Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Investigate the blues and jazz influences that were key to Danny Gatton’s style.
• Learn how to mix single-note lines and chord stabs.
• Develop stronger hybrid-picking chops.
Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
In the previous installment of Beyond Blues, we explored the rhythm guitar techniques of the incredible Danny Gatton. As promised (or perhaps as threatened), we’re back again to investigate some of his crazy lead guitar style.
To create his unique sound, Gatton incorporated influences from many different genres. If you did any research into his vast discography last month, you’ll have noticed a dramatic change in sound from the country twang of his Redneck Jazz Explosion to the more straight-ahead jazz on New York Stories, to the rockabilly edge on Cruisin’ Deuces, or the more blues-based playing on Relentless. There’s no denying that all these years later, no one has truly mastered his style. The best we can hope for is to get our heads around a few of his ideas to bring an edge to our own music.
Our first solo (Fig. 1) consists of four basic licks played over a blues in G, each using different ideas. This doesn’t function as a well-balanced solo, it’s more of a “kitchen sink” approach, and Gatton would be more likely to take each of these ideas and develop them over a whole chorus.
The first four measures feature a blend of country-blues phrasing and chord punches to outline the quick change to the IV chord (C7) in the second measure. The descending blues-scale phrase in the third measure is typical of this laid-back blues playing.
The next phrase takes place over the IV chord and is a fantastic idea, even if it’s a little difficult to execute. In the audio example, you’ll hear me do a swell with the tone knob, which creates a wah-like effect—almost like the note is crying. This is extremely tricky to do, perhaps even more on a Telecaster! To pull this off, practice reaching back with your pinky and picking closer to the bridge.
A country influence pops up next where we outline G7, D7, and C7 with double-stops. This may present itself as a bit of a finger twister, but take your time with it and try using it in each of the five CAGED positions I discussed in a previous lesson [https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Beyond_Blues_Understanding_CAGED_and_the_V_Chord]. If you want to see how far one can take this technique, check out the mind-melting Scotty Anderson, who would play similar ideas at twice this speed while shifting all over the fretboard!
Our final lick in this solo is one of Gatton’s devastating banjo rolls, in which he’d pluck the strings using a combination of flatpick and fingers. These hybrid-picking passages take time to get up to speed. Follow the picking pattern of flatpick–flatpick–middle–flatpick–middle–ring and build up from a slow tempo to something more challenging over a period of time. When playing these, Gatton would approach 200 bpm, so they’re not for those who scare easily.
Our second solo (Fig. 2) is inspired by Gatton’s Redneck Jazz Explosion band and features more jazz-influenced chord changes using a I-VI-IIm-V in place of the more common I-IV-V you hear in simpler blues.
We start off outlining the I and IV chords by fitting a melody around a chord shape. This is a great way to define harmony in a jazz setting, and serious cats like Joe Pass or George Benson do it all the time.
The next phrase comes directly from a Redneck Jazz Explosion solo, and it illustrates how Gatton was more of an “ear” player than a “theory” player. What do I mean by this? Watching his instruction videos or reading past interviews, I’ve never heard Gatton say anything like “I use Super Locrian over this chord” or “I love the sound of Lydian Dominant.” Instead his ear simply prompts him to create some tension in a particular spot, so he plays notes that “shouldn’t work” but actually do the trick.
If you’re curious about what scale you’re hearing, it works like a Dorian mode with an added b5. Over a G7, this loosely implies a G7b5#9.
Over the C7 chord, our perception changes as we begin to use notes from C Mixolydian—C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb. (That Bb is the b7 of C7.) It feels like a series of descending arpeggios, most notably the Dm7 and C major in measure six. For the VI-IIm-V7 chords, we use notes from G minor and G major pentatonic scales (played over E7b9, then Am7 and D7, respectively) to create a sweet-sounding melody to float over the progression.
The final lick outlines a quick I-VI-IIm-V7. It begins on G, descends chromatically to the b9 of E7, then hits four notes that fit into the A Super Locrian before shifting up to the G major pentatonic, and finally ends with some chord stabs.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these two Gatton-inspired lessons as much as I’ve enjoyed toiling over them, and they’ve given you a reason to check out more of his playing and transcribe some new ideas for yourself.
Neil Young’s ’70s hits are some of the most recognizable radio rock jams of all time. But Neil’s guitar playing continued to grow over the ensuing decades, as he traversed styles from blues to country to electronic to rockabilly and beyond, eventually developing one of the most tonally decadent, fully formed improvisational voices in the entire guitar universe.
Like any discography that’s been growing over the course of more than half a century, it can be hard to decode Young’s work. And with such an adventurous spirit, it could be easy to make some missteps and miss out on his best guitar works. In this episode, Nick guides Jason through some of his hero’s finest moments.
More news from Neil always seems to be on the horizon, so here’s your chance to catch up.
This episode is sponsored by Gibson.
This Japan-made Guyatone brings back memories of hitchin’ rides around the U.S.
So, as I’m prone to do, I started digging around hitchhiking culture and stories. Surprisingly, there are organized groups that embrace the hitching life, but the practice remains on the fringe in the U.S. Back in the 1950s, writer Jack Kerouac wrote the novel On the Road, which celebrated hitchhiking and exposed readers to the thrill of maverick travel. Heck, even Mike Dugan (the guitarist in all my videos) hitched his way to California in the 1960s. But seeing that fellow on the side of the road also sparked another image in my brain: Yep, it always comes back to guitars.
Let me present to you a guitar that’s ready to go hitching: the Guyatone LG-180T, hailing from 1966. The “thumbs-up” headstock and the big “thumb” on the upper bout always made me think of thumbing a ride, and I bought and sold this guitar so long ago that I had forgotten about it, until I saw that hitchhiking dude. Guyatone was an interesting Japanese company because they were primarily an electronics company, and most of their guitars had their wooden parts produced by other factories. In the case of the LG-180T, the bodies were made by Yamaha in Hamamatsu, Japan. At that time, Yamaha was arguably making the finest Japanese guitars, and the wood on this Guyatone model is outstanding. We don’t often see Guyatone-branded guitars here in the U.S., but a lot of players recognize the early ’60s label Kent—a brand name used by an American importer for Guyatone guitars.
With a bit of imagination, the LG-180T’s “thumbs up” headstock seems to be looking for a roadside ride.
Kent guitars were extremely popular from the early ’60s until around 1966. The U.S. importer B&J fed the American need for electric guitars with several nice Kent models, but when the Guyatone contract ended, so did most of the Kent guitars. After that, Guyatone primarily sold guitars in Japan, so this example is a rare model in the U.S.
“Unless you are a master at guitar setups, this would be a difficult player.”
This headstock is either the ugliest or the coolest of the Guyatone designs. I can’t decide which. I will say, no other Japanese guitar company ever put out anything like this. You have to give the Guyatone designers a thumbs up for trying to stand out in the crowd! Guyatone decided to forgo an adjustable truss rod in this model, opting instead for a light alloy non-adjustable core to reinforce the neck. Speaking of the neck, this instrument features the most odd-feeling neck. It’s very thin but has a deep shoulder (if that makes any sense). Totally strange!
Another strange feature is the bridge, which offers very little adjustment because of the three large saddles, which sort of rock back and forth with the tremolo. It’s a shame because these pickups sound great! They’re very crisp and have plenty of zing, but unless you are a master at guitar set-ups, this would be a difficult player.
This could be why the LG-180T only appeared in the 1966 and 1967 catalogs. After that, it disappeared along with all the other Yamaha-made Guyatone electrics. By 1969, Guyatone had gone bankrupt for the first time, and thus ended guitar production for a few decades. At least we were blessed with some wacky guitar designs we can marvel at while remembering the days when you could play in the back end of an explosive 1973 AMC Gremlin while your mom raced around town. Two thumbs up for surviving our childhoods! PG
