Just as it was scheduled the 2009 Meinl Guitar Festival gives a special show for guitar heads especially with the collaboration between two guitar virtuosos, Steve Vai and Andy Timmons. Both guitarists were giving more than clinics as they also joint forces and played some great songs such as Jimi Hendrix's "little Wing" and also the special "Beat It" in honor of Michael Jackson's recent death.

The guitarist played the songs with great enthusiasm and really get the crowd going, but playing "Beat It" would definitely more special rather at the time as it is an excellent acknowledgment and tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Expressing his excitement in performing one of Michael's greatest hits, before performing it Steve, said to the crowd, "Please enjoy it very much, because we will enjoy performing it for you very much."


Beside collaborating both Steve and Andy actually also did a solo performances that day just before taking the stages together. Meanwhile, before the show, the two virtuosos also did a master class session at noon. The master class seems to be as exciting as the show as according to one of the attendees for Steve's Alien Guitar Secret Master class, who wrote on Steve's official messageboard, stated that the class was, "great great great !All with a lot of humor and a great spirit , so it was also a lot of fun. To me it was a wonderful moment from witch I got more motivation , inspiration and confidence."

As many music fans may know rock supergroup Chickenfoot is currently busy with their tour in support of their latest debut album and according to reports not many fans managed to watch the show live, here we found videos of one of their shows on Youtube (courtesy of Chromeboy2003). The videos itself according to Blabbermouth.net were taken from the band's performance at Shepherd's Bush in London, England on June 25, on the show the band plays the tracks from the new record and below you can check some of the songs.

Chickenfoot's European tour itself has actually kicked off since June 20 where they hit the Nova Rock festival at Nickelsdorf, Austria and it is scheduled to end on July 12 in Netherlands. After the European leg, the band won't be resting as just yet as they have already set up another North American tour that will start on August 02 until September 27.

Meanwhile, their new album itself that has been dropped on June 5 in the U.S. reportedly has been sold about 174,000 copies in the U.S. only. Beside giving 12 rocking tracks, on the new album, the band also gives a special features to the fans as they packaged the CD with an exclusive heat-sensitive artwork.

So, you want to be a guitar player huh? You want to strut like Chuck Berry, be as cool as Keith Richards, rock like Jimi Hendrix and astound like Steve Vai. You want to wake up in the morning a beginner and go to bed at night an expert. You want to be hero-worshipped and have people chant your name. Idolised, admired, remembered and revered. You want your money for nothing and your chicks for free. You want all that and more!

Good for you! You have ambition; fire in your belly and a lion in your heart. It takes a lot of gusto to want to be a great guitarist. I wish you well and hope you achieve your dreams many times over.

Now that we’ve established that you want to be a great guitar picker, how would you feel if I said I know the secret of being a great guitar picker? Furthermore, how would you feel if I told you I was going to share that secret with you right now, free of charge? I suppose you would think there’s a catch and that really I just want to sell you something. Well, it’s true that I do have an on-line store that sells great guitar tutorials. It’s also true that I would love you to visit and buy everything in the shop. However, that’s not why I’m going to share this secret with you. No way, I have another reason for giving you this information.

When I was starting out playing the guitar, I always wished that I could have known somebody who could already play and could teach me a few things. Unfortunately, in those early days I didn’t know anybody that played. I had to struggle along trying to learn chords, scales and arpeggios from the printed page. I used to worry about whether I was holding the guitar correctly, or if I was putting my fingers on the correct fret or string. A lot of it was pretty much hit and miss. More often than not…..it was miss!!

For that reason, I would like to offer some advice to guitar players that are just starting out. If you promise to listen and take notice of my advice, I promise I will share with you the secret of becoming a great guitar player. Deal? Ok, settle down with a cold can of fizzy pop, and read on……

I’m going to list these pieces of advice one by one in a bulleted list. Remember, the deal is you read and digest the information and then I will tell you the great guitar playing secret. Press your focus and concentration buttons………Now!!

1. Buy a guitar tuner and tune up!

If you don’t know anybody who can tune the guitar for you, and you can’t yet tune it yourself, then you need to invest in a tuner. Do this today! Don’t struggle along on a guitar that sounds like elastic bands on a shoebox. You will not get any enjoyment whatsoever from an out of tune guitar. So, piece of advice number 1 - Tune it and keep it tuned!!

2. Consider lessons!

When beginning anything in life, it is good to get off on the right foot. A teacher, a mentor, an advisor, call it what you will. To teach is one of the most fantastic things we can do. Find a teacher that takes great pride in what he does. Usually the best ones are found by word of mouth. Ask people, make enquiries, e-mail, telephone, write a letter, anything it takes to find the right person. Remember, no matter how good you get there is always somebody who can teach you something new. Hiring a teacher is not just for when you are starting out, it is something you should consider throughout your guitar playing life. A good teacher will advise you on technique, theory, performance, attitude and practicing. He or she will set you goals and reward you when you accomplish them. He or she will also explain the small things such as the importance of using a metronome in your studies, keeping your instrument clean and changing strings. Advice number 2 – Find a mentor!

3. Practice, practice, practice…….but not too much!!

What does that mean “Practice, but not too much?” Well, if we want to get good at anything then obviously we do need to practice. With regards to learning the guitar, we need to get our hands to play the right notes in the right way. Although great technique takes a lot of time, effort, commitment and PRACTICE, we need to be aware of when to draw the line. Sometimes we can get that wrapped up in something that we are interested in; we can forget that there are other things in life. Our family, our friends, sports, the theatre, cinema, books, etc… Advice number 3 – Practice to get good, but chill out and relax to get even better!

4. Know what you have to learn and its importance to you now!!

There are so many things to learn on the guitar that it is inevitable that you will get distracted. Chords, scales, arpeggios, licks, tunes, exercises etc… They all have to be learnt as they are all important. If you realise the importance of learning these things before you start to practice them, you will stand a better chance of keeping your focus and completing your studies. If you are learning a new chord for example, think about why it is important that you learn the chord. How will it benefit you? How will it help you to advance? How will it help you to evolve into a better musician? Everything you learn is important, understand its importance. Advice number 4 – Make sure you know the relevance of everything you need to learn.

5. Listen, listen, listen!!

Ok, this piece of advice has two parts. The first part means listen to a lot of music. Try and have many influences. Remember, there is no bad music, only bad musicians. Be open to jazz, blues, rock, funk, pop, country, classical, anything! We can learn such a lot by listening. It plays a major part in our musical development. The second part of this piece of advice involves you training your ears. Try to learn to recognise chords just by the sound they make. Be aware of the subtle differences between a 7th chord and a 9th chord. It takes a long time to be able to do this properly. Stick with it and don’t worry when you get them wrong. Each time you try, you improve a little bit more. Advice number 5 – Use those ears!!

6. Play with other people!!

Join a band or form a band as soon as you can. You will learn so much from playing with other people. Put an advertisement in a music shop advertising your services as a guitar player. Don’t worry if you don’t feel ready, do it anyway. The experience will be priceless! Everything improves when you play regularly with other musicians. Your time, your feel, your technique, your confidence, EVERYTHING! Make sure you do this at the earliest opportunity! Advice number 6 – Take the licks out of your room and into a band!!

7. Learn your theory!!

Ok, your guitar teacher will probably stress the importance of this to you. The more theory you learn, the more your guitar playing will improve. Learn chord construction, diatonic harmony, learn about triads, intervals, major scales, relative minors, modes, etc… A lot of guitar players don’t like studying theory. Make sure you are not one of them. Advice number 7 – Read lots of music theory books!!

8. Visualise!!

A lot of people do not realise how powerful a tool this is. There is nothing you can’t do in your mind! Visualisation will not improve your technique. The only way to improve technique is to sit down and play for long hours. Visualisation helps in other ways. It helps you commit things to your long term memory. Use it when learning chords, scales, arpeggios, songs, in fact, anything. There is however, a time and a place for visualisation. You can use it while travelling on a bus, waiting for your date to turn up, while falling asleep at night, sunbathing or relaxing. You must NOT use it while doing anything that requires your full attention. For example; driving, using tools, cooking and riding you bicycle. You get the idea, right? Also, do not ever think that visualisation is a substitute for hands on practice - it isn’t! You have to do that as well. Advice number 8 – Practice in your mind!!

9. Be inquisitive!!

The more you play the more chance you have of meeting other guitar players. Never, ever be afraid to ask them questions even if they haven’t been playing as long as you have. We learn off everybody. Ask probing questions to see how they developed their technique. Check out the chord shapes they use. If you see one that you don’t recognise, ask them what it is. Remember your job is to improve your playing at every opportunity – do your job! Advice number 9 – Ask lots of questions and you’ll get lots of answers!!!

10. Smile!!

Sometimes the stress of being a practicing guitar player can get us down. Maybe a lick you are working on just isn’t happening, or no matter how hard you try you just cannot execute a new scale properly. This is normal. Sometimes it’s better to put the instrument down and come back to it later on. Never, ever let it get you mad and never, ever get frustrated. Fight back at these challenging situations with a big smile. Try it now, right this minute. Think of something that is bothering you although deep down you know it isn’t important. Visualise it. Ok, hold it there and…….SMILE! Laugh even. Not just a chuckle but a big laugh right from your belly. Go on, feels good, doesn’t it? Treat your guitar playing challenges in exactly the same way. Deep down you know they aren’t really that important. Tomorrow is another day. I’m not saying don’t take your guitar playing seriously; just stop and smell the flowers now and again. Be optimistic, be bold, be the best you can be and……..smile!! Advice number 10 – Playing the guitar is fun – Enjoy it!!

There you go, that’s my advice to you. Good luck with your playing!
Right, all that’s left for me to do is tell you the great guitar playing secret. Are you ready? Well, don’t tell anybody but the secret of being a great guitar player is………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………….in everything you’ve just read!! Sorry guys, but there ain’t no shortcut to greatness. If you follow the 10 pieces of advice I’ve just given you then you won’t go far wrong. I still haven’t achieved it and I may never will. One thing is for sure, I’m gonna keep on plugging away, and, who knows, maybe one day I’ll get pretty close. The fun is in the trying. Work hard and feel yourself improve!

So, you want to be a guitar player huh? You bet your life I do……

About the author:Peter Jones is the managing Director of Jack Sky Ltd. Based in the great city of Liverpool, Jack Sky is committed to providing 1st class guitar tutorials for all of its customers. A warm welcome awaits you at http://www.jack-sky.com/

Having just finished the first part of his Asian clinic tour, guitar master Andy Timmons took the time off before continuing the second part of the tour and went back to U.S. to prepare for a special master class in July. According to his official site Andy will be doing his exclusive master class named Guitar X-tacy class on July 10th in Dallas, Texas.

Explaining more about the Master class program, the press statement on Andy's website revealed that the master class will be held as a 5 hour package which will give all the attendants opportunity to have special lessons, discussions and other stuffs directly from the guitar virtuoso himself. Moreover, as for the ticket price for the master class will be about $200, and it will have a very limited seats for only about 50 attendants allowed at the event. More info about this upcoming special event can be viewed at this link.

Beside the upcoming Dallas Masterclass, Andy will also do some clinic and master class including his second part of Asian Clinic tour, which will take him to visit south east asia countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Philipines. Other clinic that he will attend are the upcoming Meinl Guitar fest on June 27 and the Guitar Workshop Plus on August 12 in Vancouver, Canada.

Having not heard from him in a while, new Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal announced an exciting news to his fans as he stated that he will be touring with Lita Ford. Announcing the news on his official website, the guitar virtuoso revealed that he and his drummer, Dennis Leeflang will be joining Lita starting from June 12 at Reedwood Run.

Explaining more about the upcoming shows with Lita, Ron also stated that despite the shows will be close to GNR's upcoming tour, the guitar master ensures to the rock band devotees that it won't be a trouble for him and that he already had permission from his bandmates. Lita and I have GNR's blessings to do this together, all is cool. This won't interfere with upcoming GNR plans, I'll be flying out and coming right back," said Bumblefoot on his official fans forum.

Meanwhile, beside shows with Lita, just as it was described above, Ron will also do a tour with his new band Guns N' Roses this summer in a bid to promote their latest album "Chinese Democracy", that was outed on November 23, 2008. The album itself received a quite warm welcome as it managed to debuted at #3 at the Bilboard top 200 chart on its first week sales.

Bumblefoot himself officially joined the band in 2006 though he has already began the talks to join them since 2004. The guitar master's first official live show with GNR was on May 12, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City . Ron himself, was involved in all of the recording for the band's latest outing "Chinese Democracy", both as rhtytm guitarists in all of the records and solo's in some tracks.

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal upcoming shows schedule:

FRI JUNE 12, 2009
Redwood Run (Piercy, CA)

SAT JUNE 13, 2009
Jackson Ranchero Casino (Jackson, CA)

SUN JUNE 21, 2009
Meltaway Festival (Zaragosa, Spain)

FRI JUNE 26, 2009
Bang Your Head Festival (Messegelände Balingen, Germany)

SAT JUNE 27, 2009
Gods of Metal Festival (Milan, Italy)

TUE JUNE 30, 2009
Rockwave Festival (Athens, Greece)

FRI JULY 3, 2009
Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI)

SAT JULY 4, 2009
Bridgeview Music Jam (Bridgeview, IL)

FRI JULY 17, 2009
Monndance Ranch Jam (Walker, MN)

FRI JULY 24, 2009
Molson Canal Concert Series (North Tonawanda, NY)

SUN JULY 26, 2009
Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, CT)

MON AUG 3, 2009
Buffalo Chip (Sturgis, SD)

SAT AUG 22, 2009
Rock Gone Wild (Algona, IA)

SAT SEPT 5, 2009
Taste of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)







written by Dewa Nugraha

An exciting news comes from guitar hero, George Lynch as he announced to his fans that he will be doing a guitar clinic on June 18 at J&R Music World. Revealing the news on his official MySpace page, George also added that beside the clinic there will also be an autograph session at the event.

This guitar clinic is definitely is a special opportunity for guitar fans in the states especially those who lived near 23 Park Row, New York, NY to see George in person. The event that will be staged on Thursday is scheduled to start at 5 Pm, so all of the guitar master devotees better be there on time.

Meanwhile, George himself has been busy with lots of his musical projects, not just with his band Lynch Mob, recently the guitar virtuosos has also unleashed another band project named, Soul of We. The new band consist of London Legrand (vocals), Johnny Chow (bass), and Yael (drums, they have just a concert on May 30 at the Angels Roadhouse.

However for fans that missed out SOW performance at the Angels Roadhouse, they will still have the chance to catch them at the upcoming show on June 14 at Knitting Factory, 7021 hollywood blvd Los Angeles, California. The show will kick start at 8:00 PM and beside seeing the band fans can also get a discount prize for the band's CD's and other items at the show.

Just as it was scheduled, Progressive metal act Dream Theater released another cover track of their favorite songs and this time for the fourth outing is a song called "Take Your Fingers From My Hear". The song was originally played by classic New Orleans hard rock band Zebra, the track itself was on the band's self-titled debut album which was dropped in 1983.

As always just like the release of the previous cover tracks, the band's drummer Mike Portnoy always give the reason behind their pick. Commenting about why did they pick Zebra's song, Mike revealed that Zebra was one of Dream Theater's favorite bands during their youth and they were a sort of local hero for the drummer and his friends at the 80's.

Mike stated that despite Zebra was born on New Orleans, but the classic band got their names by playing at clubs on Mike and friends hometown Long Island. The drums maestro also stated that covering Zebra's song would just be a way for them to give a tribute for such a great album and a great band.

Previously, the band has already released 3 cover track singles they were, "Stargazer", "Tenement Funster/Flick of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley" and "Odyssey". Meanwhile, Dream Theater's new album itself titled "Black Cloud & Silver Linings" will be dropped to the market on June 23 via Roadrunner Records.

After confirming that they will be doing a major summer co-headline tour with RATT, Boston Rockers, Extreme announced a great news for their hometown fans as they adds one special show at the city. The funky-metal act announced the news via their official MySpace blog stating that at Boston they will be performing alone without RATT. "We look forward to a special set for all our friends in Boston. We will be out on a co-headline tour with RATT this summer but this night will be just Extreme... so see you all there," the band wrote on their MySpace page.

Extreme themself earlier has stated that they will do a summer tour this year together with another famous rock act RATT. They are set to kick off their road trip on July 12 at Amanilo, Texas and with the new addition date, rather than finishing the trip on August 7 just like the previous schedule, certainly the funk-metal band will be closing their tour on August 8 at their hometown.

Moreover, both bands are very excited with the upcoming tour and just can't wait for it to start. Speaking his delight, Nuno Bettencourt, Extreme's guitarist said, "One hot summer night. Two bands fully loaded with musicianship. Mix in one part memorable songwriting. Add nine ounces of passionate performers. Throw in three well respected guitarists. Add a touch of West Coast raunch and a hint of East Coast funk. And you get yourself a recipe for one night of unforgettable rock and roll. "

Meanwhile, RATT themselves also expressed their excitement for the tour through their drummer Bobby Blotzer stated "Warren DeMartini and Nuno Bettencourt on same stage, same night?? 'Nuff said, we'll see you there! So this upcoming tour seems to be a special rock and roll experience for all rock fans and would definitely puts the crowd on a ride of a lifetime.

After announcing his return to Planet X in early April, guitar virtuoso once again added an exciting news for his and his band's fans as he stated that Planet-X will be going out for a tour later this year. Tony revealed the news via his official MySpace blog and confirming that it will kick off on September 26 and adding that the band will also have a new bass player for the road trip.

Explaining about the tour plan and the new bass player, the announcement on Tony's MySpace page said, "With Tony's return to the group, Planet X will kick off a European Tour in late September/early October with new bass player Doug Shreeve." Despite announcing the city atnd dates for the band's upcoming tour, the guitar virtuoso hasn't really confirmed the venues for the concerts. "Venues are still being confirmed for the tour," Tony's MySpace page read.

Previously in early April, Tony stated that he is re-uniting with his band Planet X after parting ways for a short while as he did not work with the band for the progressive metal act's latest album "Quantum" that was released in 2007. The shredder himself was one of the original members of the band as he has been involved in the rockers' projects from their early material in 2000.

Here is the tour schedule for Planet X upcoming tour:

September 26 - Zoetermeer, NL

After headlining the latest M3 festival on May 30, funk-rock act Extreme are set to give more shows for their die hard fans this year as the latest report stated that they will be touring soon. Announcing the news on their official MySpacepage, the band revealed that the summer tour will start on July 12 at Amarillo, Texas, on most of the tour the Boston outfit will also be joined by another hard rock act RATT.

Both Extreme and RATT are very excited with the upcoming tour and they just cant wait to hit the road together. Revealing the excitement, Nuno Bettencourt, Extreme guitarist stated, "One hot summer night. Two bands fully loaded with musicianship. Mix in one part memorable songwriting. Add nine ounces of passionate performers. Throw in three well respected guitarists. Add a touch of West Coast raunch and a hint of East Coast funk. And you get yourself a recipe for one night of unforgettable rock and roll. "

Meanwhile, RATT's Bobby Blotzer revealed to the press one of the reasons that will make the upcoming shows great and something the fans should not missed is the chance of seeing Warren DeMartini and Nuno together at the same stage. Warren DeMartini and Nuno Bettencourt on same stage, same night?? 'Nuff said, we'll see you there! Bobby said."

Extreme's Tour Schedule

Having already released two solo albums, Firehouse's guitarist Bill Leverty is giving another surprise for his fans as he announced via his official MySpace blog that he has already finished his third record titled "Deep South". The new record is a cover tunes album from old songs that Bill loved, revealing details about the new CD Bill wrote, "I've finished another solo album recently called DEEP SOUTH. I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. It's an album of old cover tunes that I love and wanted to record. "

Supporting the new record, Bill also released and premiered a music video for the album's first single which is the guitar virtuoso's own version of the classic blues song"Boll Weevil". Moreover, the Firehouse axeman's alsol revealed that the album and single's officiall release date are actually on June 9 but fans can already see the clips on Bill's official YouTube channel and as for the CD they can pre-order it from now at the guitar master's official site. In total, there are 10 tracks on the new record including "Boll Weevil", some other songs on the new outing are, "Samson And Delilah", "Man of Constant Sorrow" and many more.

Beside announcing the news about his new record, on his MySpace page, the 42-years-old guitarist also gives other special treat for his fans as he gives his MySpace friends and his mailing list members a discount for every merch that his selling via his official site. Another addition from Bill that he is giving a chance to the devotees to listen to 3 exclusive 30 second tracks, that he did for TV Commercials, at his Reverbnation account.

Last but not least, Bill's also confirm some tour dates which he and his band Firehouse will be embarking soon. The dates that he already posted is still a temporary and the already fied schedule, however more addition to the dates are still possible and will be confirmed later.

After announcing that he will be performing some shows in Italy after finishing his latest South American tour, Richie Kotzen announced more exciting news for his fans as he stated that he will do another tour in Europe this fall. Announcing the news on his official MySpace blog, Richie wrote "I am also planning an extensive European tour for the Fall."

Moreover, providing more details about the upcoming European trip, Richie stated that he would be visiting major European countries for his tour such as, England, Spain, France and others. "I am also planning an extensive European tour for the Fall. We plan on doing shows in the UK, Spain, France and other countries. The series of dates will run from late September until early December," Richie wrote.

However, beside revealing the great news for his fans in Europe, RK also announced that once again he will not be doing an extensive tour in the U.S. this year, although he will be playing a special show at BB Kings on July 28. Explaining about not doing a tour in the North America the sx Mr. Big guitarist said, "I am sorry to say there are no plans for a North American tour at this time however I will be doing a live show at BB Kings in New York City. The show at BB Kings will be on July 28th with my live band. This is sure to be a special event for me as it has been ages since I performed on the East Coast."

Beside the tour news on his MySpace blog, Richie also gives a special stuff for his fans which is a free donwload link for a new version of his song "Remember". But to download the track, fans must join Richie's Mailing list first and after they joined, they will be given a link to download the song for free.

After recently confirming the re-scheduled dates for his U.S. world tour, Germany guitar hero Michael Schenker, through his official website share mode exciting news to his fans as he announced the tour dates for his European gig. According to the site, Michael will start his road trip at the continent on September 8 at Prattein, Switzerland.

Moreover according to the current schedule, Michael will be playing at 9 venues in Europe and scheduled to end on September 17. Beside doing a solo tour in Europe, at the continent Michael will also join his former band Scorpions, playing in Athens, Greece on July 6.

Michael himself is currently busy with his U.S. tour which will be starting on June 6 at Santa Fe Station, Las Vegas and scheduled to finish Celebrity Theater, Phoenix Arizona. The US tour dates itself was actually re-scheduled by the guitar master after he have some visa problem.

The guitarist world tour itself is being held to support the release of his latest album "In The Mist of Beauty" that was released on May 13 2008. However beside the 2008 album, recently Michael has also released a new record titled Gypsy Lady, which is an acoustic CD that showed his collaboration with Gary Barden.