Dear Guitar Techniques

DefaultM · January 2016

That's why I want the iPad one, because the CD is built in to the magazine and the tab interactively goes along with it like guitar pro.

Stevepage · January 2016

I don't bother with mags any more. Same old crap over and over.

Instead, try Guitar Interactive. It's online, costs nothing and they're pretty varied in content. Much better.

LooseMoose · January 2016

Jalapeno said:

AP has an article on Fill-In flash about every 3 months !

Gah. Don't get me started. I've given up on photography completely these days as I got hugely disillusioned with it but AP really didn't help matters at all.

It's funny how we all slate the guitar mags for rehashing content but it's ALL publications...there's only so much to talk about, after all!

Elx · January 2016

Jan 2016 - Bluesbreakers

Dec 2015 - Blues-Rock Bootcamp

Nov 2015 - The Blues shuffle

July 2015 - Jam The Blues

June 2015 - Expand Your Blues!

March 2015 - 4 levels of Blues

Jan 2015 -Blues Rock Power

Nov 2014 - Blues Workout

Sep 2014 - Cream of Clapton

Jun 2014 - Stevie Ray Vaughan

May 2014 - Pentatonic workout

Dec 2013 - Giants of Blues

Oct 2013 - Albert King - SRV

Aug 2013 -Funk up your Blues

July 2013- Upgrade your Blues

May 2013 - Electric Blues

Jan 2013 - Ultimate Blues session, etc

I have always defended them, and I have learned a lot from the magazine in the last few years, but I have cancelled my subscription.

thomasross20 · January 2016

Wow that list really speaks for itself.
A pale imitation of what they used to be

mike_l · January 2016

I've given up with magazines, bar Guitarist (mostly cos I never seem to get round to cancelling my subscription), but none of the others. Same rehashed stuff all the time.

I've got a bunch of books to work through though, so there's enough there to keep me going for a long time.

DrJazzTap · January 2016

Just you wait...the nu metal revival is imminent.
I'm already digging out my massive late 90s jeans... (although they'd probably just fit quite nicely now).

PolarityMan · January 2016

Guitarists get the magazines they deserve. The truth is that most guitarist aren't interested in being well rounded musicians and are obsessed with solo'ing rather than playing music. The solo is the bane if creativity and although @drjazztap might deride it, nu-metals rejection of this lead to more interesting development of the instrument than we've seen in years......if you want better magazines there needs to be a greater hunger if better musicians doing creative things rather than bashing out tired old cliches in their bedrooms.

duotone · January 2016

Cancelled my subscription years ago, but a couple months I signed up to the online version. I prefer to have the paper magazine to go through (old fashioned), But it works fine on the IPad and the more recent issues 2012/13 onwards have the brilliant tab marker that goes along with the music.

xchrisv · January 2016

As the discussion has widened out to guitar magazines in general, I feel obliged to mention that G&B is the only major UK guitar magazine to have grown its print circulation significantly over the last six months, while others have shrunk by up to 17%. This seems to indicate that we are doing something right - if you haven't checked the mag out for a while then it's a good time to do so as it has undergone a major revamp since the spring. Thinly-veiled plug over ;-)

bigjon · January 2016

Yes this issue of Guitar Techniques is blues-heavy, but it's great stuff - SRV's Tightrope with backing track in concert pitch, yay!, Robben Ford & Larry Carlton lines over blues changes including melodic minor derivations, and an extended Allan Lane transcription mainly over a static Dm7 chord. Plus John Wheatcroft's new jazz column has been fantastic - this month is Eddie Lang, and we've had Django but also Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Krantz and Tim Miller.

DefaultM · January 2016

Its all high quality tuition, it's just boring getting the same stuff over and over.

The classical article is interesting but I'm unsure who it's aimed at. It would be good if it was simple pieces aimed at electric guitarists who want to start getting in to classical, but some of the pieces are quite difficult.
Surely if you get to the point of being serious about classical and playing these kinds of things it's not going to be from tabs in a magazine listening along to a CD?

Rocker · January 2016

@Jetfire, you argue your case very well my friend. Your post is well set out and easy for anyone to understand. I urge you to send it to the editor of the magazine. At the end of the text, include a line that states the letter was posted on this website. The magazine editor may choose to ignore it or it might result in the start of a series of instruction or analysis of music that readers actually listen to and want to learn.

You have nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. Go for it.

thomasross20 · January 2016

I'll check out Guitar & Bass mag.

Yes, it might be great blues stuff but it's still blues nonetheless and it's pretty much made me sick of the mag.

Agree with the comments on the classical section.

mellowsun · January 2016

chrisv said:

As the discussion has widened out to guitar magazines in general, I feel obliged to mention that G&B is the only major UK guitar magazine to have grown its print circulation significantly over the last six months, while others have shrunk by up to 17%. This seems to indicate that we are doing something right - if you haven't checked the mag out for a while then it's a good time to do so as it has undergone a major revamp since the spring. Thinly-veiled plug over ;-)

@chrisv the new look G&B is great. On the digital side, do you have any plans to add video reviews on the G&B web site?

Jetfire · January 2016

Tbh, I did post this back in 2013 when I actually was annoyed by GT. Nw, I've stopped buying guitar mags all together. It is a good point but why rant when no one is listening?

Rocker;919116" said:
@Jetfire, you argue your case very well my friend. Your post is well set out and easy for anyone to understand. I urge you to send it to the editor of the magazine. At the end of the text, include a line that states the letter was posted on this website. The magazine editor may choose to ignore it or it might result in the start of a series of instruction or analysis of music that readers actually listen to and want to learn.

You have nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. Go for it.

DrJazzTap · January 2016

@polarityman I don't deride it. That was my style of music.

I was just amused seeing a poster for a new years eve event in Bristol. For a club playing nu metal bands . i was then alarmed at the fact it's been nearly fifteen years since I was jumping around a nightclub to incubus and the deftones.

I did read a while back that blues music is failing to attract young black musicians. As some view it as a painful reminder of the past (cotton fields and oppression). Hip hop, rap and soul are considered more relevant and appealing.

I like others get sick to death of seeing blues artists and blues article's in guitar magazine's. But it's an easy genre to get to grips with.

Incidentally I don't mind nu metal coming back...so long as Fred durst has nothing to do with it.

Megii · January 2016

bigjon said:

Yes this issue of Guitar Techniques is blues-heavy, but it's great stuff - SRV's Tightrope with backing track in concert pitch, yay!, Robben Ford & Larry Carlton lines over blues changes including melodic minor derivations, and an extended Allan Lane transcription mainly over a static Dm7 chord. Plus John Wheatcroft's new jazz column has been fantastic - this month is Eddie Lang, and we've had Django but also Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Krantz and Tim Miller.

I agree - granted it can overdo the blues a tad, but there's always a fair old variety of styles covered, and many of the features can apply to several genres anyhow. I like the magazine for not ignoring jazz also, despite it being a minority interest. The recent series of guest articles by Nigel Price was terrific I thought - I had stopped buying the magazine for a while, but that got me started again, and I think I'll stick with it now.

PolarityMan · January 2016

DrJazzTap said:

@polarityman I don't deride it. That was my style of music.
I was just amused seeing a poster for a new years eve event in Bristol. For a club playing nu metal bands . i was then alarmed at the fact it's been nearly fifteen years since I was jumping around a nightclub to incubus and the deftones.

I did read a while back that blues music is failing to attract young black musicians. As some view it as a painful reminder of the past (cotton fields and oppression). Hip hop, rap and soul are considered more relevant and appealing.

I like others get sick to death of seeing blues artists and blues article's in guitar magazine's. But it's an easy genre to get to grips with.

Incidentally I don't mind nu metal coming back...so long as Fred durst has nothing to do with it.

It must be due a resurgence literally any day now......

xchrisv · January 2016

mellowsun said:
@chrisv the new look G&B is great. On the digital side, do you have any plans to add video reviews on the G&B web site?

Thanks @mellowsun – video is still barely-charted territory for G&B, although it's something I have a lot of experience of on both sides of the camera. It's very much on the agenda for 2016 but the frequency and type of video is still up for discussion.

I made this recently to gauge the reaction: https://www.facebook.com/TheGuitarMagazine/videos/vb.257998979156/10153283830809157/?type=2&theater

Now is a very good time to let me know what sort of thing you'd like to see! :-)

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