How To Read Guitar Tabs


Despite how much jazz and theater guitarists don’t like it, most players don’t know how to read standard music notation. Instead of learning by reading dots on a page, they end up relying on their ears and eyes, which has served many guitarists well. This isn’t another argument for or against standard notation (you can read about that here). Thing is, tablature is a fact of life for all guitarists in this modern world, and just like notes, chords, notation and technique, it is an important part of learning how to play this crazy instrument.
This article will explain how to read common guitar tablature, and explain symbols you might come across. This is written for the beginning guitarist, or for an advanced one who has never bothered to learn this notes-on-a-page thing. Continue reading “How To Read Guitar Tabs”

The Smashing Pumpkins’ Jeff Schroeder

Jeff playing his Antiquity loaded Strat (photo by Tom Dellinger (tmdellinger.com)

Jeff Schroeder has been a member of the Smashing Pumpkins since replacing longtime guitarist James Iha in 2007. Prior to that he one of the founding members of the Lassie Foundation, who’ve released four albums and six EPs. He’s also been involved in a side project called The Beat Concerto.
Jeff is using three main guitars with the Pumpkins -a Jackson King V, a Les Paul and a Fender Strat. One thing they all have in common is, of course, Seymour Duncan pickups. I had a chance to ask Jeff a few questions about the Pumpkins gig, and which Duncan pickups he was using – some in interesting applications – and why. Continue reading “The Smashing Pumpkins’ Jeff Schroeder”

Let There Be Bass!

A while back I started getting tired of asking to borrow friend’s basses to record demos with. I’m sure they got tired of me asking, too. It made sense, given the fact that I was recording more, that a bass would be a good investment to have around the house. I originally set out to find an adequate used bass to fill the job, but that didn’t seem to be possible with the price range I wanted to stay within. Anything I found was either too expensive, didn’t have the right pickup combo, or would need extensive, expensive hardware changes. Once again, building seemed to be the best option. Hey, it’s worked for all my guitars, why not for a bass, right? There was only a slight chance it could go horribly, horribly wrong. I had a pretty general idea what I wanted: A Precision Bass body with a P/J pickup configuration. Beyond that hadn’t given it a ton of thought. I knew I didn’t want my first foray into bass building to include more than four strings. I’m not really tuning lower than C# at the moment anyway. So a standard P/J configured body it was.

Continue reading “Let There Be Bass!”

Listen To The New Avenged Sevenfold Album Now!

The new Avenged Sevenfold album, Hail To The King, is available for streaming in its entirety right now on iTunes. Wanna hear it? Go right here! The Mike Elizondo-produced album will be released on August 27.

Synyster Gates has his own signature Seymour Duncan pickup model, the SH-8SG and TB-8SG, while Zacky Vengeance uses the SH-4 JB Model.

“We have been waiting to show you all our brand new album, Hail To The King, for far too long,” vocalist M. Shadows says. “It took us nine months of writing, recording and preparation so that we could put out an album we are all proud of from start to finish. Continue reading “Listen To The New Avenged Sevenfold Album Now!”

Blues and the Harmonic Minor Scale


The blues has been slowly disappearing as an element of modern rock and metal for over two decades. This doesn’t mean we can’t learn from ‘old guys’ and the simplicity of playing fewer notes with feeling and the right tone. Now the harmonic minor scale has been associated with guitarists like Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen, who no doubt possess some great bluesy phrasing, but are pretty different from the blues guitarists that influenced them. Continue reading “Blues and the Harmonic Minor Scale”

Jump Starting Creativity In, Um… Creative Ways


We’ve all been there. Staring at a blank piece of paper. Or at a guitar sitting on the stand. We know we should be trying to write something but everything we come up with is either stupid, terrible, or sounds like a million other things out there. This article will cover some ways I deal with ‘blank page syndrome’ and will showcase a few tips that I have come across as a composer. Continue reading “Jump Starting Creativity In, Um… Creative Ways”

Retrofit Pickups – Transforming Your Guitar

There are so many guitars out there, it’s hard to keep track of it all. Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, SGs, Vs, and just as many cross breeds. All unique guitars with a unique look and unique voice. But what if you want to have the look of one but the tone of another? Sure you can try to have a guitar build with the look of one but specifications of the other, but if that’s not something you’re willing to do because it might be too expensive or too much of a hassle, what can you do? To cater the needs of players who want wildly different tones of their guitars, Seymour Duncan offers some pickups that enable players to have a guitar that looks and plays like one model, but sounds like the other.
Continue reading “Retrofit Pickups – Transforming Your Guitar”

The Ultra Mega Sweep Lick Of Doom

Okay, today I’m going to give you a little freebie: my Ultra Mega Lick Of Doom. This started out as a melody I was working on for a song I never got around to finishing. Frankly, as a melody it kinda sounded a bit boring. But I soon realised that a) whenever I practiced it, it greatly improved the whole of my playing and b) whenever I did it as an exercise during a line-check immediately before a set with my old band The Upperhand, the fellow guitar geeks checking out my pedals from the front row used to freak the @&$# out. FREAK THE @&$# OUT. And hey, even though the melody itself isn’t particularly innovative, it can sound kinda cool as a little link from one ‘real’ melody to another.
So what’s going on in this monster lick? Check out the tab in Figure 1, then meet me back here in a minute. Continue reading “The Ultra Mega Sweep Lick Of Doom”

Amos Heller On Being A Professional Musician

Amos Heller is a gentleman who’s “paid his dues.” Starting in the classical world on upright bass, making the jump to electric, moving to Nashville and playing for Josh Gracin, Mindy MacCready and currently Taylor Swift, he brings a love and appreciation for the bass as well as the entire craft of a musician. Always looking to stay busy, we caught up with him and asked him a couple of questions. Continue reading “Amos Heller On Being A Professional Musician”

Hear The New Trivium Song Now!

Right now Trivium are streaming their new song, “Brave This Storm,” from their forthcoming Roadrunner album Vengeance Falls, and they’re also making the song available for download via their website. Or you can listen to it in the widget below.
Set for release in October, Vengeance Falls is produced by Disturbed/Device’s David Draiman, and it of course features lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu and his signature model Jacksons. Available in 6-string and 7-string models, Corey’s Jacksons feature Seymour Duncan active Blackouts humbuckers. Available Blackouts versions include the original Blackouts AHB-1, Blackouts Metal AHB-2 and Blackouts AHB-3 Mick Thomson EMTY. Check out the full range here for 6, 7 and 8-string. Continue reading “Hear The New Trivium Song Now!”

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