What a Suprise, It’s Carlos Santana’s Birthday Today

As BTO would say ” Taking care of business and working overtime” is what I’m doing today. From the Bachman Turner Overdrive-11 Album. When I woke up and I found out it was Carlos Santana’s birthday I knew I better get to it.

Carlos Santana

He is 61 today. It’s wild to think he is only six years older than me. Carlos Santana was new and fresh when he came on the scene. He made an instant impact on me and a lot of other people. Carlos was already a great player when hit the scene. That is a lot of what attracted me to his vibe, but his tunes and lyrics were really catchy and we spent a lot of time kicked back listening to Carlos Santana.

What impresses me the most about Carlos is he never stopped playing. He kept producing new albums and improving his chops. Not to many guitarists in the world can say they have Carlos Santana’s tone. He is a picky dude when it comes to tone. He has his preferences in gear, it’s his way or the highway. Simply put, Carlos is an icon in the music world. His music seems generation less, everybody vibes to Carlos Santana.
Since it’s Sunday, I’m going to refer you to a good solid biography and gear he used in Wikipdia.

Other interesting posts from Guitar Players Center.

Not Your Ordinary “Joe” Turns 52 Today

The Guitars of Jimi Hendrix

Roy Buchanan, An American Guitar Player

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All Hail The Queen, Brian May Is 61 Years Today

Brian May of QueenThere is a lot more to Brian May than being one of the most gifted guitar players ever. Best known as the guitarist for the band “Queen”, Brian is an interesting multi faceted guy with other noteworthy credentials.

I’m not going to preach to you that Brian May or Queen were my favorite, however I am a fan and not unaware of Brian’s skills as a guitarist and I enjoy the music of Queen and Brian’s guitar work. I respect the heck out of him and wish I could play a guitar like him. I recommend that you become acquainted with Brian if you are less than 40 years old and are not sure who he is. Best stated in Wikipedia, the first major achievement discussed in Brian’s biography is not as a musician. Simply put, it will surprise you at most his accomplishments outside of music.

His equipment consisted primarily of The Brian May “Red Special” guitar is best described at Brian May Guitars. Definitely worth a look. A Vox Custom Classic AC30BM Brian May Signature 30w 2×12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp as well as a specially designed DigiTech Artist Series- Brian May Pedal. All of which can be purchase at Guitar Center.

For more birthday articles, here are a few posts to keep you busy today.

Not Your Ordinary “Joe” Turns 52 Today..

Little Feat Paul Barrere Turns 60 Today..

All Hail To Jeff Beck Turning 64 Years Old..

Guitar Player Center congratulates Brian May and wishes him a great birthday and many more. If you have more info on Brian or want  a to make a comment, please deposit  it. Enjoy.

Experience Jimi Hendrix on Guitar Hero

Jimi Hendrix, March 31, 1967 London AstoriaJimi Hendrix WorshipIt’s been confirmed by Jimi Hendrix’s Estate and Museum that several of his tracks will be appearing in the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour. Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s sister and overseer of the late guitar god’s estate says that after originally having some difficulty locating a tremendous collection of master tracks ( perhaps, this deal’s been in the works for quite some time?), the tracks have been found, and promptly made available to Neversoft, the maker of Guitar Hero. Four of the songs to be used are Purple Haze, Foxy Lady, perhaps “The Wind Cries Mary” & Little Wing. Janie says of the deal “Guitar Hero really was on the ball and and they were stomping at the gates to get this out this year, so, we just accommodated them…Jimi enjoyed games as a kid — he definitely would have played these games”. Perhaps!

Well what do you think? Maybe we should all get the Jimi Hendrix guitar Hero game, we want to play like him, but realistically speaking, maybe Guitar Hero is as close as most folks will get to playing the guitar. I don’t buy it and I won’t buy it. I am a guitar player, I don’t play computer games. I spend my time diligently practicing methodically to reach my goal. Caution: try not to overdo it because Hendrix’s music is difficult to play, sore wrists seem to be a common ailment when playing Jimi’s unorthodox style. Practicing smart in regards to your hands, fingers and wrists is critical to a guitarists health.

Correct me If I’m wrong, as I mentioned , I have yet to experience (no pun here) a guitar video game, and I don’t care to. But for me, with my real Strat, when I play a phrase or several measures or a whole song where my pure instincts and raw emotion take over, that is the best feeling in the world. I’m zoning at that point and nothing else in the world exists or matters.

Simply put, playing the guitar is not a game to me, however I can see where these guitar video games have a purpose in terms of entertainment. A burning desire has consumed me since the first time I heard Hendrix on a replay of a BBC broadcast from England played on American radio in the mid ’60’s. I actually saw Hendrix live later in the ’60’s. Ironically, the opening band was Edgar Winter and White Trash w/Johnny Winter. The most passionate and moving and impactful concert/event ever. More moving than watching the Redskins beat the hell out of the Bills in Super Bowl XX!!, in person in Minneapolis Minnesota. So now you know my two most passionate vibes.

More on attending/hearing/experiencing a Live Hendrix concert soon.

Since I have no game experience, I’m looking for comments and input. Guitar players Center has a desire to know the truth from folks who play both a guitar and guitar video games. What is it like? Do you learn anything? Are you a better guitar player for it? Or is it jut a money making ploy designed to keep kids at home, safe and sound and out of shape? Comment and spill your guts to GPC and our readers.

Enjoy

Nathan I. Daniel Danelectro Guitar Company Founder

Recently, I wrote an article titled “The Guitars of Jimi Hendrix“. Within a short time a gentleman named Howard E. Daniel contacted me with his story, after reading it with amazement, there was no way I could not share it with you. As my blog grows and more folks read it, sign up for free, and make comments every day, I make new friends. Howard sent me a link to his article and asked me to read it, I read it and now you can. We will be friends for a long time.

The article that Howard E. Daniel put so much effort into is one that contains many facts that seemingly are not well known, and based on my efforts to bring unknown or unusual subjects and valid guitar history to the forefront, this article is well qualified. The full story only came out because I mentioned that Jimi Hendrix played a red Danelectro single pickup Silvertone, nicknamed “Betty Jean”, as his second electric guitar.

We all know Jimi eventually ended up playing /abusing Fender Stratocaster guitars for the bulk of his career, Read More »

Not Your Ordinary “Joe” Turns 52 Today

Joe Satriani Click Pictures to enlarge.Ibanez JS Signature Series guitar

Joe Satriani, guitarist well beyond extra ordinary turns 52 years old today. It is a note worthy birthday. Joe is one of most gifted, talented hardworking guitarists that ever lived. His dedication to effective practice techniques, musical knowledge and unique playing style are qualities we should all celebrate and embrace.

Joe and myself actually have a common link. Try to follow this. I have actually only had two teachers in my life. My classical teacher, from eleven to fourteen and a half years old (he was an advocate of discipline) and Richard Mac, my electric guitar teacher who has taught me the bulk of of advanced tricks and techniques I use, and of course had a major influence on my playing style. Richard is easily as knowledgeable as Joe Satriani, and in the same class as a guitarist. Enough.

Richard, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai all took lessons as teenagers from a man in New York named Lou Capese (I may not be spelling Lou’s name properly). Not surprising, since the three men mentioned have similar skills, and more important, using the lessons and exercises that Joe Satriani and Steve Vai recommend in articles and lessons in Guitar Player magazine one can see the major resemblances to the way Richard trained me.

According to the story, Lou was sick one day, he asked Joe if he would ride his bicycle over to deliver Richard his lesson and help him with it! It was a good lesson, I have had the privilege of having that lesson presented to me by Richard, he saved it all of those years. If you would like to see and even try a very similar lesson, check out the new Jimi Hendrix Special issue of Guitar Player Magazine. Page 72-75. These are the type of warm-up exercises and techniques one must endure in order to reach higher levels of play. The mag is full of lessons from other guitar hero’s. The bulk of lessons are drills and exercises. Muscle memory is the key word here. No body said it would be easy, unless you are committed to 3 chord songs and not playing lead.

We saw Joe in concert a few years ago. Eric Johnson was the lead off band. What a coincidence! Eric is another story. Joe played for one and a half hours. All instrumental. There is no doubt that Joe has carved his own niche in guitar history. He demonstrated musically, that he was a great student and put his tools to use in the Joe Satriani way. He darn near wore that Ibanez JS out.

Joe was born July 15, 1956 in Westbury, New York, was/is heavily influenced by Read More »

Make Volume Swells A Part of Your Guitar Vibe

A volume swell is a musical crescendo commonly associated with the electric guitar. Crescendo, in standard musical notation, refers to a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases.

The technique is often executed by the little finger of the guitarist which is wrapped around the volume pot/knob of the guitar. When the note is struck the volume is increased from zero by a rolling motion of the little finger. Alternatively, the effect is achieved with a volume pedal. It is sometimes called “violinning”, because the sound is similar to a bowed violin. Allan Holdsworth pioneered the technique of the pedal swelling along with a delay unit to create a thicker sound that’s more associated with chellos.

Guitar players who can do volume swells with the volume knob, often change them to round roller knobs to give your pinkie more traction and accuracy. Personally I use the stock Stratocaster knobs and find them very adequate.

Adding volume swells to your repertoire will take some time in terms of practice and patience. It is considered one of the most beautiful flowing sounds an electric guitar can be manipulated into performing. Take a few minutes out of every practice session to develop your technique. In time, you will become a master and more viable player.

Roy Buchanan was famous for his emotive volume swells, often in combination with note bending and vibrato. Jan Akkerman used the technique with Focus.

Another early use of swells is found in the Beatles recording of Eight Days a Week.

Check this video out, it is very understandable, and a good tutorial to use in order to learn how to do a volume swell.

Volume swells fall into the same category Read More »

Guitar Setup-Step 2: How To Check Guitar Neck Relief

What a relief. Zero!The next logical step in checking and setting up your guitar, step number two is the natural procedure to perform next. Step number one demonstrated effectively how to perform a basic Neck Evaluation and Truss Rod Adjustment.

Step number two is how to professionally check the amount of relief in the guitar neck with a specialized guitar neck relief gauge. I am also going to demonstrate how a DIY-er might perform this procedure at home with minimal if any tool expense.

Eric Clapton Guitar with relief guageFirst things first: No matter what you want to do during your guitar setup, realistically speaking, you gotta check and adjust neck relief before you go any further. We can’t really adjust our truss rod if we can’t check the relier or flatness of our guitar neck. Period. Remember, we are going for flatness, as I mentioned in the prior setup article, I prefer a flat neck and most folks do as well, even if they don’t know it.

The top picture is a precision dial indicator gauge which is mounted to the special neck relief gauge tool in the second picture (Checking a Custom Shop Eric Clapton Strat, which by the way has zero relief) or the left side tool in the third picture. It’s for repeated and highly accurate professional use.

The tool on the right side in the third picture is a good ‘old fashioned’ precision straight edge, about 12″-18″ long, and a set of feeler gauges. Don’t underestimate these tools. Many guitar makers, aka luthiers, and myself use these tools very successfully for some hi-profile guitar players.

Guitar neck toolsInterestingly enough, one of my readers asked me about this subject this morning, based on his findings that only 1 in 20 guitars come setup properly from the factory. What a coincidence!

For testing purposes, as you can see, the guitar maker performs all of the procedures in the normal playing position as noted in the pictures and with the guitar tuned to pitch, whether it be concert pitch or 1/2 step down or what ever pitch you normally play in. Another way of looking at it is, that tuning the guitar to pitch puts the proper amount of tension on the neck, such as when you play it.

Referring to the picture at the beginning of the last setup article it is easy to see the different types of forward and back bow(relief) a neck can develop. The tool with the dial indicator is purely accurate. You can see the needle and numbers on the dial, so it is quite easy to look at the exact amount of the measurement, what direction the needle turned, meaning clockwise or counter clockwise. If the needle goes clockwise then it has up-bow, conversely, if the needle goes counter clockwise, we have back-bow.

Using the straight edge in the same guitar position we used with the dial indicator, set the ruler on the fret board as centered as possible, then carefully see if and where there may be light coming from between the frets and the straight edge. If there is light in the middle, you have up-bow. Where ever you see light, obviously there is a gap there, and that is where the feeler gauges come in. Measure the gap with the feeler gauge and determine the amount of bow and what direction to turn the truss rod  for “zero” gap. Easier said than done, but not impossible.

Needless to say, the truss-rod is how to adjust the relief. Just as needless to say, the direction of the bow in the neck determines what direction to turn the truss rod. Remember, don’ force it, or my next article will have to be about replacing a truss rod!

Briefly, Guitar Players Center is interested in putting together inexpensive DIY brand and model specific home basic setup kits. For the folks that are handy, this can be a really inexpensive way to setup your axe and keep it setup. Let me know if you like this idea?
Advise and help is always free at GPC. Keep in touch or subscribe to our blog for free and get the next installment, Step 3 of GPC’s guitar upgrades and setup series delivered right to your door. Any comments or suggestions, please feel to express them. Enjoy.

Is There An Ambidextrous Guitar Player Out There?

When I wrote Tuesday’s article (7/8/8) it seemed like a pretty straight up topic and strategy to learn and play some Jimi Hendrix chords. A lot of comments came in, but one of them really cracked me up. It also is the foundation of this article. Pzychotropic, who is one of my loyal readers and a really good guitar player commented:

I hope I don’t have to become left-handed to learn these chords ;-)
Tho’ that my be the kind of challenge to rekindle the learning fire! - Any ambidextrus guitarists out there? :)”
By the way check out Pzychotropic at You Tube. It’s worth it. A little Voodo vibe.

I find that to be a legit question that deserves a legit answer. Several discoveries were made when I bought a teaching DVD from Andy Aledort, guitar player and teacher extraordinaire.  He has a band, is one of the associate editors of Guitar World magazine and puts together a SRV tribute concert with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon as well as a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert, that kicks ass every year.

Most of the best Hendrix and SRV transcriptions are prepared by Andy. Andy is considered one of the foremost authorities on Jimi Hendrix’s guitar techniques in the world. He is a master of music theory and playing styles and his transcription’s of Hendrix, in particular are the most accurate anywhere. Take my word for it, breaking down Hendrix and his quirky ways of using scales and chords it is a pretty heady subject. That is why Hendrix will always be the greatest.

That being said, my first instructional DVD from Andy was for Albert King. Albert KingYou may not be aware of this, but Albert King was a major influence for Stevie Ray, Jimi Hendrix and a slew of other players, including myself. Listen to Albert King and then listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan. You need new ears if you can’t hear the Albert King two(2) note bends in SRV’s style.

Most people don’t know that Albert King played a right handed guitar in the left handed position, much like Jimi Hendrix. One major difference was, where Jimi restrung the guitar so his high E was on the bottom and the low E was on the top, Albert simply played the guitar backwards, Albert did not reverse his strings.

So, here is the mind-blower, Andy always starts out his lesson with some background and theory describing the music itself and playing style of the artist on the DVD. As usual he went through his detailed, but understandable, (to more advanced players), way of describing the aforementioned background & details.  I have had the privilege of seeing Andy Aledort & The Groove Kings play, and Andy is a right handed Stratocaster player. So after he describes his take on the method of how Albert King played a guitar, he whips out a guitar that looks like the one Albert played.  He turns the guitar to the left handed position, remember, not only is it backwards now, but  the strings are upside down.  Andy proceeds to play the guitar Albert King style, left handed and backwards strung like he was born to play like that.

It is unbelievable to see this. He does however switch back to a correctly strung right handed guitar for the tutorial. Albert King has a cool vibe, no doubt. And, Albert’s style is an essential ingredient that most electric blues players use. I recommend this DVD just to see Andy play a backwards un-resrtrung guitar only, but it is a great tutorial with more than enough information to keep you busy for a while.

Ambidextrous, I don’t know, amazing yes. Thanks for your comments, you made it easy for Guitar Players Center to choose a topic today. By the way, Guitar World has some terrific lessons every month from many artists, and the magazine comes with a free DVD that has the lessons on it. If not every month, than every other month, you will find a lesson by Andy Aledort. Don’t cheat yourself, check them out at Andy’s site or any good music store. Enjoy.

Jimi Hendrix Chords

Jimi Hendrix ChordsClick this link or the picture to enlarge and copy. Many folks are mystified at what chords were used and how Jimi Hendrix used them in order to create some of the extraordinary sounds unheard of now and at the time.

Note: These were handwritten years ago. I hope you can understand them. Structurally speaking, Jimi did not invent these chords. If one understands chord structure, than any chord can be formed anywhere on the neck using basic chord making rules. Jimi had no formal instruction, there fore if it sounded good he played it.

As mentioned, this is a really old chart made up years ago for reference purposes. Very advanced and takes lots of practice. These chords are not for beginners, simply put, to master these chords, one should probably become a master of the essential guitar chords and scales stage 0ne(1), and essential chords and scales stage two(2). Realistically speaking, one must know all of the guitar chords listed in the chords category first.

One recommendation would be to learn all of the essential chords first, until they become instinctual. However, I don’t see any harm in learning the Jimi Hendrix chords and practicing them for literally years while you learn the essential chords. Basically it is a matter of muscle memory. For obvious reasons, the more difficult the chord, the more time it takes to become instinctual. By the time you learn these particular chords, you should have developed some ‘chops’ by then.

I bet a lot of veteran players know these chords. Every one of them will agree that it takes a while for your fingers to even be able to manipulate these chord positions. By the way they are chromatic, which means in part that they are move able, essentially making them playable any where you want on the neck. The R stands for the root note of the chord.

We are all in the guitar vibe for the long run, and by the time you master these chords, they will start to sound like what you expect them to sound like. Sometimes when you don’t have the chops, a chord or phrase does not sound the way it does on the record. Mostly this is due to not being advanced enough to play the rhythm properly and time your hammer ons and hammer offs correctly. Using a logical and effective method to practice your guitar will put you on the right path.

Other than the unusual way Hendrix manipulated seemingly ordinary essential scales in his unique and quirky way, he was a master at harmonically and melodically integrating these chords, so the sound had a memorable impact on you. Leaving you wanting for more. Tension and release.

As I mentioned before, Jimi did not invent the chords presented here. He made use of them in a manner that made a lot of guitarists follow his lead(no pun here). Stevie Ray Vaughan also had a vibe for these chords. In fact Jimi and SRV were the only guys I know of, at least at the time, who could play lead guitar with chords only! Wow!

Take your time and learn them, don’t become frustrated. They will become handy someday. Guitar Players Center will continue to share the unusual Hendrix vibes and some of the quirky stuff he did that separated him from everyone else. Are you thinking out of the box? Can you add anything to this article? Please do. Share it with your friends and most important, enjoy.

All Stand For The National Anthem…

Take your hat off and put your hand over your heart.

GPC. Nothing left to say. Enjoy.