Farewell Malcolm Young - AC/DC

Malcolm Young - The Riff King

Malcolm Young was the driving force behind one of the most recognisable and iconic rock bands ever - AC/DC. I remember going to boarding school when I was 13 and making friends with a fellow boarder named James. He was an absolute fan of AC/DC and his dorm room had pictures of the band and Angus Young adorning every available inch of wall space. Up until that point I didn't know who Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young, & Phil Rudd were. Needless to say after I started learning guitar a couple of months later I would commit to learning many AC/DC songs and subsequently played Back in Black at my first ever battle of the bands in Napier, New Zealand in 1990. 

As the years passed I learned more and more AC/DC songs and as I write this I could probably play about 7 or 8 songs without needing to rehearse at all. I know smatterings of probably at least another 15 and can sing along with many more. But I digress, let's get back to Malcolm Young. As a riffologist there probably are few if any that come up to Young's level. His unerring, driving, faultless rhythm combined with his uncanny ability to write extremely memorable, catchy yet not overly difficult riffs enabled AC/DC to rise above the masses of hard rock/blues-based bands from the 1970s right up until today. 

Facts about Malcom Young

• Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1953
• Immigrated to Australia in 1963
• Formed AC/DC in 1973
• Wrote albums & toured for 41 years
• Played Gretsch guitars through Marshall amps
• Favoured low volume + no gain
• Has 2 children - Cara & Ross

Thanks for the music Malcom.

The first band I was in back in high school. We played 'Back in Black' & 'Wonderful tonight' just before this picture was taken at the 1990 Napier Battle of the Bands.

For those about to rock...we salute you!

Josh Rogers

The G Major Segovia Scale For Guitar

The Segovia Scales

Hi there fellow guitarists! In this lesson I'll be sharing with you what I believe to be the best all-around scale for you to learn in your early days on guitar. The complete set of Segovia scales are quite exhaustive and are actually an enormous and intimidating challenge for any guitarist to master and memorise. These scale patterns came into vogue after the legendary guitarist Andres Segovia claimed that he incorporated these scale ideas into his daily practice. In many respects it was like being given the keys to the Ferrari. Many guitarists of the time immediately set about copying the great maestro and going to great lengths to explain these scales with suggestions on how to practice them and why they were of such significant didactic and technical importance to aspiring students of classical guitar. 

One Scale To Rule Them...

This is probably going to be quite controversial but here's why I think it's the only guitar scale you need to learn:

• It covers 3 octaves

• In the lower position it stretches out your fingers

• There are 5 position shifts

• It moves through the most common, useful areas on the guitar

• It uses all 6 strings

• It travels all the way from the 3rd fret to the 15th

Suggested Right-Hand Fingering Combinations:

• i, m & m, i

• i, a & a, i

• m, a & a, m

• i, m, a & a, m, i

• i, m, i, a

• p, i & i, p

• p, m & m, p

• p, a & a, p

Have fun and let your fingers fly!

Josh

Sagework Guitar Support Review

The Atlas guitar support

Hi fellow guitarists. In this article I'm going to give you my thoughts about the guitar support that is often regarded as the best guitar support currently available to guitarists today. I have listed below the salient features along with the pros and cons of this highly desirable support. Finally, I'll discuss my personal experiences with the support and provide links to two videos - 

1. Video One - Complete review
2. Video Two - Installation guide

Features:

• Solid Rosewood + Reinforced Nylon materials
• Beautifully presented in a high quality box
• Cork pads protect the finish of the guitar
• Small & light for ease of use
• Comfortable & Practical
• 5 adjustable points

Pros:

• Extremely high quality materials (Solid wood + Reinforced nylon)
• Grips the guitar firmly with little to no chance of slipping
• Fits inside your guitar case with ease
• Detailed installation booklet
• Compact and lightweight
• Highly adjustable

Cons:

• Installation is more complicated than other guitar supports
• Adjustable points can be a tad overwhelming
• More expensive than other supports

My conclusions:

I have to say that after having installed this I will never go back to using a foot stool. I look at this as the nemesis to the foot stool. Here are my reasons:

• Practical. Just leave it attached to your guitar!
• Comfortable. The curved thigh mount feels great
• Adjustable. So many options allow you to seat the guitar in the perfect position
• Compact. This support packs up into a tiny space allowing you to stow it conveniently in your guitar case
• Posture. I love having both of my feet flat on the ground. This feels far more natural and stable.

Here's my video review of the Sagework 'Atlas' guitar support:

Watch my installation video for the Atlas/Umbra guitar supports below.

For performers I feel this is the way to go. When you walk out on stage with your foot stool or even if you've set up your foot stool in advance it just looks clumsy. Very rarely will it ever be set in the right place and bending over to place it in front of your chair is never flattering. With this support you can just attach it before you walk out on stage! As soon as you sit down you're ready to go and that for me is a beautiful thing. 

Pricing - don't let the cost of the support put you off. So what if it's a bit more expensive than other guitar supports on the market?! Given the fact that it will probably last as long as the guitar you're playing it's a small investment to make for years of comfort and control. 

If you want a support like this head to the Sagework website and buy one!

Let your fingers fly!