Radiohead Back Climate Change Initiative

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has put his support behind The Big Ask Europe, a movement pushing for greater legislation to combat the emissions that cause climate change.

Yorke presented the European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas with a symbol of The Big Ask February 27 at the launch of their campaign.

The organisation, along with a number of Friends Of The Earth groups, is asking the governments of 17 European states, including the UK, to commit to legally binding limits of emissions of materials believed to cause climate change.

With reference to the importance of the project, Yorke says: “We will never wake from the nightmare of climate change unless our national governments and the European Union act. They are the only ones who can put the structures in place that will help us tackle climate change.

“That is why we are launching The Big Ask in 17 countries across Europe. By committing to annual cuts in our emissions at a national and European level we can play our part in tackling climate change, and set an example for the rest of world to follow.”

The Big Ask has previously campaigned to get the UK to implement targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions – this law will now come into force this summer.

Thanks for the info to NME.com.

Eric Clapton To Play North Korea

Rock icon Eric Clapton has been invited to play a concert in the North Korean capital Pyongyang, an official at the country's UK embassy has confirmed.

If he accepts, the 62-year-old will become the first Western rock star to perform in the Communist country.

According to newspaper reports Clapton has agreed in principle to the concert, suggesting it takes place in 2009.

News of the invitation follows the New York Philharmonic Orchestra's landmark concert in the North Korean capital.

The North Korean State Symphony Orchestra is due to perform in the UK later this year.

According to embassy officials, an appearance by Clapton would be "a good opportunity for Western music to be understood better by Koreans".

A spokesman told the BBC the invitation had been received by the singer's management and brought to his attention.

The singer's management, however, would not confirm the approach.

Clapton is in New York this week, performing a series of concerts at Madison Square Garden with Steve Winwood.

Kim Jong Chol, the son of national leader Kim Jong Il, is said to be a Clapton fan.

Thanks for the info to .

Fall Out Boy Cover Michael Jackson On Upcoming CD/DVD

A cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is among the many treats to be found on "****," Fall Out Boy's first live release. Due April 8 via Island, the project will be available as a CD/DVD or DVD only; the Jackson cover is a studio version featuring a "special guest guitarist" yet to be named.

"****" was taped in June 22, 2007, at Phoenix's Cricket Pavilion. Beyond the band's own hits ("Sugar, We're Going Down," "Thanks Fr The Mmrs," "This Ain't a Scene, It's An Arms Race"), a wide array of covers are included, such as Akon's "Don't Matter," Timbaland's "One and Only" and Panic At The Disco's "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies."

The DVD sports all eight Fall Out Boy music videos, a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and a making-of segment for the "Me & You" video, which was filmed in Uganda.

"Before watching ourselves on film we never really realized how much we swear," bassist Pete Wentz wrote on the band's blog, by way of explaining the strange title for the upcoming release. "It's pretty gross ... though it's edited as to not hurt your little munchkin ears. And as for how to say the name, well any little four letter word will work."

01. Thriller
02. Grand Theft Autumn/ Where Is Your Boy
03. Don't Matter
04. Sugar, We're Goin Down
05. Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued
06. Of All The Gin Joints In All The World
07. Hum Hallelujah
08. I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written
09. About Me
10. Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today
11. I'm Like A Lawyer, The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
12. Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me
13. Beat It
14. Carpal Tunnel Of Love
15. Golden
16. I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
17. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
18. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
19. The Take Over, The Breaks Over
20. One and Only
21. Dance, Dance
22. Drum Solo
23. Saturday

An Insider's Look At How To Play Fast Guitar

Every budding guitarist loves to hear those powerhouse solos where it seems like the players fingers are on fire. Learning how to play fast guitar is something that many young players want to master, but they don't know where to start. First, you must understand some important details before you can even start learning how to play fast guitar.

Misconceptions:
There are two major misconceptions that are associated with learning how to play fast guitar. First of all, you must consider the context of the music. Speed is unimportant and irrelevant unless the piece of music supports it, and calls for it. For example, if you can play that riff everyone knows from Sweet Home Alabama, a southern rock classic, it would not be appropriate to learn to play it 10 times faster. The piece calls for that classic southern, laid back crawl. The next major misconception learning how to play fast guitar is that you have to practice fast in order to play fast. If you want to really master a lick, you have to start slow, perhaps even painfully slow. Slowly increase the speed and you will enjoy gradual progress in your accuracy and dexterity, over time.

Think:

In order to play any instrument, you need to be able to use your brain at all times. If you are playing so fast and so hard that you cannot think, then you are like a reckless beginner skier bombing uncontrollably down an icy, steep hill. It is irresponsible and ineffective to play so fast that you cannot think. As you learn to play the guitar, your fingers begin to learn things, and ultimately they operate seamlessly on their own. Think about how hard it is to learn the chord G. It is one of the most difficult chords for a beginner because it is usually the first one they learn that employs all four fingers. 6 months later, your fingers and your mind are so comfortable with the G chord shape that you do not even have to think in order to play it. This is the same with learning how to play fast guitar. Over time, your fingers will develop natural reactions and dexterity that can only be derived from a great deal of practice, concentration, and advanced thinking.

Isolate:

If a certain chord change or string change within a scale is tripping you up, then you need to take a step back and isolate the trouble spot. This means practicing just 3 or 4 notes (or two chords) over and over again until the transition is seamless. Isolation is probably the biggest thing that will improve your speed on the guitar, besides repetition and slowly building speed over time. Learn to listen to your own playing so that you can identify problem areas. You might even want to record yourself practicing!

Playing the guitar fast is a skill. If you play too fast and too out of control without enough skill, then you will have a poor sound and most importantly you will develop bad habits. Take it slow, think, and isolate your problem areas. That is how to learn to play guitar fast.

By:

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Learning how to use guitar scales is essential for any budding lead guitarist. To learn an effective system for mastering guitar scales, be sure to check out: www.GuitarScaleMastery.com/letter/

Let's See How Far We've Come

Ok.. Since last month, my guitar skill doesn't have any improvement.
How about you??

No System Of A Down Reunion

Former System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian has warned optimistic fans the band will never reunite.

The group took a break in 2006 to focus on other projects - frontman Serj Tankian went on to pursue a solo career and Malakian formed a new band with his former drummer John Dolmayan. And Malakian insists his new band Scars On Broadway is the only project he will be working on in the foreseeable future.


He tells MTV.com, "There's no talk of System doing anything. We're not planning on doing anything. If anyone's holding their breath for a System record, they're going to turn blue and pass out. It's a long ways away, if it ever even happens. We don't even talk about it - none of us. This (Scars on Broadway) is my band right now."

Thanks for the info to Contactmusic.com.

Slash On 'Chinese Democracy'

Slash On 'Chinese Democracy'

Foos Using Soundcheck To Work On New Songs

The shine has hardly faded from the Foo Fighters' two Grammy Awards, but the group is already working towards a follow-up to last year's "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."

"We're already working on songs," bassist Nate Mendel tells Billboard.com. "We've got a handful of them that we're working on at sound check, which has never really happened, so we're getting a good start. The band's in a good place; everyone's really excited about making music, so we're already getting going."


That said, Mendel isn't sure how quickly a new Foos album will come, especially with a year full of touring ahead of the band.

"Well, we're gonna need a break," he says. "It's fun making the music; it's when you have to go out and promote it that it's work. So we're gonna be in a weird place -- we were on this last record, too. It's like, 'We just got done touring, but we're ready to record. What do we do?' You can't record it and leave it in a vault 'cause it'll get leaked, and it feels weird to just sit and wait arbitrarily for six months. We'll probably find ourselves in the same position again, excited to record but knowing that you've got a year of touring at the end of it."

Mendel and company aren't wringing their hands too much, however. Currently in the midst of a North American tour, the group also has spring dates booked in Japan, Australia and New Zealand before heading to Europe in late May.

"The one thing we're really focused on are the shows at Wembley Stadium (June 6-7)," he says. "They're the biggest thing we've ever done, so we're basically working up to that. We're trying to improve the show so we can pull it off playing in a stadium 'cause it's another level for us and a lot of pressure. We want it to be huge and the best thing we've ever done."

But don't look for a run of stadiums back home, Mendel adds. "If we were opening for Bon Jovi, maybe -- which isn't going to happen. We're just happy to be playing in arenas right now."

Thanks for the info to Billboard.com.

U2 Enter Studio For New Album

Irish rockers U2 have hit the studio in Dublin to continue work on their next studio album with longtime collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

"We're going to try and break new sonic ground and deliver a masterpiece," Lanois told Billboard.com. "The sleeves are rolled up. Bono is all charged up with a lyrical angle."


U2, Eno and Lanois have spent time working on new material on three prior occasions in France and Morocco.

"There's so much material," he said, referring to speculation that the sessions could yield two new albums. "When you get Eno and I and those guys in the room, before lunch there's like eight things."

There's no date yet for the project, which will be the follow-up to 2004's "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," which won the Grammy for album of the year.

Credits for the info to Yahoo! News.

AC/DC To Enter The Studio In March

Australian hard rock icons AC/DC are getting closer to ending an eight-year drought of new music. "God, I'm ready," bassist Cliff Williams, who was in L.A. to participate at the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, tells Spinner. To that end, the group will hit the studio March 1st.

Almost as long as the wait for new music is the band's absence from the stage. Tour plans, however, aren't as firm. "If we go out again or when we go out again," Williams said. "You just never know. We've been around a long time, so we're going to get together and get in the studio and I fully expect we will [tour.]. I don't mean to be so negative about that. [When] the last tour ended in early '01, you'd see kids on their dads' shoulders. And these kids were like 10, 12 years old. It will be tremendous to see that again. And it's very cool -- younger kids getting into older music."


Williams admits that he doesn't listen to his own stuff very often, but on hand at the Rock Camp, the bassist did get a new perspective on some of the band's classics. And what's standing out for him lately? "'Down Payment Blues,' 'Live Wire' -- I dig a lot of the old stuff," he says. "It's amazing. We look back on old albums -- look at tracks -- and I don't remember the tracks from the title. But those two songs I would love to play."

Thanks for the info to Spinner.com.

My Chemical Romance Bids Farewell To 'The Black Parade'

Theatrical alt-rockers My Chemical Romance will make one more pass across the US before wrapping the world tour behind their latest album, "The Black Parade."

The band, which recently toured Southeast Asia and is currently in South America, will launch the US run of intimate venues March 28 in Tempe, AZ. The initial itinerary shows the trek stretching from coast to coast through early May, including two-night stands in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Billy Talent and Drive By will open the dates, which are listed below. More shows are expected, according to My Chemical Romance's website.


The band is also preparing to lay "The Black Parade" to rest with a new live CD/DVD set titled "The Black Parade is Dead!," which was recorded over a few weeks in October. A release date has yet to be determined.

"The Black Parade," which surfaced in fall 2006, recently scored platinum status on the strength of hit rock and pop singles "Welcome to the Black Parade," "Teenagers" and "Famous Last Words." The concept album follows the journey of a dying man who pleads with death to give him another chance. My Chemical Romance introduced the record by playing it live in its entirety under the band name The Black Parade.

Band members have told various reporters that My Chemical Romance will return to its punk-rock roots on its next album.

Tour dates are as follows:

03/28 - Tempe, AZ - Tempe Music Festival
03/29 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
03/30-31 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
04/03-4 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
04/06 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre/Bamboozle Left
04/08 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
04/11 - Magna, UT - The Great Salt Air Theatre
04/13 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
04/15 - Kansas City, KS - Memorial Hall
04/17 - Chicago, IL - venue to be announced
04/19 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore at State Theatre
04/28 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Amphitheater
05/02 - Memphis, TN - venue to be announced
05/06 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

Thanks for the info to LiveDaily.com.

History Of Classic Guitar

Before the development of the electric guitar and the use of synthetic materials, a guitar was defined as being an instrument having "a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back, most often with incurved sides".[1] Instruments similar to the guitar have been popular for at least 5,000 years. The guitar appears to be derived from earlier instruments known in ancient India and Central Asia as the Sitara. The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying all the essential features of a guitar being played is a 3300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.[2] The modern word, guitar, was adopted into English from Spanish guitarra, derived from the Latin word cithara, which in turn was derived from the earlier Greek word kithara, which perhaps derives from Persian sihtar.[3] Sihtar itself is related to the Indian instrument, the sitar.


Illustration from a Carolingian Psalter from the 9th century, showing a Guitar-like plucked instrument.The modern guitar is descended from the Roman cithara brought by the Romans to Hispania around 40 AD, and further adapted and developed with the arrival of the four-string oud, brought by the Moors after their conquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century.[4] Elsewhere in Europe, the indigenous six-string Scandinavian lut (lute), had gained in popularity in areas of Viking incursions across the continent. Often depicted in carvings c. 800 AD, the Norse hero Gunther (also known as Gunnar), played a lute with his toes as he lay dying in a snake-pit, in the legend of Siegfried.[5] By 1200 AD, the four string "guitar" had evolved into two types: the guitarra morisca (Moorish guitar) which had a rounded back, wide fingerboard and several soundholes, and the guitarra latina (Latin guitar) which resembled the modern guitar with one soundhole and a narrower neck.[6]

The Spanish vihuela or "viola da mano", a guitar-like instrument of the 16th century, appears to be an aberration in the transition from the renaissance instrument to the modern guitar. It had lute-style tuning and a guitar-like body. Its construction had as much in common with the modern guitar as with its contemporary four-course renaissance guitar. The vihuela enjoyed only a short period of popularity; the last surviving publication of music for the instrument appeared in 1576. It is not clear whether it represented a transitional form or was simply a design that combined features of the Arabic oud and the European lute. In favor of the latter view, the reshaping of the vihuela into a guitar-like form can be seen as a strategy of differentiating the European lute visually from the Moorish oud.

The Vinaccia family of luthiers is known for developing the mandolin, and may have built the earliest extant six string guitar. Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 - after 1831)[7] has his signature on the label of a guitar built in Naples, Italy for six strings with the date of 1779.[8][9] This guitar has been examined and does not show tall-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar although fakes are known to exist of guitars and identifying labels from that period.

Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892), working in Seville in the 1850s. Torres and Louis Panormo of London (active 1820s-1840s) were both responsible for demonstrating the superiority of fan strutting over transverse table bracing.[10]

The electric guitar was patented by George Beauchamp in 1936. Beauchamp co-founded Rickenbacher which used the horseshoe-magnet pickup. However, it was Danelectro that first produced electric guitars for the wider public.

What Really Guitar Is?

In 1930s Detroit, a man named Joseph Figlock was to become an amazing figure in a young (and, apparently, incredibly careless) mother’s life. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother’s baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby’s fall was broken and Figlock and the baby were unharmed. A year later, the selfsame baby fell from the selfsame window, again falling onto Mr. Figlock as he was passing beneath. Once again, both of them survived the event.

The History Of Silverchair

Silverchair is Australias most succesful rock band to date, they have had numerous top 20 hits over the past 10 years and they have sold over 6 million albums worldwide. All three of Silverchair (Daniel Johns - singer/guitarist, Ben Gillies - drummer and Chris Joannou - bassist) were born in Newcastle in 1979.


In Silverchair's early days they called themselves The Innocent Criminals, they played songs from Led Zepplin and Deep Purple. They changed their name from innocent criminals to Silverchair after they won a contest on SBS called "pick me", which won them a recording contract. The name came from a song by Smashing Pumpkins called Silverf**k and Berlin Chair by You Am I.

In 1994 Silverchair released their smash hit Tommorow, it had great success in Australia spending 6 weeks at the top of the charts and also having great success in America.

Early 1995 they released Frogstomp their 1st album. As well as Tommorow it had 2 other smash hits with "Pure Massacre" and "Israels Son", worldwide Frogstomp sold 2.5 million copies, and it was recorded in less than 2 weeks! Later that year Silverchair toured the USA with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

In 1997 they released their second album Freak Show, it had 3 hit: Freak, Cemetery and Abuse Me. This time they didn't exceed 2 million albums sold worldwide only 1.5 million.

By now Silverchair had been labelled as Nirvana or Pearl Jam copycats. In 1999 Silverchair showed their critics they werent, with their 3rd album Noen Ballroom a mixing heavy metal rock and an orchestra. Silverchair had 4 hits from this album: Anthem For The Year 2000, Ana's Song, Miss You Love and Emotional Sickness. They toured the world again, this time performing at the reading festival, and touring with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Blink 182.

After these tours Silverchair announced they were taking a 12 month break from the music buissness. They changed labels as their 3 album deal with Sony had ended and joined Eleven.

In 2001 Silverchair performed alongside Red Hot Chilli Peppers for the 3rd time at Rock in Rio, in front of 250,000 people.

Later that year they went back to the studio to record their 4th album Diorama, which had critics raving, it finally prooved that Silverchair weren't just some punk kids copying their heros. Diorama shows much brighter lyrics and music from there preceding ablbums. It was a big step for them to release an album like this.

Later in 2002 lead singer and guitarist Daniel Johns was diagnosed with arthiritis and Silverchair had to cancel shows. But when he got better they toured the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and finally Australia.

Muse To Announce World Stadium Tour?

Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has revealed that the band are considering a world stadium tour following the success of their shows at Wembley Stadium last summer.

The band’s two spectacular sold out performances at the recently regenerated venue in London drew worldwide acclaim – something which Bellamy admits is inspiring.


“What inspires us is the idea maybe of doing shows like Wembley Stadium, but trying to bring it to more countries around the world, because we haven't really toured at stadium level,” he told 6music.

The singer added that he can see two sides of the band evolving, which consist of big shows and smaller, more intimate gigs.

As we reported earlier, Bellamy has already confirmed that the band will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London this April on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Thanks for the info to Gigwise.com.

John Lennon 'Had A Military Past'

He may have dreamed of a world living in harmony and called on us all to “Give peace a chance”, but a new document that has emerged seems to show that John Lennon was once a member of the air cadets.

The card surfaced at a Beatles memorabilia show in Liverpool and apparently showed that Lennon was a member of the cadets in the mid-Fifties.


Although it is yet to be authenticated, if proved real, it will shed new light on the legend’s life.

According to the BBC, the papers read: "Lennon, John Winston: Next of Kin: Mrs M E Smith (Aunt), 251 Menlove Avenue, Woolton and Employer or School: Quarry Bank High School, Harthill Road."

Rock and Roll memorabilia expert Stephen Mayock said of the find: “I had no idea that Lennon was ever a member of the corps, so this is adding a piece of the jigsaw which as far as I'm aware no-one has ever heard before. This fact is a new fact to me, it's a fantastic thing."

John Lennon famously snubbed an OBE because of Britain’s military interests.

Thanks for the info to Gigwise.com.

Guns N' Roses In Full

Guns 'n' Roses, the band that re-created rock n roll in the mid-eighties and continued on a roler coaster of drink, drugs and excess until it was all torn apart by ego's. This is the story, as I know it from the very beginning to the present day.

It was the early 80’s and two friends named Steven Adler and Saul Hudson started jamming together and decided to form a band. With the awesome guitar work of Saul (Slash) Hudson it wasn’t long before this young band hit the L.A club scene. However this band was only made for the fun of it and would never really go anywhere without the singer to really captivate the audience.


In search of this very singer, Slash went to check out a band by the name of Hollywood Rose. Two good friends who had changed their names to Izzy Stradlin and W. Axle Rose formed this band. Slash was instantly impressed by Axle’s amazing captive stage presence.

“There was a certain menace about Axle that made him truly unique as a performer,” -- Slash.

“I said to Slash if we get that singer we can form a kick ass band” -- Steven Adler.

So after the show history was made, Slash was introduced to Axle and invited him to join Steven and himself in their band. Axle was interested by this but wasn’t willing to leave his band mate Izzy behind. It was decided after a few jam sessions both the old bands would be scrapped in favour of a new project To be named Guns N’ Roses. A bass player was auditioned and a few weeks later Duff McKagen completed the band.

While still on the club scene Guns ‘N’ Roses loud heavy rebellious stage shows captivated the audience but this didn’t always work in their favour. “Nobody wanted to sign us and even if they did they wouldn’t deal with us, manage or produce us, even the club owners were scared of us” -- Slash.

But a Geffen Records executive changed the fate of Guns when he saw them play at the Rainbow club in L.A. He realised they were the rebellious alternative fans were looking for and went straight to David Geffen himself. Within a few month /guns ‘N’ Roses had signed there first record deal with Geffen. The debut album was put into recording.

When the Appetite For Destruction album came out it was taken straight to the top by surprise to Geffen and Guns they had made history with the singles Sweet Child O’ Mine and Welcome To The Jungle. This was the difference maker for the Gun’s as the single Sweet Child O’ Mine showed them in a different light and as respectable musicians for the first time. Though critics doubted the Guns would last a year they were soon ready to hit the road to support the massively successful album.

“We were the right band with the right message at the right time, people just related to us” -- Axle Rose.

“We were the bad boys, we play rock n’ roll music to kick your ass” ~ Steven Adler.

“We were a bunch of crazy kids who were given the keys to every major city in the world really, which was f***ing great” -- Slash.

The tour was a huge success with the combustive stage presence of G’N’R offering an amazing spectacle for fans. “All the other bands, they had all the make-up, the spandex and crap, we didn’t we just played rock n roll” -- Steven Adler.

“They had a certain genuine thing to them, what you see is what you get, take it or leave it which I think there fans loved them for” -- Joe Perry.

Guns ‘n’ Roses rolled on through all the continents as a big hit but all the fame and glory couldn’t prepare them for what would happen next. Among all the 24-hour a day parties and excess tragedy would soon hit the band’s tour. During the well-known and now legendary set at the monsters of rock festival in Donnington, UK, two fans were crushed to death in the huge crowd. The band expressed there sympathy to the fans and there family’s at the soonest opportunity. Even though they were not really to blame critics cast the Gun’s into the fire.

“It really screws with your head, how they got there having a good time but never walked out, it’s a tragedy” -- Duff.

“It was the best example of having an all time high come crashing down to the worst case low” -- Slash.

After the tour G’N’R decided to re-enter the studio for another EP recording. The album soon hit the charts in the top ten along with Appetite. This was amazing success for something that was knocked out in a single day! “We just sat there and recorded these acoustic tracks in one day and it made millions” -- Slash.

The single patience also hit the carts and G’N’R decided to hit the road again.

This tour had the same atmosphere and excitement as the Appetite tour. G’N’R concerts sold out huge arenas with there spectacle and rebellious hard rock sound. But once again the band’s tour was to have severe consciences, this time it was a riot. During a gig in St. Louis Axle famously leapt from stage to tackle a fan with a camera. No sooner had Axle stormed off the stage than 80,000 people erupted into a huge riot. This caused massive damage to the arena and to the band’s reputation. Also it was another chance for the critical flames to burn again.

“It was a really embarrassing moment for us, we had no control of the situation” -- Slash.

“I jumped off the stage and things went crazy after that, no one was really doing anything so I took it into my hands with what I could do” -- Axle.

The band made up for this embarrassment by continuing the tour it was, once again, an unprecedented success. But the tour took its toll on the band, as did the excess. After the tour G’N’R took a break from recording and touring, during which time the band went truly off the rails.

“I got lost in a world of blurred days and forgotten nights” -- Duff.

“We were all strung out and we all got lost, as for Axle he disappeared altogether” -- Slash.

Then the rock legends the Rolling Stones offered G’N’R the chance to open their shows on their North American tour. G’N’R agreed this was a good time to get back together. But the established band had found difference of opinion during there down time. “It was like his bunch of guys are over here, then there is this other guy on a different page” -- Slash. This newly found tension was expressed in two particular moments. The first was Axles threat to end the band if a “certain member”, i.e. Slash, didn’t stop “dancing with Mr. Brownstone” the band would be over. “I know it was directed at me because I was so strung out at the time, but it was what really made me hate Axle because he never discussed it with me, I never really forgave him for that” -- Slash.

But Axle didn’t stop there he also issued the band with an ultimatum he wanted the full rights to the bands name, this was supposedly to keep the band going with him if this version didn’t survive.

“We just did what we had always done and kept the f***ing thing going” -- Slash.

“If we didn’t Sign it our band was going to break up right then and there, what were we supposed to do?” -- Duff.

After there tour with the rolling stones G’N’R decided to enter the studio once again but this time to record a huge double album they called the illusion project. But the old demons of drink and drugs were still hitting home with the band, in particular drummer Steven Adler.

“He couldn’t leave his drugs, he would lie to us, pure and simple, I want nothing to do with him” -- Axle.

“We all managed to straighten our selves out except Steven, he couldn’t even play, his depression got the best of him” -- Slash.

And after a lack of progress Adler was fired from G’N’R. in his place they hired the cult drummer Matt Sourum. But the sessions had a strange air to them with the rarity of actually seeing Axle and his bizarre creative directions.
“We can’t re-make appetite, I cant live my life through that one album I have to bury appetite.” -- Axle.

“Use Your Illusion was like the Guns ‘n’ Roses version of the white album so to speak, in the sense we had all this material from all these different directions” -- Slash.

But that still wouldn’t prepare G’N’R or their label Geffen for the huge success of the albums use your illusion 1 and 2 were a master class mix of everything guns had to offer. The albums went platinum in a week but this wouldn’t be enough for Axle. During the video shoots Axle went really grand on the budget for the so-called “trilogy”. The videos had to be on a grand scale including: dolphins, an oil freighter, building a church in a desert and of course destroying a mustang.

This was the leadership that crushed the band as a whole, as they prepared for their epic 2-year tour for the album(s) Izzy decided to quit. “He felt dictated to and wanted out” -- Slash. To replace Izzy the band called the L.A. guitarist Gilby Clarke but he had already heard about the dominant domineer Axle imposed on the band. “I knew form day 1 that it could end tomorrow” -- Gilby Clarke.

From the very beginning of the tour a lot had changed about G’N’R their friendship with Axle was lost and they had hardly any contact with him at all. Though they were mostly clean at the time drink was still a problem.

“You know when you get to the show, you have a cocktail at the show …. You have another cocktail, when he would show up we would be hammered from sitting drinking so much” -- Gilby Clarke.

“It was very dark and unsettling, sightings of Axle Rose were few and far between” -- Matt Sourum.

“Axle would sometimes not show up at all, we had a lot of candled gigs we had a lot of shows where we almost didn’t play, it was all very trying” -- Slash.

Even though the band was falling apart they were still a band. When they did all show up for the shows they delivered an incredible performance that would be remembered for decades. But the tour would be the last big thing Guns ever did, the high risk “Most dangerous band that ever lived”

“Saviours of rock n roll.” “Kings of excess.” That was Guns ‘N’ Roses would soon come to an end.

The band grew increasingly distant once the tour was over. This left Slash and Axle talking by phone only as they threw together a bunch of covers called the spaghetti incident. This was really the last album G’N’R ever made.

The last time the original Guns were in a studio together they recorded a soundtrack cover of Sympathy For The Devil (The Rolling Stones).

Now to the present day the Guns that were have stuck together in Velvet Revolver that’s Matt Sourum, Duff and Slash. They released their debut album contraband, which was a success worldwide. They also hit the road on a huge tour to support the album and are currently still going strong with this year’s Ozzfest (2005).

“I’m out on the road, I’m touring and the fans have stuck with us, that’s everything I want right now” -- Matt Sourum.

“We have drawn a whole new audience, there are 18 year old kids coming to our shows in search of a good hard rock band, I’m glad we can give them that” -- Duff.

“I have played enough gigs been in enough bands and played enough sessions that I finally understand what IT is, what it’s all about and having that come around a second time is a real blessing” -- Slash.

As for G’N’R, Axle has attempted a re-incarnation of the band that failed miserably at its attempted tour. The greatest hits collection sold well, largely because it was the real band.

“No matter how much money they stick in our faces we will never get together to do anything again unless there is a mutual respect and understanding and we are way way far from that. So I can’t see a reunion in the future.” -- Slash.

“It was a great band and a great time, will it be the same again? No, never that s*** will never happen again” -- Matt Sourum.

So in my opinion Guns ‘N’ Roses is now dead. Though it lives on in Velvet Revolver Chinese Democracy will be lucky to see a release at all. Even if it does hit the shelves I can’t see Axle lasting a tour without firing half of his band and support crew.

The quotes in this article came from various interviews and documentaries I have seen about the band. The rest of the article is my own work.

One final and famous quote to sum up this legendry band from their tour manager: “You never knew if it was going to end from an overdose or an argument, drunk depression or inflated egos. But at the same time you never knew if that day you would see the greatest musical performance ever.”

Thanks for reading
this is my first article by the way
peace out RAVEN

raven at ultimate-guitar.com

Top 100 Tabs Of Ultimate-guitar.com

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Slash: Life And Times Of A Guitar God

Special thanks to Linda of Slash’s official fan site snakepit.org for information used in this article.

Truly an inspiration to a generation of guitarists, a legend in his own right and an amazingly skilled guitarist. Slash has established himself as a guitar god, both for his heavy riffs and epic solos, along with a blues edged hard rock style based upon his biggest influences. But this six-string legend is not without his instantly recognisable image, or his rock n roll excessive lifestyle through time.


The story of this musical icon begins in 1965 in London. Slash was born by the name of Saul Hudson and raised in Stoke On Trent in England by his mother, an American clothes designer, and father, an English artist who worked on album covers. Slash moved to the USA when he was eleven years old. Living in L.A with his family and not quite fitting in at school, Slash lead a somewhat bohemian life at home.

The first real musical influences of Slash’s life really began at this time, with his parents being involved in fashion and music their friends would visit them in L.A. Their guests often included musicians such as David Bowie and Iggy pop.

During the 70’s Slash moved in with his grandmother when his parents separated. Slash was 15 years old when his grandmother gave him his first guitar as a gift. Playing along to his biggest influences and teaching himself to mimic the sounds of bands like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, guitar became a passion to Slash. Leaving his old hobby of BMX riding behind him and flunking out of school at the 11th grade Slash would devote 12 hours a day to playing guitar.

At this time Slash made two choices that changed his life, the first was to begin trying to piece together a way of making money from his guitar playing, the second to form a band called The Road Crew with a new friend, Steven Adler. While it became obvious they had potential they needed a singer. After meeting W. Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin Guns ‘n’ Roses was born (I won’t go into much depth on this 1 because I already wrote an article about that).

During the unforgettable 6 or so years at the top with G’N’R Slash had a whole range of experiences. From the unforgettable anthems and sold out stadiums, he finally became recognised as the guitar legend he is today. But before Guns hit the big time and scored a record deal they were constantly involved in an endless 24-hour a day party. While this added to their reputation of the most dangerous band on earth it took a huge toll on all the band members.

Perhaps no other member felt the full effect of the drink and the drugs as much as Slash. Because of his drugged up condition, Axl once came close to ending G’N’R saying Slash needs to “stop dancing with Mr. brownstone”. And during the illusions tour Slash was once found in a hotel by an elevator passed out with no pulse. To this day slash still gives thanks to the paramedic who saved his life with a reviving adrenalin shot to the heart.

But the good times had in G’N’R fro Slash included playing to sold out arenas and venues across the whole world, this also helped to establish his iconic image. But the imagery of Guns and Slash really came across with their music videos. Particularly the over budget shoots for “November Rain” and “Estranged”. As usual slash had the recognisable black top hat, les paul guitar and curly black hair. But with this budget G’N’R were able to put an incredible look to their music, For example the solo’s in November rain and estranged, how many other guitarists can say they stood on the ocean and played a solo at sunset.

After the illusions tour Slash and the Guns decided to take a break, during which time Slash became a United States citizen. But with the new G’N’R album taking a long time to get off the ground, Slash decided to start another band as a side project. The result was Slash’s Snake Pit, the band released the album “its 5 o’clock somewhere” which achieved worldwide success. The new band also featured equally bored Gunners Matt Sourum and Gilby Clarke. The band hit the road for a tour of some small clubs and venues in support of the album. Slash was glad to finally get out of the commercial mega-budget Guns ‘N’ Roses tours and back to a close range with the audience.

While Axl took forever to re-kindle G’N’R and the Snake pit tour was over (though promised to return) Slash was asked to play a blues festival. He accepted the offer and saw it as a chance to return to the Aerosmith style blues routs in his playing. As with snake pit this started a new project for Slash. It was called blues ball and was for live shows only, the band were in popular demand even without releasing an album. They covered classic blues tracks, which were re-defined by Slash soulful guitar playing.

During both snake pit and blues ball Slash waited for the call from Axl, when it finally came G’N’R set about recording the spaghetti incident. This project was dubbed by critics as a way of making money from a band that couldn’t stand their singer. This impression was given off when Axl had little at all to do with the album. The result was Slash taking the reigns and producing/directing this album himself.

When the time came for a follow up tour there was never any chance of Axl being interested. As a result Slash and the other members became frustrated. When work began on another album Slash could stand no more of Axl’s dominance. Although critics dismissed this as a popularity stunt, Slash only had two things to say. “When Axl is ready to make a rock n’ roll album I’ll come back” and “I’ll never walk onto a stage with a band pretending to be the original G’N’R”.

While Slash remained positive he could work with Rose, if they settled their differences. Axl was final in his decision, he said he couldn’t work with Slash because Slash only wanted to make a rock album. Rose said G’N’R needed a new direction and Slash wasn’t part of it. In my opinion that’s the biggest mistake Axl will ever make.

Though Axl never managed to release anything after the departure of Slash, the guitar legend didn’t just give up. As he had said in the past snake pit were back. And this time with a new group of undiscovered talent on his side Slash recorded the album aint life grand. The new snake pit group hit the road in support of ACDC and their album on a US tour. And while they did do smaller venues as well Slash still enjoyed the arena tour with ACDC, and never lost the incredible stage presence for a second.

After the snake pit reunion finished Slash was unsure of what to do next. He did consider a new snake pit album but then decided to accept an offer from long-term friend and fellow rocker Alice Cooper. Slash hit the road with Alice on a tour as a stage guest, during the tour he would come onto the stage for re-written and guitar loaded versions of Cooper classics. The songs Slash played included “Hey Stoopid”, “Poison”, “Only Women Bleed” and “Under My Wheels”. Slash also did guest tracks on a couple of Alice Cooper albums. This included the track “Lost In America” on the album “The Last Temptation” and also the “Raise Your Fist And Yell” album’s single “Freedom”.

For his next solo project Slash wanted to do something different. His original idea was to write music for an album and use guest musicians to fill in the gaps, different people from all over the world playing with Slash. For this album he wanted t do a track with former band mates Duff and Matt. This was what led to the beginning of the new super group for the ex-G’N’R members.

The project soon became known as Velvet Revolver. The chemistry was still strong between Slash, Matt and Duff, but they needed more band members one of which had to be a unique front man. While the musical side of the tracks were strong, Slash decided he would want to play with a rhythm guitarist. He soon found the perfect guitarist in the form of an old friend from junior high, Dave Knusher.

With Dave on board, Slash’s search for a singer took an “old style” turn. He decided to throw the coveted band membership open for audition and demos from anyone. The result was a time consuming closed session of song writing and listening to demo discs. In total this search took 6 months at least. Finally Duff came across a CD that showed enough promise to warrant a live audition. With the call made the un-known English singer did some work with the music VR already had recorded writing his own lyrics to the tracks.

The result got mixed responses from the band, Duff was more forgiving where as Matt was unimpressed. Slash decided to make the call and inform the singer that VR was going to carry on looking for a front man. After endless auditions and poor demo tapes they got a second hope in the form of an American singer, also un-known to the music industry.

While this new singer had more writing experience Slash and VR were still not happy with the work he did, so once again the call was made and they continued looking. Slash then discovered that Scott Weiland was taking an extended break from the Stone Temple Pilots.

“When Scott came in for the audition it just seemed to fit” satisfied with Weiland's performance, Slash decided to see if Scott and VR could work together creatively. The result was a showcase to the “industry” which convinced Scott to leave the Stone Temple Pilots permanently and commit to VR. This session also landed the group with the sound track to the movie “The Hulk”.

Scott decided after the “Song Set Me Free” was recorded to enter rehab. Slash and VR decided to back Weiland up on his decision having been there themselves. When Scott was released from rehab VR made their public debut at a press conference. Critics were fast to throw Scott to the fire with headlines like “use your delusion”. However Scott’s newfound self-belief led to him coming to terms with his past and writing a few songs about it with Slash. The result of this was an incredible anthem track on the album called “Fall To Pieces”.

When contraband was finished and recorded Slash decided the band needed to do one more thing, which was of course to play live together. And when they hit the stage with Scott for the first time Slash could see the chemistry was complete. “We have been waiting a long time to unleash this animal, everyone may be waiting for Scott to fail but we know he will pull through, this will be one hell of an album”.

Slash wasn’t far wrong, contraband and the first single “Slither” achieved critical acclaim and worldwide success. For fans of the guitar god it was great to hear that solo in “slither” the great soloist was truly back. VR erupted into a frenzy of an American tour with fans embracing the new and true gritty hard rock band they were so short of before.

The second single chosen by Slash and Scott was “fall to pieces”. Even though the video had to fight off a band because of its graphic nature with Scott’s former drug habit the singe was a huge success. Slash and the Band hit the road for a world tour that has seemingly never ended since. As soon as they finished their own tour they snapped up another film soundtrack for the “Fantastic 4”, shot a video for their 2 singles “Come On Come In” and “Dirty Little Thing”, then they joined the 2005 Ozzfest.

Slash has recently said the band is writing material every spare moment they get, it has been rumoured that they have enough material for 6 albums! They are currently waiting for their tour to end and the album, yet to be titled, is expected to be released in March 2006.

With all the records and all the legendry solos he has put out there Slash is one guitarist who has earned worldwide respect. But with all his friends in the music industry and his in demand playing you never know what he will do next. But with all that’s past Slash will defiantly go down in history.

So that’s it lol my second article let me know what you think

Peace Out

-Raven

from: ultimate-guitar.com

Bullet For My Valentine: 'We Just Wanted To Write A Harder Record'

After being named “Best British Newcomer” by Kerrang and earning the Metal Hammer Golden God Award, you might think that Bullet For My Valentine would be feeling fairly confident going into its 2nd full-length release, Scream Aim Fire.

But even with all of the accolades received since 2005’s The Poison, guitarist Michael “Padge” Padget said that his band has often been the target of criticism. And talk about hitting them where it hurts – apparently some have claimed that the band is more emo than metal. For a quartet with strong metal influences, being told you’re closer to Fall Out Boy’s genre than Metallica’s is not an easy pill to swallow.


But despite all of the jabs, Padge has reason to be feeling good right about now. Aside from landing a coveted slot on the successful Taste Of Chaos Tour, Padge is also premiering 2 new custom ESP models this year. The MP-600 and the Michael Padget V are directly inspired from Dave Mustaine’s DV8 model, but they now have Padge’s own graphic interpretation. When Padge talked with Ultimate-Guitar, he said that he was blown away by being endorsed by ESP, let alone creating his own models. So how does the MP-600 and MP V sound? Well, Padge had not actually played his new ESPs at the time of the interview, but he was counting down the minutes until he could bring them onstage.

UG: You spent a good deal of time touring in support of The Poison. Did you write the bulk of material from Scream Aim Fire during that tour?

Padge: Maybe a third of the songs’ riffs and ideas and random stuff came on the road. Another third or maybe half was completed in a real studio in London. We wrote 6 track in London, so that was the majority. The rest of it was kind of written on the road from playing around, past and present.

I recall reading a quote from Matt stating that the band wanted to be more metal all the way across the board. Did you approach the album in the same way?

I think so, yeah. I think a few bodies wouldn’t agree, and those sorts of things do kind of get to you and gets under your skin slightly. You just kind of want to prove them sort of wrong and prove that we are metal in a way. We just wanted to write a harder record.

Do you get pretty fired up when you hear negative comments?

Yeah! We’ve had our fair share of really, really bad and cruel gigs. There’s no need in moaning about it, and we just kind of get on with it. It does kind of lead to thicker skin. At the end of the day, we are quite a new band and we’ve only put our 2nd full-length album. We’ve had to learn quite a bit in the last few years.

Considering that you are in a fairly new band, it’s pretty impressive that you have 2 custom ESP models already.

When ESP approached me, I was totally blown away. We’re new to this sort of thing. For someone to say they want to put your name on a guitar, that’s just ridiculous for a young guy from Wales! I’m still totally blown away. I’ve seen it in photos, but I haven’t actually played on it yet. My guitar tech is saying tomorrow.

What kind of specifications did you ask for on your ESPs?

Because ESP had given me the endorsement, they have given me loads of guitars and I’ve been able to check out a lot of guitars. I was able to find out what I sort of like and what is comfortable to my style of playing. They had given me the DV8 Dave Mustaine, I believe. I think that was about a year and a half ago, and I just kind of jammed with that ever since. It was just really comfortable to play, fully equipped with EMGs as well. It’s a flying V, which is totally metal. I just kind of stuck with that one.

It was amazing that they approached me because they had said that Dave had left, and they wanted to offer me that sort of model. So the work was kind of done, but it was kind of wiping Dave’s graphics off it and adding my own touches to it.


Was Megadeth a big influence for you?

Yeah, I would say in the last 3 or 4 years. Especially the older stuff – the older stuff tends to be my cup of tea more than the newer stuff. But back in the day, I wouldn’t say that I was a big Megadeth fan. I was more of a Metallica fan back years ago.

You have some incredible dual guitar work on the new record, particular on “Waking The Demon.” How did you and Matt work out the parts on that track?

I believe on that one, we were searching for a really heavy track for the album. Matt sort of came up with this really hardcore, downpicking shreddy riff. It actually took me a couple weeks to get my downpicking up to speed! It was interesting because it was a challenge as well. That song was kind of born from that riff. We kind of worked on a load of harmonies, which come in late in the song. Matt adds in the lyrics once everyone is happy with the music.

Is “Waking The Demon” the primary song that you’ve had to downpick on?

It was really that one riff in particular. It is just furious downpicking.

The new record marks the 2nd time you’ve worked with producer Colin Richardson. What is it about him that has worked so well with the band?

Ultimately, it was Burn My Eyes by Machine Head that totally blew everyone in the band away years ago when they released that album. The production just sort of blew our minds. We’re all big fans of Colin’s work and we have been for years. When we actually landed a deal, he was kind of the obvious choice – our only sort of choice. He was well within our range, so that was kind of cool. He came in and he’s pretty much stuck with us ever since. He did The Poison, and he’s now done Scream Aim Fire. He’s like the 5th member of the band. He really nails it and he knows exactly what we’re after. He doesn’t mess with anything, which is great.

So he never offered advice on the actual songwriting or arrangements?

No, as far as production is concerned, there is always one of the band there monitoring it. But Colin would never do anything before asking us first. He’s more of a real producer, and he saves the effects more for vocals.

Did you try out any new guitars or amps on Scream Aim Fire?

We used a Bogner on this album, which is pretty cool. We used a Bogner on one side of the rhythm guitars, and that worked out well. We used a different guitar, too. I think the main guitar was an ESP Eclipse during The Poison, but this time around was a Gibson Les Paul Raw Power with EMGs. That was like the main tracking guitar. I did all my solos on that, too, because we couldn’t find another guitar to beat that tone.

I had no idea that you played Les Pauls.

Only in the studio!

Do you think you’ll take the Bogner on the road?

Maybe. We haven’t actually played them live, so there is always a possibility. We were lucky enough to keep the one that we used in the studio, so maybe. At the moment, I’m with Mesa. Maybe, I can’t say.

There is some really nice acoustic work on the song “Say Goodnight.” Did you and Matt share acoustic duties on the album?

No. I think Matt is really big fan of the acoustic. I’m definitely an electric guy! I let Matt get on with his creativity, so to speak. He’s really good. He’s got a great rhythm to him.


I understand that you made 2 videos for “Scream Aim Fire,” but the first one ended up being scrapped. What happened?

The original concept was to do a war video. There wasn’t a tiny budget, but it was a small budget. It wasn’t enough to reach the other war videos that have been released by other bands. My Chemical Romance released a big one, and Green Day released a big one. They spent millions of dollars doing their videos. Our budget was just so tiny that we couldn’t really compare to these other videos. We just decided to go with something a little bit more real and raw, I guess.

Do you ever get nervous when your album is about to be released?

No, I just go with the flow. We’re just going to have a little drink with the crew tonight. We’ll all get together before the tour starts. The album is released, but it’s been so long waiting for it to be released that we’re just so happy for it to be out there now.

Do you thrive being on the road?

I do, yeah. But it is tough because we’re all human and we’ve got lives back at home, families, friends. It does get hard, but once you’re away you just sort of go with the flow. You’re among friends, so you feel safe and confident anyway.

Will one of the new ESPs be the main guitar you use on the tour?

Yeah. I’ve been informed that it’s arriving tomorrow, so it’s going to make the whole tour. It’s great because we have a video shoot on Friday. I can’t wait. It looked really good in the photos at NAMM. It looked brilliant.

Do you look forward to multi-bill tours like Taste Of Chaos?

Yeah, it’s going to be amazing. We’ve probably got the best slot of the whole tour. We should be offstage technically by 8 or 9 o’clock, so expect the band to be drunk by then! We get to watch 2 bands, and it’s going to be good. It’s going to be 2 months of partying.

Expect some of the crew from Ultimate-Guitar to make an appearance at a few of the dates.

Yeah, Ultimate-Guitar.com – I use Ultimate-Guitar! I’ve got it as a bookmark in my computer!

Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008

Stream the entire "Scream Aim Fire" album on the band's UG Profile.

How Do I Play Guitar Solos?

Having taught hundreds of students over the years “How do I play solos” seems to be one of my most frequently asked questions, especially from younger students. Admittedly it’s a slightly vague question, but I read the question to mean, “I want to play cool solos, sound great, look great and impress everyone.” Well if that’s what you mean, good for you! After all, the reason we all started playing the guitar was to look cool and attract women….wasn’t it? Ok, so that’s only part of it. I hope like me you also just happen to love the sound of a good solo. If this is the case then I can help you.

Let’s start by getting the bad news out of the way. I won’t mention names, but I know of some teachers out there who answer the question “How do I play solos” by giving the student pages and pages of licks and riffs and no explanation of the theory behind them. This approach may slightly help to improve your “bag of tricks” but you’ll always find it hard to pull a solo out the bag with this method of teaching. For example, if you learn a great lick in the key of A minor could you apply it in the key of E minor without having to sit there and figure it out?

By the way, some players have played great solos without much knowledge of what they were doing, but in most cases had to write the solo first. Rather than dealing with written solos or exceptions, let’s deal more with the goal of being able to consistently come up with a good solo even when improvising.

The truth is, to be really great at soloing you have to understand what you are playing. I once heard a great quote which says it all:


"Don’t just learn a lick. Learn from a lick”

In other words, one good approach to soloing is to make sure when you learn a lick you understand why it works, what scale it comes from etc, etc.

By now you’re probably starting to realise that I’m heading in the direction of theory, scales and other technical stuff. But before you tighten that noose, let me assure you that the word ‘scale’ is not a rude word, nor a word that should make you feel ill. You’ve surely heard the saying “It’s never as bad as you think”. Well it just so happens that the saying works for music theory. Yes, you will get confused at times, and yes, you won’t sound like Jimi Hendrix immediately, but stick at it. As Jimi once said:


“Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re gonna be rewarded.”
-Jimi Hendrix


Well said that man!

So please understand that to be able to play like Joe Satriani or Joe Pass or whoever floats your boat, you won’t just acquire soloing ability through osmosis, divine intervention or simply wishing it. You have to actually do something about it.

So where to you start? Well rather than throw you in the deep end and start talking about ‘symmetrical this’ and ‘altered dominant that’, simply start by getting a few basic skills under your belt. Your ability to solo to some degree will be determined by your chord knowledge. One function of chords when soloing is that they act like a landmark to help you find scale patterns as well as determining which scales are appropriate to use. So know your chords! There are plenty of resources on the net and in books about learning chords. Forgive me if you’re already pretty hot on chords. If so, you’re already in great position to learn soloing. If not, I suggest you spend some time learning them, not forgetting barchords. You may not like them yet, but when you get used to them they’ll be your allies.

When learning scales a good place for guitarists to start is the pentatonic scale, simply because it only has 5 notes, is comfortable to play and is the staple of many musical styles such as rock guitar.

In case you don’t know the scale below is the A minor pentatonic scale:

E||----------------------------5-8-8-5-----------------------------||

B||-----------------------5-8------------8-5-----------------------||

G||-----------------5-7-----------------------7-5------------------||

D||------------5-7----------------------------------7-5------------||

A||-------5-7--------------------------------------------7-5-------||

E||--5-8-------------------------------------------------------8-5-||

There are only 5 different notes in this scale: A, C, D, E, G. It’s scales such as this you’ll have to familiarise yourself with. The process is somewhat mechanical at first, but where the fun starts is when you attempt “phrasing”. A phrase is a musical sentence or if you like - a lick, riff or melodic section of music. So instead of aimlessly fiddling around a scale it’s much more musical to construct short catchy phrases.

Have a look at the following lick:

E||-------------------||

B||-------------------||

G||-----7-----5-----||

D||--7-----7-----7--||

A||-------------------||

E||-------------------||

Look familiar? They are all notes within the A minor pentatonic scale. This is therefore an A minor pentatonic lick. Now that you know the pentatonic scale, you should be able to recognise other licks as being from the pentatonic scale.

Forgive me if you already know this, but even if you do it’s import to reiterate it as it adds credence to the quote you heard earlier: "Don’t just learn a lick. Learn from a lick”.

This is only one simple example, but applies to all scales and arpeggios, triads and intervals.

I think I’ve made my point pretty clear. You have to educate yourself and be disciplined in the process. The results will be well worth it.

And now the good news. Once you have taken the first few uncomfortable steps on your road to enhancing your musical skills, your learning curve will take a huge turn in the upwards direction.

Warning! Please don’t settle at the pentatonic scale and stop there. About 95% of guitarists never seem to learn any more than this scale thus earning themselves the label of “just another pub player”. Ever noticed how most pub band players all sound the same? If they’re content with that then fine, but I suspect that some have a dream to be better and I know with almost 100% certainty that they have the ability to achieve that dream.

Seeing as you’re reading this you are probably ambitious and keen to enhance your soloing ability and willing to do what it takes. Perhaps what you need now is some more direction.

The following are some short and straightforward steps or rules if you like to point you in the right direction:

1. Educate yourself. Expand your musical pallet. Whatever level you are at you can NEVER learn everything about the guitar and therefore have no reason to ever stop developing as a player. The endless quest for perfection is a worthwhile one. If I was to know everything there is know about music I think I would lose interest and take up golf! So enjoy the challenges you will face and embrace the knowledge that there is always some wonderful new skill to be obtained. Do you know your chords? Do you know the major scale, modes, the melodic and harmonic minor scales, intervals, arpeggios, triads etc etc?

2. Immerse yourself in more music. Study more music. Find out what and who you like the most. If it’s Carlos Santana, for example, what did he do to get so good? What techniques or scales does he use to get his sound?

3. Surround yourself with better players, preferably pro musicians. You can learn a hell of a lot from other people.

4. Define your goals. Do you want to sound like someone in particular? Do you want to be an accomplished rock player or jazz player? By defining your goals and writing them down you are in a better position to reach and surpass them.

5. Practise a lot and practise correctly and efficiently. Are you really practising or just playing? Are you hitting all the notes cleanly and accurately?

6. Discipline yourself? Do you practise an hour a day, every day?

7. Motivate yourself. The best kind of motivation is that caused by seeing results. Good practice will therefore lead to motivation, but you also have to keep reminding yourself what your goals are and how you will achieve them. Listening to your favourite artists and new ones will help to inspire you.

8. Never give up. Never stop learning. Don’t get down when you have a bad day or a bad gig. You are only human. Even the greatest players in the world have bad days, but the better you get the less noticeable your bad days will be. Steve Vai, on a bad day is still awesome!

And finally…believe in yourself. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve with a positive attitude, lots of correct and efficient practise and persistence whatever your level of ability, whatever your age and whatever your experience.

The only thing stopping you is YOU! So what are you waiting for?

By: AndyRidgeway

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com


Andy Ridgeway is a renowned guitar player and teacher. He explains the secrets of correct practise, good tone, good musicianship and more in his guitar technique manual - "Mach 1 Guitar - Play Better Faster Guitar the Easier Way" check out his site

www.mach1guitar.com

or email Andy a question at contact@mach1guitar.com

Understanding Steve Vai Music

For the first time ever Steve Vai have done a tour of Russia and the Ukraine where he conducted three evening master class clinics, and three daytime in-store autograph sessions.

The tour was a big success. This was the most helpful and emotionally pleasant guitar clinic I ever seen before. Steve was able to get that perfect balance between music and talks. The genius has developed serious topics out of simple questions. He was always in contact with the audience. Steve played both, his composed music and spontaneous improvisations too. He was able to make clear for us and illustrate how he is composing music that's coming from inside.


Very deep self-reflection: it is incredible, when the musician does not say something like "well, I just listen to radio and - ah! - create a melody." No! Steve looks deep inside himself to analyze his inner world to create his masterpieces. When you get it mixed with live sound, concert atmosphere, his words come right into your mind, into your heart. I mean, everyone can understand what he's talking about.

What can I say, it is useless to copy Steve Vai!

I wanted to make a video record of For The Love Of God, in order to get something useful for myself from it later: But then Steve told the audience how his music was created. Sometimes, he finds an image or situation and tries to "sound" like this image to imitate it. Sometimes, people around him and relationships can give birth to his music. Sometimes he just play exercises and chord progressions, trying to hear and find out something new. Sometimes he's singing along with chord progression and record himself, then finding interesting ideas.

But the most beautiful music is created, when he is listening with his "inner ear" - something, that is very personal and sounds in his mind. Combining all the above with Steve's playing For The Love Of God, Crying Machine and Lotus Feet that evening, I have suddenly realized, how useless video can be. There is only personal behind those sounds.

Steve's music will remain his music.

Another ideas was delivered to the audience is the following. We all are occupied with our problems and everyday routine. Those 24 hours isn't enough to learn everything in music and guitar, or even 50% of it.

The deeper you go, the more unexplored lands you can see. But every and each of us can and must learn how to hear and feel what's going on in our inner world, to take it out in form of sounds, music, and to express ourselves but not necessarily those speed licks or arpeggios - this is what I AM, and this is MY music. It doesn't matter sometimes, how good or bad it is. It doesn't matter if anybody else need this music. First we need it ourselves.

Yuri Nikitin
Ibanez guitars fan.
Guitar Lessons Pros
Ibanez Guitars

Top 10 Guitar Solos: '70s And '80s

The definition of metal changes every decade as musicians continually push the genre to new extremes, writes Chris Gill of Gibson.com. But several elements have remained consistent throughout the years: distorted guitar, heavy riffs, and lightning-fast solos. Some of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded can be found on metal classics from the '70s and '80s, and many of those solos were recorded using Gibson guitars.


What makes a guitar solo great? While technical precision and speed are certainly important, a good solo should also be inventive and imaginative. The solo should support the song, and the best solos are ones that are so melodically strong that you can sing them while you wail away on your air guitar.


“Whole Lotta Love”

Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II [Atlantic, 1969]

Jimmy Page

Although it was released in 1969, “Whole Lotta Love” formed the foundation for hundreds of great heavy metal tunes that followed in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. Page’s solo at the climax of the “orgasm” section exploded with primal fury, accentuated by double stomping power chords that defined “heavy” and “metal” with a one-two punch. The entirety of Led Zeppelin’s second album is full of awe-inspiring solos, but with “Whole Lotta Love,” Page made his point loud and clear that the guitar hero for the modern age of rock had arrived.


“War Pigs”

Black Sabbath, Paranoid [Warner Bros., 1971]

Tony Iommi

Tony Iommi’s epic solo begins with a majestic symphonic line that would make Tchaikovsky proud before bursting into an impressive display of descending triplets and bluesy howls. Ozzy Osbourne’s lyrics may have painted a brutal depiction of war mongers, but Iommi’s solo made listeners feel like they were in the middle of battle, surviving an onslaught of machine-gun bullets, screaming rockets, and bomb blasts. One of Black Sabbath’s finest moments.


“Rock Bottom”

UFO, Phenomenon [Chrysalis, 1974]

Michael Schenker

This tour de force showcase of Schenker’s formidable guitar talents was the metalhead equivalent of “Freebird,” and it became the centerpiece of UFO’s live performances (captured brilliantly on Strangers in the Night). Schenker’s extended solo displays virtuoso skills that left an indelible mark on numerous Euro-centric players like Yngwie Malmsteen and Eddie Van Halen.


“Stranglehold”

Ted Nugent, Ted Nugent [Epic, 1975]

Ted Nugent

Another extended guitar solo, Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” summoned up a barnyard full of squawks, squeals, and howls along with hypnotic melodies that make this song a sort of heavy metal “Bolero.” Nugent’s use of a Gibson Byrdland—a guitar normally associated with jazz—was certainly unorthodox, but thanks to his uncanny ability to tame feedback he used it to great advantage.


“(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”

Blue Öyster Cult, Agents of Fortune [Columbia, 1976]

Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser

Buck Dharma’s exotic solo on Blue Öyster Cult’s breakthrough hit takes the song to a dark underworld full of tension and wonder while retaining the tune’s somber, minor-key mood. Dharma’s Middle Eastern, raga-esque lines were unlike anything heard in hard rock before, but they fit perfectly.


“You Shook Me All Night Long”

AC/DC, Back in Black [Atlantic, 1980]

Angus Young

Angus Young has always insisted that his main influence was the blues, and here he shows his roots in smashing form. But instead of fiddling about in the pentatonic box, Young delivers a rich, melodic solo that you can sing along with. An AC/DC classic.


“Flying High Again”

Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman [Epic, 1981]

Randy Rhoads

Any of the solos that Randy Rhoads played during his brief time with Ozzy Osbourne could easily make the list, but “Flying High Again” fits just about everything that Rhoads was about as a player into a tidy package. You can hear Rhoads’s classical influences in the melody and his Van Halen inspiration in the tapped flourishes, but, in the end, this solo is all about Rhoads’s impeccable taste and immaculate phrasing, which few players since have matched.


“Stand Up and Shout”

Dio, Holy Diver [Warner Bros., 1983]

Vivian Campbell

The year 1983 should go down in history as the period when the new age of shred officially began, and Vivian Campbell deserves recognition for helping to kick-start this trend. No one knew who Campbell was when he joined Dio, but after they heard this blistering, thousand-notes-a-second solo they had to find out more.


“Thunder and Lightning”

Thin Lizzy, Thunder and Lightning [Warner Bros., 1983]

John Sykes

John Sykes is another shredder who completely turned the guitar world upside down with his stunning speed and tasteful technique. Like the song’s title, Sykes’ playing was loud and flashy yet mysteriously mesmerizing. Sykes later enjoyed even greater success and fame by helping craft Whitesnake’s breakthrough album, but from a guitar player’s perspective this remains one of his finest moments.


“Welcome to the Jungle”

Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction [Geffen, 1987]

Slash

By 1987, every guitarist was shredding like mad and studying exotic scales at GIT. Slash ripped across the grain with his boozy and bluesy playing on “Welcome to the Jungle,” which evoked Joe Perry’s raunchiest moments with Aerosmith. Sure, other players may have had more polished technique, but few of them could match Slash’s sweet emotion.

Five Overlooked Metal Solos You Should Know:


“Sails of Charon” Scorpions (1978)
Uli Jon Roth’s epic Euro shred masterpiece.


“Hammerhead” Pat Travers (1979)
The prototype for ’80s speed metal.


“End of the World” Gary Moore (1982)
The two-minute intro is the NWOBHM answer to Van Halen’s “Eruption.”


“Far Beyond the Sun” Yngwie Malmsteen (1984)
Still awe-inspiring — many have imitated Malmsteen, but he’s still unequaled.


“Mr. Scary” Dokken (1987)
George Lynch’s off-kilter instrumental fireworks make ’80s hair metal seem okay after all.

Thanks for the info to Gibson.com.

10 Of The Best Cover Songs Of All Time

It’s a dangerous prospect, the cover song. You have the benefit of working with a proven piece of music, but choose an authentic take and you risk your version being taken as pointless, take liberties and you risk it being looked at as sacrilege. Either way, you’re working both with and against the baggage of a song’s former life.


All that makes it particularly compelling when an artist grabs an unexpected tune—one made known by a drastically different act—and makes it his or her own. The following may not be the most obvious cover choices, but they score major points for reinterpretations that rival the originals.


“Hurt,” by Johnny Cash (via Nine Inch Nails)

In its original incarnation, “Hurt” was an industrial-rock masterstroke. The dark delivery of Nine Inch Nails head Trent Reznor made it unsettling and compelling, as it whiplashed from gloom to aggression. In Johnny Cash’s cover of the song on 2002’s American IV: The Man Comes Around, country’s legendary Man in Black summoned demons of his own. Fiercely different from Reznor’s, Johnny Cash’s version is more cautionary preacher-man than Trent’s injured, seething loner. Cash didn’t just inhabit Reznor’s hurt; through a deep, weary warble, Cash laid bare his own, the words coming through with even more genuine conviction—an accomplishment indeed.

Watch video here.


“Wild Horses,” by the Sundays (via the Rolling Stones)

English pop crew the Sundays’ strengths were soft ones—their shoegaze-soupy textures, singer Harriet Wheeler’s gentle, breathy vocal. The Rolling Stones, on the other hand, rose on bluesy grit and electric sexual energy. But the Sundays’ approach to the Stones’ “Wild Horses”—smoothing Keith Richards’ guitars into a dreamy haze, softening Mick Jagger’s swagger into a lullaby coo—proved them imminently capable. Included on the Fear soundtrack in 1996, four years after the Sundays released the song on their album Blind, their take on “Wild Horses” turned some young listeners onto the Stones for the first time.

Watch video here.


“Rock’n’Roll Singer,” by Mark Kozelek (via AC/DC)

For Red House Painters voice Mark Kozelek, reimagining rock and roll songs as deep and pensive serenades has become habit. But the most radical—and the most oddly affecting—have been his AC/DC covers, which resemble the originals only in the lyrics. Kozelek’s finest one of those, “Rock’n’Roll Singer,” released on an EP of the same name, is a beauty, Angus Young’s taut guitar stabs traded for plaintive acoustic strums, Bon Scott’s reedy bark morphed into Kozelek’s deep, moody croon.



“Independent Women Part I,” by Elbow (via Destiny’s Child)

Britrock band Elbow’s music is dark and haunting, resembling a mix of Peter Gabriel’s pop sensibility and Talk Talk’s patient melodic pacing. So it wasn’t necessarily the most natural thing, them covering Destiny’s Child’s R&B-pop nugget “Independent Women Part I” for BBC Radio 1. The result is natural and fun and creative and a bunch of other good things, a plinking xylophone running the melody while frontman Guy Garvey gently and sweetly deadpans the lyrics.


“Wonderwall,” by Ryan Adams (via Oasis)

Oasis’ massive Britpop smash “Wonderwall” is one of those unsinkable ballads, managing to maintain intimacy while delivering full arena bombast. Americana treasure Ryan Adams is at his best sticking with intimacy—something he’s done often enough—and his reinvention of “Wonderwall” into a gently fingerpicked folk tune on 2004 release Love Is Hell is one of his most exceptional recordings. Adams’ approach is more hand-penned love letter than Oasis’ skywritten profession, and it hits just as hard (if not harder) than the original. Now a live favorite of Adams’ fans, he can’t go a single show without an insistent fan loudly demanding he play the Oasis tune.

Watch video here.


“It’s My Life,” by No Doubt (via Talk Talk)

Talk Talk’s experimental period, at its finest on 1991’s Laughing Stock, is the style most fans consider to be representative of the band’s strengths. And those expanses of long, slowly unfolding melodies are certainly a far stretch from radio-pop crew No Doubt’s digestible offerings. But “It’s My Life,” from Talk Talk’s pop period, was finely interpreted by No Doubt—the cover, included on The Singles 1992-2003, kept the propulsive energy of the original tune, amping up the anthemic melody without sacrificing any of the original character.

Watch video here.


“Jolene,” by the White Stripes (via Dolly Parton)

We know that Nashville transplant Jack White is a fan of country music, but there hadn’t been much indication of that in his band’s dirty, howling blues-rock. And there certainly are no traces of the tender strings and strums or the sweet, cleanly arcing vocal of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” in the White Stripes’ cover of it. The Stripes’ version lets Jack White pair his passionate, breaking voice with a dirty, fuzzy guitar. It’s completely different, and completely great.

Watch video here.


“Mad World,” by Gary Jules (via Tears for Fears)

Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” has its touches of inherent sadness, inescapable with those minor melodies, but it’s downright dance-y at points too, as a digital backbeat urges it forward. Los Angeles singer/songwriter Gary Jules had a major hit with his version of it, and for good reason. Included on the Donnie Darko soundtrack, Jules’ take turned the song into a piano dirge that’s as gorgeous as it is lyrically heart-crushing.

Watch video here.


“Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” by the Postal Service (via Phil Collins)

While Phil Collins’ solo career has proven him a master melody-maker, he’s not often thought of as one of the cooler guys on the charts. His track “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” for instance, holds unshakable melodies, but is plenty over-glossed and doesn’t stand up today as well as it did the ’80s. That is until Death Cab for Cutie voice Ben Gibbard and Postal Service partner Jimmy Tamborello got their hands on the song, reinventing it as a laptop-pop exercise with a smartly crudded-up intro that gets fleshed into an angular dance number with cool digital clicks, whirrs, and melodic touches.

Watch video here.


“Easy,” by Faith No More (via the Commodores)

It’d be hard to find two guys more different than Faith No More’s Mike Patton, a guy as bizarre as he is creative, and smooth-and-earnest Commodores voice-turned-easy listening juggernaut Lionel Richie. But Patton cemented just how capable he is of a honeyed soul croon with his art-metal band’s gloriously accurate cover of “Easy,” included on 1993’s Songs to Make Love To EP.

Watch video here.

Thanks for the info to Nicole Keiper's article at Gibson.com.

Gibson's new Slash guitars just around the corner

Gibson Guitar has announced the first ever availability of a series of “Slash” signature Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul Standard electric guitars. On Tuesday April 1st 2008 three very limited and unique models of the Slash signature Les Paul guitar will be released simultaneously around the world.

Each guitar model has been designed and produced in close co-operation with the legendary Velvet Revolver guitarist, Slash. For the first time ever, the Slash models will be available from Gibson Custom, Gibson USA and Epiphone offering consumers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a guitar inspired by Slash. On April 1, 2008 at 5pm US EDT select dealers will offer a limited number of these models for sale. Once they are sold out, they will not be reproduced.

Gibson Custom will release their Slash Inspired By VOS (Vintage Original Spec) guitar, Gibson USA will release their Slash Signature Les Paul Standard model and there will also be an Epiphone Slash Les Paul Standard Plus packaged with exclusive Slash inspired accessories. All three new guitar models will combine individual design features while Slash’s own personal touches create a unique instrument destined to become another instant classic.

For twenty years, the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll has been embodied by one man. When he shot to fame with Guns N’ Roses in 1987, Slash was the cool cat in the top hat, cranking out timeless riffs like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” And, at the same time setting the standard by which all future guitar heroes would be measured. Now fast-forward to 2008 and he’s doing exactly the same with “Velvet Revolver.”

“Slash embodies the true essence and spirit of rock n’ roll. He is a master of his craft and respected the world over. Gibson is proud to partner with one of the worlds greatest guitar players. His signature range of guitars is symbolic and a true testament to his status and global recognition” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “I expect these limited edition run of guitars to sell out soon after they arrive in stores globally on 1st April 2008”

“I have always been a Les Paul player and am very proud to have my own range produced by Gibson and Epiphone, the maker of the world’s greatest guitars. I hope that musicians around the world enjoy them as much as I do,” said Slash

taken from guitarsite.com

The 100 Megabit Gibson Guitar

The technology inside the electric guitar has been set since the 1930s: Magnetic pickups convert string vibrations into electrical impulses. Gibson's new Les Paul, with proprietary Magic technology, does something else altogether, something no other guitar does. An audio converter inside the instrument's body translates string vibrations into a digital signal that can travel over a standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable. The company will continue to sell the traditionaltraditional Les Pauls, but Gibson's CEO thinks it won't be long before all guitarists go digital. "We're improving the electric guitar for the first time in 70 years," he explains.

If Henry Juszkiewicz didn't build a digital guitar, I can assure you the digital guitar would still happen." Like Sony and Philips with the compact disc 20 years ago, Gibson is making a big bet on Magic, whose success hinges on nothing less than the reinvention of an entire industry. But unlike the recording business, which has a history of using innovation to fuel growth, most guitar companies live comfortably in the past. "The business is incredibly conservative," says Adrian Freed, research director at the Guitar Innovation Group at the UC Berkeley's Center for New Music and Audio Technologies. "One thing I can say about Henry without reservation is that he desperately wants to introduce some innovation."

The desperation isn't driven by sales. In the US alone nearly a million electric guitars were purchased in 2002 - three times as many as a decade ago - to the tune of $477 million. Most of the guitars - roughly 85 percent - were knockoffs of the Les Paul and its only real competition, the Stratocaster. And since Juszkiewicz took control of Gibson, in 1986, revenue has soared. The Music Trades, an industry journal, estimates Gibson's annual revenue increased from $12 million to $130 million in 2002.

Despite sales success, Juszkiewicz says there's more work to do. The Les Paul may not be connecting with the generation whose idea of a garage band is a youngster hunched over a laptop with Pro Tools. Since Guns N' Roses imploded in the mid-'90s, no Les Paul player has commanded the cross-genre visibility of Slash in his heyday. Metallica's Kirk Hammett and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, both Les Paul players, don't have Slash's following or showmanship. Juszkiewicz is banking on his digital strategy to reignite excitement for the Les Paul.

It won't be easy. For starters, the Magic guitar's Ethernet output is incompatible with traditional guitar gear. No amplifier or effects pedal on the market today works with the instrument. For now, musicians will need to plug the guitar into a "breakout box" that converts the digital signal back to analog; a standard guitar cable plugs into the box's output. Second, guitars that work with the digital world via MIDI, the universal language of musical instruments, do exist. Guitarists like Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood already make all kinds of digitally enhanced music onstage.

The magic about Magic is it's portability Greenwood may have a digital world at his fingertips, but his guitar still delivers an analog signal, requiring mediating devices to make it digital. The goal of the Magic guitar is to be fully plug-and-play, so a musician can simply jack it into a PC - no USB cables or external devices necessary. And while MIDI is just a sequence of instructions, Magic transmits real digital audio. The signal is digitized at the source and remains digital thereafter. What you get is what you keep, without the noise, interference, and other vagaries of the messy analog world. "Magic just sounds better," Juszkiewicz insists. "It sounds more authentic."

Guitars have typically been paired with digital technology to create various kinds of synthesizers. More recently, advances in sound modeling, using complex algorithms that simulate other instruments, have created a sort of identity crisis in the guitar world. In 2002, California-based Line 6 unveiled its Variax, which mimics 26 classic guitars - everything from a 1935 Dobro Alumilite to a 1968 Rickenbacker - with remarkable precision. Juszkiewicz is taking Gibson in the opposite direction. "We're not synthesizing sound," he says. "We're putting out a much better original signal." His claim, in essence, is that Magic makes the Les Paul sound more like itself.

By: lyndon

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com


Lyndon is a self confessed Gibson Guitar nut. Check out his website at for articles, advice and sales

Yoko Vs. Lennon

Nobody told her there'd be days like these.

Lennon Murphy—a little-known singer-songwriter who was named after John Lennon—has found herself at odds with Yoko Ono over who has legal rights to the famous moniker.

An attorney for Lennon's widow filed a petition last week with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office seeking to cancel a trademark Murphy took out in 2003 for "Lennon" as the name of her band.


The petition cites the "likelihood of confusion" in the marketplace and "dilution" of the music icon's surname. (Lennon itself is a fairly common throughout Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic word Leannon, which means a "lover" or "sweetheart.")

The 25-year-old Murphy claims that, as a courtesy, she sought and received Ono's blessing to use the name back in 2000, when she signed with Arista Records.

According to Murphy, the label was concerned about the name issue and sent her product manager, Justin Shukat (reportedly the son of Ono attorney Peter Shukat), to approach the prickly 74-year-old artist. Ono supposedly gave her okay, clearing the way for the Tennessee-born Murphy and her eponymous band to release 5:30 Saturday Morning.

Read more at Yahoo! News.