BOOKS & DVDs The Playmusic guide to the best in music tuition books and DVDs…
This month we check out Lick Library Learn to Play Muse DVD plus the new Haynes Acoustic Guitar Manual...
LICK LIBRARY LEARN TO
PLAY MUSE 2 DVD SET SRP: £24.99
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced Artist: Mike Caswell Catalogue No. RDR0370
Contact: Lick Library 01708 757 337
www.licklibrary.com
HAYNES ACOUSTIC
GUITAR MANUAL How to Buy Maintain & Set Up Your Acoustic Guitar Author: Paul Balmer SRP: £19.99
ISBN: 978 1 84425 963 2
Contact: Haynes Publishing 01963 442030
www.haynes.co.uk
T
his double DVD set explores the complex but commercially savvy guitar style of Matt Bellamy from Muse. Both DVDs focus on fi ve well known Muse tracks (Stockholm Syndrome, Knights of Cydonia, Hysteria, Supermassive Black Hole & Plug In, Baby) that all demonstrate various important elements of Matt Bellamy’s distinctive guitar style. The DVDs explore the song arrangements in minute detail but depart slightly from the usual Lick Library format by also taking time to analyze and recreate some of the more extreme guitar tones that Matt uses on these particular tracks. Lick Library stalwart Mike Casswell is our host and Mike’s unstintingly thorough approach sees him delivering the lessons on a custom made Manson Matt Bellamy Signature guitar that Manson’s Guitars loaned him especially for this DVD. This might seem like overkill but Matt Bellamy is a guitarist whose impressive command of effects is an integral part of his sound – indeed many of his effects are actually built into his guitars - and no proper analysis of his style would really be complete without including an overview of his sound. One of this DVD set’s strengths is that the content covers enough to keep beginner and intermediate players happy, as well as more experienced viewers. The fairly straightforward chug of Supermassive Black Hole, for example, shouldn’t tax most who aspire to play along but when it comes to the more demanding material the player defi nitely needs to have a reasonable set of chops at their disposal. PM
32 pickup
P
aul Balmer’s excellent series of ‘how to’ books published by Haynes has previously focused on iconic electric guitars and basses (the Fender
telecaster, Stratocaster and Fender basses, Gibson les Paul et al) but this time the author turns his attention to a far broader spectrum – the acoustic guitar. In common with his other Haynes titles, Paul examines in detail the instrument’s history and a detailed technical overview of how to keep your acoustic guitar in tip top condition. The sheer diversity of acoustic guitars means that this book necessarily has to focus more on the instruments themselves than its best known players but the reader is still treated to some genuinely fascinating stories from the acoustic world. Detailed case studies on some great instruments from Yamaha, Taylor, Martin and Ovation offer an interesting overview of the acoustic guitars developing relationship with technology whilst some of the smaller but no less important traditional companies like Fylde also get a good look in. The overwhelming sense is that this book is a real labour of love written by – and for – the serious guitar nut; there is even a section on how to maintain healthy fi ngernails! This book is essential for anyone with a passion for the acoustic guitar. PM
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