Guitar Licks and Tips

As a guitarist who loves to show who and what has influenced his style over the years, he surely isn’t hiding his love for that Motown sound! In the song I Don’t Need no Doctor by Motown songwriters Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford while made popular by Ray Charles (1966), he pays a reverence to this genre. It’s also from his live performance DVD in LA titled Where The Light Is. The intro that he does for Neon is a real nice. Now back to my post!

Many bands have attempted to play this great song like Humble Pie, New Riders of the Purple Sage or W.A.S.P. (remember them?). John Mayer’s interpretation of this song closely resembles that of John Scofield, which features guess guitarist Mr. Mayer. In Ray Charles adaptation, he has a more upbeat rhythm were as John Mayer’s is performed with a slower tempo with a swampy bluesy swagger.

In I Don’t Need No Doctor, which is a classic 12 bar blues song in the key of E, John hooks his distinctive chording in it. The trumpet player Brad Mason and saxophone player Bob Reynolds fill out the song rather fittingly.

Here are some neat chord inversions that John Mayer plays in this one. For this song, I will provide you with the chords in TAB form that I think he uses. Please be patient with this new TAB tables that I am using here folks. I’m just seeing how it comes up on some people’s screen. Please tell me if there is a problem viewing this post, thanx!

Keep on Jammin’

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Jimi Hendrix’s latest album release titled Valleys Of Neptune sound interesting and has lots of critics both pro and con. Some say they (his company run by family members and Sony Music’s Legacy Division) should let Jimi rest in peace while others say great, release more gems if you’ve got ‘em! I stand in the middle of both these camps. I wonder what Jimi would have to say about this.

For one, keeping Jimi and his revolutionary guitar playing skills should live on forever. Guitar players of today and tomorrow would benefit greatly from the release of new tunes. We have all learned tons of guitar techniques from the master from old offerings but what about stuff that we’ve never heard of? Little Wing is a master piece that keeps fingers moving and exploring different ways of expressing themselves to either the masses or just person pleasure. What if something extraordinary like this tune was never released? I know that someone out there would eventually come up with a similar guitar approach but still Jimi’s style is in a league of it’s own! Next we have the just let him go camp.

A lot of music fans feel that the people/company that keeps exploiting the man are doing a great injustice. I can appreciate that view and would support it … to a certain degree.

What’s your take on this?

This one (Hear my Train a Comin’, acoustic version) is on the new album Valleys of Neptune.

Keep on Jammin’

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The Acoustic Guitar magazine is celebrating 20 years of service to all those die hard acoustic guitarists out there everywhere!

I’ve always found some great topics and intriguing issues in this magazine. The way the articles are phrased makes them simple to understand and the writers don’t talk down to you. I find this magazine to be unmatched and highly recommend it to any level of guitarist.

I’ve picked up some real nice little riffs and chord progressions in it that I find myself using without even realizing it! The website is just fabulous! If you have an online subscription, the guitar videos will help you become not only a much better guitarist, but a well rounded musician as well. I can’t say enough about the guys and girls that work there.

Acoustic Guitar’s 20th anniversary issue has what they consider to be the top 240 essential albums from the past 20 years. Some are from albums/guitarist that are familiar and some musicians that are very obscure to most, but in the end will help you expand your playing styles in new and exciting directions.

The anniversary installment, January’s issue, covers some great guitar and gear innovations over the past 20 years. Products like the Trace acoustic TA-100, the Kyser Quick Change capo (I’ve got one and I NEVER leave home with out one in my case), the Fishman Acoustic Matrix piezo pickup, tons of guitars and pedals. It also has a real nice article about how guitar making technology has helped change the sound of modern instruments.

Acoustic Guitar 20th Anniversary collector’s edition is out and I highly recommend that you pick this one up for either yourself or a guitarist that you know.

Keep on Jammin’ Acoustic Guitar!

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