NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM
It’s January, the nights are dark, you’re skint and you’re desperately trying not to drink, smoke, eat meat or do anything idle-handed that the devil might make work for.
So what better time could there be than pick up that new skill you’ve dreamed about your whole life – or brush up the skill you’ve lied about for the same amount of time. Yes, now is the perfect time to have a proper go at learning the guitar, because it’s wholesome, home-based, rewarding and – ultimately – could lead to you spending next January in the Bahamas recording your debut album. Well, you can dream, can’t you?
Traditionally, learning to play guitar could be a bit of slog, tending to top out with a few chords learned and a stilted attempt at ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ at a party. But there’s a new way of keeping yourself on track.
Fender Play, the app from the world’s biggest and most iconic guitar and amp brands, empowers the user to keep progressing with video tutorials, play-along songs by your favourite artists and engaging lessons that fit around you – all on your phone.
To celebrate Fender Play, NME invited Ollie from Heavy Lungs to The NME Office to see if he could put Deputy Editor and lapsed wannabe guitar hero Dan Stubbs through his paces.
A Fender ambassador, Ollie’s intuitive guitar style is informed by a teenage love of innovative Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, and was developed in secret on his older brother’s guitar (Ollie was supposed to be the bassist). He channels his energy into the Bristol band’s blistering punk songs and fearless live performances.
Click on the video above to see what happened when Ollie challenged our man to play covers and a Heavy Lungs track.
Fender Play is available on Google Play and the App Store and you can sign up to a free trial here.
The post Check out Ollie from Heavy Lungs’ guitar masterclass in association with Fender Play appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.
