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FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
#328
Contents
SUBSCRIBE!
Subscribe to Total Guitar
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Capo worth £40 – turn to page
112 for full details
04
048
2020
GUITAR
WORKOUT
Improve your playing
this year with our easy
Cover Image: Olly Curtis to follow workout plan
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
CONTENTS
MONITOR
006 First Look
008 Scene
010 Five Minutes Alone: Nocturno Culto,
Darkthrone
012 On The Up
014 Me & My Guitar: Joe Stroetzel,
Killswitch Engage
016 Back Track: Stoner Rock
HOW TO
018 Riff Of The Month: Alter Bridge
– Wouldn’t You Rather
020 Getting Started With… Slash Chords
022 The FX Files... Digitech Space Station
024 What The F? CAGED Scales
FEATURES
026 Rig Tour: Jimmy Eat World
032 Tal Wilkenfeld
038 Sylosis
044 Sonny Landreth
048 2020 Guitar Workout
026 LEARN TO PLAY 05
JIMMY EAT 060 Classic Track: Queens of the
Stone Age – No One Knows
WORLD 070 Rockschool: Steve Vai – Die to Live
074 Jam Track: 80s Rock
076 The Turnaround: Duane Allman
094 TG UNPLUGGED
EPIPHONE 082 News
084 Interview: Andy Shauf
JASON HOOK 086 Open-Mic Songbook: The Who
– Substitute
M-4 EXPLORER THE GAS STATION
088 Start Me Up
090 BluGuitar AMP1 Iridium Edition
094 Epiphone Jason Hook M-4 Explorer
096 Fender Mustang LT25
098 The TG Test: Washburn Bella Tono
Series
104 Pedal Round-Up: Overdrives
106 Sinvertek Drive N5
108 Fix Your Guitar
114 The Playlist: Andreas Kisser, Sepultura
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
The new Cambridge 50
combo offers more than
just that trusty Vox tone
06
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
FIRST LOOK
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
Photography: Olly Curtis
TUBE
STATION
Vox’s latest aims to take
modelling to the next level
As well as this, Vox has made use of its
V ox has unveiled the Nutube technology in the preamp section of 07
Cambridge 50: a combo
amp that it says provides
the Cambridge. We’ve used various products
“new possibilities in
a modelling guitar amp”. with this modern-day valve equivalent,
zklfk#rļhuv#wkh#uhvsrqvh#dqg#vrxqg#ri#
At the heart of the a preamp valve in a modern format. Also
Cambridge is Vox’s Virtual Element rq0erdug#duh#hljkw#hļhfwv#prghov/#d#XVE#iru#
Technology (VET), providing 10 amp use as an audio interface and incorporated
models from Vox’s hallowed AC30 functionality for Vox’s Tone Room and Jam
models through to high-gain emulations Vox software. The Vox Cambridge 50 is
of classic Marshall and Mesa/Boogie amps. priced at £275 and will be available soon.
UP CLOSE
Nutube Speaker Modelling
TheNutubepacksallthefeelandsound The50-wattCambridgeisequippedwithan Using Vox’s Virtual Element Technology, the
ofatraditionalvalveintoamodern, eight-inchCelestionVX12,andcanalsobe Cambridge 50 offers 10 amp models (plus
cost-effectiveformat. usedasanaudiointerfaceforyourcomputer. a clean input for acoustics) and eight effects.
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
SCENE
YOURNEWS IN GUITARS
08
Photos: CBrian Rasic / MTV / Getty / Chase Agnello-Dean/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service / Getty Images
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
SCENE
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
ROUND-UP
The newspieces
picking our ears up
FinckPlank
NIN guitarist gets a
signature Reverend
ithTrentReznor
reportedly
W planningon
abusyyearforNineInch
Nailsrecordingand
touring,RobinFinck’s
Frusciante’s return sees
perhaps the most beloved newReverendsignature
RHCP line-up reunited modelscouldseeplenty
NEWS ofactionin2020–and 09
theylookbuiltforit,too.
FRUSCIANTETHAT! Senseishape(sansBigsby),
BasedonReverend’s
theRobinFincksignature
(priceTBC)features
REDHOTCHILIPEPPERS’PRODIGALSONRETURNS aKorinabody,bound
ebonyfingerboard,
RailhammerChisel
ASJOSHKLINGHOFFERBOWSOUT ceramichumbuckers,
Tune-o-maticbridge
andstopbartailpiece,
n a surprise
band and what we did. I understand
volumeandReverend’s
our time with him, and the
I move, Red Hot countless gifts he shared with and value that my work with them versatileBassContour
Chili Peppers
controlswith
means a lot to many people, but
us. We also announce, with great
have announced
TheRailhammer
John Frusciante excitement and full hearts, that John I have to follow my interests. For athree-wayswitch.
Frusciante is rejoining our group.”
me, art has never been something
will rejoin the Frusciante first joined RHCP in done out of a sense of duty. It is pickupsusetwotypes
band after ten years away. The news 1988 before releasing Mother’sMilk, something I do because it is really ofmagnetbespoketothe
marks the end of Josh Klinghoffer’s replacing Hillel Slovak who passed fun, exciting and interesting. woundandplainstrings.
two-album tenure with the band, away the same year from an “Over the last 12 years, I have The‘rail’magnetisforthe
which was announced in overdose. Frusciante was an integral changed, as a person and artist, woundstringsandthere’s
a statement on Instagram. part of the band for its two most to such a degree that to do further enlargedpolemagnets
“The Red Hot Chili Peppers successful eras, recording Blood work along the lines I did with the fortheplainstrings.
announce that we are parting SugarSexMagik and then returning band would be to go against my Theadvantageofthis
ways with our guitarist of the past for the Californication album in 1998. own nature. There was no choice designissaidtoresultin
10 years, Josh Klinghoffer. Josh is Speaking in 2009 of his decision involved in this decision. I simply tighterlowendresponse
a beautiful musician who we respect to leave the band a second time, have to be what I am, and have andmoreopenfrequencies.
and love. We are deeply grateful for Frusciante said, “I really love the to do what I must do.” Finck’ssignaturemodelis
availableinMidnightBlack
“We announce, with great excitement and full hearts, andIceWhitefinishes,with
pricesstilltobeannounced
that John Frusciante is rejoining our group” atthetimeofgoing
topress.
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
Exit... Stage left...
“Since we don’t play live, it is a very big
difference between making music and creating
an album and playing live. Playing live, there
you are, you feel like you are in some kind of
entertainment business. I don’t miss it. I liked
being on tour with Satyricon because I see
myself as a guitarist. I know I have been doing
vocals now on the Darkthrone albums, but
basically I am a guitarist. To play live and do the
vocals? I think that is a lot of hassle. I don’t like
it. If I could just play guitar I would be happy!”
The wolf is loose...
“Fenriz and I have been sticking around
together for over 30 years. If we were to do
heavy touring or stuff we would probably hate
each other’s guts. You can imagine. No, we are
not in the same town. I haven’t seen him in
a year or so now. But we do keep in touch.”
Red right hand...
“A lot of what creates a guitarist’s sound is
the right hand – if you are right-handed.
Where you press the strings down with your
left hand can be whatever, but it’s how you
play with your right hand that is so important.
To me it’s a big deal. It creates the sound.”
10 Cumonfeelthenoize...
“Early in Darkthrone history we thought every
Metal guitarists: don’t little boy’s dream was to have a Marshall stack.
expect to be Nocturno’s But those Fender amps were great. I think it
new favourite any time soon
was called a Performer 1000. It was a small
thing but really pumped out a huge amount of
FIVE MINUTES ALONE sound [Laughs]. When I played with Satyricon
on NemesisDivina, both Satyr and I played only
NOCTURNOCULTO the first Satyricon tour in Europe.”
through that amp, with no boxes at all. And
we also brought those amps with us on
TheDarkthroneguitaristontheFendercombo’sblack Borntoolate...
“Of course I listen to metal but I am stuck in the
metalmagicandwhyhedoesn’tmissplayinglive… 70s. Blues is not my favourite genre but when it
comes to guitarists I am a big fan of 70s ZZ Top.
Billy Gibbons, for the last 20 years he is up there
Gotmyfirstrealsix-string… Playauthentic... with my favourite guitarists. He is great. And
“It was some kind of a Jackson knock-off “When I was a kid the guitars that really stood that is probably what I could call blues rock.
model. It was a cheap brand, Cort or out for me, the thing I had to have, was Gibson I don’t have any favourite metal guitarists
something. Back then, when I was 14 or 15 guitars. I think Gibson has been my main guitar because I don’t listen to so much metal music.”
years old, I played on this cheap guitar and brand since 89. The first guitar I bought from
I had some kind of a Peavey amplifier. Gibson was an Explorer. It had this Tobacco Expressyourself...
I started playing with Darkthrone in 1988, Sunburst colour and it was just fantastic. The “Technology has certainly made way for more
and I was 16 when I bought my first real thing about Explorers is that they really don’t music and more bands to reach out. I think
guitar, and that was a jubilee version of break. The electronics? I mean, that guitar that’s a good thing. But what I want from the
a Jackson. I think that Grover Jackson today, it’s working perfectly. There has never sound on any album is personality. Let’s take
signed the back of the headstock been any hassle with it. Nowadays I tend to play a really big band like Metallica. I would like
with a marker.” on my Les Paul.” them to record on our equipment. What would
they do to express themselves through that
“TO PLAY GUITAR LIVE AND DO THE VOCALS? gear? That would be interesting.” Words: Jonathan Horsley Photo: Si Glacken
I THINK THAT IS A LOT OF HASSLE” Darkthrone’slatestalbum,OldStar,isout
nowonPeacevilleRecords.
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
12
Gold Key: Not your
stereotypical
Abba fans
GOLD KEY
Gallows,SikThandSpycatchermembersteamupforsome‘PunkFloyd’…
Thankfully, the Boss MS-3
T hough they bassist James Leach and of philosophy when it comes switcher is there to control it
drummer Jack Kenny.
would very
to his six-string approach.
much appear to
all from one place, the
“There’s a lot of music we
Perhaps most evidently of
be a supergroup
“With Gallows, it’s all about
dancing in ways no-one needs
way into our sound – Pink
made out of heard growing up sliding its all in his pedalboard… guitarist joking he’d be
various members of Floyd, The Beatles, and, guitar into amp, playing loud to see without it. “I also use
Hertfordshire’s ever-thriving thanks to my mother, Abba. and hard, sounding raw as a DD-500 and a RV-500 for
metal and punk scenes, We were taking ideas from hell,” continues Lags, who my delays and reverbs
there’s a lot more to Gold Key a palette of Gilmours and recently switched from respectively, for soft
than meets the eye. The Lennons, but then mixing it Orange to Victory amps for shimmers or swirling repeats.
atmospheric rock quartet’s with the dynamics and both bands. “I had to forget A lot of people buy pedals and
first album was easily one of ferocity we acquired in our all that for Gold Key and then forget about the updates,
the best British debuts of 2017 time playing heavier music.” pretty much depend on my so my tip is get the updates, Photo
and they’ve been wasting no Naturally, exploring more pedalboard for everything.” they’re 100% worth it!”
time in putting the finishing progressive and avant-garde
touches to its follow-up. sounds in his latest venture FOR FANS OF Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Anathema GEAR Gibson Les Paul
“For us, getting together has called for a different sort Standard Silverburst, Fender Coronado, Victory V30 mkII, Victory V40
felt like a return to DominicBerthiaume,KajaSosnowska
Laurent Barnard [Gallows], “WE TAKE IDEAS FROM GILMOUR AND LENNON AND
innocence,” says guitarist
guitarist Steve Sears, SikTh MIXED IT WITH THE FEROCITY OF HEAVIER MUSIC”
who is joined by singer/
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
ON THE UP
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
UNE MISÈRE TORA DAHLE AAGÅRD
Gojira-rivallingheavinessfromIceland The rising Norwegian queen of blues
Though their music hits hard
T he Reykjavik metal metallic heaviness, the members I don’t think I am Paul Gilbert and even playing
scene is thriving, we
a typical guitar player,”
London’s Royal Albert Hall as part
in its quest for all-consuming
have all sorts of heavy
of The Norwegian Blues Adventure
believes Tora Dahle
music from black metal feel there’s definitely a sense of Aagård, singer and back in November, the New Year
to hardcore,” says Gunnar Ingi optimism behind it all. Hope guitarist of Oslo-based band Tora. will be involve a lot of new music
Jones, guitarist of Icelandic remains one of the core values at “I don’t really listen to a lot of but the same old guitar...
metallers Une Misère. Having the heart of their deceptively bleak ‘guitar music’, though if I do, it “I’ve had Vintage Thomas Blug
signed to Nuclear Blast at the wall of noise. “It’s very important will be players like John Mayer, signature Stratocaster for years 13
beginning of 2019 for the release to spread the message of positivity Derek Trucks or John Scofield – and it’s the guitar I always come
of their devastatingly heavy debut through heavy music,” says those who know how to improvise back to” explains Tora. “I’ll be
album Sermon, the quintet have Gunnar. “No wound can cut you and make their instrument talk.” releasing my second album with
been melting minds on their deep enough for you not to heal.” Having released her debut the band in Spring. I can’t wait!”
recent headline European tour – album last year after amassing
and feel their Icelandic roots play FOR FANS OF Gojira, a strong following on Instagram, FOR FANS OF John Mayer, Jeff Beck
amassive partinthatpotentnoise. GEAR LTD horizon 7, ltd ec-1000, boss sharing the stage with the likes of GEAR Vintage Thomas Blug strat
URNE SELWYNBIRCHWOOD WACO
WHO?Ex-HangTheBastardmembers WHO? Orlando’s rising star of lapsteel blues, WHO?GuitaristTomPalletandhisWatford
JosephNallyandAngusNeyra previous Albert King Guitarist of the Year winner punkrenegades
SOUNDSLIKEGooeyfuzzstewinginastewing SOUNDS LIKE The vintage soul of the delta SOUNDSLIKEJangly Brit-rock with that winning
cauldronofdoom,thrashandclassicrockriffs originalsbroughtinto the modern world combinationofloud guitars and louder hooks
GEARGibsonSGSpecial,OrangeCR120, GEARGibson335/345, Gibson BR-9 Lapsteel, GEARFenderJazzmaster, Laney LC30,
DigitechHarmonyMan DRZMazJr18 FulltoneOCD
FOR FANS OF Mastodon, High On Fire, The Sword FOR FANS OF Son House, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter FOR FANS OF Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic
HEAR The Mountain Of Gold HEAR Pick Your Poison HEAR Human Magic
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
“This is my signature guitar, the “This is the first edition
1 Dellinger-JSM. It’s got some cool 4 Caparison did with
features that are unique to it, and a pickguard, which is kind of
some that are a first for Caparison neat, and also the first guitar
which I was really excited about.” they did with black clock
inlays and black binding. So
visually it’s quite different
from the other Caparisons.”
The body is mahogany
2 and the top is walnut,
which gives it a unique
sound. I find it to be little bit
darker than a lot of typical
bolt-on-neck guitars.”
InterviewRobLaing
ME AND MY GUITAR
3
JOEL STROETZEL
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
14
Themetalcoreman’s
signature with Japanese
builder Caparison is much 1 The pickups are
5 Killswitch Engage
more bespoke than you signature series Fishman
Fluence. The bridge pickup
is a little bit quieter and
might imagine has a slightly different
EQ curve than a standard
fluence. And the neck is
pretty much a standard
Modern. The controls are
slightly different too; you
still have your push/pull
to get your two different
modes, passive and active
sounds, but on the tone
knob, instead of doing a
4
“The neck is high-frequency tilt, we
3 maple with walnut ended up doing a coil-tap
reinforcement, which is 2 sound on these. So it’s
something we fought for 5 a pretty versatile guitar,
over the years, and it’s given its simplicity.”
a really cool feature to
have on any guitar. If you’re
touring it’s much more
impervious to the elements
than say a two-piece
neck or something like
that. So we’ve had really Killswitch Engage’s new
good luck with these.” album Atonement is out
now on Metal Blade.
The band play the UK’s
Download Festival in June.
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE Dave Wyndorf of
Monster Magnet
embraces the sonic
punishment of another
massive stoner riff
Back track
16
A GUITARIST’S GUIDE TO THE ARTISTSYOUNEEDTOKNOW
STONER ROCK
The stoner rock sound, much like its
Seattle counterpart, emerged partly
as a reaction to the vapid jock rock
of the 1980s mainstream, but also
as a result of punk rock’s continuing START WITH
influence on the drug and skate KYUSS
Words Stephen Kelly Photo Stefan Hoederath/Redferns
culture of southern California.
This no-nonsense, bass-heavy BLUES FOR THE RED SUN (1992)
sound also distinguished itself Whilegrungewasgoingsupernova1,200milesfurtherupthePacificcoast,
from grunge and the nascent doom Kyuss were busy fermenting their bottom-heavy sound in the arid hills
scene by incorporating elements 1surrounding Palm Desert, California, with much of that signature rumble
courtesy of guitarist Josh Homme’s preference for playing downtuned strings
of 70s hard rock and psychedelia, through a gargantuan Ampeg bass cab. Despite the flourishes of 1970s classic rock
so prepare yourself, listener, for and primal blues groove that steer Freedom Run and Apothecaries’ Weight, the most
some seriously heavy vibes... palpableinfluenceisthatof80shardcorepunk(andparticularly Greg Ginn):
MoltenUniverse’slethargic,quakingriffsareabrotherlynod to Black Flag’s
MyWar,and Writhe has the bullish air of early Melvins.
Download Freedom Run
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
BACK TRACK
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
DON’T MISS OUT DON’T MISS OUT ALSO RECOMMENDED
MONSTER MAGNET WITCH FUMANCHU
SPINE OF GOD (1991) WITCH (2006) THEACTIONISGO (1997)
Sporting a sleeveful of influences that No stranger to scorched-earth guitar It comes as no surprise that Fu Manchu’s
unabashedly blends the astral jamming rock, Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis formed Witch roots lie in the SoCal punk scene;
2of Hawkwind with the groove and grind 3with King Tuff’s Kyle Thomas to celebrate 4with their riffs gussied up with more
of Sabbath, Monster Magnet’s debut also boasts their love of doomy psychedelia, with Mascis horsepower than your typical stoner dirge,
enough songwriting chops and Spinal Tap himself forfeiting guitar in favour of a drum the band’s sound lies somewhere between
chutzpah to elevate it far above mere imitation. stool. Opener Seer, with it’s duelling solos and post-hardcore acts like Quicksand and the
Dave Wyndorf’s hard-nosed rhythm work cavalry charge rhythm section, is as fine a slab fuzzy psych rock of Deep Purple. Anodizer
dominates straight-up rockers Medicine (whose of acid-fried heavy metal as you’ll find this side and UnknownWorld are all crunchy,
main riff recalls the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage) of Paranoid, while highlights RipVanWinkle feel-good grooves reminiscent of Clutch or
and the gonzo blues rock of SnakeDance, but it’s and the occult-meets-glam rock Changing even Audioslave, and there’s a darker tone to be
John McBain’s psychedelic, effects-laden leads showcase guitarist Asa Iron’s virtuosity without found in GrendelSnowman’s Helmet-influenced
that keep things interesting; the slow burning, devolving into the repetition of so many metallic chug. Though the riff-solo-riff
sitar-ish drone of the title track or soupy wah over-baked jam bands. Isadora closes things as formula may not be reinventing the wheel,
textures that underpin NodScene before a sort of sonic digestif, an acoustic Jekyll that this particular wheel is undeniably one
exploding into full-blown, space rock lift off. turns into a monstrous, doom metal Hyde. hell of a good time. 17
DownloadSpineOfGod DownloadSeer DownloadAnodizer
WORTH A SPIN WILD CARD LIVE!
MASTERSOFREALITY ELDER SLEEP
SUNRISEONTHESUFFERBUS (1992) LORE (2015) LIVE AT THIRD
It would not be inaccurate to say that Elder’s early days as a by-the-book stoner MAN RECORDS (2019)
SunriseOnTheSufferbus is something of metal outfit have since ceded ground to
5a musical bromance between Masters 6a stylistic restlessness and mellower This marathon two-hour performance
Of Reality frontman Chris Goss and legendary sound, blending progressive and psychedelic at Jack White’s Third Man Records in
Cream drummer Ginger Baker, recruited here rock influences that, convergently, share an 7Nashville is something of a career
for a one-off stint behind the kit. Baker’s aesthetic with scene godfathers Yawning Man. retrospective for one of stoner rock’s most
driving rhythms throw some rockabilly swing With almost every track here exceeding the influential exports. While the full aural
into SheGotMe(WhenSheGotHerDressOn) and 10-minute mark, guitarist Nick DiSalvo has nuance of guitarist Matt Pike doesn’t quite
add a nervous energy to Goss’s proto-metal plenty of room to stretch out, filling each song fully translate to the final mix, cuts like
riffing on V.H.V., though the melodic moments withinvention:theshape-shiftingCompendium HolyMountain and LeaguesBeneath retain
here are equally satisfying: RollingGreen ditches surges from a looping, proggy intro to much of their ponderous groove and
the visceral tones for a rambling refrain of pure a midsection of spiralling textures, while Legend intensity, while the bluesy, acid rock licks
sunshine, while 100Years(OfTearsOnTheWind) and the title track share a similar trajectory of TheBotanist and fan-fave Dragonaut
is as fine a slice of jangling, moody alt-rock of low-end chugging crowned with trippy, cut through the green fog in fine style.
as any that graced early-90s MTV. acid-washed leads. A splendid evolution. Download Dragonaut
DownloadV.H.V. DownloadCompendium
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
HOW TO WHATYOUWILLLEARN
Drop-Ctunedriffing
Exoticscalesounds
Palm-mutes,octaves,bends& more
Get the tone CHANNEL DISTORTION
5 6
7
8
0
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB
Wouldn’tYouRatherfeatures
bothMylesandMarkonguitar
–each,mostlikely,double-amped
throughPRSMT15,Cornford
RK100(Mark),DiezelHerbert
andVH4amps(Myles).Forgeneral
riffing,mostoftheirdrivetones
comefromtheiramps–but
pairingadistortionpedalwith your
ampmightgetyouclosertothe
recordedsound.Ifyou’reafter
amoreauthenticsoundwe’d
recommendusinganampmodeler
andexploringBognerandMesa/
Boogiepresets.Finally,make
VIDEO Bridge humbucker suretouseabridge-position
ON YOUR
riff of the month CD humbucker.
ALTERBRIDGE
Wouldn’tYouRather
“I were not for the use of altered provide a weighty bottom end, and, as performance in the video on your Guitar Skills
18 ’d have retired already if it The drop-C (CGCFAD) tuned guitars be a little tricky, but follow our slowed-down
it turns out, give you loads to learn in just
CD and you’ll be up to speed in no time.
tunings,” Alter Bridge guitarist
Mark Tremonti related to TG in rqh vkruw ulļ1 \rxġoo eh vzlwfklqj ehwzhhq
November. Of course, he was palm-muting, octave shapes, string bends, CHEATSHEET…
talking about the writing process for the sliding position shifts, harmonics and more Appearsat: 0:17-0:26
band’s latest album WalkTheSky, and – all within four bars. Tempo:108 bpm
how swapping your guitar’s tunings can be Despite this, Mark and Myles’ (Kennedy, Key/scale:C blues scale / C Phrygian dominant
a source of creativity and inspiration. Lead iurqwpdq dqg jxlwdulvw, ulļ lvqġw wrr wrxjk Maintechniques:Palm muting / octaves /
single Wouldn’tYouRather is a case in point. to play. The timing after the string bend can string bends / slides / harmonics
The riff that kicks in at 0:17
is by and large a single-note
D
affair, using notes from the
A C blues scale and the C Phrygian
dominant mode. However,
F
it’s not clearly in either scale,
so we’ve just plotted out the
C
notes as played on the fifth and
Bb C Eb G sixth strings. Watch out also for
Photo: Kevin Nixon/Getty C Db E F Gb C played in 5th and 8th positions
octave shapes (not shown here)
on the third and fifth strings.
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
HOW TO
GETTING
STARTED WITH…
SLASH
CHORDS
Get creative with some easy
WHATYOUWILLLEARN
new shapes as TG explains Amixtureofslashchordshapes
Howrootnotesrelatetoslash chords
how slash chords work Two musical examples
“I’veheardofslashchords, we’re looking at a handful of shapes and
SLASHER PICS!
butwhatarethey?” covering some essential basics.
It’s a simple idea – they’re chords whose lowest Four chord shapes to
note isn’t the root. The root note in, say, an “That’s really easy! Surely
A chord would be A; in a G chord it would be G, there’s more to it?” getyourocking
D G
i.e., the root is the note the chord gets its name Well, we’ve shown you the easiest way to 1 OPEN CHORD: G
from. Easy! It’s the same for any kind of chord understand slash chords – just use any note You probably already know
B
– Am, Amaj7, A13 or any other kind of ‘A chord’ other than the root in the bass. As you say G D G this open G chord.
all have A root notes. Now, to come back to – simple! There are potentially limitless
slash chords- i f you played an A chord, but possibilities, though. Just think how many
zlwk d glļhuhqw qrwh lq wkh edvv/ wkhq wkdw ‘slash notes’ you could apply to the chords you G
X D G 2 SLASH CHORD: G/B
20 would be a slash chord. Get it? already know. And every time you learn a new
chord, you could be making up even more slash B Ditch the low G and the chord
becomes G/B – because B is
“Ithinkso,butIdon’treally chords – just add or take away a bass note. D G the lowest note.
understandwhyit’simportant.”
Well, it’s important in that it’s a whole other “How do I go about using these
G/D
category of chords you can use in creative ways. shapes in some music?”
X A E 3 OPEN CHORD: AM
Take a look at our tab examples below where C Another easy open chord.
“Gotit.Canyougivemesomewell-known |rxġoo#Ľqg#d#pl{#ri#w|slfdo#vkdshv#sod|hg#lq#d# E A Surely you know this one!
examplesofslashchords?” pruh#pxvlfdo#frqwh{w1#Wkh#Ľuvw#h{dpsoh#lv#
Sure! Jimi Hendrix’s LittleWing is a masterclass based in the open position so the chords are
in slash chords – in fact, much of Jimi’s rhythm easy beginner-friendly shapes.
style uses them. Van Halen’s RunningWithThe A Am E
Devil is crammed full of slash chords. For a 90s “How shall I tackle the second example?” C 4 SLASH CHORD:
take on proceedings, have a listen to Reef’s Hopefully it’s not too tough to play. For now E A AM/G
Here we’re adding a G note in
PlaceYourHands. though, play through the tab slowly and see G
the bass. Hence you get
if you can identify the bass notes. None of the Am/G.
“HowdoIgetstartedwithslashchords?” bass notes are root notes of their respective
Am/G
Take a look at the box out on the right where chords – which means they’re slash chords.
1 STEP-BY-STEP CHANGES TRACK 07 2 HIGHER UP THE NECK TRACK 08
q=60 q=75
# D/F # G/B D/A C/E N.C.
C G/B Am G D/F Em
. . . . . . . .
œ
let ring let ring
T . 0 3 0 3 3 0 . T . 7 8 7 5 .
1
0
0
1
. 0 0 2 0 2 0 . . 7 7 9 7 5 5 7 5 5 .
7
2
2
0
0
2
7
0
B 3 2 0 2 2 B 7 9 5 7 7 7
3 2 0
G/BandD/F#aretheslashchordshere.Theideaisthatthesechordsofferastep We’reusingtwopowerchordshapeshere–withfifth-andfourth-stringrootnotes.
bystepmovefromCtoAmandfromGtoEm. Switchingbetweenthefullshapeandjusttherootnoteaddsshapetotheriff.
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
HOW TO
THE FX FILES TG’S CLASSIC STOMPBOX GUIDE
BANK UP INPUT TRIMPOT
This control moves On the rear of the pedal,
up a preset. there’s an input trimpot
that allows you to change
BANK DOWN the input level. The pedal
This control moves down isn’t true bypass, and its
a preset. Pressing both circuitry does colour your
switches engages bypass, sound, so it pays to adjust
but it can be fickle, meaning this until it’s right for your
that live, your best bet is to guitar and amp setup.
put the XP-300 inside a loop
using a pedal like the
BOSS LS-2.
FOOT PEDAL
On every preset or patch
there’s a variable parameter
that is controlled by
this rocker.
22
Released at a time when the boutique pedal scene didn’t exist and the
big manufacturers weren’t innovating, the XP-300 redefined weird
H ot on the heels that there were no user- +d vklpphu uhyhue zlwk Ľiwkv It’s glitchy and doesn’t track
added), 22 (a broken-sounding
controllable elements of the
of the success of
well, but it’s one of the coolest
preset sounds apart from a single
the Whammy II,
digital delay), 28 (a sample-hold
h{suhvvlrq hļhfwv hyhu1
The Space Station is now
DigiTech decided
up or slow down), as well as the
the rocker pedal. The XP-300
to invest in parameter per patch, controlled by arpeggiator that you can speed incredibly rare, but, by virtue of
a larger product line-up of became a cult favourite, inspiring various arpeggiators above 30. the XP-200 and XP-400 having
h{suhvvlrq0edvhg hļhfwv 0 wkh numerous boutique pedal makers The most fun has to be 10, the the same internals apart from the
appropriately-named ‘Xpression’ with a taste for outlandish sounds. ‘reverse’ mode. Pushing the chip which contains the presets,
series. There were four pedals; In terms of sounds, the Space rockerdown ‘slows down’ your it’s possible to get one of the less
the XP-100 Whammy/Wah, the Station lives up to its name. Some guitar signal, stops it, and then sought-after pedals and mod
XP-200 Modulator, the XP-300 of the highlights include patch 2 starts replaying it backwards. it into a Space Station.
Space Station and the XP-400
Reverberator. Depending on the
model, you had between 30 and THE DIGITECH SPACE STATION’S ‘REVERSE’ MODE IS
50 presets to choose from on the
pedal. All of these had in common ONE OF THE COOLEST EXPRESSION EFFECTS EVER
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
THE FX FILES
# UNDER THE INFLUENCE
EARTHQUAKER DEVICES RED PANDA OLD BLOOD NOISE
RAINBOW MACHINE TENSOR ENDEAVORS DARK STAR
£229 £289 £175
The EQD Rainbow Machine, the standard bearer When initially announced, Red Panda claimed the In many of the OBNE Coffee & Riffs videos, an
23
for ‘weird’ pedals in the mainstream, harks back Tensor was inspired by the ‘warp’ time modes from old Space Station can be seen among their test
directly to a number of the pitch, glide and the Space Station and was intended for guitarists pedals in the shop, and that’s hardly surprising
arpeggiator modes on the XP-300 with that wanted to remove the fragile and rare pedal given their innovative and often oddball pedal
its dreamlike, shredded delay lines. from their boards. It doesn’t quite have the magic designs. The Dark Star is a shimmer reverb with
of the XP-300, being a bit too clinical and less a momentary infinite feedback mode, which
expressive, but it’s a good attempt nevertheless, isn’t a million miles away from some of the
and an interesting pedal in its own right. pitch-harmonised reverbs on the Space Station.
#CLASSICTONES
GET THE TONE #1 GET THE TONE #2 GET THE TONE #3
SHOEGAZE SWIRL GLASSY CHORDS MANGLED TAPE LEAD
It’s a well-known trick to run reverb into drive The somewhat erratic tracking and smooth If while playing a solo you move the rocker
in order to create muddy, compressed washes swells of the reverse mode mean that, when expressively like a wah pedal, you will get often
ri#vrxqg1#Sxoolqj#wkh#vdph#wulfn#zlwk#wkh#Ľiwkv# sdluhg#zlwk#vrph#fkruxv#dqg#d#Md}}pdvwhu# unpredictable results. A neat trick is to ‘park’
reverb on the Space Station results in a roaring tremolo arm, you can make weird, glassy wkh#shgdo#dw#627#rshq/#sod|#d#ľxuu|#ri#qrwhv#dqg#
kxuulfdqh#ri#qrlvh#Ľw#iru#dq|#vkrhjd}h#edqg1# chords using the top three strings. Add some wkhq#ixoo|#forvh#wkh#shgdo1#Wkh#hļhfw#lv#d#olwwoh#
Although it’s a bit glitchy, the tracking is drive and you’re into the sort of tonal territory like a jammed tape echo becoming unstuck,
good enough to play chords with. that Kevin Shields would no doubt approve of. with a slew of notes suddenly sounding.
Get the tone Get the tone Get the tone
EXPRESSION PEDAL
(CONTROLLING DELAY TIME
HALL REVERB PITCH SHIFTER (+5TH) DISTORTION REVERSE DELAY CHORUS TAPE ECHO /FEEDBACK)
PATCH2 Toedown PATCH 10 Toe down PATCH 10 Various positions
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
HOW TO WHATYOUWILLLEARN
Solothelengthofthefretboard
Onetabbedhardrocklick
Learn scales and chords
WHAT THE F?
CAGED SCALES
Cage fight! This match up of chords and
scaleswillhelpyouupgradeyoursolos
O kay, stick with us here! fretboard as barre chords, helping you play
We all know that scales
all the way up and down the neck.
aren’t that exciting, but
To transfer this to lead guitar, you’ll be
the CAGED system will
transform the way you linking a scale with each chord, and that’s
not as hard as it sounds. The chords are
play. You already know open C, A, G, E and relatively easy and the scales have similar
D chords, right? The CAGED system plots Ľqjhu#sdwwhuqv/#vr#|rxġoo#vrrq#eh#eod}lqj#
these beginner-friendly shapes across the around the fretboard.
1 C SHAPE 2 A SHAPE
X X
1 1
4 4
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2
2 2 3
3 3 3 2 3 4 4 4 4
4 4 4
D chord D major scale D chord D major scale
24 Play an openCshape,move it up This is theDmajorscale. It’s so AnotherD,butthistime our Just likebefore,thescale and
two frets and make sure to use similar to the chord shape that barre chord is based on an chord are similar enough that both
a barre. You’ll get this D chord. you can jam around both. open A chord shape. lead and rhythm are on the cards.
3 G SHAPE 4 E SHAPE 5 D SHAPE
X X X
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
7 7 9 9 11 11
2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1
2 3 2 3 3 2 3 3
3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 3 4 4 3 3
4 4 4 4
D chord D major scale D chord D major scale D chord D major scale
Okay,thischord is a Again,thescaleand Hopefullyyou’re Areyougettingityet? KhuhġvwkhĽiwkdqg# Onceagain,bothchord
toughie but it doesn’t the chord share notes. starting to get the The chords are easy to Ľqdo#rqh#Ğ#d#idploldu# and scale use similar
matter! Especially if Try making up a lick idea. Here’s another remember, so hook open D shape, but Ľqjhu#sdwwhuqv1#Wu|#
you’re thinking about using notes from both D barre chord but your scale-based licks all the way up at jamming with both.
aleadlick. shapes. usinganEshape. aroundthem. 12thposition.
6 ROCK STYLE CAGED LICK TRACK 09
q=130
D
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
. . . .
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
BU BD
T . 14 ( 15) 14) 12 10 12 10 BU BD BU BD BU BD .
(
6
7
. 12 11 ( 12) ( 11) 12 12 6 () () 9 7 9 7 5 4 () () .
4
5
B 2 5
Ifyoustilldon’tquitegetwhytheCAGEDsystemissotransformative,takealookatthislick.ThebackingchopsawayonaDchord.Itcouldgetdull,buttheleadguitarcovers
thewholefretboard,expandingonthescaleshapeswe’velookedat.Likewesay,linkascalewithachordyou’resoloingoverandyou’llneverrunoutoflicks!
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
26
After nearly three decades
of playing live, Tom and Jim
are happy to simplify their
rigs these days
rig tour
Words Jonathan Horsley Photography Will Ireland
that has gauge .010 strings on
1 2 it, it just feels like a toy. The
pickups are Seymour Duncan
P-90s. They are both bridge
pickups. The guitars are all
colour-coded but they are all
the same guitar. The red one is
for songs that we tune a
half-step down, because for
some reason we wrote a bunch
of songs where we tune a
half-step down. It seemed like
a good idea at the time. And I
have one that is in open E
tuning that we have for some
of our older songs. And then
just a backup.”
MATON EBG808
“My acoustic guitars
2 are from this Australian
company named Maton.
Wklv#jx|#zdv#wkh#Ľuvw#L#kdg#
heard that had electronics
built-in. There is something
that happens when they
build in electronics and it
just doesn’t sound quite the
same, but this one... The 808,
I’ve always liked the smaller- 27
bodied guitars. I feel like they
JIMMY EAT record better for some reason.
I love this guy. It is actually
a wacky prototype of
all-bunya wood, which is
WORLD some Australian indigeneous
wood. We went and toured the
Maton factory in Melbourne in
2001, before Bleed American
at the shop let me take this
For the tonally-adventurous punks, heavy-gauge strings came out, and one of the guys
one. They still make the body
and the super-practical Fractal Axe-Fx IIIs are heaven type but I have never seen
one that is all bunya.”
JIM’S RIG FRACTAL AXE-FX III
“When we were mixing
– in their Fractal Axe-Fx III units.
here has never
T been a pre-show It makes life easy. They wheel in FENDER ARTIST SERIES 3 Integrity Blues – Kenny
Andrews from Failure was
a case, use MIDI switching systems
vibe more calm.
JIM ADKINS JA-90
from RJM to access their tones,
Jimmy Eat
mixing that record – we were
World’s latest
us what Failure does, and it
album, Surviving, dqg#rļ#wkh|#jr1#Wkhuhġv#ghĽqlwho|# TELECASTER THINLINE at his place, he was showing
something to be said for trusty,
“This is my guitar. No,
was released last night; another reliable old gear; no meltdowns to 1 really, this is my guitar, was just mind-blowing.
sold-out beckons tonight, and it’s be found here. Elsewhere, Adkins my signature model Fender. Like, yeah! ‘Our entire audio
just, well - it’s just so quiet. All is uses his signature Telecasters and In white! And it has been my production rolls in like 12
well; serene. Maybe that is due to a Maton acoustic, while Linton uses guitar for a while now, since pelican cases and we can go
the gear decisions Jim Adkins and a Gibson SG as his number one and 2010-11. It’s an alder body, play anywhere, and that’s it.’
Tom Linton made some time ago, a couple of genuine curios, such as this might be a maple neck. I I’m like, ‘Huh? That sounds
having had the Fractal Axe-Fx units a Gibson Challenger and a truly am still using .013s. If you put really interesting.’ And so I
recommended to them by Kenny weird electric that we’d love to .012s on a Telecaster you got one of the Axe-Fx II XL+
Andrews of Failure. Now, they identify for you, but one that won’t go back. When you are to sit with, and took a month,
place all their faith – and their tone even Linton has no idea what it is. playing acoustic all the time literally, took a month and
and you pick up something that is all I did, teach myself
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
rig tour
3
The Fractal Axe-Fx
III unit has become
integral to the Jimmy
Eat World touring rig
28
the ins and outs of it. The thing is, venues you get to, the less and less with a shit-load of phaser, and
you really have to know what you that matters ‘cos it is all the PA then go back to stoner-rock with
wanna get, or you are just going to system. It doesn’t matter. You one click, and you get all of that.
be lost in videogame world. There could play with a PigNose amp It’s paralyzing at the same time.
is no manual really, because every mic’d up in a stadium and it I can do anything that I want. You
Ľupzduh xsgdwh lv#jrlqj#wr#kdyh# doesn’t matter. have to really zone in to what you
srwhqwldoo| plqlpdo#Ľ{hv#wr# “You have to approach your want. I’ll switch it myself.
vljqlĽfdqw fkdqjhv1#Lġyh#vorzo|# sound construction, your sound “A lot of people will have
been trying to get rid of my pedals design, from the aspect of, someone in tech world shifting
‘cos I can’t fucking stand doing the ‘What do I want to do?’ So what your parts, like when you get to
Riverdance. And then the trouble- I do is, I’ll map out the song for a certain section of the song so you
shooting if something’s wrong! what is happening as the song goes don’t have to do Riverdance, and
[With this] you are not killing the by, and sometimes it might be one vrph#shrsoh#fdq#dfwxdoo|#uxq#lw#rļ#
person in the front with the tone throughout the whole song, a time code. The bummer there is
half-stack in their face. It’s funny, or sometimes it might be that everything has to be to a click,
we used to play basements, gudvwlfdoo|#glļhuhqw#wrqhv#iru# but the nerd in me thinks it’s sort
carrying around two half-stacks glļhuhqw#sduwv>#|rx#duh#qrw#olplwhg# of cool that you can record a pass of
and the Ampeg refrigerator, like, in any way. So I could have a crazy the song, where you are switching
what the fuck were we doing!? rhythm stoner-rock type thing and things, how you would play them,
There’s no... WHY!? You don’t wkhq#euhdn#rļ#wr#dqrwkhu#lqvdqh/# and then have that be
need that, man, and the larger the really clean, shimmery jazz chorus, remembered, and then you don’t
control that data. But, I kinda like
“I’VE BEEN GETTING RID OF MY being a little bit more spontaneous
than that, if I want to get
PEDALS BECAUSE I CAN’T STAND something else. I’ve got a one-foot
jazz number than I’m doing. Not
DOINGTHE RIVERDANCE ” full-on Riverdance. Yeah, it’s about
eliminating variables.”
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
JIMMY EAT WORLD
4
29
RJM MASTERMIND GT-10 You can have any parameter with
“These things are super- this: delay times, wah, wet/dry, or
4 fucking nuts, like, all these all of them at the same time. You
buttons are programmable to can assign your sweeping action to
do anything you want, any control almost any parameter on
parameter, any multiples of wkh#D{h0I{1#ĠKrxvh#oljkwv#rļ$#Jhw#
parameters. They can control up the milk frothing!’ I have a tuner
wr#49#glļhuhqw#ghylfhv1#Zkdw#L#dp# function here, I have Up and Down
doing here might sound crazy but buttons that can move song-to-
it really is just scratching the vrqj#dqg#sxoo#xs#d#glļhuhqw#suhvhw#
surface of what’s possible. I can on the Axe-Fx. So basically, on the
switch a button here and that Axe-Fx, I have every single song
could change a scene on the in our catalogue, like a separate,
Axe-Fx, triggering a completely individual preset for that, and
glļhuhqw#vhw#ri#vrxqg/#dqg#L#jxhvv# then this thing knows the setlist
I could be sending a signal to so I will just take the preset in
d#vdpsohu#rļvwdjh/#ru#d#oljkwlqj#ulj the order of the set. It’s a crazy,
cue, or like if I had lyrics to pop up insane path to get here, but
– whatever you could want to do, once you do, it rules.”
wklv#ghylfh#lv#txdolĽhg#iru1#Iudfwdo#
lv#suhww|#jrrg1#Wkh|ġuh#ghĽqlwho|# TOM’S RIG
Audio makes a foot controller that
coming for RJM. RJMs are not
cheap. The functionality of GIBSON SG
them, it kinda takes a minute to ģWklv#lv#d#4<;8#VJ/#dqg#|hdk/#
programme it for what you wanna 5 I think I’ve have had this one “Why, yes! This is my
do, but once you get the hang of it iru#Ľyh#|hduv#qrz/#dqg#L#mxvw#oryh# signature model!”
it is really, really awesome. it. I was playing Les Pauls before.
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
rig tour
5 6 7
28
I had a ’79 Les Paul but it’s just so question. It kind of looks yellow in
heavy and so hard to move around this light but... I guess they were
onstage with it, for me. I got rog#sduwv#dw#Jlevrq#wkdw#zhuh#
a pinched nerve in my neck from thrown out and they would rig out
when I was playing that thing. guitars from those pieces and sell
I just woke up one morning on the them for a couple of hundred
bus and my neck was, like, stuck to bucks. It was cheap. I don’t
one side! ‘Yeah, I should probably remember how much but it was
look for something lighter.’ I’ve really cheap and it has held out.
put in a Burstbucker Pro pickup. I think I got this right before we
That’s what’s in it right now, and started our record Futures. That
I am just experimenting with that. was when I got this guy. It has held
I think the [neck pickup] might be up but you never know, with some
the original. The only time I use it accident? I play .013s. We’ve been
is when I am going for a clean playing those for a long time and
sound. When we are doing loud I think we just started playing
vwxļ#Lġoo#wxuq#wkhvh#xs#doo#wkh#zd|# those because we were breaking
and then I’ll turn this guy to four a lot of strings onstage. I just
and use it for a clean sound.” think they sound better.”
GIBSON CHALLENGER II UNIDENTIFIED ELECTRIC
“I really like it. It is a cheapy “I don’t know what this is.
6 guitar, and I did put in 7 I think I got this on eBay and
d#glļhuhqw#slfnxs1#L#sxw#wkh# I use this for some songs that we
Burstbucker Pros in this, too. have tuned to an open E. For songs
It’s not the original pickups. When like For Me This Is Heaven and
we are playing live they don’t get a couple more, but this thing
loud and noisy, no feedback. is crazy. Just the ouput on it
^Zkdw#lv#wkh#ĽqlvkB`#Wkdwġv#d#jrrg# lv#lqvdqh1#Lw#frxog#eh#d#Jlevrq#
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
31
pickup, maybe. Maybe! [Laughs] FRACTAL AXE-FX III
Someone told me that maybe it “It took a little bit for me to 8
was an old Ibanez neck, or some 9 get used to the tone. I think
sort of Japanese guitar. Yeah, it with the last Fractals that we had,
was a cheap one. It was another I was having a problem having
one where I thought, ‘OK, it looks a good distortion sound, but with
kinda cool, probably won’t sound these new ones I really like it.
so good’, but I plugged it in and got I really like these a lot more.
lucky. We’ve used it on a couple of Yeah, like the hold-outs of some
recordings, too. It sounds totally ri#wkh#qrwhv#mxvw#nlqgd#Ľ}}oh#rxw#
glļhuhqw#wr#doo#wkh#rwkhu# weird, and that’s a bummer.
guitars, which is cool.” I still hear it with the IIIs.
Maybe there is something
GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR L#qhhg#wr#Ľ{#rq#lw/#Lġp#vxuh#wkhuh#
“This is... I wanna say a 2001. is! [Laughs] I mean, I love my
8 I use this on the song Futures, amp – I used an Orange 80 –
dqg#lw#lv#d#edfnxs#wr#wkh#VJ/#vr#li# but sound-wise, for the people
wkh#VJ#euhdnv#d#vwulqj#ru#zkdwhyhu1 mixing front of house and
Yeah, I replaced the tuners. I put everything else, I think you can
Juryhuv#rq#wkhvh1#L#wklqn#rqh#ri# control the sound much more
wkhp#fdph#rļ1#P|#rog#jxlwdu# on these. I’ll usually have
tech put these on there. I love it. wuhpror>#mxvw#wkh#edvlf#vwxļ1#
I like the P-90s. It just depends Tremolo, phaser, and a couple
on the song.” ri glļhuhqw ghod|v1Ĥ
“MY ’79 LES PAUL WAS SO HEAVY I GOT
A PINCHED NERVE IN MY NECK”
FE JANUARY 2017 TOTAL GUITARBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
TAL
Words Amit Sharma
Photography James Sharrock
Wilkenfeld
Australian musician Tal Wilkenfeld –
known for her work with Jeff Beck, Prince
and Herbie Hancock – sits down with TG
32
for a run through her new album and an
insight into her incredible journey so far...
t sounded like Transformation, she would go on to
fun!” laughs join the bands of virtuoso masters
Tal Wilkenfeld like Jeff Beck, Chick Corea and
on relocating Herbie Hancock, as well as
from Australia recording with Prince, Toto
to America for and Jackson Browne.
“Ia career in But it’s this year’s long-awaited
music at just 16 years old. “Every follow-up record Love Remains that
kid that age just wants to go and best captures Wilkenfeld’s musicality
explore and feel free. Well, maybe in full, dazzling glory – blending that
some don’t, but I certainly did...” keen ear for melody with her soulful
It’s a decision that ultimately paid voice in a collection of atmospheric
off. After switching from guitar to rock songs, ranging from the down-
bass while at the Los Angeles College tuned rumblings of Corner Painter to
For Music, she relocated to New York the ethereal echoes of Under The Sun.
and made a name for herself in its Having played both guitar and bass
ever-thriving jazz scene, leading to on the album, talking to TG inside
an invitation to jam with The the London headquarters of her
Allman Brothers at Manhattan’s new major label home, she gives
Beacon Theater. After recording us a closer look at the sounds
her instrumental fusion debut, and situations that got her here...
INTERVIEW
33
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
INTERVIEW
34
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
TAL WILKENFELD
Whendidyourealisethiswouldbe We heard your vintage 1950s
aheavieralbumcomparedtoyour Epiphone archtop was previously
debut,sharingmoreincommon owned by Ben Harper...
withrockluminarieslikeJimiHendrix “When I went in to record the song
andJeffBuckleythanthejazz OneThingAfterAnother, I couldn’t find
fusionworld? an acoustic that sounded right. So I went
“I started with rock’n’roll. That’s where to a guitar store and found a guitar that
it all began, listening to Jimi Hendrix at looked and sounded great. The store
the age of 14. When I moved to America knew me so I put my credit card to
two years later, I was persuaded to secure it and took it back with me.
investigate other kinds of music. I got It was exactly the right sound for the
a scholarship on guitar when I was 16, song. I actually returned it, because
switching to bass six months later. We I wasn’t sure if I was ready to buy it.
were encouraged to listen to jazz fusion A few weeks later I called back and
and things that would help improve they told me, ‘Oh no, we just sold it last
technique or how well you know your night!’ And then they explained it had
instrument. I got really heavily into it actually been given back to the owner,
because it’s interesting… Who doesn’t so I asked who and they told me Ben Full circle What kind of amps did you have in
want to get to know their instrument Harper. I know Ben so I sent him an While she is well the studio?
better and find easier communication email after a couple of days saying, known for playing “Funnily enough, I actually played
bass with Jeff Beck,
from brain to fingers to listener? Later, ‘Hey, so long story short, I found this Tal started out as a through guitar amps for most of the
I moved to New York and went on stage great guitar…’ I asked if there was any guitar player album. It was a Music Man and an
with The Allman Brothers, who despite way I could still buy the guitar and sent Ampeg guitar amp. My producer Paul
getting called blues or southern, to my him a link to the song. He wrote back Stacey [Oasis, Steven Wilson], whose
ears just play rock’n’roll. And with Jeff saying, ‘Shit! If you had told me 24 brother Jeremy played drums, kept
Beck, he’s so prolific he gets called hours ago it would have been yours, plugging us into all kinds of things until
a fusion musician, but he’s still I literally just sold it!’ He wasn’t sure we got a sound we liked, without any 35
a rockstar. I’ve played a lot of rock, with if there was any way out of that but he rules. I never went in thinking we had
the exception of Herbie Hancock and said he’d get back to me. And as the to use certain things in conjunction for
Chick Corea – those involved different weeks went by, I thought I’d lost it specific things. We just experimented
styles of music. Mainly, it’s been – then I got this email asking for my with everything that was there, so it
rock’n’roll with advanced musicians.” address because he was going to was a really fun process. It’s not even
send me the guitar!” necessarily what I’ll end up doing on
TheopeningtrackCornerPainter the next album, it will depend on
hasadown-tunedgrunginesstoit. Therearesomeotheraltered what kind of sound I’m going for
Whatexactlyarewehearing? tuningsthatgiveeachsongits at that moment in time…”
“On that I played a Yahama baritone in ownuniquefeel...
standard tuning, so with a low B. It was “OneThingAfterAnother is on the Ben What advice can you offer those who
one that Jackson Browne made for me. Harper Epiphone with a dropped-D and are hoping to switch more easily
He took the face off with the help of Bill a capo on the first fret. For HauntedLove, between guitar and bass?
Asher, one of the guys he works with in it’s my Sadowsky NYC5 bass tuned to “You choose a role when you choose an
LA, and they moved the bridge back EADGC with a capo on the third fret so instrument. The instrument doesn’t
with thicker strings. They were copying I could use open strings ringing through dictate the role, as much as other people
one of the baritone acoustics he has. the chords. I used an open C# tuning on might beg to differ. If you look at a band
I wanted this album to be like Jeff songs like Love Remains, Pieces Of Me and like The Who, Pete Townshend’s role
Buckley’s Grace – where one minute Under The Sun. Some of it was on this old Photo: Randy Holmes/Getty was more like a bass player, even
he’s singing the title track and it all J45 and one of Jackson’s Gibsons, this though he played guitar. It was him
feels really heavy, then he goes into CF-100 with a cutaway.” holding down the rhythm and the
Corpus Christi Carol or Hallelujah, which
melts your heart. The Beatles had such
versatile albums. The people I’ve
worked with, like Jeff Beck and Herbie “The Instrument doesn’t
Hancock, go all over the map. Paul
Simon explores all these kinds of styles dictate a role, as much
and sounds, he can go in so many
focus is always on the songwriting.” as people beg to differ”
different directions, even though his
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
INTERVIEW
Beck in black
“Jeff’s a singer, he just
sings through his guitar”
36 grooves, while their bassist was playing “Prince What’s the story? What are the chords
all over the place like a guitarist typically and rhythms that are going to support
would. Stereotypes are broken so much that story? If you go from the ground
that I don’t even see them now. I don’t cared about up, starting with the chords or rhythm,
really think about switching from guitar you’ve already locked yourself into
to bass or vice versa, it’s more about his music a≈different story. That’s a different
what mindset you’re choosing to be in. way of making music – I love using it
In terms of their differences... I really affecting too – but it creates a different results
don’t know the answer. Blake Mills that will be more groove-orientated or
played guitar on most of my album and set-in-stone. The melody will have less
on one song we switched with him on people” influence because of that. One thing
bass and me on guitar. That was what I like to do is let them influence each
was right for that song. Each human other all at once. The chords and
will approach the bass or guitar Lightnin’ Hopkins. Bob Weir (Grateful rhythm can influence the story but
different according to their own senses. Dead) told me that people would joke it’s a back-and-forth story until
We all hear different things in different around with Lightnin’ saying he was you land upon that place where it
registers. Whatever I hear on guitar going to play the 12-and-a-half bar feels cohesive, natural and true.”
might not work on bass, and in those blues. It’s not about staying in a box
cases I try something else. It’s more that somebody else has imposed on Oneofyourfirstbigbreakswaswith
person-to-person than instrument- you, it’s about the story you’re trying JeffBeck.Whatdoyouthinkisthe
to-instrument. There’s no limits to tell. I fit takes 12-and-a-half bars, secretbehindallthatfeel?
when you think like that.” then that’s how many bars this blues “He’s a singer! He just sings through
will have. You follow the melody. his guitar. Just listen to him playing
Therearesomereallyunusualchord I listen to all my favourite folk WhereWereYou... that was always my
changesinsomeofthemusic. songs and they do the same thing...” favourite song in the set. I would just
What’syourapproachwhenit stand there on the side of the stage
comestobreakingoutofkey? Which songs come to mind? with my jaw on the floor every time.
“I always let the melody dictate the “There’s one by Bob Dylan, It’s Alright They were all such fun songs to play.”
chords and the rhythm. I believe that’s Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) and every so often Similarly, not many people can say
why any unusual chord structures or
you hear a bar of five in there, just
Photo: Randy Holmes/Getty rhythms might sound more natural because he had a couple of extra words they’ve worked closely with Prince.
What was he like to be around?
to say. That’s why it works and doesn’t
and less odd – it all follows the melody.
“He was fun and mysterious. He liked
feel unnatural. I approach my music
I hear it when I listen back to all my
from the same place. What am I saying?
favourite old blues recordings, stuff like
to have long conversations about things,
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
TAL WILKENFELD
playing devil’s advocate a lot. He was
a huge music fan. The very first time
he called me, his first question was,
‘Do you like the drum rolls of Jack
DeJohnette?’ And I said, ‘Of course!’
to which he replied, ‘Great, we’re going
to be friends’. The time after that I went
to his house and we took a limo and
drove around listening to music.
He kept asking questions about what
I think about different artists; it was
nice. He genuinely cared about how
music could affect different people and
was always looking to grow. He was also
very fast in the studio, we recorded to
tape and moved very quickly. You might
get the chance to punch something but
you’d only get one shot at it before
moving onto the next thing. I liked
that. He wasn’t nitpicky.”
HerbieHancockandChick
Corea’sbands are n
for improvisation an
playing free to varyi
extents. How can
musicians get
better at thinking
onthespot?
“I think being able like Wayne Krantz Royalblood for instance, playing that nylon acoustic 37
to play what’s in your who was one of my TalandPrincefirst on Songs From A Room or Songs Of Love
head is important. favourites, he had bondedoverJack And Hate sounded so great. He was
DeJohnette's
Just sitting with your is whole mindset drumming incredible on those albums. It was the
instrument and heari ut not playing scales three year anniversary of his passing
something, then exec ing note-by-note. not that long ago. He was one of my
it. If you stumble to find where ou can dive deep into different biggest inspirations in life. Through
it is, then you learn – ultimately things, but eventually you learn it all him I learned it’s not about focusing
increasing your vocabulary and allowing so you can discard it and not even on the music, it’s about focusing in on
you to step into your own voice instead remember what you’re doing. That’s yourself. When you do that, you’ll
of somebody else’s. If you do loads of the place you want to get to. People find so much that you might
transcribing, you might just end up don’t just wake up and are able to talk want to express artistically.”
sounding like the person you’re through their instrument instantly.
transcribing. I’ve never really done that, Although some people can wake up In that sense, it’s easy to forget
I want to expand on what my voice is. and play anything without knowing about this incredibly personal and
Herbie’s actually the one who got me any of this information, like Jeff Beck. introspective side of creativity...
singing. There are no limits, you can He can play a D7 chord without “You have to look inside and think
go anywhere in his band. It takes knowing what one is. He doesn’t think why is this such a difficult situation to
a concentrated mind to play jazz. You he can count in odd-meters or do any understand or why you choose to go
need to know your theory and a fair few of that stuff, but he plays in odd-meters down certain harmonic roots. There are
standards to play with other musicians. and over complicated chord changes all so many psychological questions which
I went to New York to do it, because it the time. Not everyone needs to study, are directly about music but also inform
felt like the epicentre of the live jazz theory is just there for those who how you create. You have to ask why
scene. So get on a plane and go can’t initially hear it.” yourself why you want to be leading
there,≈if you want!” into that emotional space, what is
Whatadvicedoyouhavefor unresolved there? The questions are
Once you were there, did the theory guitaristshopingtogetbetter endless. The goal is to get to the place
side come naturally? atfingerstyleplaying? where your choices aren’t coming
“It’s not that much to learn, to be “I’ve always played with my fingers from a need within you, but rather a
honest. All you need is some scales and on bass, it’s ultimately the same thing. bigger picture result. I’m not doing this
modes, from the major to melodic or I would say a lot of the folk songwriters because I need it, I’m doing this because
harmonic minor. You can get so much would be great to learn from, with all the music wants to go there. I’m not
out of just the pentatonic scale alone. that pattern-orientated, chordal forcing it to go there. It’s the song
Then there are other kinds of players finger-picky stuff. Leonard Cohen, leading me, not me leading the song.”
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
SYLOSIS
Words
Amit Sharma
Sylosis are back! Singer/guitarist
Josh Middleton explains why
38
he felt the time was right...
t was a slow these self-imposed restrictions about what
realisation, I guess,” we could and could not be. So I basically
answers Josh told the guys I didn’t really want to
Middleton, when asked do it anymore.”
about the moment he As fate would have it, some of the music
realised Sylosis would heard on this year’s V?JA +B /SĮAPELC was
ghĽqlwho|#eh#pdnlqj# actually composed with a new project in mind
a return. In 2016, he – one free of the self-imposed restrictions
Iannounced the metal that were getting in the way. There was just
band he formed in Reading when he was just one problem: a lot of it sounded like Sylosis...
15 years old were going on hiatus, freeing up “I actually had the idea of starting a new
the time needed to join Architects initially as band and was already writing music from a
a live guitarist and, soon after, as a full-time fresh perspective, then I realised it wasn’t too
member. It was a move that – in the eyes glļhuhqw#wr#V|orvlv#Ğ#vr#L#fdph#edfn#urxqg#wr#
of many fans – left the future of his thinking it could work,” he laughs. “I guess
original group shrouded in uncertainty... I needed to think of it as a new band to realise
“What a lot of people don’t know is that I didn’t need to be worried about doing
I split the band at the end of our last tour in whatever I wanted. Just as I was beginning to
March 2016,” explains Middleton. “I was come round to the idea of re-starting Sylosis,
really unhappy in the band and felt I’d boxed after amassing all these songs, a new path
myself in, musically. It was like there were all opened up for me in Architects...”
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
Duality
“I always try and balance
out the shreddy stuff
with feel and melody”
39
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
SYLOSIS
After what happened with You’ve been playing massive Architects, I wanted to stick to that What gauges have you found
Sylosis in 2016, how did you arenas with Architects. What sound. One of the best comments work best for these lower
ensure you wouldn’t end up have you learned that you might zh#kdg#zlwk#wkh#Ľuvw#vlqjoh#iurp# tunings?
going down the same routes? not have been aware previously Holy Hell [Hereafter] was someone “The lowest I’ve tried is a 0.72 –
“It was less about my guitar about touring at that level? saying it sounded just like the last which is very thick, but doesn’t
playing or the instrumentation, “I really admire Sam [Carter] as album. I thought that was cool quite sound bright enough.
I guess, and more about stylistic a frontman. There are certain because I’d written that one! There’s a balance between string
things – what kind of music we things I’ve picked up from him, That was exactly the compliment tension and dullness, so I tend to
should play. Sylosis has had a very because he’s so good with crowds. I needed when I was trying to xvh#d#319;>#lwġv#wklfn#exw#vwloo#ľrsv#
strict, almost elitist viewpoint on We had done some arenas in make something that all over the place. As much as
metal. I wanted to break all the Sylosis, supporting bands like sounded like Architects. I love digging in and playing
rules and stop worrying about Megadeth – obviously not “Sylosis has always been aggressively, if you play too hard
things sounding too much like headlining – and it’s all about in E standard up to this point, you might go sharp. It took a while
whatever, and just enjoy what what translates onto those big though the new album is in to get used to a lower string that
I’m playing. Sylosis will always stages. I will always love playing D standard, which is still was a huge leap from the tuning of
have technical elements to it, and fast music, but maybe going a relatively high tuning for the other strings, unlike seven-
our comeback single I Sever is just 220bpm in an arena can sound metal. Architects is the total strings or eight-strings that are
as technical as we’ve ever been. a bit wishy-washy after a while. opposite, there are songs in G# pruh#uhodwlyh1#L#irxqg#zulwlqj#ulļv#
Some parts very tricky to play Some songs seem to suit certain or F#. The tuning is generally C# in this tuning was quite
while doing vocals, with these environments I guess. The goal standard, which isn’t that low, refreshing, to be
weird rhythms that are hard to has always been to put on the but we tune the lower string honest.
sing over. I ended up chipping best show possible... I guess down like Mastodon or Neurosis
away at the album over the years, touring in Architects has been do – with low-octave power
leaving enough time to understand d#orw#pruh#frpiruwdeoh$Ĥ chords. The main thing to get
how I felt about Sylosis and used to was playing really thick
whether I wanted to continue What would you say are strings, which are still nowhere
with it. The answer was yes! I love the main differences in your near as tight when you play in
playing these songs, and then it all approaches for each band? standard. So I think the tunings
worked out schedule-wise with “Stylistically, the bands are duh#wkh#pdlq#glļhuhqfh#dqg#
40 Dufklwhfwv#wdnlqj#vrph#wlph#rļ1Ĥ yhu|#glļhuhqw1#Zkhq#L#mrlqhg# L#uhdoo|#qrwlfh#wkdw#lq#krz#L#slfn1Ĥ
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
I think guitarists get stuck in ruts satisfying. People’s ears are drawn It’s interesting how the riffs like I know where all the notes are.
just staring at the fretboard and to big intervallic leaps – that’s why go from very technical to the I view the piano a bit more blindly,
knowing what frets to use for sweep-picking, string-skipping or simplicity of one fast chug; that I just put my hands around and
glļhuhqw#nlqgv#ri#ulļv#lq# fast pentatonics can sound faster. kind of switch is very powerful... play about until certain melodies
glļhuhqw#nh|v1#Li#|rx#nqrz# \rxġuh#vnlsslqj#ryhu#d#orw#ri#qrwhv/# “That’s a perfect example of what perk my ears up. I’m always
modes and scales, you kinda which can make it feel like you’re I wouldn’t have allowed myself to looking for a good chorus or epic
see the same shapes. But when covering more ground quicker. do three or so years ago. I would middle-eight, and I tend to work
you have this weird tuning, So I guess Zakk isn’t an obvious have been worried it’s too simple edfnzdugv#iurp#wkhuh/#dgglqj#ulļv#
lw#irufhv#|rx#wr#zulwh#ulļv#lq# lqľxhqfh/#exw#L#gr#olnh#wkrvh# and not technical enough, so in later. So the chorus of Shield
glļhuhqw#zd|v1#\rx#fdqġw#uho|# elj#shqwdwrqlf#vwuhwfkhv1Ĥ therefore too meathead and actually came to me on piano, and
on things like power chords beneath this band. I just want then I wrote the song on guitar.
because you might not be For some of the slower, hooky our music to be powerful, Zulwlqj#rq#glļhuhqw#lqvwuxphqwv#
deoh#wr#sod|#wkhp1Ĥ parts near the end of the solo, whether that’s through emotion breaks you out of your comfort
you harmonise to make more and melody or pure heaviness. }rqh1#\rx#pljkw#hyhq#frph#xs#
Your solo in I Sever opens with of a statement... Sometimes, you might just with the same chord progressions,
some wide pentatonic legato “I always try to balance out the need to chug on one note! but the fresh perspective can make
stretches that are almost vkuhgg|#vwxļ#zlwk#ihho#dqg# lw#ihho#qhz#dqg#h{flwlqj1Ĥ
a bit Zakk Wylde... melody, something memorable Shield uses arpeggiated chords
“I agree! I really like Zakk Wylde to stick in there. When you to colour in some of the lower- Arms Like A Noose has a very
as a player, but I don’t really tend double-up things, harmonising end riffs. How do you write discordant acoustic intro.
to play that style myself. It’s weird, an octave lower or higher can those parts? Is that something you might
I like a lot of bluesy guitar players really emphasise the notes – “One thing that works for me, have picked up from listening
though I don’t really like blues it’s a great tool for hammering hvshfldoo|#zlwk#phorglf#vwxļ# to artists like Opeth and
music. I love David Gilmour, he’s a particular melody home and like Shield, is to write on a piano. Devin Townsend?
incredibly bluesy. Same with Zakk, focussing on key points in your We have one at my parent’s house “Those are both artists who
there are a lot of bluesy licks in solo. It depends what the song and whenever I’m round there, kdyh#lqľxhqfhg#ph/#iru#vxuh1#
a shreddy way, which you calls for... I Sever is quite I always have to sit down. It’s so When I really got into writing key
zrxogqġw#uhdoo|#Ľqg#lq#p|#sod|lqj1# intense but also moody and refreshing to play because I never changes, I was listening to Dimmu
That said, there are some big epic, so I wanted my solo to uhdoo|#kdg#ohvvrqv1#Lwġv#glļhuhqw#wr# Borgir. A lot of black metal is just
pentatonic leaps that feel really wudqvlwlrq#lqwr#wkdw#dv#zhoo1Ĥ the fretboard for me, where I feel moving a minor chord around, 41
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
SYLOSIS
it’s not like traditional Western OD-808 boost in front tightening profiles of everything I do and track. Since 2005, I’ve always
chord progressions, instead you’re the low-end, that was about it. use that live for both bands. used guitars for ambience, so
changing key with every chord. I don’t push the drive or boost That combination of heads, cabs long delay trails and mushy
It can be very dark-sounding. with high-gain amps, I keep the and speakers always brings a clear nine-second reverbs are
Opeth are great at that, even on an volume at noon, the drive nearly mid-range no matter what you definitely fun to play with.
acoustic guitar, those movements off and tone at 11 o’ clock. So it’s dial on the amp.” I like that almost choral echo.”
can be really cinematic and more for tightening and filtering
moody. There’s no real approach before the signal hits the amp.” Whatkindofambienteffects Finally, you have a new member
for that stuff with me, I just blindly doyou useforleadsor in bassist Conor Marshall – who
move around minor shapes, Isyour6505+stillthemain backgroundnoises? also plays in Conjurer. What was
occasionally sticking in a major profileontheKemper “I’m not a big pedal guy, but I love it that made him a good fit?
somewhere. Then I have to youuselive? delay on my leads. It’s probably “I love Conjurer. They’ve been on
make sure every note on top “At home I have a handful of quite common but I’m a fan of the my radar for quite a while and I’d
of that chord is in key, but heads – a 6505, 6505+ and a block Strymon BigSky. There’s a setting say they are definitely one of the
then the key will change...” letter 5150 – and they do sound on there called Cloud that has this best emerging British metal bands
different enough. I switch between incredibly unique type of reverb. in recent years. They have a lot of
Similarly,Abandonincorporates them a lot but it will always be one One thing I’ve always done is use influences I like – you can hear
somemoreunusual of those amps. I make Kemper ambient guitars layered up in the a lot of Mastodon and Neurosis
atmospherics... background. It probably comes vibes in there but it’s still quite
“It goes a bit 70s prog in the from listening to Dimmu Borgir, fast and energetic, which I like.
middle-eight, influenced by bands I liked the ambience but I didn’t As much as I love all the doomy
like Rush, Genesis and even Kate want to have keyboards. There was stuff, I’m a big fan of that intensity
Bush, thanks to the 80s-esque a band called Misery Signals whose and obvious aggression. I reached
synths, plus there’s a chilled, first album was produced by out to Conor because he looks
Gilmour-y guitar solo. It always Devin Townsend. great and runs around on stage
feels like a vibe-killer sticking He added a load of which helps me being behind
something like that in the middle, ambient stuff on there, a mic. Funnily enough, we’ve
so that’s why songs like that particularly on the first only met a handful of times...”
usually end up last. Something big, INTO
42 slower and epic can take the sting THE PIT
out of an album if not put in the PRACTICE UNPLUGGED AS WELL
AS WITH DISTORTION
right place. Though it’s not really Josh gives us his “That’s a big one for me. When the
what we’re known for, our fans tips for ultra distortion is on, there can be all these
should be used to the more tech-metal unwanted string noises and scrapes that
down-tempo tracks by now. tightness… you might not be aware of. I think people
It’s probably my favourite song out need to practice in two different ways –
withanamp,usingalotofgain,butalso
of everything I’ve written, actually. withatotallycleansoundornotplugged
It felt very powerful to me.” inatall.Ifitsoundscleanunplugged,
hopefullyitwillsoundcleandistorted…
What was the main gear you Butyou have to be used to playing
DON’TPUTTHEGUITARDOWN
distorted so you’re muting your strings
used on the album? “Justalwayshaveaguitaronyou. properly and not getting unwanted noise!”
“It’s pretty much the same for Aslongasyoudon’tannoyyourpartner
Architects – my sound doesn’t orfamily,youcansittherehammering
differ much between the bands, outscaleswatchingTV.Youdon’teven
needtohearit,yougetyourfingers
even though there’s the tuning usedtowhateverexerciseorlickitis.
difference. I recorded this album Itwillalwaysgoin,evenifyou’renot
with an ESP Horizon, with the reallyconsciouslypractisingand
Fishman Fluence Moderns, going stuckintosomemovieorTVshow.”
into a dual-channel Peavey 6505+
though on the rhythm instead of
lead. There’s so much mid-range PRACTICESLOWLYANDSTEADILY
on the green channel, that I kept “Alotofguitarplayerswanttoskipas many
the mids around one. It’s not stepsaspossibleandplayPaulGilbertlicks just
scooped, even with the mids off it KEEPANEYEONTHEANGLE likeheplaysthem.Butshreddingthrough things
OFYOURWRIST
quicklikethatmightmeanyou’renotthat tight
comes through really clear. That “ThemainthingformewaslearningBattery orclean.Whatalotofpeoplehatedoingis
went into an oversized Mesa/ byMetallicaandplayingitoverandoveragain, practisingreallyslowly,butthat’sactuallyhow
Boogie cab with 2005 Vintage 30s alldaylong.IrememberwhenIcouldn’tdo Ispendmostofmypracticetime.It’sall really
in – I’ve gotten really nerdy about that–anditwassofrustrating.Irealisedalot boringslowspeedsandpickingeverynote
ofitcamedowntoyourwristangle.Ifyou
ages of speakers. There was a holdyourwristoutstraight,withyourpinky assertively.Ikeepgoingroundandroundagain,
Idon’ttrytospeeditup.Ifeellikeifit’sclean
period where V30s where sounding atthreeo’clock,thentwistthepinkydownto andtightslow,youwillgettowhereyouwant
incredible in Mesa cabs, between halffour–that’smystartingpointforpicking. tobe–itwon’ttakethatmuchlonger but
2000 and 2005. I mic up with an WheneverI’vetaughtotherguitaristswho you’llbebetter for it.”
SM57 and, apart from the Maxon havebeenstrugglingwithpicking,I’ve
noticedtheirpivotpointsweredifferent.”
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
hail to the king
Even at 68 yearsold,The
King of Slydecoshowsno
signs of slowingdown
44
Photo: Greg Miles
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
INTERVIEW
Re egade
Words Henry Yates
Master
BENEATHSONNYLANDRETH’SBOOKISHEXTERIOR
BEATSTHEHEARTOFARULE-BREAKINGMAVERICK.
THESOUTH’SGREATESTSLIDEMANTOLDUSABOUT
THETHRILLOFIMPROVISATION,HISBATTLEWITH 45
TENDONITIS AND HIS ‘THREE-DAY LIMIT’...
L ook elsewhere for your industry-standard rock a Leslie speaker on Many Worlds.
hellraisers. Sonny Landreth ticks precisely none
of those boxes: no ego, no attitude, no Harley,
no whisky – and definitely no tattoos. “I don’t
I improvised those parts, and the
like needles, man,” drawls the 68-year-old.
“I’m not having someone sticking that stuff on
solo, and I played the Leslie guitar
me. Plus, I sorta change my mind about things.
So a bunch of tattoos – it’s not for me.”
‘cosmic dust’ that happens when
you hit the switch and it starts to
Yet beneath that bookish exterior – imagine
slow down. I also used a Dm7
a nuclear physicist spliced with Frasier’s Niles Crane – Landreth is live using a footswitch: I love the
more renegade than any rock pig. Born in 1951, schooled in the lineup tuning for SomebodyGottaMake
of Zydeco king Clifton Chenier and closely tied to his native Louisiana AMove [low to high DADFCD].
scene, his solo catalogue has pushed the art of slide guitar where Though I’ve experimented and
others fear to swoop. Now, with experimental tunings, leftfield used minor and seventh tunings
gear – and one song on which he goes entirely slide-less – before, this one is a bit different
Blacktop Run might be Landreth’s most daring album yet. – it offers a lot of interesting
harmonic possibilities, overtones
Areyoupleasedwithhow Isitimportanttopushyour and plenty of atmosphere.”
BlacktopRuncameout? guitarworkforward?
“I’m real happy with it, man. “It is, because the minute I get Muchofthisalbumwas
I feel like a lot of things converged in bored, then I haven’t done the improvised.Thattakes
a cool way. When you make a record, listener justice. Once I feel good balls,doesn’tit?
there are so many variables, and any about my core sound, I like to veer “It can be akin to a high-wire act
one can put you on a detour. You off, go on the hunt. It could be without a net. But you have to be
might be happy with your playing, a new technique, a colour, a sound. willing to take chances. If you don’t,
but sonically it isn’t happening. I brought my old producer back, RS it’s like the old Shakespeare quote
It’s frustrating when something’s Field, and he’d come up with cool – ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.
not quite there. On this one, I was ideas like playing a backwards slide I remember, when I started out,
happy with everything.” part or running the guitar through I was damn scared – if not terrified
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
SONNY LANDRETH
– about playing in front of people.
Mostly, my thing has always been
about preparation. But I still feel like
improvisation is the highest goal in
music. There’s nothing else like it.
And once you get a taste of succeeding
at it, you don’t want that to go away.
So you gotta be willing to fall down
and get back up. And that can happen
within the same song, the same solo.
The great trumpet player, Clifford
Brown, would literally say there are
no wrong notes. He would hit a clam,
then he’d propel from that, he’d
bounce and just go into the
stratosphere, and make people
go, ‘Holy shit, what was that?’”
Howdoyoupreparefor
astudioalbum?
“For me, I have to keep playing. I love
coming off a run of live dates and going
right into the studio, because you have
an edge and a head of steam. Playing at
home is super-important, but it’s still
nothing like playing a gig. Live, it’s
all happening, it’s all on the line,
something in your brain just clicks.
It’s about being able to keep that feeling
46 inside me, and the biggest challenge is “The guitar is still
keeping that edge. I’ve noticed, it lasts
about three days. That seems to be my
statute of limitations. It’s like, from a powerful tool – You
that point on, you’re on your own, kid
[laughs]. So for Blacktop Run, we went can change the world...”
from the road to the studio, several
times. Hopefully just knock one over
the fence, keep going like that.” That’s on TheWildsOfWonder, through above the core lead sound in particular. The
the Dumble Overdrive Special.” “Theminuteyou first pedal is the Demeter Fuzzulator,
Whatwasthekeygearon startthinking you’ve and I actually use that for a boost, so
perfected something,
BlacktopRun? You’vealwayslikedleftfieldgear you’re presupposing most of the time it’s off. From there,
“Well, I’m kinda funny about guitars. –anyrecentdiscoveries? there’s an end to it goes to the Hermida Mosferatu.
Sometimes it’s whatever is closest to “Well, I also used a Komet 60 – are creativity” That’s a MOSFET design, and I’ve never
me – I’ll just grab that guitar and start you hip to them? Oh man, they’re heard any other drive pedal as smooth
working. I have the two prototype Strats awesome. They’re just an hour from and dynamic – it’s like the perfect
that I worked on with Fender [featuring where I live, in Baton Rouge. Some cats, midrange amp in a little box. Then it
DiMarzio Fast Track DP181 and Lindy they deserve the recognition. These goes to an Analogman Compressor,
Fralin Vintage Hot singlecoils]. I have guys are good friends of mine, they’ve into the Voodoo Lab Giggity: that’s like
a couple of vintage Strats – for Groovy been around a long time, but they’re a mastering EQ pedal, and it’s great for
Goddess, I was using a ’66 with the coming into their own. The Komet 60 fattening up singlecoils. On Groovy
Fulltone ’69 fuzz, into the Demeter is just way overbuilt – it’s all hand-built, Goddess, it’s the Fulltone ’70 fuzz.”
TGA3 and a 4x12 Bandmaster cab the best components, and it’s more of
with Vintage 30s. I have one of Larry a pure [ethos]: just plug in the amp, Lover Dance With Me doesn’t feature
Pogreba’s custom resonators: he’s an no channel switching, very touch- your trademark slide at all…
eccentric cat, lives in Montana, off the sensitive. You get the sound from the “No. I’d written a whole batch of songs
grid. It’s got a blue aluminium body power section doing its thing and the that weren’t slide songs – they were just
with an Oldsmobile hubcap. It’s really power tubes heating up. I like to shed regular old flatpicking or fingerpicking.
a little light onto cats like that.”
What got me back into that was the 30th
live-sounding, has a lot of air about it.
Photos: Greg Miles / RobleyDupleix That aluminium just has a whole You call your pedalboard ‘the anniversary reunion with [former
different effect to steel and brass. I’ve
bandleader] John Hiatt last year. I had to
runway’. How’s it looking?
do a lot of woodshedding to get back in
done a ton of work with my ’69 Martin
D-28, which has just got richer and
shape. I hadn’t played without a slide in
“It’s been through a lot of changes, but
more complex. Then I use a ’60 Les Paul.
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020 some pedals have stayed the same, for 13 years. I just wish I could keep both
INTERVIEW
[techniques] up at the same time. But I had to quit smoking pot a long
Regular playing is real taxing on my time ago. Marijuana smoke is hotter
left hand in a completely different way, than tobacco, according to the experts
because of my tendonitis, in particular – and I was struggling as it was, just to
the index finger.” sing in tune and hold it together.”
Howdoyouthinktendonitismight Do you think you can ever actually
affectyourplayinglong-term? master the slide guitar?
“A long time ago, I realised I’d have to “Oh man, I think the minute you start
start doing maintenance to offset the thinking you’ve perfected something,
repetitive motion syndrome. When then you’re presupposing there’s an
you’re doing anything over and over end to creativity, and I just don’t believe
again – whether that’s playing guitar that. That’s a core belief for me. There’s
or sitting at a keyboard – you’re prone always more. The guitar just seems to
to injury, eventually. When you’re keep going, and I think the reason is
young, you don’t think about it because the personal connection. Physically, if
you feel so damn good. But it does catch you’re holding this instrument close, it
up with you. I have ‘trigger fingers’, flips these switches inside you and that
as they call them; three on my right comes through in the music. Even with
hand and three on my left. three chords, you can change the world.
“But about five years ago, I was The guitar is still such a powerful tool.
working with Jimmy Buffett, and he’d Just the versatility and the enormous
found this incredible sports medicine palette of colours, sounds, genres – it
doctor. He has this technique where, just crosses all of that. And for me, slide
essentially, he goes through the tendon guitar in particular, I think has a lot
with a metal bar and breaks up the more potential to cross those lines.
calcification using a cold laser. Then That’s when it gets really creative.”
the doctor showed me these isometric
stretches and strengthening exercises, You don’t seem like a 68-year-old.
where you put your fingers in a rubber “I ONCE PLAYED What’s the secret to staying young? 47
band and press them outwards. And, “If I find out, my friend, I’ll let you
man, it was night and day. But if you SLIDE WITH know. I look pretty good on the outside.
don’t stay on top of the maintenance, On the inside, it’s another world. I feel
it gets very painful. Then there’s the MOTORCYCLE the bumps a lot more than I used to.
swelling. And what’s really bad is the But I still love playing. There’s
contraction – that’s when the tendons HANDLEBARS!” nothing like it, man…”
to your fingers start pulling inward,
as if you’re going to grip a ball.” Sonny on the weirdest thing Blacktop Run is released February
he’s ever had on his finger. 21st on Provogue/Mascot.
Doesiteverfeelnormaltocount
EricClaptonasafriend?
“[Laughs] I’ve had to pinch myself on ave you heard of David Tronzo, man?
occasion. Never more so than the first You should look up some of his YouTube
time he sat in with us. All of a sudden, videos – he comes up with some pretty
he just cuts loose – and it almost blew “H wild shit. I haven’t done anything that
me over. It just really hit me, like, ‘Oh, wild, like playing slide with a shotgun barrel. But I did
once use motorcycle handlebars. When I was sixteen,
my God, that’s Eric Clapton, just tearin’ my friend’s family owned a Triumph and Harley-Davidson
it up’. The cat that inspired me so shop. I don’t remember how, but I bought these
much as a kid, y’know?” handlebars, got a hacksaw – then I had a lifetime’s
supply of slides.
Drinkanddrugswouldn’tbe “What’s funny is, I still have that slide, and when we
compatiblewiththewayyou started doing the acoustic set, about four years ago,
play,wouldthey? I was having a hard time getting the notes to punch
“Nah, man, I figured that out when out. So I went back and started trying metal, got the
I was 17 years old, playing the local old handlebar out – and that’s what I’ve been using
bars. We recorded the show one night: since. I sanded it as best I could, but never got it
smooth, so it’s funky, a little jagged on the edges.
I thought I was achieving nirvana, but But because of the weight and the metal, I could get
then I listened back the next day, and a more substantial sound, especially with a resonator.
just went, ‘Oh my God, what shit was The cool thing with slide is, every single solitary thing
that?’ The other thing is, I’ve really I’ve ever used – wood, glass, metal, ceramic, Pyrex,
had to work at singing. I’m not a great you name it – they all sorta have their own sound.
singer. I have my voice, and as long as You can really get creative…”
I’m in shape, I can do my best with it.
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
COVER FEATURE
GUITARS & BACKING WORDS
2020
CHARLIE GRIFFITHS, CHRIS BIRD
CHARLIE GRIFFITHS
GUITAR
WORKOUT
48
New Year, new you? How about New Year,
new groove! If one of your resolutions is to
improve your playing, you’re in luck – TG’s
new workout plan is here to help!
khwkhu#lwġv#Ľqjhuslfnlqj#ru#vzhhs#slfnlqj/#iuhwwlqj#irfxv#ru#
vwuxpplqj#vwdplqd/#zhġg#doo#olnh#wr#eh#d#elw#pruh#
frqvlvwhqw#dqg#frqĽghqw#zlwk#rxu#sod|lqj/#uljkwB#Vr/#dv#zh#
hqwhu#wkh#qhz#ghfdgh/#zkdw#ehwwhu#wlph#wkdq#qrz#wr#zrun#
rq#vrph#ri#wkh#hyhu|gd|#whfkqltxhv#xv#jxlwdu#sod|huv#wu|#
Wwr#vwd|#rq#wrs#ri#dv#zh#zrun#wrzdugv#pdvwhulqj#wklv#Ľqh#
lqvwuxphqwB#Iru#pdq|#ri#|rx/#d#qxpehu#ri#wkhvh#ohvvrqv#zloo#eh#zhoo0wurgghq#
jurxqg/#exw#vrphwlphv#uhylvlwlqj#hyhq#wkh#vlpsohvw#ri#h{huflvhv#khosv#xv#qrwlfh#
vkruwfxwv#dqg#lqfrqvlvwhqfhv#lq#rxu#sod|lqj#wkdw#fdq#eh#lpsuryhg1#Iroorz#hdfk#
ohvvrq#vorzo|/#h{dpsoh#e|#h{dpsoh/#dqg#vhh#li#|rx#qrwlfh#d#glļhuhqfh#ryhu#wlph1
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
2020 WORKOUT
49
FEBRUARY 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
COVER FEATURE
01 CHORD CHANGE CHALLENGE…
Start your workout with some essential chord changes
ay ‘open chords’ and most guitarists Well, we’d argue that you can. With so many Wkhuhġv#qr#Ġrqh#vl}h#Ľwv#dooġ#phwkrg/#exw#wkhvh#
will quickly identify the easiest shapes zd|v#wr#sod|#rxu#idyrxulwh#lqvwuxphqw/#glļhuhqw# three exercises will get you started. Try out the
– C, A, G and so on. Does that mean you styles, techniques and so on, even the simplest hdvlhu#Ľuvw#dqg#vhfrqg#wde#h{dpsohv#ehiruh#
S can’t improve this area of your playing? changes can throw up a challenge here. exloglqj#xs#wr#wkh#Ľqdo#fkdoohqjh1#
LEVEL 1 FOLK-EMON TRACK 10
q=80
C G 7
Play 4 times
. . . .
T . 0 1 1 0 1 0 .
. 0 2 0 0 0 0 .
B 3 2 2
3 3
Think this folk style C-G7 chord change is easy? Try fretting one or both
shapes with your second, third and fourth fingers – it’s a challenge that
will help you improve your dexterity.
LEVEL 2 BEATLE JUICE TRACK 11
q=100
C 7 G 7
Play 4 times
50 . . . .
T . 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 .
. 3 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 .
B 3 3 2 2
anyone can play guitar 3 3
Practise moving between
chord shapes to help your The challenge here is keeping your guitar quiet in the gaps. It’s harder than
fingers learn their place it sounds because the open strings tend to ring. Rest your strumming hand
on the strings after each stab.
60-90 BPM 90-120 BPM 120-150 BPM
CHALLENGE! Steady As You Go Chopping and Changing Shape Shifter
This is a chord change exercise, so
If the rhythm’s too tough, simplify
150 bpm not a problem? Rewrite
STRUM slowly practise the chord your strumming so you can focus the exercise and include a few
on the chord changes.
finger-twister chords.
changes, er, obviously!
TIME!
Here in this rapid rhythm you have to play the chords in quick succession while fretting every note as cleanly as you can. With the
exception of the C to D7 change, which share a first finger C note on the second string, each chord requires a brand new fingering
each time. Practise slowly to identify any fluffed notes.
q=120
G Csus 2 C D 7 Csus 2 B b7 G D G C G
Play 4 times
#
. . . .
b
T . 3 3 0 3 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 2 2 0 3 3 0 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 3 0 .
0
3 3 3
1
1
0
1 1 1
0 0 0
0
1
0
0 0 1
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 0 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .
0 0 2
0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0
0
0 0 0
2
0
0
0
3
0
B 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
TOTAL GUITAR FEBRUARY 2020
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Total Guitar Magazine
From beginner to expert, first chord to rock god, Total Guitar is the must-have magazine for all guitar
lovers! Each issue is packed with lesson guides, expertly written tabs of some of your favourite songs, tips
for improving your playing technique and advice from some of the world’s best players. No matter what level
you’re at, Total Guitar magazine will help you improve your technique and master the guitar.
Each issue has the hottest reviews of all the newest guitars, effects pedals, pickups, amps and audio
accessories - everything you’ll need on your journey to becoming a guitar legend. You’ll also find exclusive
interviews and in-depth articles about some of the world’s most iconic guitarists.
In This Issue
FEATURES
- Rig Tour: Jimmy Eat World
- Tal Wilkenfeld
- Sylosis
- Sonny Landreth
- 2020 Guitar Workout
LEARN TO PLAY
- Classic Track: Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows.
- Rockschool: Steve Vai – Die to Live
- Jam Track: 80s Rock
- The Turnaround: Duane Allman
HOW TO
Riff Of The Month: Alter Bridge
– Wouldn’t You Rather
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