Welcome…

It’s never easy when we lose an icon of our instrument, but Chris Cornell’s untimely passing on May 17 has had a profound effect here at TG. Chris may well have been recognised first and foremost as a vocalist (and in my mind, one of the greatest rock has ever known), but his guitar playing should never be overlooked. His altered tunings were inventive, contributing to the band’s unique voicing, but to me a big part of Chris Cornell’s genius playing in Soundgarden came from the timings. As a unit, Soundgarden made odd time signatures feel natural. You can nod your head to the 6/4 grooves of FellOnBlackDays, and the 9/4 phrasing of the solo in BlackHole

Sun, despite them being outside the usual 4/4 box. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to develop that side of your playing. Chris graced the cover of TG twice: once in his own right, and again in 2013 with Kim Thayil for what would be Soundgarden’s first album in 16 years and now, sadly, their last. You can read Rob’s tribute to Chris Cornell on page 30, and if you’re not familiar with Chris’ work, I’d urge you to get listening.

This month, we’re exploring the world of effects: how individual pedals work and the riffs that made them famous. This was a tricky list to compile, but long-term TG contributor Richard Barrett and Music Ed Chris have done a sterling job of recreating some of the most iconic stomp sounds committed to tape!

Join us next month when we’ll be giving you plenty of inspiration to grab your acoustic and get playing more this summer!

Stuart Williams Editor