Warning: This post may be a controversial one!

Yep! Since a few days I keep on thinking about difficult to play guitar solos. And guess what! I am not thinking about Malmsteen or Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. Hell, no! The song that keeps on running through my head is “It’s probably me” of Sting and Eric Clapton. Did you ever try to play that solo? I know I did some time ago and I just couldn’t get it right. I don’t speak about the notes, cause there are not that many or that fast, but man, those note are so full of soul that you just can’t reach them!

The solo is so warm and Clapton plays it with so much feeling that it makes it so difficult to play it right…

And you know what? I remember in the high school about this guy that managed to nail the theme solo of Wonderful tonight with such feeling that nobody could play it the same. Again, there are only a few notes and I think this song (Wonderful tonight) was one of the most played song when I was in high school, but this was the only guy that managed to play it right.

I think that the most difficult to play guitar solos are not the fast ones, but those solos that requires feeling, interpretation, understanding for the notes you play and a lot of soul.

I think that as in life, or even more than in life, in music, the most difficult thing you can do is really express yourself.So, what’s your most “difficult to play” guitar solo?

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Probably because I have listened a couple of Poison’s songs today, my attention suddenly went to Richie Kotzen and his music…

I remember I’ve got fascinated by his way of playing the guitar after watching a couple of his guitar tutorials. I have seen one where he was using an Ibanez guitar and he was shredding like there’s no tomorrow. I had that video on a video CD and I remember I was thrilled at that time. That one was great, but what actually convinced me was his video tutorials where he was using a Telecaster and played some bluesy licks. Man, I really loved that video!

He actually was the first rock guitar player I have seen shredding on a Fender Telecaster(See here what I mean). That is somehow a contradiction of my article on how guitars should match the musical style, if you think about it cause Tele is more for blues. I have never looked at Fender Telecaster as being a rock guitar, but Richie Kotzen’s put this guitar among the rock axes. At least his custom designed model.

And beside being a great guitar player, he is a good singer and he owns one of the most popular recording studios among artists, as GuitarPlayer.com says:

“He owns Headroom-Inc., a stunning Southern California studio where everyone from Gene Simmons and Blu Cantrell to Toto and Me’Shell NdegéOcello record.”

But actually I have understood he is not that popular in USA, he has his fan base mostly outside US.

Is that right?
(More about him on his website, richiekotzen.com, also see this video)

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I know Eddie Van Halen had problems with his health since a while, he had drinking problems and in the 90’s he was diagnosed with mouth cancer but in 2002 he announced he got well. Now he is again in hospital, for an illness that has not yet been made public. Doctors say that tests need to be done.

I don’t know, it feels like something breaks inside me every time I hear such things. Eddie Van Halen is a legend, an icon. He was one of the guitar players that influenced rock guitar playing very much, if we consider tapping techniques, beside his huge contribution to what rock means.

I am not a big fan of Van Halen, like as in having all his albums or knowing all his songs, but I appreciate his contribution to worldwide rock culture and to what guitar means.

Van Halen has postponed concerts this week as guitarist Eddie Van Halen undergoes medical testing for an undisclosed condition.

“According to Eddie Van Halen’s physician, he is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures,” according to a statement released Monday by Van Halen’s representative and the tour promoter, Live Nation.

Eddie Van Halen has had medical setbacks in recent years, including a battle with cancer and a trip to rehab. A representative for Van Halen did not return a phone message or e-mail from The Associated Press seeking further information about his ailment. (Yahoo news)

Some things in this world should never change, artists should always stay young, healthy the way we knew them in the first place. Ugly events should not take place, people should not become mean, old or…dead.

Just an utopia but what a beautiful one!

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Yesterday, in an interview, Dave Mustaine said that guys who don’t solo aren’t fully accomplished guitar players. I was thinking about it considering also my previous article about the unfair position of a rhythm guitar player.

I wonder what rhythm (jazz) guitar players might say to this, considering the complexity of jazz guitar chords and rhythms. I know that there is a common belief that soloing is getting you in the big league somehow, under the main lights of the stage, since the guitar hero myth was born and maintained for the last 40 70 (?!) years (I think…) but is it right to speak about accomplishment in such cases?

In some cases, we could speak about feeling accomplished when touring, when releasing a CD/DVD, when being a star, etc, but in most cases I think that the accomplishment as a guitar player comes from inside of you, feeling happy with who you are, with your playing and knowledge about music and guitar.

Or is Mustaine right?

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Intrigued? OK, let me go on…

I was listening on YouTube some Dream Theater songs; I am not a big fan or something, but I do like some melodies very much, like for ex. Another day, or Through her eyes or The spirit carries on. I think that all these can be considered ballads, so I guess I like Dream Theater ballads, even I am not sure that when you speak about a progressive rock band you can definitely say that this is a ballad and that one is not because of changing the rhythm when you least expect it (not the case here but still). But that’s not the point of this post.

The point is that reading a few of the comments made on YT, I was surprised in an unpleasant way by how easy people judge artists.

James LaBrie is not good, man!The band would sound way better without LaBrie in it! James LaBrie can not sing!

Ohh!!Really?!! How is that? Now think about the fact that these guys built a whole career behind them, together, putting one brick at a time, playing and most of all THINKING every damn note together, each of them bringing his contribution to the whole, to the band. The band would not sound the same without any of these guys.

I am not defending LaBrie (because it is not the case), even if personally I like the way he sings. If it would be my call, I would lower his vocal line with about 1 tone, but this is just my personal opinion. I think that he likes to push his voice to the limits of his vocal range , giving him that particular tone.

I told you I am not a big fan of Dream Theater, but I do have a great respect for them because they know music, they’ve studied music, I think they should be treated with respect by everybody considering the way they’ve built a career in music, by studying hard, learning music theory and rehearsing to the level where each of them is a master of his instrument. And next time you hear any guitar hero saying that he does not really know scales or chords, well, remember the guys in Dream Theater…

It is very easy to jump to conclusions and judge one artist or an other. He’s no good, man! He can not play!

Now ask yourself how many hours did that artist study for being in that place where frustrated people be able to judge him and tell him he’s no good and the band would sound better without him.

I personally consider that the band Dream Theater is great because of it’s members and because each artist knows why the others play a particular note, each artist in this band understands and loves the complexity of their music.

IMO there is no better lead singer than LaBrie for Dream Theater , because he UNDERSTANDS their music better than any other singer. I don’t think that Dickinson or Michael Kiske or any other famous singer would sing better Dream Theater songs than James LaBrie.

For all the bullies out there, did you ever try to perform on the other side of the stage you usually find yourself when going to a concert? So, think about it next time when you’ll jump to judging someone for not conforming to your questionable standards, OK?

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Even if I love hard, heavy and power, I totally fall for inspired jazz-rock or blues-rock guitar music. So, when I have seen Guthrie Govan playing, on YouTube, some chops in Robben Ford and Larry Carlton style I couldn’t say anything more than “Amazing!” and so it is. Beside his work as Asia guitar player, I couldn’t say I know him too much, so in a way he came as news to me. And what great news!

The only thing that does not match this blues-rock/jazz-rock songs is his hair…

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Since GuitarNoize and Guitar Channel posted about this, it may not be news anymore, but due to the fact that I love Joe Satriani’s work so much, I just couldn’t let it go. So I point here the fact that on April 1st, 2008, Joe Satriani will release his 13th solo album under the funny name of Professor Satchafunkilus. Whatever that means…

I must admit I don’t know what the album will sound like, but after playing instrumental rock so many years, experiencing electronic sounds and later warmer jazzy touches, we could expect almost anything from him. I think the fans will be there no matter what the musical style will be.

And if we count the fact that ZZ Satriani, Joe’s son is playing the sax on this album, well…

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Interested by the history of the song Layla, about how it was written , I started to look for some information. I found more than I was expecting, to be honest. Seems that the song was composed by Eric Clapton for Patti Boyd Harrison, the wife of George Harrison at that time and later Clapton’s wife. Damn, what a small world.

Of course, you all Clapton fans out there will tell me this was common knowledge. Well, not for me! I was not in the trivia thing…

Anyway, for those of you interested in this kind of information, here’s a long list of what Eric Clapton did in his life, from a less biographical point of view. I must admit it captivated me for a short while!

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Well, what do you know?! Munky, the guitar player of Korn just left band’s current European tour (that the band started on January 13) and the band itself, due to personal and family reasons, as he says! So, European fans hoping they will get to see Munky playing his mad riffs this year, well, it won’t happen!

“We fully support Munky’s need to be home right now and because we want to come through for all of our European fans, the tour will go on. It’s what Munky wants us to do, too. We promise to give it our all every night!” (Jonathan Davis)

In addition to Davis and Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, KORN’s current touring lineup includes guitarist Shane Gibson and ex-ARMY OF ANYONE drummer Ray Luzier.

Interesting that on Korn website there is nothing about it for the moment.

Later edit: I observe that now the news appeared on Korn’s website also.

So, if only the lead singer and the bass player remained from the original band and the lead singer has solo ambitions, how long until Korn disbands?!

Also MetalSucks and MetalUnderground wrote about it.

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Starting today, January 14th, Chris Broderick is the new guitar player of Megadeth. Started as a rumor a few days ago on the internet, it is now announced that Chris Broderick officially replaced Glen Drover, no more room for rumors. Glen Drover had problems balancing his family life with touring and band business so he left room for a new guitar player and the new guitar player is Broderick, formerly known as the guitar player of Jag Panzer and Nevermore. Now he is officially the new axe player of Megadeth.

Great news for him!

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