Calling all guitarists – Sky Arts presents ‘Guitar Star’

Pick up a plectrum and crank the volume up to eleven – Sky Arts have launched ​Guitar Star, a major new competition to search for a world-class guitarist.

Sky Arts are searching the UK and Ireland for extraordinary guitar players who are willing to jam, strum and pluck their way to victory for the chance to perform on the main stage of major UK music festival, Latitude!

Whether their jam is rock, classical, jazz or acoustic, competing guitarists will be tested on their ability to play both in a range of musical styles and a genre of their choice, and will perform at famous venues associated with their chosen style.

Throughout the process, they’ll meet and be mentored by some of the biggest guitar stars in the world. The semi-finalists will hone their act in a recording studio, where they will work with a global guitar legend to perfect their sound.

All of this will be taking place under the watchful eye of top DJ Edith Bowman, who added “The guitar is the most loved and most played instrument in the UK and I just know there are some fantastic unknown players out there… I can’t wait to get stuck in to celebrating the wonders of the guitar across rock, jazz, folk, classical and beyond!”

Find out more here.

Watch Sky Arts on YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/SkyArtsOfficial
Like Sky Arts on Facebook: https://facebook.com/SkyArtsHD
Follow Sky Arts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkyArts

Fender Celebrates 60 Years of the Stratocaster [Video]

Fender has created a brand new video to celebrate the Stratocaster’s 60th anniversary.

The clip features appearances by some of the Stratocaster’s most famous endorsees, including; Jeff Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stephen Stills, Jim Root, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Raphael Saadiq, Nile Rodgers, Buddy Guy, Don Felder, Yngwie Malmsteen, Buddy Guy, Billy Corgan, Eric Johnson and many more.

For more information about Fender’s 2014 anniversary models visit www.fender.com and check out their Stratocaster 60th Anniversary page.

Movember 2013: Bath Guitar School’s Richard Perkins Dons A Tony Iommi Style Mo For Cancer Charity

This November I took part in my second Movember moustache growing campaign – in 2011 I grew a Frank Zappa style Mo!

This year I grew a Tony Iommi style Mo and chose to grow an Iommi Mo because Tony himself had been treated for cancer after he found a lump in is groin in 2011.

I recorded a dozen video shorts during the final week of November and published a new Black Sabbath riff in the guise of Tony Iommi for the final 7-days of Movember.

I had great fun donning a black wig, silver crucifix and purple tinted shades as I dressed up in the style on the guitar legend.

GoPro MO CAM – Paranoid by Black Sabbath

Check out my playlist of Black Sabbath riffs

GoPro MO CAM – Movember Shave Off

Special thanks to Essensuals Bath who shaped my moustache and dyed my golden ginger beard black especially for Movember! Visit: http://www.essensualsbath.com/

If you would like to donate to my Movember fund, please follow this link: http://www.mobro.co/imaguitarist – Thank you to everyone who donated.

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate and testicular Cancer. Visit: http://uk.movember.com/

Steve Vai to return to the UK this August

American virtuoso guitar player Steve Vai will return to the UK  at the end of August (2013) after the success of his Story of Light world tour and eighth studio album, ‘The Story of Light’.

Vai’s newly announced tour will cover the length and breadth of the UK, including visits to Glasgow, Leeds, Belfast, Cardiff, Bristol, Bournemouth and Brighton.

Steve recently spoke to top online guitar magazine iGuitar and explained the concept for Story of Light follows the journey of a man “driven mad by grief, intertwining tragedy, revelation, enlightenment and redemption.”

The Story of Light is the second installment of the Real Illusions trilogy, a “multi-layered melange based on the amplified mental exaggerations of a truth-seeking madman who sees the world through his own distorted perceptions” as described in the album’s booklet introduction.

Live Experience: Steve Vai – The Story Of Light Tour 2012

Tickets are on sale now with options for a premium EVO Experience package, which includes a meet-and-greet, Q&A, sound check access and more, available exclusively via Vai’s website.

Steve Vai UK tour

Aug 29 – Belfast Mandela Hall
Aug 30 – Leeds O2 Academy
Aug 31 – Glasgow O2 Academy
Sep 01 – Cardiff St David’s Hall
Sep 03 – Bristol O2 Academy
Sep 04 – Bournemouth O2 Academy
Sep 05 – Brighton Concorde 2

Find Steve on the Web

Website: http://www.vai.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stevevai
Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevevai
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/artist/steve-vai

Happy Birthday to NASA Rover Curiosity: Top songs about the Red Planet Mars

Today NASA celebrates the first anniversary of their roving robot, Curiosity, on the planet Mars. As geeks and boffins rejoice and sing happy birthday for this great scientific and technological triumph, I give you a run down of the top songs that feature the Red Planet!

Life On Mars – David Bowie

David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” was released in 1971 and is featured on the album Hunky Dory.

Ballrooms of Mars – T Rex

Marc Bolan’s T. Rex released “Ballrooms of Mars” in 1972 and can be found on their The Slider album.

Girl From Mars – Ash

The youngest track on this list comes from an indie rock band from Northern Ireland called Ash. Their 1995 single “Girl From Mars” can be found on the bands debut album 1977.

Venus and Mars – Paul McCartney and Wings

Released in 1975, McCartney’s and Wings “Venus and Mars” features a great McCartney melody, and can be found on the album of the same name.

An Ending (Ascent) – Brian Eno

A personal favourite; Brian Eno’s “An Ending (Ascent)”, which is featured in the fantastic 1989 movie ‘For All Mankind’ Dir. by Al Reinert, can be found on Eno’s 1983 album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.

Curiosity sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to itself on Mars

Stuart Ryan releases new tuition book ‘The Tradition’

Stuart Ryan – ‘The Tradition’ – Reels, Jigs and Airs arranged for solo fingerstyle guitar

Guitar Techniques’ acoustic columnist Stuart Ryan has just released ‘The Tradition’, a new Book/CD of acoustic fingerstyle arrangements. Describing the book, Stuart says “There is a wealth of beautiful music from the traditional canon of England, Ireland, Scotland and America and I wanted to create a resource for guitarists who wish to expand their fingerstyle repertoire, develop their technique and explore some altered tunings.

Whilst these pieces are timeless, I’ve also included some modern techniques so players can explore some new approaches to harmonics and percussive slaps. Creating and recording these arrangements over the last year has been an absolute pleasure!”

The book contains eleven previously unpublished fingerstyle arrangements, full performance notes for each piece and recordings on the accompanying CD.

‘The Tradition’ has already found favour within the acoustic community with virtuoso fingerstylist Thomas Leeb describing it as “An instant classic, it’s well thought – and laid out – and last but not least, the arrangements are gorgeous!”

‘The Tradition’ is £14.99 + P&P, ships worldwide and can be ordered from: www.stuartryanmusic.com

Find Stuart on the Web

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stuartryanmusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/stuartryanmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/StuartRyanMusic

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World

Check out this fantastic story of the Wah pedal.

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World tells the story of the wah wah effect pedal, from its invention in 1966 to the present day. Musicians, engineers, and historians discuss the impact of the pedal on popular music and demonstrate the various ways it has been used, as well as how its evolution has improved the ability of artists to express themselves musically.

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World

Produced by Joey Tosi
Directed by Joey Tosi & Max Baloian
Executive Producer is Jimmy Dunlop
Website: http://crybabydoc.com/

Cream (Eric Clapton) – Tales of Brave Ulysses (Disraeli Gears) 1967

Frank Zappa (Del Casher) – Willie The Pimp (Hot Rats) 1969

Jimi Hendrix (Eddie Kramer) – Voodoo Child (Electric Ladyland) 1968

Reblog: The Real Value of a Guitar

I was shown this great video and story, and just had to share:

Frank Ford and Richard Johnston explain their passion for the guitar.

“Our goal is to promote the good feelings that we’ve gotten playing music ourselves” Frank Ford says, “if we could make more musicians we’d like to do that.“ He and Richard Johnston began Gryphon Stringed Instruments from their Palo Alto garage in 1969, but for the duo music is only part of the draw. Ford and Johnston view the instruments as a connection to history, both personal and musical. Filmmaker Mike Collins goes inside their guitar shop (no longer located in the garage) to see what drives the guitar-makers to continue building and refurbishing guitars more than 40 years after the birth of their business.

True story — back in 2010 I bought a Martin D-28 from (gulp) Guitar Center. The salesman rushed me out of the store and didn’t bother to tune the guitar, let alone set it up properly. When I got home, I felt immediate buyer’s remorse — remorse not that I had bought the Martin, but that I hadn’t bought it from the best little guitar shop in the San Francisco Bay area, Gryphon Strings. The next day, I did the right thing. I returned the Martin to GC and re-bought the same guitar from Gryphon. I lost a few bucks in the process. But the guitar was set up just right. And I felt unburdened. Lesson learned.

Nowadays, I stop by Gryphon weekly for lessons and occasional salivation sessions, and I get to see firsthand what this video by Cinema Mercantile lets you see all too briefly. The care, craft and emotion (note the poignant chin quiver at the 2:22 mark) that goes into working with guitars … if you’re doing it for the right reasons. In Silicon Valley, there are very few places where business isn’t the main reason for being. Gryphon offers a good escape from that sometimes soul-deadening reality. That’s why I will be heading back there tomorrow. – Dan Colman

Credits

http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2013/07/gryphon-strings/276853 by Paul Rosenfeld

http://www.openculture.com/2013/07/the-real-value-of-a-guitar.html by Dan Colman

Steve Stevens teases fans with Flying Bulls Theme

Grammy Award winning Guitarist Steve Stevens, best known for his 30 year career as a guitarist and songwriter for Billy Idol and in-demand touring and session guitarist, including recording with Michael Jackson on the track “Dirty Diana”, has released a teaser trailer entitled “Flying Bulls”.

You can watch the teaser trailer on Steve’s Facebook Fan Page. The world premier will be at the Scalaria Air-Challenge, 2013: http://www.airchallenge.com/

Stevens’ has once again teamed up with Harold Faltermeyer; the pair recorded the Grammy Award winning theme song (Best Pop Instrumental Performance, 1987) “Top Gun Anthem” for the soundtrack to the all action drama movie “Top Gun” (1986) starring Tom Cruise.

“Top Gun Anthem”

Find Steve on the Web

Website: http://stevestevens.bigcartel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Steve-Stevens/

Rockschool Launch Hot Rock Guitar 4 & 5

Rockschool have launched the highly anticipated Hot Rock Guitar 4 & 5 transcription books adding to their Hot Rock Guitar 1, 2 and 3 series of guitar books that accompany the 2012-2018 Rockschool grade syllabus.

Each transcription book packs 8 classic rock tracks complete with two versions of each track (1 edited exam version for use in the grade exam and 1 full-length transcription) and play along backing tracks. Plus fact files, walkthroughs and introduction to tone.

Hot Rock Guitar Grade 4 includes:

The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy
For Whom The Bell Tolls – Metallica
Before I Fall To Pieces – Razorlight
Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis
Edge of Darkness – Eric Clapton
Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC
Iron Man – Black Sabbath
Ice 9 – Joe Satriani

Hot Rock Guitar Grade 5 includes:

Sweet Home Alabama – Lynryd Skynyrd
Surfing With The Alien – Joe Satriani
The Crying Machine – Steve Vai
Fall Tp Pieces – Velvet Revolver
The Pretender – Foo Fighters
Radioactive – Kings of Leon
Sad But True – Metallica
Back in Black – AC/DC

Hot Rock Guitar – Grades 1-5

The books are available now to pre-order from musicroom.com. All pre-orders get exclusive video walkthroughs of 6 of Rockschool’s favourite tracks:

AC/DC – Back In Black
Foo Fighters – The Pretender
Razorlight – Before I Fall To Pieces
Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In Town
Metallica – Sad But True
Joe Satriani – Ice 9

Pre-order: http://www.musicroom.com/rockschool

Find Rockschool on the Web:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockschool/137412866820
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rockschool
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RockschoolExams