
A self-contained MIDI guitar system with excellent tracking and minimal installation hassles.
Most guitarists have never quite warmed to MIDI the way keyboardists have. However, as times change—with iOS-based recording systems, live looping rigs, and amp and effect modelers becoming the norm—it’s no longer such a drastic leap for the average player to embrace this technology.
The Fishman TriplePlay is a self-contained MIDI guitar package consisting of a wireless controller connected to a hexaphonic pickup via cable, both of which go on the guitar, and a class-compliant USB receiver dongle that plugs into a computer (TriplePlay is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6.8 and higher, or Windows 7 and higher). There is no guitar synthesizer hardware and there are no MIDI cables to connect. For live use, you can play through a laptop-based rig, or connect hardware synths via a device such as the Kenton USB Solo, which has a USB-to-DIN converter.
Along with the TriplePlay hardware, Fishman provides a generous library of well-chosen free software (available via download). It includes Fishman’s TriplePlay, which works as both a standalone app and a VST plug-in, plus IK Multimedia’s SampleTank 2.5 and AmpliTube Custom Shop, Native Instruments’ Komplete Elements, Notion’s Progression notation software, and PreSonus’ Studio One DAW.
Mounting Concerns Mitigated
With previous MIDI guitar systems, simply installing the hardware was enough of a hurdle to scare off many potential 6-string synth slingers afraid of damaging their precious axes. The TriplePlay mounting system eliminates many of these issues. At a PRS event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, fusion pioneer John McLaughlin told us, unsolicited, that he easily installed TriplePlay on his PRS by himself—and he has access to the best guitar techs on the planet.
There are multiple ways to install the controller and the pickup: You can mount both using the included adhesive-backed mounting rings and pads. Alternately, you can attach an included endpin bracket to your strap button. (Magnets in the controller secure it to the bracket.) This way, no adhesives touch the surface of your guitar. There’s an additional pickup-mounting bracket for adhesive-free installation on guitars with Tune-o-matic bridges, though you need to attach the pickup bracket with adhesive on guitars with other types of bridges. Either way, the pickup slides in and out of the bracket, so you can remove it when you don’t need it.
I used the endpin bracket for the controller and the adhesive pad for the pickup mount. Initially there wasn’t enough clearance between the pickup and strings. I eventually got it to fit, but in some cases (as on older Strats), you may need to shim the neck slightly for sufficient clearance.
Once the hardware is mounted, you pair the controller and the receiver by pushing the dual-function LED/push buttons on both items. As simple as that sounds, I have to admit it took me some time to activate the controller’s button, which doubles as an LED indicator. I gently poked it a few times, then pushed it hard, which did the trick.
Play Time
A switch on the controller lets you choose between synth, mix, or guitar. Corresponding to these controls are five synth channels and one guitar-audio channel in the TriplePlay software UI. Selecting guitar mutes the synth sounds. Selecting synth mutes the guitar channel. Selecting mix enables both sources. The wireless system does not transmit the sounds of the guitar’s magnetic pickups—the regular guitar signal must be sent via the guitar’s jack, as usual. The controller also has navigation buttons, though I found it easier to maneuver from the computer.
For many, the biggest concern with playing MIDI guitar is whether tracking will keep up with their playing without glitching. On this account, the TriplePlay really impressed me—its tracking is the best I’ve yet encountered. Even quick hammer-ons and pull-offs registered, though picked notes generally worked best. The system also captured dynamics well.
Still, your playing does have to be precise, as the TriplePlay’s tracking is very unforgiving. That said, no matter how well any guitar synth tracks, expressive guitar nuances such as ghost notes, slides, and bends are likely to get lost in translation—but that’s because synth voices don’t typically have any sort of programmed analog to a guitar’s quirky nonstandard sounds. The fact is, MIDI guitarists will probably always have to modify or adapt their playing slightly from patch to patch. It helps if you write and play parts idiomatic to the chosen MIDI instrument. For example, playing Jeff Beck licks with a grand-piano patch probably won’t yield realistic results—though it might be crazy fun. Depending on your musical proclivities, a think-outside-the-box ethos can open many new doors.
Compose and Record
The TriplePlay’s included Progression notation software lets you input notes on a score in real time via guitar. Other than pencil and paper, this has to be the simplest, most direct way I’ve come across for notating guitar music. Strangely though, the onscreen fretboard and generated tabs sometimes displayed wrong note locations. Sometimes the program corrected itself if I added a note that confirmed a specific fretboard location, though. For example, I fingered a fifth-fret A barre chord and played the D, G, and B strings. This somehow registered as an open-position A chord on the G, B, and E strings. When I added a 7th-fret B note on the high E string, the chord registered in the correct location.
Ratings
Pros:
Fast tracking. Easy installation.
Cons:
Inconsistent results with music notation software.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$399
Fishman TriplePlay
fishman.com
After sketching out some ideas, I used TriplePlay to record parts in real time using GarageBand. Having the self-sufficiency to record all the instruments greatly enhanced the compositional experience for me—no more having to call in a favor from a violinist friend just to lay down a test part that might not even make the cut.
One-Man Band
Just as some synthesizers let you assign different sounds to different registers of the keyboard, TriplePlay lets you split the fretboard into as many as four zones, with a different sound assigned to each. For example, I was able to play rudimentary walking bass and chord patterns by assigning an acoustic-piano sound to the upper four strings and a bass patch to the lowest two strings. An ambitious and coordinated player could use a four-way split to simultaneously perform simple drum grooves, bass lines, chords, and even melodies.
The Verdict
If your musical horizons extend beyond power chords or 12-bar shuffles, the Fishman TriplePlay may be the key to a new musical universe. Its excellent tracking ability is a game changer in many ways. It’s a home run for guitarists who have been intrigued by MIDI guitar but were put off by the logistics of conventional systems, or for players who have yearned to add non-guitar elements to their music but lacked the keyboard skills to execute them.
In a career defined by evolution, Joe Bonamassa is ready to turn the page once again. The blues-rock virtuoso has just announced Breakthrough, his most adventurous and genre-blending studio album to date, out July 18th via his own J&R Adventures.
At the heart of the announcement is the release of the album’s powerful title track—“Breakthrough' —a soulful, hard-hitting anthem about letting go, moving forward, and finding your fire again, available today on all streaming platforms.
Crafted across multiple continents and infused with a world’s worth of inspiration, Breakthrough marks a bold new chapter for Bonamassa—one that leans on fiery solos, emotionally rich storytelling, groove-driven arrangements, and stylistic exploration. Produced by longtime creative partner Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, The Black Crowes, Journey), the album was shaped by sessions in Greece, Egypt, Nashville, and Los Angeles, resulting in a vibrant sonic tapestry that shifts effortlessly from funky blues and Texas swing to acoustic ballads and swaggering hard rock.
Joe Bonamassa “Breakthrough” - Official Lyric Video
Watch the official lyric video for "Breakthrough" by Joe Bonamassa
“I think this album, Breakthrough, marks a shift in the styling of Joe Bonamassa’s recording output,” says Shirley. “While there are plenty of guitar solos on this record, his emphasis has been on songs primarily. Each time Joe undertakes a new recording project, he seems to access a different part of his vast library of music genre from the jukebox-in-his-head! This album is a round-the-world musical trip—from Little Feat funkiness to Texas swing, from hard rock power to acoustic singer/songwriter-style songs.”
The newly released single “Breakthrough,” co-written with longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd), captures the emotional core of the record—an uplifting anthem about transformation, persistence, and letting go of the weight that holds us back. With gritty vocals, melodic guitar lines, and lush instrumentation, the track embodies Bonamassa’s signature blend of power and finesse while ushering in a bold new direction.
“Breakthrough” follows the success of Bonamassa’s recent singles “Still Walking With Me” and “Shake This Ground,” both of which hinted at the adventurous spirit behind the full album. “Shake This Ground” delivered a moody, introspective edge, while “Still Walking With Me” leaned into warmth, gratitude, and classic soul. Each track reflects a different facet of Bonamassa’s evolving songwriting approach, rooted in emotional honesty and anchored by his unmistakable guitar work.
The album announcement caps a stretch of extraordinary momentum for Bonamassa. Next up, Bonamassa recently began his extensive *European Spring Tour, followed by a June run with his powerhouse supergroup Black Country Communion* (featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian). After another round of summer dates across Europe—including sold-out shows in Ireland—he’ll return stateside for his just-announced* 2025 U.S. Summer Tour*, a limited amphitheater run featuring stops at The Greek Theatre, Red Rocks, and more iconic venues.
With over 50 albums, 28 #1 Billboard Blues albums, and a lifelong commitment to evolving the genre, Bonamassa shows no signs of slowing down. Whether headlining iconic venues, mentoring rising artists through Journeyman Records, or supporting music education via his Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa continues to shape the future of blues-rock with every note.
For more information on Breakthrough, tour dates, and VIP packages, visit jbonamassa.com.
Why is Tommy’s take on “Day Tripper” so hard? And what song would Adam Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adam’s list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
We call guitarist Adam Miller in the middle of the night in Newcastle, Australia, to find out what it’s like to play with Certified Guitar Player, Tommy Emmanuel. Miller tells us just how famous Tommy is in Australia, and what it was like hearing him play from a formative age. Eventually, Adam got to open for Emmanuel, and they’ve since shared the stage, so we get the firsthand scoop: Why is Tommy’s take on “Day Tripper” so hard? And what song would Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adam’s list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
Adam’s newly released trio album, Timing, is out now.
Plus, we’re talking about new recordings from Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton, as well as Brooklyn Mediterranean surf party band Habbina Habbina.
Patterns can be viewed as boring or trite, but a little bit of creativity can turn them into bits of inspiration.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediater Lesson Overview: • Learn different ways to arrange scales. • Combine various sequences to create more intersting lines. • Solidify your technique by practicing unusual groupings of notes. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
I want to offer some food for thought on making sequences musical. Using sequences in our playing helps develop our musicianship in various ways. It can help us tune into the fretboard, develop melodic ideas all around the neck, and further our improvisation and compositional skills. So, spending time with sequences is certainly not time wasted. Please note that I sometimes use the word “rule" in this column, this is only a pointer to keeping on track of our exploration of these concepts. The intellect is very useful, but intuition is where the creativity comes from. When in balance lots of great things can be done. Let's get stuck in!
It's simple to play a scale from bottom to top, or top to bottom, but we can develop a sequence by shuffling these notes around. In Ex. 1 we have a C Major scale (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) played in thirds followed by a sequence highlighting the diatonic triads of the major scale. By following a “rule" we can develop many different sequences. The options are endless and a little overwhelming.
Click here for Ex. 1
Lets start by simply combining an interval sequence with an arpeggio sequence. In Ex. 2, the first two beats of the first measure feature ascending thirds. This is then followed by a triad arpeggio starting from the third note on the string. The next set of thirds then starts on the “and" of beat 4. The entire sequence is a seven-note pattern that is created by combining two thirds and a triad. It gives us a nice bit of rhythmic displacement as the phrase is now starting in a different place in the measure.
Click here for Ex. 2
Ex. 3 is a descending idea in A minor that basically flips the sequence we looked at in Ex. 2. Here, we are starting with two descending thirds before the triad. I'm using pull-offs and economy picking to articulate the triads. This one works well over D minor as well if you want a D Dorian (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) flavor.
Click here for Ex. 3
You can see the effectiveness of combining different sequences and groupings of notes to create interesting runs. It's also really effective for making phrases. In Ex. 4 we take a small fragment from Ex. 3 and change the rhythm. In the sound example I repeat this a few times over some implied chords in my bass line: Am, F, and Dm. It's great to get more from one line by seeing the different chord types you can play it over.
Click here for Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 we're going to start using fourths and fifths. It starts with an ascending A minor triad (A–C–E) before leaping to the 9 (B) and then hitting a G major triad (G–B–D). A similar pattern leads into the C major triad (C–E–G). Throwing in these wider intervals alongside triads is very effective for creating a dramatic sounding runs.
Click here for Ex. 5
For our next example (Ex. 6), we will take fragments from Ex. 5 and space them out a bit. I wanted once again to show how these sequence ideas can also be helpful for developing melodic phrases. Once we have a cool sequence or fragment, all we need to do is be creative with how we play it. We can change the rhythm, harmonic context, dynamic, and much more.
Click here for Ex. 6
Before we move on, it's important to remember that we can add colorful notes to our triads. Let's begin with some seventh-chord arpeggios. Ex 7 features are diatonic seventh arpeggios in G minor (functioning as a IIm chord) to get a Dorian sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is a little gratuitous of me. It begins with an idea made of several different concepts. First, we start with an Am7 arpeggio (A–C–E–G), then descend down an A5 arpeggio. I follow that up with diatonic thirds and end with a pedal-point sequence. If that's not enough, we then take this bigger idea and fit it around a chord progression. I move it to G7, Dm7 and then I break my “rule" slightly and outline notes of a C6 arpeggio (C–E–G–A). However, it does keep the same melodic contour of the initial idea. I used my ear and fretboard to guide me. It's always healthy to have a fine balance between intellect and intuition.
Click here for Ex. 8
We dig into C harmonic minor (C–D–Eb–G–Ab–B-C) for Ex. 9's monster two-measure lick. It sounds evil! In composing this phrase, I kept to the basic concept of finding seventh-chord arpeggios within C harmonic minor in the 8th position. I followed my ear as well as my slowly developing intellect. However, if you look closely you can see I was following a mini chord progression through this line. We start out with a CmMaj9 arpeggio (C–Eb–G–B–D) in the first beat, followed by a G7b9 arpeggio (G–B–D–F–Ab). Here we have a very strong Im-V7 movement in C minor. I then move back to our CmMaj9 arpeggio and in the second measure we start descending down an Eb augmented triad (Eb–G–B). This is then followed by more CmMaj9 goodness.
Click here for Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is now taking Ex. 9 and extending it into a cool flamenco-inspired melody. The rhythms in this were inspired by the incredible Paco De Lucia. I follow the sequence from the previous example almost exactly, but I use a bit of artistic license to repeat certain fragments to fit into a “top line" or “head"-style melody.
Click here for Ex. 10
My aim here isn't to give you one rule to follow but instead to encourage you to take the sequences you know and love and start getting more out of them. Enjoy and stay safe!
MayFly Le Habanero Review
Great versatility in combined EQ controls. Tasty low-gain boost voice. Muscular Fuzz Face-like fuzz voice.
Can be noisy without a lot of treble attenuation. Boost and fuzz order can only be reversed with the internal DIP switch.
$171
May Fly Le Habanero
A fuzz/boost combo that’s as hot as the name suggests, but which offers plenty of smoky, subdued gain shades, too.
Generally speaking, I avoid combo effects. If I fall out of love with one thing, I don’t want to have to ditch another that’s working fine. But recent fixations with spatial economy find me rethinking that relationship. MayFly’s Le Habanero (yes, the Franco/Spanish article/noun mash-up is deliberate) consolidates boost and fuzz in a single pedal. That’s far from an original concept. But the characteristics of both effects make it a particularly effective one here, and the relative flexibility and utility of each gives this combination a lot more potential staying power for the fickle.
“Le Habanero’s fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof.”
The fuzz section has a familiar Fuzz Face-like tone profile—a little bit boomy and very present in that buzzy mid-’60s, midrangey kind of way. But Le Habanero’s fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof (especially with humbuckers) and an effective filter switch that enhances the fuzz’s flexibility—especially when used with the boost. The boost is a fairly low-gain affair. Even at maximum settings, it really seems to excite desirable high-mid harmonics more than it churns out dirt. That’s a good thing, particularly when you introduce hotter settings from the boost’s treble and bass controls, which extend the boost’s voice from thick and smoky to lacerating. Together, the boost and fuzz can be pushed to screaming extremes. But the interactivity between the tone and filter controls means you can cook up many nuanced fuzz shades spanning Jimi scorch and Sabbath chug with tons of cool overtone and feedback colors.