Newsletter Vol. 2 # 1 – September 08, 2002
Welcome to the latest issue of Guitar Noise News.
In This Issue
- News and Announcements
- New Lessons and Articles
- Email of the Week
- Hot Forum Topic
- Thoughts and Feedback
News And Announcements
Greetings to all!
Believe it or not, this is one of the changes we told you about in the last issue of the newsletter. It’s one of those subtle kinds of things, so let’s see if you can figure it out before it becomes (overly) obvious. Big bald clue there, by the way…
I’d like to kick off my tenure as newsletter editor by inviting you to join me here on the website. It is no secret that Guitar Noise’s greatest asset is you, our readers. Where do you think all our terrific writers came from? It’s close on three years ago that I first wrote Paul about being a columnist and look where that’s got me!
Fact is that, where music and the guitar are concerned, there are so many lessons and things to teach and various subjects to simply talk about that one person (or a dozen) cannot begin to do it all. If you’ve ever thought that you’d like to share your thoughts with people from all over the world, we invite you to do so. Here is a link to our new Submissions Guide, should the muse so inspire you.
Perhaps you don’t feel you have a whole article in you… That’s okay! Over the next few months we’ll be also featuring short anecdotes on special subjects. I am hoping that many of you will want to contribute. As they say, “Watch this space for details!”
The other big news to share this week is that, very soon, we will launch a new page called Absolute Beginners. These will be a brief series of lessons for the totally new guitarist – one without any musical knowledge whatsoever. We received so many emails about this over the summer that it had to be addressed. Most of this material, such as how to tune your guitar or change your strings, already exists at Guitar Noise. We’re simply bringing it all together on one page along with new articles on things.
New Lessons And Articles
I’m tempted to call this a week of thirds and fourths. Here’s what’s new on the site since the last newsletter:
Automagic Harmony – Mike LaFountain
It’s a snap to add harmony notes to your fingerstyle guitar playing – Mike LaFountain shows us how in his first article for Guirtarnoise. Thirds, tenths and sixths are examined and discussed and we even get a bonus look at intervals taken from the blues scale. Loaded with examples and exercises, and Mike has also been kind enough to provide us with MIDI files (do let me know what you think of these, okay?). I’ll think you’ll join me in hoping that Mike writes for us again soon.
Comping With Fourths – Bill Cozzo
Virtually all the chord theory that we’ve studied here at Guitar Noise has been based on the use of thirds or triads. But there are other ways to make a chord as well. Bill has written a great introduction on what is called quartal harmony – chords that are based on the intervals of fourths. If you’ve ever wondered about how people come up with some of those “different” sounding chord voicings, Bill provides you with a great place to start. A must-read for those of you interested in getting started into jazz (like me!) as well as those who want to get more out of their chord playing.
The Square Neck Dobro – Warren Butler
Our own A-J Charron takes a break from his recording to introduce us to Warren, a multi-instrumentalist whose latest claim to fame will be playing on A-J’s upcoming CD. Warren, in turn, introduces us to the marvellous instrument known as the square neck dobro, or resonator guitar. This is a great article for those of you who want to learn more about the instrument as well as for those of you who’ve ever wondered about using your guitar skills to learn another instrument.
Worth Another Look
I’d like to continue on with Paul’s tradition of picking out some of our “older” (dare I say “timeless?”) lessons that are worth reading again (and again!). Since two of our new lessons involve creating chords and voicings from specific intervals, you might want to refresh yourselves on how chords are formed in the first place.
The Power Of Three explains how our four main types of chords (major, minor, augmented and diminished) are formed. It really is as easy as one, two three (or is that “one, three, five?”)
Building Additions (and Suspensions) takes the knowledge we learned from The Power Of Three and shows how chords are further modified. Ever want to know how to make a 9th or an 11th? Do you know what the “sus” in Dsus2 means? All is revealed here.
Email Of The Week
Submitted for your perusal:
Subject : Help me find my unicorns Question : Okay, I understand that my subject might be a little strange, but trust me – it makes sense. Like unicorns, I have yet to see/hear a woman guitarist that I could compare to guys like Yngwie Malmstien, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, etc. I myself am an aspiring metal/punk/rock guitarist and have been shot down so many times by male guitarists that I’ve almost quit playing entirely. I am in a band with three very talented female players and I am a little worried that we’ll never get a deal just because of our gender. I can see that there have been some (well okay, many) untalented and embarrassing girl bands in the past, but I want to change that! One of my male “friends” tried to convince me that women cannot play as fast as men because of “physical limitations.” Please help me prove that he is wrong!
And here is Laura’s response
Thanks for writing Guitar Noise. I wish I could help you find your unicorns! As I go through guitarists in my head, I can’t find a female guitarist that has enjoyed the same success as the guys you’ve mentioned. I do believe that women can play as well and as fast. You can prove that to your friend with your own abilities.
Unfortunately, female guitarists have not always been granted huge commercial success. Kelly Ritchie, who I reviewed in the Other Side, has been compared to Jimi Hendrix, but she hasn’t had the same commercial success as Hendrix. I’ve been pondering the reasons for a while. I wonder if it’s because the women tend to also be vocalists, and find it easier to have acceptance as the vocalist, not the lead guitarist. Just a thought…
In basketball, women never dunk. Lisa Leslie of the LA Sparks has been able to dunk since she was 20, but has never done it in a professional game until this year. Dunking was considered a male prerogative on the pro court. No longer, I’m happy to add. I think it will be a while before we see this regularly from women on the court, though. It’s like playing a blistering lead. Women can do this, and I’m sure many do, at home or jamming with friends. But to garner recognition and commercial success with this… hasn’t happened yet.
It can’t be easy to play on when others are criticizing you, but please don’t stop playing because of what others say. If you enjoy the guitar, and have a great band of femmes, stick with it! You could be the one to prove all the guys wrong; like Lisa Leslie!
Best Regards, Laura Lasley
I bring up this exchange between Laura and one of our readers for a particular reason: to introduce a new secton of our newsletter:
Hot Forum Topic
from the Other Side Forum page
WHY? Hey, First and foremost I don’t want to make any of you ladies upset. But I have a question for you. It seems to me (I hope I’m not being stereotypical) that girls usually like to play strumming type acoustical “pretty” stuff in general on guitar. I have a friend who’s learning to play guitar and she’s way into like playing jewel and other soft strumming and picking stuff (even tho she listens to nu-metal and pop-hard rock such as Incubus and Staind, which by the way I hate). It just seems like girls in general prefer acoustic guitars to electrics and they prefer soft folksy type stuff to say blues, jazz, or rock. That’s not to say there aren’t female blues, jazz, and rock players. I’m simply saying that there aren’t many. Whereas almost every boy dreams about owning his first electric guitar. Usually a stratocaster so he can play like Jimi Hendrix or some other hero. Can you bring some insight on this for me please? And please don’t get all mad at me. At least I have the guts to ask the question and think about this rather than form prejudicial opinions based upon incomplete facts.
It’s an interesting question. Personally, I have seen and heard a number of what I’d call “fire and brimstone” female guitarists. Two, LT and Kelly Richey, have graced our site in the recent past (and will be doing so again). If you’d like to join in on this discussion, or any of the interesting ones going on over at the Forum Pages, I’d like to hear what you have to say. I think we all would.
You can chime in with your opinion on the forums.
Thoughts and Feedback
I would like to end each newsletter with a few thoughts, as well as with feedback from you. I think that this is an ideal means of getting more input from all our readers. If you’ve ever written me an email before, then you will understand where I am coming from. As I see it, you care enough about Guitar Noise to have subscribed to Guitar Noise News. And I hope that you will be willing to share your thoughts with me on all sorts of subjects in the months ahead. Unless, of course, you all write now and tell me to just leave the newsletter alone!
And, as always,
Peace
David Hodge