Music is a powerful thing
Plus, the two-point note finding system
Right at the top here, I just want to thank you if you’ve ever left a comment on any of the stuff I put out into the world. I’ve been getting some sentimental stuff lately, and it means a ton to me. I love guitar, and I love sharing all the great stuff I find in the guitar world with you every week. This newsletter has been going strong for years, but the website has kind of languished a little bit. I’ve been inspired to start writing new stories for it, and see where it goes. Keep me honest on that one throughout the year!
NAMM is happening right now, and almost coming to a close. I have a link at the end of the newsletter, where you can see all the latest and greatest gear news coming out of the show. There’s a lot of exciting products coming out this year. Also wanted to let you know that Joe Bonamassa has a documentary out right now, and for a short time you can rent it for 2 weeks, for free. You can check that out here. Finally, I have a link for it mid-way through the newsletter, but I've been checking out the new course that Tom Quayle and David Beebee have put out, alongside the 2.0 update of their Solo app. It talks about this 2 point system of finding notes on the fretboard, through getting to grips with shapes on the neck. I'll 100% be commenting more about this over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the heads up David D. on this one! Alright, let's get into those links.
This week’s guitar links!
- New to guitar? Follow this advice - We're starting off with some dead simple advice from Kerry Marshall. If you're brand new to guitar, these 3 quick tips revolving around tuning and keeping it visible (while keeping track of all that), are definitely for you.
- SOUND LIKE A PRO GUITARIST (in 5 simple steps) - If you're looking for tips based on making your guitar recordings more exciting, you should check out this helpful video from Paul Davids. It's always a good idea to get a look behind the curtain when musicians are going through their thought process. This video focuses on smart recording/mixing/production techniques you can use to make your guitar sound great.
- Are these pedals all the same? The TubeScreamer Test - I loved this video from Brian Wampler. I pride myself on being critical when it comes to recording and mixing, and even I couldn't tell a huge difference between all these pedals. To me, it was more like small EQ changes between each one. If you checked out the video, what did you end up hearing?
- the SECRETS to JONNY GREENWOOD'S GUITAR tone (the smile pedalboard, radiohead pedalboard) - Since the last two links were more about tone and gear, I thought I should include this video about Jonny Greenwood's setup. I love the way pedal partners produces their videos, and this one is no different. They check out Greenwood’s Radiohead and The Smile pedalboards, and play some great example riffs to demo each pedal.
- This Is Why CAGED Is Crucial - Guthrie Trapp has been singing the praises of the CAGED system for as long as I can remember. His lessons range from beginner to advanced, and you have to be paying attention to grab some knowledge from them. His latest video goes over why CAGED is so effective, especially when trying to stay within a couple fret span.
- Ultimate Fretboard Visualization - Learn the incredible Two-Point System with Solo - OUT NOW! - On the total opposite end of the spectrum, you have Tom Quayle and David Beebee talking about the latest update to the Solo app. Around the Chasing Sound Discord, a couple of us have gotten SO much from practicing with Solo. The app just got updated to a big 2.0 version, with new features for their trainers. Tom and David also announced a brand new course, with a 2- point system to see the fretboard, while making use of the Solo app.
- Man Dates With Guitar GREATS - Bruce Forman Talks Barney Kessel & Jazz - I loved watching Levi Clay interview the legendary Bruce Forman. Bruce talks about an upcoming Kickstarter project based around Chet Atkins/Barney Kessel, traveling the world playing with some of the best musicians in the world, how melody interacts with chords, and so much more. Bruce also has a book with Guitar Vivo, and I couldn't recommend those books enough!
- 5 Alternate Guitar Tunings You've (probably) Never Tried - Tyler Larson breaks out 5 tunings you might not have tried before, but that you've likely heard. I liked the tuning for Smashing Pumpkins’ “Mayonaise”, and realied for the first time that Joe Satriani was using an all E's tuning for his song "New Last Jam". What's the most "out there" tuning you've tried?
- Only the best guitarists are aware of it - I'll admit it. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about this video from Guitar Pilgrim - where he uses Maradona's soccer style and relates it back to guitar. I ended up watching the entire thing, and thought he made a great point.
- How To Handle Challenging Songs On The Fly - Jack Ruch talks about how to handle difficult chord changes, especially when they're popping up live. As with many of Jack's videos, the magic comes in getting to grips with a lot of the guitar's theory beforehand. I've been becoming a big fan of Jack's courses, and really enjoy his teaching style.
- Hybrid Picking with Josh Smith | Guitar Lesson - One of the most fun picking styles to learn is hybrid picking. You can come up with so many incredible phrases that you might've not been able to do while using other styles of playing notes/chords. Josh Smith is one of the best modern day guitarists, and he's exactly who Sweetwater got to do this great hybrid picking lesson.
- NAMM 2024 live: this year’s biggest guitar news as it happens - Last, but certainly not least, NAMM 2024 is going on right now. As they do every year, Guitar World has developed an awesome landing page for all the latest gear announcements coming out of the show. Anything cool catch your eye that you're looking forward to getting this year?