Innehållsförteckning för May 2016 från Total Guitar

We all have those little problems with our playing that are always bugging us, and we mean to tackle, yet keep putting off. Well, put it off no more! Naturally it’d be impossible for us to address every hurdle that we come up against in our guitar lives, but this month we’ve tried to pinpoint some of the most common in a bid to get you to ‘spring clean’ your playing. Over this month’s cover feature you’ll find ways to improve your rhythm skills, timing, picking, legato and acoustic fingerpicking plus more. Taking stock of your playing and dedicating some time to strip your playing back to its simplest form and iron out the ripples will pay off big time, regardless of your current ability level – turn to p36…

This month we’re mapping out the E major scale (E F# G# A B C# D#) in a straight line on the two highest strings. Taking a linear view of a scale is a great way to inspire new ideas that take you outside of the more commonly used scale ‘box’ patterns and the layout of notes is especially suited to two-handed tapping. With this in mind, our first example is a Joe Satriani-style tapped lick. Example 2 is an alternate-picked hard-rock run inspired by The Darkness and, finally, Example 3 is a Hank Marvin-style doublestop lick. TAPRIANI TRACKS 09-10 USE THE second finger of your pick hand to tap repeatedly on to the 12th fret, then flick your finger off in a downward direction to pull-off to the note…

EXCEPTIONAL EXCELLENT GOOD FOR FANS OF POOR Santana IV Carlos has reunited his celebrated early 70s quintet, including guitarist Neal Schon, for this follow-up to Santana III, after an incredible 45-year gap. Too long for the lineup’s chemistry to survive, you’d think, but the band has followed the original recipe to the letter. IV has been in the works since 2013, clearly enabling the four musicians to rediscover their former telepathy. These 16 tracks span the Santana spectrum, covering both the frantic up-tempo Latin-rhythm infused jams that propelled the band into a global spotlight, to the kind of balladry the bandleader has spent much of his subsequent career honing. Guitar-wise, Santana and Schon are furiously inventive throughout, sparring excitedly over the bedrock of B3 organs, Afro-Latin drums and percussion and…

In recent years, there’s been plenty of open discussion over which bands are ready to step up, seize the torch and headline the metal festivals of tomorrow. For many, Parkway Drive have become one of the brightest hopes, having built their fierce reputation the old way – through dependably crushing live shows over 13 years of hard graft and bludgeoning beatdowns. It’s not been particularly easy for the Australian metalcore bruisers, nor has it been overly calculated. Truth be told, the fact their plectrums come adorned with the world-famous Poo Emoji says a lot about how seriously this band take themselves. We find guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick sat backstage before their first headline show at London’s Brixton Academy, looking as relaxed as can be, while sharing their tips…

IT IS quite normal for downstrokes to feel easier than upstrokes – a downward picking movement simply feels more natural. Part of practising the guitar is to make the unnatural things feel natural and these picking exercises will help you to do that. When playing eighth notes, think of these as ‘two notes for every metronome click’ and play them with downstrokes. For 16th notes think ‘four notes per click’ and move your pick hand in a down-up, down-up motion to play them. A great way to strengthen your upstrokes is to play the same rhythms but reverse the pick directions so that all of the downstrokes become upstrokes and vice versa. It’s surprisingly tough but you’ll see the benefits in your playing. MOSTLY DOWNSTROKES TRACKS 15-16 PICK THE eighth…

THE MOST important part to mastering fingerstyle guitar is ensuring that the thumb and fingers of your picking hand don’t collide – a problem that’s caused by the thumb moving downwards as your fingers come upwards. The result? You run out of space to pick, which leads to fluffed notes and poor timing as you try and hit the right notes. To tackle this you need to assess your hand position. If your thumb is directly behind your fingers you’ll most likely encounter problems. The solution is to position your thumb to one side of your fingers and give every digit free space. With your hand position sorted try our exercises to hone your technique. FINGERSTYLE EXERCISE 1 TRACKS 23-24 FRET AN open C chord and use your thumb to…

IF YOU’VE ever struggled to cut through as you kick off a solo, you should try using octaves. The idea is simple: each single note is doubled up with another note an octave higher or lower. It’s a great way of fattening up a melody and the technique is commonly used by rockers such as Dave Grohl and Billie Joe Armstrong; octaves are a staple part of jazz too. There are two main shapes used for octaves: the first has its root note on the fifth or sixth string; the second moves the root note onto the third or fourth strings. In both cases the unused strings must be muted with the underside of your fretting fingers so you can give it merry hell as you strum. Your aim is…

ERIC CLAPTON ‘Woman’ Tone Slowhand’s Cream-era tones are still lusted after today. But his most famous honking, rich and smooth sound has a simple setting at its core; choose the middle position of a twohumbucker guitar, turn the bridge pickup tone down to zero with some overdrive and your amp’s treble turned up. On a Strat’s five-way selector, try the middle and bridge position and roll back the middle pickup’s tone control. HEAR: Sunshine Of Your Love (Cream – Disraeli Gears) DAVID GILMOUR Gain Control Gilmour’s rig may have been studied more times that the Rosetta Stone, but he’s actually does a lot to orchestrate his tone with pickup changes and control alterations. Even in the early 70s, Gilmour’s frequent use of his Strat’s volume to control gain levels…

RATE This knob (aka Time or Delay) handles the length of time between your original note, and the repeated note from the effect. It’s often referred to in milliseconds, but some pedals allow you to set it by a note value (crotchets, quavers etc) in conjunction with a tap tempo switch to make setting the delay time easier. LEVEL Sometimes referred to as the Mix, Blend or Effect control, this bad boy determines how loud the effected sound will be versus your guitar signal. It tends to work as a crossfader, so all the way to the left will give you your dry sound, all the way to the right will mean you’ll only hear the delayed notes, and 12 o’clock will give you equal volume of both. FEEDBACK Some…

Amp modelling has been a convenient option for recording for some time. The sound of a modelled amp in a well-mixed track can be pretty indistinguishable from a real amp and cabinet recorded in a room with a microphone. However, it has had its detractors for live work, usually because playing through amp sims doesn’t sound or feel exactly like playing through a valve amp – that tactile experience makes all the difference. Over the past few years, however, players embraced the latest generation of amp modellers, typified by Kemper and Fractal, and noqw the Helix. The difference is that the technology has improved: the use of dual DSP processors and the resultant increase in detail in the modelling means that the sound and feel are now akin to the…

The V72 walks a line between the past and the present NECK THE V72 has a satin-smooth C-profile neck that feels modern and quick, and is lots of fun – especially for beginners PICKUPS WITH a ceramic magnet at their core, these Wilkinson Double Coil humbuckers are harmonically bright, with plenty of hard-rock power SOUNDHOLE THE chambered alder body makes the V72 light and easy on the back, warm and dynamic to the ear AT A GLANCE BODY: Alder, chambered w/ flame maple veneer NECK: Maple, bolt-on SCALE: 25.5” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 22 PICKUPS: 2x Wilkinson WHHB Alnico humbuckers CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x tone, 3-way pickup selector HARDWARE: Chrome LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: Flamed Tobacco Burst only CONTACT: John Hornby Skewes www.jhs.co.uk 01132 865 381 THE Reissued Series from Brit brand…

AT A GLANCE TOP: Solid Western Red Cedar BACK & SIDES: Rosewood NECK: Mahogany SCALE: 25.31” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 20 ELECTRICS: Fishman Isys+ 301T w/ tuner HARDWARE: Chrome die-cast tuners with ebonite buttons LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: Natural gloss IF Sitka spruce is the bee’s knees when it comes to tone wood then why is the snappily-titled HG26SCE topped with cedar? Actually, it’s solid Western Red cedar, and, yes it does trump spruce in one regard. While spruce takes a while for its tone to mature – you unlock its potential by actually playing the guitar – cedar flashes its goodies pretty much from the first strum. Unlike the HD10S and HD30SCE dreadnought guitars, the HG26SCE sports a grand auditorium-sized body with a cutaway for upper fret access. While a dreadnought…

OPEN TUNINGS are great for inspiring new ideas. By altering the guitar’s tuning notes, even the simplest open chords can yield fresh sounds. This month’s track is played in DADGAD tuning, traditionally popular with folk guitarists but used in many other genres too; songs as diverse as Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir and Slipknot’s Circle have used DADGAD tuning. To retune your guitar you’ll need to drop your first, second, and sixth strings down two semitones (that’s the same as two frets) to D, A and low D respectively. It’s advisable to check all your strings with a tuner because the change in tension may throw the rest out, too. Ed plays this track with a capo at the 2nd fret. This gives you two options: either tune to DADGAD and use…

SOLO WHEN IT comes to the fast notes in bars 6 and 7, it’s not enough to just pick as fast as you can and hope for the best. You must pay careful attention to making the pick land exactly when your fi nger frets the note. This is a real lesson in using shred to convey emotion and intensity in a piece, rather than just mindless widdling. Full solo + backing (tracks 53-54) THIS song comes with a full demo track and a backing track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in IN THIS RIVER Words and music by Zakk Wylde © 2005 Bellbottoms and Beer Music. Reach Global Ltd. Used by permission of Hal Leonard corporation. All rights reserved. International copyright secured…

CHRIS BIRD CHRIS has had his mind on alternate tunings this month thanks to TG’s Riff Of The Month, Classic Track and Open-mic Songbook tracks all sporting non-standard tunings. And if you don’t feel like retuning, why not try out our tab of Zakk Wylde’s solo from In This River on p108? JOSH GARDNER SPRING has finally sprung, and that means festival season is just around the corner. Josh spoke to three of the acts on the bill at 2000 Trees 2016 - Refused, Twin Atlantic and Black Peaks – and came away with an enhanced appreciation of the Cotswolds’ badger population. Read all on p12. ROB LAING IN between fretting about the GN’R reunion line-up like some kind of flustered farmyard hen, Rob’s been looking at getting more out…

FLANGER Depth: 50% Rate: 70% Mix: 60% THIS TRACK has a chunky, bright metal tone. Use a bridge position humbucker for clarity and bite, and dial in plenty of gain and treble on your amp. If your guitar has a single-coil pickup, raise the gain and bass, and wind back the treble a touch. Use a thick pick and play downstrokes for the entire rhythm guitar part. The lead guitar sound has slightly more gain on it than the rhythm tone and includes a fast flanger effect to give the metallic, shimmering quality. ALL THE video lessons in this issue of Total Guitar are available to view online at www.bit.ly/tg279video…

For a long time, Trixie Whitley avoided the guitar. Her father, the late Texan blues-rock hero Chris Whitley, had made the instrument his own and, despite showing an affinity for music, there were connotations with the six-string. “I had so much resistance towards it for the longest time,” she tells TG. “I think it was part of me trying to rebel as a teenager. The first time I picked it up, it was almost scary, because it felt so natural. Even though I couldn’t play, I immediately started writing a song. I remember being like, ‘Oh no! Why is this instrument doing this to me?’” Trixie’s music has taken her down a different path, though. She’s collaborated with the masterful Daniel Lanois and has developed a truly unique voice on…

“I’ve never thought I was great at guitar. I thought I was a two-trick pony – but they were good tricks” I got my first real six-string… “My first guitar was a black Les Paul Custom copy made by a Japanese firm called Columbus. It had a bolt-on neck – that’s how bad it was – and it cost £35 in 1974. I was obsessed with music, and a couple of kids at school had a band, so I talked my dad into buying me that guitar. I had it all in place: a little practice amp, curly guitar cable, plectrum, tuning fork – because there weren’t electronic tuners yet. I had everything plugged in, and it was like, ‘Now what?’ I actually had to play something. That was the…

LETTERS EMAILS PICS ETC… RETURN OF THE MAG Dear Total Guitar, I recently picked up my guitar again after a few years off (work and kids can’t get in the way forever!) and I just wanted to congratulate you on putting together a fine magazine for people like me. I used to buy TG back in the day, and I bought your magazine with Jimi Hendrix on the front during the Christmas break. I’ve picked up every issue since and I’m loving the variation of styles I see each month. So far this year I’ve learned some rockabilly licks, songs like Yesterday and I feel like I can play some more imaginative blues now too. Even my wife was impressed when I played her Half The World Away, even if…

USING your pick to play ringing arpeggios such as the Eagles’ Hotel California or Radiohead’s Street Spirit is a great way to add flair to a basic chord progression. However, a common problem when jumping from string to string is missing the string you are aiming for and picking a wrong note. A good way of addressing this is to break the picking process down into small steps. In our third tab exercise we have an arpeggio played on the fifth, third and first strings. This means we’re skipping over the second and fourth strings every time we change to a new note. You can build up to this full arpeggio by attempting the easier two- and three-note fragments. Gradually the whole process should get easier. TWO-NOTE FRAGMENT TRACKS 27-28…

“I wouldn’t say my playing has changed much over the years. The main constant through my career is that I’ve always been playing what I love. When I got the Ozzy gig, a lot of other guys were saying how well it would pay. But I didn’t think like that, I just had passion for the music, it’s what I loved playing. Looking back, I don’t think I’d change anything I’ve recorded, it’s not like I feel I could do anything better now. Plus I always had a blast while making it. I don’t know who makes record and doesn’t have a good time? It’s not like we’re doing construction and heavy lifting all day, starting from four in the morning and beat to shit by 7am. So I’m still…

FRACTAL AX8 €1,699 The main competitor to the Helix lacks the routing bells and whistles but puts some of the Axe-Fx II’s amp modelling and effects into a no-nonsense, stage-ready pedalboard with 512 presets ATOMIC AMPLIFIRE £469 The way to go if you’re on a budget but want a dual-DSP processor that can load cabinet impulse responses, but still fits neatly into a gigbag KEMPER PROFILER FROM €1,705 Kemper’s profiling technique is like taking a snapshot of a mic’d-up guitar rig – add the Profiler Remote controller pedal for onstage versatility…

AT A GLANCE TOP: Solid Sitka spruce BACK & SIDES: Figured quilt ash NECK: Mahogany SCALE: 25.31” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 20 ELECTRICS: Fishman Presys+ 501T w/ tuner HARDWARE: Gold die-cast tuners LEFT-HANDED: N/A FINISH: Natural gloss THE HD30SCE takes the classic dreadnought chassis of the lower-priced HD10S and modifies it with a cutaway at the 14th fret to better facilitate your dusty end visitation rights. Also included in the price is a Fishman Presys+ 501T pickup and preamp system with a built-in tuner. Like its more affordable brother, the HD30SCE offers a solid top of Sitka spruce, a satin-finished mahogany neck, a rosewood fretboard, 20 vintage frets and body and neck binding made of white plastic. You also get a bit more flash for your cash for your 400 notes.…

It’s surprising how well the Super Metal adapts to modern playing AT A GLANCE TYPE: Delay, chorus, distortion and overdrive CONTROLS: Chorus Mini: speed, depth, level; Analog Delay Mini: delay time, repeat, blend; Super Metal Mini: drive, edge, punch, attack, level; Tube Screamer Mini: overdrive, tone, level SOCKETS: Input, output, power BYPASS: True bypass POWER: 9V power supply only (not included) CONTACT: Headstock Distribution 0121 508 6666 www.ibanez.co.jp THE Ibanez 9 series is an effects institution. Pedals such as the TS-9 Tube Screamer, AD-9 Analog Delay and CS-9 Stereo Chorus have been mainstays on pro pedalboards since their introduction in the early 80s, and remain sought-after in tonehound circles. Last year, we saw the first mini-pedal to join the Ibanez effects stable, as the Tube Screamer Mini incited guitarists to…

“There’s nothing better than getting to try to make people happy or have a good time… what a privilege!” Barry McKenna When 2000 Trees was started in 2007 by six mates who were fed up of paying big festival prices to watch their favourite bands, we doubt they imagined how well things would pan out. Now into its ninth year, 2000 Trees is regularly featured on the ‘best small festival’ lists, with a reputation for booking a diverse selection of bands for the eveny at Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham. 2016 is no different – Twin Atlantic and Swedish hardcore legends Refused will headline the festival, while looking down the bill you can see acts as diverse as The Bronx, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Lonely The Brave appearing across the…

“TO ME this feels identical to my ESP Eclipse II. The E-II series has pretty much taken over from that series from what I’m aware of. So I’ve got two of these out with me on this tour. I’m not really into modern guitar styles. I just prefer more classic or vintage-looking guitars with a bit more class. I’m not into SuperStrats or anything pointy.” “THIS IS brand new, it’s the first tour I’m using it on. It comes with all black hardware and black EMGs, but I thought it would look really cool with gold hardware. So I fitted a new bridge and new tuners myself, which I hadn’t done before, I was a bit worried they didn’t line up… they look a bit wonky to me but I…

OPEN DAW POLICY Dear tightfists, after reading your reply to a letter last month (April) where you appear to have a whole bunch of tightfists waiting in the wings to give advice, and your reply regarding recording songs, my question is about edit/playback software. Is there anything out there you could recommend that is dirt cheap or free, which has basic recording, edit and playback. In particular I would love to be able to slow down downloaded or imported CD tracks either on playback or by first editing, so that I can follow them at my own pace and figure out what is going on, or follow them from tab. None of your strange app things, but for a PC with Windows. I do have a degree in computing, and…

“I play a GFI Expo S10 with a George L E-66 pickup tuned to Emmons E9. It’s got a nice, warm, balanced tone, which is perfect for the kind of playing I do with City And Colour. I’ve got a Milkman amp and it’s hands down the best-sounding amp I’ve ever played through. These amps are hand wired by Tim Marcus in San Francisco. In my effects chain I’ve got a Goodrich L-120 volume pedal, an EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Fuzz, a Boss Phaser, a Strymon El Capistan and Strymon Flint. I’ve also got this genius little expression unit that our tech Kenny built for me based on an idea my friend Erik and I came up with. I wanted a way to control the mix of my Strymon delay and…

1 HOLDING YOUR PICK Adjust your grip on your pick to suit the kind of music you are playing. Generally, a thin pick is better for strumming whereas a thick pick is better suited to the precision of soloing. 2 OPEN CHORDS Your main aim is fretting the right notes without muting the open strings. An open C chord provides a decent benchmark test. Fret the chord and pick the strings one at a time – they must all ring out. If any strings are dead you probably need to adjust the position of your hand so that you fret with the very tips of your fingers. 3 BARRE CHORDS Barre chords are a challenge that every novice guitarist faces and it can take a while to develop the strength…

HAMMER-ONS and pull-offs (aka legato) sound best when all notes are played at the same volume. This means making sure all four fingers move with the same speed and force. Most guitarists find that their first, second and third fingers work well together, but that their third and fourth fingers don’t coordinate so well – so this is where to focus your practice. Our exercises use essentially the same lick, but, by starting on the second note, Example 2 places the emphasis on different fingers. You should find Example 1 feels more natural because it starts with the first finger on the beat. For Example 2, you’ll need to slow right down until you get the feel. PLAIN LEGATO TRACKS 19-20 HAMMER ON the first three notes with your first,…

ELECTRONICS If you have a low/mid–price guitar, you can improve things by replacing the standard wiring and potentiometers. Of key interest here is the pots’ resistance value, because the cheaper they are, the more they tend to vary. As a rule, higher resistance = more treble. A Strat, for example, can sound very different with 300k or 200k pots (the ‘correct’ value is 250k). Likewise, 300k and 500k pots – both common fitments – sound quite different in a Les Paul or ES-335. CAPACITORS The capacitor in your guitar’s tone control can influence its sound greatly. The lower the cap’s value, measured in microfarads (uF), the less high end will be lost as the tone control is turned down. So if you reckon your guitar sounds too muddy and it…

Playing in Neck Deep requires more than a knack for writing hooks and a strong picking hand – it’s a full body workout. “It’s about portraying that [energy] on stage,” says West. “We’re not the type of band that will sit there staring at the floor.” “And we’ve got ramps on stage,” explains Sam. “We had them in the States and they had a gentle slope, but these ones, the incline is insane…” “You could fire a rocket to the moon off ’em,” West concurs. “If you don’t jump down, you’re either on your arse or you look like a toddler walking down it!” The ramps aren’t the only peril. “[Playing Reading] was funny because, trying to run across that [main] stage, you’d get halfway and start skipping,” laughs Sam.…

The sounds can stand side by side with Kemper or Fractal JOYSTICK A cool multi-function control speeds you through the editing process – turn it, push it or tilt it in one of four directions FOOTSWITCHES AS well as handling presets and individual effects switching, the footswitches are touch-sensitive for on-the-fly editing TREADLE WHAT’S it to be: wah, volume, pitch? There’s also a toe switch to toggle the two parameter values displayed in the adjoining scribble strip AT A GLANCE TYPE: Amp modeller/ multi-effects pedal CONTROLS: Volume, phones, 1x joystick, 8x ‘soft’ knobs, 7x buttons, 12x footswitches, ground lift switch, pedal treadle EFFECTS: 70 AMP MODELS: 41 guitar, 7 bass SOCKETS: Standard guitar input, standard aux input, XLR mic input, standard main outputs (L/mono, R), XLR main outputs (L/mono, R),…

Hit a clean boost and the thing damn near takes off HEADSTOCK THIS ‘centre-raised’ headstock dates back to 1962, while the ‘Chesterfield’ pillar motif appeared in the late 50s. Neither are inlays, by the way, but silk-screened silver paint PICKUPS THIS mini-humbucker arrived in the early 60s and was used on upper-market models, while DeArmondmade single coils, including a white-faced DynaSonic, were used from 1961 BODY GUILD has traditionally used a striped laminated mahogany (or sapele) for its guitar bodies. The II is fully hollow aside from a sizeable block that connects top to back AT A GLANCE BODY: Laminated mahogany NECK: Mahogany, set SCALE: 629mm (24.75”) FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 20, narrow jumbo PICKUPS: 2x Guild LB-1 humbuckers CONTROLS: 3-way toggle pickup selector, individual pickup volume and tones, master volume…

AT A GLANCE TOP: Solid Sitka spruce BACK & SIDES: Mahogany NECK: Mahogany SCALE: 25.31” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 20 ELECTRICS: N/A HARDWARE: Chrome die-cast tuners LEFT-HANDED: HD10SLH £269 FINISH: Natural gloss CONTACT: Sound Technology 01462 480800 www.soundtech.co.uk MANY of us kicked off our playing careers on a sub-£100 acoustic-shaped thing. It looked like a guitar and maybe even sounded reasonably guitar-like when you hit the strings. What we didn’t realise, thanks to our youthful inexperience, was an important, ear-pleasing piece of the puzzle was missing: something we call ‘tone’. The new Washburn Heritage Series HD10S addresses any tonal concerns with a couple of tried and tested timbers. The back and sides are made from mahogany. The top is solid Sitka spruce, a slice of tree that sends a shiver of…

TYPE: Cocked wah/fuzz pedal CONTROLS: Volume, frequency, tone, drive, bottom, cry/talk, pre fuzz/ off post, bias, SOCKETS: Input, output, expression pedal input BYPASS: Buffered POWER: 9V battery or power adaptor (supplied) CONTACT: Electro-Harmonix www.ehx.com THE‘cocked wah’ sound has been heard on many a classic track – from the opening riff of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing to Mick Ronson’s tone on Ziggy Stardust. And that’s the sort of sound the EHX Cock Fight has in store for you. You can use the Cock Fight as a regular wah by plugging in an expression pedal (not supplied), but that’s not really the point. Instead, twisting the frequency knob a good old twist – it mimics the sweep on a classic wah pedal – find a tone you like and then park…

WITH ITS stop-start dynamics and epic vibe that stretches across almost five minutes, Stockholm Syndrome showcases Muse’s prog-rock sensibilities, calling up echoes of Genesis and heavier moments of early King Crimson. The track opens with a tricky single-string riff that may take a little time to get up to speed. It’s all about nailing the timing of the position shifts while maintaining a steady picking motion. It’s all played on one string so you can easily practise each hand separately and put the two together as you get the hang of things. The verse and solo see matt getting creative with his signature octave technique. The idea is a simple one: instead of playing a melody using one note at a time, you double up and play a second note…

WITH EVERY guitar grade there is a set of new chords to learn and if you take an RGT assessment you’ll be asked to demonstrate them. At Grade One there are six chords, and in addition RGT has two pre-Grade One grades and you must also know the chords from these. All of the chords you need to know are shown below as ‘chord box’ diagrams. Most of RGT’s Grade One chords are ‘dominant 7th’ chords shown with a ‘7’ after the letter name. Don’t worry about the technical name for now – the theory is far more complicated than actually playing the shapes, so just work on fretting the right notes and changing from shape to shape. The exercises at the bottom of the page show just one way…

WHAT IS TAB? TAB is short for tablature, a notational system used to give detailed information as to where notes should be played on the fretboard. Tab appears underneath conventional music notation as six horizontal lines that represent the strings of the guitar, from the sixth (thick) string at the bottom to the first (thin) string at the top. On these lines, numbers represent the frets where you should place your fingers. For example, an A note on the 2nd fret, third string, will be shown as a number ‘2’ on the third line down on the tab. Unfretted strings are shown with a ‘0’. The key and time signatures are shown in the traditional notation. TG also includes a timestamp to tell you where in the original track you’ll…

10. Def Leppard – Hysteria (1987) The Steel City poodles suffered endless bombshells recording their fourth album, most spectacularly when drummer Rick Allen lost an arm after crashing his Corvette (“You’d think we were cursed,” noted vocalist Joe Elliott). The happy ending came when Pour Some Sugar On Me was adopted as a strip-club anthem – shunting Hysteria to UK and US No 1. 9. The Happy Mondays – Yes Please! (1992) Sending the Madchester scallies to record in Barbados seemed like a smart move – until the Mondays realised how cheaply they could score crack there. Cue mayhem, with the band flipping hire cars, flogging studio furniture, stealing the master tapes – and bankrupting their label. 8. The Beatles – Let It Be (1970) If the White Album was…