As you will see in the demonstration video, CoachGuitar is an iOS app which teaches you how to play hits from different decades and genres using a multi-camera video and animated fretboard view. The app is free to download (see http://coachguitar.com/ for links to the App) and you get 2 whole songs and 2 riffs included to get you started.

When you are ready to explore what else is to offer, simply tap on Library and scroll through the 60 or so songs which are available at the time of writing. Each song is an In-App purchase of $4.49 and you are able to preview the track before you purchase to hear exactly what you can expect to learn.


Each track includes a full performance video, a backing track with the guitar parts removed to play along to and a number of videos for each section, Stairway to Heaven for instance has a total of 31 videos included broken up into 9 chapters. Each chapter breaks down a section of the song into small chunks and is played at a slower tempo with the visual fretboard animation to help make it clear which notes to play with which fingers (indicated by the color coding described in the help), which strings to play (realistically vibrate like a real guitar) and the picking or plucking direction indicated at the left side of the fretboard.


There is also a left handed view feature in the settings which flips all of the videos and the fretboard. There are also Loop and Slow buttons, (so if you are really stuck you can just let it keep looping a section at half tempo until you get the hang of it).

If you are finding it difficult to learn new songs then this app could really help you get to grips with the correct fingerings, strum patterns to have you playing your favorite songs from the comfort of… well anywhere you'd take your iPhone, or iPad.

Nobody knows the ins and outs of Jimi Hendrix's guitar sound like Roger Mayer.

Mayer had already worked with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and produced a number of different fuzz boxes by the time he met Hendrix at a gig at the Bag Of Nails pub in London. The two hit it off and Mayer showed Hendrix his Octavia, a unit that added an octave overtone to the original note. Hendrix loved the sound and used it on the solo to "Purple Haze."


"After that we became close friends and started hanging out; and as they say, the rest is history," Mayer says.

He went on to look after Hendrix's gear both live and in the studio, gaining a unique understanding of his requirements, playing style and working methods. Today Mayer produces a range of pedals that take his original designs into the 21st century.


Mayer says an important part of Hendrix's sound was due to his use of carefully selected string gauges, which evened out the guitar's response from string to string.

"First of all, we weren't using a flat-radius fretboard," Mayer says. "We were using the normal one, not the very high radius but definitely curvy. The actual strings we used were not what people would expect. The string gauges would run .010, .013, .015, .026, .032 and .038.

The big difference there is that you're using the .015 for the third, because if you use the .017 for the third, the actual sound of the guitar is very G-heavy. The electrical output of the strings is dependent on the square of the diameter; if you square all the diameters and look at them, you can get much more of an idea about the balance of the guitar.

"You should always remember that, because many, many times people use a set of strings that are completely imbalanced and they just don't sound that good. Most people would say a .010 to .013 is the correct jump. And the .015 is much better for the G than a .017. An .015 squares out at .225 and .017 is 289. So you're going to get 28 percent more output just with a two-pound different in string size."



Although Hendrix used a custom string gauge, Mayer certainly didn't mess with the stock pickups in his Strats. He didn't feel the need.

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In this video from Meinl Distribution TV Andy Timmons shows off his current touring rig (which hasn’t really changed much over the years), but what is interesting is a new prototype Andy Timmons signature Ibanez featuring a Rosewood fretboard and floating trem inspired by Jeff Beck’s signature Fender Stratocaster.


Go and have a look-see at the sunburst Ibanez AT100CL and the more affordable AT10P Premium version, they're both awesome guitars!

Some bands, (whether they're good or bad), simply have horrible fan bases... It's not always their fault, though of course, sometimes the artist is a bad influence and attracts the worst of fan for themselves.

During November. Ultimate Guitar readers set forth to nominate and vote for the worst music fan bases ever, and this is what they got. You may not agree with the entire list, but the people have spoken.

Do you agree with the results? Let us know what you think in the comments section, or on FaceBook...


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#10). HIPSTERS:
Those Pitchfork reading, sandal wearing, vinyl listening, moustache growing, duck-face posing, indie-rock grooving, camel riding, ukelele strumming, poem writing hipsters aren't so bad... Until you see them in person...

Here they are posing for the camera because they think it's about to take a picture...



#09). NIRVANA FANS:
Hey, nice Nirvana hoodie. Looks pretty fresh, though... Were you alive when they were around? No, they didn't exist. Yes, they were a great band. No, you shouldn't wear the same hoodie every single bloody day.



#08). Beatles fans (who believe that everything after the 1970s is not music)
The Beatles are undoubtedly one of the greatest bands of all time, and set the template for almost every songwriting musician that followed. But, they are not the only artists worthy of existence, and there's plenty of music created since that rivals them. The Beatles were just four great musicians, not the very oxygen of Mother Earth. Seriously, take a walk or something.



#07). Black Veil Brides Fans
They're full of faux goths and annoying poses. And that's just the band; wait until you see their fan base!!! (Note: we have no idea if the people in this picture are fans, or if they are in the band. It’s hard to tell.)


#06). KORN Fans
Korn are great at what they do, but some of their fans are a little stuck in the 1990s. Guys, you gotta learn that rap metal has moved on. Hell, Korn have moved on too. They're not all bad - it's the fans of "Path of Totality" that you want to worry about.


#05). Random "Metal-core Band /Fan-Girls"
This subset of women do the rest of female music fans a disservice... It's that small group of fan girls who don't really understand metal, but have realised that dressing in skin-tight black pants, (or black tights), with cut-up rock t-shirts hosting MAJOR eye-catching cleavage gets some SERIOUS attention from burly male metal head dudes. Hopefully who are actually in a band.



#04). UG Comminity
WHAAAAAAT?!?!!?

#03) The Directioners.
One Direction are a bunch of totally useless c^#ts, and so are anyone who likes them. What else do you need to know?





 #02). Insane Clown Posse Fans
While we think it sucks that ICP fans have been targeted by the FBI and classified as gang members, there's no doubt that anyone who is impressed by lyrics like "F--king magnets? How do they work?" is douche-tastic.


#01). Beliebers
Justin Bieber fans don't just have soppy lightweight boring gutless weird loner tired small meek baby weird misguided shameful music tastes. Oh no. They also call themselves "Beliebers." Ugh.Nuff-said!

In this video, which was posted earlier this week by Artistworks, guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Nathan East show the world what you can do with one chord.

The video is part of a series featuring more than two hours of playing, discussion and analysis in the ArtistWorks Online Bass School, which is hosted by East.




The premise: Gilbert asks East, who spent several years as Eric Clapton's bassist, what he would do if he were sentenced to a prison term of playing in the key of A for 20 minutes. (Don't worry — the video isn't 20 minutes long.)

East's online bass lessons include dozens of hours of pre-recorded videos and the ability to submit practice clips to East and get video feedback from the master himself.

Nathan East and Paul Gilbert: "One Chord Challenge" 
 

For more information, head here. For more information about ArtistWorks' Online Rock Guitar School with Paul Gilbert, head here.

HARMAN’s DigiTech announced today that e-pedals offered through the DigiTech Stomp Shop are available for free download. Offering almost limitless sonic possibilities, the iStomp connects to an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad enabling musicians to load the effect of their choice into the iStomp.

“When we introduced the iStomp we changed the way guitarists think about how they go about creating their tone. By giving iStomp owners the capability to download any of the e-pedals available we are providing an unbelievable opportunity to immediately access a wide range of effects at no cost whatsoever!” stated Scott Klimt, marketing manager, DigiTech.



The promotion includes all e-pedals with the exception of the Adrian Belew Impossible Pedal. E-pedals currently available through the Stomp Shop include exclusive pedals from DigiTech, officially licensed pedals from other manufacturers and classic legacy DigiTech and DOD products. The iStomp pedal connects to an Apple iOS device using the DigiTech Smart Cable that comes with the iStomp. The iStomp pedal has four knobs to control effects parameters, which change their function according to which effect is loaded.

iStomp makes trying out new sounds easier than ever. Instead of having to go to a music store or look for online demos that might have been done with unfamiliar gear, a guitarist can now download any pedal in the iStomp online store for free for use with their own guitar and amp.

The iStomp comes with an iOS authorization cable and power supply.

A video clip of pop star Lorde fronting a metal band at the age of 12 has emerged.

The singer, (who is now 17 and whose single "Royals" has been a huge international hit), is seen in the video playing songs by the Cult with a rock band called "Extreme" at her high school.

They reportedly came third in the event. Lorde signed a $2.5 million publishing deal with Sony this week, being called a "once in a generation type artist" by the company's president.



 She's currently in her sixth week at the top of the Billboard chart, and remains the youngest
female to top the chart in 25 years. Can you imagine Lorde singing with a real metal band?

Does her fresh angle on pop impress you, or does it make you want to turn the radio off?

Let me know what you think of this next-gen pop princess in the comments. Watch Lorde with her metal band "Extreme" here: