THE FINEST GUITAR LESSONS ON THE PLANET 248 OCTOBER 2015
Y! ODA Y! T TO TAR T T S TA
SORT OUT YOUR YOUR
PICKING! Banish sloppy alternate alternate picking with GT’s exclusive lesson. More accuracy, more speed, more tone, more fun!
P AR ALLE L W O OR L D S R
Ma jo jor a r and minor : lear n how & w hy t hey w y w or k k !
TUDIES YLE S TU S T YL
BRIAN MA MAY Y Queen’s unique maestro
BUDDY GUY Chicago blues leviathan TA TABBED
THE
KNACK MY SHAR SHARONA ONA
VAN V AN HALEN More than just tapping
TED GREENE Undersung jazz genius
JOHN LENNON Laconic acoustic fingerstyle
ISSUE 248 OCTOBER 2015
T HE
F INE ST
Just some of your regular GT technique experts... STEVE ALLSWORTH
A most versatile player, Steve has played with Ronan Keating, Lulu, Rod Stewart, Westlife, LeAnn Rimes and Lily Allen. He also teaches rock at BIMM Brighton. SHAUN BAXTER
One of the UK’s most respected music educators, Shaun has taught many who are now top tutors themselves. His Jazz Metal album is considered a milestone. JON BISHOP
Jon is one of those great all-rounders who can turn his hand to almost any style. No ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’, he nails every one with ease! PHIL CAPONE
Phil is a great guitarist who specialises in blues and jazz. He teaches at ICMP in London, writes for GT and Total Guitar and has published 10 top tuition books. LES DAVIDSON
Les has worked with Mick Taylor, Rumer, Rumer, Jon Anderson, Pete Townshend, Tina Turne Turnerr & more. more. He also also runs runs a recordi recording ng studio and teaches at BIMM London. CHARLIE GRIFFITHS
Guitar Institute tutor Charlie first came to fame in Total Guitar’s Challenge Charlie series. He’s also one of the UK’s top rock, metal and fusion guitarists. PHIL HILBORNE
The UK’s origina originall magazi magazine ne guitar guitar tutor tutor,, Phil’s something of a legend. A great player, he’s currently touring Europe with the Champions Of Rock show. PAT HEATH
BIMM Brighton lecturer, ESP product demonstrator and all-round busy musician, Pat brings you six cool licks each month in 30-Minute Lickbag.
G UIT AR R T T UIT IO N Y O OU C AN BUY ! !
Welcome OUR COVER FEATURE FEATUR E this month is all about picking. Actually, Actual ly, it’s it’s the lead feature in a set of three that aims to hone your entire picking repertoire, since most players wanting to improve tell us that picking is at t he top of their technique wish list. This month it’s that good old stalwart: alternate picking. Now, Now, stop me if I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve always always said said my own picking picking is is pretty pretty weak (I can’t can’t do Guthrie-style Guthrie-style amazing amazing speed bursts, for instance), instance), but my fretting hand is fairly good within my limited style base. A coupl couplee of of years years ago, Shaun Baxter did a feature in Creative Rock where he said something like: “You think it’s your picking hand that’s at fault, when in all probability it’s actually actually your fret ting hand not keeping up.” This staggered me and I immediately picked up my guitar. He was right. That horrible mis-match of picking and fretting-hand speed in my own playing (where (where it seems like you’re shing in a box of spanners), was indeed sloppy sloppy fretting. I was honestly staggered. Phil Capone mentions this in his excellent rst picking article but all I’d add is, make sure you also concentrate on
your fretting in any any and and all all of of Phil’ Phil’ss exercis exercises; es; you’ll you’ll soon see if it’s it’s that that side letting you down, and be able to upgrade both hands in one fell swoop. Especially when it comes to crossing strings, we often presume it must be t he picking letting us down, since sinc e it has to jump across from one to another, but it’s just as likely that your rst frett ing nger to land on on the next string is late and the others are crashi ng in behind it also out of time, probably rushed. But you’ll blame the pick every time! ti me! If this phenomenon hadn’t crossed your mind (as it genuinely hadn’t mine), I’d be interested to hear if Shaun’s point provided food for thought and perhaps even assisted in getting you through this rst picking article. Do D o let me know. WIN! On On page page 74, you’ll notice a re-run of our amazing competition to win thousan thousands ds of of £££s’ £££s’ worth of group gear. Open to UK residents only, it’s an amazing chance to kit your whole band out with top-of-the-ra top-of-the-range nge gear. Please do enter – and I’ll see you next month with more great stuff!
Neville Marten, Editor
[email protected]
DON’T MISS OUR AMAZING DIGITAL EDITION Guitar Techniques’ Techniques’ digital edition is now even better!
MILTON MERMIKIDES
One of the country’s most respected music professors Milton’s list of credits is embarrassingly long. Go to www. miltononline to learn all about him. BRIDGET MERMIKIDES
Guildhall and Royal Academy trained, Bridget is a Royal College of Music, examiner, a respected classical player and award-winning blues guitarist. STUART RYAN
Head of Guitar at BIMM Bristol, Stu is an acoustic guitar virtuoso who performs throughout the UK. His latest book/CD The Tradit Tradition ion is avail availabl able e now. now.
Tap the links
Animated tab & audio
JOHN WHEATCROFT WHEATCROFT
A phenomenal guitarist, John is a master at all styles but a legend in Gypsy Jazz. His new album Ensemble Futur is out now on iTunes and Amazon.
PLUS! Get a FREE iPad/iPhone sample of GT. For full details and how to receive our digital edition regularly, go to bit.ly/guitartechniques (if you live in the UK) or bit.ly/guitartechus (overseas). You can also find us on www.zinio.com (Please note: Zinio editions do not have interactive tab or audio).
ANDY SAPHIR
A top teacher at the Guitar Institute (ICMP), Andy is a phenomenal player in a host of styles. He mixes just the right degree of flash with consummate taste.
Songs and lessons have the audio built in, with a moving cursor showing you exactly where you are in the music. Simply tap the ‘play’ button then you can fast-forward or scroll back at will.
Play the videos
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• C O N T E N T S • O C T O B E R 2 01 5 •
p74
LEARNING ZONE LESSONS INTRODUCTION
51
GT’s music editor Jason Sidwell introduces another feature-filled lessons section.
30�MINUTE LICKBAG
52
BIMM’s Pat Heath has six more great licks at easy, intermediate and advanced levels.
BLUES
54
Les Davidson looks at one of the last genuine original blues heroes – the amazing Buddy Guy.
ROCK
58
Martin Cooper uncovers the style of a true rock guitar god – the uniquely brilliant Brian May.
CREATIVE ROCK
70
Shaun Baxter says methodically examining three-note groupings can expand your playing.
CHOPS SHOP
76
Andy Saphir delivers some tasty jazzy-blues Mixolydian licks over a G7 to C7 change.
HARD ROCK
78
Charlie Griffiths continues his new series by examining a player who moved rock guitar into a new era – the awesome Eddie Van Halen.
JAZZ
82
John Wheatcroft introduces the criminally undersung jazz guitar great, Ted Greene.
COVER FEATURE
ACOUSTIC
SORT OUT YOUR PICKING 14 Most guitarists say picking is their weakest point. Phil Capone’s guide will have your alternate picking fast and fluent in no time!
FEATURES
WELCOME TALKBACK
My Sharona
You tell us what we get right – and wrong!
26
Jon Bishop transcribes one of the 70s’ most infectious rock hits. It’s powered by a great guitar riff and packed with great solos to play!
SPECIAL FEATURE #2
7
INTRO
8
68
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COMPETITION
PARALLEL WORLDS 36
Major and minor worlds offer a fascinating study in music theory and harmony. Milton Mermikides clears the murky waters!
TRANSCRIPTION #2
74
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BACK ISSUES
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ALBUMS
95
New guitar CDs reviewed and rated by our very own Roger Newell.
J S BACH
Prelude In D Minor
3
60 Seconds, Session Shenanigans, One-Minute Lick, That Was The Year and Jam Tracks.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
46
Bridget Mermikides arranges and transcribes another of the great man’s Preludes for solo classical guitar. Nails filed and polished?
NEXT MONTH
92
VIDEO MASTERCLASS
Nev picks his way through another editorial.
THE KNACK
Major and minor
MUSIC READING Charlie Griffiths continues his series with a Steve Lukather style music reading piece.
REGULAR FEATURES
TRANSCRIPTION #1
88
Stuart Ryan delves into the laconic acoustic fingerstyle playing of the great John Lennon.
98
Master the Blues Shuffle, learn Gary Moore’s Parisienne Walkways, Sort Out Your Picking (pt 2), Faith No More, Albert King, Kiss... and more!
NIGEL PRICE, Part 2
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This incredible jazzer blasts through changes in devastating style. Learn how he does it!
Post: Guitar Techniques, Future Publishing, Ivo Peters Road, Bath, BA2 3QS. Email:
[email protected] using the header ‘Talkback’.
SPECIAL ISSUES & FEATURES The current series on Reading Music by Charlie Grifths is coming to an end. Could I suggest you bring out a booklet containing all the parts, plus a CD with the tracks? It would also be an idea to include a DVD of the course. This could be on permanent sale, as every year guitar teachers will want their students to buy a copy. It would be the best way to introduce students to reading music notation, a much neglected part of Charlie: reading today’s learning music tutor process, and will surely give a lifetime of benet. While I am on the subject – in the past you have produced some excellent series by Stuart Ryan, such as How To Play Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic Blues, Roots, Country etc, and, not forgetting, the gem from Bridget Mermikides: How To Play Classical Guitar. These disappeared off the shelves never more to be seen! When I am teaching guitar, especially nger picking, I want students to get their technique right from the start – and Bridget’s DVD is unbeatable. But, it’s nowhere to be purchased! Could these, and Charlie Grifths series, be on permanent sale on your website, as I’m sure it would be create extra trafc for you, extra sales, and brilliant content for students? Just a further thought for GT. How about a series for guitar teachers? Maybe it could be developed as a separate item for sale. I would expect a big reaction if a programme could be developed, with notes, DVD, and CD/backing tracks, etc. We all teach much the same items to beginners/improvers. But it’s presentation that counts. A xed, organised programme would avert the problems of teachers and/or pupils going too slow or too fast, S and straying into cul de sacs, and E G A over-complicating matters. It M I Y T would also avert the problem of T E G pupils requesting certain songs, / N R resulting in a different programme E F D E for each student. We all fall into R D I V the same traps. A D
I teach one-to-one lessons, and I also teach groups at a college night class. I even wrote up notes myself to put structure in it. But my IT skills aren’t great, so I am slow to copy the m to my students. I’m sure there are many similar problems. With so many books and DVDs already produced, it could be that you could use some of that material to supplement the programme. Keep up the great work. Noel Walsh.
The Reading Music series was conceived as something that could possibly be put together as a standalone product later on. Charlie is actually adding a few extra columns in order to give readers full pieces to get to grips with, but that in itself will make it better as a compilation magazine. I can’t say when or even if it will actually happen, but I do like the idea. The Play Guitar Now series was printed in relatively low quantities and some have sold out completely while there are a few titles still left on www. myfavouritemagazines.co.uk. We reprinted several and also bundled some together, so who knows what might get reused in the future – I could see all the Blues ones being cobbled into one much bigger magazine, although the limiting factor here is disk space, unless the videos were stored on www. musicradar.com. I agree though, that Bridget, Stuart, Milton, Jon and others did a sterling job on them and they would be hard to better! As regards the teaching feature, that’s also very interesting but would need to be seriously thought through.
A bit more acoustic blues and ragtime playing please
Presumably, for it to be of real value, it would somehow need to be accredited. Lots of fine suggestions there, so thanks!
GOES DOWN TO NOUGHT! Love the cover of the recent issue (Jam Bands) featuring a guy wailing away on an SG, with the volume knob on 0. No worries, we’ve ALL been there! Ah, yes, the famous GT ‘deliberate mistake’. We occasionally drop them in to keep you on your toes (of course, the truth is that the model – ie me – forgot to turn it up). I was very careful with this month’s Stratocaster to ensure that everything was properly set, and I’ll determine to watch for such oversights in the future.
Terr y Kath of Chicago: a f ull f eature soon!
seem to have got a bit confused about Chicago in the recent issue. Last month you trailed this feature with, ‘The stunning guitar KEEP YAKKING! of Terry Kath’ and in your listing Chet Atkins’ Yakety Axe is at the beginning of the mag it beautiful to play, not too difcult states that Martin Cooper and plenty interesting! I still examines Chicago and guitarist regularly nd myself playing the Terry Kath. You illustrate the Atkins’ rag-style feature with a picture country piece from of Kath, but your issue 218 – a bit more examples are from difcult but also the band’s rocksplendidly varied. ballad 80s style, Mostly I play which came after nger-picking blues Kath had died. I was but now I’m a country looking forward to player too! In favour seeing what you had of all nger-pickers, to say about Kath, so please may I request a I was very still greater emphasis disappointed with The volume knob refused from you and your this feature. Kath’s to budge from zero! magazine on classical/ style was not the blues/jazz/ragtime? Looking same at all – have a listen to forward to receiving many more Chicago Transit Authority and great issues of GT. hear the difference. Brian Johnson
Martin Fowkes
The Chet style is a beautiful thing to behold and, as you know full well, has been the basis for so many other great players that foll owed – Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, Jerry Reed and Richard Smith among them. Chet even devised the CGP (Certified Guitar Player) award to honour a select few guitarists that have given a lifetime of ‘above brilliant’ service to music. Actually, perhaps a Fingerstyle Blues or Ragtime Guitar series might suit Stuart Ryan at some point. Again, all excellent ideas gratefully received.
Oh dear. And I’ve already used the ‘deliberate mistake’ excuse! Yes, despite my being a great fan of Chicago Transit Authority, especially tracks like I’m A Man and Twenty-Five Or Six To Four, we still managed to make a hash of describing the feature and captioning the wrong photo. No excuses, just an apology for hopefully unusual sloppiness – on our part, not on Martin Cooper’s. But you’re right: a full feature on the Terry Kath years in the band, before his untimely shooting accident, is now a must. I’ll get onto Martin to do a follow-up on Terry (who apparently really was one of Jimi Hendrix’s favourite players) as soon as possible.
CHICAGO-OH! I’m sure your magazine hardly ever gets anything wrong, but you
60 Seconds With...
A minute’s all it takes to find out what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo for the airport we grabbed a quick chat with Kinks guitarist Dave Davies GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without? DD: It’s the medium Gibson pear-shaped ones and you can’t always get them. They seem to grip naturally in your ngers and you don’t feel like you’re really holding anything. They’re pliable but rm at the same time. GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to be in a band? DD: Drums and a bit of keyboard. GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it? DD: Yeah, if it didn’t have all those funny squiggles all over it. GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours? DD: Yes leads make a difference. I don’t like wireless, it’s a bit thin. I was one of the rst people to try it. I’m sure they’re good now but I don’t like it. My leads are Mogami with Neutrik plugs. GT: Is there anyone’s playing (past or present) that you’re slightly jealous of? DD: You can’t be jealous of people. You gotta just do what you do and try the best you can. But a little bit of anxiety, nervousness and anger can help motivate. GT: What’s your favourite amp and how do you set it? DD: I used to like the Mesa Boogie Mark 2 with Marshall speaker cabinets but I use a Dual Rectier now. Quite a lot of overdrive, some mids and presence, but every room is different, so the settings will vary at every show. I use a lot of pre-gain. GT: Who was your first influence to play the guitar? DD: Duane Eddy’s music, like Rebel Rouser and the inuence of my brother-in-law Mike Picker’s records and guitar playing.
A R I E R E P L
If you’ve got something difficult coming up, make sure you learn it; don’t get caught with your trousers down!
Dave Davies: The Kinks’ fabled lead guitarist
GT: What was the first guitar you really lusted after? DD: Eddy Cochran’s Gretsch 6120 and the Country Gentleman style of guitar that Chet Atkins played. GT: What was the best gig you ever did? DD: The US festival on Labour Day Weekend (September 4th 1982) in California. We were the hottest band that weekend. It was a mystical experience. GT: And your worst nightmare? DD: Being in an old theatre, running for a pee up ve ights of stairs in between encores, and then hearing the band start and having to nish and run all the way back down again. That’s my reoccurring nightmare.
GT: What’s the most important musical lesson you ever learnt? DD: If you’ve got something difcult coming up, make sure you learn it; don’t get caught with your trousers down! GT: Do you still practise? DD: Only when there’s something coming up like recording or shows. I used to like rehearsing in the old days. I used to practise all the time when I was learning when I was 13, 14, 15 years old. GT: Do you have a pre-gig warm-up routine? DD: I have a guitar tech that looks after everything but I go through stuff at sound check – strings, tone, room sound, equipment placement, stage set up, monitors.
GT: If you could put together a fantasy band with you in it, who would the other players be? Me, Pete Quaife, Mick Avory and Ray (The original Kinks). Felix Pappalardi, Bobby Graham, Jack Bruce, but I’d have two bass players then. Mick Ronson on second guitar and Ringo Starr on drums. Then I’d have three drummers. Who else is there? Jeff Beck... Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, Eddie Thornton on trumpet – he used to play with Geordie Fame. Georgie Fame on organ and Gerry Mulligan on sax. Otis Redding could help me out with some vocals. Nina Simone. Keith Moon, we have four drummers now... Janis Joplin, she could help out with vocals as well. Thelonius Monk on piano. Chet Baker on trumpet. Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran and Big Bill Broonzy – just to pad out the guitar section. GT: Present company excepted, who’s the gre atest guitarist that ’s ever lived? DD: Davey Graham, Albert King, James Burton, Eddie Cochran... Oh there’s too many. GT: Is there a solo you really wish you had played? DD: Ricky Nelson’s Hello Mary Lou, played by James Burton. GT: What’s the solo/song of your own that you’re most proud of? DD: The Kinks’ Till The End Of The Day. It’s hardest to get an eight-bar solo that has everything and I like to think that does. Also, I’m proud of the solos in the live version of the Kinks’ Celluloid Heroes from One From The Road, The Kinks’ Headmaster, It’s All Right and Perfect Strangers. GT: What would you most like to be remembered for? DD: I’d like to be remembered as being an important inspiration for young musicians. The Kinks’ Dave Davies plays London’s Islington Assembly Hall on Friday 18th December 2015. Tickets are available from the 24 Hour Box Ofce: 0844 871 8819. Book online: www.alt-tickets. co.uk/dave-davies-tickets
This month, G is for... wait, I have it... ah, yes A few years ago I found myself involved in producing an album for the girlfriend (now wife) of a popular entertainer, known to and loved by millions. I will refrain from naming him for tax reasons but having played on his TV series, records and live shows for some years, he had decided with somewhat immaculate perception that I was the right man for this particular assignment. So it came to pass that we began to meet regularly to routine songs, record demos and plan our assault on the nation’s airwaves. And one particularly ne evening I was invited to stay on for an excellent light entertainment repast after our work had ended for the day. At the conclusion of the meal my host excused himself momentarily and disappeared into the bowels of his modest eight bedroom showbiz mansion. There then followed distant noises, which bore the distinctive hallmark of a man on a mission. Boxes dragged across oors. Wardrobes investigated. Cupboards opened and slammed shut. Rummaging might best describe the overall effect. After sufcient time had elapsed for me to digest the establishment’s signature chargrilled minced beef sandwich and large fries, he reappeared, an expression of triumph clearly visible on his nely chiselled features. “Ah! Found it! I’ve been meaning to show this to you for ages.” His hands held aloft an oddly misshapen wooden object,
It’s a Hofner. The type they turned out when American instruments were unattainable in the UK for most of us. his body language reminiscent of the way the FA Cup might be displayed by the elated winning captain. It was only after a detailed appraisal that I was persuaded that the artefact in question was, in fact, a guitar. It had but three strings still attached to the remains of what A B L had once been the bridge. Two of O H E the machineheads and tuning pegs L I M E had long since departed, leaving
MITCH DALTON’S
The guitarist’s guide to happiness and personal fulfilment, where our hero helps to restore a guitar bequeathed to
his friend by a rock and roll legend!
behind four grieving cousins. There was a substantial hole in the side of the body that even the most brazen salesman would never have dared to describe as ‘customised’. The rest of the instrument appeared to have been employed as an adventure playground by an indeterminate number of children and ex-wives for several decades. But it was, just, a guitar. By the skin of its faded and discoloured nish. “So. Waddya think?” I composed my response. “Well. It’s a Hofner. An f-hole acoustic jazz guitar. Probably a Senator. Manufactured in Germany. The type they turned out in the 50s and 60s when American instruments like Gibson and Fender were unattainable in the UK for most people. The luxury tax on imported goods had seen to that. A serviceable instrument if properly maintained and set up. Which er, how do I put this diplomatically? It could benet from a smidgen of tender loving care. Or a complete restoration. By a genius.” However, my host was not minded to be discouraged. “Do you know anyone who could do the work?” “As it happens, I do. Bill Puplett is your man. In fact, he is your only man. He can turn Perrier into Premier Cru. I would trust no other human with a project such as this.”
And with that he returned the instrument to its deluxe plastic bag, thrust it in my general direction and instructed me to liaise with The great Mr P as a matter of urgency. Naturally, I was not incurious as to how and why a comedian, singer and accomplished non-guitarist should trouble himself with a car boot sale reject such as this. So I enquired further. “In that case, I will explain. Years ago and back in the day, I was the comedian on many of the early rock and roll tours. But I grew disenchanted quickly. They didn’t want me. And they were throwing real rocks. They wanted their idols. So I informed my agent that I intended to stop touring. At which point he told me that he had just accepted one last tour on my behalf. Thirty ve one-nighters in 38 days. I could buy myself a new car. I enquired as to the identity of the star who was to top the bill. A Texan gent that I’d never heard of. And his band. Consequently, on the rst day off on tour he approached me and asked me to recommend a guitar shop where he could purchase an instrument for his personal use on the coach, in the dressing room and back at the hotel. He wanted to write songs, in particular. So the two of us took a taxi to Maurice Plaquet in
Denmark Street and my new pal picked out a guitar that suited. A month later he presented it to me as a gift after the last show. It was clearly more trouble than it was worth to export it back to the States. So. There you have it.” “I see. But... who was this Texan chappie, then?” “Oh. Didn’t
I enquired as to the identity of the star who was top of the bill. A Texan gent that I’d never heard of... I say? Buddy Holly. Do you think the guitar is worth anything?” G is for Guitar and Good Grief. Postscript. I took the Hofner to Bill. He sourced original replacement parts somehow. He worked his customary miracles on the remains of the Senator. He restored it to perfection. Our TV rhythm section paid for the work and returned it to our friend as a wedding present. Mitch Dalton is one of London’s busiest and most sought-after session musicians. His latest album, Mitch Dalton & The Studio Kings is out now. For more info go to: www.mitchdalton.co.uk
PHIL HILBORNE’S ONE-MINUTE LICK PENTATONIC SUBSTITUTION LICK This month’s lick features a popular approach known as ‘Pentatonic substitution’. The opening section features an ascending G major Pentatonic (G-A-B-D-E) run over a G major chord. It’s the simplest and most effective Pentatonic to imply the chord. The second part contains a descending sequence using a common substitution for G major Pentatonic; D major Pentatonic (D-E-F#-A-B). Like many rock and blues guitarists, I prefer minor Pentatonics instead of major Pentatonics when soloing: I’m thinking of B minor Pentatonic instead of D major even though they share the same notes. To use this approach in any key, solo over a major chord with the minor Pentatonic starting from the major 3rd of the major chord. Here, we’re soloing over G major with B minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A); the B note is the major 3rd above G. However you view it (D major or B minor Pentatonics over
G major chord) using a substituted scale results in a fresh sound. The unique aspect is that the F# note in D major/B minor provides a major 7th over the G major chord and you’ll never play a G note; the root of G major. It’s a pleasing way of re-using scales you are already familiar with. For inspiration, check out guitarists as varied as Larry Carlton, Eric Johnson, Danny Gatton, Shawn Lane and Joe Bonamassa. As you work through this lick look at the notes you’re playing, experiment and re-apply this approach. Consider that when you play a scale substitution like this, it is important to think of it in terms of G major, ending (and perhaps starting) on notes that are found in the G chord. The component G chord tones available in B minor (D major) Pentatonic are B and D while F# (the 7th of an implied Gmaj7), A (the 9th of an implied Gmaj9) and E (the 6th of an implied G6) function as colourful extension tones.
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LOVE TO PLAY ROCK GUITAR? Then this 100-page magazine with DVD-ROM is for you! Drawn from the best rock features in Guitar Techniques magazine it’s packed with lessons on how to play like over 40 rock legends. Pop the DVD-ROM into PC or Mac to hear brilliant audio synched to animated tab.
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Jam tracks tips
Use these tips to navigate our bonus backing tracks ➊ Univibe brushes blues in Bb
, peedals F loods , p and Bush GIBSON’S CONTEMPORARY SEMI ACOUSTIC range is handled by their Memphis division and the ES-390 is not only one of the coolest designs, it’s also one of the cheapest at £1,849 including case. What makes it so desirable is the black- faced twin P90 pickups, floating scratchplate, old style trapeze tailpiece and the gloss nitrocellulose finish. In Vintage Dark Burst it’s a really stylish thinline hollowbody. THE CURTAIN RISES AS KATE BUSH takes up residence at the Hammersmith Apollo for her Before The Dawn series of concerts. It’s her first live performance since 1979 and it’s a phenomenal success. Final curtains, however, for Big Jim Sullivan, Alvin Stardust, Jack Bruce, Glenn Cornick (Jethro (Jeth ro Tull), Tull), Lynsey de Paul, Robert Young (Primal Scream), John Gustafson, (Roxy Music, The Big Three), Acker Bilk, pioneer rockers Duffy Power and Dave Sampson, jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan and the legendary Charlie Watkins (Watkins Electric Music) whose iconic products helped to define British rock. THE MET OFFICE REVEALS that Southern England has been hit by the highest January rainfall since records began in 1910. High tides and wind cause flooding; part of the South Devon Railway sea wall is washed away and military personnel prepare to help residents in flooded areas of Somerset. A UK Independence Party councillor is suspended for blaming the floods on God’s anger over the decision to legalise same-sex marriage. BOUTIQUE FOOT PEDALS are all the rage and the variety is quite staggering. The names are also rather special too like the Skreddy Hybrid FuzzDrive, the Darkglass Duality Fuzz, the Dr Scientist Frazz Dazzler and the EarthQuaker Terminal Fuzz. In fact the good old fashioned fuzz pedal that started the pedal craze, has never been so well represented and everybody still wants one. LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX, and goes on to win the Formula One world title after finishing first in the Abu Dhabi race. The Commonwealth Games opens in Glasgow, the Tour Tour de France starts i n Leeds and in spite of all the recent flooding, Sheffield’s Half Marathon is cancelled because there are insufficient water supplies for runners en route. CHANCELLOR GEORGE OSBORNE announces that a new 12-sided two-metal £1 coin will be introduced in 2017 as a means to reduce counterfeiting; an earthquake is recorded beneath the Bristol Channel at a magnitude of 4.1; and following a referendum Scotland votes no to independence. GODIN GUITARS RELEASES RELEAS ES THE MULTIAC NYLON SA a slim flattop with a single cutaway which provides a great way to get authentic classical guitar sounds on stage. The electronics are custom built by Godin/RMC and along with a standard jack socket comes a 13-pin socket that allows for synth access. Its slim contemporary design features a slotted headstock, Richlite fingerboard and a rosewood bridge with individual saddles.
This is a 12-bar in the key of Bb (Bb7-Eb7-Bb7-F7-Eb7-Bb7Gb7-F7), presented in a drums, bass, guitar guitar trio format. format. Bb may not be your typical guitar key but is common for piano and sax players and worthwhile having some chops for! Minor Pentatonic licks (albeit in Bb) work well here but play the 3/b7 notes of each chord for a bluesier, jazzier sound.
➋ Soft Groove in G This runs the progression G-EmC-Am7-G-F, which is grounded in G Major (G-A-B-C-D-E-F#) except the nal chord of F, where you’ll need to tweak your scale usage to G Mixolydian (G-A-B-C-D-E-F) or play mainly notes from the F chord (F-A-C). The second section features G-Am7-G/B-C- G-F, then C-D-Em7-G-Am7-D-G. The same suggestions apply here; G Major mostly, with some G Mixolydian when the F chord occurs. ➌ G Blues Stomper Here we have a fairly up tempo foot-stomping 12-bar blues in G. Pull out your G minor Pentatonic (G-Bb-C-D-F) or Blues scale (add
a Db); or alternatively, alternatively, try thinking in G Mixolydian mode (G-A-B-CD-E-F) on the I chord (G7), G Dorian (G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F) on the IV chord (C7) and G Major scale (G-A-B-C-D-E-F#) on the V (D7).
➍ B Minor Blues Here we have a blues progression in B minor. Chords are Bm (Im), Em (IVm), G (bVI) and F# (V). For scales, I’d suggest starting with B minor Pentatonic (B-D-E-F#-A) as well as as the B Minor scale (B-C#-D(B-C#-DE-F#-G-A). For the F# chords you can also use B Harmonic minor (B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A#), emphasising the A# in the process, which leads leads nicely back to to the B minor chord following it. Chord tones are great to target too.
Bend it! In Guitarist this month is a fascinating feature on B-Bender guitars. Invented in 1965 by Gene Parsons and Clarence White of The Byrds to emulate the crying sound of pedal steel, the B-Bender is a rare beast. The prize for the biggest B-Bender obsession surely must go to collector Samuel Ahden of the fabled guitar museum in Umea, Sweden. Samuel owns 41 of the things and has had Parsons (who still builds them to order) install B-Benders in a Tele and LP Junior. Read the full story in Guitarist, issue 398 – out now.
HOT FOR TEAC TEACHER HER YO YOUR UR RGT TUT TUTOR OR NAME: Dean Adams TOWN: North London STYLES: Rock, pop, indie, metal, blues and jazz SPECIALITY: Singer-songwriter, improvisation, specialist techniques, theory and vocals QUALIFICATION : FLCM BMus(hons), LLCM(TD), LLCM LEVELS: All levels, RGT exams to all levels if desired SIGHT�READING: All levels CHARGES: £35 per hour SPECIAL: Fullyequipped music studio, library, custom backing tracks TEL: 07961 103737 EMAIL:
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PLAY: PICKING
ON THE CD
TRACKS 4-22
Sort Sort Out Your Picking Alternate Picking 1 T 1 PAR T
Still promising yourself a better picking pick ing technique? Stop dreaming and make it a reality with our new three-part series! In this first instalment, Phil Capone shows you how to quickly quickly develop a fast and efficient alternate picking pick ing technique. ABILITY RATING
Moderate INFO
KEY: Various TEMPO: Various TRACKS 4-22 CD: TRACKS
WILL IMPROVE YOUR
Picking hand technique Fretting hand technique Greater rhythmic control
PLAYING FAST IS fun and can add extra excitement and climatic potential to your solos. No surprise, then, that it’s top of most guitarists’ technique wish list. Unfortunately, many players fail to achieve their dream because they approach approach the problem from the wrong perspective; perspective; playing playing fast fast is is not not just just about fast picking, it’s about the coordination between your fretting ngers and your pick. So it’s vitally important to ensure that your fretting hand is working as efciently as possible too. The exercises in this article are designed to help you build a slick fretting hand technique (with good nger independence) as well as improving improving your alternate alternate picking speed. The best news is that you don’t have to spend hours practising; use these exercises as part of your daily warm-up routine and you should see improvements in your alternate picking (whether slow or fast) in no time.
It’s important to remember that virtuoso musicians always play rhythmically, even when playing fast; subdividing the beat beat precisely and accurately. Let’s forget about rock’n’roll rock’n’roll and the electric guitar for a minute and delve into the world of jazz. Charlie Parker pioneered bebop ‘double time’ phrasing by playing lightning urries of 16th notes with the same considered note content and rhythmic accuracy as his eighth-note licks. His pioneering technique remains a crucial part of jazz improvisation to this day.
I had struggled with alternate picking for a very long time. I never thought I Gilbert could do it. Paul Gilbert So think like Bird: the best way to approach fast licks is to always be aware of the t he subdivision you are playing, be it triplets, 16ths or sextuplets. Without the important element of rhythm, your fast lines will just sound like a random note generator on acid! You may nd some of the workouts here quite tricky; don’t worry if you do, they are designed to challenge every aspect every aspect of your technique. The best way to start is by
TECHNIQUE FOCUS Picking hand technique
grabbing your metronome (and you should always practise always practise with a metronome!) and slow down the tempo by 10 or 20 bpm, or to whatever tempo you can comfortably play the example you’re working on. Build speed gradually (and be patient as this may take a while for the faster exercises) until you can play along with the backing tracks. By starting slowly in this way you will also be able to monitor your hands more carefully, ensuring that you are correcting any weaknesses and building a strong and and accurate technique. Exercises 1-4 focus on one-string picking, allowing you to develop your picking hand technique. Exercises 5-8 focus on two-string exercises, addressing the problems encountered when crossing from one string to another. Exercises 9-12 expand this challenge across three strings. Exercises 13-18 address the issue of skipping between nonadjacent strings, while exerci se 19 is a nal workout that combines single-string and multiple string picking challenges. You don’t need to play all the exercises in one session; in fact, it’s b etter to pick one or two from each section and spend ju st ve minutes on each. What’s most important is that you practise these on a daily basis as part of your warm-up routine.
GET THE TONE
1) There are several schools of thought on optimising picking hand technique; the overriding opinion favours an anchored but relaxed arm (rest your forearm on the guitar’s body) with the edge of your palm just resting on the bridge. Picking motion should come from your wrist not your your elbow (this uses the wrong muscle group and could lead to RSI). Grasp the pick firmly between your thumb and first finger allowing just the tip of the pick to be visible. Avoid ‘stirring’ the pick between your finger and thumb as this also results in a lack of control. Some players like to achieve additional stability by anchoring their remaining fingers on the scratchplate. 2) Many contemporary players angle their pick so that the leading edge is pointing downwards (ie ‘pick slanting'), as this reduces the drag of the pick on contact making it easier to pick faster. However, this isn’t mandatory. Players like Steve Morse or John McLaughlin attack the strings flat on and still achieve incredible speed. By complete contrast George Benson and the late Shawn Lane’s lightning runs are created by angling the pick in the opposite direction so that the leading edge points upwards. The important thing is to experiment and find which approach works for you; so constantly analyse picking motion while keeping pick and fretting hand movements to an absolute minimum in order to achieve maximum efficiency. 3) A very thin, floppy pick is pretty useless for faster picking. Something that flaps around in your fingers is not conducive to building a precise and controlled technique! Thicker is definitely better and preferably the traditional teardrop shape with a nicely pointed business end for minimum string contact (although some favour the rounded end). Some players prefer an indentation to aid grip, some don’t. Be prepared to experiment (don’t just copy your favourite guitarist) and find what really works for you.
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On the GT tracks the overdrive settings are mostly quite light, allowing pick ing to be clearly heard. So bear in mind that if you use too much distortion clarity will diminish and it becomes harder to identify issues that need resolving. Try a clean tone and a dash of reverb; this is pretty unforgiving and will reveal any problems; a clean tone also forces you to use touch and technique to achieve nicely rounded notes. If this a little too hardcore then start by halving your distortion levels; remember, if it sounds great clean, it will sound even better with some crunch!
SORT OUT YOUR PICKING ALTERNATE PICKING
Paul Gilbert: one of rock’s finest pickers
Steve Morse has a devastating picking technique
X I P E V I L : S O T O H P L L A
George Benson picks clean and is always in total control
