Is this the best way to hold the pick?
Plus, an incredible version of "Time After Time"
I’m super happy with how this week’s issue of Six String Sunday turned out. We’re heavy on lessons this week, and there’s a ton for you to learn - everything from how to sound good on electric (if you’re coming from acoustic), to the absolute best way to hold the pick. We also have some awesome new videos from Mark Lettieri and Mike Dawes, and Jacob Collier has us thinking differently with his new 5 string signature model. Let’s get into this week’s links!
This week’s guitar links!
Add Sophistication To The Blues Immediately! - If you've got a good grip on your pentatonic boxes, and you want to move into some more jazzier blues territory, you should check out this new video from Jack Ruch. In it, Ruch shows us 3 great lines over 2-5-1 progressions. I've been such a huge fan of Jack's straightforward lessons over the past couple of years - it's hard not to link to him each week.
Does Finish Affect The Tone Of An Electric Guitar? - Highline Guitars made an interesting video this week, discussing if finish effects the tone of an actual guitar. There's some good points in here talking about the differences between more of an acoustic instrument, like an acoustic guitar or violin, as compared with an electric guitar with pickups. What's your take on this one?
Mike Dawes - Cloud Catcher (Official Music Video) - It's been amazing to see how much Mike Dawes has transformed his acoustic playing over the past couple of years. His latest song “Cloud Catcher", is a seven minute tour de force of how to write beautiful songs and use the entirety of the acoustic guitar. Did you catch that capo key change?
THIS is the BEST Way to Hold the Pick! - Want a new dose of Troy Grady-esque Cracking the Code style picking advice? Ben Eller has you covered this week. You'd be surprised at just how much a slight variation in the way you hold the pick makes a huge difference. It's all about escaping getting stuck in the middle of the strings. Check out Ben's video for more. Side note, do any of you own a Magnet? If so, have you used it much?
How to Sound Good on Electric Guitar (for acoustic players) - Making the transition from acoustic guitar to electric guitar? You might have to change up a few things in the way you play. A lot of it comes down to working your knobs (that sounded weird), muting strings, and playing smaller parts. This is great advice no matter if you've been playing electric for a while, or you just need to clean up your technique.
Mark Lettieri - "Time After Time" (Can I Tell You Something?) Official Video - This is without a doubt, the best cover version of "Time After Time" that I've ever heard. Mark Lettieri showcases a number of awesome sounding PRS guitars to create an amazing sounding cover song.
We Just Need To Agree - Stevie Wonder Is The GOAT - Dan Wilson Chord Melody - Over the past decade, I've fallen in love with people who can play great chord melody. Guys like Tim Lerch, Julian Lage, Mateus Asato, etc. Levi Clay has a new chord practice book out, so he's featuring great chordal work on his channel. The video he's featuring (with tabs) is a chord melody version of a Stevie Wonder song, done by Dan Wilson.
Why is Tornado of Souls SO HARD?! - If you're a fan of Marty Friedman's playing, and want to tackle Megadeth's "Tornado of Souls” solo, you should try this good etude that Ben Eller put together. The arpeggios in Ben's exercise are a ton more approachable than the song itself, and once you run through these for a while, you should be able to have a better chance at working on the real solo.
Jacob Collier's 5-string signature guitar - It's not often I get excited about gear, but the look, sound and concept of Jacob Collier's new signature Strandberg is very fun. The 5 string model comes in a DAEAD tuning, and looks beautiful. Jacob talks about his ideas behind the 5 string and its tuning with Strandberg himself. I haven't been able to get enough of Collier's music over the past couple of years - I recommend you start with ‘Djesse Vol. 3’, and go from there.
“A million guys could have done it. Walk into a music store and you see a 12-year-old playing Eruption, but he doesn’t necessarily know what he’s doing”: Sammy Hagar on why Joe Satriani is the perfect player to step into Van Halen’s shoes - There's some fun speculation in this article, which talks about how Joe Satriani was the right guitarist for the job to tackle EVH's parts on the Best of All Worlds tour. Everything from Joe's style, to what string gauge he's going to be using, and even asking the question, will this band work on new music together? You really haven't gotten new music from this core lineup since the days of Chickenfoot (remember that band?) Head to the post to see a few videos of this lineup in action.
Jason Newsted selling over 60 of his guitars and basses in Reverb sale - There was some speculation that ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted might have slotted into the Best of All Worlds tour above - that was until it made more sense that an original VH member join the tour in Michael Anthony. With that being said, Newsted always seems to be working on something musical. The latest news is that it looks like he’s doing a little summer cleaning, as he'll sell over 60 guitars and basses, including some hand painted by Jason himself.
Fernandes Guitars files for bankruptcy, says it's “become impossible to continue doing business” - When I heard about this news in the Chasing Sound Discord, I was really let down. Fernandes had been a solid brand for decades, supplying great guitars and basses to a number of awesome artists. I have to include that at one time my band was even sponsored by Fernandes, where we got to go to their CA factory and pick up some guitars for the tour that we were on. I always loved my LP style copy with a Sustainer in it, that I still have to this day. I remember seeing all sorts of artist signature models at the factory when we visited, and it really was a treat to hang out with those guys. At this time, it seems Fernandes is in a ton of debt to different creditors, and will ultimately have to close up shop. Head to the story for more info from Guitar.com.