Innehållsförteckning för July 2021 från Total Guitar

The new album shows off your knack for putting different genres together – how did that approach come about? I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and if you grew up in that era, I think your musical taste isn’t just one thing. There were so many things going on - from hip hop to grunge to R&B. I think my sound kind of embodies what was going on in that time, but it’s also always been a conscious thing to want to mix these things together - to make a style of rock music that wasn’t just for one person. Your sound also channels some of the Seattle greats, from Hendrix to Cobain... Like I say, I’m a product of my environment! I grew up in the same…

Model behaviour All three pedals make use of Universal Audio’s excellent modelling technology, which is renowned for creating some of the greatest emulations of classic studio hardware Reverb & Delay The Golden Reverberator and Starlight both feature three types of reverb and delay respectively, with three variations for each sound plus additional models available to download for free Astra Modulation Machine The Astra covers Chorus, Flanger/Doubler and Tremolo straight out of the box, with a Phaser and bonus Trem model available once you’ve registered…

bit.ly/tg346audio Summers based his riff on his trademark moveable add9 chord shape. Luckily, the shape stays the same throughout the sequence, so once you’ve mastered the initial stretch your hand shape stays the same as you move into each new position. The watery shimmer comes courtesy of an Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger and Summers’ ’63 humbucker-loaded Telecaster. Appears at: 0:00-0:32 Tempo: 150 bpm Key/scale: C# minor Main techniques: Finger stretches, sus2 chords, arpeggios TG TIP These chord shapes are fearsome! Practise higher up the fretboard until you feel comfy with ’em!…

bit.ly/tg346audio Only the first note of each bar changes here, but SCOM’s riff remains a notoriously tricky little finger twister. We recommend learning bar 1 in full before taking a view on your preferred fingering pattern in bars 3 and 5 where the changes occur. Picking-wise, we recommend a pure alternating down-up approach. You won’t always be picking in the direction of the next note, but we’d argue it’ll help keep your timing in check. Appears at: 0:00-0:46 Tempo: 112 bpm Key/scale: D Mixolydian Main techniques: Alternate picking, arpeggios TG TIP TG Tip: Keep your eyes/ears on the first note of each bar. It’s the only note that changes until the variation in the very last bar of the intro.…

bit.ly/tg346audio Often mistakenly played in drop D tuning, Walkis actually in D standard (DGCFAD). The riff is closest to the notes of the D Super Locrian or ‘altered’ scale (D E b F G b A b B b C). Though often considered to be an advanced jazz scale, it works well in metal, too, thanks to all those menacing minor intervals. The opening section utilises the open sixth string and a semitone bend at the 1st fret. The rests are just as important as the notes, so keep the strings silent by lightly touching them with all four fingers and the side of your pick hand. Appears at: 0:00-0:36 Tempo: 115 bpm Key/scale: Super Locrian / chromatic Main techniques: String bending, powerchords, palm-muting TG TIP: Keep your signal silent…

KEMPER PROFILER STAGE Similar in price, and like the Quad Cortex it lacks an integrated expression pedal, but does feature a looper. However, tweaking those tones feels a little cramped. LINE 6 HELIX Line 6’s original flagship Helix model does come with an expression pedal onboard, so instantly gains points there, but it can’t match the flexibility of the Quad Cortex. FRACTAL FM3 The FM3 is closer to the Quad Cortex in size, albeit still carrying quite some bulk. And despite seeming like a condensed edition of the Axe-Fx range still has plenty to offer in the preset building stakes.…

Those who learned their first chords playing along to Last Nite might wince a little, but The Strokes’ debut album, Is This It, is now 20 years old. In the following years, there has been such an unstoppable tide of popular culture that it’s easy to forget the record’s impact. Is This It was typical of The Strokes’ Janus-faced sound. At once they were referencing the treble-forward jangle of classic American indie and garage rock, and yet they sounded so fresh – proving that it is hard to sound stale when you put so much treble in your guitar sound. Musically, the biggest lesson to take from Is This It is that our jobs as guitar players is to get out of the way of the vocals. Nick Valensi favoured…

Smile is second single release from Wolf Alice’s third studio album Blue Weekend. Having formed in 2010, the London based indie rockers have achieved worldwide recognition with a Mercury Prize winning 2017 album Visions Of A Life and a Grammy nomination for the song Moaning Lisa Smile. The track opens with an in-your-face, heavy single-note riff. Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie are on guitar duties and there are some synth and octave guitars blended into the mix to create a thicker sound. This means you can play the riff as a simple single-note affair using just one finger, or you can add an octave-up note. Map out the single notes on the sixth string, then add the octaves once you can follow them. Our slowed-down performance in the video on…

In recent years, Emily Wolfe has established herself as an electrifying blues-rock artist thanks to her incendiary live performances and fierce soloing capabilities. While gigging has been off the cards for the past year, she’s directed her creative energy in new directions and to spectacular effect – with the release of her second studio album, the genre-blending Outlier, and the launch of her first signature guitar, the Epiphone Sheraton ‘Stealth’. The highest degree of recognition for a guitar player is surely to have their own signature instrument designed and made to their exacting specifications and it’s an accolade which, in her modest way, Emily is still coming to terms with: “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” she says. “And I don’t know if it ever will, because it is…

20 RIFFS FROM THE POLL (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): • Back In Black AC/DC • Do I Wanna Know? Arctic Monkeys • Down Down Status Quo • Enter Sandman Metallica • Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry • Layla Derek And The Dominos • Livin’ On A Prayer Bon Jovi • Money Pink Floyd • Money For Nothing Dire Straits • Purple Haze The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana • Smoke On The Water Deep Purple • Sweet Child O’ Mine Guns N’ Roses • The Spirit Of Radio Rush • This Charming Man The Smiths • Walk This Way Aerosmith • Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin • You Really Got Me The Kinks • Rebel Rebel David Bowie • 20th Century Boy T. Rex MELODIC & RHYTHMIC…

bit.ly/tg346audio The iconic harmony lead lines kick in after the first chorus. Take a close listen and you’ll hear Robertson and Gorham sync’ing tightly on both vibrato and the precise length of each note – essential tricks of the twin-lead trade. Much of the line boils down to a six-note phrase: a single note that leads into a triplet, followed by a wide vibrato line and a staccato finishing note. Get this phrase down and you’ll have the whole riff together in no time. Appears at: 1:05-1:18 Tempo: 162 bpm Key/scale: A major Main techniques: Harmonised twin-lead, vibrato TG TIP Keep the note length and vibrato of both guitars the same and the harmony guitars will sound tight.…

bit.ly/tg346audio It’s easy to bluff your way through a roughly similar version of Ed King’s classic clean Strat riff. You’ll be playing open D5, Cadd9 and G5 chords (easy!) and a simple major pentatonic line (again, not too hard!). These parts are easy to adapt to make them easier to play. For a more authentic rendition, you’ll need to focus on picking the exact strings, so as to mirror King’s part. Appears at: 0:03-0:13 Tempo: 95 bpm Key/scale: D Mixolydian Main techniques: Open chords, arpeggios, accurate picking TG TIP: You can lose track of your picking accuracy, as long as you keep those chord changes nailed down!…

Taking his cues from guitar giants such as Jimmy Page and Josh Homme, Royal Blood bassist/vocalist Mike Kerr has created some of the greatest riffs of modern times. Better still, he knows how to deliver them, using a signal splitter to route through different amps and effects, filling out the spectrum in a contrast of layers, effectively doubling up on guitar, while the other half of Royal Blood, Ben Thatcher, pounds away on the drums. The duo’s wall of noise has made them one of the biggest British rock acts to emerge over the last decade, and ever since their self-titled debut album was released in 2014, Kerr has refused to reveal the specifics of his rig. Many interviewers have tried and failed, met with stone-cold answers: “I could tell…

BRIGHTON ROCK Words and Music by Brian May Copyright © 1974 Queen Music Ltd. Copyright Renewed All Rights Administered by Sony Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219 International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd. Find your audio tracks at bit.ly/tg346audio QUEEN BRIGHTON ROCK Intro Keep your strumming hand moving down and up in a 16th note rhythm throughout and use palm-muting where appropriate to create the percussive tone. Slow the riff right down and take note of which beats are downstrokes and which beats are upstrokes. This will help you coordinate your hands at this high tempo. QUEEN BRIGHTON ROCK Verse 1 The verse riff is based around a rock ’n’ roll I-IV-V progression, B E and F#.…

Welcome to the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome*) Station! Every issue, TG scours the market for the hottest new gear and brings you transparent reviews that you can trust. From the smallest of accessories that make your life easier, to big investments, such as brand new guitars, amps and effects pedals – if it’s worth your attention, you’ll find it here! 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…

For The Black Keys’ 10th studio release, Delta Kream, guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney went to the source of Mississippi Hill Country blues, recording songs by late cult heroes R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough with help from musicians who performed with them on classic albums and throughout their heyday. It’s fair to say The Black Keys wouldn’t exist without the songs on Delta Kream. The music of Burnside, Kimbrough and Fred McDowell was the inspiration for the grimy Rust Belt blues the duo recorded on early albums The Big Come Up [2002] and Thickfreakness [2003]. But whereas they paid homage to Burnside and Kimbrough with a handful of covers on those records, as well as on the 2006 EP Chulahoma, there is an added depth to Delta Kream,…

You most likely know Universal Audio from its OX Amp top box, or perhaps you use UA’s excellent DSP-powered interfaces and meticulously modelled plugins. Well, now, Universal Audio has applied its sonic sorcery to a trio of studio-level effects pedals. The line-up consists of three pedals: the Golden Reverberator, Starlight Echo Station and Astra Modulation Machine, each with three different on-board effects types or modes. With the Golden Reverberator you get tube-drive Spring 65, Plate 140 from The Plant studio and Hall 244 (based on the classic algorithms of a revered studio digital reverb). The Starlight Echo station delivers the Tape EP-III tape echo, Analog DMM (inspired by bucket brigade analogue delays) and Precision, based on studio digital delays with modulation. Both pedals include three variations on each category, while…

bit.ly/tg346audio This Waters-penned bass riff boils down to just eight notes, all from the B minor pentatonic scale (B D E F# A) and doubled by Gilmour’s Strat bridge pickup running through a Colorsound Power Boost. Watch the video to pick up the sequence of notes (the whole thing stays between the 2nd and 5th frets) and take care to keep a steady seven-count to outline the 7/4 rhythm. Appears at: 0:12-0:40 Tempo: 125 bpm Key/scale: B minor pentatonic Main techniques: Pentatonic phrasing, quarter-tone bends, odd time signature TG TIP The riff is seven beats long, so remember to keep your internal metronome counting from one to seven.…

bit.ly/tg346audio After setting the scene with the Devil’s interval intro, Hendrix unleashes a fuzz-laden riff that’s delivered with such flair and such precision, it went on to inspire just about every guitarist on the planet. Though not toodifficult to play, it’s tricky to learn, running through four pentatonic shapes from the open position to the 9th fret. Still, those bluesy phrases have a definite earworm effect. Appears at: 0:00-0:23 Tempo: 107 bpm Key/scale: E minor pentatonic scale Main techniques: Pentatonic phrasing, quarter-tone bends, vibrato TG TIP: Target the lowest fret with your first finger, and the highest with your third. Everything in between should feel comfortable.…

bit.ly/tg346audio Simple is often best, as the Young brothers demonstrate in this huge hit. The opening three chords (E5, D5 and A5) are beginner-friendly shapes. You just have to chop away firmly, keeping the idle strings quiet. The blues scale line that follows needs to be picked cleanly, and you’ll need to be prepared to jump back to the E5 chord quickly at the end. For the closing run on the sixth string pick with this pattern: down-up, up-down, down-up, up-down. Angus himself uses all downstrokes here (and you can easily swap to downpicking for that more urgent feel), but the down-up method is a great way to get a feel for the timing. Appears at: 0:06-0:27 Tempo: 91 bpm Key/scale: E blues scale Main techniques: Open position powerchords, blues…

BUDGET GRETSCH G2220 JUNIOR JET 2 BASS £319 Though he sticks with Fender basses these days, it was a tobacco sunburst Gretsch in Kerr’s hands for much of the first album cycle. As the man himself tells us, the shorter scale-length makes it an instrument that lends itself well to being played like a guitar. BLACKSTAR UNITY 500 COMBO £549 Presuming you already have a guitar rig, you will need a bass amp too, – and quite possibly something you can also gig with. The Blackstar Unity 500 brings a lot of power and tone without breaking the bank. ELECTRO-HARMONIX SWITCHBLADE PLUS £40 Giving you the option to route to your guitar amp or your bass amp, as well as both at the same time, this clever…

With individual, physical pedals at an all-time high, the term ‘real estate’ gets used now more than ever in relation to our pedalboards. One of the biggest cheeses on our sonic smorgasbord comes from expression-type pedals, and while a volume pedal may not be classed as ‘essential’, the humble-yet-effective wah pedal is a space-hogging staple. Enter the Cry Baby Junior. Now, this isn’t the first time that Dunlop has gone all Rick Moranis on its offspring, and the previously released Cry Baby Mini has solved many peoples’ pedalboard Jenga problems, but some might argue it solved them too well. The Junior has been designed in collaboration with pedalboard titans Pedaltrain to fit on its popular ’boards. It sits between the Mini and regular-sized Cry Baby, measuring 20cm long by 10cm…