I started playing guitar in 1982, and for a teenager learning rock guitar there was no one who loomed larger. The story goes that Edward started out on drums but switched to guitar when his brother Alex could play “Wipeout” better than he could. By the time I was learning, “Eruption“, the stunning guitar solo […]
Chopin Plays The Changes
This is a guest post by David Hamburger, a great fingerstylist, blues authority, and a teacher I respect greatly. Check out his lesson on “Statesboro Blues“. School is back, sort of, but getting there on time was never our strong suit, and now we’re rusty. We live close enough to walk, but some mornings when […]
Picker’s Delight: Sugarfoot Rag
Sugarfoot Rag was first recorded as an instrumental by guitarist Hank Garland, and scoring him a hit at the age of 18. He went on to be one of the top session guitarists in Nashville, working most notably with Elvis Presley (that’s him on “Little Sister”) along with a who’s who of the top country […]
SOTW: Sunshine Of Your Love
Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” has one of the most familiar and distinctive guitar riffs in classic rock, played by a young Eric Clapton. The song is a great place to start exploring the 60’s blues-rock style. The song follows a modified 12-bar blues form. A standard blues structure might go something like this: 1 […]
Lead Guitar 101: Phrasing and line
Say you’ve been practicing your scales diligently. You know your formations up the neck and can play a major scale in any key in any position. Maybe you’ve moved on to modes, and maybe you’ve even fully absorbed those too. Or maybe you’ve never played a lick of lead guitar in your life. Either way, […]
SOTW: Guy Clark’s “LA Freeway”
Guy Clark’s “LA Freeway” is a classic of the Americana genre, and a great example of what we might call the Texas folk picking style. Unlike what many people think of as a traditional “folk pick” with alternating bass strings, this part brings in a blues element by thumping roots notes in the bass against […]
