Today, Joe Satriani posted the premiere of “If There Is No Heaven,” a brand-new track from his forthcoming album, and 15th solo disc, Shockwave Supernova.
Though the song is an instrumental, Satch says there is an emotional subtext embedded in the music.
“This is about doubting, doubting everything, including life after death,” he told WSJ.com. “The intro and outro are soundtracks to feeling lost and adrift. The body of the song reflects how one would struggle to accept such an idea that we are all ‘here’ for just a short time and then gone.”
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 152" This Micro Lesson features a fast-paced eighth-note triplet lick in the key of "E Minor."
Set in the Blues-Rock style, the lick operates high on the neck mainly centered in the twelfth and fifteenth position playing area.
The lick begins with a double pull-off technique that is higher-up the neck but quickly drops down into a typical "E Minor Pentatonic" shape. The note of "C" is added to the Minor Pentatonic to create a connection to a scale tone outside of the typically used tones of Minor Pentatonic scale.
Each phrase used in the lick are of a repetitive style and are primarily taken from the Minor Pentatonic. The final part of this lick is a repeating full-step bend idea that is rapidly performed three times with a sustain on the final note. Work with a metronome to develop the speed. Enjoy!
Pro Guitar Shop’s exclusive pedals are extremely well liked, they take popular pedals and tweak them to give a new angle on a pedals classic design. And, they certainly did a fantasic job with the classic "MXR Carbon Copy."
In this case they have taken the MXR Carbon Copy (which is known for it’s warm analog delay echoes) and created the Carbon Copy "Bright" which not only changes the look from a dark green to a bright sparkly green, but also given the effect of shimmery bright repeats.
The chip-set of the Carbon Copy Bright remains unchanged—warm, bucket brigade analog goodness is still the name of the game. Tone seekers will be thrilled with the changes to the circuit, as the repeats are more “vocal-like” than the original.
The Carbon Copy Bright certainly blurs the lines between vintage analog BBD chips and brighter vintage tape delays such as the Echoplex. A wonderful byproduct of a brighter delay is the perception of extended repeats further out than the original before feeding back. The Carbon Copy Bright’s well defined repeats are a great companion to the original’s darker wash, and the new pedals design has them operate even better.
Inside the new pedal are two extra controls, Width and Depth which can be used to accentuate the brightness (even more and the maximum delay time which is 600 milliseconds). VIDEO:
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 151" This Micro Lesson covers a 70's style soft-rock riff that we might find in a song by the Eagles, Hall and Oats, or Fleetwood Mac.
The riff pushes through the key of "E Minor," off of the open low 6th string. Upper register notes in measure one are chord tones from the, "E" Minor triad and "E" Mi7 chord. A passing tone of "A" brings in the next measures "D" major chord applying chord tones.
A Pentatonic lick brings in the 3rd measure's "VI" chord of "C Major." This chord becomes suspended (with a sus2) at the end of the measure.
The fourth and final measure comes back to the "D Major" chord once again. The Pentatonic is applied one last time using the notes of, "A, B and D" to turn the riff around back to the top.
Work with a metronome to build the speed. Take your time for the fingering on the "Csus2" chord. It can be tricky to perform smoothly. Enjoy!
This weeks GuitarBlog takes a look at placing our focus upon the "Tonal Note" when studying the Modes.
Guitar players can apply scales /modes much more effectively if the modes' pitches are focused directly from off of their appropriate "Tonal Note." This way, guitar players can create a strong tie-in to the shape of the scale /mode directed toward any other associated patterns possible for use along with the mode.
Associated patterns can include; Arpeggios and Pentatonic Scales. For example; if a guitarist encountered a chord progression that promoted the use of the, "D Dorian Mode," then, this also means that they could use any associated patterns of, "D Minor arpeggio," as well as, "D Minor Pentatonic," to better focus upon the modes tonal note.
Therefore, the "Tonal Focus" always retains a point of center target at the tonic of the mode, (in our 'D Dorian' example this is obviously the tone of "D"). Targeting this as out primary tonic not only allows for greater melodic options, but it helps us as guitarists to treat the rally point of the mode as the pinnacle tone. As we achieve greater skills with the use of the modes, targeting each modes tonic and using associated patterns vastly improves our composing and improvising.
To demonstrate this, I've organized a three examples in this lesson for study and practice. The first example places a focus upon the Pentatonic. The second applies the focus at arpeggios. And, the third example focuses upon using the complete mode (off of its Tonic) along with a revamped group of chords. Enjoy this weeks lesson!
Are you planning to write a romantic guitar ballad, or are you totally into dreamy genres like dream pop, psychedelic rock, or shoegazer music? Or are you simply getting bored of writing songs with those typical, standard-tuning bar chords on the guitar? Then here are some useful new chord shapes for you.
Most guitar players will have spent thousands of dollars on both rack-mounts and effects pedals in search of what it is that makes a perfect shoegaze guitar sound, well, perfect.
Now its time to map those dreamy, romantic chords on the guitar and learn how to play them. No delay, no reverb, no other effects needed, just a guitar and a tuner! Here are a few super easy chords that will bring that heavenly, open-air feeling into your guitar studio.
Standard tuning:
Standard tuning defines the string pitches as E, A, D, G, B, and E (starting from the low E to the high E). If you don't feel ready to use "alternate" tunings yet, standard tuning still works perfectly to play some dreamy chords. Example 1).
What makes a chord sound dreamy?
To start, try to add sevenths to major chords and play around with those. A major seventh is basically a chord that uses a major third and a major seventh (for reference, a major third is the relationship between the root and the second note of the chord, and the major seventh is the relationship between the root and the fourth note of the chord).
This really helps to open up the chord so it doesn't feel so complete; instead, it feels like the foggy memory of a dream, one that you can't quite remember how it ended.
Here are a few major chords with added sevenths. A similar thing happens with major 9th and 13th chords.
Example 2).
If you play these chords in succession, it is an easy example of a dreamy major seventh chord pattern you can use all over your guitar neck, (and you don't need to switch the fingering too much). We'll call it "Form A" because it's a mix between a power and an Amaj7 chord pattern.
The first two fingers (the index and the ring finger) fret a power chord from the A string on. Make sure that you always mute the low E string and leave the high E string open. You can use this pattern in six different fret positions, and in all these positions, "Form A" sounds full, harmonic, and dreamy.
If you want to test out the difference, play a simple Emaj chord and then change your position on the D string to the first fret (one half-tone down) to an Emaj7.
As you move up the fretboard, add your pointer finger onto the E string one fret behind the D and G strings, your pinky goes on the A string with your middle and ring fingers dropping onto the D and G strings. To add more shiny brilliance to your guitar sound, leave the last two strings (B, E) in every fret position open.
When you progress through the "Form E" chord positions now, it sounds like every chord flows into the other seamlessly.
Open D sus dream chord tuning
Example 3).
Lastly, lets look at open "D" suspended tuning along with another simple chord pattern which is adaptable over the whole neck. The tuning applies the root and 5th off of the "D" but does not apply the major 3rd of the "D" chord, (F#). We end up with a "D" chord which applies both suspended tones, (the 2nd and the 4th).
Study the fingerings of each chord position above. As you move up the fretboard, lay your index finger down on the top two strings. Now add the ring and pinky fingers two fret positions further on the D and G strings and strum all six strings together. Choose any fret position and experiment with what sounds cool together. You will hear chords unlike any chord in the standard tuning. These chords sound fuller, more romantic, and very dreamy.
These examples are just a tiny fraction of the possibilities a guitar has to create a dreamy atmosphere like shoegazing pioneers My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive.
Experiment with these chords, refine them, and create some beautiful-sounding, shoegaze guitar music of your own!
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 150" This Micro Lesson works on a single-note pop guitar melody in the key of "A" Minor.
The melody covers a set of fairly popular chord changes in the key of, "A Natural Minor." One important element of Guitar Pop melody is how strong the phrase is and how the melody acts as a hook that stays in the listeners mind.
Beginning on the root chord of, "A Minor," the melody uses Minor Pentatonic Scale to highlight roots and minor 3rd intervals with passing tones.
Measure two walks across the chords of, "F Major 6," and, "E Minor." Each chord is arpeggiated from the bass-tone into the treble.
Measure three repeats much of what we saw happening in measure one. Strong emphasis is placed upon the arrival of the "C Major" chord in measure four. Where that "C" chord pushes into the VII chord of the key "G Major." However, the interesting thing is that the "G Major" chord is in a 1st Inversion Position, (with the Major 3rd" in the bass). Enjoy!
An interesting report has recently surfaced on Gawker, pointing out that guitar titan Gibson is in quite a pickle, facing heat both from its employees and customers.
The source got in touch with both groups and concluded that "Gibson faces two main problems: their employees hate them (particularly CEO Henry Juszkiewicz), and their customers think they're crap." The source noted: "The first sign that something might be wrong with the way Gibson is run is that not one but TWO of our tipsters said that their experiences at Gibson were so bad that they are planning to write a book about them."
A longtime Gibson user commented: "I'm a longtime Gibson player and collector. Last year I went into a Sam Ash store to buy either a Les Paul Standard or a Traditional. The sales guy who knows me well told me to open the control cavity first. He knows I like to change pickups and sometimes capacitors to get variations in tone. This is very common among guitar players."
"When I opened up the control cavity, instead of seeing metal potentiometers and capacitors, I saw a plastic circuit board that the pickups plug into. The sales person told me that they have been turning away customer after customer that wants to change out pickups because the parts to do so aren't available."
"eBay is littered with the new pickup and circuit boards because folks are pulling them out and replacing the guts with what used to come standard in every Les Paul. So, if someone buys a new Les Paul and they would like to change out the pickups, they now have to replace everything which adds an entire new layer to the cost of a pickup replacement."
"Thanks to the CEO of Gibson the secondary used market is exploding as the market for new Gibsons is declining. Gibson has always been the largest manufacturer of highly sought after 'boutique guitars.'
"I was dumfounded when Gibson decided to celebrate Les Paul's 100th birthday with a lame marketing gimmick of buy a Les Paul and enter a contest to reimbursed. For the purchase price. They could have taken the opportunity to do something special to commemorate the event."
"The bottom line for me is this: I'm done buying new Gibson Guitars. In my opinion the company has become very exploitative of their customer base and is experimenting and destroying perfection. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The world is full of great used pre-bad decision Gibsons."
Another comment from a music-store worker was packed with the same vibe, saying, "We sold Martin, Taylor, Fender, Huss and Dalton (custom acoustics from Stanton, VA) and for a short period, Gibson. The shop stopped carrying Gibson for the exact reason you have written here. The quality was crap and working with them was a nightmare.
"Even after we stopped carrying Gibson, we would have people bring them in, brand new, to be setup. The tuners on the $1,000+ models were as cheap as the Chinese knockoffs. The necks were incredibly off and difficult to keep straight. The frets needed a level and dress from day 1."
Another customer comment reads: "I have an early '90s SG. I would never buy another Gibson, I'd rather buy a knockoff and modify it to my liking (which I have) than spend $4,000-5,000 on a robot-made Les Paul. They are worth maybe $400 at most.
"If ever a company should disband itself since it sunk into the gutter in the late '70s it's Gibson. Overrated hack company. Try playing one in the store, the frets look like they were put in by chimps, the Q/A team must drink on the job. Their quality has been a joke since 1975, don't they get it?"
One woman who refused to take the job at Gibson shared her experiences about the hiring process, saying, "I just got a glimpse [of] what felt like the world's most baffling hiring process. 'The psychometric test takes approximately three hours to complete. If you have any questions in this process or problems with the testing, please let me know,' said the email when it plopped into my inbox yesterday."
"I promptly responded: 'I don't really have three hours spare to take tests before tomorrow. Also, please can I have a job description because you haven't actually sent me anything about the role, and I'd really rather know exactly what you expect before I succumb to being tested for THREE WHOLE HOURS.' Or something to that effect. It wasn't quite as stroppy. But seriously, I had other admin to attend to, like answering my Tinder messages."
"Anyway, what happened was, HR invited me to meet with three different people in the company in one day (all of whom would explain more), and in the time between these meetings she suggested I take these tests at their headquarters. I hadn't really planned to spend the majority of a day in a corporate cell block..."
"I'll admit, I forgot about the test when the CEO stepped into the gigantic conference room, if only because he was even more baffling. It was all I could do to sustain eye contact."
"The silver-haired, seventy-ish-year-old man looked as though he was having some sort of epileptic fit in front of me as he blathered on and on and on about his history in and before he started with the company. His eyes were rolling around the room, landing everywhere but on me. I wasn't entirely sure he was sober."
"'So, do you have a social media strategy already?' I asked him.
"'Oh yes,' he said, sitting back and smiling knowingly.
"'I'd like to know what it is.'
"'I bet you would,' he smirked.
"'Well, it would help,' I replied, trying to meet his eyes, and failing.
"'I'm sure it would,' he answered.
"'Well... what do you want to be, as a brand, that you think you're not already?'
"'Even more awesome. We're already awesome. We just want to be more awesome.'
"'Right.'
"As he spoke, the words I read on Glassdoor.com rushed back to me: 'Run, don't walk away from even considering working here. The CEO is HORRIBLE - mean, nasty, uber-controlling. If anyone in the company dares to have a different idea than his, you can pretty much guarantee that they will be fired - on the spot.'"
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 149" This Micro Lesson runs through a, "G Minor," melody that applies not just the scale tones of the, "G Natural Minor," but also adds the raised 7th degree (F#) of Harmonic Minor Scale.
The classically inspired melody in this Micro Lesson begins from the 5th degree of "D" up at the first string's 10th fret. A fast 16th-note run occurs off of the "C" tone into the "F#" at the end of the measure.
In measure two, we begin at the tone of "A" and apply another similar rhythmic phrase which once again includes the raised 7th "F#" degree.
The 3rd measure takes on a, "Bach," effect with the way we apply the root to 5th and then the raised 7th to 5th intervals.
Finally in measure four the phrase wraps up with another Bach influenced resolution directly into the, "G Minor," chord by way of our raised 7th interval once again.
Pay special attention to the fingerings throughout this melody. Some sections require excellent control. Use a metronome to build speed. Enjoy!
Guitar icon Eddie Van Halen recently shared an interesting theory behind his tongue cancer diagnosis back in 2000, ...blaming his guitar picks.
Chatting with Billboard, Eddie Van Halen admitted that heavy drug and smoking addictions likely had their role in the mix, but stressed that it was more likely his steel guitar picks which played a seemingly crucial role in his cancer.
"I used metal picks - they're brass and copper - which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer," the axeman explained.
"Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that's filled with electromagnetic energy," he added.
"So that's one theory. I mean, I was smoking cigarette a lot, and doing a lot of drugs too, and a lot of everything else... But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors also say it's possible."
As of 2002, Eddie is officially cancer-free.
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 148" This Micro Lesson works through a melody in the key of, "F# Natural Minor," scale, (also known as Aeolian Mode).
This melody begins with the use of an arpeggio played from a high-fret, "F#" tone at the 4th string 16th fret. The initial phrase moves into the 9th position and resolves on the 11th fret of the 4th string covering sounds of the keys, "D and C#" chords.
In measure three, the "B Minor," chord is covered by way of a diatonic substitute, "D maj.7" arpeggio. And, in the melodies final measure the "F# Minor" scale is used to phrase a rapid melody line over a "C# and F#" power chord movement.
All in all this short melody covers a few interesting techniques and arpeggio ideas. Work the line slowly and map out the fingerings in a logical manner for building speed and accuracy. Enjoy!
The studio... a glamorous and misunderstood beast. You've Googled: "recording a great album," "what to bring to the studio," "how to prepare for the studio," etc...
Anticipation is building. You're taking one gigantic leap toward indie stardom just by booking the studio space. But hold up a second. There's a whole bunch of stuff nobody is telling you. Here's what you'll learn recording an album and how to deal with each situation prior to your expensive studio time.
1. Who in your band isn't serious about the band Let's be honest, everyone has a different level of buy-in to the band. Nothing brings this to the surface faster than dropping thousands of dollars on studio time and finding out one (or more) band members are MIA for the first day of recording. Here are signs that someone in your band isn't taking it seriously:
- They come unrehearsed - They use language like, "That's good enough," and "I can't remember what I played before," and "I'm getting tired" - They're the first one to head home ("Let's call it an early night") - They don't participate in discussion, and when directly asked their opinion they respond with, "Um, whatever, it's fine" - They're texting /snapchatting more than they're listening Invested members of the band care what the final product will be and realize it's a reflection of themselves and their creativity. They care that other members of the band are laying down the tracks of their lives and if not, will support them until they do. It's less about the individual and more about the band.
2. You should have spent more time on your licks, riffs and fills
Any musician – no matter how good – will break down if their cuts sound terrible. How do you prevent this? Simple. Book rehearsal times as a band and strongly encourage individual practicing once the studio time is set in stone. In fact, make it a habit that whenever you book studio time, you immediately book rehearsal time and hold everyone accountable. If you can't find suitable rehearsal time, then push back your studio time. Don't waste money in the studio because you're unprepared.
3. Who can play with a metronome and who can't
A metronome is an acquired taste. Nothing is more frustrating than placing the click and having the musicians sway back and forth over it like a drunk walking a straight line. The purity of the metronome cannot be bent toward human fallibility. It's true, unwavering, and virtuous. You'll never love the click, but you'd better respect it.
Tips for getting your band ready for the click:
- Determine the tempo of each song you're recording and provide the BPM and time signatures to each band member - Play with a metronome that everyone can hear during rehearsals. Not just the drummer and bassist – everyone needs to hear it, because everyone is responsible for staying on tempo Make sure everyone has a metronome for their individual practicing. There are good ones in the App Store and on Google Play for free (or almost free). Pro Metronome from the iOS App Store and on Google Android is excellent.
Recording it live off the floor (when the whole band, or a large part of it, is recorded at the same time)? You still need that single point of reference to keep everyone honest. Don't cheat on the metronome.
4. How to objectively talk to your band-mates about their parts
We all hold our parts dear. They're extensions of us and our ability. Our babies, if you will. Telling your band-mate they have an ugly baby is tough.
You'll be in the control room listening to a buddy put his heart on tape, and suddenly, it's an episode of Wipeout. All these obstacles are in front of people, and someone is bound to get upset. I've seen guys walk out of sessions before because they were unfairly criticized and treated disrespectfully.
How do you prevent this? - Call a band meeting - Talk about how the studio will work and set everyone’s expectations - Get touchy-feely. Talk about your communication styles and how each member likes to be communicated with - Pump each others' tires. When someone knows you respect or admire them, they're less likely to get hurt by your criticism
5. How you sound to others
We all have what I call the "head bias." You've only been hearing what you're playing/singing inside your head as you've been playing it. In other words, you haven't recorded and listened back to yourself before.
This is a self-awareness piece. You might think you're Barry White until you hear playback from an answering machine. The concept is that it's much harder to be objective if you don't step back from your parts and listen.
What do you do? Record each individual part (or if you're on a time crunch, record the whole band at once) with simple software like GarageBand and listen to it. You might think your part is amazing, but when you step out and listen to it in context, you might find that it's not as good as you thought. That's alright – just come up with something new or adjust what you already have. Better you find out now than next month while you're paying thousands for studio time.
6. How good your producer is (or isn't)
This is a sad one to find out when you've already paid your dues and the producer is sitting behind the console. Ultimately, you won't fully understand how good a producer is until you work with him or her, but you can still do your homework beforehand.
Treat it like you're getting a reference for a contractor to build a house. Research producers and choose the right one for you.
Who is the right one? - They match your style – have recorded in your genre before - They have references and material for you to listen to – previous albums and other bands on speed-dial for you to talk to - They are prepared – and they are willing to work with you before you get into the studio, making sure your arrangements are 100% on the money - They are respectful, yet honest – you want someone to tell you if it sucks, but in a tasteful way. And, someone who can offer good quality feedback to quickly correct song and arrangement concepts that may don't jive. The studio deserves more respect than most bands give it. It can be a place that tears bands apart or catapults them to further success. Give it respect and you'll be the latter.
Eddie Van Halen recently downplayed the importance of former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony in forging the group's signature sound, causing ex-VH singer Sammy Hagar to strike back with a steaming response.
Chatting with Billboard, Eddie defended his decision to hire his son Wolfgang as the band's new bassist after Anthony's departure.
"Every note Mike ever played, I had to show him how to play. Before we'd go on tour, he'd come over with a video camera and I'd have to show him how to play all the parts," he said.
Focusing on Michael's vocals, Eddie continued, "Mike's voice is like a piccolo trumpet. But he's not a singer. He just has a range from hell. Mike was just born with a very high voice. I have more soul as a singer than he does. And you know, people always talk about Mike's voice on Van Halen songs, but that's a blend of Mike's voice and my voice. It's not just him."
Sammy was quick to react with a brief video, saying: "It's really irritating to see them go after Mikey. Mikey didn't do anything - ever - to Van Halen.
Anthony also commented on Eddie's comments, briefly noting, "I am proud to say that my bass playing and vocals helped create our sound. I've always chosen to take the high road and stay out of the never-ending mudslinging, because I believe that it ultimately ends up hurting the Van Halen fans."
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 147" This Micro Lesson jams out on a Pop-Rock Guitar Riff in the key of "A Minor."
The riff applies a popular sounding interval outline of the chords associated to the riff. This means that the phrases are only using pairs of intervals in direct relationship to each chord. This technique was successfully used by Eddie Van Halen in the song "Dance the Night Away."
In Micro-Lesson 147 I use a similar concept across a progression that contains two chords per measure. With such busy harmony we can achieve excellent high-lighting of the intervals for each chord using intervals.
Measure one uses Minor and Major 3rds. Measure two takes an approached based more upon the 5th (Power-Chord). Measure three again applied the Power-Chord. And, measure four sustains an "E" chord as a turnaround idea.
Take your time determining fingerings and use a metronome to develop the continuity and speed. Enjoy!
This weeks GuitarBlog takes an intermediate players look at the application of arpeggio patterns (an area often neglected by guitar players).
Arpeggio shapes can be difficult to fret on the guitar (due to their larger interval distances). Performing these larger arpeggio intervals can be awkward. However, once several arpeggio patterns have been practiced, (and have become fairly well developed), the guitarist can begin moving on to more of an intermediate stage of application with them.
In this lesson, I will cover examples of playing arpeggio patterns in two ways. The first is through common guitar arpeggio fingering shapes.
The second approach is by developing the use of the standard arpeggio patterns outside of the most common Major and Minor vertical fingerboard layouts. Enjoy this weeks lesson!
Music can have a variety of effects on us, from improving mood to aiding memory. Now it turns out that it can also improve your vision -- albeit in a very specific way.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that as well as hearing music in tune, musicians can also read music in tune if relevant melodies are playing at the same time. The conclusions were drawn from a series of experiments that sought to find out more about how vision is informed by other information processed by the brain at the same time.
The scientists already knew that vision can influence what we hear -- for example, they point to an illusion whereby a single flash of light accompanied by two beeps is perceived as two flashes of light.
In the current study the team showed each participant incompatible images -- one eye was shown moving contours, while a scrolling musical score was presented to the other. The participants were asked to press one button when they saw the contours, and another button when the musical score was dominant. Without music playing, people's perception switched between the two for roughly equal lengths of time.
For the second part of the experiment, participants were played a simple melody through headphones as they were shown the images. When music was played, the participants tended to spend more time watching the scrolling score than the contours. People who couldn't read music didn't report any difference when the music they were played matched the score they were shown, but musicians tended to watch the visual score for longer when the melody they heard matched the one they read.
Don't miss Kobalt changed the rules of the music industry using data -- and saved it Kobalt changed the rules of the music industry using data -- and saved it.
"What this tells us is that the kind of information the brain uses to interpret what we see around us includes abstract symbolic input such as music notation," said professor Randolph Blake, who directed the study. "However, this kind of input is only effective while an individual is aware of it."
With the advent of VR headsets in full swing, it would be interesting to know if these effects can be harnessed to improve immersive gaming. Harmonix has created these trippy music visualisations for Playstation's Morpheus headset; would these visualisations, based on the music itself, have a similar effect on people who can't read music?
Video: MADONNA Plays LED ZEPPELIN's 'Whole Lotta Love' On Guitar
Pop superstar Madonna has uploaded an Instagram video of herself playing Jimmy Page's riff to LED ZEPPELIN's classic song "Whole Lotta Love" on guitar. The clip was posted on Madonna's Instagram account, where she added the caption, "Channelling Led Zeppelin. Whole Lotta Love. #rebelheart"
"Rebel Heart" is the title of Madonna's new album. A tour in support of the CD is scheduled to kick off in September.
Madonna previously paid tribute to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott by playing the main riff to PANTERA's classic song "A New Level" during her May 10, 2008 performance at Radio One's Big Weekend at Mote Park in Maidstone, U.K.
MADONNA's longtime touring guitarist (and guitar teacher) is none other than Monte Pittman, who has also recorded and toured with PRONG.
According to Bug magazine, Pittman landed the job as MADONNA's touring guitarist after a man called the music store in Los Angeles where Pittman was working inquiring about guitar lessons, and Monte's name was passed along.
That customer was none other than Guy Ritchie, film director extraordinaire and soon-to-be husband of Madonna. "Guy was my third student," Monte told Bug. "That was before 'Snatch' came out, and I didn't know who he was. It turns out he and Madonna were dating. He had just had some surgery done on his knee, I believe, so he was off his feet and she got him a guitar. He started taking lessons, and he got pretty good at it. I remember the day 'Music' [Madonna's CD] came out, and I taught him a few things from it. I thought it would be cool for him to play them for her."
When Guy returned the favor and bought Madonna a guitar, she started taking lessons from Monte as well. "It was the same thing as Guy — she learned everything I gave her," Monte told Bug. "She took it seriously, and worked really hard at it. She learned so much so quickly. That's one thing about Madonna — her drive is incredible."
A month after Madonna started playing guitar, she got called to perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman". She invited me to come play with her, and I thought she was pulling my leg at first," Monte told Bug, "but she was serious."
Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio answers a viewers question...
Q: I've only been playing guitar for around 7 months. I've never had an instructor, and I'm trying to learn on my own. Could you suggest a "short list of ideas" I should focus on for getting good at the important beginner skills and directions? I'm sure there are certain study areas that a beginner should be putting their time into. Hope you can help me out! Bill S. - Montreal, QC. CANADA
A: When just starting out on the guitar, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of; guitar tabs, lesson books, videos, and tools found on the Internet. As a beginner, this can make it pretty hard to know where to start and what to focus on. Some students need a basic plan at the beginning. Others need detailed direction. That is where a lesson like this one can come in handy. This lesson covers just six basic skills, such as knowing the notes and how they're laid out on the guitar, as well as, gaining basic technique. The lesson also covers learning a few scales, and some chords. These foundational topics will help build the groundwork for many years of productive study. THIS VIDEOS TAB's + LESSON PLAN
