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SO MUCH TO LEARN, SO LITTLE TIME
Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to the team at Guitar Techniques for the excellent efforts they make to bring the best guitar instructional magazine on the market to our hands. I have been a guitarist for 27 years and (try to) play many different styles from the blues of BB King, the country of Chet Atkins, the jazz of Joe Pass and classical of Segovia. Your magazine has something to grab me each month and the CD has really been of use throughout the years to learn and re-learn these styles. Your lessons have made me a better guitarist, a better person and put food on the table from when I have gigs using the skills I have learnt.
Loving the latest edition with Granada, the fusion of Clapton and Ford and the background story of Welcome To The Jungle. Only one grumble: that there isn’t enough time in the month for me to learn them all before you bring another issue out and I’m hooked again!
Thank you very much and long may you reign as ‘Kings Of The Jungle’. James Taylor (not the famous one), Kent Melbourne in 1973. My cousin, Chris, kept me transfixed as he played song after song by ear on a beautiful sky-blue Strat, and made it all seem so damn easy. Well, while Chris went on to play with some well-known (at least in Australia) artists, including as lead guitarist in Paul Kelly And The Dots, unfortunately, whatever musical genius gene he inherited didn’t get as far as my branch of the family tree. I tell people that I’m improving, though; I used to be atrocious, now I’m just really bad and one day I hope to be able to brag that I’m not very good.
Still, I’ll keep plugging away and hopefully, with the hints I have picked up since becoming an online subscriber, I might actually exceed expectations. Greg Paull
MORE TABLETS
I have read with interest your correspondent from New York, Mr Areana, and the diplomatic response from your writer. I feel that what our American friend needs to make GT not good, but the best, is to subscribe to the digital version of the magazine. I swapped to the new format a few months ago, and although I miss the monthly drop of the mag onto the doormat, I can’t help thinking that the printed version is on its last legs after the improvements that have been made to the digital edition. It’s as if the format was made for digital media, with instant access to great videos and sound clips making it impossible not to pick up and play the magazine for hours.
So big thanks to your team for the hard work, and getting this guitarist out of the ‘ruts’ and playing quality music again. Matt Smith
Thanks, Matt. I do hope the printed version is not on its last legs, because many readers still prefer the physical thing (and we like our jobs!). Some also tell us that they have music rooms set up with amps, CD player or computer, music stand, headphones and all the paraphernalia required for a good practice den. Those readers hate the thought of the physical GT disappearing and we get strongly worded letters about the CD, should anyone suspect it’s about to be dropped in favour of some other medium – there was a veritable flood of them when Guitarist relinquished its covermount.
However, that said, I do agree that the tablet is the perfect environment for GT, as the screens are clear, the audio is instant, and the whole shebang is portable. Actually, we are looking at some software that could improve the iPad version further (slowing down, looping sections etc), and could potentially release the digital edition onto other platforms – Android etc – and even make it useable on desktop browsers. If it happens, it’s still a way off yet, but the digital edition does allow these kinds of upgrades as and when they become available/viable for us.
In the meantime, I hope those that prefer paper stick with us, and those that fancy trying something new give the iPad edition a go.