A lot of guitarists complain that their solos are "too scalic".

This means that you are playing the scale up and down over, for example a blues progression.

I usually say: play vocal melodies, look for how the pentatonic scales follow each chord, apply this concept to soloing. If you use the DIY TAB and write all this down you will start to see how phrasing works.

However, in an electric guitar solo we get a lot of little tricks that sound great and are not found in vocal melodies.

These tricks are what The Blues Legacy deal with, and in this video series Sandy takes this discussion even further, enjoy!

-Guru

Basically, an electric guitar is just that, electric!

You create a guitar sound like this:

1. The vibrations of string (and wood) in relation to pickups

2. Pedals, leads, Volts, power supplies etc affect the signal in wave forms before it hits the amp.

3. The amp keeps this going through it's components, different amps on different days will produce different results.

4. Speaker projects sound. Different speakers on different days will create different results

5. Microphone picks up sound and surrounding reflexions. Different...

6. Tape records the sound. Different....

7. Mixing desk and outboards further shape our guitar sound. Again, different days, different results.

8. Mix in with the rest of the instruments.

9. Master recording, burn to new format, let's stick with vinyl!

10. Needle reads vinyl.

11. Stereo amplifies signal.

12. Stereo speakers (or headphones) project sound.

13. Ears hear the sound of speakers and surrounding reflexions.

According to Roger Mayers theory, if you put anything digital in that chain it makes assumptions and is no more true music.

Now that's scary in todays loop based, edited and triggered sound samples environment!

According to valve enthusiasts this very much applies to electric guitar.

The Axe Fx claims to emulate almost all the above mentioned paths.

And Valve amp people say: No! It can never work.

This week we are going to try to put it to the test, Bruce said in an early email conversation that if the Axe Fx works he'll "Eat his hat!"

Sandy has now taken a more laid back approach:

"I don't know the science behind it so all I know is that I enjoy dance acts such as The Prodigy and I enjoy playing through valve amps!"

-Guru

In this most famous blues track we hear T-bone complain that "they Call It Stormy Monday, but Tuesday is just as bad." A line that has come to represent the blues as much as "Woke Up This Morning" has.

Until the 'Blues Legacy' is complete, enjoy this new youtube video where Sandy Buglass plays T-bone Walkers 'Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesdays Is Just As Bad)'

-guru

As of June 2010 Spytunes Blues Legacy is complete! Learn how to play blues like T-Bone, The KIng's, Hendrix, Clapton, John Mayer and more!

The first one is T-Bone's Papa Ain't Salty, in which we hear the first du-bap, du-bap bend ever!

The first electric blues solo came from T-bone Walker, little did he know what he had started...

As usual, Sandy Buglass plays in this lesson.

Soon we shall see another T-bone classic, Call It Stormy Monday. Until then enjoy this video guitar lesson of T-bone Walkers' Papa Ain't Salty.

For the full lesson, check Spytunes Blues Legacy which as of June 2010 is complete!

-guru

Well apart from the article writing I have finally managed to get some google ads working yoo-hoo! and loads of articles done now, half way through intermediate with:

I'm Yours
Angie
Mad World
Blowin in the wind
1234
American Pie
Kiss Me
Hey There Delilah
and Fast Car

all done, I can't tell you how nice that feels!

I've been going between this and recording with Sandy Buglass for spytunes blues legacy series, he's back tomo again doing Clapton and Peter Green, maybe even some Jeff Beck, yes!

The process of recording, mixing, video editing is a long one, and it does take it out of me. Today I encountered the problem of how to mix the legendary T-Bone Walker.

T-bone is one of my favorites, he was doing the splits and playing the guitar behind his back when Jimi Hendrix was only a twinkle in his daddies eye, so if you want electric guitar, T-bone truly is the father, possibly with Charlie Christian as the uncle...

So i'm in Amplitube, which is where i spend most of my days, and I just realized that T-bone recorded before any of the amps in this program was even invented. Leo Fender hadn't even started building amps when T-bone was laying the foundations for modern electric guitar playing. Suddenly a '59 Bassman didn't seem so retro anymore...

As of June 2010 Spytunes Blues Legacy is complete, 6 months in the making we're really happy with it, let us know what you think!

-Guru

This time it's The Thrill Is Gone and as usual it's Sandy Buglass on guitar.
Following the first two Kings in this series next up will be the third King of the Blues!

Until next time, keep practicing

-guru

Full lesson to follow, in the meantime, enjoy this youtube video from our spytunestunes account on youtube.
Sandy Buglass is the guitarist for all Blues Legacy vids.

-guru

The series will look at B.B. and Freddie King as well as T-Bone, Hendrix, SRV and John Mayer.

-guru

So far i've sorted out:

Tears In Heaven

Wonderwall

Ain't No Sunshine

Drugs Don't Work

One More Cup Of Coffee

Redemption Song

The concept of this new style came from doing lots of gear articles, all of whom have had this new concept added to them. Check the pedals, and live equipment for examples. Most of the images you see are links to where you can buy these products.

Hopefully this should ad to the user friendliness of the site.

If I do 2 articles a day i'll be half way there by xmas!

Recordings

Tomo Sandy is coming back to record all the electric stuff we did just before i was burglarized and some bastard stole my computer and Sandys audio files.

-guru