Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Total Guitar

Jamie Hall grew up listening to everything from rave music to his father’s classic rock records, and on Tigercub’s new album As Blue As Indigo, he takes a heavy-handed approach to creating heavy-sounding riffs. As he puts it: “I hammer the living sh*t out of my instruments!” What does the new record say about you as a player today? This new record is not afraid to be heavy metal and to have a bit more flair and flamboyance with the playing. The whole thing has been a reappraisal for me of who I am and what I’m about: I like heavy riffs and I like good guitar players - and there’s nothing wrong with that! For you, what makes a good riff? The lower the tuning, the bigger the riff!…

BE pre Key to the BE series’ much-loved sound is the BE preamp. Here, the same circuit has been used to create rich harmonics and some top-level overdrive, just like the bigger BE amps. Controls There’s everything you’d expect - three-band EQ plus presence, preamp gain and output controls. But Friedman has also included tight and cut switches to help you craft your sound with even more detail. Connections As well as regular speaker outputs for sending your signal to a cab, there’s a series FX loop which (as well as plumbing-in effects) allows you to send the preamp signal to other amps, cab emulations and more.…

On his extraordinary new record Afrique Victime, rising Tuareg star Mdou Moctar rails against the history of corruption and exploitation endured by the African continent and its people. The title track starts out as an urgent C minor vamp, its catchy E b major chorus sung in Moctar’s native Tamashek dialect. Then his sensational backing trio accelerate, pumping up the groove behind him, and Moctar heaves all his frustration into his Strat. The left-hander’s blistering playing takes off, his phasing, echoing, distorted solo a dizzying assault of string slides, bends and tremolo picking, of fast pentatonic runs abrasive atonal notes and frenzied feedback. It’s beautiful, exciting chaos, with the impressionistic charge and political spirit of, say, Jimi Hendrix’s Machine Gun. “I approached that solo differently,” Moctar tells TG (our Tamashek’s…

He’s one of the great rock voices of this generation, but Myles Kennedy sees himself primarily as a guitarist. With Slash and the Conspirators, he rarely picks up a guitar, leaving those duties to the Cat in the Hat himself, and to rhythm guitarist Frank Sidoris. Meanwhile, in Alter Bridge, Myles takes a decidedly secondary guitar role to Mark Tremonti. But on his new solo album The Ides Of March, Myles shows himself to be a gifted and versatile lead guitarist, firing off aggressive solos and memorable slide parts, as well as nods to his guitar hero, country legend Danny Gatton. He tells TG about the crossover between playing guitar and singing, and his enviable vintage gear collection. How was making this record different from working with Alter Bridge or…

For the 14th Manic Street Preachers album, The Ultra Vivid Lament, James Dean Bradfield sidesteps his favourite Les Paul-and-Marshall tone, relying instead on a Gretsch Country Gentleman, 1965 Jazzmaster, Shergold Marauder, and Fender Parallel Universe Telecaster Troublemaker. Bradfield references Roxy Music as an influence on this album, saying “I’m not really playing big chords. It’s a lot of weaving in and out, playing little lead lines, so I didn’t use such big sound.” But his main focus right now is the Manics’ return to the live arena - as he explains during band rehearsals in the Welsh city of Newport. What’s the first thing you play when you get into rehearsal? I have a warm-up before Nicky [Wire, bass] and Sean [Moore, drums] start banging away, because they’re quite combative.…

Justin Hawkins is more than a little excited about getting back on stage with The Darkness. His only concern is that it might prove a little too exciting. “Life has been so boring without live music,” the high-singing, guitar-slinging frontman says. “So it’s going to be a real culture shock when gigs start up. Nothing can prepare you for the thrill of seeing all those faces. So you need to prepare purely on a medical level, especially when you get to my age... 28! I might explode, you know?” Justin is speaking to TG from the place where The Darkness record and rehearse - the studio at the Sussex home of his brother Dan, the band’s rhythm guitarist. Here, a new album, titled Motorheart, has just been finished. It’s also…

Joe Perry and Brad Whitford both play rhythm throughout, with Perry adding lead licks in the interlude sections. Sometimes the same chord is played in different positions (there are three F5 shapes for instance) so cross reference with the tab for clarity. Notice how syncopated the rhythm parts are on the chorus section, an effective approach when both guitar players are essentially playing the same chords. The triads are the most challenging shapes here. If you can stretch it, you may find it easier to keep your third finger on the third string, 5th fret when changing to the C7 b 9. Feel free to experiment with the fingerings but remember the changes must be as slick as possible to avoid gaps in your performance.…

Aged just 13, Cedric Burnside was immersed in playing blues music with his grandfather, aka “Big Daddy” - the legendary R.L. Burnside. Now commander-in-chief of the second generation of Hill Country Blues, the younger Burnside’s latest album, I Be Trying, encapsulates the past, present and future of a whole genre in a way that only he could. “It’s who I am,” Cedric says. “This Hill Country Blues stuff is definitely not new to me. I was born with it in my blood.” I Be Trying plays as if it could have been made 50 years ago. He explains: “The old styles stuck with me - things my Grandaddy played on the porch. That old feel will always be in me.” But the record’s authentic sound quality is also owing to…

Photographer Sharon Latham captured this powerful image when Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds played at Manchester Arena on May 4th, 2018. It was a significant moment for Noel – playing at this venue, in his hometown, for the first time since 23 people lost their lives there in the terrorist attack of the previous year. More of Sharon’s photos can be seen in an online exhibit: www.anewworldblazing.comIn addition, Noel’s new Gibson J-150 signature acoustic is available soon.…

Oscar Lang is a one-man writing, recording and producing machine. His debut album Chew The Scenerydelivers layers of jangly dream pop, strident fuzzy riffs and plenty of earworm melodies. But as he admits of his guitar playing: “I’m not as good as I should be!” What guitars are your favourites? Originally, I started playing because my Dad had a spare Squier Stratocaster that his mates had got him for his 50th birthday. So I started with that - a really simple red Squier Strat. It was on all of the old recordings and I still kind of love how it sounds. It sounds so cheap and sh*t that I just love it! Right after I signed, I bought a nice Fender Telecaster called Mary. She’s lovely! She’s got a matte,…

The Black Keys’ 10th studio album Delta Kream is a collection of covers celebrating the works of early 20th century hill country blues players including Junior Kimbrough, John Lee Hooker and Mississippi Fred McDowell. The riff we’re looking at here is from a Ranie Burnette-penned song, though Dan Auerbach’s guitar part pays homage to R. L. Burnside’s rendition. Indeed, Burnside’s own guitarist Kenny Brown also features on this new recording. The first thing to be aware of is the shuffle feel – a typical blues groove. To play this rhythm, keep your strumming hand moving constantly down and up, but make your downstrokes last twice as long as your upstrokes. This’ll help you get a feel for the overall timing, but of course the note content is a little more…

No-one writes riffs quite like Joe Duplantier. The Gojira singer/guitarist knows how to inject his music with a sacred potency – and it’s precisely that Midas touch which has propelled the French quartet out of relative obscurity and into being one of the most important metal bands around today. Few could have gotten away with the audacity of titling one of their tracks The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe, but in Gojira’s case their bold claims were well justified. The tech-death ferocity heard on their early albums, most notably 2005 landmark From Mars To Sirius, made them champions of the underground, and soon after releasing their next album, 2008’s The Way Of All Flesh, they were hand-picked by Metallica as opening act for the World Magnetic Tour. On this year’s…

It’s been a long time coming, but live music is beginning to return. Rehearsal rooms are open for business and ‘real’ gigs are gradually on the rise. With our fingers firmly crossed that this trend continues, we present Everything You Need To Get Gig-Ready. Our tips feature will help you plan your next set and get your gear ready for action, and our bespoke practice plan is designed to hone the skills you’ll need to play live. In addition, two of the UK’s best live bands, The Darkness and Manic Street Preachers, speak to us from their rehearsal spaces as they prepare to tour again – offering tips on everything from warm-up exercises to plectrum-flicking tricks. We also join rising stars Squid, one of the few bands who have been…

1. PRACTISE PLAYING FULL SONGS The discipline required to play for four or five minutes straight will help you develop your muscle memory. 2. PLAY REGULARLY If you take an extended break from playing guitar your basic skills will suffer. Play a little every day to keep your changes pin-sharp. 3. REPETITION TRICKY CHANGES Struggling to master a chord change? Isolate the shapes in question and practice the change over and over again at slow speed.…

If your next gig is your first in a while (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this in 2021, it probably is!), there’s a good chance your rig is going to need a little attention. Perhaps you’re one of the many new musicians who took up guitar playing during the pandemic, and you’re planning your first gig soon. Whatever your own situation, getting your gear ready for action and preparing to go live is a key part of the process. Here, we take a look at the practical considerations for five different kinds of live gig and run you through what you need to know. 1 YOUR FIRST GIG Taking the first steps into live performance? Make it so your main focus is playing! Prepare, prepare, prepare! Forewarned…

Thanks to the alternate tuning these chord shapes may look unfamiliar, but don’t let that put you off – most can be fretted with just one or two fingers. It’s important to cross reference these shapes with the tab as some open strings may be included or omitted depending on the picking part and where you are in the arrangement. Idle open strings (marked with the ‘X’) are easy to omit, no damping required – just don’t pick ’em! GOING TO CALIFORNIA Words and Music by JIMMY PAGE and ROBERT PLANT © 1972 (Renewed) FLAMES OF ALBION MUSIC, INC. All Rights Administered by WB MUSIC CORP. Exclusive Print Rights Administered by ALFRED MUSIC Used By Permission of ALFRED PUBLISHING, LLC…

Math rock, experimental rock, post-punk: No one can actually decide what genre black midi are. You won’t be helped by looking at their influences either, because their influences are... everything. Their 2019 debut Schlagenheim made them hot property and earned a Mercury Prize nomination, but it was recorded almost entirely from jam sessions. The band felt it could have aged better, so their second album was made with one intention, as singer/guitarist Geordie Greep told The Quietus: “This time, let’s make something that is actually good.” Cavalcade delivers on this goal. Along with Squid, black midi are at the forefront of a movement of fearlessly experimental bands, unshackled by conventional song structures and unafraid to improvise. With unexpected changes, it’s an album that rewards concentration. This is a band with…

You know Friedman - the amp brand that has fuelled the stage and studio sound for many a legend. From Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains and Mastodon to Joe Bonamassa, George Lynch and Richie Sambora, to name just a few. One of the most revered of Dave Friedman’s creations comes in the form of the BE (short for Brown Eye) series. But there’s a gap between the BE OD pedal and the all-out assault of its BE 50 or BE 100 Deluxe heads. Until now, that is. Pictured here is the Friedman BE MINI: a shrunken tonemachine that encapsulates the renowned harmonics and punch as its bigger siblings. It’s 30-watts, with a solid state output section, but most importantly the BE MINI makes use of the same preamp circuitry as…

It is May 26th, 2021, and your fearless TG reporters are in a pub. For an Actual Gig! We could do some maudlin reflection on how that became a newsworthy state of affairs, but we’re too hyped about seeing live music. It’s been long enough that we’d be happy to see a covers band plod through Mustang Sally, so the fact we’re seeing Squid, one of the most exciting new bands anywhere, is borderline euphoric. Squid’s return to live performance is this tour of spaces and places that aren’t normally on the gigging circuit, and in some cases aren’t normally even music venues. Tonight they’re at The Old Road Tavern in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Its name may not be up there with The Marquee or The Cavern, but guitarist and sometimes…

Gaffa tape Use it for everything, from attaching picks to your mic stand, fixing down cables, keeping your set list in place, minor repairs to stands. A roll of Gaffa tape - the webbed kind allows you to rip it without scissors – is a do-it-all life saver in a live environment. Torch If you’ve ever found yourself trying to work out a problem with your rig on a dark stage, you’ll know the importance of a torch. Yes, you can use your phone, but as always, having a dedicated solution is preferable. Strings You’re going to break your strings, and you can bet the farm that it’ll be during a gig. Keep plenty of spares, particularly for the higher three, and even if your spare guitar - you remembered…

Joe Perry has famously favoured Gibson Les Pauls throughout his long and illustrious career, but he’s played this track on both humbuckerand P90-equipped guitars. That tells you that he’s erring towards a bright, trebly-rich tone to stand up to the top end of Tyler’s synth harpsichord. Amp-wise, you’ll get best results if you use your crunch channel to add ‘tameable’ overdrive, ie, so that backing off your guitar’s volume cleans up the sound during the intro and verse. The guitars on the original track were kept fairly dry, using minimal reverb, so keep your echo settings low; you just want to add a little ambience without spoiling that ‘in yer face’ sound on the choruses.…

HOW WE TEST CURATION Our product selection is driven by our love of gear. We select the most exciting products on the market every month to bring you opinions you can trust. FACE-VALUE REVIEWS We’re not gear snobs here at Total Guitar. We judge it on whether it looks good, sounds good and plays well – not by the name on the headstock. NO SNAKE OIL You won’t find us getting hung up on hokey mythology or nonsense marketing speak: we aim to bring you bullshit-free opinions on the gear you’re interested in. WE CAN’T BE BOUGHT TG review scores are a true reflection of our experts’ opinion on the product they’ve been testing. You’ll never find a rating in our mag that has been bought and paid for. REAL…

“TRY THIS FOR THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE STOMPBOX” You may have noticed, pedal brands have spent a great deal of time in recent years giving us more and more ways of making our guitars not sound like guitars. One of the latest comes from leftfield Way Huge. Named after Paul Atreides, it borrows its sub-moniker from the Weirding Module – the sonic beam weapon David Lynch introduced for his film adaptation of the Dune graphic novels. Way Huge’s Jeorge Tripps took inspiration from Electro-Harmonix with the Atreides. At first glance, those sliders remind us of our EHX Micro Synth – interestingly, Tripps has based this on the EHX Mini Synthesizer keyboard, as used by Van Halen, Jean Michel Jarre and more. In a nutshell, it’s a synth pedal featuring a…