Welcome…

This month, we’re delving into the make-up of

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

LOSE YOUR HEAD!

In case you hadn’t noticed, headless guitars are

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”

MASTODON

Pushing The Tides

GETTING STARTED WITH... THE MAJOR SCALE

This scale is the foundation for basically everything. So you’d better learn it!

“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

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

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

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

KEVIN COMEAU CROWN LANDS

When guitarist/bassist/ keyboardist Kevin Comeau formed Crown Lands

Welcome

If you’re anything like me your songwriting ideas

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

Song Structures #1

Take a broader view of your song’s structure

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