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GALLERY: Shaky Knees 2016

Situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta, this three-day festival included acts like the Kills, My Morning Jacket, Eagles of Death Metal, Deftones, At the Drive-In, Explosions in the Sky, and more.

Silversun Pickups’ Brian Aubert

The band’s frontman/guitarist brings it during “Well Thought Out Twinkles” with a 1994 Epiphone Sheraton—his go-to guitar that splits time with a ’65 Firebird. Recently featured in PG’s “Opening Notes,” we found out that the Sheraton was originally bandmate Christopher Guanlao’s guitar, and since taking over ownership Aubert has since replaced the pickups with a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity humbuckers. Aubert on the pickup swap: “I love playing hollowbodies in an untraditional way,” says Aubert. “The feedback is part of our sound.”

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The Unexpectedly Challenging Rhythms of Lou Reed (And How to Master Them!)

Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.

Beginner to Intermediate

Focus on syncopation.
Add muted strums to enhance your rhythm playing.
Learn how to modify complex rhythmic patterns into smaller, more comprehensible figures.

Though usually more lauded for his lyrics than his guitar playing, Lou Reed had a distinctive style of strumming that can make replication a challenge and seemingly impossible for beginners to comprehend. With a combination of syncopations and muted strums, Reed’s rhythm guitar—from his time with the Velvet Underground to his solo career—has a groove and feel that all guitar players can learn from.

GALLERY: Shaky Knees 2016

Situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta, this three-day festival included acts like the Kills, My Morning Jacket, Eagles of Death Metal, Deftones, At the Drive-In, Explosions in the Sky, and more.

Silversun Pickups’ Brian Aubert

Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.

Ex. 1

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Ex. 3

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Ex. 5

Ex. 6

Solo Years

Ex. 7

Ex. 8

Ex. 9

Ex. 10

Ex. 11

Ex. 12

Ex. 13

The Lou Reed Legacy

Xotic revamps a classic Vox-boost-in-a-box pedal, creating a new one in the process.

The Ariel Posen Signature String Set from Stringjoy