Polyphia Teams Up With Vai
Plus, overcoming hard things on guitar and tons of lessons
From the Top
This has to be one of my favorite issues of Six String Sunday Club in a long time - we have a new song from Polyphia, featuring none other than Steve Vai. Plus, there are SO many great lessons and tips contained in this issue - whether you want to learn slide, play country guitar, or learn a new style of picking, it’s all here.
What have you been working on with guitar lately? Let me know by replying to this email/post.
October’s Song Challenge
For the past couple of months, the Chasing Sound Discord chat has been learning a new song all at once. We’ve learned some pretty sweet songs so far, and this month is no different.
For October we’ll be learning AC/DC’s “Shot Down In Flames”, from the classic ‘Highway to Hell’ album. I’m psyched to learn Malcolm and Angus Young’s parts for this one. If you’d like to learn alongside of us, you can join the Discord for free. Just check out this link (heads up, to avoid spam, this link is only valid for one week. If you’d still like to join the Discord after the fact, hit me up in the comments!)
This Week’s Links
- Level Up your Sweep Picking with these Licks (with tabs) - Sometimes I wonder if I'll hear anything new with instrumental guitar, and then I hear someone like Jack Gardiner. I think his new collab EP with Owane is one of the best instrumental offerings of the year. I even went as far as buying the tab pack for the EP - and boy, is it tough. In Jack's newest video, he's taking a lick from one of the songs on the EP, and breaking down how to "level up" your sweep picking.
- New Product Premiere | PRS Guitars - Paul Reed Smith just announced that PRS is getting into the pedal business. On Thursday, they launched a dual flanger, a compressor, and an overdrive. The pedals sound great, but they're a little pricey, and I think most folks were looking for a new amp or guitar announcement from the company. Hopefully soon we'll get their take on a T style guitar.
- The 7 Hardest Things To Do On Guitar (and how to do them) - SamuraiGuitarist talks about some of the hardest things to do on guitar - things like targeting chord tones and playing with feel, to more personal things like relaxing while playing or making money from music. He gives some great tips on how you can achieve even the most difficult things that guitar throws your way.
- Top 10 Riffs - Alice In Chains "Dirt" & Stone Temple Pilots "Core" 30th Anniversary! - I can't believe it, but two of my favorite albums, AIC's 'Dirt’ and STP's “Core” turn 30 this year. Let's Play All mixed it up in his latest vid, playing 5 riffs from each album. And oh my, that tone!
- Polyphia - Ego Death feat. Steve Vai (Official Music Video) - The new guys meet the old guard. Steve Vai joins Polyphia for the song “Ego Death”. I loved Steve's contributions to the song. Production-wise, Polyphia really are doing some wild things lately. What do you think of this song?
- The Memorization Techniques That Work! - JustinGuitar drops some science on us, by showing off the spacing technique that'll help us remember nearly anything. This is a great video to watch before your next practice session.
- 15 Economy Picking Essentials You Need To Know - It's been a while since we've heard from one of the best, technical guitarists out there, Rick Graham. In his latest video, he's teaching us 15 picking essentials for economy picking. If you've already mastered alternate picking, and want to try something new, check this video out.
- Five Practice Tips for Beginner Guitarists - Just starting with guitar? Check out this new video from Nick Bowcott, who breaks down 5 great tips for new players. He also teaches you how to read a chord chart, and how to play a simple, acoustic tune.
- John Mayer Teaches: HOW to PRACTICE & Play Guitar (1 Hour Guided Lesson with fretLIVE) - I'm not going to lie, sometimes I watch Pow Music's videos just to watch the guitar neck light up. Check out this 1 hour video of John Mayer teaching how to practice and play guitar. Mayer is always coming up with new ways to look at guitar topics, and I think if you have the time, it's worth watching this vid.
- Eric Johnson's GREAT Advice for All Guitarists - John Cordy breaks down some of Eric Johnson's top guitar tips for guitar players. These things might be tips you've heard in the past, but that you might not stick to. I know I'm guilty of that from time to time.
- How 'Drifting' by Andy Mckee CHANGED THE GAME - Andy Guitar and Chris Woods talk about how monumental “Drifting” by Andy Mckee was when it came out. If you haven't seen this acoustic tour de force, fix that right away by watching the vid here. The video currently has over 60 million views!
- From Zero to Hero (Secrets of the volume knob) - I'm so lucky to have guys like Jeremy Malheim, who regularly shows up in our Discord, and recently posted this video which I missed from Late Night Lessons. In the 25 minute episode, David Brewster talks to us about why the volume knob (or even a volume pedal) can be so effective while trying to create interesting sounds, no matter what genre of music you play.
- Julian Lage: “A lot of what you hear on this record is first or second take. I like the tape to be rolling when I'm writing because there's a certain sense of discovery” | Guitar World - I'm happy to say, I still love listening to Julian Lage's playing. He keeps coming out with exciting albums, including his latest, 'View With A Room'. In this interview with Guitar Player, he talks about the helpfulness of always having tape rolling, amongst other things like adding Bill Frisell to the lineup.
- Derek Trucks’ Top 10 Slide Tips For Beginners - If you want to learn slide, there's a handful of people out there who you might want to learn from. Derek Trucks is one of those people. These 10 tips are taken from the latest GP magazine, and are your gateway to starting with slide guitar.
- Hot Country 101: Learn the Nuts and Bolts of High-Tech Country Lead Guitar - Even if it's not your favorite style, it's always a good idea to play genres outside of your comfort zone. That's what I did with country playing a while back, especially after hearing Brad Paisley for the first time. If you'd like to add a little country flair to your playing, check out this new lesson where you'll learn about gear, some starter licks to use, how to employ chicken pickin’, and more.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Six String Sunday!
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.
Hey Brian, the new formatting changes look really good! Good luck and keep up the hard work!