Category Archives: practive
Brand New Guitar Bundles to Save you Money and Get you Extras!
Justin Johnson has created a huge new inventory of awesome instructional material for 6-string guitar & more, so while we’re restocking the shelves with all of this awesomeness, we took the opportunity to create some killer new DISCOUNT BUNDLES to reward you with discounts & extras for showing your support! The more you buy, the more you save & the more Freebies you get, so DIVE IN, see what’s new, fill out your wish list, & come get it!
Killer New Guitar Slide Designs!
Guitar Slides come in a multitude of different shapes, textures, materials, weights, and sizes… and all of those factors affect the sound, playability, and versatility of the slide. Just like painters who use a combination of different brushes to create the details and textures of a painting, it’s important to learn about what distinguishes different guitar slides from one another, in order to make and informed decision next time you pick up the guitar.
I worked closely with Jim Dunlop to design and manufacture my Justin Johnson Signature Guitar Slide with an eye towards creating the best combination of tone, sustain, and feel that we could squeeze into one slide… but no single option beats having an arsenal of gear to choose from, so that you can select the perfect fit for each musical context.
I recently received several packages from around the world with some exciting, new, and innovative design concepts… along with some classic and re-imagined designs. Check out the following LIVE STREAM video and hang out with me while we get to know these slides and what makes them special.
Keep Rockin’ the Roots!
Justin Johnson
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The 12-String Guitar ~ The Heavy-Hitter of Acoustic Blues Instruments
Today, the 12-string guitar is often associated more with folk music and simple open-chord strumming than with intricate lead guitar, ragtime, or traditional blues. But some of the most influential blues musicians of all time forged timeless classics wielding their 12-strings. In the following video, I’ll demonstrate many of the classic Blues styles and techniques that have proven the 12-string to be the heavy-hitter of acoustic stringed instruments.
LIVE STREAM LESSON: Blues Pickin’ & Sliding on the 12-String Guitar
Early Blues greats like Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell played the 12-string guitar almost exclusively. These artists took advantage of the full-bodied tone and assertive dynamic presence of the 12-String, to accompany their powerful and expressive singing voices. Back in the early days of audio recording, it was difficult for microphones to pick up the intricate details of a 6-string acoustic, especially when it was competing with a full-volume Blues singer belting out a vocal melody. The 12-string’s acoustic volume is almost double that of a 6-string, providing a much fatter bed for the vocals to lay over, in the mix.
Blind Willie McTell “Travelin’ Blues”
Even Blues artists that are known for their 6-string electric guitar playing have been know to cut some of their most distinct tracks on solo acoustic 12-string. Two great examples of this are Jimi Hendrix’s “Hear My Train A Coming” and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Life By The Drop.” The intricate and sensitive single-note lead lines in these two tracks are fattened up by the doubled strings of the 12-string guitar.
Jimi Hendrix “Hear My Train A Coming”
Stevie Ray Vaughan MTV Unplugged
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Life By The Drop”
Thanks for keeping the Roots alive! Click “FOLLOW” on the right-hand side of this page to stay up-to-date with new lessons and articles.
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
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How To Play Any Song on the 3-String Guitar with One Finger
This lesson is an excerpt from Justin Johnson’s Instructional Video Series
“Roots Music According to Justin Johnson: 3-String Guitar”
The Full-Length Instructional Video Series comes complete with Guitar Tablature and is available as DVD or Digital Download at:
http://www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
How to Play Slide Guitar: The Essential Secrets!
Whether you are a total beginner with the guitar slide, or a pro, it’s always good to refresh your approach, refine your technique, and sharpen the nuances of your playing to ensure you’re at the top of your game. From my experience performing, recording, and teaching slide guitar, I have developed some simple methods that will help you improve tone, touch, and control, and will save you months of practice if you develop these good habits from the beginning.
The key is gaining control. If you are properly holding the slide and lightly anchoring your sliding hand to the back of the neck, you will be able to easily gauge the slide’s pressure on the strings. It will also be much easier to keep the notes in tune and develop reliable visual references on the fretboard.
The following video lesson is an excerpt from my new instructional video series, “Slide Technique for the 6-String in Standard Tuning,” which covers these slide guitar essentials in detail. If you enjoy the excerpt, the full instructional series is available on DVD or Digital Download at: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html.
Thanks for keeping the Roots alive, and don’t forget to click the “FOLLOW” button on the right of this page to stay up-to-date with new articles from Roots Music School!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
