Derek Trucks, the top 80 greatest guitar intros, and more
Plus, some alternatives to barre chords
I can’t believe we’re already at the end of July - this summer has really been flying by so far. This week I have more guitar stories to share than videos, but the videos and stories are both really good, so I hope you’ll enjoy.
I recently watched two shows with the Tedeschi Trucks Band live from Red Rocks, and it just reminded me how incredible Derek Trucks is, especially as a slide player. He’s just gotten better and better, and more vocal with the slide over time, and I’d be hard pressed to find another slide player who’s as capable as he is. That’s one of my biggest regrets - not getting to see Derek and Warren Haynes while they were in the Allman Brothers. Hoping to see TTB at some point!
What have you been up to this summer? Have you been playing a lot of guitar, taking a break, picking up any new gear? Let me know! Before we get started, I actually wanted to run a quick, 1 question poll - how did you first find out about this newsletter? It’d be awesome if you could take a second to answer.
TOP 80 GREATEST GUITAR INTROS - This new Paul Davids video is killer, and his selection of guitar intros was really good. What floored me though, was him playing all 80 intros without mistakes, nailing the tones…all in one take!
Periphery’s Misha Mansoor Is Selling Some Rare & Wild Gear | The Official Misha Mansoor Reverb Shop - These artist Reverb stores are sometimes hit or miss, but Misha Mansoor’s seems like it’s going to be really exciting. There are some pretty awesome 1 of a kind or prototype Jackson guitars, a Blackmachine B6, an Axe FX with Periphery presets, and more. The store opens in just a few short days. Let me know if you pick any of this gear up!
You Need to Learn this Legato Warm Up Line - If you’ve ever taken lessons from me, you’ll know I like to stack learning - combining theory, technique, and more as much as possible in one lick or progression. John Cordy does something similar with a very cool legato lick that you can use to warm up before you get into the rest of your practice session.
Buckethead Reports 10 Stolen Guitars, Asks For Fan Help: ‘I’ll Never Be Able to Replace Them’ - Buckethead is one of those otherwordly artists in terms of how well he can play, and the insane catalog he’s built over the years - with well over 300 albums to his name. Unfortunately, he’s just reported that 10 guitars were stolen from him, and they seem to be irreplaceable. Buckethead has asked anyone who might have information about the guitars to contact service@bucketheadpikes.com. I hope he’s able to be reunited with these guitars soon!
Learn 5 licks in the style of one of the fastest guitarists who ever lived, Shawn Lane - One of Buckethead’s biggest influences, was without a doubt Shawn Lane. Shawn was one of the fastest guitarists out there, and would always impress with his angular lines. If you’d like to learn some of these terrifying licks for yourself, Guitar World has put together 5 licks “in the style of” Shawn Lane, that’ll really give your fingers a workout, with the slowest lick starting at 130 BPM, moving all the way up to over 170 BPM!
5 WAYS TO SOLO WITH TRIADS on GUITAR (That Every Guitarist Should Know!) | Ben Eunson - I talk about triads all the time at Chasing Sound, because they’re so important in hitting the sweetest notes when playing. I really enjoyed this lesson from Ben Eunson where he shows us 5 ways to use triads to solo.
Billy Howerdel: A Perfect Circle Guitarist and His Brilliant Solo Record - I’ve loved Billy Howerdel’s playing since the first A Perfect Circle album. Now Billy’s put out a phenomenal, really well produced solo record. He stopped by Rick Beato’s studio along with his producer to talk about the album.
Why You Shouldn’t Use BARRE Chords ALL THE TIME - If you’re tired of playing barre chords that employ all 6 strings, and want to check out some new ideas, you should watch John Cordy’s latest video. He shows us some smaller shapes, ideas where you’ll use the thumb over the neck technique, and more.
Watch Nita Strauss rehearsing with pop superstar Demi Lovato - We recently found out that Nita Strauss was leaving the Alice Cooper band after a number of years, and that she’d be joining Demi Lovato. Strauss has already played a couple of gigs with the pop star, and now on Demi’s Instagram you can get a glimpse of Nita rehearsing with the new band. I have to give it up to Demi for playing guitar, and for a pretty cool pop rock song.
David Lee Roth gets nostalgic for Van Halen high-jinks on new single, Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway - How cool is this newly released David Lee Roth song? Not only does it harken back to DLR’s Van Halen days in the lyrical content, it also features John 5 playing some great acoustic parts.
Watch Tim Henson’s masterful unplugged rendition of Polyphia’s Neurotica - Speaking of acoustic songs, I found this acoustic version of Polyphia’s “Neurotica” really inspiring. Sometimes you might think that these types of songs only work on electric, and with a ton of production. Turns out Tim Henson proved me wrong!
Old Blood Noise Endeavors debuts the Float Dual Moving Filter – its first digitally controlled analog pedal - The new Float pedal from Old Blood Noise Endeavors, seems like a pedal that’d be right up my alley, because it’s so strange. It’s a digitally controlled analog dual filter for your guitar, and you really have to hear it to understand all the awesome opportunities a pedal like this might add to your sound. The small documentary on the creation of this pedal, and the 30+ minute demo of the pedal, might be two of the weirdest videos I’ve seen in some time. Do you have any funky pedals like this on your board?
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Six String Sunday!
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