How to play 'Sweet Home
Alabama' by 'Lynyrd Skynyrd'
When
Ronnie Van Zant wrote the song Sweet Home Alabama, little did he know how
huge it would become. The song was released in 1974 by Lynyrd Skynyrd, a
Southern rock band with a lot of heart. The band consisted of seven members
during this time period.
The
song was written in response to some songs Neil Young had previously written
that dealt with some political and racial issues still lingering in the
South.
In
1977, Van Zant died in a tragic plane crash, which also took the lives of
a few other band members. This song is arguably one of the best produced
by this band, and while new members came in to rebuild the band, I personally
never viewed the song writing the same.
However,
one aspect of this band that remained constant was Gary Rossington, who
plays guitar. He continues to play with the latest version of the band to
this day, despite having explored other musical avenues.
Utilizing
alternate tunings is an extremely effective way to spice up your creativity.
For the purposes of this riff, we will be experimenting with DADGAD tuning.
This tuning allows us to achieve a very rich and deep tone that is characteristic
of celtic genres.
If
you aren't sure how to tune your guitar to DADGAD tuning, please
click here to check out our previous article on the topic.
The
tune you will be learning is very technical and precise. It calls for the
use of all four fingers. Many players tend to underestimate the use of their
pinky. You will soon find that this practice riff demands the use of all
fingers in order to be played at the correct tempo.
I
personally created this riff as a warm-up before I went into my regular
practice routine. I encourage you to do the same and don't be afraid to
experiment. You'll find plenty of cool sounds using this tuning.
When
you listen to the riff, take note of the rhythm and how the notes are grouped
together. This triplet effect makes the music sound as if you just came
off the coast of Ireland. You'll find that using a barrage of hammer on's
in conjunction with pull off's will make playing the tune much easier.
Take
it slow at first and work your way up to the tempo it is recorded at. If
you try to play it at full tempo right away, you will end up in frustration.
This is where a metronome will come in handy. Yes, I realize every guitar
teacher you have ever encountered stresses the importance of a metronome
but there's a reason for that... it works!
Enjoy!
Improve your playing with this month's guitar
lesson
The
world of music as we know it is transforming into an integrated network
model of websites, online forums and digital recording interfaces. It has
never been easier to collaborate with other musicians from around the world
that you've never even met.
With
all of this fancy talk, what does this mean for the average musician sitting
at home with his or her guitar? It reveals a new opportunity to get recognized
for the talent you have.
We
live in a modern society where you don't have to leave the comfort of your
bedroom anymore to get introduced to stardom or enjoy world class musical
education. All you need is a computer, a few simple tools and your guitar.
Online
music forums and blogs present a new frontier for guitarists to explore.
Regardless of whether you want to learn more about your instrument, become
known in the music industry, or both, you now have that option.
How
it works can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. First,
you record some material onto your computer using a USB recording device
like one seen to the left.
Usually
this device serves as a connection point where you can hook up mics, MIDI
(keyboard), and your guitar cables to your computer.
Depending
on the range of options you want, they range from $50- 1000. You can also
get really simple connections just for a guitar cable or mic.
The
next step involves using some software. In most cases you can get software
in a bundle with your USB recording hub, so you kill two birds with one
stone.
The
software you use is often referred to as a DAW by techies. The acronym DAW
stands for Digital Audio Workstation.
This is essential if you plan on doing any recording whatsoever.
The
good news is you can find a lot of free DAW's on the net for free, or just
use the trial software if you don't plan on recording long songs.
This
interface is what you use to record music onto your computer with. All of
the instrument signals feed into your computer and into the software which
recognizes it. From there you can edit, loop, delete, and manipulate your
audio into a polished masterpiece.
The
software will allow you to produce MP3's, wav files and other types of popular
audio file types. The next step is the fun part. You go online and upload
your music onto a forum or blog (just like adding an attachment in an email,
except anyone who's interested can download it). Depending on the forum,
you can ask for advice on improving your sound, technique, or creativity.
For
those who are really looking for a break in the music business, you can
enter competitions and post in professional forums. People who know what
they're talking about can critique and review your work, giving you a resume
to work from. Eventually, this can lead to a record deal if the right person
likes what they hear.
Another
great avenue you can persue through online forums is collaboration. Work
with other musicians from around the world by swapping ideas, backing tracks,
beats, mixes, and advice. A great way to get freebies for your recording
mixes and meet new people at the same time!
Here
are some forums that I highly recommend you check out if you're interested
in online music. You don't even have to record, just log onto a few forums
and learn from the pros for free. A great way to learn about recording and
playing the guitar.
A
simple Google search will help you find even more resources.
This is a true
story that perhaps few people have heard... It's about two of three tenors --
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI; PLACIDO DOMINGO AND JOSE CARRERAS ago stirred the world through
their singing together.
Even those who
have never visited Spain know of the rivalry between Catalans and Madrilenos,
since the Catalans are fighting for their autonomy from a Madrid dominated Spain.
It so happens that, Placido Domingo is Madrileno and Jose Carreras is Catalan.
For political
reasons, in 1984, Carreras and Domingo became enemies. Being that they were
very popular and much sought after around the world, both stated in their contract
that they would perform only if the other was not invited. In 1987, Carreras
met up with an enemy more implacable than his rival Placido Domingo. He was
taken by surprise with a terrible diagnosis: Leukemia! His fight against cancer
was a painful one.
He was subjected
to numerous treatments, besides having a bone marrow transplant and blood transfusions
that forced him to travel to the United States once a month. Unable to work
under these conditions, though he possesses a considerable fortune, the high
cost of these trips and medical treatments depleted his finances.
When at the end
of his financial ability, he discovered a foundation in Madrid, the sole purpose
of which was the support of treatment for the sufferers of Leukemia. Thanks
for the support from the "Hermosa" foundation Carreras conquered the disease
and returned to singing.
Once again he
attained to an elevated and deserved status and attempted to join the foundation.
Reading their by-laws, he discovered that the founder, leading contributor and
President of the foundation, was Placido Domingo.
He later found
out that Placido has originally formed this organization to help him with his
treatment, but has chosen to remain anonymous in order to not humiliate him
accepting help from his "ENEMY". BUT the most moving part of this story is their
encounter... Surprising Placido at one of his performances in Madrid, Carreras
interrupted the event and humbly, knelt at his feet, asked him for forgiveness
and publicly thanked him.
Placido helped
him up and with a big hug; they sealed the beginning of a great friendship.
In an interview with Placido Domingo, a reporter asked him why he had created
the "Hermosa Foundation" at a time when, besides benefiting an "Enemy", he has
helped the only other artist that was his competition.
HIS ANSWER WAS
SHORT AND DEFINITE: "We cannot afford to lose a voice like that..." This is
a true story of human kindness and should serve as an example and inspiration...
Next time you see a shooting star... keep it in your heart, it is the soul of
someone that reached the goal of giving others his love...
D'Addario/Planet Waves Feature Column
Upon
reflection of 2006, the success and technological innovation of D'Addario and
Planet Waves has clearly impacted the guitar world. One can only speculate as
to what lies ahead for a company who has already created and trademarked so
many gadgets that allow us to spend more time with our instrument.
Personally,
it has been a privledge to write this column seeing as we get to give you the
inside scoop on the latest gear. Best of all, this is stuff you can afford to
buy without putting a second mortgage on your house!
Many
of you have taken the initiative to enter our contest. We have randomly chosen
the winners from all of our entries. They are as follows:
November
- *Don Rowling*
December
- *Carmen Simonie*
...You
will get the full scoop on all of our winners shortly in a special email. The
winner for January will be chosen in a few weeks once you all have a chance
to enter. As of now, the winner for December has failed to contact me. If no
response is heard by Janurary 20th,a new winner will be chosen. This is an important
reminder to use a valid email address!
Our
winner for October, Whitney Quinn has recieved her prize package. Here's what
she had to say:
"I
have received the equipment and I find it to be very useful to me while learning
more about the guitar. Thank You and continue to send me any info that will
be helpful to me." - Whitney
How
can you get your hands on some fantastic new gear? It's simple, enter your details
in the form below and at the end of each month we'll draw a winner for the $250
prize package!
Remember,
you only need to enter once as we select from all entries each month. Good luck!
Get featured in our newsletter
(over 300,000 readers)
We
are constantly looking for fresh content, new talent or cool tips
and strategies to share with our subscribers and truly make our
newsletter stand out!
If
you've got a particularly good music site, quality product, new invention or
can just play the guitar exceptionally well, send us an e-mail (info@elmore-music.com)
and you could be feaured in our next edition seen by over 300,000 readers worldwide!
Get a free song by Santana delivered straight to your desktop
With
the amount of multimedia content required to run a music newsletter, it's virtually
impossible to deliver it all via e-mail.
Therefore
we decided to develop our own technology and by-pass e-mail altogether and deliver
it straight to your DESKTOP!
It's
called 'Elmore Music Messenger' and with our new technology, you'll get heaps
of free music lessons, popular songs, audio clips, video files and tons of other
rich multimedia content ... delivered straight to your desktop!
Please
note, this is new technology so as my way of saying thank you for trusting me
and trying it out, I'll provide you with a FREE SONG by Carlos Santana.
Immediately
after you've downloaded and installed it into your PC, it will appear on your
screen!
Go
get started right now, just click the button below and follow the prompts. Your
FREE SONG will appear instantly on your screen!
As soon as it's finished, you'll see an icon appear on your desktop called 'Elmore
Music Messenger'
Step
3:
Double
click the icon to install it and your FREE song should appear instantly on your
desktop!
Forward this article to a friend
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Hey Friend's
Name,
I just came across this newsletter
article and wanted to share it with you.
It's at:
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Check it out as it's got heaps
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Jazz guitar has
a world renowned reputation as being one of the most theory intense genres of
music currently played. Furthermore, it requires years of technique and experience
to get to a level where you sound somewhat similar to your jazz heroes that
you listen to on your iPOD.
The problem that
exists today is the same one that has stumped guitarists for decades: Where
do I learn how to play like that? When you go to your local music store to pick
up some books, they are often extremely complex and offer little assistance
to the beginner.
I've recently discovered
a great resource for any of you who desire to learn how to play jazz guitar.
It's absolutely free, requires no membership, and will build you up on a foundation
of solid technique.
Learn what gear
your guitar heroes play on and learn a few new chords. This site also places
a strong emphasis on collaboration through their forums. They aren't as active
as some of the above forums listed but still offer a wealth of knowledge for
you to learn from. Read about other peoples frustrations with jazz guitar and
how they worked through them.
Overall, I give
this site four chords out of five. Check it out for yourself by clicking
here.
Hometown
Hero
*Steven
Payne*
Welcome to our
brand new segment affectionately known as Hometown Hero. Over my years as Editorial
Manager for this site, I have encountered many musicians who have tremendous
talent, but no band and no means of getting their story heard. Those days have
now come to a close with the introduction of this article.
The idea for this
all stemmed from an intriguing man who had a dream and thought he'd take a chance
and share it with us. It was a simple email that reminded us that the heart
of good music lies with the men and women who create it.
The people you
meet, like Steven, don't have record contracts or demo CD's. They may not even
have a photo. However, they do have spirit and a desire to pursue music.
We hope you enjoy
learning a little bit more about your fellow subscribers. Here's what Steven
had to say:
"Hi,
my name is Steven Payne and I live in a small town in New Brunswick Canada called
Minto. I am 34 years old and I have been playing guitar for 25 years as well
as banjo, bass, harmonica, mandolin, etc. I have played in many bands some got
radio play such as Dusty Roads (Old Cars and Dusty Roads - (Reel North Records)
Zero Gravity - (Reel North Records) and there are literally hundreds of bands
I played in that never made it.
I
have played everything from Country, Blues, Rock, and Classic Metal. My influences
include Stevie Ray Vaughn, Brent Mason (Allan Jackson), Randy Rhoads, Rikki
Skaggs, Yngwie Malmsteen.
Right
now I'm trying to find some people to collaborate with to write some songs and
maybe start up a band of very talented people to shock the country music seen
(any takers?) In this town there's not a lot to choose from in the way of musicians
and I'm not getting any younger!!"
...If you would
like to be featured in this column or help Steven get one step closer to achieving
his dream, please contact us with the information provided in this article.
I'm looking for people of all walks of life and location. However, you must
live in a small town. That's the only requirement. Please email us to keep this
column alive!
Webmasters...
need content for your web site?
If
you have a guitar / music related web site you now have permission
to re-print our monthly articles.
This will provide
your visitors with a great resource of information as well as boost your ranking
with keyword rich content for your overall web site.
All we ask you
do not edit / alter any of the articles and keep the short advertising at the
bottom of each article. If you agree to these conditions, just complete the
following details and your articles will automatically be e-mailed to you within
the next 5 minutes so you can upload them to your site immediately...
Question, comments or ideas...
tell us what you think?
We'd love to hear what you think of this issue!
Please send your comments, questions, and ideas
for upcoming issues to us at:
That raps up the
first edition of our Elmore Music newsletter for the New Year! We look forward
to what lies ahead as we continue our exploration of the music world together.
As you can see
from our recent rennovations, we're striving to be the newsletter that you can
play, not simply read. If you have even more suggestions that you think we could
use to improve our current lineup of columns, send them along!
Our next edition
will include our usual song of the month and a brand new riff. The lesson will
be focused on musician health and offer specific warm-up and fingering exercises
to improve your technique and save your hands.
We'll also introduce
some of your fellow subscribers from around the world. We're always looking
for the next big hit and if you think you have what it takes, email us! We can
only provide special features when you take the initiative to contact us and
thus far we have had very few applicants. Give it a shot and you're life could
be changed!
Until next time,
keep on picking!
Jordan Warford
Editorial Manager
Elmore Music
WRITTEN
BY ELMORE MUSIC
If you've always wanted to learn to play the guitar but
never had the chance, give me 17 minutes a day for 90 days
and I'll show you how to play virtually any song you want!
Visit http://www.guitartips.com.au
How
it works can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. First,
you record some material onto your computer using a USB recording device
like one seen to the left.
The
next step involves using some software. In most cases you can get software
in a bundle with your USB recording hub, so you kill two birds with one
stone. 
For
those who are really looking for a break in the music business, you can
enter competitions and post in professional forums. People who know what
they're talking about can critique and review your work, giving you a resume
to work from. Eventually, this can lead to a record deal if the right person
likes what they hear. 
We
are constantly looking for fresh content, new talent or cool tips
and strategies to share with our subscribers and truly make our
newsletter stand out!
If
you have a guitar / music related web site you now have permission
to re-print our monthly articles. 