One could argue that Slash is the last great guitarist to crossover into what I would call the musical consciousness of the last generation and the present.
A true master of his instrument no one else can solo like him and no one else looks anywhere near as cool as him with his trademark top hat and his Les Paul swinging low.
Of course every great player needs the songs to back it up and Guns N Roses aren’t short in that department.
My personal favourite is Pretty Tied Up. The intro with the words “ the perils of rock n roll decadence “ leads into a driving rhythm with Axl waxing lyrical about the seedier side of the music biz. Inevitably Slash delivers an awesome solo!
Check it out!

I have recently been teaching a student of mine the guitar playing to Dire Straits classic Brothers in Arms.
The song is written about a dying soldier on the battlefield surrounded by his comrades.
With atmospheric keyboards and Knopfler almost speaking the lyric the song grabs you from the opening chord.
The guitar playing is nothing short of spectacular. Every phrase is perfect and makes the song completely unique.
Though it may not sound technically difficult the bends and phrasing have to be executed perfectly.
Mark Knopfler wrote a true classic here and every guitarist should take a look at this song!

Eddie Cochran is one of my favourite musicians of all time.
His guitar playing was ahead of its time and his voice was simply incredible.
This guy could sing a gritty rock and roll number and then a sweet ballad and sound equally stunning on both.
Eddie also wrote most of his own songs which was rare back in the fifties.
Summertime blues is an absolute classic with its rocking rhythm and teenage angst lyrics.
His sudden death in a car accident at the age of 21 in 1960 was a huge loss to anyone who loved his music.
Check out some of his great songs below.

After a while of doing online lessons I’m back now to teaching in the comfort of your own home.
It’s great to be back with my students again and tho online lessons were great to keep things going there’s nothing better than teaching face to face.
Sp if you are a complete beginner or just want to improve your skills please get in touch.
I’ve been listening to a lot of rock n roll lately and here’s a great song from the brilliant Eddie Cochran.

When I learnt the guitar over 30 years ago  I did it because I loved it. I always try to bring that same enthusiasm to my teaching. Music should be a joy not a hassle so whether you want to learn from a grade book to achieve a certain grade or you just want to learn some songs I will be able to help you.

I can teach you from the comfort of your own house or if you prefer I also do online lessons via zoom, what’s app or FaceTime. Please note that with the coronavirus pandemic I will wear a face mask on arrival and sit two meters away from you or your child.

I have played in many original and wedding bands for over 30 years and have built up a huge amount of musical knowledge and songs I know.

Long gone are the days of learning endless scales. The modern day rockschoool grade books are song based and although some scale memorisation is required it’s not the main focus.

I can also help you with learning songs you like which is a great way to keep things interesting and also to improve your playing.

So whether you want to learn the guitar, keyboard or drums please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Anyone else got the lockdown blues?
If you have a great way to practice the minor pentatonic scale is to jam around with those 5 sweet notes to see what riffs you can come up with.
The great blues men used this scale to great effect and kept it nice and simple.
The guitar doesn’t have to be complicated to get the blues man!
Check out the masters at work!
First off the great Son House.

I love this live version of Death Letter Blues

Next up the one and only Robert Johnson adding in some chromatic runs to this classic.

Ok now for some Muddy Waters! Love this guy! One of my all time favourite blues songs. It’s pure down dirty blues! Just Muddy , his guitar and a drum thumping!

Ok on to some electric guys. A bit of Freddie King! Awesome guitar licks. Freddie was a genius at mixing the major and the minor scales.

Let’s finish this super blog with a bit of jimi ripping up the rule book! More notes than you can shake a stick at and don’t ask me which scale they are from ! Yowser!

The Who are often overlooked when there is a top 10 of the best bands but for me they merit a place no problem.
Formed in 1964 they have sold over 100 million records and singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townsend continue to perform 55 years later.
A string of early hits including My Generation , I cant explain and Substitute was followed up in 1969 with the bands 4 th album Tommy featuring the fantastic Pinball Wizard and See me Feel me.
It really is a great album and if you haven’t heard it you should get a copy.

The band had a reputation for being very loud with Townshend regularly smashing his guitars on stage and the hard drinking Keith Moon all cementing  their wild boys of rock status.
The Who has the classic line up of Frontman , guitar, bass, and drums. Townshend would spin windmills on his guitar and Daltrey whipping his mic they really were great showmen as well as having the songs to back it all up

All great things come to an end though and as with many flawed geniuses Keith Moon succumbed to rock and roll excess in 1978.

Check out the classic footage of the band at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight in 1970 !

It is the bedrock of most blues guitarists solos and the reason is most obviously the sound it creates but it is also extremely easy to learn and is the first scale I teach any student who has an interest in the blues and soloing.
Replacing the major 3rd and 7ths with their flattened cousins gives the scale it’s unique sound.
The amount of simple bluesy licks that can be formed with these 5 notes is endless.
Many of the greatest guitarists have relied on this scale for their soloing including Clapton Page and Angus Young.
The scale fits perfectly under the fingers and is easily moveable up and down the fretboard.

Clapton builds his solos around the minor pentatonic scale throwing in a few notes only he can find!

 

Due to the current lockdown we are all having to endure I am currently doing online music lessons.

Everything is pretty much the same except I have to  make my own cup of tea!
So if you are thinking about learning a new musical instrument to relax and relieve the boredom please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Whenever I talk to people about the greatest guitarists of all time Peter green barely gets a mention.
It’s always Hendrix , Clapton and Page.

Early Fleetwood mac was all about Green and his fantastic bluesy overdriven rock.
He played a les Paul and went straight into a marshall amplifier.
The thing about Fleetwood Mac is that their songs were as brilliant as the musicianship that went into them.
Greens voice was also a fantastic mix of blues and soul.
I love the mellow riff work of albatross. Such an original song. Then there’s the bluesy green manilishi. Green’s guitar playing at its raucous best! Another great song is Man of the world.

Why this guy isn’t talked about as one of the greatest of all time is beyond me!