"2 Guitars also showcases the Commander’s vocal skills on an original song, "Let It Go."
I recently caught up with the Commander and asked her about her new album with Ogden, her gear and more.
GUITAR WORLD: What made you decide to do a project like this?
After the guitar duel, I noticed a lot of comments from people asking about the next one. I had only planned on doing one, but everyone kept saying how they couldn't wait for more. So I thought it'd be cool to do another one.
The piece I found was the massive “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" [by Camille Saint-Saëns]. Once I checked it out, I knew it was going to take me a while to learn. So rather than just doing one piece and video at a time, we decided to instead make an entire album.
How did you decide on which pieces to cover?
Originally, I asked my manager to come up with a list of songs I might like to attempt. I thought “Introduction” was crazy because it was 15 pages long and had all of these cool runs. It sounds amazing on violin, and I was wondering if it would even be possible to play on guitar. But the idea was if I listened to the piece and became obsessed with it musically then it was a go.
How did you connect with Craig Ogden?
When we were looking for classical guitar players, we noticed Craig was always in demand on ClassicFM. He's a really cool guy who teaches and is running from gig to gig all the time. So we sent him an email asking if he had any students he could recommend. That's when he said he'd be interested in doing it himself. We met shortly afterwards and it wasn't long before we both said, "Let's do this!"
What’s one thing you’ve learned from attempting this kind of material?
People like to say classical and metal are similar, but one of the main differences are the dynamics you have to have in your fingers. It’s more than just the ensemble or the tone of the guitar and amp. Your fingers really have to be flexible enough to change from loud to soft and everything in between. It can be tricky at first, but learning this material is all about trying to find a balance.
You also have an original song on the album, a vocal number called “Let It Go." What can you tell me about it?
I wrote that song a few years ago to my brother when he was going through a difficult time. At first, I didn't know why he wasn't happy and I was trying to figure it out. I tried to say to him in the song what I wish I could have said to his face. A “metal” version of the song actually appears on my EP that was released in 2012. For this record, I didn't want to put out an album without any original material on it. So we decided to do an acoustic version.
Tell me about your gear and your involvement with Xvive pedals.
I’m using the new Ibanez S5570 seven-string. It has EMGs in it and a deeper sound that I think is cool. I use the neck pickup a lot because I really like that nice, rounded sound. I'm a minimalist when it comes to pedals, but when Xvive approached me I decided to try them. They’re such a great company to work with and I really love the sound of their delay.
What excites you the most about the new album?
It was cool to go into singing mode and communicate with my voice as well as my instrument. I know I’ll never stop playing guitar, but it was nice to have the opportunity to explore this other side of me.
But the thing I'm most excited about is playing this material live. Craig and I recently did a show in London that was just amazing. The expectation was high going in, but it was cool to see the reaction people had and knowing we were able to pull it off live!
James Wood is a writer, musician and self-proclaimed metalhead who maintains his own website, GoJimmyGo.net. His articles and interviews are written on a variety of topics with passion and humor. You can follow him on Twitter @JimEWood.
Of all my musical influences, classical violinist Niccolo Paganini has to be on top of the list.
Though he lived in the late 18th century (long before image became as important in the making and marketing of musicians as their actual music), his extreme personal magnetism coupled with truly mind-boggling technique made him the world’s first bona fide rock star.
Paganini was born in 1782 in Genoa, Italy, and by the time he was 20 he was the most famous violinist of his day. He mesmerized audiences and critics alike with his charismatic stage presence, otherworldly chops and flamboyant showmanship.
Apart from his unparalleled technical wizardry on the instrument, Paganini is remembered for his artistic impact on later composers such as Liszt and Chopin, who used his virtuosity as a technical challenge in the search for greater expression in their own works.
Apart from his obvious musical and technical brilliance, Paganini proved to me that a great musician doesn’t have to sacrifice virtuosity for showmanship. As a result, I’ve always strived to make my shows as visually exciting as possible without compromising my musical integrity.
Paganini’s compositions also influenced me deeply—especially his 24 Caprices Op.1. I remember learning the Fifth Caprice in A minor—I’d practice it incessantly until I got it wired. It not only really helped me with my technique (particularly arpeggios), but opened my ears to harmony and melody.
I learned the Fifth Caprice by listening to a recording of it. Because I didn’t have the sheet music, it was a long and painstaking process to pick up the melody by ear, but it was definitely worth it.
I think that any guitarist can benefit from learning Paganini’s Caprices. To that end, I’ve written out the first 20 bars of his Fifth Caprice in A minor in FIGURE 1. I have to warn you—this piece is not for the timid—you have to be very patient and put a lot of time in, but the results are well worth the effort.
Keep in mind that guitar music sounds an octave lower than written (so you’ll be playing this piece an octave lower than where a violin would be playing it). The only reason I’m pointing this out is so that you don’t think you’re playing it wrong if you happen to hear a recording of it played on the violin.
Also realize that the tab is totally subjective—there is no one “correct” fingering. I’ve written out just one possible fingering option. It’s how I might approach playing the piece (though often I’ll try different fingerings in some sections). You should use my suggested fingerings as a template to work out the fingerings that are most comfortable for you.
Pay special attention to all the arpeggios, and work out your right-hand picking accordingly.
For example, I’d use sweep picking (If you still have it, see my column in the July 1999 issue of Guitar World) to play the ascending E7 arpeggio in measure 4 and the descending C and G arpeggios in measure 15, and alternate picking (down-up-down-up) to play the two-note-per-string arpeggios in measures 3, 8 and 9.
I’d use a combination alternate/sweep picking approach to play the F#dim7 arpeggio in measure 14.
When playing the descending chromatic scale in measure 16, make sure to execute all the picked slides with your index finger.
I hope you benefit as much from learning this Caprice as I did.
On December 31, Periphery premiered "Graveless," another song off their upcoming dual releases, Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega.
Sumerian will release both albums January 27.
""Graveless" is one of my favorite songs on the record! It's fast and aggressive but morphs into something beautiful and catchy as the song progresses," says Periphery bassist/programmer Adam "Nolly" Getgood.
"There's an element of the classic Periphery sound in there, but with all band members pushing to take things to the next level it's got a whole palette of colors the band hasn't explored before too."
“Graveless” is from Juggernaut: Omega. Be sure to tell us what you think in the comments below or on Facebook!
ESP Guitars, which is celebrating 40th anniversary in 2015, will unveil a batch of new artist Signature Series guitars and basses at the 2015 Winter NAMM Show later this month.
“ESP has been synonymous with artist signature guitars since the very beginning,” says Chris Cannella, ESP director of artist relations and product management.
“We’re very proud of the latest additions to the ESP artist roster, and their new signature models for 2015 are among the best we’ve ever made.”
Three new models are being created for ESP artist Gary Holt of Exodus. The ESP Gary Holt LTD GH-600EC and LTD GH-200EC are all single-cutaway guitars that are accented in distinctive red-colored design details, and feature Floyd Rose tremolos.
Another new addition to the ESP artist family, Javier Reyes of Animals as Leaders, is debuting the LTD JR-608/QM and the LTD JR-208. Both are eight-string baritone models at 27” scale. The JR-608/QM has high-end design features like neck-thru-body construction, and features Reyes’ signature DiMarzio pickups.
Also new to the ESP roster, jazz/fusion great Bunny Brunel is introducing the LTD BB-1004/QM and LTD BB-1005FL/QM. Respective four- and five-string fretless basses, the basses include neck-thru-body construction, quilted maple tops, a special Aguilar pickup set with OBP-3 active preamp and ebony fingerboard.
A number of current ESP artists have also had additions and updates to their signature instruments. Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) is debuting four new models: the ESP Gus G/EC, ESP Gus G/RS, LTD GUS-200 and LTD GUS-200EC.
These updated models are now available in Black Satin finish, and feature contrasting white pickup covers. Will Adler of Lamb of God has new additions to his Warbird signature series guitars, including the LTD WA-200 Warbird Distressed and LTD WA-200 White Camo.
Shredder Andy James helped design the seven-string LTD AJ-7, while new and updated basses are being made available for Frank Bello of Anthrax (the eight-string LTD FB-208 and LTD FB-204), War/PHILM bassist Pancho Tomaselli (the redesigned LTD PT-4) and Gabe Crisp (Whitechapel) with the GC-P4.
Finally, other signature series models are returning to LTD’s affordable “200 Series," including the Kirk Hammett (Metallica) KH-202 and KH-202 Left Handed, Michael Paget (Bullet for My Valentine) MP-200V, Tom Araya (Slayer) TA-200 and Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) SC-207 and SC-208.
For more information on all of ESP’s new guitar and bass models for 2015, visit espguitars.com.
I have a drawer full of pickups and a stand full of acoustics without electronics. If only there were a …
Eureka! That’s the answer.
EurekaSound is a Canadian company that builds a bunch of “Why didn’t I think of that?” guitar products. Besides the pickup mount, the Baitar is their cool guitar/bass hybrid.
Back to the mount! The company makes something called the Sound Hole Pickup Mount. And while its name seems pretty self-explanatory, I’ll go a bit deeper. The mount clips onto the sound hole of your acoustic guitar without any modifications and without leaving behind marks of any kind.
The mount houses any standard single-coil-sized pickup. Instead of soldering, there's a terminal that you clip your pickup’s positive and negative leads into with a screwdriver. Other features include a volume knob and a ¼-inch output jack that clips onto your guitar’s strap button. Everything is completely passive, so batteries are not required.
For the review, I used a Fender Standard Strat pickup I had lying around. I also tried a mystery single-coil-sized humbucker just to see if it would fit. It did, but I preferred the sound of the Strat pickup.
Installation took about 10 minutes to clip in the pickup and properly set the height. Since your pickups are probably designed for an electric guitar, it will take a few minutes to find the sweet spot. I had to angle the mount a bit to get the pole pieces to line up with the strings.
The two sound clips below are the Strat pickup first on a Yamaha FS700S acoustic (clip 1), then on a Seventies Ibanez 12-string (clip 2).
Web: eurekasound.com Price: $39 shipped; available in white or black (shown)
You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.
Guitarist Chris Mike—who wrote and recorded "For Jason," a tribute to Jason Becker, last spring—is back.
This time, the Candyrat Records artist has recorded—and created a music video for—his instrumental, shred-tastic cover of Bruno Mars'"Locked Out of Heaven."
You can check it out below. As always, please let us know what you think of it in the comments below or on Facebook.
Note that Mike, who also arranged this rendition of Mars' chart-topping 2012 song, plays Chapman Guitars.
The song is available now on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Mike, visit candyrat.com and follow him on Facebook.
