A classic Nirvana guitar up for auction, is Digitech done for, and Beato interviews Scofield
Plus how to make exercises actually work for you
Hey, how’s it going for ya? I’ve been busy in the woodshed this week, working on lessons, practicing like crazy, and generally just having fun writing stuff for Chasing Sound.
I recently put out the 2nd issue of the subs-only version of Six String Sunday Club. In it, I talk about guitarists I’m revisiting, books that’ll make you a better guitar player, and what’s working for me in my own practice routine. I’ve been having so much fun writing those longform posts, and I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback on ’em!
Alright, with that being said, we have a lot of great guitar stuff to check out this week - interviews, lessons and much more. Let’s get right into this week’s links!
3 Robben Ford Licks you COULD Learn [Easy, Medium and Difficult] - Robben Ford is one of the most interesting players in the blues rock world. I really enjoyed this vid from Johnathan Cordy where he shows us 3 Ford licks that can really be used throughout your pentatonic playing (with tab too!) and an explanation of why they work over different chords/changes.
The REAL Reason It’s Harder to SHRED High Up On the Neck! - Do you find it difficult to play higher up on the neck? If so, Ben Eller has a video for you! Ben breaks down 3 reasons why it’s so difficult, and gives us some excellent advice on how to combat smaller fret space, radius issues and more.
The Greatest Riff Hendrix Ever Played - I’ll be the first to admit, if there’s a Hendrix video, I’m bound to click on it. While you might not 100% agree, Rhett Shull does try and make the case that Jimi’s “Bold As Love” riff encompasses everything that makes Hendrix, Hendrix.
The John Scofield Interview - It’s not often I dedicate an hour to watch anything on YouTube, but that’s exactly what I did for this great interview between Rick Beato and John Scofield. John was one of the first jazz guitar guys that opened my eyes as to what jazz could be. I loved how humble John was throughout the entire interview, as he touched on what he practices, how he writes for albums, playing with Miles Davis, and lots more.
Can Exercises Actually Hurt Your Playing? - Exercises aren’t entirely bad, but they might creep too much into your actual style of playing. Tim Pierce shows us some ways to be more musical with our exercises, all while sounding good on a portable Traveler guitar that he’s actually giving away.
Your Guitar Solos Suck… This Is Why - Ross Campbell shows us what he considers an “awful solo”, and how to make it better. Lots of great advice here on some really small things you can do to make your solos sound way better than you’re used to.
What everyone should know about TONEWOODS! - There have been so many great videos lately about what matters when it comes to guitar tones. Is it the strings, the neck, the pickups, etc.? In this part II video, Paul Davids talks about acoustic guitars, and how much of an effect tonewood has on their overall sound.
Was Digitech Just Discontinued? - I really hope this is just some sort of error, or the company has some news coming up. Digitech and DOD have been some of the most classic pedals of the last couple of decades. If Digitech truly is going out of business, let’s keep an eye on Tom Morello, as he buys up the remaining stock of Whammy pedals.
Kirk Fletcher - The playing style of the great Otis Rush - Kirk Fletcher shows us how to play Chicago blues just like Otis Rush. Kirk starts off with some great rhythm ideas, and then moves on to some seriously sweet lead licks.
A guide to Slash’s forgotten guitars - Sure, we all know that Slash’s house probably looks likes a Les Paul factory, but what about the rest of his guitars? Guitar World takes a look at Slash’s 2 million dollar guitar collection.
Two of Ace Frehley’s most outrageously bonkers Gibson Les Paul Customs from Kiss’s 1996 reunion tour are up for auction - And if you want an exciting guitar of your own to make history with, why not start with 2 of Ace Frehley’s most wild Les Pauls. They’re going up for auction shortly, and expected to fetch a couple hundred thousand each. I thought this bit was pretty funny: “We are warning you now, do NOT push or tinker with the control knobs on the guitar until you read the enclosed letter Ace wrote,” it reads. “You might cause serious damage to your home or office if you accidentally set off the mechanism.”
Kurt Cobain’s Smells Like Teen Spirit Fender Mustang goes up for auction for the first time - Not to be outdone, a classic guitar out of grunge history is going up for auction in late May. Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Fender Mustang will be sold, and is expected to go for at least 800 thousand dollars. And because we live in the digital age, an NFT documentary on the guitar’s history will be auctioned as well.
Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic forms new band, and their album is here already - Speaking of Nirvana, we often hear about Dave Grohl, but if you’re interested in what Krist Novoselic (Nirvana’s bassist) is doing, you should check out the new album from 3rd Secret - a band where he, and members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam have teamed up to make an awesome album. Check out the post for more details on why it’s so cool. I love the production on this album. What do you think of it?
Paul Gilbert teaches you how to play new song That’s Too Much Like Work! – complete with power tools and opening ‘Crazy Lick’ - If you want a fun and upbeat shred song to learn, check out Paul Gilbert’s awesome lesson for Guitar Techniques. I love the way Paul teaches, and his licks are always really fun to learn.
Remembering Red Hot Chili Peppers Founding Guitarist Hillel Slovak | GuitarPlayer - While John Frusciante is getting all the news lately, both he and countless other players were influenced by founding RHCP guitarist, Hillel Slovak. On what would be his 60th birthday, Guitar Player takes a look back at his funk rock vision.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Six String Sunday!
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