Everyone is talking about triads

Happy Sunday! This week I’m recommending an album from an underrated shredder I only recently discovered thanks to Dweezil Zappa’s channel. I’m also asking what technique you’ve been putting off learning and why. There’s a chance to win a free copy of a chord app built around the CAGED system, plus a big batch of links covering triads, desert blues, and even a deep dive into why Willie Nelson deserves way more credit as a guitarist than he gets. Let’s jump into this week’s issue!

Editor’s note: Had to come back in and edit this week’s issue, because I just saw this uncovered footage of Hendrix at Woodstock. Check out the video’s description, which shares an awesome story about how Albert Goodman captured the alternate footage of one of the most classic sets of all time.

I’m so glad Michael Lee Firkins showed up on Dweezil Zappa’s YouTube channel. I had always heard the name, but hadn’t given any of his music a real listen. After listening to his self-titled debut album, I knew I had to recommend it here. Michael can play like his peers of the time - guys like EVH, Paul Gilbert, Vai, but unlike many guitarists of the time, he also has incredibly catchy lead lines throughout this album. This album proves that he has all the technical prowess, but it’s all these great melodies that had me spinning it multiple times this week.

This is an album where you want to go back and listen to each lick over and over again. One, because the licks are great ear candy, but two, because you want to know how he pulled off some of the parts that he’s playing. Hybrid picking, harmonized leads, and his amazing use of the whammy bar feature prominently throughout the whole album.

I won’t talk about individual songs, because I believe this is an album you can and should listen to from front to back. But there’s just so much greatness going on in this album. I love Firkins’ rhythm work, the way his leads soar with the use of reverb, and the way he thoughtfully put these songs together. This album came out in the early 90’s, so when I saw him nearly 40 years later on Dweezil’s channel, I was shocked at all the different techniques he was using, and how far his bar work has come along.

This album runs the gamut from shred rock, to bluesier sections, and a bit of country as well. I think I was drawn to this album because of the humor Firkins injects into every aspect. It’s why I like guys like Guthrie Govan, Bumblefoot, and of course Dweezil’s dad, Frank Zappa, the king of injecting humor into music.

Even though this album is almost 40 years old at this point, it totally deserves your time. I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think. And if there’s another album like this that’s flown under my radar for the past couple of decades, let me know what it is!

I discussed wanting to learn slide better in a previous issue, but going along with my Firkins rec above, I think it’s time to finally dust off the whammy bar too. When I was first starting guitar many decades ago, I used to always have a bar equipped on all my guitars, but I haven’t used a bar in many, many years. It’s funny too, because I enjoy players like Jeff Beck, EVH, Tom Morello and others - who all use the whammy bar in drastically different ways. I’ll let you guys know how I make out.

My question to you for this week is - what’s a technique you’ve always wanted to learn, but you’ve put off, and why? It could be anything from using a whammy bar, to tapping, sweep picking, or something else entirely. Excited to hear what you respond with!

I’ve got something fun for you this week. Mark Weaver, developer of the guitar chord app Chordz, reached out and offered me a free code to give away to one of you. Chordz is built around the CAGED system, showing major and minor triad shapes up the neck, and lets you view chords by notes or intervals depending on how you think about the fretboard. As far as I know, there aren’t many other chord apps out there that tackle CAGED this directly, so if you’ve been wanting a tool that actually teaches you the theory behind chord shapes/target tones instead of just showing you where to put your fingers, this is worth checking out. To enter, just make sure you’re subscribed to Six String Sunday. I’ll pick a winner next week and reach out directly. You can check out Chordz and the rest of Mark’s apps at infinitechords.com.

• The Most UNDERRATED Guitarist - Listen & Decide! - Here’s the video I was talking about in my Turn This Up rec above, where Michael Lee Firkins sits down with Dweezil Zappa. This video is full of great tips on stuff like hybrid picking, “fake slides”, open string licks, and his masterful use of the whammy bar. After you move through the lesson, MLF shows off all the great techniques in a solo (around the 33:59 mark). If you dig his playing, check out his self titled album which I mentioned above.

• Larry McCray’s Blues Masterclass: From gospel moans to the Chicago shuffle - Super happy to see that Guitar Player is still putting together content from great players. Case in point, this video from Larry McCray, where he does a mini masterclass on different blues techniques he likes to use. McCray shows off a ton of different ideas, but my favorite has to be how he uses slides and bends to emulate a vocalist.

• 3 Triad Shapes That Changed How I See the Fretboard - I’ve talked about Chris Sherland a bunch in this newsletter over the years. He’s one of my favorite guitar teachers on YouTube (and fun fact, he was Marty Schwartz’s teacher at one point too!) Chris recently put out a triads masterclass that you can pick up, and if you want to get an idea of how he teaches, check out his latest video that shows us 3 triads that helped with his visualization of the fretboard. If you’re already learning something like CAGED, this video will only reinforce what you’re learning. And if you want even more help with triads, check out Jack Ruch’s latest video where he talks about upper structure triads. This one from Ross Campbell is also good to check out - Ross talks about his orbit method, which helps you actually solo after learning those triad shapes.

• The Way You Practice Is KILLING Your Guitar Solos - And if you already enjoyed the three triad videos above, this is the one you should watch next. It comes from Charlie Long, and is all about sounding less “robotic” with your leads. Charlie’s tips in this video come down to two main things - listening to the notes you’re playing/focusing on money notes lthat are part of the triad, and making sure your phrasing is on point. Check out the full video to get some great ideas on how to practice both things. .

• The SIMPLE Chord Shapes PRO Guitarists Know and Love - One more triads video, this time from Daniel Seriff who talks about shrinking down those bigger CAGED shapes into smaller triads (check out this week’s Smart Guitarist for a fun app related to this). Daniel breaks down 3 bigger CAGED shape chords into easy to see triads, and then gives us some ideas for rhythm and techniques to make them more interesting.

• The Coolest Blues You’ve Never Heard Before - You’ve probably heard blues, but have you heard West African desert blues? Eric Haugen breaks down the genre in this lesson, introducing a few of its key guitarists and digging into the tunings and techniques that give the style its unique sound. I’d heard of Mdou Moctar before, but the other players here were all new to me. Really fun stuff, and it’ll expand your horizons.

Even more great links to check out:

• Why Willie Nelson is a Guitar Genius - I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t given Willie Nelson’s guitar playing the attention it deserves. After watching this video from Shane Theriot, I’m fixing that immediately. Shane talks about his experiences playing with Willie, and how his persona as a performer sometimes outshines just how good a guitarist he actually is. I love this type of video: guitar examples mixed with real stories from hanging with other musicians in the studio and on tour.

• All The Things You Are - Learn The Chords So You NEVER Forget Them! - Levi Clay’s practice routines month rolls on, and this is a video in the series that you shouldn’t miss. Even though this covers the jazz standard “All The Things You Are”, the tips he gives in the video are helpful for remembering any complex chord changes more effectively.