GOJIRA EVA CASSIDY ED SHEERAN

ANOTHER WORLD SONGBIRD AFTERGLOW

*Video riff * Rockschool version

AHOY THERE!
WRITE YOUR
OWN SEA SHANTY
+ WELLERMAN
TABBED

THE NEW

GENERATION
STARRING

Ben
PLUS
Howard
JOHN SMITH
TASH SULTANA MOLLY TUTTLE
STEVE CROPPER
THE OFFSPRING & JON GOMM

RY MOORE
H
How th he Irish rocker
ttook the blues up to 11 REVIEWED
CLAS
C SSIC SRV TAB ! SHEERAN BY LOWDEN
M Had
Mary H A Little Lamb PRS SE CUSTOM 24-08
+ Mode
ern blues lessons BOSS RC-30 LOOPER
 EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome…
Future Publishing
QUAY HOUSE, THE AMBURY, BATH, BA1 1UA
Tel: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 822763
Email: totalguitar@futurenet.com
Website: www.totalguitar.co.uk

EDITORIAL
Editor: Chris Bird
Group Art Director: Graham Dalzell
Senior Music Editor: Jason Sidwell
Production Editor: Stan Bull
Music Co-ordinators: Zoe Maughan, Natalie Beilby
I’m sure you’ll have noticed our
CONTRIBUTORS
bold claim of a ‘new’ generation of
PaulElliott,JonathanHorsley,CharlieGriffiths,StuartWilliams,JonnyScaramanga,
JonoHarrison, Simon Young, Rob Laing, Amit Sharma, Steve Allsworth, Ellie Rogers,
acoustic guitarists on this month’s
Dave Everley, Jamie Hunt cover. Truth be told, I’m always a
Music Engraver: Simon Troup and Jennie Troup
Photography: Neil Godwin, Olly Curtis, Phil Barker little nervous of using the word
ADVERTISING ‘new’ when it relates to music. Even
Phone: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 732285
Chief Revenue Officer: Zach Sullivan, zach.sullivan@futurenet.com the greatest musical visionaries
UK Commercial Sales Director: Clare Dove, clare.dove@futurenet.com
Advertising Sales Director: Lara Jaggon, lara.jaggon@futurenet.com are products of their influences, so
Account Sales Directors: Alison Watson, alison.watson@futurenet.com
Guy Meredith, guy.meredith@futurenet.com
what does new even mean for us
MARKETING
guitarists?
Head Of Marketing: Sharon Todd
Subscriptions Marketing Managers: Faith Wardle, Sally Sebesta Well, to put it in perspective, this
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION month we’ve interviewed Ben Howard and John Smith –
Production Controller: Frances Twentyman
HeadofProductionUK&US:MarkConstance
two new-school folk artists and leading exponents of
PrintedintheUKby:WilliamGibbons&SonsLtdonbehalfofFuture
Distributedby:Marketforce,2ndFloor,5ChurchillPlace,CanaryWharf
contemporary progressive acoustic guitar. We’ve brought
London,E145HU
Overseasdistributionby: Seymour International
them together to talk about their latest albums and how
Head of Newstrade: Tim Mathers they’ve both come full circle, seeking simpler approaches
CIRCULATION
Trade Marketing Manager: Michelle Brock 0207 429 3683
in their playing and experimenting sonically to find new,
interesting sounds. It’s the songs that matter for Ben and
SUBSCRIPTIONS
New orders: www.magazinesdirect.com, phone orders: 0330 333 1113, John, and the gear they’re both using is diversifying.
email: help@magazinesdirect.com
Renewals: www.mymagazine.co.uk, customer service: 0330 333 4333, Keyboards and synths, drum machines, delays and tape 03
email: help@mymagazine.co.uk
echoes are all in use – but still presented through the
INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
Total Guitar is available for licensing and syndication. prism of guitar-centric albums.
Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities.
Head of Print Licensing: Rachel Shaw, licensing@futurenet.com It’s refreshing to hear these accomplished players
MANAGEMENT embracing technology. The combination of acoustic
Brand Director, Music: Stuart Williams
Head Of Design (Music): Brad Merrett
guitar and effects isn’t ‘new’ – John Martyn had it going
Content Director: Scott Rowley
Group Art Director: Graham Dalzell
on decades ago, and even he wasn’t the first. But with
new effects constantly coming onto the market there’s
always a fresh source of inspiration. As John Smith
related, “Sometimes you do just need a new tool”.
Perhaps where ‘new’ really comes in is the inspiration
we can draw from our gear, from songs we listen to or
write ourselves, and just from the pure joy of playing the
guitar. There’s always something new to play.
Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne
company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford
London Stock Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand
(symbol: FUTR)
www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

All contents copyright © 2021 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No
part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered
office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this
publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.
Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised
to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or
services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our
control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them.
If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission Chris Bird Editor
in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical
or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every
care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from

responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture.
The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable
managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic
standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC
(Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation..
Total Guitar, ISSN 1355-5049, is published 13 times a year (once every four weeks) by
Future Publishing, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. UK
The US annual subscription price is $181.87. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent
named World Container Inc, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA.
Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at BrooklynNY11256.
US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Total Guitar, World ContainerInc,156-15,
146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA
Subscription records are maintained at Future Publishing, c/o AirBusinessSubscriptions,
Rockwood House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex,RH163DH,UK

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 #344
Contents
04

44
THE NEW
ACOUSTIC
GENERATION
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
 CONTENTS

MONITOR
06 In The Picture
08 Scene

HOWTO
12Riff Of The Month
Gojira– AnotherWorld
14Get Started With...
Powerchords

FEATURES
16TashSultana
20SteveCropper
26The Offspring

COVER FEATURE
30 BenHowardand John Smith
40 JonGomm
44 TheNewAcousticGeneration
52 Lessons In Looping

LEARN TO PLAY
68Classic Track
05

16
Stevie Ray Vaughan
– MaryHadALittleLamb
76Rockschool
TASH SULTANA EvaCassidy– Songbird
82Open-Mic Songbook
Ed Sheeran – Afterglow

THE GAS STATION

84StartMeUp
86PRS SE Custom 24-08
90SheeranByLowdenW03
92Cort Core-OC Blackwood
94 Boss RC-5

SPOTLIGHT
98 Ruben Wan

26 Download or stream
THE OFFSPRING your audio files at:
bit.ly/tg344audio

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE

06

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 IN THE PICTURE
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE

Words Jonny Scaramanga Photo Jack Robinson/Getty

BEAUTY IN
TENSION ome of the greatest albums

S
of all time turn 50 years old
in 2021 – among them The
Rolling Stones’ Sticky
Fingers, Marvin Gaye’s
What’s Going On, Led
Zeppelin’s fourth, and Joni Mitchell’s Blue.
The latter has long been acclaimed as a peak
of Joni’s career, and in terms of her guitar
playing it was just the beginning of her
tuning adventures. 07
Blue features extraordinary choices: DADAAD
on Carey, Open A major 9 (E-A-C#-G#-B-E)
on California, and open Ab (Ab-Ab-Eb-Ab-C-Eb)
on This Flight Tonight. They allowed extended
chords that are inaccessible in standard tuning.
Joni resented the ‘folk music’ label; her use of
harmony was far more expansive. Despite her
complex chords, it wasn’t jazz either—Mitchell
compared her use of harmony to Debussy. She
found beauty in musical tension, balancing
dissonant sounds to reflect the complex
emotions in her songs. Her fingerstyle
technique, developed because she couldn’t
play like blues pioneer Elizabeth Cotten,
viewed the guitar as an orchestra, treating
the top strings like a horn section and the
low ones like viola, cello, and bass.
While writing Blue, Joni backpacked around
Europe with a dulcimer, an Appalachian folk
instrument normally strummed with a quill.
Joni instinctively slapped and beat the
dulcimer, and when she returned to guitar,
she brought this slapping technique with her.
50 years on, Joni’s percussive approach is still
reverberating in the techniques of modern
slap-n-tap acoustic guitarists.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

SCENE
YOUR NEWS IN GUITARS

08

ALBUM

“A REAL BUZZ!”
MASON HILL JUST HAD THE NUMBER ONE ROCK ALBUM IN THE UK – AND AS
GUITARIST JAMES BIRD EXPLAINS, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT TG

S
cottish rock band
Mason Hill scored
a major
breakthrough last
month when with
their debut album Against The Wall
hqwhuhg#wkh#XNġv#RĿfldo#Urfn#)#
Metal Album Chart at #1. And this
achievement is all the more
remarkable for a band on an
independent label. The last new
British independent act to achieve
this feat was Lonely The Brave
back in 2014.
Against the Wall also landed at
#19 on the main UK album chart,
and as the band’s guitarist James
Bird tells TG: “It’s been an absolute
kxjh#hļruw#iurp#doo#lqyroyhg/#iurp#
the band, everyone behind the
band and the fans. It’s superb.”
The album’s success is good
news for the UK rock scene and for
guitar music in general. It follows
an uncertain 2020, when Mason
Hill’s future looked in doubt.
“All this time trying to work on
this album, all these years that
have gone by, and then COVID
comes along and we truly thought
it was going to put the brakes
on it,” says James.
The band is now preparing for its
Ľuvw#khdgolqlqj#wrxu#lq#Vhswhpehu/#
with dates across the UK and
Ireland. “The sweaty small venues,
wkh#vwlfn|#ľrruv#dqg#wkh#frog#
nights unloading the van, all that
vwxļ#Ğ#zh#ghĽqlwho|#plvv#lw$Ĥ#kh#
says. “If this can go ahead in
Vhswhpehu#lwġv#jrlqj#wr#eh#d#uhdo#
buzz. In the past people maybe
thought they could catch us again
anytime. I think we all realise now
that might not always be the case.”
James formed Mason Hill with
yrfdolvw#Vfrww#Wd|oru#dw#vfkrro#lq#
2013, and at just 14 he guested on
stage with Zakk Wylde and Black
Odeho#Vrflhw|1#Dv#Mdphv#whoov#lw/#
“I was a Total Guitar subscriber,
and I entered a competition called
Guitar Hero. I went to that and won
it.” From there he was asked to
demonstrate for amp
manufacturer Carlsbro, where he
was spotted by Wylde’s manager:
ģKh#vdlg#]dnnġv#wrxulqj#zlwk#EOV/#
and to come along. I just got
pushed on, started playing, and
that was it. That was the spark that
has caused me to never stop
playing guitar, and it all came
down to that competition.”

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 SCENE
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

objects of desire
From left: The Double
Neck Marauder,
the Custom Burled
Redwood Strat
and the Sugar
Surprise Strat

09

GUITARS

POP ART
FENDER UNVEILS ITS 2021 CUSTOM SHOP PRESTIGE
COLLECTION, FEATURING “GUITARS WITH NO BOUNDARIES”

I
q#mxvw#wkh#Ľuvw#
few months of
2021, we’ve
already seen
some
ridiculously
sweet six-string releases from
Fender, including the Mike
PfFuhdg|#4<93#Vwudwrfdvwhu/#4<9<#
Irug#Pxvwdqj#Uhvwr0Prg#dqg#wkh#
Vsdun0R0Pdwlf#Md}}pdvwhu1#Exw#
the company may have outdone
itself with the new Prestige
Collection, an annual exercise
whereby the Fender Custom
Photos Fender
The result is the Prestige
Collection, consisting of one
electric guitar or bass creation per
Master Builder. This year’s lineup
features mouth-watering models
with enticing names like Leaves
ri#Whduv/#Vxjdu#Vxusulvh#Vwudw#dqg#
Tapestry Telecaster, among others.
Wkh#diruhphqwlrqhg#Vxjdu#
Vxusulvh#Vwudw#zdv#lqvsluhg#e|#
LA-based artist Pamelina, who
approached approaching Paul
Waller with a project of a guitar
that lights up. The idea was to
create something that would
the idea of artwork having two
glļhuhqw#orrnv1#Zkdw#orrnv#olnh#
simple and beautiful scrolling
art turns into a sugar skull with
ľrzlqj#kdlu1#Wkh#hqy|#ri#dq|#
froohfwlrq/#frpsohwh#zlwk#MrvhĽqd#
hand-wound pickups.
Elsewhere in the collection,
Carlos Lopez’ Double Neck
Marauder was inspired by the
possibility of combining two of
Lopez’ favorite guitars, the Electric
XII and the Marauder. The guitar
was designed in collaboration with
Paul Frank, who shares a very
Uhgzrrg#Vwudw#wdnlqj#lqvsludwlrq#
from woodworking and resin
art on social media and using
techniques more associated with
furniture and home decor. The
resin top is a new feature for guitar
builders, and is one of McMillin’s
favorite aesthetic features along
with the inlays which ties the look
of the guitar together. Flashy and
exotic guitars have always been
a love of McMillin’s in guitar
making, and he set out to create
something that had never come
rxw#ri#wkh#Fxvwrp#Vkrs#ehiruh1

Vkrsġv#Pdvwhu#Exloghuv#duh#jlyhq# wdnh#rq#d#glļhuhqw#ihho#rqfh# similar taste in guitars with Lopez. For more information on all the
a challenge to “build a guitar looxplqdwhg1#Wkh#Vxjdu#Vnxoo# Meanwhile, Kyle McMillin Prestige Collection models, visit
with no boundaries.” theme of the guitar ties together created the Custom Burled www.fendercustomshop.com

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE

“I FEEL
LIKE I’VE
COMPLETED
MY TONE
MISSION”
DREAM THEATER GUITARIST
JOHN PETRUCCI ON HIS NEW
ALBUM WITH LIQUID
10
TENSION EXPERIMENT,
AND HOW HE HAS REACHED
A “PERFECT PLACE” WITH
TRIED-AND-TRUSTED GEAR.
he last couple of years have experimented with different mic combinations direction with the right chord. It’s definitely

T
arguably been the most
prolific of John Petrucci’s
career to date – with Dream
Theater’s 14th album
Distance Over Time followed
by his first solo album in 15 years and now the
long-awaited return of instrumental project
Liquid Tension Experiment (featuring ex-DT
drummer Mike Portnoy). By John’s own
admission, the studio he works from – which
also serves as Dream Theater’s HQ – has
started to feel like a second home...
On this new album, Liquid Tension
Experiment 3, we’re guessing you stuck
with your signature guitars and amp…
“Yes. After all these years of developing the
guitars, amps and pickups with Ernie Ball Music
Man, Mesa/Boogie and DiMarzio, I’ve gotten to
this perfect place. Starting with my solo album
and then moving onto this, I feel like I’ve
completed my tone mission. I just plug that
guitar into that amp and it sounds unbelievable.
I’m able to get all the tones that I need. We’ve
just for fun, but we’re always able to capture it
perfectly. I mostly used the Purple Nebula plus
a basswood Kinetic Blue Majesty, and the
seven-string was my Ember Glow. Those
guitars through the signature Boogie is my
sound. I don’t have to search anymore,
it’s just right there!”
You made a playful yet dissonant prog-
metal opera in a version of George
Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue!
“That Gershwin piece is one of the most
recognisable pieces of music in the world. Those
melodies are so familiar to us. He was a genius
and used music to be playful or gritty or
ominous. There’s a brilliance in how he did
that. Obviously I can’t take credit for the
writing, but knowing which chords conjure
which emotions is really important. With one
chord you can make something sound beautiful,
ominous, foreboding, dark, mysterious,
questioning... Chords elicit that. You can use
them to manipulate the listener, taking people
on a journey by pointing them in the right
something all guitar players should focus on
and explore.”
And it’s interesting how you react with the
other members of Liquid Tension
Experiment on this album...
“Music is a big communication. It’s about
listening and knowing when it’s your time
to shine. Sometimes it’s your job to let other
people shine. Just playing over everything isn’t
really the answer. In the case of LTE, there’s
definitely a baton that’s being handed from
guy to guy, from instrument to instrument
– whether it’s the drums, keyboards, bass
or guitar that’s being featured at any given
moment. It’s important to be a team player,
to be in that setting and know when to sit back
and when to step up front. With my playing,
I don’t know if it’s a maturity thing or just
a musicality that develops over time, but it’s
certainly become more and more important.
Thinking like that makes music more dynamic,
giving it an ebb and flow that also makes it
more emotionally gratifying too.”

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 SCENE
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE

ALBUM

“I CALL IT O
n the debut album by
Scottish four-piece The
Snuts, lead guitarist Joe

MODERN POP
McGillveray is adding
new pages to the indie
guitar rulebook.

BLUES”
AS LEAD GUITARIST FOR
Influenced first by his father’s record
collection and then by plenty of indie rock
from the early 2000s, this largely self-
taught guitarist has a knack for catchy
lead lines and layered riffs.
THE SNUTS, JOE MCGILLVERAY In describing his style, Joe says: “I call it
modern pop blues”. As he recalls “The
HAS A STYLE BOTH natural thing to do when I was younger
was to put blues licks in every single
CONTEMPORARY AND CLASSIC. space”. Nowadays his relationship with

AND WITH HIS FAVOURITE the genre has matured into an ability to
interact with Snuts frontman Jack
STRAT, A SCREWDRIVER Cochrane’s vocals in a way that evokes
classic call and response, but with added
COMES IN HANDY... pop catchiness and a very modern feel.
Sensitive to compositional dynamics, he
says: “I try and play in the same way that
someone would sing - leaving the gaps
you would need to breathe.”
When it comes to guitars, Joe is
predominantly a Stratocaster man and has
two he relies on: one American and one
Mexican Deluxe with a chunky 70s style 11
headstock. The latter is a particular
favourite, with a maple fingerboard,
locking tuners and comfortable neck
profile. He removes the tremolo arm,
leaving the bridge floating but still usable
for “big feedback reverb-y type noises”.
He laughs: “Every time I get it serviced
they stick it down and then I get the
screwdriver out almost straight
away and lift it up again.”
The album, W.L., is richly varied in
tonality, but much of what you hear
doesn’t come from a hefty pedalboard.
Explains Joe: “The key sound throughout
the album was from going straight into
a Neve console and blowing it up to the
point that it’s spitting and hissing.”
Out of the studio, and without the Neve
at his fingertips, he’s been on a quest to
bring these tones to a live environment,
and uses a Hudson Broadcast and a JHS
Crayon to do so. Both are designed to
emulate classic consoles of the 1960s, and
sit beside an EHX Superego Synth Engine
and an Ibanez Tube Screamer on the board.
As for amps, Joe has long depended on
a Blues Junior but recently acquired
a Victory Duchess and Victory Copper.
Once let loose to gig again, he plans to
run two in tandem - with one for
reverb and another for dirt.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 HOW TO
riff of the month
GOJIRA
Another World
A
12 nother World#zdv#wkh#Ľuvw#vlqjoh#
uhohdvhg#iurp#Jrmludġv#
iruwkfrplqj#hljkwk#vwxglr#
doexp Fortitude1#Jxlwdulvwv#Mrh#
Gxsodqwlhu#dqg#Fkulvwldq#Dqguhx#
duh nqrzq iru wkhlu wljkw/#srzhuixo#ulĿqj#vw|oh#
gudzlqj rq lqľxhqfhv#olnh#Wrro/#Vhsxowxud#dqg#
Phwdoolfd/ dqg wklv ulļ#lv#d#eohqg#ri#kdpphu0
rqv/ sxoo0rļv dqg rshq#vwulqjv1#
Wkh ulļ lv lq G vwdqgdug#wxqlqj#+GJFIDG,#
C D Eb
G Bb
This riff is played in D standard, so you’ll need
Photo Getty
to tune the strings down by a tone to DGCFAD
from low to high. The entire line is played on the
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Hammer-ons and pull-offs
Natural minor scale
Hand synchronisation
Get the tone CHANNEL DISTORTION
5
7 6
8
0
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB
Joe Duplantier uses Charvel
guitars, whereas Christian Andreu
opts for Jackson – and both have
signature models. A humbucker-
equipped guitar is vital for the
punch and sustain of the Gojira
sound. The Gojira amp of choice is
the EVH 5150iii and they also have
a dedicated Gojira amp and effect
DAW plugin by Neural DSP. For
a tight, clear sound, experiment
with using slightly less gain to
allow the notes to come through
and add a Tube Screamer-type
overdrive pedal to control the
U RO
low end.
YO E
Bridge humbucker
ON I D
CD
V
dqg#lv#sod|hg#rq#wkh#irxuwk#dqg#Ľiwk#vwulqjv1# dqg#nhhs#wkhp#dw#d#vlplodu#yroxph1#Dv#hyhu/#
D#sdlu#ri#wzr0qrwh#fkrugv#+F#plqru#dqg#Eb zhġyh#uhfrughg#d#vorz#sod|#wkurxjk#lq#rxu#
pdmru#gldgv,#irup#wkh#pdlq#sduw#ri#wkh#ulļ/#exw# ylghr#iru#|rx1
|rxġoo#eh#sod|lqj#wkhp#dv#kdpphu0rqv#dqg#
sxoo0rļv#wr#wkh#rshq#vwulqjv/#qrw#dv#vwdqgdug# CHEAT SHEET…
fkrugv1#Lw#wdnhv#d#olwwoh#sudfwlfh#wr#exlog#xs#wkh# Appears at: 3=3303=55
wlplqj#exw#lwġv#d#vlpsoh#sdwwhuq=#grzqvwurnh/# Tempo: ;8#esp
kdpphu0rq/#sxoo0rļ/#uhshdw$# Key/scale:#F#qdwxudo#plqru#vfdoh
Ilqdoo|/#h{shulphqw#zlwk#oljkwo|#sdop#pxwlqj# Main techniques: Kdpphu0rqv/#
wkh#vwulqjv#dw#wkh#eulgjh#wr#frqwuro#wkh#qrwhv# sxoo0rļv/#sdop0pxwlqj
C
C G
fourth and fifth strings and can be viewed as second part uses Bb and D. In each case
two pairs of two-note shapes. The first part you’ll be pulling off from the fretted notes
of the riff uses the fretted C and Eb notes; the to the open strings.
 HOW TO
GETTING
STARTED WITH…
POWER
CHORDS
Slay everyone with rock,
metal, and punk riffs using
just one chord shape
TEN OF THE BEST
These classic riffs show you
what powerchords are about
1 The Kinks – You Really Got Me
F5 and G5 make up the intro riff in this
breakthrough hit from the Davies brothers.
2 Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Tricky position shifts make Cobain’s era-defining
mega-hit a good ‘next step’ for beginners.
3 Black Sabbath – Iron Man
Of course the inventors of heavy metal used
powerchords. In this case, exclusively...
14
4 Green Day – American Idiot
Like Teen Spirit, the speed and position shifts
make this a challenger. Just practise slowly!
5 The Cars – Just What I Needed
After the intro, you’ll hear dry palm-muted
powerchords backing up the vocal in the verse.
6 U2 – Vertigo
He may be better known for his delay FX riffs, but
this is a badass powerchord riff from The Edge.
7 Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
The chords are easy enough, but the palm-muting
and offbeat rhythms make this a good workout.
8 Dio – Holy Diver
This is a slow “gallop” style powerchord riff.
9 Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop
Nearly everything the New York punks played was
based on powerchords or barre chord shapes.
10 Megadeth – Symphony Of Destruction
There’s a short melodic phrase in the mix here, but
the two powerchords are F5 and E5.
eginner guitarists, because powerchords are neither

3
1

3
X X X X

3
X

3
X X X

B prepare to have your life

G5 C5
These are the two (very similar) shapes you need to
know. For a fatter sound, try fretting the fourth
string with your fourth finger on the G5 chord.
changed! You can play
any powerchord you like
with just one shape. It’s
easier than most open chords and
with a distorted guitar tone it
actually sounds better.
Regular major and minor
chords contain three notes: a root
note, a 3rd (which can be major or
plqru/#lh/#d#glļhuhqw#qrwh,/#dqg#d#
5th. A powerchord leaves out that
3rd interval -the most colourful
note- leaving just two notes. So,
major nor minor, you can use one
shape for almost everything.
Pdq|#srzhufkrug#ulļv#duh#
played with palm-muting, which
creates a chunky, percussive
sound. To do this, place the side of
your picking hand on the strings
just where they leave the bridge
saddles. Keep as close to the
bridge as possible: too far and
you’ll hear an unmusical clunk.
In the right place you’ll hear the
usual notes, just with a tighter
attack and less sustain.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

TECHNIQUE CHECK…
Get your fingers in prime position and your powerchords will rock!
1 ‘CLASSICAL’ 2 ‘COLLAPSED’
THUMB POSITION THUMB POSITION
Keep your thumb Players like Billie
centred on the Joe Armstrong who
back of the neck wear their guitar
roughly opposite low prefer this
on of your fretting thumb position
fingers for for powerchords,
maximum strength which can enable
and stretch. a more relaxed
wrist.

3 STUBBING 4 PALM-MUTING
If your low E string This is where your
keeps ringing out, hand should be for
you can ‘stub’ the palming muting:
tip of your index resting against the
finger against it bridge saddles for
to mute it out. the strings you
want to mute.

15

1 HARD ROCK POWERCHORDS TRACK 07

q =100
A5 G5 C5 A5 G5 A5 G5 A5
.. ..

T . .
B
. 7 5
5
3 7 5 7 7 7 5 7
.
5 3 5 3 5 5 5 3 5

This is a classic hard rock style powerchord riff, but you could apply it to punk and metal, with a bit of sonic experimentation. Try to maintain the powerchord ‘shape’ with
your fingers all the time, so when changing chords you just drop your hand into position.

2 GRADUAL PALM-MUTES TRACK 08

q =110
E5 A5

.. ..
PM PM
PM PM PM

T . .
B
. 9
7
9
7
9
7
9
7
9
7
9
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 5 5 5 5
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ cont. sim.

This riff will help you develop the skill of switching quickly between palm-muted and unmuted picking – essential for punk and metal rhythm parts. Palm-muting is fairly
easy – you just need to find the right spot for your hand. Gradually releasing the palm-mute is more of a challenge, so practise slowly.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 TASH SULTANA

oing into 2020, Tash Sultana

G
was riding high. The
singer-songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist, who
lv jhqghu0ľxlg#dqg#xvhv#wkh#
pronoun ‘they’, had sold out
three nights at Brixton Academy before their
debut album even landed. Then Flow State came
rxw/ zlwk lwv uhjjdh0lqľhfwhg#klw#vlqjoh#Jungle.
Tash sold 100,000 concert tickets in their native
Australia, racked up a billion streams across
multiple platforms, and headlined the
legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater just a year
diwhu Ľuvw dsshdulqj wkhuh#dv#d#vxssruw#dfw1#
And then... you know what happened.
Tash, though, did not spend 2020 sitting on
their hands. “I just went full-blown crazy with
being creative. People were literally checking on
me, like ‘Are you okay? Because you’ve been in
the studio for a really long time. Have you
eaten? Have you slept?’ I just vanished.
There’s nothing that I love more than
being alone making tunes.”
The result is Terra Firma, 14 tracks of jazz and
vrxo lqľxhqfhg srs1 FRYLG#vfxsshuhg#Wdvkġv#
16 plans to work with a band, so this album again
sees them playing all the instruments and
producing. You might think guitar takes a back
seat, then, but you’d be wrong. “I always think
there is never enough guitar on records to be
honest. For a period of time I was just hearing
vwxļ rq wkh udglr wkdw grhvqġw#kdyh#jxlwdu#lq#lw1#
I found that really strange. I’m all for the guitar
layering and layering and layering...”
This is the paradox of Terra Firma1#Rq#rqh#
hand, it is all lush production and epic layers
(“My sessions get up to 250 multi-tracks”).
Rq wkh rwkhu/ lwġv sdfnhg zlwk#lpsurylvdwlrq=# roasted maple necks) that are loud and already
ģL mxvw ľrz zlwk zkdwhyhu#Lġp#ihholqj1# sound good before processing. Tash uses
Sometimes it was just a full and utter one-taker GlPdu}lr#Fuxlvhu#dqg#Fkrsshu#slfnxsv/#udlvhg#
and it’s like ‘What the f*ck did I just do?’ I love close to the strings for more volume, and small
to harmonise the guitar. That can be hard if it’s frets “so that I can seamlessly travel up and
improv. I’ve got to dissect what the hell I’ve just down the fretboard.”
played and think of it in harmony positions.” The guitar tones on Terra Firma#duh#ehdxwlixo=#
Tash is a self-confessed perfectionist, at one ultra-clean, but warm and lush. “I’m always
point recording 74 consecutive takes of the going for a really wide neck pickup tone.
same drum track. “My arms were sore and my I like the rhythm guitar with a lot of three-
ears were ringing.” Somehow, though, the dimensional stereo width. The rhythm guitars
record retains a spontaneous vibe. are as clean as possible. I could achieve it better
Such a massive production could be when I moved into digital amps because the
a nightmare to mix, but Tash has qrlvh#ľrru#lv#vlohqw#dv#i-fn1#
a straightforward recording philosophy. ģL#uxq#d#frxsoh#ri#glļhuhqw#vwhuhr#fkdqqhov#
“You want it good before you even have to mix rxw#ri#wkh#jxlwdu1#Rq#wkh#uhfrug#L#glg#p|#hļhfwv#
lw1 L khdu d orw ri shrsoh vd|#wklqjv#olnh#ģzhġoo#Ľ{# dv#soxjlqv#lq#Sur#Wrrov1#L#oryh#wkh#Fkruxv#
it in post”. That’s a band-aid solution. You Brigade plug-in. We’ve got a guitar going
want everything sounding good before it wkurxjk#wkh#hļhfwv#fkdlq#lqwr#dq#D{h0I[#dqg#
hits the console.” then I’ve got it also coming out of two separate
Lwġv wkh vdph dwwlwxgh zlwk#jxlwdu#wrqhv=#vwduw# Nhpshuv1#Wkhuhġv#d#uhdoo|#fohdq#GL#vrxqg#iurp#
with guitars (mainly relic Strats and Teles with wkh#D{h0I[/#qrw#surfhvvhg#uhdoo|/#wkhq#zhġyh#

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 INTERVIEW

“I WAS
HEARING
STUFF
ON THE
RADIO THAT
DOESN’T
HAVE GUITAR 17

IN IT. I FOUND
THAT REALLY
STRANGE...”
With a billion streams and counting,
singer-songwriter Tash Sultana mixes
jazz, soul and pop on a brilliant new album
– while playing guitar in a style rooted in
classic rock and blues. An artist who
defies categorization, Tash tells TG:
“I just flow with whatever I’m feeling...”
Words Jonny Scaramanga

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 TASH SULTANA
got one amp emulation coming from
each Kemper. I’ll track like that and
18 then pick one or two. Everything is
always stereo. For Kemper Profiles
I use a lot of Twin Reverb and Princeton,
Vibrolux, or Vox kind of tones. Nothing
too fancy, just a present, clean amp.
Bit of grit though in it because if I’m
playing live I’ll solo. When I kick on
that distortion pedal and wah,
that’s from the Kemper.”
Although the songs have funk and
hip-hop vibes, the guitar approach is
still rooted in the blues. First single
Pretty Lady opens with a John Mayer-
esque riff. Tash’s guitar influences
are the classics: “I really love Lindsey
Buckingham, Jimi Hendrix and John
Mayer, and I like the fusion of that.
I love The Eagles as well, and it’s a little
bit of everything. I don’t really know
what my style of playing is or even
the style of music.”
Although the influences are retro,
Tash is a distinctively 21st Century
artist: none of what they do on stage
would have been possible before that,
from the all-digital guitar rig to
a custom looper, developed specially
above over several years, that makes it
Tash’s debut album, possible to pull off these songs live.
Terra Firma
“I GET REALLY FRUSTRATED WHEN I’M PLAYING LIKE SH*T!”
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
“It’s actually two tons worth of weight
that I tour with.” Tash has separate
loopers on each side of the stage, so
they can move anywhere and create
loops as inspiration strikes.
Their secret to great guitar tone,
though, is playing well. “Even if you’re
not the most technical person it doesn’t
matter. It’s just trying to play clean,
always to the click, trying not to fluff
up your strings and stuff like that. As
a guitarist sometimes that sh*t takes
ages. You’re rolling into the studio
sometimes and you’re a bit cloudy in the
head, and that’s in your guitar playing
as well. I get really frustrated with the
guitar when I’m playing it like sh*t.
I’m just like “I’ve been playing this
since I was three years old! Why the
f*ck am I finding this C chord hard
to do today?!”
Even having made such an
accomplished album, Tash is humble.
“I make mistakes all the time. The
thing I’m really loving at the moment is
learning. I’m enjoying just putting my
hand up and saying I don’t understand
what that is, can you explain that to
me?” This commitment to improving
is all over Terra Firma, showing an
artist who is still growing.
 STEVE CROPPER

20
 ICON

Steve
Cro er
Words Grant Moon
Photos Michael Wilson

HE’S THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC TOUCH, THE TELE-WIELDING GROOVE MASTER
WHOSE SIGNATURE STYLE SHAPED THE SOUND OF SOUL MUSIC FROM GREEN
ONIONS TO THE BLUES BROTHERS AND BEYOND, AND WHOSE FANS INCLUDED
THE BEATLES. “RHYTHM IS MY THING,” SAYS SOUL SURVIVOR STEVE CROPPER. 21

“I LIKE TO GET PEOPLE DANCING AND ROCKING...”

A
s a member of Booker T & The MG’s, the man they
call The Colonel helped define the classic 60s
‘Memphis Soul’ sound. His oft-imitated Telecaster
sound powers countless hits on the legendary Stax
label, he co-wrote classic tunes including Sitting
On The Dock Of The Bay with Otis Redding and In
The Midnight Hour with Wilson Pickett, and as
a producer and player went on to work with greats
such as John Lennon, Jeff Beck, John Prine and Rod Stewart. Now 79,
Cropper’s back with new album Fire It Up, and offers TG a few pearls
of wisdom gleaned from nearly six decades at the top...
Keep it simple, and play what I do?’ He said, ‘Just play what you
you feel. feel, if they don’t like it they’ll tell
When I do a project, I try to keep ya!’ They liked it, so I continued on.
everything as simple as possible, These days if I’m playing [lead] on
and it’s the same when I write. I try somebody else’s music, they set the
to keep it as close to ‘a long time groove and I just I play by ear to
ago’ as I can, too. Usually I’m what I’m hearing. That’s what
playing single notes or two strings at I’ve always done.
a time. On [Sam & Dave’s] Soul Man,
I just play those first two notes and Reading music is useful
the audience gets it immediately – (to a point...)
they know what song’s coming. Sure I used to read band charts real quick
it’s simple, but it’s got an identity. but I haven’t done it in years. At Stax
I always go back to what [Stax we were lucky, we got successful
producer/engineer] Chips Moman with our own hit records so we
Photo Getty
our own. But it can be good to have
a sheet [music chart], even when
overdubbing solo licks and fills. I like
to have that to think what I would
do off of the chord changes. It all
depends – for some songs you know
the key, so you go to that position on
the neck where you play those solo
licks in that key. For other songs,
like Soul Man and Dock Of The Bay,
you like to follow the changes when
you’re playing the licks. Going back
to some of the early jingle sessions
I did, I’d be sitting in a room with
40 or 50 other musicians – string
players, timpanists – and I’d open
up the guitar music and it’d just be
one giant clef in the middle of the
paper where they’d written, ‘Play it
Steve!’ I got a kick out of that, and
so did the session musicians. I think
they realised after a while that
I wasn’t reading what they’d
written for me, I’d just play what
I was gonna play no matter what!
Leave room for spontaneity.

told me to do. I said, ‘Chip I’ve got all didn’t have to learn a lot of other I like hearing a song for the first
these sessions to play on, what do people’s music, we just kept playing time, I don’t like having to work

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 ICON
No second guitarist? No problem!
I have really listened through the years
to the Stax songs when they’re on the
radio, and when I was doing solo licks
you don’t really feel the rhythm drop
out. That’s because [MG’s drummer]
Al Jackson was so good at what he did,
but I played the licks melodically, still
within the rhythm, even though I’m
playing fills. Sometimes I’m stepping
on the singer, but I’m really playing
with him at the same time – in the mix
I’m just under the vocals, almost as if
the singer was playing another part to
themselves. The other thing I do is,
when a singer gets through I complete
his melody with the guitar. If you listen
to those records when I play a fill it’s
usually in a hole where there’s no vocal.
I’ll put something in, but drop what I’m
playing rhythm-wise to do it.

Always keep listening.

something out, I really don’t. I like for
it to surprise me. If I try to work out
[a guitar part] the day or week before
a session usually I can’t play it, or
22 I forget it. I’d rather be spontaneous.
Hearing something for the first time
makes me play something I wouldn’t
have thought of otherwise.
Get rhythm!
Rhythm is my thing. I like to get people
dancing and rocking. You can’t do that
playing all over the place. I just like to
see people get up and dance. Even if
they’re too old to dance they can still
shake their booty in their chair! Out
playing with Booker, our drummer was
always watching the dancers, then on
Monday morning in the studio he’d be
setting the tempo to match what he saw
the kids dancing to on the Saturday
night. That’s where we went, and it
worked. Some guitar players want to
play over the top and impress people
with that. Me, I want to play a groove,
I want to play the same thing over and
over, for three hours if I have to! I get
off on it, I think it’s fun.
Always keep the audience in mind.
Good players are good players, and they
bubble up to the top. There’s a lot of
I do listen to the radio a lot. I listen to
[country star Jimmy Buffett’s station]
Radio Margaritaville, they’ve got a lot of
reggae; Bluesville, which is BB King’s
station, and Bluegrass Junction too.
Whatever they play I’m up for, and if I
don’t like it I push the button and go
somewhere else – there’s a lot of
channels to pick from. I’m not as up on
the pop stuff as much as I could be. I still
like listening to the older stuff, I guess
‘cos I’m older and that’s what pleases
me most.
Beware of getting pigeonholed.
Not long ago I did a bluegrass song [with
singer Irene Kelley] called Anything To
Help You Say Goodbye, and I’m really
proud of it. I grew up listening to that

SOUL MAN guys who had a lot of lessons, have

a lot of dexterity and can do a lot of
kind of music in Missouri, but I didn’t
play it. I moved to Memphis when I was
stuff, but that doesn’t necessarily very young and then listened to R’n’b
Three simple ideas to get you up mean it’s going to go over to the public. and church music. Bluegrass was
to speed with Cropper’s style Some of them think it’s boring to play different groove for me, but that song
the same thing even twice. Well, get became a hit. I’m kicking my butt for
a hit record and play it different, and years because I know I can write songs,
1 16TH-NOTE 2 TWO-NOTE 3 STACCATO
see what the audience’s reaction is! but when DJs see my name on a record
STRUMMING ARPEGGIOS STABS
Instead of Take a look at the Listen to Wilson You better play it similar to the record and it’s not In The Midnight Hour or
a stream of fast A/C# and G/D Pickett’s In or they’ll never forgive you. I’ve been [Eddie Floyd hit] Knock On Wood, they
‘down-up-down- chords in our The Midnight to some concerts where the artist don’t want to play it. I shot myself in the
up’ 16th-note Chord Cropping Hour and you’ll hasn’t played their hit. You want to foot – it would’ve been better if I’d used
phrases, try boxout. Steve hear Steve’s grab them by the collars and shake and a pseudonym, called myself Joe Shmoe
using shorter maps these staccato chops. a say, ‘Man, that’s why these people or something!
fragments, Hold shapes out Strum firm are here! You’ve got a thousand people
On, I’m Comin’ across the downstrokes who’ve paid a hundred dollars apiece It can be tricky to identify your
style. It’s still fretboard for then immediately to be here, to hear you do your song’. own style.
16ths, but the a melodic release pressure
It’s okay to play new stuff, but not The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do
space is as approach. Soul in your fret hand
important as the Man is a great to each chord just the new stuff. Mix it up, play is duplicate myself – I can’t do it. For
strumming! example. short. the old hits too, until the new everybody else to copy my style, or
stuff starts hitting. think they were, that didn’t seem to

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 STEVE CROPPER

CHORD
CROPPING
Learn Steve’s
signature shapes…
X X X X

1
5
2

A/C#
Get Steve’s clarity and groove with
doublestops, ie, using just two
notes of chord. These are the 3rd
(C#) and root (A) of a standard
E-shape A chord.
X X X X

3 4
7

23
G/D
As on Soul Man, Steve uses these
two notes of a standard open D
shape. Try sliding in to it at the 7th,
then 12th and 14th frets for a
G-C-D progression.
X X X

5
1

2 3

F#m
A6
From Knock On Wood, this simple
embellishment to an A chord adds
a funky edge to your E-shaped
major chords.
X X

1 1 2
4

F#m
B/D#
Played in Dock Of The Bay, this
handy shape is a first inversion
(it starts on the 3rd of the chord,
D# here). Hendrix loved this
one, too...

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 STEVE CROPPER

be a problem. They were playing from

their hearts but they were being
inspired by somebody else, which is
good. The Beatles told me they listened
to a lot of Stax records, but I don’t
recall ever hearing a Beatles song that
sounded like a Stax record, or a Motown
record. I was listening to them too, but
I didn’t write any songs that had Beatles
changes or harmonies. John [Lennon]
had one of the first jukeboxes, and he
told me I had three songs on there out of
about 15 – Green Onions, In The Midnight
Hour and (Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay.
I was very proud of that.

Sometimes one finger and a great

ear is all you need.
When Otis wrote (Sitting On) The Dock Of
The Bay, he wrote it with one finger, the
guitar tuned to a chord [open E]. I played
acoustic guitar on the original session
On that particular song I was tuned
standard, not to a chord, though on a lot

“The hardest thing

of the songs I was. I’d tune to a chord to
duplicate the way he would play it. Otis
wasn’t a musician, though he did have
a great ear.
24 On Teles, Peaveys, pickups and FX...
All the sessions I did with a Fender-
made Telecaster I’d have the pickup
switch in the middle position, using
both pickups. But I’ve been playing this
Peavey [custom, Tele-type guitar] for 10
years now, and the bridge pickup was so
bright that when I put it in the middle
position the brightness would take over.
So I started playing off the neck pickup
only. I even froze the switch with
a piece of cardboard so I didn’t knock it.
I couldn’t move it back now if I wanted
to without a hammer! On most guitars
the neck pickup’s so boomy, but this
one really bites. I tried FX when it was
the thing, and it didn’t work for me.
The only thing I used years ago was
a noise gate, because if you use an old
Fender and there’s a hum in the
lighting system it’ll pick it up. My
Peavey doesn’t. I just plug into
the amp, no noise gate at all.
A great tip for choosing your next
electric guitar...
I’ve ever had to do is
duplicate myself –
I can’t do it!”
Be creative when mic’ing guitars
– Jeff Beck would approve.
In most cases, guys’ll take a Shure mic
and point it at the amp’s tweeter. As
a producer, I like it pointed down to the
speaker paper, cos that’s where the
sound is for me. I don’t like it real
bright. Sometimes we’d put a mic in
front of the amp and one behind – the
back’s muffled with almost no highs
– and then you get a balance between
the two to come up with the right
sound. We did this with Jeff [on Jeff Beck
Group, 1972]. He used my old Gibson
Switchmaster, which is still in my
garage, and we made a good album,
GREEN WITH ENVY...
Above but I think he just got better and better
Close up on Cropper's as a guitar player. And he’s one of those
Peavey T-style
guys who gets in off the road, throws his
guitar in the corner and doesn’t pick it
up again until he goes back out. I’m the
same way, but I’m not as good a guitar
player! It was so long between shows
with Booker T and the Blues Brothers
that I’d have to relearn the songs each
time. But it’s like an actor rehearsing
a monologue – once you get the first
line, the rest comes real easy.
You get old, if you’re lucky…
Some people say ‘I wish I was young
again’, or ‘I wish I was this age or that
age’, but I don’t really care about all
that. I love my age, but I wish my hands
were a lot younger! They won’t do what
I ask them to do any more – there’s no

People ask me about this a lot, and it’s
real simple: take the guitar and play
it acoustically. If it sounds good
unplugged it’ll definitely sound good
if you get the right amp and plug it up.
If it doesn’t sound good acoustically
it’s probably never going to sound
good electrically.
“I
see bands doing Green Onions, and I would
venture to say that 90 per cent of guitar players
play an upstroke [on the percussive parts of the
intro], but it’s a downstroke. It’s in the way that you hit
it and mute it to get the sound. I’ve seen great guitar
players do the same thing – they want it bright so they
play it up. I play it the other way. It’s IV to I [Bb to F],
real quick, in the key of F.”
dexterity like there used to be, and it
bothers me some. It’s on my mind
constantly, but I still try. I just do what
I do, and the simple stuff is still simple,
still easy to do. If I had studied like a lot
of musicians do I’d probably be more
frustrated than I am, but since
I didn’t, I’m fine...

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 INTERVIEW

26

Words Jonny Scaramanga Portrait Daveed Benito

SUPER NOODLES
On the long-awaited new album from punk rock stars The Offspring,
guitarist Noodles has used a ton of gear – new and vintage – while
channelling the Ramones, The Who and AC/DC. But even for this
battle-hardened punk hero, playing fast downstrokes isn’t easy.
As he admits to TG: “It hurts!”

B
esides Green Day, no band
did more to take punk into
the mainstream in the 90s
than The Offspring, whose
breakout hit, 1994’s (Smash,
became the world’s
best-selling album on an independent label. In
a career spanning 37 years, the band has now
sold more than 40 million records. So perhaps
they’ve earned the right to take it easy. But still,
nine years between albums is not very
punk rock, is it?
Guitarist Noodles, talking from the band’s
Huntington Beach studio where Let The Bad
Times Roll was recorded, explains the delay.
“I think part of it was we didn’t want to put
anything out until we knew we had something
good,” he says. The band’s enthusiasm for
touring also interrupted sessions. “We go our
separate ways and then revisit what we got.
Coming back with fresh ears helps. We just love
making music, man! We love playing together,
love listening to music. All that helps us keep
doing what we what we do.”
This raw enthusiasm means Let The Bad Times
Roll sounds like the work of a significantly
younger band, not only because they were
significantly younger when they began
recording it. It sees them working for the third
time with producer Bob Rock. Best known for

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


his work with Metallica and Mötley Crüe, Rock
is not an obvious choice of pop-punk producer,
but The Offspring bonded with him over his
punk roots. “We met with Bob and it just
clicked. He really came up in the in the
Vancouver punk scene, in the Payolas. He
toured and played all over in punk clubs. We
love a lot of the same music. He’s just a cool
f*ckin’ dude. When Bob was working with
some bands back in the day they were like
gangs. It’s like the new guy in a jail yard. You
walk in and have to take a swing at the biggest
guy in the yard to prove yourself. We’re not
like that. Hanging out with us is like visiting
the Teletubbies!”
While some bands have struggled with
Rock’s notorious demands for songs to be
rewritten until they are perfect, Noodles and
co. had the answer in the form of their own
perfectionist, singer Dexter Holland. As
Noodles explains: “Dexter has that kind
“I JUST LOVE GUITAR FOR GUITAR’S SAKE!”
of mindset. You know, very exacting and
everything has to be right. The way Bob puts
it with us is: ‘this is going to be great’, which
means two things: it means we’re on the
right track, but we’re not there yet.”
The road to making things great included
a lot of messing around with new gear. “Bob is
a guitar player, he’s always got new gadgets.
Sometimes it works, or sometimes we spend
half a day just jerking around and playing
guitar, but we learned some shit and had fun
making noises for ourselves. Bob knows so
much and he just loves experimenting.”
That experimentation resulted in a small
avalanche of guitars appearing on the album
– “Les Pauls, Strats, Telecasters, a couple of
Gretsches”—but Noodles’ primary weapon is
a mid-60s SG Junior, with single P90 pickup.
“It just sounds great. It’s the same model Pete
Townshend played on Live At Leeds. If we’re
going for barre chords with some grunge,
NOODLES
27
that’s the guitar we’ll use. Some single-string
riffs will use the Junior, but sometimes we’ll
bust out a vintage Gretsch Sparkle Jet. We
have a Malcolm Young Gretsch on there
somewhere, too.”
The amp selection is even bigger. “For one
guitar track we’ll mic three different amps and
kind of blend the different sounds. The AC30
will add some stringiness where one of the
Marshalls or the Mesas will add the grind to it.
For this album we went back and got the Mesas
out, a Mark IV and a Mark III. For Marshalls we
have a JCM2000, a Plexi, and a JCM800. We
have a Diezel, and there’s a Hiwatt in the mix.
We also have Kempers and Fractals. We use
those if we’re getting some clean chorus-y
thing. If you want some kind of dirt on it you
gotta go with a real amp and real tubes.”
For live work, though, Noodles is entirely
a digital convert. “All the effects are built into
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 NOODLES

the Fractal. The main thing is the sound

doesn’t change from night to night.
When you have a big amp, it’s always
different, sometimes disastrously so,
whereas this always stays the same.
It may not be the best sound I’ve ever
had, but it’s pretty damn good and it
never falters.”
It’s refreshing to hear a guitarist still
so enthusiastic after 37 years, and all of
Noodles’ experiments with gear are in
service of songwriting. “I still struggle
with delays. How much do I need on
every knob? You play with it until it
becomes unlistenable, then you dial it
back. I’ll have a thought, like ‘I want
this clean guitar with delay to sound like
the riff from this Ramones song.’ You
start experimenting and a lot of times
you end up with something completely
different. That’s where most of our
creative stuff happens.”
Creativity is one thing, but how the
hell does he keep up that constant
barrage of downstrokes? “You wanna
try LAPD off Ignition! Oh my god, by the
end of that one I’m dying. I think it’s
just a matter of doing it a bunch until
you break through and you can kind of
28 loosen up, and not you’re not so tense.
I’ll spend 10 minutes just as much as I
can until it hurts, and then shake it off
and play something fun.”
Guitar is clearly still Noodles’ passion,
and he listens to everything. “I just love
guitar for guitar’s sake. I don’t spend
a lot of time listening to Steve Vai or
Joe SatrianI but I have those records
and I do appreciate them.” If this is
unexpected, his choice of practice
material may also surprise you. “I’m
trying to learn Raining Blood by Slayer!
It’s so fast and it’s really kind of a silly
Photo Kevin Nixon

song, but it’s super fun. I think

Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell will
be the next one...”

“I’M TRYING TO LEARN RAINING BLOOD BY SLAYER!"

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
Words Jonathan Horsley Photos Allan Wilson / Elly Lucas / Olly Curtis

“THE GUITAR IS SUCH

A HUGE PLAYING FIELD.
PEOPLE GET THEIR KICKS
OUT OF IT IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS...”
Ben Howard and John Smith are kindred spirits, new-school
folk artists and leading exponents of progressive acoustic
guitar. In conversation together, they reveal how their
search for new sounds has led them from drop tunings 31

to an “endless” array of effects, and explain why the

best guitarists don’t always make the best songwriters…

F
or all the aesthetic
distance between
their new albums,
there is
undeniably
a sense of creative
kinship between
Ben Howard and
John Smith. They are at the vanguard
of a new generation of singer-
songwriters who have helped shatter
the open-chords-and-capo paradigm
that had hitherto been the dominant
folk style on acoustic guitar.
Smith’s percussive style and use of
alternate tunings – a feature of his
debut album from 2006, The Fox And
The Monk – might not have been as
controversial as Bob Dylan going
electric back in the 60s, but it similarly
upended the art form. And just as
Smith was influenced by the great
John Martyn – with whom he also
toured – so Howard was inspired by
what he heard in Winter, the key song
from The Fox And The Monk, in which
Smith married a contemporary folk
delivery with a stunning acoustic
guitar part that could be exported to
a trip-hop setting. “It blew my mind,”
Howard says, “and opened my eyes to
the idea that you could do anything
with the guitar.” Howard would
develop this ethos throughout
his own career.
The two men have known each
other for ten years, and have much in
common. As children, they both grew
up in Devon, and now both live in rural
settings. And in an odd coincidence,
their new albums were released on the
same day of this year, March 26th. Yet
the recordings are coming from quite
different places.
Howard’s Collections From The
Whiteout was recorded with The
National’s Aaron Dessner in New York
City and takes a channel-surfing
approach to observational poetry,
drafting vignettes of lives less ordinary
– Richard Russell, a Russian fraudster,
a gruesome murder – and scoring
them to stylistically adventurous
arrangements, with effects-driven
textures broadening the guitar’s remit.
It was not wholly acoustic.
Neither was The Fray. Produced
by Smith and Sam Lakeman, it was
tracked in Peter Gabriel’s Real World
Studios, Bath, with a number of
collaborators – Sarah Jarosz, Courtney
Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids,
Bill Frisell, Lisa Hannigan – sending
in parts remotely. It was only fitting
that The Fray opens with Friends; it is
an album that finds strength in its
others, chipping away at the hard
times to let a little optimism in.
For their conversation with TG, Ben
speaks from his home in Ibiza, John
from North Wales. They begin with
a little catching up. John has recently
become a father, while Ben talks of
finding peace among the almond trees
on Mediterranean. They both say that
they miss travel, even hungover
flights across Europe. Those will
return, some day. But for now,

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 “There is no point in
there is much else to discuss, trying to be anyone
beginning with how each has found else. It is about doing
something that is
the perfect working environment...
either serving
the song or your
You’ve both moved out to the own satisfaction”
country. There’s some pandemic JOHN SMITH
necessity to that, but how is that
sense of peace working for
you creatively?
Ben: I think that sitting around,
not pressing the issue is quite
a comfortable zone in terms of
writing. I definitely felt that the
move out here was driven by the
desire to write freely.
John: Part of it is practical. I disturb
my neighbours. When I was in
Brighton, trying to make a record, you
start off at three in the morning. You
come up with an idea, get out of bed to
record it, and you are waking up the
old lady next door. I just wanted to live
somewhere where I wouldn’t disturb
anyone. My nearest neighbour is now
a half-kilometre away, and that’s
a great feeling. Then there is the
emotional thing of living among
nature, the rhyme and mystery
32 of the natural world.
Ben: It is one thing playing an acoustic “The best piece of advice I ever got was
guitar in a flat, but as soon as you want
to turn it up, it is a big problem. We
when my guitar teacher just said, ‘Make
had a very small apartment in Paris,
neighbours above, next to you, and
sure that every note sounds like music’”
underneath, and I was trying to make
these very electrified noises, with John, you’ve turned that gaze Writing about the self can be a gift
a pedalboard, running everything inwards. Was that the nature for others who see themselves in
through my Fender Deluxe. But the of the material? your experiences.
French don’t mind the noise! It was John: Absolutely. It was songwriting John: I think as soon as you start
my inhibitions, and feeling very as self-help. In the past, I have writing really honestly about yourself,
self-conscious. always looked to nature and it becomes universal.
John: You don’t want to be heard mythology. I have always wanted Ben: It’s being comfortable with being
when you are at that stage of to write introspective characters, able to explore your feelings, from the
coming up with ideas. and remove it from myself, and very basic to the cosmic, and then
Ben: No, because a lot of it contextualise it with mythology and realising that no two people are that
is nonsense! characters. With this record, we went far removed from each other. You are
through a lot last year, and as soon as constantly searching for these
Isolation is great, but as we’ve I picked up a pen, the songs came universalities.
learned, only so great. Watching flying out. Perhaps for the first
people, observing, that’s fertile time, they were all be about me... Listening to both of your records
ground for ideas… As a songwriter, you feel egotistical side by side, it sounds like you are
Ben: I always try to strike that putting all this on the line, that all coming from different places.
balance. The countryside, having the this is self-indulgent. John: With this one, I wanted it to be
time and space to be an observer, and Ben: We are allowed to be a collaborative effort. I was inviting
the moving around. Your job is just self-indulgent! friends to sing and play on the tracks,
to observe and to be present and John: But as it was going by, it felt but I couldn’t have them for obvious
accepting enough to write down these quite natural. The songs felt as if they reasons. In the first two days of
little ideas. It doesn’t really matter might be relatable because so many a seven-day session, we recorded all
– the countryside or the city. The most of us have been going through the of my parts, guitar and vocals, and
important thing is there is a balance same sort of thing in the past year. then sent out rough desk mixes to
between the two. I am always trying Feeling distant from our friends. everyone that we wanted involved.
to thread between people and nature. Feeling isolated. Just me on guitar and vocals to Bill

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


Frisell, and then he would send his
part back – he actually sent eleven
different parts. All the different
flavours of Bill Frisell!
Ben: It is beautiful, Bill’s part. It’s
a really special moment on the record.
John: It really is, man. He is one of my
favourite players. He is a hero of mine.
He sent this hour of music to get
through. It was the same with Sarah
Jarosz sending her vocal part. You
know what it’s like, Ben. You hear
someone singing something, it can
take the song in a different direction
because you want to preserve what
they’ve done, not crowd it, or maybe
you want to orchestrate something
that supports it. We were letting these
little collaborations steer the
direction.
Ben: I totally agree. You are looking
for those little triggers. They don’t
necessarily come from yourself.
Someone can put down a vocal, and
off the back of that you will hear
a harmony, you will hear a vocal part,
or you will remember a poem that
you had, or a guitar part.
That’s interesting. You’ve got to be
able to listen out for the best idea,
to be open to surprise?
Ben: Anyone who plays the tiniest
part on a record, writes a record. The
whole melting pot and the fusion is
where the ideas come from. You don’t
just stand there naked and play the
song, and ‘Oh yeah, that’s the song.’
The inspiration is picked from so
many different places.
And it can be from gear, from
a tone, from anywhere…
Ben: I don’t really consider myself
a guitarist. I obviously am, and I play
the guitar, but I am always searching
for little avenues that inspire a song,
so whether you find it on a keyboard
or a drum pattern, I am just looking
for anything that will give that little
sparkle of inspiration that a song
will roll out the back of.
John: Absolutely. It sounds like we
both discovered the 808 around
the same time.
Ben: Yeah! Drum machines, it was
funny, because your story and my
story combine, and it goes way back to
percussive guitar, and me seeing you
play when I was a lot younger, and you
played with John Martyn. That led
to working with drum machines,
working with keyboards and synths.
Fiddling and tinkering, always trying
to find new, interesting sounds,
almost trying to get away from
the guitar.
It sounds like that percussive
guitar was all about getting more
out of the acoustic, transcending
it almost.
John: I only realised that later. When
I was leaning really heavily into that
style of playing.
Ben: Well you were bloody good at it!
John: Thanks! It just had to serve the
song. Anything like that has to be part
of the song, and if it isn’t part of the
song then you shouldn’t be doing it.
Ben: Yeah, it gets to the point where
it starts detracting from it. We are
probably in the same boat. It was
a spectacle. Your song Winter was
the cornerstone for a lot of people
to realise where the guitar could go
in a song. Erik Mongrain was another 33
one. Jon Gomm... Beautiful, incredible
guitarists, beautiful parts, but it is
very difficult to get a song out of
these things.
Is that something you want to
get away from?
John: It can get overwhelming very
quickly. If I watch a whole gig of that
stuff... I was just obsessed about being
absolutely the best guitar player
I could be, and compared myself to
other people. You very quickly realise
that doesn’t go anywhere, because
there is always someone who is going
to be more proficient. Did you ever see
Johnny Dickinson, the slide player
from up in the Borders?
Ben: No. I didn’t
John: He passed away a couple of
years ago, but he was on tour with
a very famous pyrotechnic guitar
player – whose name I won’t mention
– and I went to see Johnny play, and
after his set we were watching the star
act, and Johnny whispered in my ear,
‘I can only hear so much before I want
to hear a f*ckin’ song!’ I thought,
‘That’s it!’ I am always looking for the
song, and it was only after years of
playing percussively, [I learned] how
to hold a pick and how to play in
standard tuning. Then I found that,
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 COVER FEATURE

34

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

“It is difficult to find
that peace and quiet
and find where you fit
in, finding your craft
and working at it”
BEN HOWARD
“I swear by Johnny Marr’s theory that every
guitar has a certain amount of songs in it”
actually, there are a lot of songs to
be written.
Ben: I think I went in the other
direction at that point. Finding drop
tunings at an early age, realising that
I would never go back to standard
tunings, and just going down the
wormhole of drop tunings and
delay pedals.
John: Yeah, delay pedals, man.
The tape delays on this record
sounds gorgeous.
Ben: Thanks, we experimented
with it live. We had Echoplexes
live. We had all-sorts.
Those delays are really integral to
your sound now…
Ben: On my last record, I was playing
an upside-down Silvertone – the foil
pickups sounded incredible. I had it in
really simple drop-D tuning, and
I realised that with a delay pedal you
don’t have to do that much to make
quite complex, interesting rhythmic
patterns. I found myself playing
upside-down guitar. That was
probably the same as the percussive
thing. All your picking was
upside-down.
But effects made it possible?
Ben: All of a sudden, I was touring
with two Echoplexes, a chorus, delay,
all analogue gear, and a load of
upside-down guitars, wondering what
the f*ck I was doing! I made a world of
hell for myself. Steve, my guitar tech,
he is a true professional. Nothing
fazes him.
John: I remember trying to
soundcheck at the Barbican, when
I was over with John Martyn. It was
the biggest gig I had played by a long
way, and I didn’t get a soundcheck
because they were onstage trying to
unf*ck his tape echo. It was one of the
big, original Space Echoes and there
Photo Getty
was smoke coming out of it. I bought
myself a Strymon in the end.
35
Do you both use Strymon?
John: I’ve got one of those Volante
echoes. That is all over the record. You
can just squish it just a little, so that
a chord just sounds kinda bendy, like
it is going through an old cassette.
I love that. That’s magic.
Ben: I love a soft chorus or a rotary.
I am forever playing around with
them. Strymon? My go-to is the
Deco, for the saturation, and I use
the slap-back as a delay. I think the
combination of pedals is endless.
That is the next wormhole. My thing
is a Timeline through a Big Muff
– very Martyn-inspired. As soon
as I got out of that little flat in Paris
and I could make noise, I was playing
through a Moogerfooger and a delay.
It sounds ridiculous talking about it
now! Aaron (Dessner) was the only
person who said, ‘You know what?
We could work with that.’
John: Is that what is going on in the
first track [Follies Fixture], because
there is a synth arpeggio that sounds
to me like fingerstyle going through
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

36
“This is the metaphysics of the guitar
world. I am always looking for randomiser
effects that make something special”
a chain of Star Trek dashboard effects?
Ben: That is actually me playing keys
through an arpeggiator. The Strange
Last Flight Of Richard Russell and
Finders Keepers, that’s a guitar
through a Moogerfooger. I am giving
away all the secrets now. But the
thing is, you’ll never be able to find it.
I am really worried about the time
I am going to have to recreate it.
It’s extra, though, couldn’t you
take it all away and the song
would work?
Ben: That’s the theory. This record is
the first time where I have started to
have a bit of trouble with that. But
that is the writing process. I didn’t
write as much on guitar. I wrote
to loops or drumbeats, random
sections of poems.
John: I really like the moments when
Photo Getty
it drops back to the guitar, though.
Especially whenever I can hear a low
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
C on an acoustic guitar. I just get
this nice feeling.
Ben: This is the metaphysics of the
guitar world. I am always looking for
the randomiser effects that make
something special. Drop-C is one
of them. I swear by Johnny Marr’s
theory that every guitar has a certain
amount of songs in it. I religiously
believe that.
John: There is something to that, for
sure. I bought a nylon-string for the
first time in my life, and I picked it out
of the case and wrote two songs in
a day that made it to the record.
Sometimes you do just need
a new tool.
Ben: Perhaps that’s where pedals
come in, just to give you that little bit
of excitement and get over the edge.
What guitars did you use on the
albums?
John: I have two main electric guitars,
both of which are Fender, but neither
were built by Fender. They are just bits
of guitars stuck together. That is a ’74
neck. I bought the body on eBay for
about 20 quid. All the slide guitar
work on the record is on the Strat.
Those Lollar Gold Foils, you play slide
on them and the note just hangs in
the air. I have that classical guitar
I mentioned, and I have my
Fylde acoustics. This Fylde has
a [Mike Vanden] Mimesis pickup,
and I have that going into an amp
through the chorus effect on the
Strymon Blue Sky.
Ben: It’s so funny that we have both
ended up in the same boat with
guitar pickups after all these years!
He’s cracked it. Finally.
John: He’s nailed it. I have another
output and there is a little LR Baggs
microphone pickup as well, so I have
the Mimesis going through my
pedalboard and the Baggs going clean
into the house, and the engineer can
do whatever they want with it.
Ben: I had a 20s little parlour guitar,
a Little Martin, a Martin 12-string, and
then I think my go-to has been this
old 70s D-28, but other than that,
tons of electrics. I have a Fender
Jazzmaster from the 60s. I was
limited as to how much gear
I could take to New York.
Finally, you speak of percussive
guitar becoming this spectacle.
With social media incentivising
grandstanding to the point of
being anti-art, where do you
see the future of guitar
playing going?
Ben: Ultimately, the guitar is such
a huge playing field. People get their
kicks out of it in so many different
ways. You only have to do a bit of
travelling in Indonesia and realise
that everyone can play flawless Jimi
Hendrix. There is no right or wrong.
I think it is difficult to find that
peace and quiet and find where you
fit in, finding your craft and working
at it. I turn on the Moogerfooger!
But that’s me.
John: There is no point in trying to
be anyone else. It is about doing
something that is either serving
the song or your own satisfaction.
The best piece of advice I ever got
was when I had guitar lessons. I was
about 20. I was learning scales and
my teacher just said, ‘Make sure
that every note sounds like music.’
 Need some acoustic inspiration? Look no further! Ben Howard
and John Smith are amongst the most inventive out there
en Howard and compositional tool. Both are John Martyn, Richard Thompson two from unexpected production

B John Smith are

great examples of
modern acoustic
singer-songwriters
who elevate the role of the guitar
from a simple accompaniment
device to a sophisticated
expert players who write technical
acoustic parts that seamlessly
integrate with their vocals and
lyrics. It’s a rare mix of virtuosity
with songwriting chops.
Zlwk#lqľxhqfhv#udqjlqj#iurp#
classic songwriter/guitarists like
and Joni Mitchell to more niche
exw#uhyhuhg#Ľqjhuslfnhuv#olnh#
Eric Roche, both Howard and
Smith provide a masterclass in
how electrifying an acoustic guitar
can be in the right hands. There
is so much to learn from these
techniques like delay and
Ľowhulqj#wr#shufxvvlyh#vodsslqj/#
altered tunings, challenging
picking parts and rich, deep
chord voicings. We’ll take you
through the most important
parts here.

1 DELAY-SOAKED CHORDS TRACK 09

q = 91
D5 D Dmaj 7 Dmaj 9 D5

# .. ..

38 T GB
E
. 3 7 2
0
2 3 3 .
B
D
A
. 2 7
0
2
0
2 2
0
2
0
0
.
D 0 0 0 0

We’re in drop D tuning here, so don’t forget to tune your guitar’s sixth string down a tone. Rich chords and progressions are a hallmark of both these players but you’ll also
find unexpected effects like delay on acoustic guitars. We’ve added an ambient delay effect set to a dotted eighth note pulse (494 ms) in our example.

2 LEADING WITH THE LOW STRINGS TRACK 09

A7 Bm7 Gmaj 7 A7 Bm7 Gmaj 7

.. . .. .. .. ..
.. .
.. .. . ..
. . . .
T
E
. .
¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
B
G
. 57 ¿¿ ¿¿ .
¿
D
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
5 5 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 7 7 7 4 4 4 4
B A
D 7
7 7
7
9
9
9 9
9
5
5
5 5
5
5
5
5 5
5
7
7
7 7
7
9
9
9 9
9
5
5
5 5
5
5

The chords in this example are played on the bass strings for a thicker sound and there is picking hand slap against the strings marked ‘X’ in the tab. Slap the heel of your
picking hand onto the strings near the bridge to get this percussive sound in place.

3 ROLLING FINGERSTYLE TRACK 09

Asus 4 Bm D5 G5
..
let ring throughout

T .
B
. 7
0
7
0
7 9
0
9
0
12
0
12
0
5
0
5
0
5
7 7 7 9 9 9 12 12 12 5 5 5
1

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

3 ROLLING FINGERSTYLE (cont’d) TRACK 09

# Gmaj 7
..

T .
B 5
0
5
0
5 5
0
5
0
5 5
4
5
4
5 5
4
0
4
5
.
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
3

Ben Howard often employs ‘rolling’ fingerstyle picking patterns across three adjacent strings. Use the thumb, index and middle fingers on the sixth, fifth and fourth
strings respectively, aiming for solid timing throughout. The drop D tuning lets you move simple chord shapes along the neck but ensure the fretting is clean.

4 HARMONIC MOVEMENT TRACK 09

Bm Aadd 11/C # D Aadd 11 G

# ..
let ring throughout

T
E
B .7 0 0 0

B
G
D
A
. 0
7
0
9
0
11
0
6
0
6
0
4
0
4
0
D 9 9 11 12 7 7 5 5
1

D/F # Gadd 9 D5
# ..
39

T 0 0 3 3 .
B
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2 0
0
2
0 .
4 4 5 5 0 0 0
3

John Smith has spent a great deal of time studying fingerstyle masters like Eric Roche, Martin Simpson and John Martyn, and his own approach to part writing involves
beautiful chord voicings and loads of smooth harmonic movement around the fretboard. These wide-interval two-note shapes sound especially tuneful.

5 FINGERPICKING AND FINGER-STRUMMING TRACK 09

D5 Dsus 2 D/F # G 6sus 2

# ..

T
E
. 32 0 0 ¿¿ 0 0
¿¿ 0 0
¿¿ 0 0 ¿¿
¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
B 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
G
.0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
D 0
B A
D 4 4 5 5
0 0
1

Aadd 11/C # D5 Dsus 2

# ..

T
0 0 ¿¿ 0 0 ¿¿ .
¿¿ ¿¿
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
.
¿ ¿
0 0
B 4 4
3

Moving basslines and percussive parts are at the heart of this John Smith style example. Play the chords on the ‘& a’ of beats 1 and 3 with a finger-strummed downstroke/
upstroke pattern. Keep this finger relaxed so you are brushing down/up on the first, second and third strings.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 COVER FEATURE

The Man with

Two Brains
For Jon Gomm, one of
the modern masters of
percussive fingerstyle,
the possibilities for
acoustic guitar are
limitless. He reveals the
secrets of his jaw-
dropping techniques to
TG, and explains how
the magic happens
40 when “two brains
materialise...”
Words Amit Sharma
Photos Tom-Martin / Elizabeth Giomm

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 n recent years, Blackpool-

I
born singer-songwriter Jon
Gomm has taken his
dazzling acoustic techniques
to new creative peaks. His
no-holds-barred approach is
one that borrows from a smorgasbord
of tapped harmonics, tuning peg
bends and two-handed percussive
ideas, and combinations thereof
– fuelling a rare gift that can transform
one instrument into what feels like
an orchestra. 2020 saw the release
of Jon’s signature Ibanez JGM10,
designed to enhance all the nuances
ri#prghuq#Ľqjhuvw|oh#whfkqltxhv#dqg#
meet the demands of those who swear
by them. He is the man once described
by Stephen Fry as an “all-round
genius” for “playing the guitar in a
way I’d never seen before”. If anyone
knows how to get the most out of an
acoustic guitar, it’s Jon Gomm...

With your Ibanez signature, how

exactly did you ensure it would be
perfectly suited to the modern
percussive fingerstyle player?
We’ve all seen this new playing style
grow, from songwriters like me using 41
tapping and percussive techniques,

“If you want to play percussion on your
guitar body, then you do it gently”
to people playing incredible solo
acoustic versions of covers on
YouTube. So Ibanez wanted to make
d#jxlwdu#vshflĽfdoo|#ghvljqhg#iru#wkdw#
style, and they approached me to
help create it. They’ve been amazing
throughout, very open-minded. It has
a huge range of features to that end
– a new bracing pattern to bring out
bass and harmonics, ergonomic
shaping in various places, an
incredible custom pickup system and
so much more. It sounds stunning and
ultimately makes various techniques
a lot easier to play, because trying to
sod|#prghuq#Ľqjhuvw|oh#rq#d#jxlwdu#
that’s not built for it is really hard.
Being a company more renowned
for fast and furious electrics, it
certainly feels like acoustics have
long been the unsung heroes of
the Ibanez catalogue...
Photo Getty
I was a kid so I had the fast playing
surface and the cool inlays. I was
actually at their booth at a guitar show
in Germany, shredding happily on
a Joe Satriani model when we talked
about how great it would be if Ibanez
could innovate for modern acoustic
techniques the same way they had for
electrics, developing that incredible
roster of signature electric artists. To
be a part of that actually happening is
just surreal. I think perceptions about
the brand will change. I have no doubt.
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of
your technique. What are the most
challenging aspects of modern
fingerstyle?
L#Ľqg#vlpsoh#vwxļ#fkdoohqjlqj$#Wkdwġv#
zk|#L#sod|#frpsoh{#vwxļ#lqvwhdg$#Exw#
for normal people, it tends to be
independence they struggle with
– which might mean tapping
ru#zkdwhyhu#frpelqdwlrq#ri#glļhuhqw#
techniques. But to me, the word
independence really misleads people.
They end up thinking you need two
brains. You learn part A, then part B,
then you try to do them together like
patting your head and rubbing your
belly. But that’s not how I learn at
all. I learn it all as one, taking each
moment of music one at a time, seeing
zkdw#hyhu|#Ľqjhu#rq#hdfk#kdqg#lv#
doing in that one moment. Then
I move on to the next moment. It’s
slow, but it works so it saves time in
the long run. Then, once I can play it,
those ‘two brains’ actually materialise,
dqg#L#Ľqg#wkdw#L#fdq#vzlwfk#p|#irfxv#
to my right hand, or back to my left
hand, or to my vocal or my cat
elwlqj#p|#ihhw#ru#zkdwhyhu$
For those hoping to turn their
acoustic into a drum kit, what
advice can you offer?
Play softly. If you want to play
percussion on your guitar body, then
you do it gently. That way you can
eulqj#rxw#wkh#pdq|#glļhuhqw#wrqhv#ri#
wkh#glļhuhqw#sduwv#ri#wkh#jxlwdu1#Dovr#

I love Ibanez electrics too, I even put a bassline with your left hand and it balances with the guitar part much
a Jem neck on my cheap guitar when plucking harmonics with your right, better. If you drum with the same

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 force you pluck or strum, it’ll sound
like someone playing guitar while
someone else smashes up a shed
with a hammer [laughs]... Which,
admittedly, I would pay to watch.
I think it’s all about learning the
basics first – don’t go in and start
tapping and banging away. It’s
not like you can just play regular
fingerstyle and occasionally slap
a harmonic or hit the guitar to make
it sound modern. Instead, why not
try building the entire arrangement
around your own mix of modern
techniques? I practice scales and
arpeggios every day, all that stuff has
to come first and is often lacking
with younger players. Now with the
Internet, you can learn anything you
want... But it might not necessarily
help you to know what you need.
It’s how you apply it all that matters.

The tunings also play a big part in

you being able to get the most out
of your instrument. Which ones
do you use most?
I’d say I use everything except
42 standard! Different tunings allow
for easy reach to different keys or
tonalities, or certain chords – so
they’re definitely important. Some of
the ones I use are pretty conventional,
like open D or DADGAD. Others are
a bit more out there and I look at them
more like a blank canvas because all
the dots and shapes disappear. I am
left with just my ears and my
imagination. For example, one of
my newer songs, Universal Biology, is
tuned to a Bmadd9 chord, which gives
everything a very particular sound and
harmonic minor feel.
Speaking of which, your latest
album, The Faintest Idea feels
more song-orientated than
anything you’ve done before...
I’m really proud of it. I’ve developed
a particular approach to writing,
where I see it in two stages: First the
actual composing, which happens
mostly in my head. So I’ll usually have
melody, lyrics if it’s a vocal tune, and
harmony – the rough chord ideas, or
a key or mode at least. None of this is
set in stone, but by the time it’s done
I’ll have a vision for the piece – what
it’s for, what I want to say and
express, and the mood and some
specific musical flavours. Anyone can
do this. If you can hear music in your
“I find simple stuff challenging! That’s
why I play complex stuff instead!”
head, and hum or play one-finger
piano, you can do it. Then, I pick up
the guitar, and now I see myself as an
arranger, as if I was a session guitarist
working with a different singer-
songwriter, and they wanted me to
come up with an interesting acoustic
guitar version of their song. That
way, I can get fairly crazy with the
technique, and I never feel that guilt
or conflict of ‘Oh no, I’m being too
technical, this isn’t pure and real
and expressive!’ Because the song is
already written, everything in my
arrangement is forced to be in
service to the song anyway.
What else is in your rig – are there
any pedals, amps or plug-ins that
are key to your sound?
So it’s my Ibanez JGM10 – oh my,
I love saying that [laughs] – with the
Fishman custom Rare Earth Blend and
Powertap combo pickup system, into
my MOTU Ultralite, which is a great
little box you can use as a live mixer
or as an interface for recording. Then,
I’ve got my Boss OC-5, which is my
favourite pedal and secret weapon for
that deep sub bass. I was using the
OC-3 for a long time, the newer
version feels tighter and cleaner...
It tracks even better! I also have my
Zoom MS-70CDR pedal for some
unbelievable pitch-shifted reverbs
and ‘ice delays’. Both of those pedals
I’d say are the best £100 you could
possibly spend! I also have a TC
Helicon VoiceLive which I can use for
vocal and guitar, which is very handy!
That goes into my Blackstar Sonnet
amps – of which there are two,
because stereo – in order to make
things loud in an entirely perfect way.
Which players do you think most
impacted your style and why?
Michael Hedges is my god. He
reinvented the steel string guitar. The
techniques, the sound, the tunings,
the entire approach. I am in awe of
him and love him as an entity. My
percussive roots go back to my first
guitar teacher when I was a kid, who
taught me a bit of flamenco. But then
moving through my life, I’ve always
been a magpie, just fascinated by
anything new to me...

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 COVER FEATURE

The New
Acoustic
Generation
From bluegrass virtuoso to
fun-loving fingerstylist, from
one-man band to dynamic
duo, from YouTuber to string-
slapper – TG salutes more of
the best acoustic players in
the world right now...
44 Words Chris Bird / Jonny Scaramanga /
Jonathan Horsley Grant Moon / Amit Sharma

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 Gabriella Quevedo
The YouTube crowd-pleaser
ith an undeniable ear Although she’s famous for covers,

W for a hit and unfailing

rhythmic accuracy,
Gabriella delivers
some of the most crowd-pleasing
repertoire of any acoustic
her gift for interpretation makes her
an artist in her own right, and she nails
dynamics and nuances. Her timing is
killer – metronomic without being
robotic – but it’s the way she
YouTuber. keeps focus on the melody
Unsurprisingly for that makes her so
a Swede, she’s done TG TIP effective.
a number of reworked
Focus on the melody She’ll choose chord
when tackling classic
ABBA tunes, but her covers – it’s the most voicings that keep the
arrangements of important part for most melody note at the top,
Nothing Else Matters, listeners and you can so it doesn’t get
Another Brick In build the harmony buried. Her talent for
The Wall, and Here around it arrangement shows
Comes The Sun have an original musical
all done big numbers. mind at work.
She got chosen to play on stage In late 2019, she released
with Tommy Emmanuel when she Remember and Last Time, her first two
was just 15, and was not upstaged. original compositions. Although she’s
Like Emmanuel, she has a gift for been on the scene for 10 years, she’s
sounding like several guitarists still only 24, and she is still reaching
playing at once. her potential.

“Gabriella was chosen to play on stage 45

Photo Jesse Wild

with Tommy Emmanuel at just 15”

Kaki King
The groundbreaking traditionalist
o think of Kaki King as just an from the guitar. When armed only with

T acoustic guitar player is to sell

her art short. She received
a Golden Globe nomination for
her soundtrack to Sean Penn’s
Into The Wild. King’s
her signature Ovation 1581-KK acoustic
and her imagination, she epitomises the
contemporary acoustic player, using a
cornucopia of alternate tunings,
percussive rhythms and a
groundbreaking theatre TG TIP keen ear for dynamics.
production The Neck Is Kaki has used acrylic Yet, speaking to Guitar
A Bridge To The Body overlays on her Player , King says she
took her technically fingernails for greater still sees herself as
gifted playing style to picking clarity. Greats a traditionalist: “I’m
the stage, using visual like John Renbourn actually not reinventing
arts to elevate the and Clive Carroll have the wheel in terms of my
acoustic’s possibilities. done the same guitar playing right now.
She is also an In fact, I’m being almost
entrepreneur/inventor, conservative... While the visual
creating the Passerelle, a metallic, component informs my creativity, I
moveable second bridge that can be still have a very traditional view of
used to wholly rethink what’s possible composition.”

“Kaki King epitomises the

contemporary acoustic player”
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 COVER FEATURE

Molly Tuttle
The bluegrass virtuoso

M
olly Tuttle’s picking hand is campfire feeling that you’re being
terrifying. She’s mastered welcomed to join in.
clawhammer technique, Molly’s gift is making subtle rotations
but it’s her flatpicking of her forearm to change the trajectory
that leaves us most breathless. Her of her pick. Fortunately, there’s no
string crossing is effortless. shortage of footage of her doing
Dizzying lines that would have this – although even when
anyone else stumbling for you see how it’s done,
pace or catching TG TIP replicating it is
unwanted strings You’ll live or die by the another matter.
escape Molly’s fingers angle and trajectory of Where most of
easily and with your pick. Slight us would strike an
great tone. adjustments will unwanted open string,
If she’d chosen help you skip over Molly’s pick dances
a different direction she
idle strings over the strings like
could’ve been a Steve a gazelle. She delivers her
Morse or an Yngwie melodies with dynamics and
Malmsteen. But where high-gain great rhythmic feel, and even
shred can scream look at me in an playing blazing single-note lines she
off-putting way, Molly’s Americana and creates a full sound all by herself.
bluegrass stylings always sound inviting The fact she does it all while singing
and musical. Yes, she’s phenomenal, – and that her songwriting is so
but she always retains that effective – is frankly unfair.

46 “If Molly had chosen a different path,

she could’ve been a Malmsteen”

CHAMPIONS OF GUITAR
The future of acoustic guitar is in the safe hands of
these Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year winners

Alexandr Misko Christie Lenée Alan Gogoll

A lex recently put his own unique stamp on
percussive acoustic guitar with an album
of cover versions. It’s fair to say these are
outside the traditional canon of fingerstyle
Photos Adam Gasson / Phil Barker
2 019 AGOTY champion Christie Lenée
impresses with spirited fingerstyle
performances and a bit of pedalboard dance
W e can’t begin to describe the depth of
skill Alan possesses. Tracks like Chime
and Otter Rain feature his trademark artificial
as she incorporates live looping with harmonic technique, with beautiful bell-like

guitar – Dick Dale’s Misirlou, Celine Dion’s My a foot-mounted tambourine and Kopf tones coming from Alan’s Åstrand A-OMC
Heart Will Go On and MC Hammer’s U Can’t Percussion ToeKicker for rhythm. She’s not guitar. No one-trick pony, Alan is a fantastic
Touch This all appear. Keep ’em coming, Alex. really a new kid on the block though, with five fingerstylist with several albums to his name.
We just want to hear more! albums to her name to date.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

THE BEST IN THE
WORLD RIGHT NOW
The new generation? Well, no, but these well-established
acoustic virtuosos continue to innovate like no one else

Clive Carroll
The Guthrie Govan of acoustic guitar

C
live Carroll is arguably the most With such virtuosity on display, it ought
accomplished fingerstylist in to be impossible to distill Clive’s genius
the world today – not a into practical, bite-sized advice, but there
statement we make lightly. Our is a key fact you should know. Clive often
pals on Guitar Techniques magazine even writes straight to manuscript without
call him the ‘acoustic Guthrie Govan’, a guitar in his hands. What sounds like
which gives you some idea of a massive pain in the backside
the Essex-born virtuoso’s for most of us actually
incredible skills. frees Clive from his own
Where countless TG TIP technical limitations
acoustic players
Recreate Clive’s ‘no (not that he has many!).
guitar’ approach, by
adopt a percussive writing music on a Write on paper first
approach, by different instrument and figure out how
eschewing tippy-tappy before bringing the to play it on guitar
body-beating antics, piece to guitar afterwards – that’s the
Clive is able to focus more idea. The culmination
on complex melodic lines of this method came in 47
throughout the bass, midrange 2016’s A Winter Carol – a truly
and treble. Traditional Irish pieces, unsettling track, comprising two
John Dowland compositions and the melodies in different keys and tempos,
occasional blues tune all get the Carroll but arranged for solo guitar. We can’t
treatment, but the majority of his think of anyone else who could – or
music is self-penned. would – do this!

Tommy Emmanuel
The certified guitar genius

W
hat were you up to when had started out on the road to becoming
you were four? Tommy the absolute guv’nor of fingerstyle guitar
Emmanuel was busying we know today.
himself learning to At the core of Tommy’s
play guitar, accompanying his considerable arsenal of
mother who played lap techniques is Travis picking
steel. By age six, he was
playing in his touring
TG TIP (named after pioneer
Merle Travis) – a
Build up Travis picking
family band delivering technique by technique he was
rhythm partswith practising alternating inspired to develop by
basslines included. bass notes before Chet Atkins at age
Young Tommy didn’t introducing other seven. At its most basic,
know what a bass guitar chord tones the idea is to fingerpick
was and had duly worked chord and melody lines
out how to play both parts over an alternating bassline.
on six-string, assuming this was Typically, you’ll thumb-pick two
how it should be done. And so, with more notes from a chord shape, one at a time,
Photos Adam Gasson

than the basics of fingerstyle already ‘alternating’ between them. Practise for
under his belt at a tender age, Tommy six decades to get up to Tommy’s level!

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 COVER FEATURE

Will McNicol
The modern classicist

E
qually at home on nylon or steel It’s rare to hear such a strong groove on
strings, Will has a total a track without drums or even guitar-
command of classical and slapping pseudo percussion.
modern techniques, which With Innotet, he released Eric’s Duet, a
allows him to blend traditional and commissioned piece which develops
innovative sounds. improvised ideas taken from
Since winning Acoustic recordings of the late, great
Guitarist of the Year in 2011, Eric Roche. Will’s vision for
he has fulfilled his early the guitar extends into
promise. His use of TG TIP multi-layered guitar
harmonics is stunning, Will is a fiercely talented compositions like
producing a rich,
fingerpicker. For an Emma as well
exercise, try picking
harp-like tone. He is thumb, index, middle, as orchestral
prolifically active, ring fingers on one note compositions.
releasing an original and build speed Will’s solo
solosingle and two compositions display
collaborations with string absolute mastery, though,
quartet Innotet in the first and he’s in demand as a guitar
three months of 2021. demonstrator because amazing
The solo single, Sasquatch cleverly ideas seem to fall out of every guitar
uses a capo on just five of the strings he touches. As his first two albums
and has been described as ‘Rodrigo y sold out, so anticipation is high for
Gabriella meets George Benson’. the next one.

48 “Will’s first two albums sold out.

Anticipation is high for the next...”

Dylan Ryche
The string-slapper

A
t a time when many acoustic of the absence of massive downtuned
soloists have abandoned bass notes. He’s largely not into treating
standard tuning, Toronto’s his guitar like a cajon, but he is an
Dylan Ryche has found excellent exponent of the Nuno
an abundance of fresh Bettencourt ‘slap the strings
material in it. It’s not all he on 2 & 4’ technique. This
uses, but a number of TG TIP means many of his tunes
highlights from his 2021 Sometime simple is come with a near-
release Two Tigers most effective. irresistible urge to nod
make use of the tuning Standard tuning with your head. Titles like It’s
we all know best. It a ‘beats 2 and 4’ A Good Day and Baby I
gives some chord backbeat can Don’t Mind underscore
voicings a welcome
produce earcatching his feelgood vibe.
tunes
familiarity, but because This chipper Canadian’s
it’s rarely used in this genre Twitter bio describes him
now, it ironically helps him as a “Songwriter, musician,
sound original. producer, dad & KISS Fan”, and while he
Ryche tends to create brighter rarely rock and rolls all night, he will make
textures than his peers, partly because you want to party every day.

“Dylan sticking to standard tuning has

Photos Kevin Nixon

ironically helped him sound original”

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
 Maneli Jamal
The wandering spirit
aving lived in Iran, Belarus, Jamal is known for his entertaining

H Germany, the US and Canada,

Maneli Jamal has not had
a shortage of musical
traditions to explore. At their best,
his compositions have a globe
on-stage delivery as well as his playing,
and this ability to tell a story pervades
his compositions. He has a gift for
finding sounds to conjure images,
whether he is evoking the Iranian
trotting expansiveness of revolution in Awakening or
their own, running the summer in the American
gamut of modern South on Southern
techniques, tunings,
TG TIP Magnolia.
Try using exotic scales
and rhythms. such as the Phrygian His 2012 opus
An early success of Dominant mode to The Lamaj Movement
his, Awakening, skips broaden your musical makes use of this gift
gracefully between palette by telling the story of
bars of 3/4 and 4/4, his nomadic childhood
moves through over 12 instrumental
massive-sounding chord tracks. It evokes all the
voicing, and builds to a climax drama of his early life but is
of guitar percussion. considerably less arduous than
Daft Funk, meanwhile, hints at spending your childhood in exile.
what might happen if Nile Rodgers So far in 2021, he’s passed 50 million
dedicated himself to mastering Spotify streams and 5 million YouTube
fingerstyle acoustic. views, and Maneli’s star is still rising.

“Maneli’s compositions have a globe- 49

expansiven ss of their own”
trotting expansive own

Mike Dawes
The fun-loving fingerstylist
urrey-born Mike Dawes is nu-school of virtuoso acoustic guitar. He

S currently the guitar foil for the

Moody Blues’ legendary
singer-songwriter Justin
Hayward, lending his modern style to
classic tunes such as Nights In
peppers his work with percussive hits of
the instrument’s body – emulating kick
drum, snare and hi-hat – and uses a raft
of open tunings, from DADGAD to an open
C#m9 (C# G# D# E B E).
White Satin. Now 31, Dawes Hammering-on chords
TG TIP
started out playing the
Get comfy with your over the top of the guitar
clubs solo, and knows guitar when using neck is a theatrical
how to develop percussive flourish, but it also gives
a quirky, fun rapport techniques. You need those notes a more
with audiences as he to ensure your even attack. Dawes’
metes out his daunting percussive strikes are signature guitar, made
technique, which he has on target, with no by German Luthier
described as ‘the b*stard accidental knocks! Andreas Cuntz, comes
son of fingerstyle guitar’. loaded with four pickups to
Influenced by everyone capture all these nuances, and
from Mike Hedges to Pierre Bensusan, his effects rack adds distortion, pitch
Dawes is a leading exponent of the shift, delay and reverb as needed.

“Dawes has described his technique as

the b****** son of fingerstyle guitar”
AY 2 0211 TOTAL GUITAR
 COVER FEATURE

Marcin Patrzalek
The one-man band

A
t only 20 years old, Polish More recently, he’s struck a deal with
prodigy Marcin Patrzalek Sony – who have given him the budget
has already built up an to bring his ideas to life, each tallying
impressively sizeable profile millions of views on YouTube and
online, thanks to his genre-crossing hundreds of thousands elsewhere,
rearrangements of classical blending elements of hip-hop
masterpieces including and electronica with more
Moonlight Sonata. He guitar-led influences.
started out on classical His latest video sees
at 10 years old, winning
TG TIP him tackling Led
Don’t neglect playing
his first competitions dynamics and Zeppelin’s Kashmir
only months later, showmanship. as a one-man band,
before moving onto Marcin’s live delivery exploring every inch
flamenco and is full of energy! of his Ibanez acoustic
percussive fingerstyle. melodically and
In 2019, he appeared in rhythmically with some
front of Simon Cowell and his truly mind-blowing results.
co-judges on America’s Got Talent, “My goal is to show the world
splicing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – not only musicians and guitarists
with parts of Toxicity by Armenian- – that percussive acoustic should
American metallers System Of A Down be the next big thing,” he tells TG.
on mainstream television. The clip Whatever he’s doing, it definitely
soon went viral across the world. seems to be working.

50 “On America’s Got Talent, Marcin

spliced Beethoven’s Fifth with Toxicity”

Rodrigo y Gabriela
The dynamic duo

M
oving 5,000-odd miles Five studio albums, three live albums
from Mexico to Dublin and one EP later, it would be fair to say
could very well be the best they overcame the odds. The pair have
decision Rodrigo Sánchez also delved into the world of film
and Gabriela Quintero ever soundtracks, collaborating with
made. It is, after all, where the likes of Hans Zimmer on
the guitar-playing duo Pirates Of The Caribbean,
were first discovered –
TG TIP and became Grammy
Recording two guitar
busking on the streets parts? Vary your tone winners last year for
and building a buzz by using different most recent album
that eventually picking techniques, Mettavolution. As
materialized into changing your strings individuals, both have
record label and or even using excelled in their own
management interest. another guitar. avenues of technique and
“When we arrived, it was phrasing, but together their
pretty scary!” Gabriela noise is even greater than the
Quintero told TG in 2019. “It was April sum of its parts – Gabriela’s rhythmic
and freezing, we couldn’t speak English fingerstyle every bit as mind-boggling as
and ran out of money in one week.” Rodrigo’s machine-gun alternate picking.
Photos Trae Patton/NBC / Joby Sessions

“Gabriela’s fingerstyle is every bit as

mind-boggling as Rodrigo’s picking”
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
 feature

LESSONS
IN LOOP
Who needs the band? Use a looper
pedal and you BECOME the band!
sing a looper to sum of some easy-to-play parts.

U layer guitar tracks

can be a fantastic
way of getting
more out of your
guitar playing. Use it as a learning
tool and stack tracks with a
harmonically ‘correct’ approach or
free your ears from all constraints
and just see what happens!
Here, we’ve written an acoustic
guitar piece that’s almost like
a mini-orchestra, but we’re really
only scratching the surface of
what’s possible and hopefully
showing you how a looper can
52 make a piece greater than the
It’ll also introduce you to the most
important elements of looping,
namely: perfecting your timing
and using dynamics and space
vr#|rxu#sduwv#ľrz1#
And the next step? Well, you’re
limited only by your creativity! Try
incorporating percussive strikes as
a groove to jam over. Alternatively,
place your looper after some
hļhfwv#lq#|rxu#vljqdo#fkdlq#wr#
really broaden your options. Just
remember the golden rule to give
each part its space, with lows,
mids and highs overlapping
and intertwining.

LOOPER LEGENDS…
How the greats use the humble looper pedal
1 Frippertronics
Long before loopers became
pedalboard mainstays, King
Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp
played into analogue tape reels
set up side by side with what’s
recorded on one being sent onto
the other and then returned,
creating a delay effect to which
you can add new layers of guitar.
Robert called this influential
system ‘Frippertronics’.
2 KT Tunstall and the
‘modern’ approach
For a looper masterclass, check out
a live performance of Tunstall’s
2005 track Black Horse And The
Cherry Tree. One of the earliest
artists to popularise loopers in
what we’ll call ‘the modern age’,
Tunstall incorporates percussive
acoustic guitar strikes, vocal
harmonies, handclaps and
tambourine as a backing for her
lead vocal and strummed guitar.
3 Open-mic goes stadium-sized
If anyone demonstrates the sheer
scale of looping’s potential to
elevate what is ostensibly a solo
open-mic acoustic performance to
a U2-esque stadium extravaganza,
it’s Sheeran. Ed’s Chewie II board is
MIDI-enabled, driving Ableton Live
and allows him and his live engineer
to control the loops at all times.
4 Art-rock and avant garde
Merrill Garbus’ output with
Tune-Yards features looped live
drums, vocals and percussion.
Tash Sultana’s Jungle is a modern
looper guitar classic, with Tash
integrating pitch-shifted parts
for the bassline, live looped
synth drums and chorus-
drenched chords.

1 GUITAR 1: THE FOUNDATION TRACK 10

q = 97
Am F
.. ..

T . .
B
. 0 3 2 0 3 2
3 2 0
3
3 2 0
3
.
3 3 1 1

Guitar 1 acts as the foundation upon which everything else is built. Think like a bassist would – melodic but consistent and leaving plenty of space for everything else that
follows. You don’t have to start in the low register, but it does give you scope to start moving higher in pitch with subsequent parts.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 LOOPING

2 GUITAR 2: CHORDS TRACK 11

Am G Am G F C/E F C/E

.. ..

T . 1 0 1 0 .
B
. 2 0 2 0 2
3
0
2
2
3
0
2 .

Develop that foundation by adding some simple chords. The trick is to start to fill things out but not too much or you’ll be playing over a wall of mud – we’ve stuck to some
simple two-note shapes. Never lose sight of the key signature (A minor here). You always want a rough idea of where you can go next.

3 GUITAR 3: SIMPLE MELODY TRACK 12

Am F

.. ..

T . 8
10 8
8
12 10
.
B
. 9 10
.

With the foundation in place, we’re developing a melody, which we’re keeping simple so it’s easy to add harmonies or a more detailed part. We’ve shifted higher in the
register to make the part stand out. A large part of looping is the contrast between the low, middle and high register.
53

4 GUITAR 4: HARMONY LINE TRACK 13

Am F

.. ..

T . 3 5
3
5
3
5 .
B
. 5 5
.

The melody is now harmonised and to begin with, simple harmonies of 3rds, 4ths and 5ths give a good sound, you can experiment with more adventurous harmonies as
you progress. Alternatively, try playing an octave up.

5 GUITAR 5: BUSIER PART TRACK 14

Am F

.. ..

T . .
B
. 10
7
10
7 9 7 9 10
10
7
10
7 9 7 9 10 7 9 7 9 10 9 10
7
7 9 7 9 10 9 10
7
.
Guitars: Stuart Ryan

The space in the previous loops leaves room for us to add this final part which is busier. Adding this type of rhythm changes the feel of the loops and gives everything more
of a feel of urgency. Think of this part as being more of a riff-based idea as opposed to the chords/melody approach.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 ird
risB
h
s /C
ikide
rm
n Me
to
s Mil
rd
Wo

PLAYING
IN THE KEY
OF SEA
Six Music
Lessons Of The
Sea Shanty
54

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 SEA SHANTIES

A
hoy there! In this feature, we’re
exploring the centuries-old
musical style that has enjoyed
an unlikely resurgence in 2021:
the sea shanty. Both Bristol
folk group The Longest Johns and Scottish
postie Nathan Evans recently experienced viral
success on TikTok with their performances of
19th-century whaling song Wellerman, sparking
the ‘ShantyTok’ craze and a number one single
for Evans.
The sea shanty itself is a traditional but broad
and controversially-defined folk genre.
Pentatonic scales, call and responses structures
and work-song principles of Caribbean and
Afro-American styles can be heard alongside
the melodies, seven-note scales and song
structures of English, American and
European folk songs.
A vocal-led style it may be, but we’ll show
you the key musical characteristics and
hopefully inspire you to write and play your
own shanties on guitar. Read on and we’ll
tell you what you need to know.

PIECES OF EIGHT
Lesson 2 Choose one scale
and make it count

W
riting without a six-string not exactly floating your boat?
No problem! Take a guitar-focussed approach and start
off with a scale such as the good old eight-note major
scale. Most shanty tunes follow just one musical scale
and one key, and they’re entirely connected to the human voice in terms
of pitch range, vocal leaps, melodic shape and phrase length. So learn to
play what you can sing. This will help keep range and phrase lengths

HEAVE HO! (keep in mind humans have to pause to breathe; guitars don’t!)
natural and vocal-like.

MUSIC THAT WORKS

Lesson 1: Write your shanty during 4
F# B
4
F# B G#
repetitive tasks and daily routines E A E A

T
hanks to our busy modern lifestyles, most of us think of music C# G# C# 55
as an added pleasure in our lives, but somehow separate from
what we do. Music is recreation! While some sea shanties E A F# B E A D F# B
(known as forebitters) are intended for entertainment, songs
about missing loved ones, tributes to the fallen and hope for better times
(e.g. Leave Her, Johnny, and Don’t Forget Your Old Shipmate), most emerged C# C#
to accompany maritime tasks. They were led by one trusted leader
(the ‘shantyman’) who acted as both musical and workforce director. A major A major scale
In short, the music was necessary in the coordination, physical exertion, pentatonic scale
signalling, and to keep up spirits. Writing a shanty of your own? Put your
guitar down – authentic melodic ideas will come if you sing, hum or F# B B
whistle while you work.
4 4
G C E A G C E A
F
TYPES OF SHANTY E A D F# B E A D B
There are several types of shanty;
directly related to the job at hand: G C F G C

1 SHORT-DRAG (OR SHORT-HAUL) SHANTIES

Tasks which required short bursts of energy and a quick pull
(like shortening a sail), e.g. Paddy Doyle’s Boots.
2 LONG-HAUL SHANTIES
These were sung during heavy labour over longer periods of time,
like lowering or raising a sail, e.g. Blow The Man Down.
3 CAPSTAN (OR WINDLASS) SHANTIES
Employed for a group working in strict rhythmic coordination
(e.g. Drunken Sailor).
4 PUMPING SHANTIES FOR CLEARING LEAKS,
E.G. SANTIANA.
5 WHALING SHANTIES
Sung to inspire strength and courage on whaling ships,
e.g. Bonnie Ship The Diamond and probably Wellerman.
A Dorian mode A natural
minor scale
ALL HANDS ON NECK!
Navigate the fretboard and sail the high
‘C’s with four swashbuckling scale shapes...
These are the most common (though certainly not all) scales you’ll need.
The typical singing range of the shanty is factored in, though you could
certainly go deeper and play in G, F or E. Choruses and final ‘responses’
typically end on root notes, while ‘calls’ tend to land on naturally
‘questioning’ scale degrees (usually the 5th, but sometimes the
2nd or other degrees).

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 FEATURE

“AHOY THERE!”, “AVAST YE!”

Lesson 3: Use call and response, but also
flexible structures
SHIVER ME TIMBRES
T
he Shantyman took the role of soloist, setting up the shanty,
singing unaccompanied parts and signalling the ‘chorus’
where others would join in – an arrangement generally
Lesson 5: Make music with what you have

known as ‘call and response’. Though most shanties in their
original forms are separated into ‘solo’ and ‘chorus’ sections, there’s not
exactly a rulebook and song structures vary greatly. Here are three:
1 Flexible structure
Many shanties have indefinite lengths (as did sailors’ tasks), and might
include indefinite repetition and improvised sections. Restrict your shanty
to two, or maybe three short sections with simple chord structures.
2 Verse/chorus model
Some shanties include verses (‘refrains’) and ‘grand choruses’, rousing
boisterous sections where everyone sings. Use longer held notes and
pauses to regain energy for a restart.
3 Call and response
Usually, but not always, ‘calls’ come from soloists and ‘responses’ from the
ensemble. Think of the musical phrases as ‘questions’ (call) and ‘answers’
(response) and you’ll get a feel for the melodic phrasing.
T
raditional shanties were completely efficient in their use of
musical instruments. While the accordion and other small
transportable instruments were sometimes used, the essence
of the shanty is the human voice, stamped feet and the sound
of the tools essential to the task at hand. Since the 1960s revival, many
folk bands have performed sea shanties, with acoustic-led full-band
arrangements becoming commonplace. In the last couple of decades,
rock, punk and metal have blended into the sea shanty phenomenon,
broadening the parameters into the more generic “pirate rock”. Check
out Alestorm and Blaggards.
FOUR WAYS TO PLAY SEA
SHANTIES ON GUITAR...
1 Percussive acoustic rhythm with vocal
Beat out a steady quarter-note ‘kick and snare’ effect on your steel-string
acoustic for an authentic rhythm to sing over.

CALL AND RESPONSE STRUCTURE 2 12-string acoustic with capo

Use a capo at the 5th fret (or higher) on a 12-string for a mandolin-esque
Follow this bounty of musical treasures and effect. Perfect for a shanty melody with a folk vibe.
make your own shanties shipshape! 3 Strummed chords
56 Acoustic guitar is often a strong rhythmic presence in folk. Strum firmly
and outline the changes. Nothing else is needed.
4 Rock out
If the rise of pirate metal tells us anything, it’s that any rules are there to
be broken. Plug in and rock out with your favourite shanties, we say!

NEW WAVE
Lesson 6: Collaborate and make
music that connects

T
he recent wave of ‘ShantyTok’ might feel completely
unprecedented. However some suggest that the recent
extended lockdowns have created a sense of isolation which
the shanty seems to connect to. There is a deep human
connection made by singing together which the shanty addresses. But
it also emerged out of another type of necessity. With real-time online
music making near impossible, the call and response structures of the sea
shanty are ideally suited – particularly with TikTok’s ‘duet function’ - for
online collaboration. And that makes it a genuine, unpretentious style
which invites participation by all as equals, not as separated ‘artists’

GET ON BOARD WITH CHORDS and ‘audience’. And perhaps there is the real treasure.

Lesson 4 Simple chords and the I-IV-V progression rule

T here’s no magic ‘sea shanty chord progression’ for instant nautical

tones, however, there are a handful crucial chord sequences to
understand. Apply these changes to our Call And Response Structure
charts and you’ll be in the right ballpark, or, er, harbour!

1 Major I-IV-V 2 Minor I-IV-V 3 Harmonic minor I-IV-V 4 Minor to major change
ADE Am Dm Em Am Dm E Am F C Am
A is the root chord so start there Same as the major chord Swap Em for an E for a slightly If you’re in A minor, experiment
and change to D and E around progression, but with minor more pirate-y sound. with F and C major chords in your
your melody. chords. Simple! second section.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 Find Your Perfect Tone
n h u
w

Also available to order online at www.magazinesdirect.com/guitarist-magazine

 FEATURE

SOON MAY THE

WELLERMAN COME
Sail the seven seas of rock with TG’s guitar
version of this 19th century sea shanty!
ow, admittedly, we can’t
imagine that guitar, amp
and pedalboard featured
too highly in most 19th
century sailors’ luggage
– we’ll concede that.
Still, we’re not going to let that stop
us from plugging in and rocking out
with our own version of Wellerman, the
150+ year-old sea shanty which recently
became Nathan Evans’ sensational viral
TikTok hit and number one single in the
UK chart. An unlikely and unfathomable
new trend it may be, but this traditional
tune has endured thanks to its strong,
instantly memorable melody line. As
with What Shall We Do With The
Drunken Sailor or a trad. folk tune like
The Wild Rover, one listen to Wellerman
and it’s in your head for good!
So, here we present our own version
of this traditional tune. There are only
two four-bar sections to learn, but we’ve
let rip during the last eight bars to give
you some ideas for your own version,
and tabbed it all out for you.

58 SOON MAY THE WELLERMAN COME TRACK 16

q = 110
Am
. .
Dm
. . .
Am
. ~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~
T 9 9 9 9 9 10 7 7 9 10
10
9 9
7 7 9 10
B
1

. .
E
. .
Am
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
j
.
œ

~~~~~~~~~ 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 5 7 5 4
5 7 7 9 10 7
B
3

j
F
j .. C Dm
.
Am
~~~~~~~~~~
œ œ
.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Guitars and backing Charlie Griffiths

T 10
12 (14) 12 (14 )
10
10 12 9 9 9 9 10 7 7 7 10 9
BU BU 7 7
B
5

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 SEA SHANTIES

SOON MAY THE WELLERMAN COME (cont’d)

j
F
j .. j œ
C
. ~~~~~ E
. .
Am ~~~~~~~~~~~
œ œ œ .

~~~~~~ 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 10
12 (14)
10
12 (14 )
8
10 10 (12 ) 9 9 9 9 9 7 5 7 5 4 2 14
BU BU BU
B
7

Dm Am

. . ~~~~~~~~~~ . . ~~~~~~~~~~
. .
~~~~~~~~~~~ 15 17
~~~~~~~~~~~
T 14 14 14 16 17
15 17 17 17 18 15 15 17 18 18 17

B
9

(√)
E Am

. . ~~~~~~~~~~
3
~~~~~~~~
. .
59
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
6
BU
T 14 14 14 16 17
15 17 17 17 15 17 15 13 15 13 12 13 12 10 12 10 8 8 (10) [10 ]

B
11

~~~~~~~~~
F C Dm Am
œ
j
œ
j ~~~~~~~~~ .

~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
BU BU
T 12 (14)
10 13
12 (14 ) 10 12 12 9 9 10 7 7 9 10 9 7
10 9 7
B
13

F C E Am

œ
j
œ
j .. j ~~~~~ œ
j
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
œ œ

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 12 (14 )
10 10
12 (14) 10 10 (12)
8
9 9 9 9
15 17 15 13 12 10

BU BU BU 12 14 12 10 9 7
B
15

The main Wellerman tune is made of two four-bar sections (bars 1-4 and 5-8 here), so work on those parts primarily. We’ve written another eight bars of music, taking the
melody higher up the fretboard and adding a few flourishes. Learn the bare bones of the melody, have a go at our shreddier licks, then try making up your own version.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

60

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 GARY MOORE

Words Grant Moon / Portraits Jesse Wild

“BLUES IS ABOUT
PASSION AND
EMOTION, AND
GARY MOORE HAD
THAT IN SPADES” 61
He was the Irish guitar hero who inspired countless players from
Joe Bonamassa to Kirk Hammett. With extracts from a never-
before-published interview with Gary from 2004, TG profiles
the career of a legendary figure whose influence lives on

I
f you play high-gain, uptempo blues these days,
chances are the late, great Gary Moore is one of your
go-to guys. That’s certainly true of Kris Barras,
a leading name among the modern generation of
blues rock guitarists. “Gary loved traditional blues,”
Kris tells Total Guitar, “but his blues style was very
much rock-influenced, and that’s what drew me to
him. The blues police are always there – to them if
you weren’t around in the 1960s, don’t just play 12-bar stuff
and turn your gain up above four, then you’re not real blues!
But for me blues is about passion and emotion, and Gary
Moore had that in spades. It was the power and passion in his
notes. His style was aggressive – with his hammer-ons and
pull-offs, his trills and vibrato – the attack he had. He’d be
soft and melodic then give it a big powerful burst, and I love
those dynamics. I don’t like things being moderate!”
Moderation was something that Moore, who died in 2011
aged just 58, was rarely accused of, but as shown on his new,
posthumous eight-track release How Blue Can You Get, his
fretboard talent was undiminished to the end. The album’s
title track, a hit for BB King back in 1942, is a 12-bar blues in
C that drips with bluesy feel; Moore’s cultured facility for
King’s Chicago-style licks, married to his thicker, hard rock
tone and fast hammered/pulled pentatonic licks makes for
a thrilling listen. Opener I’m Tore Down
was popularised by the imposing blues
genius Freddie King, and in Moore’s
hands it’s a roaring blues in D, one he
would sometimes belt out at gigs such
as Montreux Festival back in ’99. His
facility for slide guitar is clear from his
excoriating take on Done Somebody
Wrong, an Elmore James song famously
tackled by the Allman Brothers on their
classic live LP At Fillmore East. And
among the ballads and forward-
thinking rockers, perhaps the most
historically relevant song present is his
cover of Memphis Slim’s Steppin’ Out.
This song was given new life on the 1966
album Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton,
aka ‘The Beano Album’. It was the sole
record Clapton made with John Mayall’s
star-making group, and it changed the
young Gary Moore’s life.
In 1966, Gary was just 14, already
a self-professed ‘blues snob’, and
playing guitar in local bands in his
hometown, Belfast. He would regularly
share a stage – and guitars and amps
– with another upcoming player, Rory
Gallagher. Clapton’s new sound hit
Moore hard. “I’d been playing for five
years when that came out,” he told this
writer in 2004, “and I heard Eric using
that Les Paul/Marshall combination. He
kind of invented rock guitar as we know
it – playing the blues with that edgy,
aggressive tone. Then I heard Jeff Beck
and Peter Green, and that’s where it
all came from for me.”
He met gifted yet troubled guitarist
Green two years later in Dublin, when
Moore’s new band Skid Row supported
Green’s Fleetwood Mac. “Peter was such
a huge influence on me,” Gary said.
“I’d seen him play at [Belfast rhythm
’n’ blues venue] Club Rado, he was using
this amazing Les Paul that I went on to
own, he plugged into a rented Selmer
amplifier and the whole place was
vibrating with his sound. The tone

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 feature
was so beautiful. Peter discovered me in
Skid Row in Dublin when I was 16, and
he persuaded his manager to bring
us to England.”
Wkdw#4<8<#Ohv#Sdxo/#dļhfwlrqdwho|#
nicknamed ‘Greeny’, is now owned by
another Moore super-fan, Metallica’s
Kirk Hammett. It’s the instrument
heard on Fleetwood Mac hits such as
Need Your Love So Bad and Man Of The
World, its uncharacteristically single-coil
sound down to the pickups being wired
out of phase. Moore called it ‘a battleaxe
to play’, but would use it throughout his
career, notably on Blues For Greeny, his
1995 album dedicated to his hero. It’s
also on the new collection, How Blue
<ZgyRhn@^m its unique tone is clear and
present on the self-penned closing
track, Living With The Blues.
After Skid Row, Moore’s career passed
through various phases, and slowly but
vxuho|#klv#lqfuhgleoh#surĽflhqf|#rq#wkh#
electric guitar saw him drift away from
his roots in the British Blues Explosion.
Between 1975 and 1978 he played
jazz-rock in the group Colosseum II.
More famously, his sporadic, turbulent
membership of Thin Lizzy proved his
62 rock chops to millions worldwide. The
classic Lizzy song Waiting For An Alibi
from the 1979 album Black Rose was an
example of his formidable shred-rock
style as he shared dazzling harmony
lines with co-guitarist Scott Gorham.
But, tellingly, Gary would share a room
with Lizzy drummer Brian Downey on
tour, and they would indulge their
mutual love for the blues, playing Young Man's trusty Tube Screamer got cranked way For 1990’s Still Got The Blues, he went
blues
cassettes featuring Mayall, Albert and up. The solos got faster (check out the back to the records he adored. Among
Leading The Gary
BB King, and of course Peter Green. Moore Band on stage E-minor picking/legato workout Speak the no-brainers was Otis Rush’s All Your
As a solo artist, Moore’s early albums at London’s For Yourself, on 1989’s After The War), and Love, a crowning moment from that
showed the sheer conviction of his Alexandra Palace, Moore had more hit singles with power Clapton/Bluesbreakers ‘Beano Album’.
playing, and in 1978 the album Back On August 1973. ballads (Empty Rooms) and rock anthems Oh Pretty Woman was a tune popularised
The Streets gave him his signature hit. (Out In The Fields, with Lynott). by blues great Albert King on his 1967
The UK Top 10 ballad Parisienne Exw#dv#Prruhġv#jxlwdu#udfn#Ľoohg#zlwk# LP Born Under A Bad Sign. King guested
Walkways was sung by Lizzy’s Phil a heavy metal arsenal of Hamers, on the track, and with his Flying V
Lynott, rested on a gentle 6/8 rhythm, Charvels and Ibanezes, he grew tired of somewhat crushed by Moore’s huge
with Moore’s beautifully expressed Les the overblown trappings of 80s rock. By Ohv#Sdxo#vrxqg/#Nlqj#rļhuhg#klv#krvw#
Paul-voiced lead hook wrung from the the After The War tour he was exhausted a valuable piece of wisdom during the
A Harmonic Minor scale, over the song’s creatively, disconnected from what had recording: ‘play every other lick’. This
jazz standard-style chord changes jrw#klp#lqwr#pxvlf#lq#wkh#Ľuvw#sodfh1#Kh# chimed with Moore, who came to once
- Am/Dm7/G11/Cmaj7/Fmaj7/Bdim/E. could usually be found in his dressing again appreciate the value of space and
Moore usually strung his guitars with room before a sold-out show, picking anticipation, of tension and release.
.010-.052s, usually Dean Markleys, and away at the blues, maybe on his trusty Albert Collins, ‘The Master Of The
always used extra-heavy picks. All the 1961 salmon-pink Strat, or even Greeny Telecaster’, joined Gary for a duel on
better to play the hard rock/heavy metal itself. When his bassist Bob Daisley the 1955 Johnny Guitar Watson tune
that won him a large loyal following noticed this he suggested he make BƅfyMbk^], with Moore opting for his ’61
(Kris Barras’ dad among them) in the a blues record next, and Moore laughed Strat. To get that thinner guitar’s output
80s. On the albums Corridors Of Power – he had too much to lose to change nearer that of his Les Pauls, he would
(1982) and Victims Of The Future (1983), tack. But despite some misgivings the often drive it through a Boss DS-1 pedal.
Photos Getty

wkh ulļv jrw khdylhu/ wkh jxlwduv jrw idea stuck, and the next record he He used that guitar again on the upbeat
sxvkhg wkurxjk pruh hļhfwv/ dqg klv made was the game-changer. Texas Strut, a self-penned tune that

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


name-checks two of that state’s great
blues players, Billy Gibbons and Stevie
Ray Vaughan, but pulled out his ’68
Strat – tuned to open-A – for the slide
guitar of album opener Moving On.
Greeny itself was uncased for the classic
Fleetwood Mac tune Stop Messin’
Around, Moore’s Beatle friend George
Harrison even contributed a new song,
That Kind Of Woman, but the title track
really told the tale. With its big, clear
Les Paul lead motif in A minor, 6/8
metre and familiar chord progression
(Dm7/G11/Cmaj7/Fmaj7/Bdim/E/Am),
Still Got The Blues was a close musical
relative of Parisienne Walkways. When it
came together in just one take, Gary
knew he was back on the right path.
“It was one of those days when
everything went right for me,” he said.
“I’d bought another 1959 Les Paul, I’d
had it for a few years by this point but
had never really played it. We were
trying out the room [Sarm Studios].
I had the sound in my head – I took
that guitar and plugged into in this
Marshall JTM45 reissue amp [set clean;
mids up], and they had this new pedal
“Eric Clapton,
Beck and Peter
that’s where it
came from for
GARY MOORE
at the time called Th
he
Guv’nor [mids and g gain both
cranked], which was s the
Ľuvw#Pduvkdoo#ryhuguulyh
of that generation. We’d
W
rehearsed the song, 63
obviously, but we didd it
and recorded it in onne
take. That guitar, the
e
solo and everything,,
just came out like th
hat,
unbelievably. I’ll nev
ver
forget hearing that guitar
g
in the headphone an nd
thinking, ‘Let’s just go for
it, show ‘em what yo ou’re
made of’. We though ht we
were just doing dem mos,
which helped, becau use there
was no pressure on you,
y but
that version grew on n us and we
kept it. The same day we did the
Albert King track. It was
w a great day.”
Nicknamed ‘Stripe’, that ’59 Les
Paul Standard was alll stock except
for new Grover tuners and a re-fret
(Moore favoured jum mbo frets). And
it promptly became Moore’s main
CHH TAA
 GARY MOORE

instrument after the Still Got The Blues

sessions. It was also used by Gibson as
the model for Moore’s signature Les
Paul, produced between 2000 and 2002.
Moore was fiercely proud of having his
name on his own guitar’s headstock,
and these would be his main live
guitars for the rest of his life, which
was redefined by the success of
his new album.
Still Got The Blues hit No.13 in the UK
album chart and was certified platinum
there in 1994, going on to sell millions
across the world. While Moore did lose
some of the more metal-minded
members of his existing audience,
his evolving status as a blues superstar
made him accessible to legions of new
fans, and other players noticed.
Back in the metal world, Kirk
Hammett was galvanised by Moore’s
guitar tone to write the write riff for
Metallica’s The Unforgiven, a song that
appeared on the band’s self-titled 1991
album, a multi-million selling hit. In
the 90s, future blue-eyed boy of the
blues Joe Bonamassa was a teenager,
freshly dumped from his first band
Bloodline, and in the early stages of
64 a solo career. Looking across the
Atlantic, he watched Moore’s
renaissance with interest – clearly
there was an audience in Europe for
robust, gain-up blues. In 2015
Bonamassa told Viennese TV channel
Multaschag: ‘Whereas the US had Stevie
Ray Vaughan, Europe had Gary Moore.
He was this bull in a china shop playing
blues songs on an old Les Paul through
a couple of Marshalls – I’ll give you one
guess where I got that playbook!’ As
his success grew, first in Europe, then
at home, Bonamassa would add Still
Got The Blues’ slow and moody tune
Midnight Blues to his setlist, by way
of tribute. les paul legend other lick’, in honour of the bluesman For Barras and others in the new
Ironically Moore later concurred with On stage at London’s he owed so much. generation of amped-up, high-gain
Hammersmith Odeon
the critics (and the ever-vigilant blues Kris Barras was just 10 when Blues For blues rockers, Gary Moore’s name
in 1979 during Thin
police) who had considered that album Lizzy’s Black Greeny came out. “That album really comes up regularly in interview, and
too overblown and heavy to constitute Rose tour. opened a door for me,” he recalls. “It was Barras for one is fine with it. “I’m not
a pure blues record. Although his some of Gary’s most traditional bluesy ashamed of his big influence! Gary
subsequent catalogue was built on his stuff. Through him I realised what the wrote great songs, his voice is often
winning fusion of blues and hard rock, genre really was, and then I went back overlooked, and his effect on guitar
he thought of ‘95’s Blues For Greeny as and discovered the big blues guys, like playing will be felt for decades to come.
his first blues album proper, as he Albert Collins and BB King. The first CD He was a generational talent.”
strapped on Green’s Les Paul, dialled I ever bought with my own money was How Blue Can You Get is released
down the distortion, and ‘played every Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Texas Flood.” via Provogue on April 30th.

“We recorded Still Got The Blues

in one take – solo and everything”
Photo Getty

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 GARY MOORE

GOT THE
BLUES
TG takes you inside the playing
style of the guitarist whose
musical rediscovery in the early
90s changed blues forever
ary Moore’s rzhv#d#ghew#wr#Jdu|#Prruh1#Shulrg1#

G
hud0ghĽqlqj#
1990 album
Still Got The
Blues#vhqgv#
ulssohv#
wkurxjk#wkh#
jxlwdu#zruog#
wr#wklv#gd|/#
dv#d#qhz#jhqhudwlrq#ri#jxlwdulvwv#
frqwlqxh#wr#gholyhu#wkh#Ľuh#dqg#
sdvvlrq#ri#eoxhv#wr#d#prghuq#
dxglhqfh1#Mrh#Erqdpdvvd#lv#wkh#gh#
idfwr#khlu#wr#Prruhġv#yluwxrvr#eoxhv#
wkurqh/#dqg#Fkulvwrqh#ĠNlqjĽvkġ#
Lqjudp/#Nulv#Eduudv#dqg#Odxuhqfh#
Mrqhv#doo#flwh#klv#lqľxhqfh/#exw#
zhġg#dujxh#wkdw#dq|#jxlwdulvw#
sod|lqj#xswhpsr#eoxhv#wrgd|#
Khuh/#lq#rxu#ohvvrq/#zhġoo#wdnh#|rx#
wkurxjk#vrph#hvvhqwldo#hohphqwv#
ri#Jdu|ġv#ohdg#vw|oh#srvw04<<3#Ğ#klv#
eoxhv#shulrg1#Zhġoo#wdnh#d#orrn#dw#
nh|#whfkqltxhv#dqg#wkh#w|slfdo#
skudvlqj#wudlwv#|rx#qhhg#wr#nqrz1#
Li#wkhuhġv#d#vhfuhw#+dqg#lwġv#qrw#
pxfk#ri#d#vhfuhw#li#zhġuh#krqhvw,/#
lwġv#Jdu|ġv#dzhvrph#sod|lqj#vshhg#
dqg#vxsuhph#wlplqj1#Wkdw#phdqv# 65
|rxu#idvw#olfnv#qhhg#wr#eh#fohdq$#
Shqwdwrqlf#vfdohv#duh#dw#wkh#khduw#
ri#Jdu|ġv#ohdg#vw|oh/#dqg/#wkrxjk#
hdv|#wr#jhw#vwduwhg#zlwk/#wkhvh#
vkdshv#fdq#eh#wrxjk#wr#gholyhu#dw#
vshhg1#\rxu#plvvlrq#lv#wr#vwulnh#
wkdw#vhhplqjo|#lpsrvvleoh#
edodqfh#ri#vshhg#dqg#ihho111#

GOT THE TONE

The gear on Gary’s classic track, Still Got The Blues
1 59 “STRIPE” LES PAUL
STANDARD
Yes, Gary owned Greeny, but his
‘Stripe’ Les Paul was used on Still
Got The Blues. The lead guitar intro,
solo 1 and first half of solo 2 are all
played with the neck pickup, before
Gary switches back to the bridge
in bar 17.
2 MARSHALL MID-60S
JTM45 REISSUE
This was a prototype amp that was
soon to be released by Marshall.
Set mostly clean with a pedal
providing the drive tone.
3 MARSHALL GUV’NOR
OVERDRIVE PEDAL
Cranking the gain and midrange
on Marshall’s famed Guv’nor pedal
pushed the amp hard, giving the
song its signature fat,
sustaining tone.
4 ROLAND SDD-320
DIMENSION D CHORUS
Perhaps surplus to requirements,
but if you’re playing the verse
arpeggios, dial in a light chorus
tone with gentle stereo spread
but very little pitch modulation.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 GARY MOORE

1 BIG BENDS AND EPIC VIBRATO TRACK 17

j 3

q = 139 q q =q q
D9 ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
nœ
j . œ
j œ
j
.

BU BU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BU ~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 13 (15 ) 13 (15 ) 15 (19) 15

B ¿ ]

To really get inside Gary’s blues lead playing, you need to study how he played with such fire and aggression, and nowhere is that more evident than in his expressive string
bends and epic vibrato, which you’ll find mimicked in bars 1 and 2 here. Don’t let up when you reach the muted string slide at the end of the tab – it’s a musical ‘punctuation
mark’ that Gary used a lot.

2 ERIC CLAPTON STYLE PENTATONIC RUNS TRACK 18

j
D9
~~~~~~~~~
nœ
n nœ
j
~~~~~~~~~
#
3 3 3
BU ~~~~~~~~~~ BU ~~~~~~~~~~
13 (15 ) 13 10 10
T 13 10 13 (15 ) 13 10
12 10
12
B

We’re in Beano-era Clapton territory here – a huge influence on Gary. Fingering-wise, Gary would use his first and third fingers almost exclusively for licks like this – the
strongest fingers, of course (remember what we said about aggression?!). What set Gary apart was his ability to blast out licks like this either bang on the pulse or
66 deliberately dragging behind the beat, but always under control.

3 POSITION-SHIFT PHRASING TRACK 19

œ
j
D9
n ~~~~~ ~~~~~
3
.
let ring
BU
8
RP ~~~~~~ ~~~~ 10 [10 ]
T 8 (10) (10) 8 6
7
10 [10 ]
5 3 5 7 3 5
B 5

The bends in bar 1 are typical Moore fare but it’s Gary’s swift position shifts that really stand out in licks like this. You’ll be moving from 6th position to 3rd, 5th and 3rd
again in bars 1 and 2 – pin-sharp timing is of course essential. We’re finishing off with another musical punctuation mark here, this time sliding down the treble strings
for a bluesy bite instead of a rawk roar!

4 REPEATABLE LICKS TRACK 20

n .~~~~~~~~ n
D9 j
j j j j j j j j j j œ
nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ
#
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
~~~~~~~~~ BU
BU 15 BU 15 BU 15 BU 15 BU 15 BU BU 15 18 15 BU 15 18 15 BU 15 18 15 BU
T 17 (19 ) 17 (19 ) 17 (19 ) 17 (19 ) 17 (19 ) 17 (19 )
15
17 (19) 17 (19) 17 (19 ) 17 (19)
15 17 (18)

B ¿

This repeating lick demonstrates the influence of guitarists like T-Bone Walker, Chuck Berry and, once again, Eric Clapton on Gary. In fact, Moore plays a similar phrase to
this tabbed idea at 3:13 in Oh Pretty Woman. We’ve played ours dead straight but listen out for Gary’s Clapton-esque speed-change trick, shifting from triplets to 16th
notes midway through.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

5 PETER GREEN INFLUENCE TRACK 21

q =140
A7 j n j n ~~ . œ
j n # n nœ
j
#
1/4

# œ
j œ œ

BU
10 12
BU BD ~~~~~ BU
12(15) 12 11 10
BU
10 12
1/4

T 9 11
10
11
12 (13) 12 (13) (12 ) 10
11
10 13(14) 14

The third album in Gary’s 1990s blues journey, Blues For Greeny, is a tribute to Peter Green’s work, played, of course, on the iconic ’59 Les Paul that Green sold to Moore. It’s
a more laidback offering, with Gary seeming to come of age in terms of his affinity for blues. Our lick demonstrates the secrets: less gain, fewer notes and plenty of
Green-inspired phrasing delivered, typically, with Gary’s clean, tight timing.

6 TEXAS INFLUENCES TRACK 22

q =125

n .~~
E7
√j j j j j
#
j ~~ 1/4 nœ œ œ j nœ
œ œ
. œ

3 3 3 3 3
BU BU ~~~~ BU
1/4
BU BU BU BU ~~~ 6
17 (19 ) 17 (19 ) 15 15 17 (19) 15 12 12 12 12 12 15 12
T 17 15 (17) 12 15 (17) 12 15 (17) 12 BU 12 15 (17) 12 15 12
14 (16) 14 12
14 12
B 12 10

Though known best for playing Les Pauls, Gary was no stranger to Fenders. He used his red 1961 Strat for a wondrous rendition of Red House at the 50th Anniversary Of
The Fender Stratocaster concert, opting again for the big F to record the Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top-inspired Texas Strut on Still Got The Blues. This lick starts out
SRV-style before rounding off on a run which could be either player! 67

7 GARY'S INFLUENCE ON JOE BONAMASSA TRACK 23

q =77
Bb5 Bb5
Dm
~~~ .
F

j
G C5 Dm
~~~~~~ F G C5

~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

T 5 7 7 10 9 10 9 7 9 9 7 9 7 3 7 5 3 2

B
1

Gary Moore superfan Joe Bonamassa is the natural heir to Gary’s virtuoso blues throne, delivering fire and intensity with, most often, a soaring Les Paul tone. Our example
homes in on the concept of playing a simple melody on just one string. Gary’s influence can be traced in the kind of ornamentation that both he and Joe would use. Almost
every note has a finger slide, hammer-on or pull-off added.

8 GARY'S INFLUENCE ON KRIS BARRAS TRACK 24

q =105
E5
√j G5
~~~~~~
A5
~~~~~~~
G5 A5

# œ . œ
œ
j

BU
17 (19) 17
BU
17 (19 ) 15
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
T 17 17 (19 ) 17
14 12
14 12
B 14 12 10

A new generation of blues prodigies are indebted to Gary’s blues legacy – and none more so than Kris Barras. A high-energy, no-nonsense rock ’n’ roller, Kris picks hard,
really digging into the strings. Note the Moore-esque two-string bend in bar 1 of our tab example. There should be a biting, dissonant clash. If you’re not getting the
right sound, try fretting the second string a fret below the first.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K

68

STEVIE
RAY
VAUGHAN
MARY HAD A
LITTLE LAMB
Deservedly held in high regard by the great and the
good of the guitar world, we take a close look at
some classic SRV, with tips on tone and technique
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
 CL ASSIC
T R AC K

B
y 1982, Stevie Ray Vaughan was
already making a name for
himself with Double Trouble,
GET THE SOUND
playing at the Montreux Jazz
Festival, when his career got Everything you need to know before playing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’
a further boost from none other
tevie was most associated
wkdq#Mdfnvrq#Eurzqh/#zkr#rļhuhg#wkh#edqg#
free studio time – and David Bowie, who asked
him to play on the sessions for his Let’s Dance
Get the tone
5
CHANNEL CLEAN S with Strats – particularly his
battered ‘Number One’
assembled from late-50s and
album. Stevie and Double Trouble also 4 early-60s parts. Though Stevie
7 7 7 was known for using heavy
recorded their debut album Texas Flood – in strings and a high action, the
just three days! The band apparently set up in most important consideration
a circle so they could look at and listen to each is a relatively ‘rattle-free’ action
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB and firm confident attack. Stevie
other as in a live performance. The result is
would often hook several amps
a document of the instinctive musical together (including Fenders,
interaction which had so impressed Live, Stevie used the neck Marshalls and Dumbles), adding
David Bowie and Jackson Browne. and middle pickups a little extra push and tonal colour
together for most of with an Ibanez Tube Screamer.
We’re looking at album track Mary Had
the rhythm work, usually
: Ebmme^ EZf[ here, a cover of Buddy Guy’s switching to just the
original. Of course, there’s plenty to learn neck during the solo.
from Stevie’s trademark lead work, but don’t EFFECTS
ignore the basics. You can learn a lot of Overdrive
Level: 8
improvisational ideas from his approach to
Drive: 3
chords, and you can see how he follows both Tone: 5
12- and 8-bar blues patterns, too.

CHORDS SCALES
A T
ll but the B7 are three-note triads, interspersed with the main melody and lead hese two shapes cover virtually everything 69
olqhv1#Eh#vxuh#wr#pxwh#dq|#lgoh#vwulqjv/#sduwlfxoduo|#wkh#Ľiwk#zkhq#sod|lqj#wkrvh# – though note that shape 1 appears both in
E7 chords. The alternate A7 voicing appears just once at the beginning of open position for the main melody/intro
Verse 1. Who knows why? Just one of those little mysteries that make live and at the 12th fret for the solo. The shape 2 is
recordings so appealing! also played at the higher register, incorporating
lots of bends and doublestops.

X X X X X X X O

1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1
12
2 1 1 2 3 4

3 2
3 3 3
4 4 4

E7 A7 B7 E minor pentatonic
scale (shape 1)
X X X X X X
1 1 1
1 14
11
2 2 2
2 2 3
Guitars and backing: Richard Barrett Photo Getty

3
3 4
4 4 4 4 4

E minor pentatonic
scale (shape 2)
E7#9 A7

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB
Words and Music by Buddy Guy
Copyright © 1988 Mic Shau Music Company
All Rights Administered by BMG
Rights Management (US) LLC

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Intro

q =120 E7
# .. ..
. . .
n n
PM

T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0
0 2 2 2 0
3
1

A7
# ..
1/4

.
.. .

70
¿¿ 1/4
3 3 3 3
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1 2 3 2 0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5
B 2 4 0
4

E7
# .
..
n b
œ
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0
0 2 2 2 0 1
7

#
B7 A7 E7 9
# ..
1/4

œœ
. œ
j
.
n
let ring
1/4 rake œ œ
3 0 0 3 3 3
T 2 2
2 3 0
2 4
3
4 2 0
3 3 3
1 2 2 2 2
B 2
2 2
0
0 0
10

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 FULL TRACK + BACKING (TRACKS 25-26)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN / MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Intro (cont’d)

# .
œ ..
. n . n
3
T 3 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0
0 2 2 2 0
3
13

# .
A7
..
.. .
n
3 3 3 3
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0
0 2 2 2 0
3
0
16

1/4

# E7
..
œ œ .
n n
1/4

T 0 3 3 3 3 3
0
3 [3]
0 71
0 1 1 1 1
0 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0 3
19

#
B7 A7 E7 9

..
1/4

. j .
.
œ
.
1/4

2 2 3 0 3 3 3
T 2 2
0
2
0
2
2 3 0
2 4
3
4 2 0
3 3 3
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
B 2
2
0
0 0
22

This combination of the main melody/riff and chords forms the backbone of the track. Keep an ear open for subtleties like occasional palm-muting and quarter-tone
bends. Though Stevie was a very consistent player, be aware that some of the small details like the muted strings in bar 3 are important, but shouldn’t sound too
‘deliberate’. Note the E7#9 is used this time.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Verse 1

#
# .
E7 9 A7
. .
E7

.. ..
1/4
.
..
0:47
n œ
3 3 3 3
T 3
12 12 12 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
1/4
2 11 11 11 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 12 12 12 12
3 0
1

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Verse 1 (cont’d)

1/4
B7 A7 E7
# . .. .
.. .. . ..
œ n n œ œ œ
let ring

T 3 3 3 3
2
0
3
2
3
2 ¿¿ 3
2 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1/4 2 2 2 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
B 0
2 2
3
0
3 0 0 0
5

A slightly modified (though not simplified) version of the chords functions as accompaniment during these verses. It’s interesting to note the subtle differences Stevie
puts in to some of the more frequently occurring patterns – it’s also worth checking out live versions of this for similar insights.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Verse 2

E7 A7 E7
# .. .. 1/4
..
. . .
. nœ
1:03

3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
1/4
2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 0
3 0
1

1/4
B7 A7 E7
# . .. 1/4
..
72 .. . .
. n n
let ring
2 3 3
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1 2
0
2
2
2
2
2 2
3
1
3
1
3
1
1/4 1/4
2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
B 0
2 2
3
0
3 0 0
5

Ostensibly the same as verse 1, though Stevie adds a few little variations. For example, the B7 chord is not approached the same way twice. The ultimate goal from
studying these details is to become just as fluent and free with your own chord playing. Try improvising around the chord shapes before taking a note-for-note approach.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Solo

.~~~~~~~~~~~~
E7 A7
j
#
nœ ¿
¿ b œ
j b
.
1:18
BU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ rake
¿¿ 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
BU BD
T 3
1
15 (17)
14 (15 ) (14 ) 12 13 14 15 14 12 14 14
2 14 12 14
B
1

E7 B7
1/4

.
1/4
j . n #
# 1/4
œ

PB 15
1/4 1/4
1/4 BU 12
T 12 12 12 12 15 (16 ) 12

¿ ¿
12 12 12 14 (16 )
14 12 14 12 14 14 12 12 14 14
B
4

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN / MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Solo (cont’d)

A7 E7

~~~~~~ ¿ 1/4 1/4

# ¿ œ
œ

~~~~~~~ rake
3
rake

15 ¿¿ 1/4 1/4
BU
T 14 15 17 17
14 14 12
12
12 12 14
14 12 12 14
B 14
7

b n n # n A7
j ~~~~~
# œ

PB 15

12 15
BU
17 (19 ) 15
PB 15

(17)
BD
(15)
~~~~~~~
T (15 )
12 15 (16 ) 12 15 17 17 17

B
9

1/4
n b .
E7
~~~~~~~~~ 1/4
j
# œ œ 1/4
œ
73
3 3 3

15 17
PB 17
(19) 17
1/4

15
rake
~~~~~~~~~~ 1/4
BU BD 1/4 BU
T 17 15
16 15 14 ( 15 ) (14 ) 12 12 12 14 (16 )
14 14 12 12 14
B 14
11

B7
√ 1/4

# 1/4
1/4
j
3

œ
3 3
3 3 3 1/4 3 3
1/4 let ring
1/4
12 14 12 13 12 12 12 15 12 12 BU
T 12 12 15 12 15 12 12
14
12 15
14 (16 )
15
14 12
14
B
13

A7
n E7

#
1/4

3 3 3 3 3 3
PB 14 3
3
1/4
T 12
12
14
14
(15)
(16)
14
14
12
12
12
12
14
14
12
12
12
12
14
14
12
12
14
14
12
12
12
12
14 14 14 12 12 14 14 14 14
B 14
12
15

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Solo (cont’d)

n j nœ
j
A7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ
j

# œ

3 3
PB 14
12
BU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RP
BD
BU
T 14
14
(15)
(16)
14
14
12
12
12
12 14 (16 )
12 12 15 (17) ( 17 )(15) 12 12
14
B
17

~~~~~~~E
7

n œ
j œ
j
n œ j œ
# œ

3 3
PB 15
BD
PB 15
BD
PB 15
BU ~~~~~~~~~ PB 15
BD
BU
T 15 (17) (17) (15) (17) (15) (17) 15 (17) ( 17 )(15 ) 12
14 (16) 14 12
14
B
19

B7

# œ ~~~~~~ ¿
¿ œ
j œ œ œ 1/4
1/4

j
œ
3 3
PB 14
~~~~~~~ ¿ rake 1/4
1/4

74 T ¿ BU 12
12
12
15 12
12
12
15
12
12 15 12 BU
12 14 (16) 12 12 14 (16 ) 14 (16) 14 12
14 12
B
21

A7 E7
. 1/4 1/4
..
1/4

# j œ
j
œ

1/4 1/4 1/4

14
T 12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
14
14
12
12

¿ ¿
14 12 12 12 12 14 14 12
B 14 14 12
15 12
23

The centrepiece of the track, Stevie plays up a storm using just two shapes of the E minor pentatonic scale. Key techniques are accurate string bends – including
pre-bends and quarter-tone ‘blues’ bends, which also occur during the doublestop licks. These are actually simpler than they appear; just push or pull both strings with one
flattened finger. There are also some cool ‘rakes’ across the strings – these may take some time to master, but are well worth the effort and a real SRV trademark.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Verse 3

A7 E7
.
1/4

.. .. ..
. . .
2:05 1/4
n
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
14 2 2 2 2 2
B 12
0 0
3 0
1

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN / MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Verse 3 (cont’d)

B7 A7 E7
.. .. 1/4
..
. .. . .
n n
let ring
2 3 3 3
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1 2 2
0 2
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
3
1
3
1
1/4
2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
B 0
2
2 2 3
0 0
3 0 0
5

Another chance to hear Stevie adding subtle variations to the chord accompaniment – something that’s even more challenging if you’re singing. Bear in mind that it takes
time to build this skill – and that learning to duplicate the parts should be regarded as a step in the direction of creating similar ones – albeit in the same style.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB Outro

E7
# .. .. 1/4

. . . .
2:20
n œ n
PM

T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1 1/4
2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0
0 2 2 2 0
3
1

A7
75
# . ..
.. .
.
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
¿ 2 3 2 0
3
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 5
B 2 4 0 0
4

E7
# 1/4
. .
œ .. ..
œ œ n œ œ œ bœ

T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
1/4
0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 0 2 0 2 0
3 0
0 2 2 2 0 1
7

1/4
#
B7 E7 9
.. .
j œœ

n
œ
.
1/4 rake
let ring
2 3 0 0 3 3 3 3
T 2
0
2
3 0
2 4
3
4 2 0
3 3 3 3
1 1 2 2 2 2 2
B 2 2 0
0 0
10

We end as we began, with a repetition of the main riff/melody and chords. Like the beginning, the E7#9 is used at the end. You’ll notice the third string is actually muted,
but the overall effect is still that of a major/dominant chord, due to the context – it certainly isn’t E minor!

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 ROCK
SCHOOL

EVA CASSIDY
SONGBIRD
The late singer’s now legendary cover
gets re-imagined by Rockschool for
solo acoustic guitar. TG takes a look...

S
ongbird was originally written It can be challenging to achieve a clear
by Fleetwood Mac’s Christine tone when playing chords and melody
McVie, who described the song together, so try to focus on short
as being “like a gift from the phrases, planning your fretting hand
angels”, having materialised in around Ľqjhulqj#dqg#srvlwlrqv/#dqg#sudfwlvlqj#
half an hour in the middle of the night. the motions with your picking hand
With truly universal appeal, the song before joining the two.
drew more attention following Eva For example, it may take some
Cassidy’s astonishing cover on her suhsdudwlrq#wr#judvs#wkh#sxoo0rļ#lq#
posthumous album of the same bar 1 whilst also sounding a Cadd9
name, released in 1998. chord. Once these techniques are
Rockschool’s Grade Five secure, there is plenty of scope to
arrangement condenses the vocal add ‘sheen’ to the performance,
melody and chord progression into from the dynamics to the
76 one part for solo acoustic guitar. arpeggiated chords.

Words Jono Harrison

Photography Getty
Whether you’re taking your first steps on guitar or
moving into further/higher education, a Rockschool
Grade will improve your playing ability whilst you
learn iconic tracks from the world of popular music.
For more info visit: www.rslawards.com
SONGBIRD
facebook.com/rslawards
Words and Music by Christine McVie
instagram.com/rslawards © Copyright 1977 by Universal Music – Careers
Copyright Renewed
@RSLAwards International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.

EVA CASSIDY SONGBIRD TRACK 27

q =76
Cadd 9

. . .

P let ring through

5 3 0 3 0 0 3 0
T 3
0
3
5 2
3 3
1

G Am7 G/B

5
T 0 0 3 0 0
0
1 0
2
0
5
8
9
8
0 0 0 5
B 3 3 3
0
7
3

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 EVA CASSIDY / SONGBIRD

EVA CASSIDY SONGBIRD TRACK 27

Cadd 9

.
. Œ
8 7 5 7 5
T 9
5
5
8
5
8 8 8
5

G Am7 G/B

..

.
3 5 7 7 5 3 3 5 7
T 3
0
3
0
0
0 5 7
0 0
2
3
7

Am Em
. ..
# .
77
.
8 7 5 3 5 3 7
T 9 7 5 5
5
4 7
5
0
0 0 0
9

Cmaj 7 C

. .
3 3
T 0
0
0
0
1
0 0
3 3
0
2
3 3 3 3
11

G G/B

T 1
0
0 1
0
0
0
0
2
0 3
0
3
0
3
2
0 0 0 0
2
3 3 3
13

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 ROCK
SCHOOL
EVA CASSIDY SONGBIRD TRACK 27

D C
% 3

.
. ..
‰ . .
F
2 3 5 2 3 2 0 3
T 3
2
3 3
0
3
0
0
0
0 0
B 3 3
0
15

Em > U
# .
. NH

5 7 7 0 12 7 7 7
T 0
0 0
0 12
12 7 7 7
2 4
B 0
2
0
17

C Dadd 11 To Coda fi
78 ‰ œ

3 3 3 2 0 0 3
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
4 4 4
3 5 5
19

G Am7 Gadd 9/B

# ..
..

P
5 7 5 3
T 0
0
0 1 0
0 0 2 0
0 2 0 0 0 2
B 3
0 2
21

T 0 0
1 1 0
2
2 2 2 0
3 3 3
23

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 EVA CASSIDY / SONGBIRD

EVA CASSIDY SONGBIRD TRACK 27

G Am7 Gadd 9/B

#
3

T 2 4 2 4 2 0 0 2 0
0 0 2
B 3 3
0 2
25

.
T 0 0
1 0 3
2
B 3 3
27

G/B Am7 G 3 G/B D.%. al Coda fi

.
..
‰ .
79
T 3
0
1
0
0
0 2 4 2 0 0
0 3
0
3
0
3
2
0 0 0
B 2 0
3 3
2
29

fi Coda
G/D Cmaj 7 G

.
... ..
.
P
5 7 5 3 7
T 0
0
8
0
8
9
3 3
0
1 0
0 0 0
B 8 8 3 3 3
31

Cmaj 7 G Am7 Dadd 11 Gadd 9

rit.

# ‰
‰
p
7
T 8
0
8
9
3 3
0
1 0 0
0
1
0
3
0
0
2
0 0 0 4 0
0 5
8 8 3 3 3
34

A fingerstyle approach will help you to tackle the subtleties of this arrangement. For the arpeggiated chords (bars 16 and 36), aim for a ‘rolling’ effect where you hear each
note of the chord in quick succession. However, as there is a ‘ritardando’ telling you to slow down towards the end of the track, you might want to ease off the pace a little
for the last chord.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 LEARN
TO PL AY

OPEN-MIC SONGBOOK
ED SHEERAN
AFTERGLOW
This easy four-chord song is perfect for
improving your strumming technique
and building confidence

L
anding in December 2020, d#fdsr#rq#wkh#7wk#iuhw#vr#|rxġuh#lq#wkh#
Afterglow is Ed Sheeran’s most ruljlqdo#nh|1#Qhyhu#xvhg#d#fdsrB#Zhġg#
recent single, and was an xujh#|rx#wr#slfn#rqh#xs$#Lwġv#rq#wkh#7wk#
immediate hit. 2019’s iuhw#khuh/#vr#|rx#fdq#pryh#lw#xs#ru#
Gh'/ <heeZ[hkZmbhgl Ikhc^\m was grzq#wkh#iuhwerdug#wr#vxlw#wkh#slwfk#
a predominantly electronic hip hop ri#|rxu#vlqjlqj#yrlfh1#
dqg U ġqġ E dļdlu/ exw Hgġv edfn rq Ilqdoo|/#wdnh#qrwh#ri#Hgġv#vrolg#
vwhho0vwulqj dfrxvwlf khuh/ shuiruplqj uk|wkp#whfkqltxh1#Afterglow is
wkh nlqg ri iron| srs wkdw Ľuvw pdgh d#eduh#erqhv#vrqj#wkdw#uholhv#rq#|rxu#
80 klp idprxv d ghfdgh djr1 vwuxpplqj#dup#wr#gholyhu#wkh#gulylqj#
\rx qhhg exw irxu hdv| rshq vkdshv hljkwk0qrwh#ihho1#Li#lw#jrhv#zurqj/#
wr sod| dorqj1 Mxvw uhphpehu wr srs |rx#fdqġw#eodph#wkh#guxpphu$#

CHORDS X O O X X O

A
fterglow#lv#surri#wkdw# CAPO – 4th fret CAPO – 4th fret
wkhuhġv#vwloo#sohqw|#ri#olih#
ohiw#lq#wkrvh#Phg]^kpZee
fkrugv$#Wkh#wulfn#zlwk#wkhvh#
vkdshv#lv#wr#uhphpehu#wr#nhhs#
|rxu#wklug#dqg#irxuwk#Ľqjhuv#
2 3 4 2 3 4
rooted on the top strings
wkurxjkrxw/#prylqj#rqo|#|rxu#
Ľuvw#ru#vhfrqg#Ľqjhuv#rq#fkrug#
fkdqjhv1#E|#dqjolqj#|rxu# B5 Esus2
vhfrqg#Ľqjhu#vr#wkdw#lw#mxvw# (G5) (Csus2)
wrxfkhv#wkh#vwulqj#deryh#|rx#
fdq#hdvlo|#pxwh#rxw#wkh#lgoh# X X O O O O
Ġlqqhuġ#vwulqj#+pdunhg#[,#lq# CAPO – 4th fret CAPO – 4th fret
wkh#E8#dqg#Hvxv5#fkrugv1#

AFTERGLOW
2 1
Guitars and backing: Phil Capone Photo: Getty

Words and Music by Ed Sheeran, David Hodges and Fred Gibson.

Copyright © 2020 Sony Music Publishing (UK) Limited, 3 Weddings
Music and Promised Land Music Ltd.
3 4 3 4
All Rights on behalf of Sony Music Publishing (UK) Limited
Administered by Sony Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street,
Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219.
All Rights on behalf of 3 Weddings Music Administered Worldwide
by Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing.
All Rights on behalf of Promised Land Music Ltd. Administered by F#sus4 G#m7
Universal Music Works.
International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. (Dsus4) (Em7)
Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 EE
r lo
Verse 1 F#sus4
B5 In the winter snow Under six inches of white
Stop the clocks, it’s amazing Esus2 F#sus4 G#m7 Esus2
Esus2 So alone in love like the world The radio is playing Iron & Wine
You should see the way the light B5
B5 F#sus4 This is a new dimension
had disappeared
Dances off your head Esus2 Esus2
F#sus4 G#m7 Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go This is a level where we’re losing
A million colours of hazel B5 F#sus4
Esus2 I will hold on tighter ’til the afterglow track of time
Golden and red Esus2 F#sus4 G#m7
B5 And we’ll burn so bright I’m holding nothing against it
Saturday morning is fading Esus2
B5 F#sus4 Except you and I
Esus2 ’Til the darkness softly clears
The sun’s reflected by the coffee
In your hand
Chorus 1 Repeat Pre-chorus
Esus2
F#sus4 G#m7 Oh, I will hold on
My eyes are caught in your gaze
Esus2 To the afterglow
B5 F#sus4 Chorus 2
All over again Esus2
Esus2 Oh, I will hold on
Oh, I will hold on
B5 F#sus4
B5 To the afterglow
Pre-chorus To the afterglow Esus2
811
Esus2
We were love drunk Oh, I will hold on
Verse 2 B5 F#sus4
B5 To the afterglow
Waiting on a miracle The weather outside’s changing
B5 Esus2 N.C.
Esus2 Oh, I will hold on to the afterglow
Trying to find ourselves The leaves are buried

ED SHEERAN AFTERGLOW Verse TRACK 26

q =120
B5 Esus 2
Capo 4th fret
(G5 ) > > > > ( Csus 2 ) > > > >
# .. .. .. ..
. .
0:03 let ring throughout
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 0
3
0
3
0 0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0 0
3
0
3
0 0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0 0
B 3 3

≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥
3 3
1
cont. sim.

F # sus 4 G # m7 Esus 2
( Dsus4 ) > > ( Em7 ) > > (Csus 2 )

.. ..

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0 0
3
0
3
0 0
3
0
3
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2
0
3 3
5

Ed Sheeran strums with his thumb and first finger, giving the part a natural, organic feel. Whether you use a pick or your fingers, fret the full shapes and pick out the notes
shown in the tab. You don’t have to be super-accurate to be effective. Strum as indicated. This means you’ll only use upstrokes at the end of bars 2 and 4.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 TAB GUIDE
Get more from TG by understanding our easy-to-follow musical terms and signs
Whatistab?
Tab is short for tablature, a guitar, from the sixth (thick) down on the tab. Unfretted
notational system used to give vwulqj dw wkh erwwrp wr wkh Ľuvw strings are shown with a ‘0’. The
detailed information as to where (thin) string at the top. On these key and time signatures are
notes should be played on the lines, numbers represent which shown in the notation. TG also
fretboard. Tab appears iuhwv |rx sodfh |rxu Ľqjhuv1 Iru includes a timestamp to tell you
underneath conventional music example, an A note on the 2nd where in the original track you’ll
notation as six horizontal lines fret, third string, will be shown Ľqg hdfk h{dpsoh dqg whpsr
that represent the strings of the as a number ‘2’ on the third line expressed in beats per minute.

FRET BOXES: CHORDS, SCALES AND CAPO NOTATION

HAND LABELLING NUT AND FRETBOARD CHORD EXAMPLE

2 m o o o o o o o o o
3 1 i a
4 c
1
T p
2 3
82

Here are the abbreviations used for each finger. Fretting hand: 1, 2, 3, 4, (T) This fretbox diagram represents the guitar’s fretboard exactly, as seen in the This diagram represents a G chord. The ‘o’s are open strings, and a circled number
Picking hand: p (thumb), i (index), m (middle), a (annular), c (little finger) photo. This design is used for ease of visualising a fretboard scale or chord quickly. is a fretting hand finger. A black ‘o’ or circled number is the root note (here, G).

CAPO EXAMPLE CAPO NOTATION SCALE EXAMPLE

CAPO 2ND
o o o x o o
FRET >
CAPO 2ND
FRET > 4 1 1 1 1
1
2 2 2 2
1 2
3 3
2 3 3
4 4 4 4 4

A (G)
The blue line in the diagram represents a capo for this A chord, place it at the
2nd fret. Capos change the fret number ordering. Here, the original 5th fret
now becomes the 3rd fret, 7th fret now 5th fret, etc.
D (C)
Here the chord looks like a C in the tab, but the capo on the 2nd fret raises the
pitch to make it a D. The 2nd fret capo’d notes are shown with a ‘0’ in the tab
as if they were open strings.
A major scale
The fret box diagram illustrates the fret hand fingering for the A major scale using
black dots for root notes and red dots for other scale tones. The photo shows part
of the scale being played on the fourth string with the first, third and fourth fingers.

GUITAR TECHNIQUES: PICKING

DOWN AND UP-PICKING TREMOLO PICKING PALM MUTING PICK RAKE APPREGGIATED CHORD

The symbols under the tab tell you the Each of the four notes are to be Palm-mute by resting the edge of your Drag the pick across the strings shown Play the notes of the chord by
first note is to be down-picked and the alternate-picked (down and up-picked) picking hand palm on the strings near with a single sweep. This is often used strumming across the relevant strings
second note is to be up-picked. very rapidly and continuously. the bridge saddles. to augment a rake’s last note. in the direction of the arrow head.

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 TAB GUIDE

FRETTING HAND
HAMMER-ON & NOTE TRILLS SLIDES (GLISSANDO) FRET-HAND TAPPING FRET-HAND MUTING
PULL-OFF

Pick the first note then hammer down on After picking the first note, rapidly Pick the first note and then slide to the Sound the notes marked with a square by X markings represent notes and strings
the string for the second note. Pick the alternate between the two notes shown in next. For the last two notes pick the first, hammering-on/tapping with your fret hand that are muted by your fret hand when
third note and pull-off for the fourth note. brackets using hammer-ons and pull-offs. slide to the next and then re-pick it (RP). fingers, instead of picking. struck by your picking hand.

BENDING AND VIBRATO

BEND AND RELEASE RE-PICKED BEND PRE-BEND QUARTER-TONE BEND VIBRATO

Fret the first note (here, the 5th fret) and Bend up to the pitch shown in the Silently bend the string up from the 5th Pick the note then bend up a quarter- Your fretting hand vibrates the string by
bend up to the pitch of the bracketed brackets, then re-pick the note while fret (PB5) to the pitch of the 7th fret note, tone (a very small amount). This is small bend-ups and releases. Exaggerate
note, before releasing again. holding the bent note at the pitch shown. pick it and release to the 5th fret note. sometimes referred to as a ‘blues curl’. this effect to create a ‘wide’ vibrato.

HARMONICS

NATURAL HARMONICS ARTIFICIAL PINCHED HARMONICS TAPPED HARMONICS TOUCHED HARMONICS

HARMONICS

83

Pick the note while lightly touching the Fret the note as shown, then lightly place After fretting the note in the triangle, Place your finger on the note as shown, A previously sounded note is touched
string directly over the fret indicated. your index finger directly over ‘x’ fret dig into the string with the side of your but sound it with a quick pick hand tap at above the fret marked TCH (eg, TCH 9)
A chiming harmonic results. (AH‘x’) and pick (with a pick, p or a). thumb as you sound it with the pick. the fret shown (TH17) for a harmonic. for it to sound a harmonic.

VIBRATO BAR / WHAMMY BAR

WHAMMY BAR BENDS SCOOP AND DOOP SUSTAINED NOTE GARGLE WHAMMY BAR VIBRATO
AND DIVEBOMB

The note is picked as shown, then the Scoop: depress the bar just before A Note is sustained then the vibrato Sound the note and ‘flick’ the vibrato bar Gently rock the whammy bar to
vibrato bar is raised and lowered to the striking the note and release. Doop: bar is depressed to slack. The square with your picking hand so it ‘quivers’. This repeatedly bend the pitch up and down.
pitches shown in brackets. lower the bar slightly after picking note. bracket indicates a further articulation. results in a ‘gargling’ sound! This sounds similar to fret hand vibrato.
OTHERS

PICK SCRAPE VIOLINING FINGER NUMBERING PIMA DIRECTIONS PICK HAND TAPPING

The edge of the pick is dragged either Turn the volume control down, sound The numbers in the traditional notation Any kind of fingerpicking requirements Tap (hammer-on) with a finger of your
down or up along the lower strings to the note(s) and then turn the volume up refer to the fingers required to play are shown at the bottom of the picking hand onto the fret marked with
produce a scraped sound. for a smooth fade in. each note. tab notation. a circle. Usually with ‘i’ or ‘m’.

MAYY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 THE GAS
STATION
REAL WORLD REVIEWS OF THE 86
BEST NEW GEAR

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
84 worth your attention, you’ll find it here!

HOW WE TEST BEST BUY AWARD

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.
NO SNAKE OIL
\rx#zrqġw#Ľqg#xv#jhwwlqj#
hung up on hokey mythology
or nonsense marketing
speak: we aim to bring you
bullshit-free opinions on the
gear you’re interested in.
TGBestBuyAwardsare
reservedforstand-out
productsthatearnafive-star
rating.Thisisthebest,most
excitingnewgearthatyou
need tocheckout

FACE-VALUE REVIEWS WE CAN’T BE BOUGHT 92

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.
*WHAT IS GAS?
Gear Acquisition Syndrome
is the guitar-player’s
never-ending urge to acquire
new gear, irrespective of
whether they actually need it.
Don’t pretend you don’t
have it – we all do!
TG review scores are a true
uhľhfwlrq#ri#rxu#h{shuwvġ#
opinion on the product
they’ve been testing. You’ll BEST FOR…
Differentguitaristshave
85 START ME UP
qhyhu#Ľqg#d#udwlqj#lq#rxu## Five new products you need to check out
differentneeds.Thisbadge
mag that has been bought
highlightsaparticularstrength
and paid for. thataproducthasinaTGTest
orGroupTest,soyoucan
86 PRS SE CUSTOM 24-08
REAL WORLD REVIEWS choosewhat’sbestforyou The best SE ever?
We test every product under
the conditions that they were
designed for. For example,
90 SHEERAN BY LOWDEN W03
The collaborative brand’s model gets a 2021 update
if an amp is designed to be
played loud, rest assured BEST
that we’ll have tested it at
rehearsal/gig volumes!
FOR… 92 CORT CORE-OC BLACKWOOD
A wildcard electro-acoustic

SUPERB, A BEST BUY EXCELLENT ABOVE AVERAGE KIT SOME ISSUES POOR
94 BOSS RC-5
Compact dimensions with expansive features

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


05
START ME UP!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…
LINE 6 HX STOMP XL
The new HX Stomp goes big
1 with five extra footswitches
to bring the total to eight.
That’s the only difference
between this and the wildly
popular original but it’s going to
be a big one for many players,
opening the amp and effects
processor up to new levels of
usability onstage. It’s packing all
the modelling goodness you’d
expect inside a Helix family
product, with more than 300
amps, cabs, and effects.
£817, www.line6.com
03
MXR ERIC GALES
SIGNATURE RAW DAWG
2
MXRandoneofthe
greatestguitarplayerson
theplanet?Soundsgreat
already!Thissignaturemini
overdrivepedalfeaturesanew
customcircuitandstreamlined
Output,ToneandDrivecontrols.
It’sbasedonthecircuitof
aclassicoverdrivepedalbutis
voicedhereformorebalanced
midsandaboostedgain
tocreateorganictoneswith
sweeternoteswhenyou
turnuptheheat.
£127.99,www.jimdunlop.com
04
GAMECHANGER AUDIO
LIGHT PEDAL
3
The early version wowed us
at NAMM 2020 and now
it’s finally available through
dealers after sending out 1,000
preorder units; the world’s first
analogue Optical Spring Reverb.
The Light uses Infra-Red optical
sensors to “harvest the full
timbral and harmonic range of
a spring reverb unit” - which
means the detail of texture,
harmonics and overtones...
All the good stuff. Oh, and it
looks amazing, too.
£319, www.gamechanger
audio.com
FENDER BEN GIBBARD
MUSTANG
4
When we met up with
Death Cab For Cutie’s
mainman for a rig tour
back in 2019, he showed us his
modified 70s Mustangs, and
now they’ve inspired his first
ever Fender signature model.
A chambered ash body (now
a rarely used tonewood for
Fender), hardtail bridge that
looks like a vintage tremolo
at first glance, and rotary
three-way pickup selector
make it distinct in the catalogue.
Custom ‘vintage-inspired’
single-coils feature here.
£979 www.fender.com
GAS STATION
01
02 85
WAY HUGE PENNY
SAVER ROYALE
5
Another blues signature
stompbox; Jeorge Tripps
and Joe Bonamassa have
joined forces again on this
Modulation & Overdrive to
integrate their previous
Overrated Special and a modded
Blue Hippo chorus in one pedal.
The former is itself based on the
Green Rhino with enhanced
midrange, while the chorus has
a custom delay time as per Joe’s
specifications. You can run each
effect independently or have
fun combining them.
$299, www.jbonamassa.com
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION

86

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


PRS SE
CUSTOM 24-08
The best SE ever?
I
t’s hard to believe it’s been
20 years since we saw the
Ľuvw SUV VH jxlwdu1 Zkhuh
kdyh wkrvh ghfdghv jrqhB Lw
wrrn SUV vrph wlph ehiruh
wkh| fuhdwhg wkhlu Ġlpsruwġ olqh 0
wkhlu Vtxlhu ru Hslskrqh/ li |rx
olnh 0 dqg iurp d vorz vwduw zlwk
d vlqjoh Vdqwdqd jxlwdu/ wkh VH
udqjh qrz rxwvhoov wkh h{foxvlyh
XVD prghov e| txlwh pdujlq1
Gr wkh pdwkv= d XVD Fruh SUV
Fxvwrp 5703; zloo frvw |rx
durxqg †6/:<<> wkh VH yhuvlrq
we have here is nearly three
judqg ohvv1
Ruljlqdoo| pdgh lq Nruhd/ wkh VH
olqh lv qrz exlow lq Lqgrqhvld lq d
vshfldo wlh0xs zlwk Fru0whn zkr
dovr pdnh iru qxphurxv rwkhu
eudqgv dv zhoo dv pdqxidfwxulqj
wkhlu rzq Fruw udqjh1 Qrz/ pdq|
ri xv grqġw fduh zkhuh rxu jxlwduv
duh pdgh exw zh vkrxog all care
PERFECT FOR THE PLAYER THAT
WANTS TO CROSS GENRES
krz zhoo wkh|ġuh pdgh/ dqg wklv
uhodwlyho| uhfhqw orfdwlrq fkdqjh
kdv sxw d uhdo urfnhw xs wkh
edfnvlghv ri wkh VH whdp1
Wkh qhz VH Fxvwrp 5703; lv
edvhg rq wkh XVD prgho dqg wkh
nh| hohphqwv duh wkh vdph= wkdw
qrz0fodvvlf erg| dqg khdgvwrfn
rxwolqh/ wkh Ġkdoizd| 58Ĥ vfdoh
ohqjwk iru vwduwhuv dqg zkloh
wkh yleudwr/ olnh wkh uhvw ri wkh
kdugzduh dqg slfnxsv duh edvhg
rq wkh sxfnhu XVD sduwv/ wkh|ġuh
qrw pdgh lq wkh XVD1 Qhz khuh lv
d Ġvkdoorz ylrolqġ wrs fduyh wkdw
pruh forvho| hpxodwhv wkh XVD
prghov wkrxjk/ dv hyhu/ wkh
Photography Olly Curtis
Ľjxuhg pdsoh zh vhh lv d wklq
yhqhhu dssolhg ryhu d sodlq pdsoh
fds1 Exw frpsdulqj rxu uhylhz
prgho zlwk d XVD pdgh FH 57/
REVIEW
1 NECK
PRS’s USA-made
guitars typically use
mahogany for their glued-
AT A GLANCE
BODY:Mahoganywith
£899 in necks. The modern SE’s
use maple. What doesn’t
change is the 10” radius
figured maple veneer
over maple top
NECK: Maple, wide thin
fingerboard with the
trademark bird inlays.
profile, glued-in
SCALE: 25” (635mm)
PICKUPS FINGERBOARD:
lw zdv kdug wr whoo wkh glļhuhqfh
2 The ‘S’ humbuckers
are made in Indonesia
Rosewood/10” radius
FRETS: 24, medium
ehwzhhq yhqhhu dqg vrolg zrrg1 but closely follow PRS’s PICKUPS: PRS 85/15
\hv/ wkh joxhg0lq qhfn khuh lv designs. Here, the TCI ‘S’ ‘S’ Treble and Bass
pdsoh/ qrw pdkrjdq|/ dqg lv humbuckers, as used on humbuckers
the SE Paul’s Guitar, are
d orqjlwxglqdo odplqdwh ri wkuhh CONTROLS: Master
designed to maximise
slhfhv/ qlfho| judlq pdwfkhg iru the humbucker and volume and tone, 3-way
vwdelolw|1 Wkh Zlgh Wklq surĽoh single coil voices. toggle pickup selector
switch, master volume
lvqġw ydvwo| glļhuhqw wr Ihqghuġv
and tone, two
VIBRATO
Dphulfdq Sur LL Vwudw KVV zh
uhfhqwo| uhylhzhg/ voljkwo| zlghu
3 Closely modelled
on the vibrato PRS
mini-toggle coil split
switches
dw wkh qxw +751;pp, zlwk d vlplodu introduced with their HARDWARE: PRS
ghswk dw wkh 4vw iuhw ri mxvw ryhu original Custom back in 1 patented vibrato
53pp wkdw Ľoov rxw wr 551:pp e| 1985, the modern SE (cast), PRS designed
version is cast, not non-locking
wkh 45wk iuhw1 Wkh edfn fduyh lv tuners – nickel-plated
machined, from steel.
d zlgh F/ fhuwdlqo| qrwklqj olnh As ever, the arm push-fits FINISH: Eriza Verde
d ľdw0edfnhg G vkdsh ri d vkuhg and can be adjusted for (as reviewed),Vintage
d{h hlwkhu1 Lw pljkw eh wkh wklqqhvw swing tension. Sunburst
ghswk surĽoh SUV rļhuv exw lw vwloo CONTACT:PRSEurope, 87
ihhov yhu| pdlqvwuhdp qrw ohdvw www.prsguitars.com
zlwk lwv 43Ĥ Ľqjhuerdug udglxv dqg
phglxp mxper iuhwv= qrw wr elj>
qrw wrr vpdoo 0 wkh plggoh jurxqg1
Sduw ri wkh uhfhqw ulvh lq ghwdlo ri
wkh VH jxlwduv olhv lq wkh slfnxsv1
Wkhvh duh qrw |rxu rļ0wkh0vkhoi
Dvldq iduh1 Wkh WFL ĠVġ
kxpexfnhuv khuh forvho| dsh 2
wkrvh ri wkh XVD Fruh Sdxoġv
Jxlwdu dqg kdyh/ zhġuh wrog/ ehhq
wzhdnhg iurp wkrvh xvhg rq wkh
VH yhuvlrq ri wkdw jxlwdu1 Dv zh
h{sodlq lq rxu er{rxw/ wkh vlqjoh
frlo vzlwfklqj/ dfklhyhg yld wkrvh
wzr plql0wrjjoh vzlwfkhv/ lv 3
voljkwo| glļhuhqw wrr dqg zlwk
d vzlwfk iru hdfk slfnxs |rx fdq
frpelqh eulgjh kxpexfnhu zlwk
qhfn vlqjoh frlo/ dqg ylfh yhuvd
jlylqj xv wkh wzr h{wud vrxqgv
ryhu wkh vwdqgdug vl{ ri VH Fxvwrp
571 Wkh gulyh lv vlpsoh= pdvwhu
yroxph +zlwk d wuheoh eohhg wr
nhhs wklqjv fohdu dv |rx uroo wkh
yroxph grzq,/ pdvwhu wrqh dqg
d wkuhh0zd| wrjjoh vzlwfk wr
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION
TRUE SINGLE
COIL
What’s under the hood?
P
UV xvh pdq|#glļhuhqw#
zd|v ri vzlwfklqj#wkhlu#
slfnxsv iurp#ixoo#
kxpexfnlqj prgh#wr#vlqjoh#
frlo1 W|slfdoo|/ wkh#vsolw#zluh#
iurp wkh mxqfwlrq#ri#wkh#wzr#
frlov lv jurxqghg ohdylqj#mxvw#
rqh frlo dfwlyh1 Wkdwġv#wkh#zd|#
prvw shrsoh gr lw1#SUV#xvxdoo|#
sodfhv d vpdoo uhvlvwru ehwzhhq
88 wkdw vsolw zluh dqg jurxqg
zklfk phdqv vrph ri wkh frlo
wkdwġv xvxdoo| ixoo| gxpshg lv
uhwdlqhg iru d voljkwo| eljjhu
vrxqglqj vlqjoh frlo1 Rq wklv
Fxvwrp 5703;/ wkh wzr frlov duh
wuhdwhg olnh vhsdudwh vlqjoh frlov
dqg wkh xqxvhg vfuhz frlo lv
frpsohwho| uhpryhg iurp wkh
flufxlw zkhq zh vzlwfk wr vlqjoh
frlo1 Ilqdoo|/ wkh 833n rkp
yroxph srwġv ydoxh lv Ġwxqhgġ e|
d sdudooho uhvlvwru/ eulqjlqj lw
forvhu wr 633n dqg vzhhwhqlqj
wkh kljk hqg1
vhohfw eulgjh/ erwk dqg#qhfn#
dv xvxdo1
Doo |rx kdyh wr uhphpehu#lv#
wkdw sxvkhg dzd| iurp#|rx#wkrvh#
wzr0srvlwlrq plql vzlwfkhv#yrlfh#
wkh slfnxsv lq kxpexfnlqj#prgh/#
vzlwfk wkhp wrzdugv#|rx#dqg#
|rxġuh lq wuxh vlqjoh#frlo#prgh1#
Dqg lwġv wklv gxdolw|#wkdw#pdnhv#
wkh 5703; vxfk d yhuvdwloh#jxlwdu>#
lq idfw zh vwduwhg rxu#vrxqg#whvw#lq#
vlqjoh frlo prgh dqg#zkhuh#vrph#
frlo vsolwv vrxqg wklq#dqg#vkdus#
zhġuh qrw khdulqj wkdw=#wkh#kljkv#
duh fohdu dqg fohdq exw#grqġw#udwwoh#
|rxu Ľoolqjv dv |rx wxuq#xs#wr#jlj#
ohyhov1 Wkurxjk d Khol{#lqwr#rxu#
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
ALSO TRY...
PRS SE
CUSTOM 24
Very similar to the
reviewed 24-08, the
flagship PRS guitar has
two less sounds but uses
a three-way lever pickup
selector and pull
switch on the tone
control to voice the
simple single coil splits.
PRS SE CUSTOM
22 SEMI HOLLOW
Arguably a more
GDZ#zhġuh#khdulqj#d#fodvv|#vlqjoh# d#elw#ri#khdw1#Zhġg#fdoo#lw#krw#
traditional style
frlo#wkdw#oryhv#hyhq#txlwh#ghqvh#I[# ylqwdjh/#fodvvlf#zlwk#d#elw#ri#nlfn1 semi-solid version of the
|hw#dovr#vrxqgv#yhu|#fodvv|#dqg# Lpshffdeo|#Ľw#iru#sxusrvh/# Custom 24, but with
vrxoixo#zlwk#d#fohdq#dps1#D#euljkw# khuhġv#d#jxlwdu#iru#wkh#sod|hu#wkdw# 22 frets like a good ol’
juhhq#d{h#zlwk#elug#lqod|v#pljkw# uhdoo|#zdqwv#wr#furvv#jhquhv/# Gibson. As on the
Custom 24 it uses
qrw#vkrxw#rog#eoxhv#exw#wkh#vrxqgv# d#vxshue#vwxglr#jxlwdu#dqg#d#shuihfw# 85/15 ‘S’ ’buckers
fhuwdlqo|#gr#li#|rx#zdqw1#Wkh#vlqjoh# Ľw#iru#wkrvh#ixqfwlrq#jljv#zkhq# with the same circuit.
frlo#pl{#lv#yhu|#Ihqghu0|#wrr>#wr#eh# wkh|#uhwxuq1#Dqg/#kh|/#lw#frphv#
krqhvw#li#wklv#zdv#doo#zh#kdg#zhġg# lq#Ylqwdjh#Vxqexuvw/#wrr$ CORT G300 PRO
vwloo#eh#udylqj#derxw#wklv#jxlwdu1 Dave Burrluck A different flavour but
Exw#lw#lvqġw1#Olvwhqlqj#wr#wkh#ixoo# Cor-Tek’s own brand
FEATURES have great specs for
kxpexfnhu#yrlfhv/#jrqh#lv#wkh#
SOUND QUALITY the money. Here you get
ryhuzrxqg#plgudqjh#forxw#ri#wkh#
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY a roasted maple neck
ruljlqdo#SUV#vrxqg1#Wkhvh#duh#yhu|# with a great vibrato
glļhuhqw/#d#pruh#fodvvlf#S1D1I0olnh# BUILD QUALITY
and Seymour Duncan
fodulw|#Ğ#exw#djdlq#zlwkrxw#wkh# USABILITY pickups.
vkdus#hgjh#dw#wkh#eulgjh#Ğ#zlwk# OVERALL RATING
 *

BIG SAVINGS ON OUR BEST-SELLING

BEST SELLING MAGAZINES

SAVE SAVE SAVE

83% 79% 80%

SAVE SAVE SAVE

83% 66% 79%

See the entire range online at

www.magazinesdirect.com/spring21
or phone 0330 333 1113 and quote code SP02

*Terms and conditions: …ǔǔƺȸƬǼȒɀƺɀ‫…ِ׏א׎אِג׎ِ׎ב‬ǔǔƺȸȒȵƺȇɎȒȇƺɯɀɖƫɀƬȸǣƫƺȸɀȒȇǼɵِǔɎƺȸɵȒɖȸɎȸǣƏǼƺȇƳɀًɵȒɖȸɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇȵȸǣƬƺɯǣǼǼƫƺƏƳǴɖɀɎƺƳɎȒȸƺˢƺƬɎƏ‫ۏ׎׏‬ɀƏɮǣȇǕƏǕƏǣȇɀɎɎǝƺ««¨ȵȸǣƬƺِÁǝǣɀȒǔǔƺȸǣɀƏǼɀȒȒȵƺȇɎȒȒɮƺȸɀƺƏɀȸƺƏƳƺȸɀ‫ٮ‬

‫ד‬ǣɀɀɖƺɀǔȒȸ‫דڡ‬ǔȒȸ0ɖȸȒȵƺƏȇƳ‫ד‬ǣɀɀɖƺɀǔȒȸ‫דگٖדڟ‬ǔȒȸ«…áِǔɎƺȸɎǝƺɀƺǣɀɀɖƺɀًɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇȵȸǣƬǣȇǕɯǣǼǼƏȵȵǼɵِÁǝƺɀƏɮǣȇǕɀƏȸƺƫƏɀƺƳȒȇɎǝƺÈkɀǝȒȵȵȸǣƬƺِ¨ǼƺƏɀƺƏǼǼȒɯɖȵɎȒɀǣɴɯƺƺǸɀǔȒȸƳƺǼǣɮƺȸɵȒǔɵȒɖȸˡȸɀɎɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇǣɀɀɖƺ٢ɖȵɎȒ
ƺǣǕǝɎɯƺƺǸɀȒɮƺȸɀƺƏɀ٣ِ¨ƏɵȅƺȇɎǣɀȇȒȇ‫ٮ‬ȸƺǔɖȇƳƏƫǼƺƏǔɎƺȸɎǝƺ‫ג׏‬ƳƏɵƬƏȇƬƺǼǼƏɎǣȒȇȵƺȸǣȒƳɖȇǼƺɀɀƺɴƬƺȵɎǣȒȇƏǼƬǣȸƬɖȅɀɎƏȇƬƺɀƏȵȵǼɵِIȒȸǔɖǼǼɎƺȸȅɀƏȇƳƬȒȇƳǣɎǣȒȇɀًɮǣɀǣɎɯɯɯِȅƏǕƏɿǣȇƺɀƳǣȸƺƬɎِƬȒȅٖɎƺȸȅɀِIȒȸƺȇȷɖǣȸǣƺɀȵǼƺƏɀƺƬƏǼǼ‫גגڷي‬٢‫׎‬٣‫ِב׏׏׏בבב׎בב‬
nǣȇƺɀƏȸƺȒȵƺȇxȒȇƳƏɵ‫ٮ‬IȸǣƳƏɵ‫ח‬Əȅ‫דٮ‬ȵȅÈkÁǣȅƺȒȸƺ‫ٮ‬ȅƏǣǼ‫ي‬ǝƺǼȵ۬ȅƏǕƏɿǣȇƺɀƳǣȸƺƬɎِƬȒȅِ!ƏǼǼɀɎȒ‫׎בב׎‬ȇɖȅƫƺȸɀɯǣǼǼƫƺƬǝƏȸǕƺƳƏɎȇȒȅȒȸƺɎǝƏȇƏȇƏɎǣȒȇƏǼǼƏȇƳǼǣȇƺƬƏǼǼًƏȇƳȅƏɵƫƺǣȇƬǼɖƳƺƳǣȇɵȒɖȸȵǝȒȇƺȵȸȒɮǣƳƺȸ‫ټ‬ɀƬƏǼǼƫɖȇƳǼƺِ
 T H E GA S
STATION

90

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021


SHEERAN BY LOWDEN W03
The collaborative brand’s
£805
model gets a 2021 upgrade
I
f you’ve been following the
Ed Sheeran/Lowden Guitars
story so far you may be
wondering why we’re
reviewing a launch model
from 2019 now – yes the W03 was
part of the impressive eight-guitar
line-up that debuted at NAMM
that year, but this is the 2021
version. So what’s new?
It’s no secret that woods matter
for guitars, especially acoustics,
and at the start of this year,
Sheeran and George Lowden
talked through the updates.
Sheeran must be taken with
them as he used this model in
the video for his most recent
single, Afterglow. Pretty strong
endorsement... But his name
is on the headstock, after all.
That fact may still prove
a sticking point for some who
would prefer Lowden to be the top
billing on there, but there was no
doubting the quality of the launch
guitars, made in Northern Ireland
by a team of 30, no less, and
Sheeran’s passion for George
Lowden’s work actually birthed
wkh#frpsdq|ġv#Ľuvw#vpdoo#prgho/#
the Wee Lowden that this is based
on and is Sheeran’s mainstay.
Here, Indian rosewood is used for
the back and sides in the range for
wkh#Ľuvw#wlph/#zlwk#d#qdwxudo#rlo#
Ľqlvk#uhwdlqlqj#wkdw#wdfwloh#zrrg#
grain feel. And it feels good.
Lowden claim it’s neither solid
or laminate in the typical sense
– rather than laying higher quality
laminate over lower quality woods,
Ľyh#od|huv#ri#Ľqh#txdolw|#uhf|fohg#
rosewood are bonded together.
That’s still technically laminate
to us, but that theme of wood
Photography Olly Curtis
conservation continues with the
top here, made from reclaimed
cedar (other W models feature
Vlwnd#vsuxfh#dqg#Ľjxuhg#zdoqxw,1
REVIEW
PREAMP
1 The LR Baggs
Element VTC system
AT A GLANCE
features a treble tone TYPE: Wee Lowden-
size 24-inch scale
control just inside the
soundhole, and has a electro acoustic
special low frequency TOP: Solid cedar
compression circuit. BACK AND SIDES:
Five-piece layered
Indian rosewood
SOUNDBOX
2 BEVEL SCALE LENGTH: 24” /
The W03 and W04 610mm
George Lowden thinks you offer a bevel for NECK: Mahogany
picking arm comfort. FINGERBOARD: Ebony
get a warmer sound from the HARDWARE: Ebony
rosewood and we’d certainly TRADITIONAL saddle, Tusq nut and
concur here. The bottom end
is the most impressive we’ve
3 TOUCHES
Lowden still maintain
saddle, chrome tuners
ELECTRONICS: LR
some traditional Baggs Element VTC
encountered on a travel-size
methods in (volume and tone
acoustic guitar, and balances with controls)
manufacturing of
a compressed character to give these models; they OPTIONS: Non-electro
it beefy presence – and able to carve the inside struts W01 with cedar top /
deliver through the kind of with Japanese chisels. walnut b&s, electro
W02 with Sitka spruce
physical strain Sheeran puts top / rosewood b&s,
his guitars under on stage. electro W04 with Sitka
The mahogany neck here is spruce top / figured
comparatively one of the heaviest mahogany b&s
CASE: Gig bag
we’ve encountered on an acoustic,
CONTACT: Sheeran,
and we believe it shows in the sheeranguitars.com
vxvwdlq#wkh#Z036#rļhuv1#Wkh# 91
playability is superb, welcoming
runs across the ebony ’board with
a muscular, rounded character
with a pick. That’s helped by
a generous 43.5mm at the nut
+44pp#vwulqj#vsdflqj,#wkdw#pd|#
surprise anyone who assumes
a short-scale acoustic will feel
cramped. Fingerstyle can
thrive here.
Sheeran believes these guitars
rival the full-fat Lowdens he has,
saying in a recent interview with
George; “I personally think it’s
better than anything else in its 1
3
price bracket”. We’d argue that
only the Taylor GS Mini-E could
contest that claim right now. What
strengthens the case here is the
electro performance from the LR
Baggs Element VTC - sensitive
enough to actually make this
2
viable for some percussive
dpsolĽhg#sod|lqj#dqg#d#urdg0
assured electro-acoustic.
Rob Laing
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION

92

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 REVIEW

CORT CORE-OC £499

PREAMP AND
1 PICKUP
Surprise! It’s another
AT A GLANCE
Fishman Sonitone TYPE: Orchestral

BLACKWOOD preamp system with

Sonicore undersaddle
piezo here but it’s
good enough for
Model electro acoustic
TOP: Solid blackwood
BACK AND SIDES: Solid
blackwood

Cort of appeal a Gibson Studio

Hummingbird, and
SCALE LENGTH: 25.3”
/ 643mm
NECK: Mahogany
it excels on this 2

T
platform. FINGERBOARD:
here was once a time tuner buttons add a touch of Ovangkol
BONE NUT AND HARDWARE: Water
when an electro-acoustic
with solid back and sides
premium class. This is not
d#kl0Ľ0vrxqglqj#dfrxvwlf#jxlwdu>#
2 SADDLE
Now this is what we
buffalo bone nut and
saddle, die-cast tuners
for £500 would seem the lwġv#zrrg|/#shufxvvlyh#dqg#zdup# like to see! And water with black knobs
vwxļ#ri#jxlwdu#guhdpv/# zlwk#juhdw#vxvwdlq1#Zhġg#vd|#wkh# buffalo bone, no less ELECTRONICS:
nut. It has to take Undersaddle Fishman
an ambition never to be spoken orrnv#uhľhfw#wkh#wrqdolw|#khuh#
some credit for the Sonicore piezo with
out loud. But here we are. dqg#lw#pdnhv#iru#dq#lqylwlqj# Fishman Sonitone
fine resonance we
Qhyhuwkhohvv/#wkh#sulfh#udqjh#wklv# proposition. Chords have mid encounter with soundhole (volume
Fklqd0pdgh#Fruw#Ľqgv#lwvhoi#lq# pxvfoh#dqg#vlqjoh#qrwhv#ulqj#zlwk# the OC. and tone controls)
lv#krwo|#frqwhvwhg#zlwk#vwurqj# vwurqj#surmhfwlrq1#Zh#dfwxdoo|# FINISH: Open Pore
CUTAWAY Light Burst
vkrzlqjv#iurp#d#qxpehu#ri#nh|#
eudqgv/#dqg#vrolg#zrrgv#grqġw#
hqg#xs#suhihuulqj#Ľqjhuvw|oh#zlwk#
rxu#whvw#RF#dv#lw#rļhuv#dq#dgghg#
3 The 112mm body
depth and Venetian
OPTIONS: Core-OC
Spruce with solid Sitka
jxdudqwhh#d#zlqqlqj#irupxod#iru# sensitivity and responds really well cutaway make this spruce top, solid
dq#dfrxvwlf1#Rn/#vsrlohu#dkhdg=#Fruw# wr#wrxfk1#Edvv#lvqġw#errp|/#dqg# an accessible mahogany back and
electro-acoustic for sides with Open Pore
kdv#jrqh#dqg#gholyhuhg#lw#khuh1# zh#zrxogqġw#h{shfw#lw#iurp#dq#RP/#
the stage. Trans Black finish;
Our test model is the closest exw#lw#vlwv#mxvw#uljkw#zlwk#wkh#iron|# Core-OC Mahogany
wklqj#wr#d#zlogfdug#lq#wklv#qhz# Ľqhvvh#khuh1#Soxjjhg#lq/#zhġuh# with solid mahogany 93
three-model series; all solid sohdvhg#zlwk#krz#lw#wudqvodwhv/#wrr1 top, back and sides
eodfnzrrg#lvqġw#d#wrqhzrrg#zh#vhh# Wkhuhġv#sohqw|#ri#orz#hqg# with Open Pore
Black Burst finish
d#orw#ri1#Fruwġv#vhoolqj#lw#dv#d#ehvw#ri# presence (but no bass control (both £499).
doo0zruogġv vfhqdulr> provided by the Fishman preamp) CONTACT: Cort,
www.cortguitars.com

A QUALITY STAGE GUITAR; THE 3

COMFORT OF ITS SATIN NECK WILL

PAY DIVIDENDS OVER A SET...
d frpelqdwlrq frpelqlqj wkh
ģulfk#orz0hqg#ri#pdkrjdq|/#
wkh#euljkwqhvv#ri#pdsoh#dqg#wkh#
ideal overtone of rosewood”.
Wkdwġv#dpelwlrxv1#
Wkh#Rshq#Sruh#Oljkw#Exuvw#
Ilqlvk#lv#ghhs#lq#judlq#rq#wrs#dqg#
ulfk#lq#ľdph#rq#wkh#edfn/#jlylqj#
wklv#jxlwdu#d#zdup/#hduwk|#dqg#
traditional look for a cutaway.
Lwġv#oljkw#wrr#dw#7oev#dqg#wkh#RP#
vl}h#lv#d#jrrg#rswlrq#iru#vpdoohu#
sod|huv#zlwkrxw#frpsurplvlqj#
rq#guhdgqrxjkw#mdfn0ri0doo0
wudghv#shuirupdqfh#pxfk/#
dv zhġoo#glvfryhu1#
Zkhq#Fruw#vd|#wklv#jxlwdu#lv#
dqg lw ihhov sohdvlqjo| zdup
and full for a piezo when tested
wkurxjk#d#Odqh|#D4.#dqg#Srvlwlyh#
Grid Spark combo. The
shuirupdqfh#ohdyhv#xv#frqĽghqw#
wklv#zrxog#eh#d#txdolw|#vwdjh#jxlwdu#
and the comfort of its satin neck
will pay dividends over a set.
Vr#lwġv#dqrwkhu#dfrxvwlf#zlqqhu#
iurp#Fruw#diwhu#odvw#|hduġv#
1
lpsuhvvlyh#Olwwoh#FM1#Dgg#lq#wkh#
txdolw|#jlj#edj#dqg#zh#wklqn#
this is a very... Solid deal.
Rob Laing
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY

VALUE FOR MONEY

Photography Olly Curtis

ghvljqhg#zlwk#vlpsolflw|#lq#plqg/#
zh#fdqġw#dujxh/#exw#wkdw#grhvqġw# BUILD QUALITY
mean cheap. The OC knows what PLAYABILITY
lwġv#derxw#dqg#wkh#glh0fdvw#eodfn# OVERALL RATING

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
STATION
94
BOSS RC-5
Compact dimensions with expansive features
F
or some, the only
functionality required
from a looper is to track
chords to jam over at
home, but others will
need far more capabilities as they
explore the potential of multiples
tracks and samples onstage. Boss
has earned itself an impressive
uhsxwdwlrq#lq#wkh#Ľhog#+lqfoxglqj#
the most famous looper on the
planet thanks to Ed Sheeran using
the RC-30 for years). The RC-5
pitches itself in a very inviting
position; compact like the RC-1
dqg#UF06/#exw#rļhulqj#xsjudghv1#
It’s the traditional winning Boss
pedal chassis dimensions here
with that reassuringly-sized area
for stomping on and activating key
THE RC-5 JUSTIFIES THE
EXTRA COST OVER THE RC-1
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
£169
controls. The new 32-bit backing tracks to the looper or jam
processing puts it ahead in sample along and build loops over the 57 AT A GLANCE
dqg#ghĽqlwlrq#txdolw|#ryhu#lwv# in-built drum grooves with two
TYPE:Looperpedal
frpsdfw#euhwkuhq#+xqolplwhg# variations for each, customised with onboard rhythms
uncompressed overdubs) and is patterns and seven kit types. CONTROLS: Memory/
worth the extra investment for We found it really encourages Loop Level knob,
those who will be layering. The experimentation for solo players Memory button, Setup
clear LED screen shows you the – just remember to put the RC-5 button, Rhythm On/Off
button, Rhythm Tempo
progress of your loop which is lq#wkh#hļhfwv#orrs#ri#|rxu#dps#li#
button, Pedal switch
really handy for keeping on top of you’re using its overdrive to avoid
SOCKETS: Input A/
timing visually simultaneously adding any unwanted distortion Mono and Input B,
with your ear. etc to the drums. Output A/Mono and
There’s memory for 99 separate The combination of all this Output B 1/4-inch;
looping compositions and much mxvwlĽhv#wkh#h{wud#frvw#ryhu#wkh# Stop/Memory control
jack: 1/4-inch TRS; USB
more loop time than the RC-1’s RC-1 and is the most impressively
type B port; MIDI In/
12-minutes with whopping 13 featured compact looper we’ve Out, DC in
krxuv#iru#doo#phprulhv#+418#krxuv# ever used. BYPASS: Buffered
for one track). But there’s features Robert Laing
POWER: 9V battery
here that are especially useful for (approx two hours life)
FEATURES
home players– you can upload or AC adaptor
SOUND QUALITY
CONTACT: Boss.info
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
 ON SALE
NOW

ALL ABOUT THE BASS

EVERY FOUR WEEKS
ORDER ONLINE AT www.magazinesdirect.com
 Subscribe to
Total Guitar and get a
G7th PERFORMANCE 3
FREE CAPO HURRY!
GIFT OFFER ENDS
WORTH 5/5/21
£50

96

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021

 SUBSCRIBE TO TG!

Print Only
For just £24.50 every 6 months
Save 37%
Print & Digital Bundle
For just £27 every 6 months
Save 58%

97

The G7th Performance 3 Capo offers unrivalled tuning stability thanks to the Unique Tension
Control system and Adaptive Radius Technology (ART) string pad. With ART, one capo delivers
complete confidence that there will be no string buzz or need for constant retuning.
That’s why we say – G7th is The Future of Capos.

ORDERING IS EASY. GO ONLINE AT

www.magazinesdirect.com/tgr/98ae
FOR CALLS (0330 3331113) QUOTE ‘98AE’
*TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offer closes 5th May 2021. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. *£24.50(Print) or £27 (Bundle) payable 6 monthly Direct Debit. This price
is guaranteed for the first 12 months and we will notify you in advance of any price changes. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). The full subscription
rate is for 12 months (13 issues) and includes postage and packaging. If the magazine ordered changes frequency per annum, we will honour the number of issues paid for, not the term of the subscription. Payment is
non-refundable after the 14 day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply.†Your gift will be delivered separately within 60 days after your first payment has cleared. Gifts only available to subscribers
on the UK mainland. In the unlikely event that we run out of this gift, we promise to offer you an alternative gift of the same or greater value. For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For
enquiries please call: +44 (0) 330 333 1113. Lines are open Monday- Friday 9am- 5pm UK Time or e-mail: help@magazinesdirect.com. Calls to 0330 numbers will be charged at no more than a national landline call, and
may be included in your phone provider’s call bundle.

MAY 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

 IN THE SPOTLIGHT
98
Words Amit Sharma
RUBEN WAN
I
f you were to mix George Benson’s
love for chromaticism with John
Mayer’s most soul-driven licks, you
would end up sounding something
like Ruben Wan. The young LA-based
guitarist will be releasing his new EP Chapter
One: Guitar this year, and he tells TG that
using only his guitar for the recordings
brought a certain amount of creative
freedom, but also a fair few challenges...
“When composing music with only one
instrument, it’s important to write catchy
melodies and harmonies that work well
together without overpowering each other,”
he explains. “You need to figure out how to
keep the listener entertained throughout the
whole song and at the same time make them
want more, desiring to come see the full band
live performance. I’m used to playing with
other musicians, so using just my guitar felt
very vulnerable at times... almost naked.”
TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
As an Ibanez endorsee, Wan stuck to his
AZ2204N-PBM and AZ2204B models for the
recordings, though decided to pick up his
Fender Offset Special for the track Happy Sad.
These were then fed into Neural DSP’s Plini
and Cory Wong Archetype plug-ins via an
Apogee Duet interface and Seymour Duncan
Powerstage 200. For live shows, he alternates
between a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Laney
Lionheart L20T-212, using Strymon pedals
for time-based effects and Chase Bliss Audio
for all his fuzz and overdrive needs.
“But,” he adds, “when I’m travelling light,
my small and reliable Blues Junior is more
than enough to get the job done. And I also
use the Eventide H9 which has a plethora
of modulation options, an Ernie Ball VPJR
volume pedal, the MXR Talk Box and
a Cry Baby Mini Wah.”
Although the majority of his lines are
pentatonic-based, he uses neighbouring
notes up and down the neck to create and
release tension, and a lot of single-fret
slides as a form of vibrato. “My outside
scales of choice are always altered,
diminished, whole tone and pentatonics
from a different key,” he continues. “The
secret with playing outside is to only give
the listener a small taste of it, don’t stay
too long on these scales but use it as
sprinkles of seasoning...
“For example, let’s say you’re on the V
of a chord progression, the first few times
around just play it simple and captivate
the audience. After that, you can incorporate
more altered notes, like George Benson
or Guthrie Govan would. I assure you that
the audience will thank you for the change
and surprise, doing it that way will create
a much bigger impact than blasting or
interweaving outside scales into every
single phrase.”
9000 9001