Break Away II

Even though you’re not a guitar player, I’m pretty sure you know at least one musical scale, and I’m also betting it’s the C Major scale. The film The Sound of Music made famous the “do-re-mi” song that actually translates to a C Major scale (for complete beginners, the notes for a C Major scale are C-D-E-F-G-A-B).

But if your goal is to be a rocking lead guitarist, there’s a type of scale that you definitely must know, and that is the pentatonic scale. Pentatonic scales are the foundation for most rock and blues solos, and it’s important that you know how to make them.

Simply put, pentatonic scales have one major difference with normal scales: while normal scales have seven notes, pentatonic scales have only five (the term penta- means ‘five’). Other than that, there’s basically no difference. But how would I know which notes are in the pentatonic scales?

Let’s take that C Major scale. The notes for that would be C-D-E-F-G-A-B. If you take away the fourth note and the seventh note, you would be left with C-D-E-G-A. And that’s basically just how you make a pentatonic major scale: you take out the fourth and seventh notes of a major scale! So if you have a song that uses a C chord, you can master a solo on your guitar but NOT play F and B chords. The pentatonic major scale is a foundation of modern rock, and Jimi Hendrix is known to use the pentatonic major scale a lot.

The pentatonic minor scale is also created a bit differently. For a pentatonic minor scale, of course you would need a minor scale to begin with. Let’s take the A Minor scale for example. The notes for that would be A-B-C-D-E-F-G. For the pentatonic minor, however, you would need to take out the second and sixth notes, leaving you with A-C-D-E-G. The pentatonic minor scale is widely used in blues solo progressions.

A final observation: did you notice that the notes for the C pentatonic major scale are the same for the A minor pentatonic scale? That’s a weird relationship of pentatonic major and minor scales. Basically the notes of a pentatonic major scale for a given key are the same for a pentatonic minor for a key three steps down, but your root notes are different of course.

It may take a bit of practice for you to master pentatonic major and minor scales, but once you do perfect them you’re basically on the way to a better understanding of guitar soloing for blues or rock. And a final word: pentatonic scales have less notes, so they’re easier to remember and play! So go ahead and play!

Okay, I’m sure you’ve gotten an argument with your buddies at some point, comparing who you think are the top 10 guitar players of all time. We’ve all been there, but here’s the thing that few realize. Music isn’t competition, it’s not about who’s the best at this or that. Plus, there are so many musical genres, that to compare let’s say a metal master and a blues king doesn’t really work all that well. You may as well be comparing apples and oranges.

That being said, there’s still a few guitarists that most people consider to be real heavies, and every time these types of lists come up, their names are always mentioned. These guitar players are either very skilled at a specific technique, or are the most influential guitarists to other musicians, and that’s whey they deserve to be in a top 10 guitar players list.

As for me, this is probably my top 10 list of guitar players:

1. Jimi Hendrix
Need I say more? Jimi Hendrix is commonly found at the top of every “top guitarists” list! He turned the electric guitar from a novelty into a laboratory, experimenting with sounds never even dreamed of before on the electric guitar. Hendrix has a raw, fuzzy electric sound that is recognizable from the first note, which has been the inspiration of many younger guitarists since. His stage presence is also electrifying and powerful. “Hey Joe” and “Fire” set the foundation for a towering monument of rock that stands to this day.

2. Jimmy Page
Another Jimmy! The Led Zeppelin guitar master has been very influential to a lot of rockers nowadays, and his guitar licks are legendary and instantly recognizable. His solo of “Heartbreaker” is legendary, and “Black Dog” and “Stairway to Heaven” are earth shattering rock classics. And no one else I know has ever had a guitar solo using a violin bow? That’s from “Dazed and Confused”,

3. BB King
When you say blues, everything all boils down to its master and ambassador: BB King. He paved the way for the newer generation of blues players, from Eric Clapton to John Mayer. BB King’s powerful bending and vibrato are classic blues techniques, still used today. Also, his guitar is also legendary – who else names their guitar Lucille?

4. Chuck Berry
You know that four-note riff that always reminds you of 50’s rock n’ roll? That came from Chuck Berry. Today’s rock n’ roll wouldn’t be the same without the great song that is “Johnny B. Goode”!

5. Keith Richards
Keith Richards is a member of one of the longest-lasting, most influential active rock bands The Rolling Stones. Don’t tell me you aren’t aware of that classic fuzzy three-note riff from “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”! For all the hits the Stones put out that became foundations of other hit songs, Keith Richards also deserves a spot on the top 10 guitarists list.

6. Kirk Hammett
Metal was changed forever with the coming of Metallica. Kirk Hammett redefined hard rock with the pounding solos of “Master of Puppets” and, arguably their most popular song, “Enter Sandman”.

7. Carlos Santana
If you’re talking of instantly recognizable tone, there’s the master of Latin-infused rock, Carlos Santana. Before his now-popular jams with other artists, he was a Latin-rhythm purist, improvising with solos that are full of passion and spiritual meaning. Before hits like “Smooth”, there were the soaring, sustained instrumental solos of “Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Child)” and the like.

8. Kurt Cobain
The misunderstood genius, Kurt Cobain single-handedly ended the era of 80’s hair metal in a totally different way. He favored simple, heavy tunes instead of hair metal’s theatric style, and it reflected better the angst of the time. His most memorable contribution to rock and roll was the original anthem of misunderstood generations, the four-chord monster “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

9. The Edge
While a lot of guitar players think of skill as playing millions of notes at blazing speed, The Edge is known for actually playing short, spare, repetitive solos. But he and his rolling delay style of playing created some of the most passionate, most anthemic rock songs today, from “Bad” to “Where The Streets Have No Name”. With the Edge at the lead, it’s hard not to scream in triumph.

10. Eric Clapton
A true son of the blues, Eric Clapton had influences in rock, creating classics like “Layla” with his early band Derek and the Dominoes, and progressing to one of the most recognizable blues guitarists, from “Bell Bottom Blues” to his heartbreaking “Tears In Heaven”.

I’m sure a lot of you will have top 10 guitar players lists that are very different from mine, but that’s the effect of musical influences; we have a lot of talented guitarists from a lot of different styles and genres to choose from. Whoever we pick as our top 10 guitarists says a lot about our favorite styles, criteria and our personality as guitarists. Till then, keep on rocking!

Yes you can be the king of the party or someone who is adored by music lovers or, the list goes on. You can play really good music through the strumming of your guitar. And many fans would shout out “Encore!” That would be really nice isn’t it? Do you like the idea? Well, read on as this article shows you some of the most exciting and fulfilling advantages when you have learned to master the techniques and chords in the world of guitar music.

Advantage #1

Playing a guitar enhances your brain to work and to initiate such signals that commands your hands on mentally memorizing where to put your finger on a particular fret, pressing on the right chord and engaging in the proper manner of strumming.

Advantage #2

The pleasure of gratification is satisfied. Thus, your self-esteem is working its way through your personality. A psychological book once said, that man has to satisfy basic needs to be able to advance to the highest level which is the self-realization. Something like that.

Advantage #3

Let’s face the fact that a guitar is one of the most convenient instruments there is. Your drums usually can’t go wherever you go. It would be exhausting on your part to carry a drum set around your campus and constantly beat it. It can cause so much distraction. Whereas if you have been a full pledged guitarist your whole life, you could play music where you can.

Advantage #4

Being able to drag your guitar around town, might as well earn something from it. A talent like that would not go on unnoticed. Playing along the streets of the city is not the idea but if you want to try it, then yes, you could try. You could ask some of your friends to back you up.

Advantage #5

You, yourself, is a unique individual. With any given ten people only one becomes a pure musician. And by some luck, that person is a guitarist. Or can be someone with ultra musical talent who can play not only the guitar but many different instruments and even some percussion ones. Some say it is learned but real talent comes from the soul. It is that spirit within you that makes you distinct.

Advantage #6

Nobody can call you a guitarist with no specific talent. Yes, you could flunk all of your exams and miss every graded recitation during class hours but when school or house parties come, you are the star. Even an A+ won’t come close to the recognition you can achieve from being an accomplished artist.

Advantage #7

You are the “it” guy. Everyone can hate you or mess you up. But the moment you have mastered the guitar, everyone will soon see how good you are. Even those peple who didn’t know you existed before will find an effort to. Everyone will respect you for the talent that you are.

More advantages are seen by simply playing the guitar. Playing is one thing but mastering is another. So if you are still struggling to play such tunes, don’t give up that dream. Even though it’s just a hobby or past time, who knows, with such skill, it could take you to new heights. Something brighter. Something more intense. Something close to stardom.