Three sisters from Monterrey, Mexico—better known as the Warning—have been turning up on a lot of monitors and iPhone screens lately.
Why? It's probably because of their pretty impressive cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
Even though the video below was posted to YouTube in July 2014, it's getting noticed now, thanks to multiple social-media shares and the sisters' respectable goal. Daniela (guitar), Paulina (drums) and Alejandra (bass), who were 14, 12 and 9 when the video was made, are working to raise funds in the hopes of attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
They’ve already raised more than $9,500 of their $30,000 goal.
The girls are trying to get the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, but they'll have to settle for GuitarWorld.com for now. Enjoy!
Jeff Beck will release a new live album—Jeff Beck Live+—that also features a bonus of sorts: two new studio tracks, his first since 2010.
The album will be released May 5 via Atco Records, an imprint of Rhino Entertainment.
The two new songs, which appear immediately after the album's many live cuts, are "Tribal" and "My Tiled White Floor"; they feature vocals by Ruth Lorenzo and Veronica Bellino, respectively.
The guitar legend also has announced several new East Coast solo tour dates; you can check out all this current dates—and the track listing for the new live album—at the bottom of this story.
The 14 live performances on Jeff Beck Live+ were recorded at multiple venues in 2014 and feature Beck backed by vocalist Jimmy Hall, bassist Rhonda Smith, drummer Jonathan Joseph and guitarist Nicolas Meier. The quintet explored Beck's entire catalog and tackled everything from "Morning Dew" (Truth, 1968), "Superstition" (Beck, Bogert, Appice, 1973), "Big Block" (Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop, 1989), to his Grammy-winning cover of the Beatles'"A Day in the Life" and "Hammerhead," a 2010 track from Emotion & Commotion.
Beck is still working on his 17th studio album, which is expected to be released later this year.
Jeff Beck Live+ Track Listing:
1. "Loaded"
2. "Morning Dew"
3. "You Know You Know"
4. "Why Give It Away"
5. "A Change Is Gonna Come"
6. "A Day In The Life"
7. "Superstition"
8. "Hammerhead"
9. "Little Wing"
10. "Big Block"
11. "Where Were You"
12. "Danny Boy"
13. "Rollin' And Tumblin'"
14. "Going Down"
15. "Tribal"
16. "My Tiled White Floor"
Jeff Beck Solo Dates
April 13 The Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY
April 15 The Paramount Huntington, NY
April 16 The Paramount Huntington, NY
April 17 The Paramount Huntington, NY
April 18 The Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY
April 19 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
April 21 Ulster Performing Arts Center Kingston, NY
April 22 Bergen Performing Arts Center Englewood, NJ
April 24 Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ
April 25 The Strand - Capital Performing Arts Center York, PA
April 26 The Palace Theatre Greensburg, PA
With ZZ Top
April 30 Cedar Park Center Cedar Park, TX
May 1 Winstar Casino Thackerville, OK
May 2 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands, TX
May 3 Concrete Street Corpus Christi, TX
May 7 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre Tampa, FL
May 8 Cruzan Amphitheater West Palm Beach, FL
May 9 St. Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, FL
May 10 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Alpharetta, GA
Jeff Beck Newly Added Solo Dates; on-sale dates noted:
May 12 The Kentucky Center -Whitney Hall Louisville, KY*
May 14 Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI ***
May 15 Hard Rock Live Northfield, OH*
May 16 PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH
May 17 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
May 19 Fox Theater St. Louis, MO *
May 21 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL **
May 22 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI*
May 23 State Theater Minneapolis, MN*
*on sale April 10 | ** on sale April 11 | *** on sale April 17
Nashville trio Judah & the Lion is thrilled to announce that they will be joining Mat Kearney as direct support on a second leg of Kearney’s “Just Kids” Tour.
The trio spent last month playing sold out venues across the country including San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre, New York’s Best Buy Theatre, The Wiltern in Los Angeles, Nashville’s Ryman Theatre, and many more. TeenVogue caught the New York City show and this to say of the band:
“It's not often you see an opening act completely steal the show, but Judah & the Lion are doing just that… The threesome truly puts on a show, incorporating dance moves and throwback hits into their set.”
This May they’ll take their show-stopping grooves throughout Southern and Midwestern US cities including stops in Orlando, New Orleans, Dallas, Austin, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Indianapolis among others.
In addition to the tour, the folk-hop trio will be all hitting the festival circuit hard this summer. This April, they join Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, and others at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and in May they hit Summer Camp in Chillicoth, IL alongside A-Trak, Big Gigantic, Hermitude.
In June Judah & the Lion play the Pemberton Music Festival in British Columbia with J. Cole, Missy Elliott, Kendrick Lamar, and M.I.A. as well as Wakarusa in Arkansas with Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Major Lazer, The Roots, and Chance The Rapper. In July, they’ll head to West Virginia to play All Good with acts such as Primus, Cake, Thievery Corporation, and Greensky Bluegrass.
Judah Akers (vocals/guitar), Brian Macdonald (mandolin), and Nate Zuercher (banjo) released their debut full-length Kids These Days on September 9th, 2014 via Good Time Records. The record had a strong release week with numerous Billboard chart entries including #2 on Heatseekers, #4 on Folk Albums and they took the #1 Heatseekers slot in both the South Atlantic and South Central regions. “Kickin’ Da Leaves” immediately entered Spotify’s Viral 50 chart and on February 20th Judah & The Lion performed the song during their television debut on Late Night With David Letterman.
Watch the entire performance here!
Kids These Days can currently be heard in Starbucks stores across the country. Fan favorites “Hold On” and “Mason-Dixon Line” were recently included in March Season 4 episodes of Heart of Dixie. “Mason-Dixon Line” can additionally be heard on Judah & The Lion’s World Cafe session for WXPN, which broadcasts on Thursday, April 23rd.
The full list of dates is below, and for the most up to date information, please visit www.judahandthelion.com.
Judah & the Lion Confirmed 2015 Tour Dates:
* = with Mat Kearney
Apr. 11th Tortuga Music Festival Fort Lauderdale, FL
May 8th Revolution Fort Lauderdale, FL*
9th The Ritz Tampa, FL*
10th HOB Orlando, FL*
11th Ponte Verda Concert Hall Ponte Vedra Beach, FL*
13th HOB New Orleans, LA*
15th HOB Dallas, TX*
16th The Aztec Theatre San Antonio, TX*
17th Stubb’s Austin, TX*
19th Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK*
20th Summerfest Columbia, MO*
22st The Stiefel Theater Salina, KS*
23rd Summer Camp Music Festival Chillicothe, IL
27th Music City Roots @ The Factory at Franklin- Lincoln Hall Franklin, TN
Jun. 6th Wakarusa Ozark, AR
Jul. 7th HOB Cleveland, OH*
8th Vogue Indianapolis, IN*
11th All Good Music Festival Summit Point, WV
17th Pemberton Festival Pemberton, BC
Aug. 15th Moon River Festival Memphis, TN
Australia's Triple M Sydney recently posted this video to its Facebook page.
It shows a young, armless guitarist doing some serious shredding with this feet, backed only by a drummer.
He's doing it over a chord progression that sounds a bit like Eric Clapton's "Forever Man," although we can't tell what song it actually is. Nor do we—despite the hundreds of comments on the original Triple M Sydney post—know the identity of the guitarist, who also is featured in one or two YouTube videos.
Regardless, it is inspiring! Stay tuned for updates.
The idea of Stevie Ray Vaughan covering a funky song by the great R&B band the Isley Brothers might seem bizarre until you consider that rhythm and blues was a big part of the Double Trouble playbook.
Besides, his choice of “Testify” makes perfect sense when you realize the guitarist on the Isleys' original 1964 version was none other than his hero, Jimi Hendrix.
More a tip of the hat than a cover, Vaughan pays respects to Hendrix’s original opening riff before ditching the rest of the song and heading into parts unknown. It’s just as well. “Testify” wasn’t very good in the first place, and Vaughan carves a much more exciting path while ripping a total of seven—count ’em, seven—electrifying solos, each more intense than the one before it.
But what really makes this one of Vaughan’s very best performances is the variety of sounds he gets by using his wah pedal to subtly color his sound, as it gradually shifts from silky smooth to full-on banshee wail.
Below, check out the original 1964 Isley Brothers version of "Testify," featuring Hendrix on guitar, followed by Vaughan's fully instrumental version recorded live in Japan in the mid-Eighties.
We all know the true measure of an accomplished guitarist is not dependent upon how many scales he or she can blaze through.
Instead, it's much more enjoyable to hear a player who has great command and control over just one or two scales. Many of the greats did not possess encyclopedic knowledge of music theory, and it didn't seem to hinder their progress or creativity.
Jimi Hendrix might not have been aware of the Lydian dominant scale—but does that diminish his ability? I think we all know the answer to that question. The man internalized the blues and pentatonic scales to the point where every note he played sounded so tasteful, deliberate and powerful.
With all of that being said, I do want to talk about how knowing many scales can be a much less daunting proposition than you might think. The key is in understanding how various concepts in music theory are connected to each other. The more you go down this path, the more you'll realize no piece of music theory truly functions in isolation. And it is these connections that will make the learning of various scales relatively painless.
Let's start with the concept of modes. Without getting stuck in the music theory weeds, modes are essentially scales. You can play them over an appropriate chord progression and they will help guide you through your improvisations. What makes modes unique is their relationship with what is sometimes referred to as a parent scale.
The best example of this is the major scale. You might've heard the saying that the major scale is the "mother of all scales." This doesn't mean it's the coolest scale, but it is an accurate description of its role in modal structure and music theory as a whole. The role is that of a parental figure.
Some of you may know that all music intervals are derived from the clean and pristine numbering system of the major scale. It's a seven-note scale that is simply numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The eighth note is called the octave, which is always the same note as the root, just higher in pitch. Every other scale that exists will ultimately be compared back to the major scale.
For example, the melodic minor scale is almost identical to the major scale, except for the third note in its sequence. Because this third note deviates from our reference point (the major scale), we can't simply label it as "3." Instead, we refer to it as a flat 3rd (or minor 3rd) to indicate that it is a half step lower in pitch than the major scale's third note. This is how the entire intervallic system is constructed, all relating back to the major scale. This example is illustrated in the diagrams below.
Getting back to modes, the major scale also acts as a parental figure in modal construction. Let's say we're playing the major scale in the key of C. The seven notes we'll play will be C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Remember, this is based on "C" being the root note, or the tonal center. It is the focal point of resolution. What if we decided to use a different note as the tonal center while maintaining the same family of seven notes? This is the crucial component to understanding the nature of modes.
Let's now use "A" as the root and see what happens. Those same seven notes that now orbit around the tonal center of "A" become the minor scale (also known as the Aeolian mode or natural minor). So you see, the minor scale is not considered a parent scale in this context, which might surprise some of you.
In today's climate, we're all used to the major, minor and pentatonic scales being front and center in our musical landscape. But the natural minor and pentatonic scales play a somewhat subordinate role and can be easily derived simply from the major scale. Think about it this way: The natural minor scale can always be found within a major scale by shifting the tonal center to the sixth note in the major scale's sequence.
And the minor pentatonic scale is simply a shortened version of the natural minor scale (five notes instead of the full seven). Likewise, the major pentatonic is basically the major scale—minus two notes. This eases the burden of having to memorize four individual scales and instead helps us to use a more cohesive and unified approach.
Take a look at how this concept might look in the diagrams below.
In my next column, we'll use this approach to take on what would have been an overwhelming task, but now might seem more manageable: the introduction to more than 20 different scales. To be continued ...
Chris Breen is a New Jersey-based guitarist with 14 years of experience under his belt. He, along with his brother Jon (on drums) started the two-piece metal project known as SCARSIC in 2011. Due to a lack of members, Chris tracked guitars, bass and vocals for their self titled four-song demo (available on iTunes, Spotify and Rhapsody). They have recently been joined by bassist Bill Loucas and are writing new material. Chris also is part of an all-acoustic side project known as Eyes Turn Stone. Chris teaches guitar lessons as well (in person or via Skype). If you're interested in taking lessons with Chris, visit BreenMusicLessons.com for more info.
Below, check out a video of actors Adam Busch (Men at Work, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Danny Masterson (Men at Work, That '70s Show) performing the Beach Boys'"Be True to Your School" at Brian Fest.
The event, which was billed as "A Night to Celebrate the Music of Brian Wilson," took place March 30 at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.
Note that the song starts around the 50-second mark in the video.
Besides Busch, Masterson and Masterson's Gretsch guitar, Brian Fest featured appearances by Al Jardine of the Beach Boys—who was interviewed for the upcoming June 2015 issue of Guitar World—Ann Wilson of Heart, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Boz Scaggs, Doyle Bramhall II, Wilson Phillips and more—not to mention a special appearance by Wilson himself.
Wilson and Jardine, who shared six-string duties with Beach Boys lead guitarist Carl Wilson until Carl’s death in 1998, will hook up for Wilson's No Pier Pressure Tour, a summer U.S. trek that also features former Beach Boys guitarist Blondie Chapman.
Jardine and Chaplin also appear on Wilson's new studio album, No Pier Pressure, which was released April 7 through Capitol Records, the Beach Boys' original label. The album also features guitar work by David Marks, another Beach Boy.
For more information about Wilson's new album and tour, visit brianwilson.com. For more about DJ Mom Jeans (also known as Danny Masterson), visit djmomjeans.com. For more about Brian Fest, head here.
Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure Tour:
JUNE
18 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
19 San Diego, CA Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay
20 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre
23 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
24 Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
26 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
27 Nashville, TN Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater
29 Philadelphia, PA The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
30 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
JULY
1 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
2 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
4 Toronto, ON Sony Center (Brian Wilson and band only / Rodriguez will not appear)
5 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
6 Chicago, IL Ravinia Festival
8 Denver, CO 1STBANK Center
10 Las Vegas, NV Chelsea Theater at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
12 Seattle, WA Benaroya Hall - S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
Jethro Tull notched their sixth gold record in 1975 with their eighth studio album, Minstrel in the Gallery.
Its elaborate production is reminiscent of the band's classic 1972 album, Thick As a Brick, and its songs rock as hard as anything in the band's massive catalog.
To mark the occasion of the album's 40th anniversary, Parlophone will present several new versions of the album early next month.
And to mark that occasion, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "Minstrel in the Gallery" (BBC version), a previously unreleased recording. You can hear it below.
Minstrel in the Gallery: 40th Anniversary La Grande Edition will be available as a limited-edition 2CD/2DVD set May 5. You can see the complete track listing below.
Highlights include:
• Original album and seven bonus tracks (six previously unreleased), two mixed to 5.1 surround, and all to stereo by Steven Wilson • Flat transfers of the original LP mix at 96/24 (plus "Summerday Sands") • Flat transfer of the original quad mix of the LP (plus "Summerday Sands") • An eight-minute film of the band performing "Minstrel in the Gallery" in Paris from July 1975 • Presented in a case-bound DVD book that includes an 80-page booklet featuring an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, recollections by roadie Kenny Wylie, Maison Rouge maintenance engineer Pete Smith and string section member Liz Edwards, plus lyrics, tour itinerary and rare and unseen photographs.
Also on May 5, a new stereo remix of Minstrel in the Gallery will be released on a single CD, digitally and on 180-gram vinyl as a limited-edition pressing.
When it was originally released, Minstrel in the Gallery became the band's fifth consecutive U.S. Top 10 album, peaking at Number 7 and at Number 29 in the U.K. It also was the last to feature the longtime lineup of Anderson, Martin Barre, John Evans, Barrie Barlow and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond.
For this anniversary edition, the album has been expanded with the B-side "Summerday Sands," several studio outtakes, as well as alternate session material done for a BBC broadcast of the album's title track (you can hear it below), "Cold Wind to Valhalla" and "Aqualung."
The second disc features a live recording of the band performing at the Olympia in Paris on July 5, 1975, a few months prior to the release of Minstrel in the Gallery. It was mixed to 5.1 and stereo by King Crimson guitarist Jakko Jakszyk.
For more information about Minstrel in the Gallery: 40th Anniversary La Grande Edition, visit jethrotull.com. To pre-order the album now, visit amazon.com.
Minstrel in the Gallery: 40th Anniversary La Grande Edition Track Listing:
Disc 1: New Steven Wilson Stereo Remix
1. "Minstrel In The Gallery"
2. "Cold Wind To Valhalla"
3. "Black Satin Dancer"
4. "Requiem"
5. "One White Duck / 010 = Nothing At All"
6. "Baker St. Muse"
a. "Pig-Me And The Whore"
b. "Nice Little Tune"
c. "Crash-Barrier Waltzer"
d. "Mother England Reverie"
7. "Grace"
8. "Summerday Sands"
9. "Requiem" (Version 1)*
10. "One White Duck" (Take 5)*
11. "Grace" (Take 2)*
12. "Minstrel in the Gallery" (BBC version)*
13. "Cold Wind to Valhalla" (BBC version)*
14. "Aqualung" (BBC version)*
Disc 2: Live At The Palais Des Sports, Paris, July 5, 1975 (Jakko Jakszyk Stereo Mix)
1. "Introduction (The Beach Part 11)"
2. "Wind Up"
3. "Critique Oblique"
4. "Wond'ring Aloud"
5. "My God"
a. Flute Solo Including: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Bouree/Quartet"
b. "Living In The Past"
c. "My God" (Reprise)
6. "Cross-Eyed Mary"
7. "Minstrel in the Gallery"
8. "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day"
9. "Bungle In The Jungle"
10. "Aqualung"
11. Guitar Solo
12. "Back-Door Angels"
13. "Locomotive Breath" with improvisation and including "Hard Headed English General" and "Back-Door Angels" (Reprise) * Previously Unreleased
Note: The DVDs will feature the DTS and DD 5.1 surround mixes as well as the 96/24 PCM stereo mix and an eight-minute film of the band recorded in Paris in July 1975.
The band's previously scheduled Ozzfest last-hurrah, which was set for November 21-22 at Makuhari Messe outside Tokyo, Japan, has been canceled.
Their slot will be filled by Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. Hey, it's an Ozzfest show, so why not?
“Despite previous reports, Black Sabbath will not appear on this year’s Ozzfest Japan,” read a post on Osbourne's Facebook page. “The show will instead feature the festival’s namesake, Ozzy Osbourne (and friends).”
No details have been provided yet by Osbourne or the Black Sabbath camp.
Sharon Osbourne announced Black Sabbath’s Ozzfest Japan gig last month, saying it would coincide with the release of what will be Sabbath’s last album.
“[It will be] our last hurrah,” Osbourne said at the time. “Then it’s no more Sabbath at all. We’re disbanding the name and everything.”
Osbourne recently canceled plans for a Mexican festival he’d dubbed Ozzfiesta. Here’s hoping whenever the band wraps up its new album and actually does head back out on the road, things go a lot more smoothly.
If you’ve seen the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud, you’ll probably remember the unusual introduction scene:
Jack White stands next to the porch of an old house, hammering a nail into each end of a 3-foot long section of 2x4.
He takes a length of wire stripped from a broom and winds it around the nails and then props up the broom wire at one end with a Coca-Cola bottle. After nailing a pickup to it, he plugs the contraption in and plays a screaming slide guitar lick.
What White built was a diddley bow, the traditional slide instrument built and played by poor Southern children in the early 1900s. Most accounts of diddley bows spoke of nailing the broom wire directly to the side of a barn or house and using bricks or bottles as makeshift bridges to prop it up. A bottle was used as a slide, and the entire building would act as the resonator!
But White’s diddley bow was made on a 2x4, and I suspect he was paying homage to a Detroit legend, One String Sam.
In 1956, an unknown street musician named "One String" Sam Wilson walked into Joe’s Record Shop on Hastings Street in Detroit, carrying a plank of wood containing a single string. The shop also had a recording studio in the back, and Sam proceeded to record two songs on his diddley bow, “I Need a Hundred Dollars” and “My Baby Ooh.”
One String Sam used an empty baby food jar as a slide and would sometimes hold it up to his mouth when he sang, giving his vocals a strange echo sound. The music was pure Southern deep-country blues with a call-and-response feel between his vocal and that single string.
The two tracks were released as a 10-inch single by the JVB Recording Company (JVB release #40) and made its way into jukeboxes throughout the Detroit area.
Sam continued busking for a few more years, disappeared into obscurity and was then rediscovered in 1973, still living in the slums of Detroit. He also still had that diddley bow. Promoters asked him to perform again, and he took the stage at the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, where he played the two songs he recorded 17 years earlier.
Sam played a handful of shows, including the 1974 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, dates with B.B. King and the Blues Extravaganza in Toledo, Ohio.
An autographed concert poster of the Blues Extravaganza concert was given to me by the Godfather of the Cigar Box Guitar, the late Donald “Boz” Bostwick. Boz was there to witness One String Sam onstage and backstage and was blown away by the mastery One String Sam showed on his diddley bow.
When asked to put his autograph alongside that of J.B. Hutto, Bo Bo Jenkins and A.C. Reed on this poster, One String Sam goofed off with the pen, pretending to sign his name in the air. It was then that Boz realized Sam was most likely illiterate and couldn’t write his own name.
One String Sam’s performance at the ’73 Ann Arbor Blues Fest was recorded and eventually released on the album Motor City Blues (1998, Total Energy Records). His original 1956 recordings are available on Document Records’ Rural Blues No. 1.
Shane Speal is the "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.
In early 1965, when Jimmy Page was an in-demand London session guitarist, he—thanks to the encouragement of pop singer/songwriter Jackie DeShannon—decided to branch out a bit.
He—for the first time—released a single under his own name.
Although the B-side, an instrumental called “Keep Moving,” was pretty much standard fare for Page, the A-side, “She Just Satisfies,” which was written by Page and Barry Mason, was something different; it featured Page on lead vocals.
And it's actually not bad.
You can hear the song, which has a definite Yardbirds feel to it (Page joined the Yardbirds the following year), below.
Speaking of the Yardbirds, we've also included Jeff Beck's first post-Yardbirds solo single, "Hi Ho Silver Lining," which was released in 1967. It happens to feature Beck on vocals—a true rarity. And, like Page's debut solo single, it features an instrumental on the B-side, "Beck's Bolero," which was co-written by Page (and features Page on guitar). OK, we realize this is starting to get confusing.
Anyway, “She Just Satisfies” and “Keep Moving” was released by Fontana Records in February 1965. Enjoy!
For a bit more on the Page portion of this story, visit the dangerous minds over at Dangerous Minds.
He revitalized rockabilly with the Stray Cats and revived swing and jump blues with the Brian Setzer Orchestra. But what Guitar World readers really want to know is …
Your playing style is so incredible and immaculate. Did you start with any jazz guitar training or did you just learn how to play “Stairway to Heaven” like the rest of us? — Jon Rubin
[laughs] I’m not saying I didn’t play it. Hell, we all played it; it’s a classic. But I did take guitar lessons for about 10 to 12 years, with two different teachers.
I took my first lesson when I was eight years old. I went through the Mel Bay books. Back then in Long Island, New York, there were mostly jazz players.
So my first teacher was actually a saxophone player. After that I studied with this other jazz teacher, Ray Gogarty. He took me further into the jazz world: advanced chords, a little bit of the modes, scales and standards.
I seem to remember reading that one of the cars on Stray Cats’ Built for Speed album cover was yours. Is that true? — Eric Smoot
Yeah, the ’56 Chevy on the cover of Built for Speed was mine. That Chevy actually got stolen from a parking spot years ago. I wish I still had it. I came back from doing what I was doing, and the car was gone. It broke my heart.
What first inspired you to play guitar? — Molly McAllister
I was a little kid, like six or seven years old, when the Beatles came out. I remember hearing their music and I couldn’t imagine where that sound was coming from.
Then I saw a picture of the Beatles, and George [Harrison] had an electric guitar, and I was like “That’s it!” It was that sound—the sound of George’s guitar—that first captured me when I was really young. It all goes back to that sound.
What led you down the rockabilly path? — Steve
The real defining moment for me was when I heard [Gene Vincent’s] “Be-Bop-A-Lula” on the jukebox. Back in 1976 or ’77, we had this club in Manhattan called Max’s Kansas City. There was always punk music blasting, but for some reason one day “Be-Bop-A-Lula” came on the jukebox. It was as if a hand came across the bar and grabbed me, like, “Listen to me! Listen to how cool I am!”
There was just something about the raw, back-to-basics sound that fit perfectly with the urgency of the punk movement I was in back then. To me, rockabilly music paralleled punk’s energy and feeling, but the players were much better. I’m telling you, I still remember Cliff Gallop’s solo coming out of the speaker. I went, “What the heck is that? Who’s playing this?”
I really dig your hair. What is your secret ingredient? Are you a Murray’s Pomade man? — Joe Barrios
[In radio-announcer voice] You’ve heard of Dapper Dan? Well, I’m a Murray’s man! [laughs] As my dad used to say, “You’ve got to train your hair.” And then once you’ve got it trained, you comb it in the position, throw in a little bit of Murray’s … and you’ll be a Murray’s man, too. [laughs]
What attracted you to using Gretsch hollowbodies as your main guitars? — Jeff Osgood
The first reason I wanted to play a Gretsch guitar is because Eddie Cochran played one. Believe me, when I was growing up, nobody knew who he was. I just stumbled across this record and I thought he looked cool. I had no idea he was that good.
But once I popped on the record, it was exactly the guitar sound that I wanted: somewhere between a Fender and Gibson. To me, if you play a Fender straight through the amp without any effects, it’s a little thin sounding. And a Les Paul didn’t twang enough; it was just always on 11, you know?
The Gretsch was right between those two. It had that twang, but you could really make it sing if you wanted. I guess it just fulfilled the sound I was hearing in my head.
I know you co-wrote some tracks with [late Clash singer and guitarist] Joe Strummer for your Guitar Slinger album, and I heard that you were friends with him, as well. Can you share any good stories? — Cole Slaugh
Oh, I’ve got a lot of great memories with Joe. Joe and I would spend the summers together because we were good friends and we both had children. So we’d throw the kids in the pool and have a good time. Joe had a very good, dry sense of humor, you know, and some of the things he would say were just…
Well, let’s say he was very good at making fun and making light of a situation. If you were wound up or you were aggravated about something, Joe would say a couple words, and then you would laugh and realize how silly the whole thing was. He was a great guy, and a genius of our time.
Which classic rockabilly artists would you recommend I check out to better understand the style? — Jimmy Vomvas
The definitive rockabilly album for me was Elvis Presley’s The Sun Sessions. Boy, oh boy. That probably has everything you need all wrapped up right there. Also pick up the first two Gene Vincent records: Blue Jean Bop and Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. As a guitar player, you have to hear Cliff Gallup play with Gene Vincent and Scotty Moore play with Elvis Presley.
I love your live sound. But I’d like to know how you control feedback at stage volume. I have had this issue with hollowbody guitars in the past. — Eric A. Nay
I’ve actually never had any problems with the [Gretsch] 6120 with FilterTron pickups. The feedback that I get is kind of friendly feedback. It’s like a note, not a squeal. I love what happens on a hollowbody guitar when you’re too close to an amp. That sound comes back through the guitar and vibrates the body, like an old jalopy or something. That’s the most magical feeling to me. Once you figure it out, you can kind of control all of those feedback notes.
You’ve got an amazing sound. What is your main amp-and-effect setup? — Billy Wilson
I just use a ’63 Fender Bassman and a Roland Space Echo. I mean, my amps have been worked on, but they’re not modified—rather de-modified. Over the years people have put in the wrong tubes, cables and speakers. I try to get the Bassmans back to stock, and I like to use Celestion Vintage 30s for the speakers. I think they’re better matched to the power of the amplifier head.
I’ve always been impressed by your right-hand picking technique. Could you give me any advice on how to refine mine? — Greg Terzian
Well, first of all, anyone that tells you “This is the only right way to do it” is wrong. Any way you feel comfortable fingerpicking…if it works for you, then do it. There’s not a wrong or a right way.
When I fingerpick, I tuck my pick under my index finger; I’ll slip it down when I use the guitar pick, and then I tuck it up, and use my thumb, second, third and fourth fingers to fingerpick. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, and I don’t know if you could call it correct, but that’s what works for me.
Do you ever get bored playing rockabilly-type stuff? If not, how do you keep your playing fresh within that style? — Justice Edwards
I always mix in new things, new influences. There are so many different styles you can play in that genre. I mean, I’m a rockabilly guitar player, but I’m influenced by all American musical styles, like jazz, blues, country and rock and roll. So the way to keep from getting bored from playing one particular genre of music is to mix in other styles.
Many people believe that possessing talent alone is enough to guarantee an artist success in the music business. Nothing could be further from the truth. In a perfect world, the best musicians — the best guitarists — would be amply rewarded for their abilities. The music business, however, is far from perfect.
And unless you're one of the blessed few (such as Eddie Van Halen) who can single-handedly change the course of guitar history, the harsh reality is that killer chops and perfect time impress only other guitarists, not the people who hire you or buy the records.
Talent, of course, is any artist's basic bread and butter, but whether you're a fingerpicker or a two-handed tapper, in order to survive the music business and distinguish yourself from the thousands of other guitarists who are after your gig, you must boast some other essential qualities. These range from good people skills to practical, common-sense approaches to your business (Fact it, that's what it is), both of which will help you stand out from the pack — and believe me, there's nothing more frightening that a pack of hungry, feral guitarists.
For your edification, I have crunched these qualities — the many do's and don'ts of guitar existence — into 25 hardheaded, clearly wrought maxims. Learn them, memorize them, master them and imbibe. You'll be a better person for it, a better guitarist, and you just may make your way from the garage to the arena stage.
01. Nobody likes an asshole
Reality check: Most musicians don't give a damn whether you're the second coming of Jimi, Eddie or Buck Dharma. They just want someone with a good attitude who will play the parts correctly. And since most of your time is spent offstage, relating with the other musicians on a personal level becomes as important as relating to them musically. Remember-no one is indispensable. Just ask David Lee Roth.
02. Having a great feel is your most important musical asset
No one will want to play with you if you have bad time. You must have a great feel-it's that simple. By "great feel" I mean the ability to lock in with the rhythm section and produce a track that grooves. If there's one thing I would recommend you to constantly work on, it's developing your groove. Listen to the greats to learn how grooves should be played: from rock (Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" to 16th-note funk (James Brown's "Sex Machine") to blues shuffle ("Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan). Tape yourself (with a metronome) playing them-you'll be able to isolate and work on your problem areas. Or pick up the excellent JamTrax series (Music Sales), a series of play-along tapes covering everything from blues to alternative to metal, to stay in shape. This is the one area where you should be most brutal in your self-assessment. You'll be a much better player for it.
03. Develop your own sound
There's no better way to learn how to play than to cop licks from your favorite guitarists. The problem to watch out for is when you start sounding too much like your favorite player. Remember, rules, especially musical rules, are made to be broken.
04. Be on time
You wouldn't believe how many musicians don't believe that punctuality is important. It is crucial.
05. Listen, listen, listen!
When you're on stage or in the studio, don't be in your own world-listen and interact with the other musicians you're working with. React to what they're playing. Don't play too loud or get in the way when someone else is soloing. Put their egos ahead of yours-your number will always be called if the other musicians feel that you made them sound better.
06. Know what you want to be
The most successful people in the music business are totally focused-they have specific goals in mind and do whatever is necessary to achieve them. The simple realization that you don't have to be a musician to be a rock star and don't have to be a rock star to be a musician can spare you years of cynicism and bitterness.
07. Play for the song, not for yourself
It's imperative to play what's idiomatically correct. For example, don't play Yngwie licks on Bush's "Glycerine" or a noodly jazz solo on Soundgarden's "Outshined," no matter how much it impresses you. I learned this the hard way while auditioning for a punk singer. I thought I'd show her what a good, well-rounded musician I was and ended a thrash song in A with an Am(add9) chord, instead of a more appropriate A5. I was promptly shown the door.
08. Play with musicians who are better (and better known) than you
There's no faster way to improve and jump up to the next level than to play with great musicians. You'll learn the tricks of the trade, and pick up on their years of experience in the trenches, as well. But if you want to be a star, there's no better way to kick-start your career than by ingratiating yourself with someone famous and be seen sycophantically swilling drinks with him or her at the coolest bar in town.
09. Less is more
Most players you hear or read about pay lip service to what has become the guitardom's ultimate cliché. The fact is, though, what's glibly easy to say is not necessarily easy to do. I learned this on a gig backing up a singer on a cruise ship (It was the actual "Love Boat!"). Back then, I couldn't read music or play over changes very well, so during the first show, in abject fear, I played very sparsely-only what I was sure would work. After the show, the singer told me she had never worked with so sensitive an accompanist.
10. Image does matter
This is one of the sad truths about the music business. The good news, however, is that not every musical situation calls for the same image. So use some common sense-if you're going to be auditioning for a wimpy jangle band, don't come dressed like a Marilyn Manson cast-off.
11. It's essential to have a great touch, or vibrato
There are players who say it took them 10-15 years to develop a great vibrato. They're the lucky ones-most never find it. Your touch is like your fingerprints-it's what distinguishes your blues playing, for instance, from that of countless other guitarists. Think of B.B. King or Jimi Hendrix-they are instantly recognizable. There are two main types of vibrato: one generated by the wrist (a la Hendrix and B.B. King) and the other from the fingers (favored more by classical guitarists). To determine which type works for you, check out your favorite guitarists' vibratos and try to imitate them. You can also pick up B.B. King's video Bluesmaster (Volume 1) to see his unique "bee-sting" vibrato demonstrated in-depth.
12. Get your sound/tone together
I can't emphasize enough how important this is. Know your gear well enough so that it works for you, not against you. For example, if you're looking for a Stevie Ray tone, you won't get it with a Les Paul going through a Marshall. You'll need a Strat running through a Fender Bassman (with an Ibanez Tube Screamer for extra punch). Unless you're a studio tech-head, a great guitar and amp (with an overdrive or chorus pedal) will probably sound 10 times better than a refrigerator full of rack-mounted shit (believe me, I've been there).
13. Practice what you don't know, not what you do know
In order to improve, you must practice. That sounds frightening, but let me reassure you that good practicing doesn't necessarily entail sitting grimly in a basement (while the other kids are outside playing), mindlessly running scales and arpeggios-you can get all the technique you need by learning licks from your favorite guitarists. For example, Eric Johnson's intro to "Cliffs of Dover" is a veritable lexicon of minor-pentatonic ideas. Here are the three axioms of good practicing:
A. Master small bits of music first (no more than four to eight notes at a time), then connect them to form longer passages.
B. Start out playing new ideas at a slow tempo (this builds muscle memory), then gradually work up to speed. It's much better to play slow and clean than fast and sloppy.
C. Always practice with a metronome
14. Get your business chops together
Business chops are just as important as musical ones, if not more so. If you want to make money as a musician, you have to start seeing yourself as a business and your music as a product. Acting against the stereotype of a musician (you know — stupid, drunk and gullible), as hard as that may be, will show club owners and record execs that you're not a pushover.
15. Be fluent with both major and minor pentatonic scales
In rock, pop, blues or country situations, knowing these scales will enable you to get by 80 percent of the time. I heartily recommend my book Practical Pentatonics (Music Sales)-a nifty little volume that covers just about all you need to know to be comfortable using the pentatonic scale in real-life gigging situations.
16. As soon as you learn something cool, apply it immediately to a real-life musical situation
Many guitarists learn tons of licks that sound great when played in the practice room. But the minute they get on stage, they have a hard time integrating this new material into their playing. Before you learn something new, you should have an idea where you could fit it in.
17. Learn as many melodies as you can
Not only does learning melodies to tunes (any tunes) increase your repertoire, it also (subconsciously) gives you an incredibly distinct edge in developing your phrasing. Ideally, you should be able to duplicate any melody you hear.
A. Listen to how singers interpret melodies and try to mimic their phrasing on the guitar.
B. Try to play back any, and I mean any, melody you hear-be it a TV commercial, nursery rhyme or the Mister Softee ice cream truck theme.
C. Always learn a melody on more than one place on the guitar neck. You want to play the melody, not have the melody play you.
18. Know your place
When a bandleader asks you to play something a certain way, smile and do it! Don't argue. Don't pout. Don't think you know better. Don't be an asshole. You'll have plenty of time to be in charge when your three-disk epic rock opera adaptation of The Jeffersons gets picked up.
19. Contrary to popular belief, taking lessons and listening to other styles of music doesn't hurt
It never hurts to broaden your scope, no matter how great a player you already are or how much you think you've already learned all there is to know. Opening your mind to other styles and techniques makes you a better, more well-rounded musician. Period. A great teacher can inspire and enable you to develop as a creative, exciting player.
20. Learn as many tunes as possible, from start to finish
It doesn't matter what style you like to play in, the more tunes you know, the easier it is to get a gig or kick ass on a jam session. And there's no excuse for not doing it-even if you're not at the point where you can learn tunes off the recording, you can avail yourself of the hundreds of transcription books out there. Heck, you can learn five new tunes a month just by reading Guitar World!
21. Develop authority as a player
You have to get to the point where you feel as creatively comfortable in front of hundreds of people as you do in front of your sister and the dog. And the only way you can attain that authority is by putting in the time. Playing at home only gets you so far-it's imperative that you play out as soon as you can. Attend jam sessions. Take less-than-ideal gigs, just for the experience. Take any gigs, for that matter-it's the experience that counts!
22. Hang out with other musicians
The best way to get contacts and gigs is to be seen and heard. How can anyone recommend you if they don't know who you are? As unpleasant and greasy as this may sound, do your best to befriend other guitarists. Though there's intense competition amongst players, most of your work will come as a result of recommendations made by other guitarists.
23. Know the fundamentals
Being able to hear common chord changes will help you learn tunes off the radio faster. Knowing a little basic theory will help you with your songwriting and your ability to intuitively come up with rhythm parts. For example, knowing that the harmonic structure of most blues tunes is I-IV-V (C-F-G) and that early rock ballads were usually built on I-vi-IV-V progressions (C-Am-F-G) will help you to play just about any tune in those genres or compose one of your own. One more plug: you also might want to check out my book The Advanced Guitar Case Chord Book (Music Sales) to get an idea of how to apply cool chord voicings to common progressions in all types of music.
24. Be careful out there
As soon as you or your band become somewhat popular, all sorts of characters are going to start crawling out of the gutter with designs on you. Have fun, but don't go overboard. And always keep an eye on your equipment-it's your life's blood. And try to save some cash.
25. Don't shit where you eat
Don't fuck the singer. Don't fuck the drummer's girlfriend. Don't fuck the drummer's dog. Don't fuck the drummer. Don't backstab your bandmates. Don't pocket tips. Don't be an asshole!
Here's a rhythm guitar lesson to mix things up a bit.
This week I expand upon rhythmic displacement.
In episode 10, I first mentioned this topic. You can check that previous lesson out here.
In this lesson and video I use a pattern that lasts 3 beats and then is repeated on different parts of the measure.
In the end, I play the phrase 4 times over 3 bars of 4/4 before switching chords.
This rhythmic displacement can be applied to any pattern as long as the exact same pattern is played in succession. It might take a minute for your brain to adjust to the idea, but it makes for an interesting variation.
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.
J.J. Cale was one of those players—an incredibly gifted soul who made any musical situation he was a part of better.
Lauded by other players—some of the best in the business, in fact—but blessed/cursed with a talent:ego ratio that prevented him from ever touting his own horn very loudly.
Do yourself (and the rest of the world) a favor: resist using the totally worn-out “former Black Crowe” tag when you’re talking about Marc Ford; there’s so much more music to discover once you do.
As Ford himself says, “I’m not in any way trying to live down the Black Crowes; that was a fantastic band and fantastic music was made … but that’s only a part of my story. It’s the part that reached the most people, and unless you’re interested enough to dig around for the other stuff, that’s probably all you know. It’s an easy way to sell magazines or newspapers or a ticket at your gig, but it tends to be a bit of a drag after a while.”
No doubt—especially when there’s music like last year’s Holy Ghost studio album; or the tour that followed on both sides of the Atlantic, featuring Marc, his son Elijah and an amazing cast of formation flyers, including members of the U.K.-based band Phantom Limb.
Ford returned from the Holy Ghost Tour to his home in San Clemente, California, where, he says, “I’ve kind of exiled myself the last few years. Out of sight, out of mind … but I love making records with people, and I love being a sideman, too. I think the challenge for me is to keep reminding people that I’m around, I suppose.”
So let it be known: Marc Ford is still around.
These days he might be a clean and sober family man of deep faith, but you put a guitar in his hands and he’s still
Marc
Fucking
Ford.
GUITAR WORLD: Marc, it’s been almost a year to the day since the last time you and I talked. Your Holy Ghost album was about to come out at that point, and you and your son Elijah were leaving to head over to Europe for a tour. You guys followed that up with a run of shows here in the U.S. to close out the year.
Yeah, we did a lot of miles, for sure.
One thing I want to say off the bat: I’m tired of hearing how one has to live on the edge to have an edge. I’ve been listening to some of these live shows … man, you have just as much of an edge as anyone.
Well, thank you …
It’s like that old jazzbo cliché: “If you want to play the horn, you gotta shoot smack.”
Yeah … and then most of them that were doing it died. I mean, there were a lot of people that lived that way and died … and I probably should have a couple of times. But if you survive, you go, “Now what?” you know?
Guitar players often write tunes that are pretty much a springboard for a solo. “If I can just get through a couple verses and choruses, then I get to do a lead break …”
[laughs] Yeah.
But your songs aren't like that.
I love songs. A great guitar solo is really nice, but to me, I want to hear a story… not to say that music can't tell a story. When I’ve got a few things to sing about, it's kind of an exorcism for me to do it. I don’t like singing all the time, but I do like singing when I want to.
I started writing songs right away when I was very first learning. I only knew the couple chords my teacher had taught me, so I thought, “Let’s just take those same chords and make a different story.”
I put it down for a few years when I was with the Crowes because I didn’t see an outlet for it and we were busy … just didn't have the time. But it’s always kind of hanging over my shoulder. The songs come in waves.
There’s an honesty to your lyrics. It’s almost like peeking over your shoulder while you’re writing in a journal or something.
[laughs] Well, it’s kind of the only way I can do it. I’m not that clever; I’m not a fiction writer. I just gotta tell it how I feel it. I think I reached a point in my life where I finally just got real, you know? We all screw up … it just got to a point where I didn't have anything to hide. It was alright to let it all hang out.
And there were still amazing guitar workouts during the shows. “Smoke Signals” comes to mind: a wild trip every night you played it, but a different trip every night, never a cliché. “They're gonna play 'Free Bird' now.”
Well, you know, I don't have the burden of it being a hit. [laughter] There aren’t people showing up to hear it being played a certain way. I’m playing it for me as much as anybody.
I love playing that song. It's my time to get my shit out, you know? Sometimes you fall flat on your face and sometimes you don't, and that’s what makes it fun for me.
The tightrope.
Yeah.
Sometimes “Smoke Signals” would segue into Jimi Hendrix’ “Are You Experienced." Not to get too corny or overly dramatic, but there’s that moment after the last chorus, the line, “Not necessarily stoned … but beautiful.” The first time I heard you singing that, it made the hair stand up on my arms, Marc. Jimi laid that path down, but he never really got to walk it. You’ve been there and back—you know what you’re talking about, man.
Well, I think he did, too. He just didn't live along enough for it to play out.
That’s what I mean. I feel a sadness for Jimi, but it's great to hear you now, at a point in your life where you’ve seen both sides. As far as life on the road goes, I know you’ve referred to touring as a mixed blessing.
It's fine when you get to do it and it's a drag when you have to. [laughs]
But it has to be a gas to share a stage with your son Elijah …
Absolutely. We’ve toured together before and he’s been doing his own music. The thing that was great for me this time was to hear him do his opening set; to marvel at him singing and his songs … and see people paying attention. He’s learning on a really deep level and it's working, and it's great to see. He’ll always be able to feed himself, you know what I mean? He’s got a craft and he’s good at it.
And he has his own thing going on. You can be as modest as you want to, but let’s face it: under most circumstances, being so-and-so’s son can be its own cross to bear.
Oh, sure. I’ve talked to Jakob Dylan about that. He’s probably one of the biggest Bob Dylan fans you’re ever gonna meet … and he’s like, “What am I gonna do? But I don't have a choice, it’s what I do. I know I’m not Bob Dylan—nobody is—but it doesn't mean I can't do it, too.”
Exactly. That’s a healthy attitude, rather than harboring a heart full of bitterness.
Absolutely. And if it's like some sort of competition, if you’re not secure in yourself, then you probably shouldn't be out there looking for it in a band.
You can’t depend on the band to give it to you.
Or the audience.
That’s not their job.
No. It’s real easy to get into people patting you on the back and telling you you’re great … but when you buy into it … it's bullshit, you know?
It's a rough place to be, and I think that’s why a lot of people don't make it out past that level. You’ve got to find who you are with or without the music.
Because the pats on the back are a pretty hollow crutch.
Yeah, and they're not always going to be there.
Let’s move on to gear, starting with your signature electric, built by Asher Guitars.
I took one to Europe and used a different one on tour here in the States.
And the difference between the two?
One was an earlier model, which became the signature model; it's got pickups that Bill Asher made. The other one has Tom Short pickups. I believe the original one was mahogany body; I could be wrong on that. And the neck profiles are a little different: the prototype was Fender spacing, but we had issues with the strings going over the P90, so we went with Gibson spacing.
So in terms of tone …
The red one has more of a Jr. quality and the yellow one has a little more of a Fender snap to it. I’ve come to really love them and really hadn't played anything else until just recently.
What have you tried that you’ve enjoyed?
James Trussart built me a guitar that I got just a couple of days ago, a steel-top kind of Les Paul-ish body … all blonde with a maple neck. Kind of a cool look. And then Duesenberg gave me one of their hollowbodies—a Fullerton Hollow. It's a fantastic guitar and a real workhorse.
And then I wanted to ask you about playing Duane Allman’s ‘57 Les Paul at a show in Atlanta back in October.
Yeah, the Goldtop. That was a trip. [laughs] Richard Brent of the Big House Museum in Macon brought it for me to play. I didn't even know about it until soundcheck. I just picked a point during the set and said, “OK.” Once I had it, I didn’t want to put it down.
It's really bizarre; old guitars feel like old jeans, you know? It was amazing to play and to hear Duane in the guitar … it was really inspiring to play.
Oh, man …
Yeah … it was [Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule late bassist Allen] Woody’s birthday, too … a really special night.
How about amps?
Orange has been real kind to me on my tours through Europe; they supplied amplifiers to me and the band.
Over here, I’ve been using Headstrong Amps since '05, I think. They have an amp called the Lil’ King, a 25-watt Princeton, basically. My go-to here at home is a Lil’ with a 15-inch speaker; on the road I have a Lil’ King-S, which is the 25-watt model. They’re great amps; I’ve had mine for years and it’s like playing a brand-new 1965 Princeton. And you just throw it in the trunk and go—really solid, great-sounding amps.
So we’ve talked guitars and we’ve talked amps—then there’s all the stuff in-between the two. I know if I were on a TV game show and the clue was “Fuzz,” I’d be on the buzzer in a flash: “Marc Ford!”
[laughs] Thanks.
Last year’s tour—was your pedal board pretty constant or did you switch stuff around a lot?
I used to; I used to go crazy with it, trying different things. Now I use pretty much just a fuzz, a wah and a booster—something to hit the front of the amp a little harder.
I started out with a couple more things when we took off on the tour, but one by one they started getting unplugged. Especially when I’m singing, trying to dance around on pedals is maddening to me. I think by the end of it, I was down to the fuzz, the wah and the booster. That was basically my setup.
So the big question everybody’s going to want to know: what was your fuzz of choice during the tour?
As far as fuzzes go, there aren't two alike, anywhere. I don’t care what anybody says … at least with the old germanium ones, which I like a lot. On this last tour, all three of us—Elijah, me and [pedal steel guitarist] Stew Jackson were all using BMF Electric Sunshine fuzzes. They’re made by a friend of mine, Scott Kiraly—BMF Effects.
I remember you told me about Scott showing up for the Holy Ghost sessions with a wah he’d just built. You said, “Let’s plug it in” and ended up using on the album.
That’s right; I had Scott’s fuzz and wah on the board the whole tour. I also had an Analogman King of Tone and an old prototype Red Rooster booster pedal. I think they’re made by Bearfoot FX now. And I have a Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay.
I understand people who believe in just a guitar, a cord and an amp; I get that.
Sure.
But the way you approach effects pedals, it’s still an extension of your heart, soul and fingers … you play them, as well.
Absolutely. I mean, even the same pedal is going to be different every time you plug it in. Especially the germaniums, as they're so susceptible to weather and whatnot. That’s part of the fun for me, really: “This is what you’ve got. Work with it.”
I look at those germanium fuzzes as a living, breathing thing: “Hi, how’re you doing today?” “Well, I didn't get much sleep much last night. How’re you doing?” [laughs]
I can be feeling great, but my fuzz isn't so feeling so good today, so we work together, you know? [laughter]
Man, that would make a great T-shirt, wouldn't it?
Yeah! [laughter] Really, it's not a science. You gotta listen and you gotta adjust. It’s just like being in a band.
So, speaking of bands, what’s on the horizon?
There are a few things being talked about. I’m actually recording my wife Kirsten’s first record right now.
That’s great, man. Her vocals on Holy Ghost were beautiful.
Yeah, she’s killing it; we’ll probably finish recording next week. And there’s talk of maybe going to England and making another record. I don't know … I'd like to play in a band again. We’ll see what happens.
You’re open to offers, then.
I guess that’s the main thing: I’m around; I’m playing again … and if anybody has some great ideas, get ahold of me. I think that’s the key to being happy: something cool is always going to come along; if you're OK with it not being what you thought it might be, then that’s good.
Photo: Jeff Urquhart/Jeff Urquhart Photography
A former offshore lobsterman, Brian Robbins had to wait a good four decades or so to write about the stuff he wanted to when he was 15. Today he’s a freelance writer, cartoonist, photographer and musician. His home on the worldwide inner-tube is at brian-robbins.com. And there’s that Facebook thing, too.
Sleeping With Sirens, fronted by Kellin Quinn, released their new record Madness last month via Epitaph Records and dominated the Billboard Top 200, as well as the iTunes Charts with the #1 Top Rock Album, 5 different songs in the Top 10 Rock Songs chart, and a Top 10 Album slot in all genres.
Now, during the sold-out European leg of their massive World Tour with Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens have announced the “We Like It Quiet” Tour, an acoustic run of shows this Summer with support from The Summer Set and Nick Santino.
Sleeping With Sirens have consistently sold-out tours since 2012 with over 80k tickets sold on The World Tour, so see below for full tour routing, and be sure to get your tickets before they are gone! Tickets will be on-sale today at 2 pm EST at sleepingwithsirens.net
Produced by John Feldmann (Good Charlotte, Panic! At The Disco), Madness is a vibrant and unabashed collage of melodic pop-rock perfection, punk aggression and vulnerable soulfulness. With total album sales well over 750,000, 102 million album streams, 83 million YouTube views, millions of social media followers, and consistently sold-out shows since 2012, Sleeping With Sirens show no signs of slowing down.
“We Like It Quiet” Summer Tour:
6/4/15 San Diego, CA @ Soma
6/5/15 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador
6/7/15 San Francisco, CA @ Slims
6/10/15 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
6/12/15 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
6/13/15 Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
6/14/15 New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster
6/16/15 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
6/17/15 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
6/18/15 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
6/19/15 Greensboro, NC @ Cone Denim Center
6/22/15 Orlando, FL @ The Social
10,000 Light Years Ago is the superb new studio album by legendary Moody Blues bassist John Lodge.
It’s Lodge’s first album of new solo material since 1977's Natural Avenue.
The album contains some of Lodge's most personal songs and even features guest performances by former Moody Blues members Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder.
I recently spoke with Lodge about the new album and some highlights from his career with the Moody Blues.
GUITAR WORLD: It’s been quite a while since your last solo album. What spawned this project?
I've been thinking about making an album for a few years now. It was based on a thought process I had where the future is always in reach but the past is gone forever. But I didn’t want to make an album that was retrospective. I wanted to make one that was about who I am today.
How would you describe the album as a whole?
I always look at the song "10,000 Light Years Ago." When I wrote that song, I knew that's what the album was going to be called. Then when I looked at the lyrics, it really told me what I wanted to write about. Standing there fearlessly and thinking about what’s going on in the world. To me, it's an eclectic collection of songs that all end up 10,000 light years ago. Everything from the past has made me what I am today.
Let’s discuss a few tracks from the new album, starting with “In My Mind." How was that song conceived?
I remember I had a flute line going through my head along with chords that kept getting bigger and bigger. I wanted the keyboards to create this audio/visual universe and for the guitars to run through it all. Then I wanted it all to easily come back down into a very easy, close lyric and twelve-string playing away and then building back up. It was a visual image in my mind.
How about “Simply Magic”?
I wrote that song for my grandson. I wrote it for him, but it's really for everyone. The lyric “Just when I thought nothing could get any better than this, you came along like the words of a song” was important. When something happens in your life that changes you and is something you never thought would happen, it's like a rebirth. That's what the song is about.
It's also a real “Moody Blues” kind of song, and that's why I asked Ray Thomas to come in and play flute on it. Then when Ray came in, he suggested I ask Mike Pinder to play on it too. I thought that was a great idea. So I called Mike and asked him if he'd like to play Mellotron on it and he said, "Yes, of course!" It all came together very quickly. For me, the whole thing was simply magic.
Are there any plans for you to do shows to support 10,000 Light Years Ago?
I'd love to. I remember Justin [Hayward] and I made an album a long time ago called Blue Jays but never toured on it in the U.S. I was really sad about that because there are some wonderful songs on that album that never got to see the light of day in a live performance.
I would love to go out on the road and perform these new songs. When you write a song at 3 in the morning in silence, you often wonder if anyone is ever going to hear it. Then suddenly the album is out and you find yourself on stage performing it. It really completes the circle.
One of my favorite Moody Blues songs is “I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)." Can you tell me the origin of that song?
The song came about because at that time, people had decided that various groups had the answer to everything. People would always come up to me and say I was going to be doing this or that. I remember coming out of my house one day and people were outside standing at my gate saying, "We're here because you're going to be flying the spaceship to save the world!" I said, "No. I'm not going to be doing that. I actually don't even like flying!" [laughs]. But they persisted and kept saying I was the chosen one to fly the spaceship. That’s when I said, "No, I'm not. I'm just a bass player who sings in a band!"
That was when I realized that what they said gave me the credence and allocated the thought process that what we were as a group wasn’t anything special. We were just the same as everyone else. I wanted to write a song about it. I thought, if you want the world to change, change it yourself. Don't ask me to change it.
Of all of the highlights of your career, is there one particular moment that sticks out as most memorable?
I'd have to say that doing two shows at Madison Square Garden on the same day was one of the highlights. No one had ever done that before and to have this huge traffic jam with 20,000 people leaving at the same time 20,000 people were trying to get in was pretty unbelievable. That was a very special day.
What would you like people to take away from listening to 10,000 Light Years Ago?
I've really enjoyed the process of this album. It's who I am and what I do. I hope people enjoy it and get out of it the same emotions that I put into it.
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.
Playing live might be the best way to hone your performance skills, but when it comes to technique, you need practice, practice, practice.
If you play an electric guitar, your woodshedding sessions demand an amp that not only reveals the details and nuance of your playing but also sounds great—so great that it makes you want to practice more and become the best guitarist you can.
Of course, it’s even better if it has built-in effects, a tuner, a metronome, and connectivity to the world of digital apps, downloads and MP3 players.
With that in mind, we set out to find the best-sounding and best-outfitted practice amps currently on the market. Over the next pages, you’ll find practice combos and heads that pull double-duty as studio and rehearsal powerhouses and others that offer computer, USB, Bluetooth, iOS and Android connectivity.
Whether you love an all-tube rig, solid-state power, or feature-laden digital/modeling amps, you’re sure to find that one of these tone machines makes practice perfect.
Here's a new one that was posted to YouTube over the weekend.
It's a fingerstyle classical-guitar performance of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" by U.K. guitarist Ash Wainman.
Some of you might remember Luca Stricagnoli's recent acoustic guitar arrangement of this AC/DC classic from 1990; Wainman's version is essentially a classical-guitar version of that.
This, of course, reminded us of the equally fascinating lead guitar and vocal track from Derek and the Dominos' classic 1970 track, "Layla."
What you're actually hearing (in the YouTube player below) is a combination of tracks; there's a rhythm guitar track from the chorus, the lead in the verses and choruses, Duane Allman's manic slide solos, crystal-clear acoustic guitar at the end of the song—and another guitar that's filtered through a revolving Leslie speaker, a la "Badge."
You also get to hear Clapton's lead vocal, which is doubled on the choruses.
“The song and the whole album is definitely equal parts Eric and Duane,” says producer Tom Dowd, who introduced the two guitar titans, then sat back and watched them soar together.
“There had to be some sort of telepathy going on because I’ve never seen spontaneous inspiration happen at that rate and level. One of them would play something, and the other reacted instantaneously. Never once did either of them have to say, ‘Could you play that again, please?’ It was like two hands in a glove. And they got tremendously off on playing with each other.”
Nowhere was the interplay between Clapton and Allman more sublime than on “Layla,” which, says Dowd, features six tracks of overlapping guitar: “There’s an Eric rhythm part; three tracks of Eric playing harmony with himself on the main riff; one of Duane playing that beautiful bottleneck; and one of Duane and Eric locked up, playing countermelodies.”
Take note of the Leslie guitar, which kicks in at 5:25. Criteria Studios in Miami had one of the first guitar input devices for the Leslie that could vary the speed with a foot switch, and legend has it that Clapton was pretty fond of it. Enjoy!
