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Songs to learn on guitar for your next summer party

June 25, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Do you have summer get-togethers coming up? Learn these summery songs on guitar and you’re guaranteed to get everyone singing!

School’s Out

Alice Cooper’s 1972 hit about school being out for the summer is a no-brainer for summer parties (bonus points if your friends are teachers!)

Watermelon Sugar

This 2019 jam from Harry Styles is bound to make a sweet impression at summer parties for years to come.

Summer of 69

Summer of ‘69 consists of an easy chord progression, making it a great choice for beginner or intermediate players.

Island in the Sun

Want to transport your guests to an “Island in the Sun”? Break out this 2001 Weezer classic, with its instantly recognisable chorus.

Proud Mary

Whether your guests prefer the original 1969 version of this song or the faster Tina Turner version, they’ll love singing along to the catchy chorus.

Hotel California

“Hotel California” brings to mind beaches in Malibu, summertime heat, and long drives – perfect for a party on a warm night!

How to make sure your gig is a success

June 18, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

So you have a gig booked – what can you do to make sure it’s a success? Here are some tried-and-true tips to make sure that your show goes smoothly.

Practice!

Always the most important rule – practice your set until you feel completely comfortable with it. The more “second nature” your songs feel, the better you’ll be able to perform them on stage. Extra practice also helps safeguard against the distractions a live performer can face. If you’re playing cover songs, guitarists Tom Harrison and Sean Bishop of the UK-based band Tigress recommend playing along with the song to really lock in your rhythm.

Promote it

You definitely want people to show up to your gig. At least a few weeks before the show, start promoting it on social media, with flyers, or by word of mouth.

Scope out the venue

If you’ve never been to the venue you’ll be playing at, it’s a good idea to stop by on another night to meet the staff and sound people, look at the stage setup, and see what the sound situation is like. That way, you can be sure to know what types of pedals, amps, and other gear you’ll need.

Check your gear ahead of time

Do your strings need to be changed? Is your amp in good working order? Making sure all of your gear is functioning ahead of time will prevent any headaches at gigtime. It’s a good idea to put all of the pedals, chords, and other accessories you need together ahead of time so that you’re not scrambling to find an XLR cable 20 minutes before show time.

Communicate

If you’re playing with other bands, reach out to them ahead of the gig to talk about set length, gear sharing, and anything else you might need to communicate. If the gig is set up by a promoter or venue staff, stay in communication with them about load-in time and set length, as well as what type of sound equipment (if any) you’ll need to provide.

Print your setlists

Make sure you and your bandmates are on the same page with what songs you’ll be playing by printing out the setlists ahead of time. That way, you can spend more stage time playing music and less time trying to figure out which song is next.

Expect the unexpected

Stuff happens during live shows – so be prepared for anything! Bring backup strings, extra picks (or drumsticks, etc), give yourself plenty of time to get to the venue, and most importantly, have fun with it! Check out singer/songwriter XIMXIA’s tips for beating stage fright.

Little-known facts about AC/DC

June 18, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Australian rock band AC/DC is one of rock’s most successful groups of all time. Their 1980 album Back in Black is the second-highest selling album of all time (after Michael Jackson’s Thriller).

“AC/DC” by New York + Philly Live! is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Here are some electrifying facts about AC/DC you might not know:

They got their name from a sewing machine

Brothers and band founders Malcolm and Angus Young got the name “AC/DC” when their sister Margaret pointed out the symbol on the adapter of her sewing machine. AC/DC is an acronym for “Alternating Current/Direct Current,” which means a device can use both types of power.

The band name is pronounced “Acca Dacca” in Australia

While most of the world pronounces AC/DC as “A-C-D-C”, in their native Australia, they go by “Acca Dacca”.

Angus Young dressed up as Zorro, a gorilla, and more.

“Angus Young, Barcelona Spain, 2009” by Edvill is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

While trying to find a gimmick costume before settling on his iconic schoolboy look, guitarist Angus Young tried on a lot of different alter-egos – including a superhero called Super-Ang.

A couple sued the band over “Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap”

“Dirty Deeds” almost ended up not being dirt cheap for AC/DC. The song’s lyrics “36 24 26 hey” were interpreted by some fans as being a phone number (with the “hey” being an “8”), resulting in a seven digit phone number which a lot of people called. The phone number’s owners, a couple from Libertyville, Illinois, said that they were getting hundreds of calls a day, and sued the band and record label for $250,000 in damages (also demanding that they re-record the part in the song with the numbers). However, the judge in the case found that accidentally using someone’s phone number is protected under the First Amendment.

Apparently, sharks love AC/DC

According to Australian Geographic, an Australian tour operator has reported that playing hits like “Shook Me All Night Long” and “Back in Black” underwater draws sharks toward the boat. He said that he tried several bands to no effect, but when the great whites heard the AC/DC songs, they swam up and rubbed their faces against the source of the music.

Rockstar dads and their musical kids

June 11, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Does talent come from genetics? The jury is out on whether musical ability is nature vs. nurture – however, lots of famous musicians do have children who are also successful musicians! Here are some famous musicians whose kids are also finding success in their musical careers.

Eddie and Wolfgang Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen at the New Haven Coliseum 2” by Carl Lender is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of legendary Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actor Valerie Bertinelli, performed in Van Halen (playing bass) alongside his dad until Eddie’s death in 2020. He has played in heavy metal band Tremonti, and also put out two albums under his solo project, Mammoth WVH.

John and Jason Bonham

“John Bonham – Led Zeppelin – photo: Dina Regine” by Dina Regine is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“Jason Bonham 2009” by Toglenn is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, is a drummer himself, and has played on several occasions with the band’s surviving members. He led the group Bonham in the 1980s and 1990s, and is a member of supergroups Black Country Communion and Sammy Hagar and the Circle.

John, Julian and Sean Lennon

“Julian Lennon” by Greg2600 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“Sean Lennon” by Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Julian and Sean Lennon are two of late Beatle John Lennon. Julian, who inspired Beatles songs like “Hey, Jude”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Good Night”, has put out seven solo albums as well as fine art collections of photography and children’s books.

Sean Lennon has put out two solo albums and played with bands including Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and his parents’ group Plastic Ono Band.

Glenn and Deacon Frey

“The Eagles in concert – 2010 Australia – Glenn Frey” by jeaneeem is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

When The Eagles’ Glenn Frey died in 2016, his son Deacon stepped in for guitar and vocals on his dad’s songs at only 24.

Lenny and Zoe Kravitz

“Actress Zoe Kravitz (L) and musician Lenny Kravitz with the LG Electronics Kompressor Vacuum on The 25th Spirit Awards Blue Carpet held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on March 5, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.” by LGEPR is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Lenny Kravitz’ daughter Zoe is an actress and model, as well as a musician. She’s the front person for R&B and electropop duo LOLAWOLF, which has put out three albums .

Bob and Jakob Dylan

“Bob Dylan (Bring it All Back Home Sessions)” by ky_olsen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“Jakob Dylan Minnesota” by SydKat is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Bob Dylan’s son Jakob, the youngest of five, is a singer/songwriter who rose to fame in his band The Wallflowers. He also has a solo career of his own.

Some of the most iconic album covers of all time – and their stories

June 3, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

A truly iconic album cover can define an album and its place in musical history. Some album covers become so recognizable over time, they can define an entire genre – or generation.

Here are some of the most iconic album covers of all time, and the stories behind them.

The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

“the velvet underground & nico 1967” by oddsock is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Andy Warhol designed the banana graphic that adorns The Velvet Underground and Nico’s debut album. The band had been featured on Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia event tour, and recorded the album while on the road. The original album art included a sticker version of the banana that could be peeled back to reveal the fruit underneath, although that version required a special machine for printing.

The Beatles: Abbey Road (1969)

“Abbey Road- The Beatles” by beatles maniac11 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The album cover for The Beatles’ eleventh album has inspired many parodies and recreations. It was taken outside of EMI studios on Abbey Road in northwest London. The photographer of the shoot only had ten minutes to get the shot, as traffic was being held up behind the shoot. After the album was released, the license plate of the white Beetle seen in the background was reportedly stolen. The car itself was later sold at auction and is now in a German museum!

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (1975)

The cover art for Pink Floyd’s ninth album depicts two businessmen shaking hands, one of whom is on fire. The photographer for the shoot was inspired by the idea of people hiding their feelings for fear of “being burned”. “Being burned” is also a common music industry phrase. To get the shot, the photographer used two stuntmen, one of who was wearing a fireproof suit under a business suit and a hood underneath a wig.

Nirvana: Nevermind (1991)

Nevermind’s cover features a baby swimming toward a dollar bill on a fishing lure, just out of reach. Kurt Cobain said he came up with the concept while watching a documentary on water births. The photographer on the shoot, Kirk Weddle, took a picture of his friend’s four-month-old son, Spencer Elden, which ended up becoming the cover. In 2021, Elden filed a lawsuit against Weddle, Cobain’s estate, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic, saying that the use of his likeness was made without his or his legal guardians’ consent and that it “violated federal child pornography statutes”. A lower court ruled in 2022 that Elden had waited too long to file, but that decision was overturned by the 9th US circuit court of appeals in 2023.

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon, 1973

Possibly one of the most recognizable album covers of all time, Dark Side of the Moon features a prism with a beam of white light going into it, dispersing it into colors. Designer Storm Thorgerson was inspired by a photo in a 1963 physics textbook of a prism, according to a 2023 article in Mojo Magazine. The design studio offered a choice of seven images for the cover, but the band unanimously decided on the one that made the cover. “There were no arguments,” said Roger Waters in the Mojo article. “We all pointed to the prism and said ‘That’s the one’.”

David Bowie: Aladdin Sane (1973)

The lightning bolt makeup David Bowie wore for the cover art for Aladdin Sane is one of his most recognizable looks ever. Bowie described his alter-ego of Aladdin Sane as an extension of his Ziggy Stardust persona, but “Ziggy Stardust goes to America”. Alongside the blue and red “flash” lightning bolt on his face, Bowie’s hair was dyed red and his skin was painted purple. A silver teardrop completes the look. Aladdin Sane was the costliest album cover of its time – Bowie’s team wanted to spend a lot of money on it to ensure that his label, RCA, would promote it extensively.

Learning to play guitar: Expectations vs. reality

May 29, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Picking up guitar for the first time is an exciting milestone – but often, first-time players have expectations that are out of line with what they can actually expect. Here are some common expectations for learning guitar, and the reality behind them.

Expectation: You’ll start out playing the coolest looking guitar around.

Reality: It’s easiest to start learning guitar on an acoustic guitar – there’s less equipment involved, and you can really master the basics like hitting notes properly, learning the chord shapes, and mastering strumming.

Don’t worry – there’s plenty of time to get into collecting crazy guitars once you’ve learned how to play!

Expectation: You’ll practice every day.

Reality: It would be great to practice every day, but realistically, life gets in the way. A good goal for daily practice is 30 minutes to 90 minutes a day, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t always make that benchmark. Some helpful strategies to keep you on track: set reminders for practice time on your phone (or on a Post-It), practice for shorter sessions, or use commercial breaks during TV time to get some scales in!

Expectation: You’ll teach yourself everything you need to know.

Reality: Some guitar heroes were self-taught, but if you really want to learn guitar the right way (understanding the notes and theory so you can easily play with other musicians), you’ll likely need some help.

Luckily, Fret Zealot has hundreds of lessons at your fingertips, so you can take courses like Complete Guitar Theory Lab at home, whenever you want!

Expectation: You’ll be shredding in a couple of months.

Reality: Don’t get discouraged if you’re still slowly working through easy songs a few months in. Everyone learns at a different pace, and you need to not only memorize songs, but also build muscle memory! The good news is that the more you practice, the further you get – even if it doesn’t feel like that yet.

Expectation: You’ll learn some of your favorite songs right away

Reality: You may want to start with “Eruption”, but it’s more likely that you’ll learn “Smoke on the Water” first! Here are some other easy rock songs to learn to help ease you into playing guitar.

Famous guitar players who have college degrees

May 29, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Not every professional musician has a college degree. There’s even a bit of a stereotype that most rock stars are high school or college dropouts – which is true of guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Eric Clapton. However, plenty of successful musicians did go the academic route!

Here are some famous guitar players with college degrees:

Thom Yorke

“Thom Yorke of Radiohead” by angela n. is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Radiohead vocalist Thom Yorke originally wanted to attend Oxford University, but said that he wasn’t even able to apply because he was “too thick”. Instead, he studied English literature and fine arts at the University of Exeter, graduating in 1991 with most of the other members of On a Friday, which became Radiohead when they signed to EMI.

Dexter Holland

“File:Dexter Holland – 2009.jpg” by opethpainter is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of The Offspring, Bryan Keith “Dexter” Holland has a Ph.D in molecular biology from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Education was always a passion of Holland’s – he said he found math “just as exciting as punk rock” in high school, and even got his nickname “Dexter” due to his academic skills.

Brian May

“File:Brian-May with red special.jpg” by Eddie Mallin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Queen guitarist Brian May is a certified star expert. He earned his Ph.D in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007. He held the position of chancellor with Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013 and was a science team collaborator with NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission. He’s one of the co-founders of Asteroid Day, and has the asteroid 52665 Brianmay named after him.

Tom Morello

“Tom-morello” by Adriangregori is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello said he practiced guitar “six to eight hours a day” while attending Harvard University. He graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies. In college, he played in a band called “Bored of Education” which won Harvard’s Battle of the Band competition in 1986. Chemist Carolyn Bertozzi, laureate of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was his bandmate in that group.

Tom Scholz

Boston’s remaining original member, Tom Scholz, is an MIT-trained engineer who built out his own recording studio. He was 21 when he started learning guitar, a skill he originally thought would just be a hobby. But while working as an engineer at Polaroid, Scholz worked on original music that eventually resulted in a record deal.

Sheryl Crow

“Sheryl Crow at the Midwestern 3” by Cliff 1066 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Sheryl Crow got her Bachelor of Science degree in music education from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1984. After graduating, she worked as an elementary school music teacher, singing in bands on the weekends.

Rivers Cuomo

“Rivers Cuomo” by Rickmunroe01 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo attended Santa Monica College and enrolled at Harvard after the success of the band’s debut album, the Blue Album (1994). He had to drop out after recording Pinkerton (1996), but re-enrolled and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Guitarists who use unique techniques

May 21, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

Some guitar players are by-the-book with their playing style – and some take the book and throw it away, opting for unique and unusual guitar playing styles.

Here are some guitarists who use unconventional playing styles:

Eddie Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen at the New Haven Coliseum 2” by Carl Lender is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Van Halen’s Eddie Van Halen popularized the two-handed tapping technique, showcased in the 1978 instrumental track “Eruption”. Van Halen explained that he watched Jimmy Page play the “Heartbreaker” solo in 1971 and was inspired. “He was doing a pull-off to an open string, and I thought wait a minute, open string … pull off,” Van Halen said in an interview with Guitar World. “I can do that, but what if I use my finger as the nut and move it around? I just kind of took it and ran with it.”

Jeff Beck

“Jeff Beck” by MandyHallMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

English guitarist Jeff Beck is regularly included in lists of the greatest guitar players of all time. He had a creative approach to guitar, which involved incorporating the volume knob with his pick and thumb. He also experimented with distortion and feedback during his time in The Yardbirds, and utilized the whammy bar to create unearthly sounds out of his instrument.

Jimi Hendrix

“Jimi Hendrix Experience-‘You Got Me Floatin”-1967″ by scottallenonline is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Another one of the most highly regarded guitarists of all time, Jimi Hendrix broke some guitar traditions by using feedback, distortion, wah, and even his teeth in his playing. A left-handed guitar player, he played upside down and backwards. Hendrix was able to play rhythm and lead simultaneously, a trick he perfected from years of playing in trios, and he rejected the typical barre chord fretting technique, instead fretting the low 6th string root notes with his thumb.

James Hetfield

“James Hetfield 2017” by Ralph Arvesen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Metallica’s James Hetfield has a unique way of holding his pick – he holds it with three fingers, like a pen or quill, instead of the usual two. Maybe that helps him with his signature style of downpicking riffs, creating a staccato sound.

Marty Friedman

“Marty Friedman – 01” by Hiroshi YamazakiCopyright holder: Marty Friedman is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Megadeth’s Marty Friedman also has an unusual picking technique. He clenches his picking hand in a way that goes against the typical palm mute used in metal music. He also uses upstrokes vs. downstokes, picking by moving his fingers, also known as “circle picking”.

Five little-known facts about Queen

May 21, 2024/by Kaley Lynch

British rock band Queen is one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 300 million albums around the world. They formed in 1970 and had multiple huge hits, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, and “Don’t Stop Me Now”.

Here are some facts you might not know about the band:

Freddie Mercury designed the band’s logo

“Freddie Mercury performing in New Haven, CT, November 1977” by Carl Lender is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Freddie Mercury, aka Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara, studied art and graphic design in college. He created a crest insignia for the band, using each band member’s astrological symbol, a “Q”, a crown and a phoenix. The crest is still used by the remaining members of the band to this day.

Lead guitarist Brian May has a Ph. D in astrophysics

“Brian May” by kentarotakizawa is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

May earned his Ph.D in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007. He held the position of chancellor with Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013 and was a science team collaborator with NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission. He’s one of the co-founders of Asteroid Day, and has the asteroid 52665 Brianmay named after him.

“Another One Bites the Dust” became a single thanks to Michael Jackson

Bass player John Deacon recalled that the King of Pop was hanging out with the band in the early 1980s and suggested that they release the track as a single off of their eighth album, The Game. They did, and it became their top-selling song of all time.

The original working title for “Bohemian Rhapsody” was “The Cowboy Song”

He originally intended the song to have a Western feel. You can hear it in the song’s opening line (“Mama, just killed a man”).