Randy Rhoads documentary, 20 strangest guitar solos, Asato returns to Instagram
And, should you learn scales?
From strange guitar solos and playing like Marty Friedman, to Randy Rhoads and Van Halen’s “rivalry”, we’ve got it all in this week’s issue of Six String Sunday. So happy to be back to commenting on all the cool guitar stuff that I found this week. What have you been getting into? Let me know in the comments or by replying to this email!
TOP 20 STRANGEST GUITAR SOLOS OF ALL TIME - You could really tell Rick Beato had a good time making this list of the top 20 strangest guitar solos of all time. It’s so funny because I did a cover of the first solo he mentions, “Driven to Tears” by the Police, and it was so awkward! A lot of really great solos made this list, and I had a blast listening to them. Rick’s faces when listening to these solos are hilarious.
Alternate Pick THESE Metallica Riffs! - While Hetfield & Hammett are masters of down-picked rhythms, this week Ben Eller shows us some really cool Metallica riffs that can help us practice alternate/cross picking instead.
Should You Learn Scales? - Well…the answer is kind of yes AND no at the same time.
How to Solder: A Musician‘s Guide - Was just talking about soldering this week in the Chasing Sound Discord. It’s one of the best skills you can learn as a guitarist. Not only can you fix electronic issues with your guitar, but you could also makes cables, pedals, and much more. Check out this video from Sweetwater for some good introductory tips to soldering.
SRV His ‘Secret’ 7b9 Pentatonic Scale Explained - This video lays out a really cool way to handle dominant blues chords, in a very SRV style way. This lesson touches a lot on theory, but it’s worth your while!
Why NOBODY Sounds Like John Mayer - Rhett Shull makes the case that no one really sounds like John Mayer. Mayer has gone from an acoustic player, often compared to Dave Matthews, to an incredible all around musician, who’s influenced many other guitarists. Rhett breaks down what makes his playing so special by breaking down a couple of his guitar parts. As a tagalong video to Rhett’s, check out how Tyler Larson was inspired by John Mayer at a recent concert.
More Marty Friedman Magic! 5 Minute Licks - On the opposite end of the musical spectrum, I liked this video from Leon Todd where he breaks down an epic Marty Friedman lick from the song “Symphony of Destruction”. Leon also shows off a lick of his own that was heavily inspired by Marty’s playing.
DigiTech and DOD set to return following acquisition by Cort owner - For a week or so there, I was afraid this was the end for DigiTech and DOD, but it looks like Cort is going to resurrect these brands, and new pedals are hopefully on the way! Exciting times.
Wilco announce mega 21-track album, Cruel Country, share snappy lead single, Falling Apart (Right Now) - In the mood for some goodness from Wilco? The band just announced that a 21 track album called ‘Cruel Country’ is on the way. The first single, “Falling Apart” sonically sounds awesome. The guitar playing on this track, especially during the lead break, is so fun.
Tedeschi Trucks Band Announce Massive Quadruple Album Project, ‘I Am the Moon’ - Not to be outdone, the Tedeschi Trucks Band announced a quadruple album that will start shipping in June, followed by a new batch of songs every 4 weeks - totalling 24 songs. There will also be some cool companion films before each of the 4 albums. You can check out a preview of the album in Guitar Player’s post. Can’t wait to hear more Derek Trucks playing!
Adrian Belew drops energetic new single, a13 - For something even more different, check out this new single from King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew, called “a13”. When the album finally gets a full release, it’ll be Belew’s 25th solo album!
Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen’s “rivalry” discussed in exclusive clip from upcoming Randy Rhoads documentary - A Randy Rhoads documentary is coming out soon. Guitar World has a short clip that focuses on the “rivalry” between Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen. Really looking forward to seeing this full movie - thankfully we won’t have to wait long, because it comes out in early May.
The story of Brian May’s Deacy amp, the little amp that could - Brian May’s tone has been talked about at length - and usually the conversation is around his Red Special guitar. In this feature from Guitar.com, they break down another component of his tone - his Deacy amp. I loved the photos and story behind “the little amp that could”.
Vox launches its Pathfinder 10 amp in a Union Jack finish to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee - Speaking of small amps, if you’re looking for a good practice amp, the Vox Pathfinder 10 fits the bill of having usable tone and a good price. Vox recently launched a Union Jack finish to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Mateus Asato returns to Instagram with thrilling cover of Ariana Grande’s Bad Decisions - Mateus Asato’s break from Instagram seems to have ended. Check out this clip, which has well over 100K likes already, where Asato covers Ariana Grande’s “Bad Decisions”. Welcome back Mateus!
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Six String Sunday!
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