Daniel Donato, Harmony Jupiter, Jam Track
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Guitar Practice
Sometimes we feature riffs. Sometimes we feature chord progressions. This one is a bit of both.
In this jam track, instead of just playing straight chords, we add in some single note voice leading.
Probably the trickiest thing here is the Bbsus2 > Bb. The Bbsus2 should be played with your pinky, index finger, and middle finger. You then use your index finger to hammer on the D note on the 7th fret of the G string. It's a bit of an awkward finger movement that make take a bit of time to get used to.
To solo over this progression, we can use a D minor pentatonic scale, or a D natural minor scale (otherwise known as the D Aeolian mode). Examples of both of those are below.
Guitarist Spotlight
Daniel Donato
Blending country and rock, with a heavy dose of improvisation, Daniel Donato is one of today's most exciting guitarists.
Daniel was born in New Jersey in 1995, and spent his early years in Atlantic City - but his family relocating to Tennessee when he was around 7 years old was a move that would eventually shape his future.
Donato found his passion for music and guitar at around 12 years old, digging into the music of bands like Led Zeppelin, Rush, and Guns & Roses. That evolved into discovering folk and blues, and getting into Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa and others.
After a couple years exploring rock & blues, Daniel started heading into Nashville, where he was drawn to the energy and twang of the honky tonk clubs. He started busking on Broadway Street as a teenager, and started getting invited to sit in with other bands, and getting hired as a lead guitarist.
By learning the licks of monster country players such as Danny Gatton and Brent Mason by ear, and then taking lessons from Johnny Hiland, Daniel quickly developed his chops. He eventually put together his own band, and started getting booked around Nashville.
People took notice, and word spread that people had to go check out this new guitar phenom.
After a few years of heavy gigging, Donato started to really develop his own style - which is a mix of rock, jam, bluegrass, and of course lots of high-energy twang, with some catchy songwriting - a sound he refers to as Cosmic Country.
- Cosmic Country was a term originally coined by a fan at one of this shows, but Daniel latched onto it, and it’s become big part of his identity and he now tours as ‘Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country’.
Donato’s live shows showcase his fiery Telecaster playing and extended improvisation, but his music is equally focused on the art of the song, as his singing and songwriting help him stand out in the sea of country-focused guitarists.
The guitarist that Rolling Stone recently called the “New Guitar Hero of Nashville" released his most ambitious record to date, Reflector’, about a year ago. The album is full of great songs and creative guitar playing, and I highly recommend it.
In addition to nearly constant touring, Daniel Donato also openly shares his guitar techniques on places like social media, but also through a Country Learning Pathway course offered in partnership with Pickup Music, as well in a great book he released a decade ago, which shows you his unique "pathways" approach to guitar playing.
Check out Daniel Donato: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Guitar Pathways Book
Key Gear:
- DGN Custom Guitars Epoch T-style guitar with 2 humbuckers, and a strat pickup in the middle.
- Fender '62 reissue Custom Shop Telecaster
- Fender 1966 Pro Reverb amp (on the road)
- Fender 1966 Princeton Reverb (in the studio)
- Gravity Jazz III acrylic picks
- Keeley Electronics Cosmic Country Phaser
- Strymon Timeline
- Eventide H90 Harmonizer Multi-Effects Pedal
Gear Showcase
Harmony Jupiter Thinline
Combining a lightweight, semi-hollow mahogany body, a maple top, smooth mahogany neck, with goldfoil pickups, the new Harmony Jupiter Thinline stands out with it’s resonant sound and stunning looks.
The Jupiter is lightweight, fun to play, sounds great – and is one of the best values for an American-made guitar you'll find.
While some Harmony guitar models try to recreate their vintage models, their Standard series are designed for the modern player. We like the Jupiter's simple two-knob/three-way-switch configuration, and the full-size 'gold foil' humbucker in the bridge, paired with a gold foil mini humbucker in the neck give it a versatle and inspiring range of tones.
Other features include a 25" scale length, locking tuners, a nitro finish, a rosewood fretboard, a bone nut, and a 12" fretboard radius.
At only around 5lbs, the Jupiter can experience some neck dive, though that can largely be fixed by using a suede strap.
The Harmony Jupiter is offered in Cherry, Black and Sky Blue, and stands out in the sea of single-cutaway electric guitars.
Key Features:
- Lightweight Semi-Hollow Body
- Custom Gold Foil Mini-humbucker (Neck), Custom Gold Foil Humbucker (Bridge)
- Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish
- “C” Shape Neck Profile
- Neck heel carve for easy playing in the upper register
- 25” scale length
- Made in the USA
Check out the Harmony Jupiter | Demo Video
🎸 Trending
- Jam Pedals released the Koch Ness Monster and Koch Ness Monster Supreme. Designed in partnership with Greg Koch, The Kochness Monster is Greg’s ultimate on-the-go remedy, designed with ease of travel in mind. The multi-effect pedals includes Jam Pedal's Lucydreamer Overdrive, Eureka! Fuzz, Harmonious Monk Harmonic/Amplitude tremolo, and Delay Llama Delay, all in one. The Supreme version includes 10 different pedals, including the Wahkco wah and Greg's signature Gristle King Overdrive.
- Gretsch released the Streamliner Jet Club guitar. The Jet Club features new Twin Six™ humbucking pickups, a comfortable Soft “C” shaped neck with a bone nut, and an adjustable wraparound tailpiece. Offered in Mint Metallic, Vintage White, and Dark Denim, and priced at only $399 USD.
- Looking for new pickups? K-Line Guitars is having a sale on a number of their great pickups.
- 🎥 Stop whatever else you're doing and watch Matteo Mancuso play the Angelo Debarre gypsy jazz song 'Swing Gitan' 😲 :
Currently spinning in the Office
Fergus McCreadie: Stream
Creative & inspiring jazz album from 27-year-old Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie. If you like players like Brad Mehldau, I think you'll really like this.
