You might remember Anthony Vincent from his viral videos in which he covers pop songs in 20 different styles.
For Valentine’s Day, Vincent has created a video of himself doing 20 different love songs in 20 different styles, from Pantera covering Bob Marley, to Metallica covering Frank Sinatra, and so on!
Watch the clip below and let us know what you think in the comments or on Facebook!
Today (in honor of Valentine's Day), GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "Are You the One,” a new music video by singer/guitarist Malina Moye.
"Are You the One” is the second single from her latest album, Rock & Roll Baby.
The ballad grooves to a mid-tempo beat with a healthy dose of organ, thumping bass, and of course, ripping lead guitar.
“'Are You the One' is a love song, and love never goes out of style," Moye told us. "I wanted the song to project artistry of real music.”
Moye was the first African-American woman to play the National Anthem on guitar at a professional sporting event; she also performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute concert for Chuck Berry.
More recently, the guitarist honored the Queen of England by playing “God Save the Queen” at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the Queen’s 60-year jubilee. Moye also performed as part of the Experience Hendrix tours in 2012 and 2014.
For much more about Moye, visit malinamoye.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Photo: Issiah Hayes
We're back with a new episode of Sunday Strum!
In this week’s example, I demonstrate a pattern aimed at creating space.
Sometimes less is more, and by creating a gap between chord changes, a more dramatic effect can be achieved.
Feel free to experiment with this simple idea to really change up what may otherwise be too straight ahead.
Check out the lesson below!
Justin Horenstein is a guitar instructor and musician in the Washington, DC metro area who graduated (cum laude) from the Berklee College of Music in 2006. He also plays in Black Clouds, a 3-piece atmospheric/experimental band. Their new album, Dreamcation, was released on November 4, 2014 via Collect Records.
More about Justin at 29thCenturyGuitar.com and BlackCloudsMusic.com.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the March 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 Holiday 2014 and January 2015 installments of Metal for Life, I talked about the advantages of using drop-D tuning (low to high, D A D G B E) and demonstrated some cool things you can do with it.
This month I’d like to revisit this topic and show you some additional metal-style riffs played in this tuning, with an emphasis on unusual melodic intervals.
As I mentioned previously, drop-D tuning is great for metal because, along with the extended low range and resulting additional “heaviness” provided by the detuned sixth string, it enables one to conveniently fret power chords on the bottom two or three strings by simply barring one finger across the strings at any given fret.
For the rest of this column, including the tabs, check out the March 2015 issue of Guitar World.
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "High Heels and Throwing Things,” a new song by guitarist Robben Ford.
The track, which is from Ford's new album, Into the Sun, features Gov't Mule frontman Warren Haynes on guitar. Into the Sun will be released March 31 via Mascot Label Group.
Ford describes the 11-song set as “one of the top recordings I’ve ever done,” a staggering observation considering his resume (George Harrison, Miles Davis) and discography, which includes more than 35 albums under his own name and with his various bands. There’s also Ford’s session/sideman work, which includes appearances and albums with Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Kiss and Jimmy Witherspoon.
“The album is really upbeat,” Ford says. “It has a positive vibe to it—a good-time feel. There are a lot of different rhythms and colors and the way the instruments are used is really different. It makes me very happy to have something so diverse.”
Into the Sun, the followup to 2014's A Day in Nashville, features guest appearances by former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Haynes (listen below!), slide guitar guru Sonny Landreth, Keb’ Mo’ and Robert Randolph.
The album also features four of Ford's go-to instruments: a pair of Gibson SG’s from 1963 and 1964, his 1960 Fender Telecaster and his Gibson B-25. As he’s done on every album he’s made since 1983, Ford used a Dumble Overdrive Special amp.
“For me,” he says, “it’s all about the art. If you work hard at something, you’re going to get better. I think I reached a point with my writing on Into the Sun where I could just go with the flow and bring some of the best songs I’ve ever created to life.”
For more about Ford and the new album, visit robbenford.com and follow him on Facebook. Be sure to check out Ford's upcoming tour dates, plus an EPK for Into the Sun, below.
Into the Sun Track Listing:
01. Rose of Sharon
02. Day of the Planets
03. Howlin’ at the Moon
04. Rainbow Cover
05. Justified (with Keb’ Mo’ and Robert Randolph)
06. Breath of Me (with ZZ Ward)
07. High Heels and Throwing Things (with Warren Haynes; check it out below)
08. Cause of War
09. So Long 4 U (with Sonny Landreth)
10. Same Train
11. Stone Cold Heaven (with Tyler Bryant)
2015 Robben Ford Tour Dates:
Feb. 17-21 - Miami, FL / Key West, FL / Nassau, Bahamas - Keeping The Blues Alive Cruise
Feb. 22 - Clearwater, FL - Clearwater Sea Blues Festival - Coachman Park
March 13 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Stadttheater (with hr-Bigband)
March 14 - Rüsselsheim, Germany - Theater (with hr-Bigband)
April 10 - Ft. Worth, TX - Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival
April 11 - Oklahoma City, OK - Academy of Contemporary Music
April 12 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads Saloon
April 14 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
April 15 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
April 16 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
April 17 - Columbus, OH - Woodlands Park Street Saloon
April 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
April 19 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
April 21 - Syracuse, NY - Wescott Theatre
April 22 - Londonderry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
April 23 - Fall River, MA - Narrow Center For The Arts
April 24 - Beacon, NY - Towne Crier
April 25 - Norfolk, VA - Infinity Hall
April 26 - New York, NY - City Winery
April 29 - London, England - O2 Academy Islington
April 30 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - North Sea Jazz Club
May 1 - Breda, Netherlands - Mezz Concerts & Dance
May 2 - Groningen, Netherlands - Rhythm n Blues Night
May 5 - Leuven, Belgium - Het Depot
May 8 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Tollhaus
May 9 - Hamburg, Germany - Fabrik
May 10 - Cologne, Germany - Kantine
May 12 - Munich, Germany - Technikum
May 18 - Zvecan, Kosovo - North City Jazz and Blues Festival
Kosovska Mitrovica - Cultural Centre “Trepca"
May 20 - Zurich, Switzerland - Kaufleuten Festival
May 30 & 31 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi’s at Jack London Square
June 2 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
June 3 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door
June 26 - Carpentras, France - Auzon Le Blues
(NOTE: Additional dates will be announced soon.)
Photo: Piper Ferguson
Guitarist Walter Trout has announced his plans to return to stages across the globe in 2015.
Following a liver transplant and extensive rehabilitation, the bluesman feels strong enough to resume his career of 50-plus years.
"The last year has been one where the blues truly came calling, and I came face to face with death more than once," Trout says. "My wife moved me to Nebraska to improve my chances of getting a life-saving liver transplant, and after a long wait, I got my new liver on May 26, 2014.
"Since then I have been filled with immense gratitude. Gratitude for the fans who supported me via fundraisers, cards, messages, thoughts and prayers, for the donor and his or her family, for medical science, for my family and for life itself.
"Everything matters more to me now. Now, eight months after my transplant I feel like a new man. I have strength and energy. In some ways I feel like I am in my 20s again! The past couple of years of playing I was getting dizzy spells, severe cramps in my hand and forearm and played many shows in severe pain. It turns out that was a result of my deteriorating liver.
"That is gone now! I am able to play better than I have in years. I feel reborn. I cannot wait to get back out on the road again and do what I love to do for my fans. The future looks great!”
Trout will make appearances across Europe and North America in the coming months. His first public appearance will take place June 15 in London at the Royal Albert Hall. The appearance is part of Lead Belly Fest.
Trout also will take the stage for the first in North America at a venue where he has long history, the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California, July 10. His itinerary is a work in progress with dozens of additional dates planed for 2015. Confirmed appearances include:
6/15 London, UK Royal Albert Hall
7/10 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
7/21 Davenport, IA Redstone Room
7/23 Sioux City, IA Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
7/25 St. Paul, MN Lowertown Blues Festival
7/31 Norfolk, CT Infinity Music Hall
8/01 Wilmington, DE Riverfront Blues Festival
8/02 Annapolis, MD Ram's Head
8/04 New York, NY B.B. King's
8/07 Niagara Falls, NY Bear's Den @ Seneca Casino
8/08 Wheeling, WV Heritage Blues Festival
8/14 Chicago, IL Buddy Guy's Legends
8/15 Wausau, WI Big Bull Falls Blues Festival
9/10 Las Vegas, NV Big Blues Bender
9/11 Las Vegas, NV Big Blues Bender
11/17 Stockton, UK Arc
11/18 Glasgow, UK ABC
11/20 Holmfirth, UK Picturedrome
11/21 London, UK Forum
11/24 Leamington Spa, UK Assembly
11/25 Frome, UK Cheese & Grain
11/28 Amsterdam, Netherlands Carre
12/01 Hamburg, Germany Fabrik
12/02 Berlin, Germany Kesselhaus
12/03 Bochum, Germany RuhrCongress
12/06 Munich, Germany Feriheiz
"To play my music for people has become even more important to me," Trout said in 2014. "When I think about looking out into the crowds of people and connecting with everyone on a soul level, and sharing the experience of music with them, this is what keeps me fighting to get back: My family and my music is my lifeline. These days, it means more to me than ever before."
For more about Trout, visit waltertrout.com.
The all-new March 2015 issue of Guitar World is available now!
The new issue focuses on Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne as they spill the details on drugs, debauchery and some damned good riffs!
First, Black Sabbath's Iron Men, Tony and Geezer, recall the rise and fall of the first—and greatest—incarnation of heavy metal's originators. Then, the Ozz Man tells the stories behind 10 classic Black Sabbath tracks, including "Paranoid,""Fairies Wear Boots,""Planet Caravan" and "Iron Man."
Also, Guitar World picks the best of the original lineup's tracks—from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Supernaut" to "Sweet Leaf" and "Dirty Women."
Later, Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil recalls his personal history as a disciple of Black Sabbath and their dark lord of the riff, Tony Iommi.
Finally, check out the results of the Guitar World Readers Poll. John Petrucci shreds his way to Hall of Fame glory, Angus Young makes a triumphant return as MVP and Weezer edge out Jack White for Alt-Rock Album of the Year. You voted, we counted. Here are the results!
PLUS: Tune-ups on Periphery, Black Star Riders, Arctic Monkeys, Falling in Reverse, Gov't Mule, a Dear Guitar Hero interview with Richard Williams of Kansas, Black Crown Initiate, Slash's Setlist and much more!
Six Songs with Tabs for Guitar and Bass:
• Guns N' Roses - "Nightrain"
• Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
• Gov't Mule - "Thorazine Shuffle"
• Machine Head - "Now We Die"
The all-new March 2015 issue of Guitar World is available now at the Guitar World Online Store!
NOTE: This story was updated Monday, February 16, with a new video!
To celebrate the release of Jimmy Page’s new photo book, Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, the guitar legend appeared with Chris Cornell, guitarist and singer for Soundgarden, at the Theater at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles for a relaxed question-and-answer session that spanned the entirety of Page’s 50-year career.
Sponsored by Genesis Publications, Gibson Custom, Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado, the hour-and-a-half event, which took place last November, enthralled a packed house of 1,400 fans as Cornell quizzed Page about the rare photos and memorabilia—many drawn from Page’s personal archives—which were projected on an enormous screen hovering above both men.
The 70-year-old Page, with his silver hair, scarf and black leather jacket, looked as sharp as a James Bond super villain, while Cornell, in thick-rimmed glasses, evoked a hipster newsman.
The subject matter ran the gamut from extremely light and frothy to the serious matter of drummer John Bonham’s untimely death, of which Page commented, “when we lost 25 percent of the band, we really lost the whole thing.”
Among the more humorous moments was when Cornell took note of a photo of Page wearing a bright—but very tight—red sweater emblazoned with his “Zoso” symbol. Page explained that a friend’s girlfriend had knit it for him, but when he sweated onstage, it immediately started to shrink.
Below, we present parts 1 and 2 of this Guitar World video series. Be sure to check back every week for the next episode! Don't worry, we'll remind you.
PART TWO (Posted February 16):
PART ONE (Posted February 9):
Hyundai and the Recording Academy have announced the launch of the third annual Grammy Amplifier, an online music initiative aimed at mentoring emerging artists and providing them the opportunity to elevate their careers by showcasing their talent.
Three-time Grammy and Brit winner Mark Ronson will serve as the 2015 Grammy Amplifier Ambassador alongside this year’s program curators, the Band Perry and Ziggy Marley, and singer/songwriter Allen Stone.
The ambassador and curators will vet talent via online submissions and select the program’s three winners who will individually be awarded one of the following prizes: 1. a studio recording session with a Grammy-winning producer; 2. filming and starring in their own music video with a noted director; or 3. securing an opening spot for a noted musician and/or at a music festival.
“We couldn’t be more excited to continue our dedication not only to the Grammys but to the celebration and support of making music,” said David Matathia, Director, Marketing & Communications, Hyundai Motor America. “The Amplifier program and our partnership with the Grammys allow Hyundai to celebrate innovation and creativity through a truly unique and inspiring platform.”
Artists can begin entering submissions at GrammyAmplifier.com. Based on their track plays and social media “amplifications," the top 25 finalists will be brought together for a Grammy Amplifier mentorship experience.
The top 25 will then be whittled down by program curators to a short list of finalists, at which point the program ambassador will select the final three winners and align each of them with one of three top prizes.
The Grammy Amplifier website will feature the mentoring session video series. The episodes document the year-long learning experiences of the 2014 winners and include footage from a studio session with Ronson, the experience of performing on the road as opening act for Allen Stone, and conceptualizing and filming a music video under the guidance of industry professionals.
The 2015 Grammy Amplifier program marks the start of a newly inked three-year renewal between Hyundai and the Recording Academy, again naming Hyundai the official vehicle partner of the Grammy Awards.
For more information, visit GrammyAmplifier.com.
Pieta Brown has released a new video for "Flowers of Love" from her recent Red House release, Paradise Outlaw.
The track was recorded at Justin Vernon's April Base studio and features Vernon on backing vocals.
The video is by artist Mei-Ling Shaw Williams. Pieta will be touring through 2015, including US and Australian dates with Iris Dement (scroll down for tour details).
Produced by Pieta, with frequent collaborator and partner, Bo Ramsey, Paradise Outlaw was recorded in four days at Bon Iver mastermind Justin Vernon's April Base studio in Wisconsin with a supporting cast that includes Vernon, Amos Lee, Brown's troubadour father, Greg Brown and various members of an experimental group of players she calls the Sawdust Collective.
Paradise Outlaw boasts some of Pieta's most emotionally resonant compositions, and some of her most expressive performances, to date.
Paradise Outlaw features 12 originals by Brown plus a co-write and duet with soulster Amos Lee ("Do You Know") and a cover of Mark Knopfler's "Before Gas And TV." Such gently intoxicating tunes as "Do You Know,""Wondering How,""Ricochet" and "Flowers of Love" feature organically orchestrated arrangements that accentuate the insight and intimacy of Brown's lyrics, the understated craftsmanship of her tunes, and the alluring immediacy of her uniquely expressive voice.
The project was set into motion in mid-2012, when Brown met Justin Vernon while both were on tour in Australia. As she recalls, "The initial spark for this quest was when the songs 'Painter's Hands' and 'Rise My Only Rose'—both of which I wrote before I ever made my first album—fell out of a notebook onto the floor in a hotel room and landed next to the copy of Howl by Allen Ginsberg that I'd happened to bring out on the road. Later that night, I met Justin and he invited me to check out his studio, and it just rolled from there. It was a fun track to follow, and one link running through it all was this spark that I caught from re-reading a lot of beat poetry, especially Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and thinking about that feverish hunt for freedom, as a human."
The creative restlessness that drives Paradise Outlaw has been a constant in Pieta Brown's life. Born in Iowa, she lived in at least 17 different residences in multiple states during her youth. Her parents separated when she was two, but she grew up around many artists and musicians, absorbing all manner of bohemian artistic influences. By the age of eight, she was writing poetry and instrumental music on the piano, eventually picking up the guitar and merging the two into songs.
With Paradise Outlaw documenting a compelling new chapter of her ongoing musical journey, Pieta Brown continues to seek out and conquer new creative challenges.
For tour dates and additional information, please visit www.pietabrown or http://www.redhouserecords.com
Pieta Brown
FR 2/27 Denver, CO - Tuft Theater - 8pm
SA 2/28 Ft Collins, CO - Avogadro’s Number
TH 3/5 Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theater
FR 3/6 Louisville, KY - KCD Theater
SA 3/7 Bowling Green, KY - The Warehouse
TH 3/26 Seattle, WA - The Triple Door - 7:30pm
FR 3/27 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
SA 3/28 Sisters, OR - The Belfry
SU 3/29 Eugene, OR - Cozmic - 8pm
FR 4/10 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
TH 4/23 Winona, MN - Midwest Music Festival
SU 6/21 Fairfield, IA - Fair Fest
Australian dates with Iris Dement
FR 5/22 Adelaide, SA - The Gob
SA 5/23 Newcastle, NSW - Lizottes
SU 5/24 Brisbane, QLD - Old Museum
TH 5/28 Melbourne, VIC - Thornbury Theater
SA 5/29 Sydney, NSW - Factory Theate
(Want to build your own? I've documented how I did it here.)
This guitar was never built to be a gimmick. I made it simply because I wanted a steel-bodied Dobro guitar but couldn’t afford one.
Back in 1998, I was in the lowest point of my life: lost marriage ... living in a tiny apartment ... no TV ... no internet. Yet in all my boredom and depression, I was still obsessed with music. Most importantly, I wanted to own a metal-bodied Dobro guitar.
It was 2 a.m. when I found myself wide awake, nothing to do and $15 in my pocket. I decided to go to the one place that was open (Wal-Mart) and find materials I could use to build an instrument using the cash I had. After trolling around the empty store, I walked past a cheap metal mailbox in the hardware area, and the voice inside my head screamed, “There's my dobro!” I took the mailbox home and started making plans to create the one instrument that could satisfy my obsession.
The next morning, I sacrificed an old Kay acoustic guitar I owned. It was the perfect corpse to extract parts: bolt-on neck, floating bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Within four hours, the mailbox guitar was complete. It was perfect. It sounded just like a metal-bodied dobro and it was mine!
One more thing. Soon after I created this, I had a chance to meet B.B. King after a concert, and I had him autograph the Mailbox Guitar. Of course, I asked him to sign the door so it looked like I stole his mailbox and made a guitar out of it. (B.B. looked kinda scared, but he signed it anyway.)
See more photos and get a peek under the hood at ShaneSpeal.com/mailbox-guitar.
Shane Speal is "King of the Cigar Box Guitar" and the creator of the modern cigar box guitar movement. Hear the music, see the instruments and read about his Cigar Box Guitar Museum at ShaneSpeal.com. Speal's latest album, Holler! is on C. B. Gitty Records.
The heaviest album of all time, you ask?
This distinction belongs not to Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality or Slayer’s Raining Blood.
No, the heaviest, sludgiest, most wicked album ever recorded is none other than Sleep’s doom metal masterpiece, Dopesmoker.
A juggernaut of a concept album, Dopesmoker chronicles the epic pilgrimage of the Weedian race, an ancient people commanded by their high weed priests to “Drop out of life with bong in hand / Follow the smoke to the riff filled land." (Beat that, Tommy.)
Laugh if you will, but this sludge metal overture features the most torrid de-tuned guitar madness ever put to record. Over the course of 63 uninterrupted minutes, Dopesmoker’s leviathan modal riffs reverberate into the abyss, becoming hypnotic satanic ragas that could make Cthulhu blush. And on top of that, it has one of the best prog-rock album covers of all time.
Though perhaps less popular than groups like Kyuss and Neurosis, Sleep are the quintessential “stoner metal” band—shunning complexity and song structure in favor of trudging Black Sabbath-on-Valium riffs, creating desolate sonic landscapes. The Bay Area-based group released its first album in 1991 and quickly became a stalwart of the San Francisco metal scene. After the success of their release Sleep’s Holy Mountain, the band signed a major label deal with London Records. They then proceeded to blow $75,000 of their record advance on guitars, custom amps and presumably cannabis, while recording their hour-long stoner rock magnum opus.
Needless to say, the record company was less than enthused and initially refused to release the album. Two years after Sleep disbanded in 1996, however, London released a neutered, chopped-up version of the record titled Jerusalem, before the properly mastered Dopesmoker finally saw the light of day in 2003 (later remastered again in 2012). The latter release was immediately received as the definitive version and became a cult favorite amongst psych-rock fans and metal heads alike.
Listening to Dopesmoker is an unparalleled experience. The record opens with a cosmic slab of heavily layered guitar drone that sets the scene for this weird sci-fi fantasy. As the song progresses, its repeated skull-searing riff and demented tribal drumming become bizarrely mesmerizing. Vocals kick in at the eight-minute mark, a demonic incantation that beckons you onward to Zion. Minutes pass into the ether as the song-cycle propels forward, burying itself into your reptilian inner psyche; the dissolution of time seems inevitable. Guitar solos abound, weed creedsman chant, and from Mankind a new stoner breed is born.
Even if herbsmen caravans and Marijuanauts are not your thing, the insane guitar tone alone makes the album well worth the listen. And you will definitely not find anything heavier. So do yourself a favor and grab a good pair of headphones, crank the volume and experience Dopesmoker.
Sleep reunited in 2009 and play live dates internationally. Check out their website right here.
Ethan Varian is a freelance writer and guitarist based in San Francisco. He has performed with a number of rock, blues, jazz and bluegrass groups in the Bay Area and in Colorado. You can view his music blog here.
The Juliana Hatfield Three will release their new album, Whatever, My Love, Tuesday, February 17, via American Laundromat Records.
Below, you can stream the title track. As always, be sure to tell us what you think in the comments below or on Facebook.
Whatever, My Love comes 21 years after the release of their Atlantic Records debut, Become What You Are, which secured the band a permanent place in alt-rock history with the radio hits “My Sister” and “Spin the Bottle.” It was an influential force of uncompromising, original, melodic guitar pop/rock.
The new album was recorded at Hoboken, New Jersey's Nuthouse Recording with Hatfield and Tom Beaujour co-producing. "We haven’t totally reinvented the wheel or anything," Hatfield said in a statement. "But I am a lot more confident now than I was with the first album…"
With the original lineup of Todd Philips (drums), Dean Fisher (bass) and Juliana Hatfield (guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion), the Juliana Hatfield Three will embark on a U.S. tour beginning February 26 in Portland, Maine, with additional tour dates added in San Diego, Atlanta, Charlotte and Carrboro.
For more information, visit julianahatfield.com.
Confirmed Juliana Hatfield Three tour dates as follows:
February 26 PORTLAND, ME Port City Music Hall
February 27 BOSTON, MA The Sinclair
March 1 NEW YORK, NY The Bowery Ballroom
March 3 PHILADELPHIA, PA Boot & Saddle
March 4 WASHINGTON, DC Black Cat
March 6 CLEVELAND, OH Music Box Supper Club
March 7 CHICAGO, IL Lincoln Hall
March 8 ST. PAUL, MN Turf Club
March 11 SEATTLE, WA Tractor Tavern
March 12 PORTLAND, OR Doug Fir Lounge
March 14 NAPA, CA City Winery Napa
March 15 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Chapel
March 16 LOS ANGELES, CA The Roxy Theatre
March 18 SAN DIEGO, CA Belly Up Tavern
March 22 ATLANTA, GA Terminal West
March 23 CHARLOTTE, NC Neighborhood Theatre
March 24 CARRBORO, NC Cat’s Cradle
Winter. I’m not big on it.
If you play any instrument that involves dexterous finger work, you probably aren’t big on it, either. How many times have you started playing a fast riff or lick onstage and quickly realized your fingers weren’t moving as fast as your brain?
Up here in the North East (U.S.) and elsewhere in the world, winter temperatures can last over half the year. When people watch you play, they expect it to be good—every time. No one grants mercy points for cold hands.
Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I had a few tricks up my sleeve to deal with old man winter. Use these tips for effectively (and cheaply) keeping yer digits warm and ready for fast action:
01. Gloves. Not to state the obvious, but it’s so simple and brilliant that it’s hilarious how so many of us forget (or refuse) to wear gloves when driving to a rehearsal or show. Once I got over myself feeling like a dweeb wearing them to gigs, I stapled each glove to my jacket sleeves and—just kidding! (But I do keep a pair stuffed in the pockets after reaping the benefits so many times.)
02. Air squats. Yup. These are gonna ramp up circulation all over. If your body is cold, how can you expect your fingers to warm up? Forget jumping jacks; you need a bigger burn, and squats will increase your body temperature faster. If you’re new to squats, watch this. Do 50 reps or squats at a medium tempo for 60 to 90 seconds. Then do these …
03. Push-ups. No, this isn’t supposed to be boot camp, but sometimes you gotta just go with what works. To learn a proper push-up form, go here. If you can force yourself to squeeze out even 20 or 30 reps in a row, you will start feeling some serious heat, especially if you perform these right after the squats.
04. Windmills. Now it’s time to get some of that blood moving to your fingers. For this, I know of no better method than swinging your arms in big circles, not unlike Pete Townshend’s famous windmill strumming move. Guitar not required.
05. Ginger tea. Fill a small pot with two cups of water and bring to a boil. Get a thumb-sized chunk of fresh ginger root and cut it into thin slices. Add the slices to the boiling water and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Next, pour the water into a teapot and serve. Squeeze in some lemon juice and sweeten with honey, maple syrup or agave nectar. Careful, it’s a strong brew—prepare for a ginger “kick” in the back of your throat. This potent, thermogenic concoction will increase blood flow to extremities as ginger’s circulation-boosting properties can create a full-body warming effect.
06. Nuts. Eat half a cup of your favorite nuts. I like pistachios, almonds, Brazil nuts or walnuts for this. Seeds work great too; try Eden’s Spicy Pumpkin Seeds.
Now it’s your turn: Give us your best tips to kill the chill in the comments below!
Blake Scopino is a guitar player, songwriter and audio engineer. To see if he can back up his big mouth, listen to his band here. For more tips, tricks and other handy information for your musical journey, head on over to Cool Drifter Music Motel.
This lesson takes the same ideas discussed in my last lesson, "Pentatonic Workout: Increase Left-Hand Strength and Produce Great-Sounding Sequences,” and applies them to the diatonic major and minor three-note-per-string scales.
This lesson will help you get the seven positions of the major scale memorized and under your fingers, increase your left-hand strength, solidify your alternate picking and deliver some great-sounding sequences. It even includes some string skipping!
We’ll use the A major scale at the fifth position as our example in this lesson, but you’ll want to make sure you can perform this set of sequences back to back in all seven positions.
This workout starts with playing the A major scale ascending and descending (Example 1), using consistent alternate picking. After this “establishes” the fingering for your left hand, the workout continues with a two-string sequence, where you ascend six notes, go back two notes and start again, ascending another six notes.
This continues across the fretboard until you run out of strings. At this point, you simply turn the sequence around (Don’t repeat the top note, D), and play the two-string sequence in reverse: From the high D note, you descend six notes, go back two notes, descend another six, etc. (Example 2).
This sequence tends to be a very friendly pattern for guitarists, as it starts on the first note on each string as it travels across the six strings.
The third part of this workout is a sequence that ascends in nine note groups (three strings' worth of major scale), then back a string. Start on D (fifth string) and ascend another nine notes (three strings). Continue this pattern until you start the sequence on the G string, at which point you simply turn the pattern around (Don’t repeat the top note, D), then perform the sequence in reverse: From the high D note, you descend nine notes (three strings), go back a string, start the nine-note pattern again on the A note (second string) and continue back in the same fashion (Example 3).
The fourth and final part of this pentatonic workout involves string skipping. Playing the three notes on the low E string, skip the A string, play the three notes on the D string, go back to the A string and play the three notes on it, then skip the D string and play the three notes on the G string. This pattern continues, gets turned around just like before and works its way back in reverse (Example 4).
I like to string these four elements together, playing them back to back without stopping. This forces me to think ahead and be able to change gears and mix things up in my regular playing more easily.
Once you are able to play these four elements back to back without problems, try it with the other six diatonic three-note-per-string scale positions. Use a metronome to gauge your progress, and push yourself to play these at a faster tempo once they become comfortable.
Guitarist Adrian Galysh is a solo artist and education coordinator for Guitar Center Studios. He's the author of the book Progressive Guitar Warmups and Exercises. For more information, visit him at AdrianGalysh.com.
Born of Osiris guitarist Lee McKinney has premiered a new song, “Skylasher,” and you can check it out below.
The track is from McKinney's new project-in-progess, an all-instrumental solo album.
“The track, ‘Skylasher,' is the first solo guitar instrumental song I’ve created in what will hopefully become a long discography of full-length records from here on out in my music career," McKinney says.
"Growing up, playing guitar for the past 16 years, releasing solo guitar albums has always been a goal of mine. Listening to Ah Via Musicom by Eric Johnson, Perpetual Burn by Jason Becker, Surfing with the Alien by Joe Satriani, Passion and Warfare by Steve Vai and many other solo guitar efforts helped plant the dream into my head at an early age.
"This project finally came together during the process of writing the newest Born of Osiris record. To be quite honest, I’ve become a bit of a workaholic off tour when it comes to the studio.
"After breakfast every morning I get to my studio and sometimes sessions don’t end till much past midnight. Off tour I rarely go out, and I dialed back on the partying a lot to be able to balance more musical projects in my life. This is now the third musical project I have on my plate, and to be able to balance them all and give my best effort to each one, this kind of work ethic is necessary now in my mind.
"The most fun part about creating this song was that it was limitless when it came to options. I like to keep Born of Osiris fun, live, bouncy, energetic, epic and groovy. While some of my solo stuff will also share these elements, I finally feel like I can get as odd and crazy as I want too! The ideas I already have for the debut album are whacky as hell and I can’t wait to bring them to life.
"Players like Mattias Eklundh and Guthrie Govan are perfect examples of how insane you can get on solo guitar records these days, and I intend to join the ranks of these guys pushing the limits of guitar to the next level.
"As far as this first solo album goes, I will begin the writing process for it immediately after finishing tracking for the new Born of Osiris album. I’ve made a ton of insanely talented musical friends in the past eight years of touring, and I plan on featuring as many of them as possible on the album. I don’t feel like enough musicians are collaborating in this music scene. There’s so much cool collaboration potential out there, and I want to take full advantage of it."
"Skylasher" is available at iTunes and Google Play via Sumerian Records. Follow McKinney on Twitter.
Yeah, they dressed funny and their lyrics often lacked the angst and agonized self-awareness that we’ve come to expect in this decade of the rock and roll sissy-band, but the pop metal acts of the Eighties produced some top-shelf albums during their short reign.
In chronological order, these are the 20 best records woven, steamed and blow-dried by the most esteemed members of rock and roll’s Hair Club for Men before they were abruptly given the hook.
Check out the photo gallery below — and be sure to join the conversation in the comments section below the story.
Jimmy Vivino serves as the Music Director on the TBS late night show “Conan.”
Vivino has been a consistent element in O’Brien’s late night career, starting with the first episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” in September 1993.
In June of 2008 Vivino moved from New York to Los Angeles and worked as Music Director/guitarist/arranger on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” The Legally Prohibited from Being on Television Tour and currently leads Jimmy Vivino and The Basic Cable Band on Conan.
Now donning combat boots for a cause, Vivino and many other celebrities are walking a mile in the shoes of the military to promote The Boot Campaign.
The Boot Campaign’s mission is to promote patriotism for America and our military community; raise awareness of the unique challenges service members face during and post-service; and provide assistance to military personnel, past and present, and their families.
Wearing combat boots with civilian clothes makes a statement. It starts a conversation, and now Vivino is joining it.
There are over 1.3 million Americans on activity duty in the U.S. Military. Show your support by putting on a pair yourself!
Check out Jimmy and all the cool photos at www.bootcampaign.com
You can pick up your pair of combat boots there, too!
C.F. Martin & Co. and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran are teaming up for the second time to create another Signature Artist Edition guitar from the Martin Custom Shop, the Ed Sheeran X Signature Edition.
In 2013, Martin Guitar and Sheeran unveiled their first collaboration, the LX1E Ed Sheeran Signature Edition, which sold out everywhere.
The latest model will be available for pre-order starting February 17th.
To find an Authorized Martin Dealer to pre-order the model, go to http://bit.ly/xpreorder.
Sheeran is once again donating 100% of his royalties from the sales of each guitar to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (www.each.org.uk), a UK-based charity in his hometown. The organization, whose Royal Patron is The Duchess of Cambridge, supports families and cares for young people with life-threatening conditions and provides services across several UK counties, including Suffolk, where Sheeran was raised.
“It was a huge privilege working with the Martin team to create another Signature Edition guitar,” said Sheeran. “I’ve had the chance to bring the new model on the road with me already, and I’m excited that my fans will be able to purchase one of their own, with all the proceeds going to EACH, a charity very close to my heart.”
Designed in collaboration with the Grammy-nominated artist and brand ambassador, the Ed Sheeran X Signature Edition features his signature “x” (Multiply) sign on the headstock and down the fretboard. The six times platinum-selling album’s logo is inlayed in solid koa on a solid spruce wood top. The model comes stage-ready, equipped with Fishman Isys T electronics, SP Lifespan Martin strings and a padded gig bag.
“I take great pride in the relationship we have with Ed,” said Amani Duncan VP of Brand Marketing for C.F. Martin & Co. “He is not only an incredible talent but also an extremely compassionate human being. Over 182 years, Martin Guitar has had the privilege of working alongside legendary Artists, and we are proud to be able to continue this long-standing tradition and musical journey with Ed Sheeran.”
“This is the second time Ed Sheeran has launched a Martin Guitar Signature Edition in aid of EACH and we’re absolutely delighted that he has once again chosen to support us through sales of this special guitar!” said Graham Butland, EACH Chief Executive.
“The first guitar was a real success and raised a significant amount of money for the charity. We’d like to thank Ed, C.F. Martin & Co, and absolutely everyone involved in the project. Ed has been an Ambassador for the charity for almost a year and has shown us tremendous support in that time, donating clothes for online auctions and paying a visit to our Treehouse hospice in Ipswich. Not only will the guitar raise much-needed funds for the charity, but will also greatly raise the profile of EACH and the vital care and support we provide to life-threatened children, young people and their families.”
Sheeran’s career has skyrocketed since his debut album in 2011. Most recently he performed his hit “Thinking Out Loud” on the Grammy stage alongside fellow Martin Guitar ambassador John Mayer. His second album, x ("Multiply") debuted at number one on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. For more information on Ed Sheeran: http://edsheeran.com
Otherwise have posted an exclusive lesson video for their new single, “Coming for the Throne," and you can check it out below.
The song is from their latest album, 2014's Peace at All Costs.
You can see Otherwise on the road with 10 Years through the end of March. Visit weareotherwise.com for tour dates and additional information.
Stay tuned for more exclusive Otherwise lesson videos on GuitarWorld.com!
