FAQ's		Interviews / Tips / Q and A's / Rock Reviews / Book Reviews

All the questions and answers that you see here
were asked by members of Access Rock to either
Mike Abbott or Analog Brothers Amps.

Remember to email any expert questions to experts@accessrock.com

Click On A Question:

>How to play guitar with Small Hands?!!

>Speed in Soloing

>Power Chords in Black Metal Riffs

>Fender Amp - Popping Noises

>Good Overdrive Pedals

>Chris Duarte Amp

>Using Left Pinky finger

>Ear Training and Transcribing

>Playing Fresh Licks

>Guitar Won't Stay In Tune

>Choosing An Electric Solidbody Guitar

>Playing Smooth Chord Switches

>Finding A Writing Style

>Soloing Problems

>What is a Whammy Bar?

>Richer Solo Tone

SUBJECT: How to play guitar with Small Hands?!! Body Guitars

Question:I just started practicing with an electric 6 string guitar, and I wanted to know. Does having relatively small hands handicap the way a person plays? I have noticed in my family, the guitar players have longer fingers and bigger hands then me, so I am not sure if having small hands would effect me. And is there any modifications I will have to do, or can do to compensate for this?

Answer:Hi Matt..thanks for your question,

Having small hands can increase the difficulty of playing some things on the guitar. There might be some subtle things that you can adjust with your technique which will enable you to play some things more easily. You will figure out what these adjustments are as your guitar playing matures.

The smartest thing that you can do is buy a guitar that has a small neck shape. The width of the nut should be 1 9/16" or less. The neck should have a "soft V" shape like the Fender guitars of the '50's, or an "oval" shape like the Fender guitars of the '60's. This type of neck will be the easiest to get your hand around.

Check our Guitar anatomy lesson to learn about the nut. Most of all, practice a lot of technique exercises. This will allow your fingers to stretch farther and farther. Check our Technique/warm-up lesson, and our Strength and Speed Lesson to learn some of these. Thanks for using Access Rock!!

SUBJECT: My Soloing Sucks

Question: I can solo a little bit but I get really pissed off when I hear people like Yngwie Malmsteen, alexi laho, john Pettruchi, etc. do you have any way that I could up my speed? I think I tried just about everything, but obviously I could be wrong . I was wondering if you could send me some scales I could practice, or anything like that I would be very happy.

Answer: There is a Strength and Speed lesson on Access Rock that can help you with your problems. The most important thing is practicing the scales/exercises slowly. Once you get comfortable, you can gradually speed them up.

Power Chords in Riffs

Q: Hi, my question is pretty specific, so I would appreciate if you could answer it. What I like the most is old school metal in general, specially Black Metal. What I´ve seen, is that most metal bands (from Iron Maiden to Emperor) uses the power chords as the main element in their riffs... I don´t see progressions, or stuff like that, so I wanted to know: the Black Metal and Death Metal styles, do they have any rule for doing the writing, or is it always like a "random" selection of the musicians?

A:Thanks for your question. All bands have their own style of writing music. Sometimes it's just one guy who does it, other times all band members contribute. As far as writing with power chords goes, I'm sure that some metal bands just fool around with different combinations of power chords to write their riffs. I'm also sure that other metal bands know a thing or two about how chord theory works, and write riffs using the knowledge they have about chord progressions. It is not hard to write a pretty descent riff by just randomly selecting different groups of power chords. That said, having a knowledge of chords, chord progressions, and theory, will most likely help you construct better songs.

Here are a couple of very important lessons on chord theory and chord progressions:

Songwriting/Chord Progressions

Basic Guitar Chords

SUBJECT: CHRIS DUARTE AMPLIFIER

Question: I'm thinking of buying a Chris Duarte BM100-115E. Do you know anything about them?

Answer: Hi and thanks for the inquiry. As the amp you're asking about is relatively new and a low production item, we haven't had one in the shop yet. From the descriptions on Rivera's web site, it seems to be a quite complex unit with many features. This can make the amp very versatile, but potentially more prone to failure as there are simply more things that can go wrong. Paul Rivera has a long and extensive background in the musical instrument amplification industry, and had at one time been the head of design for Fender. Subsequently, his credentials and reputation would imply a high quality product.

There are a few things you should consider before purchasing this or any amp. In the event of a breakdown how easily can the amp be serviced? Is the manufacture willing to supply schematics and service documentation to you? Are there proprietary parts used that can only be sourced directly from the manufacturer? These points can become quite significant if, for example you have a failure during a tour and aren't able to locate a factory authorized service center.

Inquire with the dealer about these issues, and be sure they offer you a full right of return if the amplifier doesn't perform to your satisfaction. Trying out an amp in a music store doesn't provide for an adequate assessment; you need to play it at rehearsal with your band and perhaps also at a gig to really know it's true capabilities. Before making a large investment in equipment, be sure that it's right for your music and playing style.

Regards, Jim
www.analogbros.com

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SUBJECT: Fender Amps - Popping Noises

Question: Hi, I've got two fender amps, champ112 and princeton stereo chorus. both these amps have a nasty pop when you shut them off. Are there any recommended upgrades/repairs to fix this problem?

Answer: Thanks for the inquiry. These are both solid state amps and we don't have the prints for them here. Off the top of my head, I suspect it's just a design short-coming as all the units I've come across had the same pop that you mention. If you get a print, I think it wouldn't be too hard to design and build a simple mute circuit with a time constant for power up/down that would protect the speaker from the transient. I'd try to find a way that the actual output leads would not be in the disconnect path, but rather the V+/- rails to the output devices would be soft started and soft shutdown. Sorry I can't provide a more detailed solution, but this should point you the right way. Prints are usually available from Fender. Good luck with your project.
>Regards, Jim

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SUBJECT: FULLTONE , MESA BOOGIE EFFECT PEDALS

Question: I have a blues pearl bluesmaster and the amp sounds good. But as you probably know its a non - switchable amp. In other words it has no real overdrive. I need a good overdrive pedal. I know that listening to different overdrives is the best way to know what you want, but unfortunately I don't have access to a great number of pedals.What is your opinion on the fulltone fd-2 or the mesa boogie v-twin foot pedals, or maybe give me some insight on something that really sounds good for electric blues, classic rock, and even some modest overdriven jazz.

thanks,
Bob

Answer: The Fulltone fd-2 pedal would be good for electric blues. It is a versatile pedal with a variety of overdrive sounds. I've played through Fulltone pedals and they sound great! Check out the Fulltone site at http://www.fulltone.com and you can listen to a guitar sound with the fd-2.

There are the Ibanez Tube Screamers, TS 808 or TS 9, which Stevie Ray used. I own the TS 9 and I like it. The TS 808 is supposed to be the best if you can find one, but it will cost you. Some great inexpensive pedals are made by Danelectro. I've played through the Danelectro "T Bone" distortion which is great! It sounds very warm and there is a very wide range of tones, from slightly dirty to very dirty. These pedals cost between $30 and $50.

Hope this helps,
Mike-Access Rock Experts

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SUBJECT: LEFT HAND TECHNIQUE

Question: Hi - I have a question about using my left pinky finger. I am a blues player and have played for a few years. Sometimes, while using the pentatonic scale, I sometimes use my pinky finger. Will I develop a bad habit by doing this? I just want to play correctly. I see Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray almost never use the pinky. Will this give me more benefit for speed?

thanks, Ron

Answer: Using the left hand pinky while soloing is not necessarily a bad thing. You will need to use it when playing stationary bends (bending one string with the 2nd or 3rd finger while simultaneously holding down a different string with the pinky finger). However, since you are a blues player and are sticking within the blues boxes and pentatonic scales, I would generally not use the pinky - you won't need to. And, you will still be able to play fast, just listen to Clapton and Stevie Ray!

Regards,
Mike Abbott
Access Rock Experts

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SUBJECT: EAR TRAINING/TRANSCRIBING

Question: Hello, I am a member and a great fan of your growing site. I can sound out single and double notes very easily but have a lot of trouble with sounding out chords(transcribing or figuring out songs). Is there a certain method or excercises that I could use to help me with this?

Thanx, Boone

Answer: I have transcribed 100's of songs, guitar parts, and guitar solos. It takes time and practice to train your ear to pick out notes, intervals, or chords.

Start practicing this way: Record the 7 different intervals of a C major scale. The notes of this scale are simple: C D E F G A B C

If you play C to D, this is a major 2nd interval
C to E is a major 3rd interval
C to F is a perfect 4th
C to G is a perfect 5th
C to A is a minor 6th
C to B is a major 7th
C to C is a perfect octave

Try to hear which interval is which on your tape. Once you can recognize the sound each of these intervals, you are on your way! Play the intervals one note at a time and together. After these intervals try the same thing with some chords that you know. Then, start trying to pick out melodies of songs, or guitar riffs. You can do it, your ear just needs training.

I hope this helps! Good luck and practice hard!!

Regards,
Mike

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SUBJECT: FRESH LICKS AND SOLOS

Question: When I am soloing, I end up doing the same lick over and over because I run of things to do. How can I prevent this?

thanks

Change the rhythm of your licks - Try to play the same lick using 10 variations in rhythm. Or, vice versa, try to play the same lick using 10 variations in notes. Check out the rhythms 1 lesson to learn how to combine different rhythms in a measure.

Add different techniques to your licks: Slides, bends, vibrato, etc.. Take all of Access Rocks' Soloing Lessons. At the end of each soloing lesson, I tell you to make up your own licks or to write them down. This help you to become a more creative player.

Listen to 10 different guitar solos ( rock, blues, jazz, funk, whatever) that you've haven't heard before. Pick out one lick from each solo and learn it. Don't just use those new licks but change them around, add a bend, take away a bend.

Hope this helps!!
Mike Abbott, Access Rock

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SUBJECT: MY GUITAR WON'T STAY IN TUNE, SHOULD I GET A NEW ONE?

Question: I am looking for a guitar that will stay in tune.I get really tired of retuning all the time.what is a good choice?I want one that will stay tuned even after some really hard playing.Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Thanks for your question - this is a good one!

Here's the deal - A new guitar might not be the answer. The ability for your guitar to stay in tune hinges upon a few factors. Therefore, if you really like your current guitar, you might be able to make it stay in tune ( with some time, energy and possible $$). If so, here are the factors:

1. The nut - The nut must be cut and shaped correctly in order for the strings to stay in tune. Get a good repair guy to do this.

2. The bridge - If the grooves in the bridge are worn, this can cause the strings to slip out of tune. Consult a good repair guy for bridge options.

3. The tuning keys - If you have low quality or vintage tuning keys, your strings will probably slip out of tune.

4. Installing your strings - Installing the strings incorrectly will cause the strings to go out of tune! Check out Access Rock's Guitar Stringing Lesson and Guitar Tuning Lesson for important instructions on how to install your strings correctly and tune your guitar correctly.

Scenario 2
Buy a guitar that will stay in tune. There are many very good guitars out there that will stay in tune (if set up and strung correctly ). Fender, Gibson, Danelectro, PRS are some big names that are very reliable. If you want a new guitar, take your time and figure out your likes and dislikes: model, sound, feel, cost, etc.. Check out Access Rock's guitar tone lesson, to find out about some different guitars.
good luck Bobby!

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SUBJECT: RING AND PINKY FINGER INDEPENDENCE

Question: I'm having trouble with my finger independence between the ring and pinky finger.
Any ideas for exercises? Also, is it safe to use the gripmaster?

Answer: I have never used the gripmaster in my 20 years of playing the guitar, and yet, my single note technique is very strong with all four fingers. Why use the gripmaster when you could be practicing scales, arpeggios, or exercises on the guitar which would strengthen the fingers and improve your skills and knowledge of the fingerboard!

I suggest you take our beginning technique lesson , and the scale and chord relationships lesson. Be sure to play the scales or exercises SLOWLY! This helps to strengthen the fingers because you are holding each note longer.
We add new lessons every month, and I will get some more technique and scale lessons up as soon as possible.
Thanks for your question.

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SUBJECT: CHOOSING AN ELECTRIC SOLID-BODY GUITAR

Question: I'm looking to buy a new guitar $500-$650 dollar range. I like the sound of humbucking pickups. The guitars I am looking at are the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Flametop or the Schecter C1-Plus. The style of music I like is classic rock, late 60's through 70's. I also like some newer stuff by Stain, Creed, etc. Any recommendations? I would like your input on the electronics, tuning pegs, etc. on each guitar. I have been playing for about 6 months.

Answer: The Schecter C-1 Plus looks like a great choice. It has Grover Tuners which are some of the best-quality tuners out there. The set-neck design will give you a lot of sustain. The jumbo frets are a very specific feel - play the guitar and make sure you like that type of fret.

The Epiphone Les Paul looks like a good choice also, but there are some issues. The price is about $100 higher than the Schecter and I was unable to find specific information on the tuners, frets, and pickups. This probably means that the frets are standard size, and the tuners and pickups are not as good as on the Schecter. One thing which I like better on this one is the volume and tone knobs. There is a tone knob for each pickup. This will give you a little more flexibility in dialing in the tone you want. Learn more about guitar tone...

I recommend seeking out more information on the pickups of both guitars. The guitars are made from identical types of wood so the main tone ingredient will be the pickups. If you really like one of the guitars more than the other, remember that you can put in any type of pickups you want at a later time. Depending on the type of pickup, this would cost around $150 to $250 (installed by a repairman), depending on the type of pickups.
Good Luck!

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SUBJECT: BAR CHORDS AND SMOOTH CHORD SWITCHES

Question: PLEASE, I want some tips on smooth chord changes without having to stop and adjust my fingers. Any tips on how to make my bar chords sound more crisp. Finger positioning and precision. I am a beginner and any helpful tips on any of these is much appreciated.

Answer: When switching between chords, there are a few things that are important to remember:

1. Try to memorize the overall shape of each chord. For instance, the open position D chord looks like a triangle.
2. Practice each chord separately - when all fingers are on the chord, play the strings one at a time. Check to hear if all strings ring clearly without buzzing.
3. When playing chords that require strumming less than 6 strings, use the thumb or other fingers to mute the appropriate strings. For details on this, check out Access Rock's Strumming Basics Lesson.
4. SLOWLY practice switching, back and forth, between two chords. It takes time to switch even simpler chords quickly and smoothly. Practice each switch 15 to 20 times a day.
   
   BAR CHORDS:
   Bar chords require a lot strength in the finger. If the barring finger is weak, the chord will buzz or sound fuzzy. First, practice small barring with just one finger (use 1st, 3rd, or 4th finger). Start with 2 string bars:(Click Here for photos of these), then 3 string, 4 string, etc.. On larger bar chords where you have to bar all of the strings with the first finger, lean to the edge (closest to the thumb) of the first finger. This will give you a harder surface on which to push.
   On any bar chords, it is necessary to keep the finger close to the fret!
   Be patient and practice hard!!

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SUBJECT: MIXING GENRES AND FINDING MY OWN STYLE

Question: I have been playing guitar about 5 years now and am trying to develop my own style. In trying to do this I play a culmination of many styles. I guess my question lies in a physical (strumming and picking hand) problem I have with this sometimes. In one sitting I'll practice shades of bluegrass style picking and rhythm, with straight up folk type (sweeping even strokes over the strings), blues style progressions, and sometimes join these styles into hybrid songs. The problem is that my right hand(through some kind of muscle memory) seems to remember too well what it was last engaged in. I Get the even sweeping strumming sounding sweet and then find hit hard to get some of the "jerkier", "swankier" bluegrass rhythm to come out on cue for me without slowly working into it. Am I making it hard on myself? It's hard to just concentrate on one genre of music for me. Could my search for something original actually be just stagnating my style?

Answer: First, without experimentation or envelope pushing, we would be stuck with "Neanderthal Man's Greatest Hits"! Throughout history, great musicians strove to find new melodies, chords, rhythms, and combinations of these. Developing your own style takes many, many years of hard work, listening, playing with other musicians, etc.. Your own style comes at a pace that you cannot gauge. It can't be forced. Having not heard your songs, I would take a guess that you have too many style switches going on, too close together. Try writing a song in one genre. When you finish, try adding a touch of another strumming style to it. As far as the strumming problems go, you need to master the strum patterns that are giving you problems. Practice these patterns with and without the metronome, fast and slow, and with a drum machine or a practice track from Access Rock. Good luck Matt, and remember, The Beatles said it best....."Let It Be"

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SUBJECT: Soloing Problems

Question: My name is Michael William, and I am having trouble with my solos. One problem is that I find that I can BEGIN to write solos, but never finish them off. One cause may be that I start to write songs from the solo, because I can never come up with riffs that I like enough to use or keep. Another problem is that I find I only know a few licks, and I am getting pretty bored with it. When I try to experiment, it all just turns out to be the same stuff over and over again. And it's very hard for me to find inspiration. Do you know any way you can help me with any of my problems?

Answer: You're not alone in your quest for great solos! Most players find that they reach a wall in their solos and just keep recycling old licks and ideas. Here are a couple of things to start with:

1. Finishing Your Solo - It depends what type of solo you are playing, but usually a good solo builds to a climax point. By building, I mean gradually making your licks/ideas more intense either rhythmically or texturally until the big, exciting end of the solo. You can build intensity by playing higher notes, bending more, using unison or stationary bends, or repeating licks or ideas. Browse our soloing lessons to find help on this.

2. Inspiration - To play new solo licks or ideas you need to find new techniques (bends, hammers, etc..), new scales, or new rhythms. In the next two weeks, Access Rock will have a couple of more lessons which deal with this subject. In the mean time, force yourself to play a new rhythm. For instance, play a lick 10 times. Each time play the same notes, but use a different rhythm. You have to slowly count out the new rhythm using quarter, eighth, half, or sixteenth notes. We have many technique lessons on Access Rock. Browse our soloing or technique lessons to find them. Remember....invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration!!

SUBJECT: Whammy Bar

Question: Hello, I've been playing the guitar for many years now, but it was only recently that I have been playing the electric, so I am wondering what is a tremolo or whammy bar for??

Answer: The tremolo bar is used for many different types of effects such as vibrato, dive-bombing (loosening the string tension completely), and many others. The tremolo bar is attached to the bridge system which runs all the way through the guitar's body. This bridge system is connected to springs in the back of the body. When the tremolo bar is pushed down, the springs are pulled and the bridge comes up, effectively loosening the string tension.

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SUBJECT: Richer Solo Tone

Q:Hello, I have a line spider 6 ampifier with 100 watt speakers. I also have a Boss GT effects processor. The guitar I use is an RR3 Jackson with Seymour duncan pickups. I can switch in and out of difference effects and come up with an ok sound. The problem is that when I play a solo, it sounds weak. If I compare my solo sound to a solo sound heard by Metallica or Steve Vai, I cannot get that powerful sound you hear when they play a solo.
What else do I need to bring out the sound better? I don't want a louder sound, just a richer sound.

A: Hi Carlos, Thanks for the question. I'm afraid that getting Kirk Hammett or Steve Vai's sound takes a lot more than a modeling amp and an effects processor! What most players forget is that a large part of a guitar player's sound comes from his hands....the pick attack, left hand technique, and so on.

Now let's look at your gear. The Jackson is probably a decent guitar, I don't have any experience with that model. Seymour Duncan pickups are great pickups, but vary greatly from Kirk's!! Kirk mostly has used EMG pickups in his guitars...for sure on the black album. I don't know what kind of amp Steve Vai plays through, but Kirk plays through Marshalls and Mesa Boogies.

In order to get a richer sound, I would first remove the effects processor from the equation. Good tone starts from the ground up...that means guitar, cord, amp! Experiment with different pickup selections, different Marshall or Mesa Boogie settings on your Line 6, and lastly EQ settings on the amp. You will want to most likely boost the bass frequencies, scoop out the mid-range frequencies, and boost the high frequencies to taste. Chances are, you can get the type of sound you're looking for with your amp and guitar only. This, of course, doesn't take into account your ability as player....so practice and learn the solos of these guys!!

-Mike, Access Rock.com