Contributed by: Mason Keyser

The Pantheon of Blues Gods is a crowded place, full of great names and awe-inspiring musicians. It would be impossible to cover them all adequately, but Jamplay has selected a handful that each offer a little something different to the new guitarist or someone returning to the instrument. First we’ll be covering Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix — three great guitarists who have inspired millions of people to pick up the six string. Whether you just bought your first guitar, or you just dusted off the acoustic sitting in your closet, you’ll find something worth learning from these three legendary players.

Let’s talk Jimi Hendrix.

No other musician had more of an influence on the path of the electric guitar in the 20th century than Jimi Hendrix. His legacy is unmatched, especially when you consider how he spent only about ten years of his short life as a performing musician. Nevertheless, Jimi has been an influence on just about every guitarist born since 1955, and we have all tried to channel his sound and his style at one time or another. It is only fitting then, that we try to do so again right here.

Guitars
Jimi is one of those few guitarists where, if you want to replicate his sound, the guitar really matters. He was known for his flipped ’68 Stratocaster, but you don’t have to bust your 401k to get the sound of that guitar. Because Hendrix was so inspiring and popular among generations of guitarists over the past fifty years, Fender has produced “Jimi” style Stratocasters in virtually every price range of their production. If you can’t get a strat, just aim for a guitar with single coil pickups and a long scale neck. You want the brightness and tonal elasticity that comes with those two features.

Amps
Just like our friend Eric Clapton, Jimi used a cranked 100 watt Marshall head with 4×12 cabinets, but I’m willing to bet you can’t play Woodstock level volume. Thankfully, amp companies have developed attenuators so you can get a roaring Marshall tone without ending a marriage or needing to schedule an appointment for hearing aids. 

Alternatively, you can use digital amp emulators with a “crunch” or “British” setting to build the canvas for your tone.  Most modern “solid state” amps feature a wide array of amp emulators, so you should have no trouble finding the necessary amp sound for a good price.

Pedals
Here’s where you want to spend your money. Jimi liked his effects. He made sure his pedals got played. Jimi favored the temperamental Fuzz Face, Octavian fuzz, Uni Vibe tone, tape delay, and Vox wah pedal. Dunlop released the Jimi Hendrix “’69 Psych Series” micro pedals in 2019 which do a good job of attaining his tone without taking up a whole lot of space on your pedalboard. But if you’re looking for the bare minimum, prioritize the fuzz pedal and wah pedal.

Approach
It’s hard to play like Jimi and not feel like an impostor. I’d advise against spending too much time replicating his stage antics and his fashion sense, both of which were extraordinary, and probably very costly. Do not set fire to your guitar. Do not wear platform heels. Instead, focus on trying to further what Jimi did. And what did Jimi do?”

Jimi blew your mind.

Jimi shocked and amazed just about every audience he got his hands on.

But here’s the thing, if you try to go up on stage and play like Jimi, you’re going to sound great, you’re going to feel great, but you’ll never go where Jimi went. Because Jimi Hendrix broke new ground, and he didn’t do that by playing like everyone else that went before him.

So you gotta try something different. That might sound hard at first, very hard in fact, but if you can learn to look at your guitar and think not of what you’ve already played, but what you might play next, you’ll get it. When you’re soloing in a pentatonic scale, try to deconstruct all the little licks and riffs you know by heart and recombine them into some Frankenstein’s monster. Remember, as long as you’re in time and in key, you won’t sound bad!

Technique
Most of what Jimi played is well within the physical range of most people. To match his playing ability is a question of dexterity and finesse which, through a few months of practice, you can definitely attain.

In JamPlay’s skill of the week video lesson, focused on fret hand strength, you’ve got a step-by-step guide to get you started. 

What will require a bit more personal practice is a mastery of your wah pedal and your effects. 

Normally I shy away from spending too much time on pedals. Too easily they serve more as a distraction than an aid to the music. In Jimi’s case, they are fundamental building blocks of his sound. So, you want your foot working that wah pedal to be as dextrous and natural as your fingers when you play. You want your fuzz tone to be on point, and your amp and guitar tone to blend in such a way makes the hairs on your neck stand up when you hear yourself play.

Jimi Hendrix was an unparalleled performer, but don’t let that stop you from trying to walk further down the path he created for the guitarists that have come after his death.

You can’t play just like Jimi, but you can play in the style and the same zone, and that’s what it really means to sound like your idol.

JamPlay is home to more than 500,000 guitarists with guitar lessons from world class instructor artists in every genre and for every interest to power up your guitar skill. Join at JamPlay.com.

Contributed by: Mason Keyser

The Pantheon of Blues Gods is a crowded place, full of great names and awe-inspiring musicians. It would be impossible to cover them all adequately, but Jamplay has selected a handful that each offer a little something different to the new guitarist or someone returning to the instrument. First we’ll be covering Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix — three great guitarists who have inspired millions of people to pick up the six string. Whether you just bought your first guitar, or you just dusted off the acoustic sitting in your closet, you’ll find something worth learning from these three legendary players.

Let’s talk about guitar legend, Eric Clapton. 

Eric Clapton is one of my favorite guitarists because so much of his tone comes just from his hands. There’s not much that gets between Clapton and the music. His guitar speaks for itself, with as little effects as possible. Though Clapton had the nickname “Slow Hands” in the studio, due to his low key “every man” solos, he always communicated what the song needed to say in a way that has captivated guitarists for generations.

Guitars
Clapton has probably played hundreds of different guitars over the course of his long career, but when I think of his music, I think of a Martin 000-28 for acoustic, and a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson ES 335 for electric. Clapton has a clear, mid-heavy tone with just enough distortion to maintain a nice, bristly undercurrent for his signature sound. 

If you’re not willing to buy the same guitars he’s using (understandably so), just make sure your guitar’s volume knob(s) are turned all the way up to better access the grit, and target your tone to be mid-focused (i.e. roll down your treble and bass knobs a good bit). Take advantage of all the pickups you have at hand (don’t just play in the bridge position) and change your strings out once every month or so! 

Amps
Eric Clapton changed his amps for just about every album and every tour. In the late Sixties he was known to use an eardrum shattering 100-watt Marshall head with two full stack 4×12 cabinets. If you don’t know what that means, it means tinnitus and a broken back. Such a rig is not feasible unless you have a home studio and no neighbors or you’re a touring musician playing big rooms and stadiums. Nevertheless, Marshall is the way to go when reaching for Clapton’s sound. 

If you can get your hands on any Marshall amp, big or small, or any amp similar to a Marshall, dial off the treble on your EQ settings and really boost your mid and bass frequencies. If you’re using a guitar with single coils (basically any Fender style guitar) the natural brightness of your guitar should work well with that amp EQ setting. If you’re using a guitar with humbuckers (basically any Gibson style guitar) you might want to adjust the amp to be a bit brighter. You’ll want most of your overdrive/distortion to come from your amp, so you gotta play loud, but please, for the love of your hearing, use earplugs.

Pedals
Clapton came of age in a time before the widespread availability of different effects pedals that we enjoy today. That’s not to say, however, that he didn’t take advantage of the newest pedals as soon as they came out. Clapton used his fair share of wah pedals, but the wah tone I most associate with him is a Vox V846, mainly because of the throaty nature of that wah. 

He has used a variety of pedal effects for different tours and studio sessions but here are the sounds we know he’s used consistently: hard clipping distortion, tone bender style fuzz, chorus, tremolo, and mono delay.

Approach
Compared to most of the other guitarists covered in this series, Clapton sticks close to the Blues tradition. His licks are influenced by all the Kings, Robert Johnson, and probably just about any blues guitarist he heard on the radio as a kid. If you want to play like Clapton, learn to play like the Blues greats of the 30’s-50’s as well.

JamPlay has a great lesson on Robert Johnson to get you started down your blues path.

Now, if you’re trying to emulate Clapton, you gotta remember that when people go to see him, they go to see him. He is the focal point of the performance. Make sure you’re also comfortable being the focal point and make sure the music you’re bringing to the table is good enough to stand on its own.

Technique
They don’t call him Slow Hands for nothing. Much in the same vein as Duane Allman, Clapton keeps his cool while he plays. You want to focus on keeping your hands relaxed both while you’re soloing and while you’re playing rhythm. Make sure every note, every slide, every bend, every hammer-on is deliberate and precise.

If you’re trying to play like Clapton you don’t have to play a mile a minute, in fact you shouldn’t! Give yourself time to think a bar or two ahead of what you’re playing and just keep it smooth and sweet and bluesy. Lastly, if you’re lucky enough to be in a band like Cream, make sure your energy matches the rest of your bandmates. Be the focal point, but not the only point, of the music.

JamPlay is home to more than 500,000 guitarists with guitar lessons from world class instructor artists in every genre and for every interest to power up your guitar skill. Join at JamPlay.com.

Contributed by: Mason Keyser

The Pantheon of Blues Gods is a crowded place, full of great names and awe-inspiring musicians. It would be impossible to cover them all adequately, but Jamplay has selected a handful that each offer a little something different to the new guitarist or someone returning to the instrument. First we’ll be covering Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix — three great guitarists who have inspired millions of people to pick up the six string. Whether you just bought your first guitar, or you just dusted off the acoustic sitting in your closet, you’ll find something worth learning from these three legendary players.

Of all the great blues guitarists, Duane Allman might be the most unique. His use of a slide and his mastery of guitar and amp tones continue to inspire guitarists today. If you’re a new guitarist or someone returning to the instrument, Duane is a great musician to emulate because he requires a bare minimum of gear to get his sound. Let’s get into what that bare minimum includes and go over the real key to Duane’s sound: the approach and the technique.

Duane Allman

Guitars

Duane was famous for using a variety of Les Pauls (‘57 Gold Top, ‘59 Cherry Burst, etc.) but you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for the right guitar. Focus on finding a guitar with a short scale neck and humbucker pickups. Basically you’re looking for a fuzzy, warm tone that will sound great when played at high volume. If your current guitar doesn’t have those two features, don’t worry. Dial the treble off your tone and really push your bass frequencies up without becoming muddy. Aim for warmth in your guitar tone. 

Amps

Duane Allman played many different amps throughout his life and he played them all loud. If you’re wanting to really replicate that overdriven sound of his, you should invest in a tube amp. Tube amps sound amazing when they break up, but that means you need to play loud. A good rule of thumb here is the higher the wattage of the amp, the louder you’re going to have to crank that volume knob to get the tone you want.

Tube amps are definitely more expensive (and heavier) than solid state amps, but if your back and your bank can afford it, go for it. Duane used Fender amps for the initial stages of his career before moving off into Marshall. Either amp line will serve you well, so long as you get a tube amp.  

Pedals

Duane Allman’s pedal arsenal was puny compared to what most modern guitarists use today. You really want to rely on your amp to get the overdriven tone that Duane is famous for. But if you’re dead set on pedals, then just about any overdrive or boost pedal should work for you and make breaking that amp up a little easier.

Approach

Be calm, be cool, be collected. Duane Allman played like ice, watch any live footage and you’ll see what I mean. He was not a theatrical musician, he just focused on the music and on his hands. Even at the peak of a solo the most he did was sway along with the music. Duane was playing with two drummers, another guitarist, a bassist, and keys. There was already a lot going on, and the possibility of muddying up the sound was real and present. He gave all that was required for the Allman sound, and no more. 

Technique

When you’re trying to evoke Duane Allman in your solos, the number one word to remember is consistency. Make sure your licks tie together in a meaningful, melodic way. Intersperse your playing with some soulful sustained notes and think rhythmically and repetitively when you’re improvising.

Duane Allman is a difficult player to emulate if you’re not comfortable using a slide.

Jamplay offers a new, free course that is a great introduction to using a slide in the Duane Allman style, but a slide is not necessary to sound like Duane Allman. What is necessary, or at least highly recommended, are a few key pieces of gear and a whole lot of attention to approach and technique.

If you want more information about how to dial in your tone with what you already have, check out Jamplay’s lesson on gear and tone and see how they work together.

JamPlay is home to more than 500,000 guitarists with guitar lessons from world class instructor artists in every genre and for every interest to power up your guitar skill. Join at JamPlay.com.

When we think about music, we think sound. But what plays the sound? The instrument. And what plays the instrument? The musician. But what plays the musician? The space.

To transform a space into a place is to combine the physical with meaning, and then experience and interact with that meaning. This might sound a bit too “out” but remember, music is just vibrations in the air translated into electrical signals in the brain.

The mindful musician can create a place and harness its effects and use them the same way a guitarist uses a pedal board, or an organ player uses their stops. For performing musicians this is a must-have ability, and for practicing or private musicians it is just as vital. 

Your practice space can either help or harm you on your path to building a relationship with your instrument and your music. To help you on your way, I want to share a few thoughts I’ve had over the years while trying to transform spaces into places.

On Bedrooms

Virtually everyone starts out practicing in their bedroom. It makes sense. Your bedroom is your most personal, inner sanctum. It’s where you keep your things and it’s where you keep yourself.

Likewise you are surrounded by distractions, i.e. the things in your life that aren’t music. Your bedroom is already a place, you’re just adding music to it. Now this isn’t the end of the world, provided you can discipline yourself and keep the distractions at bay while you practice.

Get rid of your phone. Turn it off. Put it in another room. Bury it in your backyard. I don’t care, just get rid of it. If you use your laptop to practice (as I do), don’t fall down a Youtube rabbit hole watching music theory videos and band documentaries. Those videos are great for getting inspired but if they’re cutting into your practice time or serving as sources of procrastination, cut them out. You’d be better served spending quality time with a metronome and practicing the songs and concepts you’re trying to master. 

TL;DR discipline is key if you’re practicing in your bedroom.

On Basements/Garages

These two spaces share a lot in common. They’re both separated from the normal functions of a house. They’re both quintessential “hobby-zones.” They’re both where people go to work on their passions.

Just about every band in the last 50 years got their start in a basement or a garage. There are whole genres and albums built around that aesthetic (@ The Basement Tapes). I distinctly remember being 16 years old, just starting out on bass, playing awful covers of Nirvana and Radiohead in my friend’s dark, unfinished basement.

It was glorious.

But what basements and garages lack in distraction they make up for in their atmosphere. Unless you’re really into grunge or doom metal (and hey, all power to you) a cave-like, serial killer atmosphere probably isn’t the greatest place for your creativity to thrive. 

But this really has to do with your mindset as a practicing musician. Are you going to the basement/garage to work, or to play? If you’re treating these spaces as a place of “responsibility escape,” you’ll have a great time; but you’ll also be taking away responsibility for your music, so be mindful.

On The Band Room

For you lucky souls that have had the opportunity to dedicate four walls or more to music, I salute you. There is no space more hallowed in the world of music than the band room

It can be as large as a concert hall and it can be a glorified closet. It can be a cramped attic loft and it can be an unused classroom. It can be an outdoor amphitheater and it can be a street corner. As long as it belongs to the music while you’re there, it’s the band room

Unless you’re a weird hermit-monk (you know who you are and I’m looking at you), you’re going to make most of your progress as a musician with other musicians. So having a proper place for your band to practice and be comfortable practicing in, is crucial to becoming a better player and a better band.

Use common sense, or don’t, whatever works for you. If you’re playing metal, put some Iron Maiden posters up. If you’re playing psychedelic rock, put up a tie-dye tapestry and some cool lights (cool lights are a necessity, more important than amplifiers and talent combined). If you’re playing jazz, put up a Jackson Pollock painting and pretend like you know what you’re doing.

On Your Mind

The saddest fact of life is that no place is permanent. If you’re a touring musician you’ll be practicing in planes, trains, and automobiles. If you’re a student you’ll be practicing in deserted dorm hallways and study lounges. If you’re a human being you’ll be practicing in spaces you might have never expected to find yourself in.

The goal of turning a practice space into a practice place is to encourage an inner state of comfort and discipline, of freedom and direction, that you can carry around with you. That place in your head can be an imagined location, a mantra, or the memory of a feeling that you keep bottled up inside your mind like water from a sacred river. The point is if you have that place within you at all times, you’ll always be able to practice diligently and deliberately. When James Hetfield worked in a factory in L.A.,  he practiced out in his car on his lunch breaks. During shows, John Coltrane would go play his saxophone in the bathroom in between sets. Where were they practicing?

You who drum constantly on your school desk, who play scales on your guitar in bed while you’re falling asleep, who practice slapping and popping motions for bass on every surface imaginable, you are accessing a practice place more real and more integral to your musicianship than any physical location on earth. You’re accessing yourself.

JamPlay is home to more than 500,000 guitarists with guitar lessons from world class instructor artists in every genre and for every interest to power up your guitar skill. Join at JamPlay.com.