Learn the soloing secrets of Mark Knopfler
Plus, an awesome Johnny Hiland interview
You know we’re getting close to closing out a year when you start to see the best albums, gear and other lists start to pop up everywhere online. 2022 was a pretty hectic year both on guitar, personally, and otherwise, so I’m really looking forward to what 2023 has to offer. What’d you get done in 2022 that you’re really proud about on guitar, and what are you looking forward to learning in 2023?
I’m busy wrapping gifts and running around a bunch during the holidays, but I still wanted to share some of my favorite links of the week. I hope you enjoy them, and have some relaxing time off.
We won’t have an issue of Six String Sunday Club for next weekend, but I’ll be back in action for January 1st! Have a great holiday, and Happy New Year in advance. Let’s get into this week’s links!
- My Favorite Gear of 2022 - Speaking of lists, I opened up the 6SSC subs-only email to everyone for the month of December, and shared some of my favorite gear of 2022. I included a new guitar, modeling unit, and even some online learning platforms that really helped me this year. What was your favorite gear purchase of 2022?
- Chasing Sound with Brian Sutich - I joined Jason Stershic on the Palmer Files podcast. We talked about everything from teaching guitar and growing up metalheads, to touring, recording equipment and a lot more. If you have a little time this holiday season, check out the episode and let me know what you think.
- This is Why You Suck at Guitar: Your Country Playing SUCKS! - The holidays are a great time to learn something new. Even if you're not in love with country music, it's always fun to learn some countrified licks for your vocabulary (I'm thinking of guys like John 5 and Greg Koch). Ben Eller did a great video this week that explains some helpful concepts around how you can play country guitar, with some of the stuff you might already know.
- Johnny Hiland Interview - Teles, Danny Gatton, & Next Level Teaching! - If you actually do dig country, it's likely that you've heard of Johnny Hiland. Hiland who is legally blind, has written some of the most wild country licks of all time. Levi Clay did an interview with Johnny recently, where they talked about Telecasters, influences, teaching guitar and more.
- The Smashing Pumpkins: The Billy Corgan Interview - In the mood for another great interview? This week Rick Beato had Billy Corgan in studio as his guest. Billy talks about the history of the Smashing Pumpkins, recording, his songwriting, and a wealth of other topics. If you're a Smashing Pumpkins fan, this was a really insightful interview.
- The Guitars of Jimi Hendrix: A Short History - To some, Hendrix might be overrated, but to me, he's one of the main reasons I fell in love with guitar. Not just Jimi's playing, but how cool his gear was. Five Watt World did a short history on Jimi's guitars - if you thought that Jimi only played Strats, this video might surprise you.
- Solving Guitar Learning Frustrations (w/ eBook) - I was so happy to see friend of Chasing Sound John Waller recommend this video from teacher Andre Fludd. Andre put together a great video and ebook geared toward the hobbyist guitarist. He discusses mindset, motivation, focus, what to practice and more. There's some great advice here, and I'm sure I'll be re-watching the whole video over the holidays.
- Soloing Secrets - Mark Knopfler - Late Night Lessons has been putting out so many great videos lately. His latest focuses on Mark Knopfler. The video talks about gear related ideas for achieving Mark's tone, like using a compressor, to technique tips like fingerpicking, target notes, and bending techniques.
- Johnny Winter Habits: Repeating Licks - Anthony over at Texas Blues Alley teaches us one of the oldest tricks in the book - repetition. He does it in the vein of Johnny Winter, and shows us some great blues licks in the process.
- Josh Smith - Full Concert @ TC HQ - I can't get enough of Josh Smith's take on blues guitar. I was so psyched to see that Josh put up a full concert of his band live from the TC Electronics HQ in late 2018. The entire band is solid, and if you're looking to cop some really cool blues licks you can grab for your own playing, this show is full of them.
- JHS Pedals GERMANIUM BOOST | Limited release NOS OC 71 Germanium Transistor Boost pedal - It's not often we talk about gear on the newsletter, but this new Shawn Tubbs demo of the limited edition JHS Germanium Boost pedal had to be shared. The component they're using (the NOS OC71) is pretty rare, so the pedal is super limited. The sad news is that these pedals sold out in just 7 minutes, but I'm sure you'll see them up on Reverb.
- “A Lot of What I’ve Wound up Having to Say Has to Do With Vulnerability”: John Frusciante Gives His Most Revealing Interview Yet - Red Hot Chili Peppers are on a roll this year, releasing back to back albums, reunited with John Frusciante. Guitar Player did an interview recently with Frusciante to talk about the massive amount of songs RHCP has written since he returned to the band, his love of clean guitar tones, finding your unique sound, and even Van Halen.
- Marcus King’s Top Six Tips for Guitarists - Marcus King has been blazing the trail of new blues guitar players. His latest album was one I had on a ton this year. Marcus talked to GP and gave six helpful tips for guitarists - these are pretty straightforward, and have a lot to do with actually listening to music. The funny thing is that it's often these simple tips we occasionally forget about.
- Sonny Landreth’s Top Ten Slide Guitar Tips - From the new guard to the old guard - if you're looking to get into slide guitar, the playing of Sonny Landreth is a great place to start. He just posted 10 tips that'll get you on your way with slide guitar - everything from having a dedicated guitar just to slide, what open tunings to start with, and using your fingers to pick.
- These double-neck guitars are unlike anything else on the market - What.....what are these?
Hey did you know, not only do I talk guitar each week, but I also teach it!
Try out a half an hour to see how much you can learn when you know the right things to practice. Whether you want to learn guitar, recording, mixing or more, I can help you out!