Samantha Murray and Larissa Eddie

Next up on our search for hits that can be played on one guitar is Alicia keys version of Jay-Z monster hit Empire State Of Mind.

Again it's Larissa Eddie on Vocals and Samantha Murray on Guitar.

To learn more, check the lesson on the site, i've also added an original recording article to show the version that inspired Sam plus an Alicia Keys Bio.

-guru

Apparently over 60% of British Teens download illegally (is anyone surprised?)

So the idea is that the government is now gonna turn people off who do this.

Dave Stewart luckily was featured in this program, he said the most sensible thing about this: "Most stupid thing I've ever heard".

I agree with Mr Stewart.

The record companies sold back the catalougue of music via CDs and then tried to do it again with mp3s, we all remember Lars Ulrich of Metallica who took a stand against Napster, well that ended their career...

Maybe someone should tell Panorama about html5, the problem is all ready solved...

-guru

spytunes guitar guru

So that is the question, what is the album of the last decade?

It's pretty clear it's not a guitar album... was the turn of the millenium when guitar stopped topping the charts?

Guitar definitely took a step back, became

We're well into 2010 now and can look back on another decade, and what was the best album?

Four come to mind instantly:

Radiohead Kid A

Amy Winehouse Back To Black

Rufus Wainwright Want One and Two

Muse Absolution

And as Paul Lennon suggested; Cherry Ghost Thirst For Romance, which I hadn't even heard!

My vote goes to Rufus, no doubt.

What's your choice?

-guru

Guitar by Sam Murray

Vocals by Larissa Eddie

Hope you like it

-Guru

This was done and uploaded on Valentines Day, 14 Feb 2010

Guitar Sam Murray

Vocals: Larissa Eddie

Sandy here with my 2nd blog (I'm slowly getting use to this blogging non sense) Over the past few weeks I've been gigging, teaching and working away on the second edition of Blues Legacy which is all very exiting. I've also been knocking up some 'Country style' backing tracks which should be available to purchase from the SpyTunes Shop tomorrow - The package currently has about 14 tracks ranging from up tempo Bluegrass to Shania Twain-esque tracks! They were great fun to record (90% of it uses live musicians) so I hope they are of use and fun to play and practice over.

Next week I'm off to the Brits which I'm really looking forward to (The Brits is basically the UK's answer to the Grammy's!) Here's hoping I'll meet some top musical types

My band Stars & Sons go on tour in February with Screaming Maldini which I'm really looking forward to. Those of you in the UK, the dates are:

February 21st - Sheffield - The Grapes

February 22nd - London - The Old Blue Last

February 23rd - Brighton - The Albert

February 24th - Northampton - The Labour Club

February 25th - Oxford - The Cellar

On a final note, some footage of Jeff Beck and myself jamming has recently emerged on Youtube so thought you would like a little look:

Happy playing

-Sandy

So what are the chords?

We have I - IV - V - VI

that's it! Learn more in the Guitar Conspiracy, you TAB it, upload to forum, the lesson begins here. Guru has so far answered over 1000 questions.

Spytunes is the only interactive guitar community in the world where you learn from the song, not just learn the song, we give you that bit for free!

With the DIY TAB in the conspiracy you can work out why this is a hit record, the conspiracy now analyze 50 songs from Bessie Smith in the 20s, through every decade including Betales, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel all the way up to 2009 with 'Red' by Daniel Merriweather.

If you want to really learn the guitar, properly, this is it.

-guru

Here's the room we recorded in for Natasha's session

Here at the site we thought it would be fun to document (or ‘blog’ as today’s young folk say) about what I get up to as a musician and life outside the SpyTunes camp.

I get asked quite a lot about what being a musician actually entails and how you go about your daily routine so hopefully it’ll bring some insight to those wanting to become professional musicians themselves. I’ll try my best to keep the blog weekly, short, interesting and as multi-media as possible (Videos, pictures etc!)

January is generally a quiet spell for us musical types but this is a welcome break as December was particularly busy with gigs and the odd session.
Highlights included playing a show at ‘Fabric’ in London (To anyone unfamiliar with London, Fabric is essentially a massive dance club) and a session with my friend Natasha Bobbe who was demoing for a label (Hot UK boy band, ‘JLS’, were in the next room which was tremendously exiting)

Today I’m putting my producer hat on and recording my friend and fellow musician Murray MacLeod.

He’s in a band called The Xcerts who are super and you should check them out. The song is being sent to New York today to a chap called Mike Sapone (producer for the likes of Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Public Enemy) Here’s a short clip of us recording some vocals in my room:

Enough of my rambling, see you next week, happy playing!

-Sandy

This time they are joined by Sam Murray and Rob Gigante.

Are there any more hats in the house?

-guru

Usually it's a natural flow, we don't rehearse much, things just seem to work, but this one... words got lost, and giggles took over!

More to come from House Of Hats, in the meantime you're gonna have to do with the failed jam of 'Roads'.

-guru