GB
  
You are currently viewing the United Kingdom version of the site.
Would you like to switch to your local site?
LESS THAN 1 MIN READ TIME
GUITAR

LOSE YOUR HEAD!

Unlock this article and much more with
You can enjoy:
Enjoy this edition in full
Instant access to 600+ titles
Thousands of back issues
No contract or commitment
Try for 99p
SUBSCRIBE NOW
30 day trial, then just £9.99 / month. Cancel anytime. New subscribers only.


Learn more
Pocketmags Plus
Pocketmags Plus

This article is from...


View Issues
Total Guitar
November 2021
VIEW IN STORE

Other Articles in this Issue


EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome…
This month, we’re delving into the make-up of
MONITOR
BLACK MAGIC
Photo Fraser Taylor J ohnny Marr’s new double
THE GEAR HEAD
MARK TREMONTI ON HIS NEW ALBUM, “WILD” EFFECTS AND “PRICELESS” AMP
PEDAL POWER!
Boss has added the SY200 Synthesiser (£299) and
SMALL BUT MIGHTY!
Hot on the heels of Friedman’s BE Mini
FENDERS FOR UNDER £1000!
SO MUCH MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
RELEASE VALVES
Blackstar unveils what it says are the “world’s most advanced valve peda ls”
HOW TO
MASTODON
Pushing The Tides
GETTING STARTED WITH... THE MAJOR SCALE
This scale is the foundation for basically everything. So you’d better learn it!
FEATURES
“USUALLY I’M THE GUY WITH THE FULL ‘EGO SET-UP’
Joe Bonamassa took a no-frills approach to gear for his new album – and yet, as he says, “It’s probably my most ambitious record...”
James Dean Bradfield
HE STARTED OUT PLAYING A LES PAUL TO SOUND LIKE THE SEX PISTOLS’ STEVE JONES. NOW, HE’S CHANNELING ABBA ON THE NEW MANIC STREET PREACHERS ALBUM AND DECL ARING, “I LOVE MY STRAT!” JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD OPENS HIS ‘GUITAR DIARY’ TO TG AND EXPLAINS THE ORIGINS OF HIS SOUND. “IT’S NOT MAGIC,” HE SAYS. “THERE’S NO THEORY. IT’S JUST F*CKING AROUND!”
ABBA’S SECRET WEAPON
Guitarist Janne Schaffer reveals his role in the biggest hit-making machine of the 70s
“ABBA’S RIFFS ARE UNDERRATED!”
The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins on how the Swedish pop icons rocked like Thin Lizzy
SESSION STYLES
Explore new styles of music with 10 cool licks
COVER FEATURE
THE ART OF SONGWRITING
For Sam Fender, the cover star of TG’s
“WHEN YOU WRITE A MELODY, IT’S LIKE YOUR SOUL TALKING”
Sam Fender was ten when he started on guitar – playing Nirvana and Oasis songs on a Peavey Strat copy. 17 years later, he’s a major star acclaimed by Elton John and Paul Weller. He tells TG about the creative process and the gear he used for his new album SeventeenGoingUnder
“YOU’RE NOT WRITING FOR OTHER PEOPLE. IT SHOULD BE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN”
How to write the heaviest metal songs without reverting to formula, by Bullet For My Valentine guitarists Matt Tuck and Padge
“WE’RE A VERY RIFF DRIVEN BAND”
For sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the creative nucleus of Larkin Poe, the best songs come from riffing, natural chemistry, and playing cover versions as a way to raise their own game
“SONGWRITING IS LIKE TRYING TO CATCH LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE”
Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is a master of the art who believes a great song requires only three key elements: “The riff. The melody. And something to say.”
“I START A SONG FROM A SPACE THAT FEELS CALM”
The War On Drugs leader Adam Granduciel reveals how he wrote their brilliant new album -and why he loves to record with one “magical guitar”
“ALL MY TRICKS FOR WRITING COME DOWN TO THE FACT THAT I’VE GOT A GREAT RECORD COLLECTION”
The Wildhearts frontman Ginger channels everything from Motorhead to ABBA. His advice: “Educate yourself...”
“IMPROVISING’S NOT EASY - AND NINETY-FIVE PER CENT OF IT WAS JUST SH*T!”
Australian psych rock band Pond have a strange approach to creating songs – applying modern editing to old-fashioned jamming. Multiinstrumentalist Jay Watson talks us through it
GET INSPIRED!
Seven tips to help you write your next song
LEARN TO PLAY
KISS I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU
Kiss released a disco single? You’d better believe it! Cue killer riffs and slick pentatonics over that infamous four-on-the floor groove
ED SHEERAN PERFECT
Go unplugged and learn Rockschool’s Grade One version of this world-beating ballad from the acoustic-wielding pop supremo
OPEN-MIC SONGBOOK SAM FENDER SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER
The title track from Sam Fender’s latest album is a songwriting tour de force, mixing indie rock and razor sharp lyricism
THE GAS STATION
THE GAS STATION
REAL WORLD REVIEWS OF THE BEST NEW GEAR
START ME UP!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…
GIBSON GENERATION ACOUSTICS
An intriguing new sound port, solid spruce tops and Gibson on the headstock? No, we haven’t got the price wrong. Say hello to Gibson’s latest US-made acoustics
STERLING BY MUSIC MAN MARIPOSA £689
Arresting looks and killer playability
JACKSON PRO SERIES MONARKH SCP £949
Purple reign: play your best hand with this right royal flush
PRO CO LIL’ RAT £89
Get your teeth into some classic distortion
SPOTLIGHT
KEVIN COMEAU CROWN LANDS
When guitarist/bassist/ keyboardist Kevin Comeau formed Crown Lands
WELCOME
Welcome
If you’re anything like me your songwriting ideas
THE GUITARIST’S GUIDE
Getting started
Follow our shortlist of gear essentials your inspired musical ideas
Writing with chords
Well known chord shapes can be a source of inspiration. Try out these creative techniques
Writing with riffs
Start with a simple riff and build your song around it
Writing with melodies and lyrics
How to write your vocal line, even if you’re not a singer
10 Of The Best
Learn from the greatest as we run down some of our all-time favourite songs
Song Structures #2
It’s time to look at other sections so you can write more complex song structures
What about my solo?
Step into the spotlight and give your song a lift with a lead break
Writing in different genres
The chords and progressions you use are the key
Writing for other instruments
A basic understanding of other instruments is essential for any songwriter, and drums and bass are the most important of all
Stuck in a rut?
Struggling for inspiration? Don’t worry. Try these six songwriting unblockers to get you started
THE GUITARIST’S GUIDE
Song Structures #1
Take a broader view of your song’s structure
Creating contrast
How to differentiate between sections
Write your first song
It’s time to get your first song under your belt
Using key signatures
What is a key and why should songwriters care? Read on as we explain all
Building chord progressions
How to arrange the chords you know into a song