The top 5 solos everyone should learn
Plus, the Smashing Pumpkins are looking for a new guitarist
We’re only 2 weeks into 2024, and we’ve already had a wealth of amazing guitar lessons, gear, and more come out. This week’s issue is packed with lessons on the pentatonic scale, picking exercises, intervals, and more. We also have Joe Bonamassa telling us the top 5 solos he thinks everyone should learn. Oh, and you should get your playing in order, because the Smashing Pumpkins are on the hunt for a new guitarist. Could it be you? I hope it is! Alright, let’s get into this week’s links!
This week’s guitar links!
- Ever wanted to play guitar in the Smashing Pumpkins? The alt-rock legends are taking applications, and anyone can throw their hat into the ring - After more than 15 years in the Pumpkins, Jeff Schroeder has hung it up as a guitarist in the band. Now, SP is looking for someone to join the 3 guitar lineup, to play alongside James Iha and Billy Corgan. In one of the most exciting moves ever, anyone can submit an application to their management team to be considered. Excited to see who joins the band next!
- How the PROS use the Pentatonic Scale - John Cordy goes over one of my favorite techniques when playing pentatonics. Not only understanding where the relative major and minor starting points are, but combining these scales, to make bigger pentatonic patterns. The pentatonic scale is a staple of my playing, and it has always allowed me to jump around the fretboard with its 5 different scale boxes.
- Soloing Secrets - Frank Zappa - How do you tackle covering the soloing secrets of a guitar giant like Frank Zappa? Well, David Brewster did a great job in his latest soloing secrets video. Whether it be single string exercises, hitting chord tones or outside tones, or his unconventional nature, Frank was a very unique guitar player. If you'd like to get some insight into his lead playing, you should definitely check out this video.
- Charlie Hunter Breaks Down His Most iconic Guitar Parts - Charlie Hunter has been one of the most requested jazz and R&B session guys out there. Vertex Effects sat down with Charlie to check out some of his most memorable guitar parts - working with everyone from D'Angelo to John Mayer. The tone of Charlie's guitar is phenomenal!
- Mapping Intervals To The Fretboard - If you want to understand scales, and you want to understand chords, then you'd be doing yourself a favor if you started with the major scale. Chris Sherland put out a great beginner's video this week that tells you how to map intervals to the fretboard, which you can use to find patterns all over the neck.
- Joe Bonamassa's Top 5 Guitar Solos Everyone Should Learn - Joe Bonamassa knows a thing or two about great lead playing - which is why I was so excited to see what solos he'd pick for everyone to learn. Here's his top 5.
- Why DOWNSTROKES Are the KEY to Picking SPEED! - Ben Eller is off to a great start this year, with a video that shows you how to use speed bursts, downstrokes and alternate picking, to get through some awesome phrases. Add this to your warmups each day, and your picking will improve without a doubt.
- Master The GUITAR In 2024! (5 Steps To Success) | Ben Eunson - Still not inspired from all the links I shared last week to kick off the new year? Check out Ben Eunson's latest video where he shares 5 tips to be successful this year - these all focus on 5 big picture topics that can inform how you set up your practicing and goals.
- Fuzz-Octave-Delay Inside the Guitar?! - Fender Masterbuilt "Fuzz Smuggler" Telecaster by Levi Perry - Had to share this oddball guitar that's for sale over at Andertons. While I don't have the 14 grand that this guitar costs, I always love listening to and looking at masterbuilt instruments. This one has a bunch of effects built right into the guitar itself.
- I played guitar with Linkin Park! - What happens when you get a called from Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda to come play a song with him? Well, if you're Paul Davids, you answer that call and slot into the band like a pro! I loved watching this behind the scenes look at how the whole process went down. How exciting is that?!
- Greg Koch: Gregisms - Made it to the end of the newsletter? I appreciate ya! Have a laugh at outtakes/bloopers from the gristle-master himself, Greg Koch.