GU!TAR FUNCTIONS

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and eighteen string guitars also exist.
Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in jazz, blues, country, flamenco, mariachi, rock music, and many forms of pop. They can also be a solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Such electric guitars were introduced in the 1930s and continue to have a profound influence on popular culture.
Traditionally guitars have usually been constructed of combinations of various woods and strung with animal gut, or more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers. There are many brands of guitars, but some commonly known brands are PRS, Gibson, Dean, Gretsch, Ibanez, Martin, Jackson, Schecter, and Fender.

SIX STR!NG GUITAR TUNN!NG

Six-string guitars with standard tuning
Guitar chords take advantage of the intervals between the strings, which in each case are perfect fourths excepting the interval between the B (second) and G (third) strings, which is a major third. One common non-standard tuning, found in hard rock and heavy metal music, is called drop-D tuning. This requires the player to change the low E string tuning to that of a D note. This tuning allows power chords (see below) to be played relatively easily on the bottom three strings, as the strings are now tuned to a root-fifth-octave (D-A-D) tuning. Many other forms of guitar tunings exist as well.

[edit] CAGED major chords
Major chords contain a root note, a major third above the root and a note a perfect fifth above the root.

C Major
In the case of C Major, these notes are C, E and G. The graphical representation on the right shows how left-hand fingering produces:
E on the first string
C on the second string
G on the third string
E on the fourth string
C on the fifth string
No note is played on the sixth string.In a similar way, the chords A Major, G Major, E Major and D Major are often played as:

A Major

G Major

E Major

D Major
These five chords are fundamental to guitar for a variety of reasons including:
they are all major triads, and as such they are all primary reference chords
they all occur and are available in open position: the first three frets plus open strings
each has its root on a different string
their overall gross large shapes become the basis of the CAGED system
they can be connected and linked together to create one large long contiguous 12-fret or one-octave greater resource pattern of major triad tones encompassing the entire fretboard. Six-string guitars with standard tuning
Guitar chords take advantage of the intervals between the strings, which in each case are perfect fourths excepting the interval between the B (second) and G (third) strings, which is a major third. One common non-standard tuning, found in hard rock and heavy metal music, is called drop-D tuning. This requires the player to change the low E string tuning to that of a D note. This tuning allows power chords (see below) to be played relatively easily on the bottom three strings, as the strings are now tuned to a root-fifth-octave (D-A-D) tuning. Many other forms of guitar tunings exist as well.

[edit] CAGED major chords
Major chords contain a root note, a major third above the root and a note a perfect fifth above the root.

C Major
In the case of C Major, these notes are C, E and G. The graphical representation on the right shows how left-hand fingering produces:
E on the first string
C on the second string
G on the third string
E on the fourth string
C on the fifth string
No note is played on the sixth string.In a similar way, the chords A Major, G Major, E Major and D Major are often played as:

A Major

G Major

E Major

D Major
These five chords are fundamental to guitar for a variety of reasons including:
they are all major triads, and as such they are all primary reference chords
they all occur and are available in open position: the first three frets plus open strings
each has its root on a different string
their overall gross large shapes become the basis of the CAGED system
they can be connected and linked together to create one large long contiguous 12-fret or one-octave greater resource pattern of major triad tones encompassing the entire fretboard.

SALMAN HISTROY

Though the band's first album, the self titled "Junoon" barely made a dent in the Pakistani music industry, their second album "Talaash" (The Quest) began creating a cult following for Junoon.
It was only after their 1995 release of their third album "Inquilaab" (Revolution), that Junoon developed a nationwide fan following, blending rock guitars and bluesy vocals with eastern elements like the use of tablas (traditional south Asian hand drums), raga-inspired melodies, traditional Pakistani folk music, and Eastern inspired poetry.
The band were one of the first bands in Pakistan to insist on playing live music where most music was sampled and programmed synth pop. Heavily influenced by rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Junoon aimed to combine loud guitar riffs with the tranquility of sufi poetry by the likes of Maulana Rumi, Allama Iqbal and Baba Bulleh Shah.
Success didn't come easy to Junoon as they tried to defy traditions in a conservative country like Pakistan. Their politically influenced songs were often subject to censorship, which led to their eventual ban from all state run television and radio during the rule of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In 1997, the band took both Pakistan and India by storm with their hit single "Sayonee" which was part of their tremendously successful fourth studio album "Azadi" (Freedom) released by EMI. In 1999, Junoon released their fifth studio album "Parvaaz" (The Flight), which was based mostly on the poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah. "Parvaaz" was recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in London and was hailed by critics as Junoon's finest work to date. Junoon won the award of "Best International Group" at the Channel V Music Awards in New Delhi, India in November 1999, where Sting, Def Leppard, and Prodigy performed with Junoon.
UNESCO invited Junoon to perform at their Millennium Peace concert in 1999 in Paris. The synergy created by Junoon aimed at peace, was an inspiration to all those present, which included renowned legendary artists like Lionel Richie, Dr. K.J. Yesudas, Ray Charles, Montserrat Caballé and Zubin Mehta conducting the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Actors Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, and Peter Ustinov were the masters of ceremony. Dignitaries from around the world, including the heads of the European union and the ambassadors from 170 countries attended this global event.
Compilation albums of the bands music and videos were released in 2000 (Junoon 1990-2000). Junoon released "Ishq" in 2001 and "Dewaar" in 2003 . Salman Ahmad was appointed Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations, attending a Special Session of the UN General Assembly. Following the 9/11 attacks, Junoon helped to organise a concert at the General Assembly on UN Day with Junoon and an Indian group performing at the Assembly Hall, a first of its kind. They also released their what they called their first English-language single, "No More" - an anti-violence song which deals directly with the events of that day. However, before "No More" they had released English songs on their first two albums, including "Our Land", "Lady Magic", "Downtown Princes", "Game Of Chance". The song "No More" is the first English song for which Junoon made a video.
Junoon has been the most successful Pakistani group in history, having toured extensively around the planet, including at the renowned European rock festival, Roskilde in June 2000, where Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Travis, Queensrÿche, and over 200 other world famous artists performed. The band has been across Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and performed for kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers across the globe.
Junoon's track "Garaj Baras" was selected as part of a Bollywood movie soundtrack in 2003 for the Pooja Bhatt film Paap. The song topped the charts again in that country in 2004 . The band's controversial single "Pappu Yaar" again shot to the #1 spot in Pakistan.
In 2005, Brian O'Connell returned to his native New York. Pakistani musician Mekaal Hasan and the band's producer John Alec have been playing bass guitar for live shows in his place. A reunion concert took place in Dubai, UAE in March 2006.
Both band members Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmad have released their debut solo albums.
In September 2007, Junoon released three albums (Parvaaz, Infiniti, and Azadi) with Magnatune.

GARY GRAFF

By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - Nobody's more surprised that Jason Newsted will be playing again with Metallica this weekend than ... Jason Newsted.
Newsted was the Metallica bassist from 1986, when he replaced the late Cliff Burton, until he left the group in 2001. Newsted said he had modest expectations for his role in the group's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on Saturday in Cleveland. "I just planned on going, looking good in my suit, hanging out with my family, going up and getting the award, making a nice speech...," he said.
Then, last Thursday, he got a call from drummer Lars Ulrich that changed things.
"He said, 'We want you to rock with us,'" Newsted said. Ulrich told him that Robert Trujillo, Metallica's current bassist "'is not gonna play at all. We want you to play.' And my first question was, 'How's Robert with that? How does he feel about that? I don't want to create any kind of negative anything. I want this all to be proper.'
"(Ulrich) said, 'No, he's with it, man. He wants to be there as a fan, too, and wants to see the 'black' album (1991's 'Metallica') band'...It's all good. Everybody's agreed to it. Let's rock!' 'OK. Let's rock.'"
Prior to the Ulrich's call, however, Newsted says he had no qualms with the current version of Metallica playing at the ceremony.
"I felt strongly they should go as that band and represent Metallica," Newsted said, "because they're strong right now, together. Those four guys in Metallica are out there knocking the s--- down, standing tall, able, prowess, chops are in order ... There aren't many times the Hall of Fame can induct a band that's fully capable like that."
Newsted is shipping in the amplifier rig he used during his tenure in Metallica, as well as the Sadowski five-string bass that he notes "has played more songs for Metallica than any other bass instrument in the world." The group plans a sound check/rehearsal for Friday night, then will play "something old (and) something new" on Saturday -- though both songs will be from Newsted's tenure with the band. "One louder

SALMAN ROCK!

(born 1 December 1972) is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the band leader and composer for perhaps Pakistan's most critically acclaimed band, Mekaal Hasan Band, known to its fans as MHB.

Mekaal Hasan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. His parents are Masood Hasan,a well known and widely read writer/columnist and also an advertising professional who runs Publicis Pakistan and Prof.Ira Hasan, a renowned and one of the most sought after teachers of English literature.
Mekaal Hasan was surrounded by music from childhood. His father's passion for jazz influenced him throughout his early years. After graduating from Government College, Lahore, Mekaal studied music at the Berklee College of Music, Boston. His stay exposed him to a wide variety of music and musicians, many of whom are influences to this day. Mekaal could not complete his degree from the Berklee School of Music.
Returning to Pakistan in 1995, Mekaal set up a state of the art recording facility, Digital Fidelity Studios where many of the top artists of Pakistan record. Mekaal formed The Mekaal Hasan Band towards the end of 2000 and the Sampooran record features his long standing writing partnership with keyboardist Javed Akhtar. Apart from leading MHB, Mekaal also played bass as a guest artist for one of South Asia's leading rock bands Junoon for a period of a year from 2005 to 2006.
Mekaal Hasan is also known for his production, record engineering and mixing talents and has produced/engineered the biggest names in Pakistan's music scene as well as engineering for jazz artists from The UK and Europe.

WESLEY LOUDEN BORLAND

Wesley Louden Borland (born February 7, 1975 in Richmond, Virginia) is a musician, best known as the guitarist in the band Limp Bizkit.
He has been in several other bands, including The Damning Well, Goatslayer and Big Dumb Face. He also recorded on From First to Last's Heroine album in 2006, and served as bass guitarist for the band's subsequent tour. Borland was well known for his bizarre stage appearance, and for his fondness of musical artists that differed greatly from the musical tastes of his bandmates in Limp Bizkit. Borland currently performs in Black Light Burns, in which he writes most of the music and sings. It has been confirmed that Wes has returned to Limp Bizkit for a 2009 tour and new album.

MEKAAL HASSAN

Mekaal was surrounded by music from childhood. His father's passion for jazz influenced him throughout his early years. After graduating from Government College, Lahore, Mekaal studied music at the Berklee College of Music, Boston. His stay exposed him to a wide variety of music and musicians, many of whom are influences to this day. Returning to Pakistan in 1995, Mekaal set up a state of the art recording facility, Digital Fidelity Studios where many of the top artists of Pakistan record. His reputation as a guitarist gained even more momentum with his instrumental record ‘Square One’ ,written after his return from Berklee. From the instrumental rock jazz writing style of ‘Square One’ from 1996 to 2000, Mekaal made a dramatic shift of writing and composing in the ending of 2000 when he then focused on writing around eastern classical musicians and hence formed The Mekaal Hasan Band. Out of this shift in direction came the band’s groundbreaking record, Sampooran. Along with being the band leader, composer/arranger and guitarist for MHB, Mekaal Hasan is one of the most in demand record producers around, producing and engineering records with artists as diverse as Noori, Jal and Ali Azmat. Mekaal’s versatility makes him an asset to any musical situation at hand and MHB’s unique sound and style are very much because of Mekaal’s unique writing and compositional abilities as well as his production skills.

Mekaal Hasan (born 1 December 1972) is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the band leader and composer for perhaps Pakistan's most critically acclaimed band, Mekaal Hasan Band, known to its fans as MHB.