RS oy d ws ry frente ee y lps Tg ra Vy Guitar DMCA UE ant tea} OSAMU cea 9 SCN ates Te CM Kr) Play like the greats - today! WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Or TH BECKER ALTITUDES We tab this incredible Roa USC Sonirgersay latte Niner mae rts eee , a it RTT ga NEAL SCHON Rock's king of taste SCOT a DAVE GRISSOM Sophisticated blues CC Tatts] (1) ELON tea Dun Uea esa| Techniques + CONTENTS + DECEMBER 2009 + JASON BECKER Altitudes 24 Lear Jason's instumenta rock masterpiece. Jamie Hun SUPERCHARGE YOUR PLAYING! Lead guitar 14 suthrie Govan takes you beyond the pentatonic to boost your lead play TRACKS 9 uw THE WHO Sunrise. Play thisgcrgeoussolo. TRACK? WELCOME 3 ALBUM REVIEWS. 88 ‘Nev introduces this montis special ears “his montys CDand DVD review ‘TALKBACK, 6 THEORY GODMOTHER, 90 Indugng Sar Let Gara asngetecncl pion USER GUIDE 2 Howto use out tab an notation i Banger ou andere ‘TEACHER DIRECTORY 56 Seder aback copy eck out out dre A Guitar TechniquesVania Jason Becker onTHEGD & TRAcKS 10-11 Jason Becker's story is tragic, yet inspirational. This month Jamie Humphries hits the heights with a track that has been called the greatest piece of instrumental rock guitar ever recorded... Se @@@@@ Advanced KEY: Bm TEMPO: 78 bpm CD:TRACKS 10-11 1 Advanced rock techniques 1 Oriental phrasing Use of ed time signatures MANY GREAT GUITARISTS emerged from the Sosshred era, but possibly the most gifted ‘was Jason Becker. Becker's eompositions included complex progressions, arrangements and time signature changes;and also Showcased his immense abilities on the guitar; made even move amazing by the fact he was ‘only in his mid teens when much of his material was recorded. Jason was born July 22nd, 1969, and began playing gnitarat the age of five. He became totally immersed in the instrument, practising for hours and finding influences in players as varied as Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson and Eric Clapton. Jason practised for hoursand ‘advanced quickly, and even ata young age performed at school and coffee houses. Ashe progressed the influences came more from technical rock guitarists like Eddie Van Halen «and Yngwie Malmsteen. But healso became Interested in classical composers such as Bach, Paganini, Stravinsky, Philip Glass and Bartok, as well as muse from other cultures including Native Ameriean and.Japanese. Byhis mid teens Jason had reached such a level that he was even giving his music teacher lessons ~ he could play practially anything “This is highlighted by a jaw-dropping home video of him performing Black Starby Yngwie Malmsteen at a school concert (you can find it on the Legendary Guitar of Jason Becker DVD, which also includes other astonishing, home videos of the young shredmeister), ‘When just 16, the young prodigy caught theattention of Mike Varney of Shrapnel records. Mike paired Jason with Marty Friedman to form the speed metal guitar duo, Cacophony. Theband’s debut, Speed Metal ‘Symphony was released in 1987 and scored highly within the guitar community, the 16-year-old Becker earning legions of fans. Jason in turn became influenced by Marty, ‘whose love for the more exotic approach inspired slight Japanese tingesto his melodies ‘and phrasing, In 1988 Jason released Perpetual Burn, his finest hour.’The all-instrumental album boasted eight tracks ranging from the ‘anthem-like melodies and flawless arpeggios of Altitudes, to the blistering riffs of Temple Of ‘The Absurd and the clean, ethereal, multi- 46 By his mid-teens dason had reached such a level that he was even giving his music teacher lessons - he could play practically anything 99 layered counterpoint classical piece, Air. Inthe ye year Cacophony released thei final album, Go Off, which also included another amazing Becker-written piece called Images. During Cacophony’ finaltour of Japan, Jason developed cramp in hisleg that ‘wouldn't go away ~and at exactly the time he ‘was invited tojoin Van Helen voealist David Lee Roth's band, replacing Steve Vai. Becker doctors diagnosed ALS, Amyotrophic Latera ‘Sclerosis, o Lou Gehrig's disease,a degenerative illness that eventually paralyses thebody. He was given only ive yearsto live, but continued to play and complete Roth's album, Little Aint Enough. Jason became ‘weak duringthe recording sessionsand struggled to even play the guitar. By the time the album was completed he was walkingon sticks, He returned home and began recording, as much musicas he could, and as hishands began to seize up he worked moreon keyboardsand computer. Now ina wheelchair, he could barely maveat all, and began to operate the computer by wea visor thathe nsed to move the mouse. Yethe ‘was able to compose a newalbum, and with the holp from someold guitar tracks, other ‘musicians, friends, and fellow guitarist Michael Loo Firkin, it was released in 1995, Eddie Van Helen secured the release of thealbum on ‘Warmer Brothers, and in 2001 Jason's music could again be heard by the world. ‘As his condition deteriorated Jason lost the ability tospeak, but with his family devised a system wherehe would spell words with hiseyes, Healso could hardly breathe, and eventually needed a tracheotomy. Yetie still released more albums: The Raspberry Jams and The Blackberry Jamsarea Collection of previously unheard demo recordings that really gave guitar fans ‘chance to hear how Jason developed and ‘TRACK RECORD Checlcoutall of Jason's rocerdings from the Cacophony material - Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off and of course his. solo albums Perpetual Burn, The Raspberry Jams, The Blackberry Jams, Perspectives and Gollection, plus A Litle Ait Enough with Dave Lee Roth. Also available are tribute albums, Warmth in Tho Wilderness, Voll, and Vet Il, featuring Vinie Moore, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai and others. 24 GuitarTechniques Decemb= 2008