Lessons Introduction

Future Publishing, Ivo Peters Road, Bath, BA2 3QS.

Jason Sidwell gives you the lowdown on this month’s action-packed Lessons section.

As inquisitive guitarists, we’re all on the hunt for new licks, chords or techniques to dress up our playing. Even if we only source a couple of new ideas, it’s such a worthwhile pursuit. This is certainly the case with myself; I wield my musical magnifying glass each issue, checking for correct audio, tab, notation, terminology, and scanning for anything stimulating to add to my own playing. Here are a few of the nuggets that tickled me this issue.

Blues (p47), Example 1, bars 1-2: a very simple up-down phrase but the inclusion of the D note (C minor’s 2nd/9th interval) adds a melodic twist that enhances the C minor Pentatonic line (varied later in bars 15-16). Example 2, bars 10-11 and bars 14-15; the up-down-up-down phrase beautifully outlines the V-IV (G7-F7) changes, acting as a fine reference for extended chord tone playing.

Allen Hinds’ Up And Over solo (p57): a staggering wealth of licks but bar 35 has a great ascending E Dorian line. It requires a little stretching but it flows beautifully.

Creative Rock (p61 onwards): one can never have enough Mixolydian plus Blues scale licks so these are very ‘ownable’. Example 2 (bars 5-6) is lovely. Enough intervallic jumping around to please discerning blues jazzers while the inside (with a dash of bluesy chromaticism) A7 sound will please pretty much everyone.

Chord Camp, Example 2 (p66): a wonderful tapestry of pop fusion-tinged 13th chords with almost every chord voicing being a macro masterclass of sophistication.

Hard Rock, Example 6 (p74): two-hand tapping can sometimes sound a little ‘meh’ but this Vai-like blaze of notes has a liberal dash of intrigue about it. Grouped in sets of eight notes, the execution requires two picking hand taps and two fretting hand ‘hammer-ons from nowhere’ glued together with pull-offs. It’s a fun one! Creative Acoustic, Ex 5 (p83): chords plus harmonics are always lovely and this example creates a unique Em sound. So, that’s a few of mine for you to check over. What musical nuggets will stimulate your own creativity?