Marty Schwartz Lets It All Out: The Wildest Things Guitarists Say
Plus, a video that could save you years of practice
Last week, I linked to a story about Steve Lukather’s involvement in a new Van Halen project, and now he’s clarified his role—turns out, things aren’t quite what they seemed. From Luke’s Instagram it doesn’t seem like he’d be playing anything, but acting more like a producer, helping Alex Van Halen put bits and pieces of Eddie’s tapes together to make new music. Apparently there’s enough material for “three or four records.” Excited to see what gets released!
Also in this issue: Marty Schwartz breaks down 100 ridiculous things guitarists say (I’m guilty of a few), Rotem Sivan shares five tips that might save you years of practice time, and Steve Vai unearths rare studio footage from Passion and Warfare. Plus, we’ve got a great video on how chords work, soloing strategies, and some big thoughts on modern vs. vintage guitars. Let’s get into this week’s links.
This Week’s Guitar Links!
100+ Ridiculous Things Guitarists Say - I have a feeling Marty Schwartz has been wanting to get this one out for a while. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve probably said some of these things over the years…especially when it comes to gear. What was your favorite?
5 tips to save YEARS of Guitar Practice - These videos that claim to shave years off of your practice schedule always intrigue me. This one from Rotem Sivan was only 15 minutes, so I figured it was worth it, even if I could grab one good tip from it. Rotem talks about 5 tips that include things like getting ideas right at the source - hand position for chords, how efficient you can be on guitar, and a lot more. In my opinion, it's worth your 15 minutes, and it just might give you a new idea that saves you some time on your guitar journey.
Polychord Power! Unlock FRESH Arpeggios to transform your solos! - Maybe I didn't remember the term, but do you know what a polychord is? As you might imagine, it's two chords stuck together. Doing this lets you not only make interesting sounding chords, but also gives you more flexibility when playing lead lines. That's what this video is all about - working with polychord in an arpeggios context. I love this idea and am going to give it a shot in my next week of practice.
Steve Vai - Ballerina 12/24 Studio Footage - I remember getting my first Steve Vai album - it was Passion and Warfare - as a young kid getting into guys like Vai, Satch, EVH, I was blown away. The track "Ballerina 12/24" always intrigued me, because I've always been a huge "effects guy”. Vai recently uncovered footage of him working on the song from around that time. It's cool to see him demoing the song, and wondering if he'd even put it on the album. I'm glad he did!
Steven Wilson on 'The Overview' - There's always been a lot of love for everything Steven Wilson in the Chasing Sound Discord - and for good reason - at any point in time Wilson could be working on solo material, Porcupine Tree material, or producing/mixing another band's album. He's been very prolific over the years. His latest album The Overview, features two long form "conceptual rock" tracks that clock in at over 40 minutes. There's also an hour long movie to go along with it. Wilson has always wrangled incredible musicians from all over the map to play on his albums, and this album is no different. I'm sure it’s one I'll be playing many times, picking up on something different with each spin.
How Guitar Chords Work - The Theory Behind Every Song You Play - If you want a quick crash course on chords, this is a great video to start with. Ry Naylor is always putting out great videos and guitar materials. If you enjoy this video, check out his book with GuitarVivo on the circle of fifths.
Why Guitarists CAN'T Solo (And How To Fix It....) - Alright, so you’ve learned enough to get started with guitar chords. Now, let’s move on to soloing! Ben Eunson gives you three different methods for soloing over any changes. I really enjoyed this video because some of the concepts align with my favorite guitar book, The Advancing Guitarist. By looking at the fretboard in these three ways, you can gain a deeper understanding of all the notes on the fretboard.
“They’re now making some of the best guitars they’ve made in 50 or 60 years”: Norman's Rare Guitars owner thinks modern guitars are almost as good as vintage ones - Norm from Norman's Rare Guitars knows a thing or two about vintage instruments, having run his guitar shop for decades. He recently made the case that modern guitars are nearing the quality/tone of vintage guitars. But which guitars are they? Vintage re-issues! "If you ask Harris, the reason for all the recent re-issued models is because “they really nailed it the first time out!”” Norm also talked about his retirement, and who he thinks might be best to run the store in the future.
“That’s changed my playing a lot. I feel like the two of us now have almost like a telepathic relationship”: After a decade playing together in Dead & Company, John Mayer and Bob Weir reveal the invaluable lessons they’ve learned from each other - I can't believe it's been 10 years since John Mayer joined Dead & Company. From John's solo career to his transition into the jam scene, he's accomplished a lot over the last decade. John recently sat down with Guitar World to talk about what he's learned from Bob Weir, and vice versa. They also talk about if there'll be any new music from the band.
I wish someone had taught me this - Justin Ostrander is an awesome session player from Nashville. I’ve shared some of his videos in the past, and he even has a great course on Brett Papa’s website. This video was filmed entirely in his car, and it’s super important to listen to. It’s all about how to connect with other musicians so you get called back - i.e. how to hang with other musicians and not be a jerk. I think a lot of this advice could be applied to everyday life.