7 Guitar “Aha” Moments From Andrew Clarke

Plus, Bumblefoot’s new album is one you don’t want to miss!

This week, I kicked things off with a review of Bumblefoot’s new album, …Returns! It’s one of those rare guitar albums that blends incredible technique with fun songwriting, and the guest list is stacked—Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, and Brian May all make appearances. I had a blast writing about it, and you can check out the full review on the site. I also found some great videos this week, from unlocking alternate picking to memorizing the fretboard, plus a fun debate sparked by Johnny Marr on satin vs. gloss neck finishes. I’d love to hear what you think!

Let’s jump into the links!

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This week’s guitar links!

• Bumblefoot …Returns! Blends Technique, Melodic Playing, and Standout Guests - Every year we get a handful of new instrumental guitar albums that really hit the mark, and Bumblefoot’s latest is one of them. I loved this album so much, I decided to review it on my site - ...Returns! features some incredible playing and songwriting, along with a bunch of great guests like Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan and Brian May. If this is your first time hearing of Bumblefoot (Ron Thal), in addition to all of his solo work, he's played with everyone from Asia to Guns ‘N Roses. Guitar Player sat down with Thal, and came away with 6 helpful tips that cover everything from technique to being ready for gigs. You can check that post out here.

• 7 Biggest “Aha" Moments You’ll Have Learning Guitar - I had to include this video from Andrew Clarke at the top here, because we share so many of the same ideas. Check out this video where he breaks down 7 “aha” moments that he and many of his students often experience on guitar. If you’re just getting started with guitar, this is one of those cheat sheet videos I wish I had when I was first picking up a guitar. Andrew talks about why the major scale is so important, why the number system is so important, and lots more. Even if you’ve been playing guitar for a while, I think you’ll find this video valuable.

• UNLOCK Your Alternate Picking Potential! - I know, I know. How many alternate picking exercises can you learn? Like anything else, variety is key when working on your finger strength and speed in general. Ben Eller shows us a helpful alternate picking exercise that's easy to learn, but will take some reps to see progress. Try and throw this in your next practice session.

• Memorize the fretboard: 3 reasons why, 3 mental models, and 4 effective exercises - This might be the first time I'm linking to Fret Science, and I think you'll love this video. Working on memorizing the notes on the fretboard will improve all other aspects of learning guitar. This video breaks down different exercises, so you can get started learning notes everywhere on the neck.

• Practice Triads Like This Everyday To SKYROCKET Your Guitar Skills - I've started watching a ton of Daniel Seriff videos lately, and this was one of my favorites. Daniel talks about different ways to practice triads, where your time spent will actually make these ideas stick. This lesson talks about building triads from the 3 highest strings on the neck, using the number system, and then actually putting your work into play with chord progressions.

• Dirty Blues Rock Guitar Licks - Powerful SUPER BENDS! - Are you fingers ready for some super bends? Swift Lessons shows us b3, 5th and some B.B. super bends that'll make your blues and rock playing sound super expressive.

• 7 Essential Jazz Chord Progressions You Can't Avoid - A Practice Guide for Beginners - If you're a new student to the world of jazz, you should check out this video that got uploaded by Chase Maddox. Corey Christiansen talks about all the different jazz chord progressions that you'll see a ton in your everyday practice of standards. You're bound to see chords that don't always show up in other genres - this is a great starting point if you're wondering what to practice.

• Peavey Josh Homme Signature Decade Too Amp! | Peavy NAMM 2025 - We still have some videos being released after NAMM 2025 wrapped up. This video showcases the re-issued Peavey Decade, but it’s been given a unique “Decade Too” signature edition model by Josh Homme. This distinctive sound has been a hallmark of Queens of the Stone Age’s recordings. Many guitarists embarked on a quest to find this elusive amp, and even some, like St. Vincent, attempted to recreate its sound in a pedal (which I reported on in another issue of 6SS). Fortunately, you can now get this amp without breaking the bank - it looks like it'll be priced around $300, and ship in the spring. If you want even more NAMM, I dug this collaborative song by all sorts of musicians, this awesome version of “Vultures" by John Mayer and Mark Lettieri, and the return of Dumble!

• "Satin finishes: Why? No need.“ Johnny Marr trashes the trend for satin-finished guitar necks. Here's why you should go with gloss - I love Johnny Marr's playing, but I'm of the mind that you play whatever you like to play. Wanted to include this link in this week's issue of the newsletter to get your take on what you like to play - are you more a fan of a gloss neck or a satin finish? Let me know by replying to this email or commenting if you're reading it on Substack!