Guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is featured in a new arrticle by Guitar Player where he offers his own personal tips for becoming a better guitar player. Following is an excerpt:
Support the Team
Bumblefoot: “If you’re in a band, you’re part of a team. You’re partners with other people. Let’s say your band is made up of five people; if everybody gets to have a say — which isn’t always the case, but here it is — out of five ideas you should expect to get one of yours through. At the same time, you’re probably going to have four out of five of your ideas shot down. That’s okay – don’t be offended. Every time you get your way, the other four people may have had their ideas shot down.”
“Put your ego aside. When somebody gets their way about something they feel passionate about, be selflessly happy for them. They deserve to see their idea through. Don’t be controlling — just go with the flow and see where it goes. In the end, you may find that their ideas were better than yours. That’s okay, too — the whole band looks good.”
Read the complete story here.
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is back with a brand-new instrumental album, Bumblefoot …Returns!, set for release on January 24. Thirty years after his debut solo instrumental album, Bumblefoot revisits his roots with a 14-track masterpiece that spans genres from metal to orchestral to blues.
The album’s opening track, “Simon In Space,” serves as its first single, delivering an electrifying ride through chaos and intensity. The single is available for streaming here. In addition to the single, an animated music video created by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski is also available, as well as a retro-inspired video game, which is coming soon. Watch the video below.
Reflecting on the single, Bumblefoot shared: “From an early age, my passions were guitar and astrophysics, cosmology – the song ‘Simon in Space’ merges the two. Simon is my cat haha, that’s him featured in the artwork.”
Soon fans will be able to immerse themselves in a retro-inspired video game based on the single. More details will be announced soon.
Bumblefoot …Returns! features collaborations with iconic musicians, including Brian May, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, Jerry Gaskill, and others, showcasing Bumblefoot’s innovative guitar techniques, such as his signature fretless guitar and “thimble technique.”
On the album, Bumblefoot shared: “It’s been 30 years since releasing the debut Adventures Of Bumblefoot on Shrapnel Records, and I haven’t done a fully instrumental album since. Working on Whom Gods Destroy’s album inspired growling heavy fretless parts like ‘Simon In Space’. Watching a blues documentary inspired ‘Moonshine Hootenanny.’ Losing loved ones led to writing ‘Funeral March.’ Songs become a soundtrack to our lives.”
The album is available for pre-order now on vinyl, CD, and cassette, with exclusive merch bundles at Bumblefoot.com. Highlights of the physical editions include:
– Vinyl: Double-disc gatefold with UV art pressing on Side 4.
– CD: Includes an 8-panel foldout square poster.
– Cassette: Features 10 panels of artwork.
Pre-order Bumblefoot …Returns! here.
Tracklisting:
“Simon In Space”
“Planetary Lockdown”
“Moonshine Hootenanny”
“Chopin Waltz Op64 No2”
“Monstruoso” (ft. Steve Vai)
“Monstruoso II – Departure”
“Cintaku”
“Once in Forever” (ft. Brian May)
“Andalusia”
“Anveshana” (ft. Guthrie Govan)
“Funeral March” (ft. Ben Karas)
“Griggstown Crossing”
“The Thread”
“Liftoff”
“Simon In Space” video:
About Bumblefoot:
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is a celebrated guitarist, producer, composer, and educator with a career spanning over 30 years. Known for his groundbreaking techniques, Bumblefoot has performed with Guns N’ Roses, Asia, Sons of Apollo, Whom Gods Destroy, and more.
Bumblefoot is an adjunct professor, international cultural ambassador, philanthropist, and hot sauce entrepreneur, whose work has been featured in TV, film, and video games, including VH1’s That Metal Show.
For more information, exclusive merch, and album pre-orders, visit Bumblefoot.com.
