
Get rid of those rock cliches by cutting your hair, dressing conservatively, picking some 12-string arpeggios, and letting those open strings ring!
Intermediate
Intermediate
- Arpeggiate the uncommon chord
- Work open strings into your hooks and melodies
- Find the right tone for your college-rock experience
College rock started as a generic term meant to cover the bands or genres that were neglected by mainstream radio in the 1980s—bands like Hüsker Dü (punk), Bauhaus (goth), P.I.L. (post-punk), Violent Femmes (folk-punk), and countless other nonconformists—but who dominated college radio. Eventually, and ironically, the term came to define a genre of its own. In this lesson, we’ll highlight a few of college rock’s guitar hallmarks, explain the theory behind the harmony, and point out the necessities of tone.
One could easily argue that there are two college rock bands—one from America and one from England—who set the tone for all others: R.E.M. and the Smiths, featuring, respectively, guitarists Peter Buck and Johnny Marr. So, what better place to start than with some variations on their open-string hooks and unique chord voicings, both of which helped create the college rock sound.
It should also be noted that both Buck and Marr made extensive use of 12-string guitars, giving college rock a reputation for being “jangly.” Regrettably, this is by far the most cost-prohibitive aspect of the college rock sound. Never fear, some not-so-subtle use of a chorus pedal can get you … well, if not close, closer.
College Rock Figureheads
Ex. 1 is reminiscent of R.E.M.’s “Harborcoat” (and various other songs from their first four albums). While the chord progression implied by the bass is relatively simple (most of the examples in this lesson follow suit), the voicings of the arpeggios help to create unusual chords, most notably in measure two, where the major 7th (D#) and the root (E) ring against each other creating a tension that resolves into the next measure.
In the second half of Ex. 1, chords are strummed with the top two open strings ringing throughout (excepting during the C#m chord), once again creating uncommon harmonies. Note, in particular, the last measure, which includes an A(add9, add#11) chord!
Ex. 2, inspired by R.E.M.’s “Orange Crush,” finds a common college-rock technique: taking a simple open-chord shape, in this case C, and moving it around the neck, even if just up two frets. This simple move creates a D(add4, add9) chord. These “add” chords—wherein you add the intervals 2 or 4 (or 9 and 11, depending on your point of view) to a triad—are heard frequently in this style of guitar playing. In measure three, the shape is moved down, into “normal” C position, but without the first finger, thus creating a melancholic Cmaj7. If you’re going to play college rock, 50 percent of it better be bittersweet.
With R.E.M. accounted for, let’s move on to Johnny Marr and the Smiths. Leaving the open-string moves aside for a few measures, Ex. 3 pays homage to “This Charming Man,” which will challenge almost any player with its unique use of dyads, or double-stops. This example moves down and up the fretboard, implying a myriad of exceptional harmonies while the bass pounds out the root notes. Is it a solo or a chord progression? Why not both?
Ex. 4 adds a swing feel to the college-rock sound and includes an unexpected syncopation by starting on the “and” of 1 instead of the downbeat. The unique rhythm recurs at the repeat, with the open D note tying itself over the bar on the “and” of 4. The Smith’s “What Difference Does It Make?” serves as a point of reference here.
Quintessentially American
With the college-rock figureheads accounted for, at this point we could move in any direction. So, let’s look at a couple of the heavier American bands—Pixies and the Replacements.
Ex. 5 comes to us via Pixies’ “Brick Is Red.” While this example sounds markedly different from the first four, you’ll notice that, once again, open strings play a central role in this quirky etude. Also, pay attention to the use of starts and stops, as well as dynamics. These two characteristics went on to inspire not only other college-rock bands but the alternative-rock scene that was to follow shortly thereafter. Frequently, as in this example, Pixies guitarists Black Francis (aka Frank Black) and Joey Santiago would double such an idea on acoustic guitar and electric respectively.
More open strings are heard in Ex. 6, which imitates the Replacements’ “Bastards of Young,” featuring Paul Westerberg and Bob Stinson on guitars. What makes this hook distinctive is how it is played over four different bass, root notes, implying four different chords, which are essentially Badd9–C#m9–Emaj7–F#6. Speaking of the Replacements, have a listen to their song “Color Me Impressed” and compare the opening riff to “Chartered Trips” by fellow Minnesotans Hüsker Dü. Coincidence?
Characteristically British
Our final three examples were all inspired by British bands and lead us into a brief discussion on college-rock tone.
Ex. 7 plays off Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Israel” (featuring John McGeoch on guitar), which is an ideal song for beginners working on fingering barres. As you’ll see, the chords are made by lying one finger flat across the top four strings (I suggest the index). The simplicity of this idea is belied by the complexity of the harmonies created, in this case Em7–C#m7–G#m7–B6. In the second part of the example, natural harmonics are employed, once again with one finger lightly placed on the strings. Regarding the obvious change in tone, compared to all the other examples, this part was recorded through a chorus pedal with the level at 100 percent, the rate at 50 percent, and the depth at 25 percent. Yes, the effect is doing much of the work here! That is not uncommon in the world of college rock, where sound is every bit as important as technique.
Be sure to check out more great guitar playing on Siouxsie and the Banshees records (Siouxsie featured several guitar players over the years), in particular John McGeoch’s playing on “Eve White, Eve Black,” which uses the whole-tone scale in a way more reminiscent of King Crimson than you’d expect.
The seemingly mundane E–A–B chord progression (I–IV–V) of Ex. 8 is enhanced considerably with both sus and add chords. Unlike add chords, sus chords replace the third in a triad with a second or fourth. Thanks to the inversions in this example, the chords never remain static. Look to Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant of Echo & the Bunnymen for use of such chords, “Crystal Days” in particular. The 12-string guitar makes another appearance here.
Our last example was inspired by one of the numerous crossover hits that came out of the college rock genre, in this case, the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” Ex. 9’s open-string chords (reminiscent of Ex. 1) create a lush foundation over which the open-string hook is played. Both guitars are heavily chorused, though Robert Smith and Porl Thompson of the Cure frequently do play 12-string guitars.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention another iconic college rock group, Dinosaur Jr., and their fantastic cover version of “Just Like Heaven.” Here we get the best of both worlds, the Cure’s romantic atmosphere and J Mascis’ brutal yet playful guitar playing.
Who Did We Skip? Almost Everyone!
Like most genres, college-rock has a seemingly endless number of bands to draw from. Thus, this lesson could have easily filled a book. And there is no doubt, thanks to the rabid nature of legions of college rock fans, that many will claim I overlooked an incalculable number of bands and guitarists. They are correct. So, let this lesson serve as a primer. Take it upon yourself to seek out other inventive musicians in this genre, no degree required!
With a bit of downtime back in Nashville, co-shredders-in-chief Megan and Rebecca Lovell joined Shred With Shifty to deconstruct their face-melting leads on “Summertime Sunset,” off of their 2022 record Blood Harmony.
The Georgia-born, Nashville-based roots-rock outfit Larkin Poe have had a busy year. Last summer, they toured across the U.S. supporting Slash, and released their seventh studio album, Bloom, on January 22. With a bit of downtime back in Nashville, co-shredders-in-chief Megan and Rebecca Lovell joined Shred With Shifty to deconstruct their face-melting leads on “Summertime Sunset,” off of their 2022 record Blood Harmony.
The Lovells grew up reading sheet music and learning violin via the Suzuki method—there was little room for going off the beaten path until they fell in love with Jerry Douglas’ dobro playing on Alison Krauss records. Rebecca took up the mandolin, while Megan went for the dobro and the slide side of things. It took a while for them to get comfortable turning up from their bluegrass roots, but eventually they built Larkin Poe’s amplified, blues-rock sound.
First up, Rebecca, playing a pristine ’60s SG, shows how she put together her stinging, fuzzy solo by “hunting and pecking out” melodies in her mind, building up the chops to follow her intuition. Then Megan, playing a Rickenbacker-inspired lap steel of her own design through a Rodenberg TB Drive, details her dizzyingly fast slide acrobatics, and her particular “rake” technique that she copped from Jerry Douglas and Derek Trucks.
Tune in to hear them talk about how to sustain family relationships while going professional, keeping music community-minded, and whether or not they’ll go back to bluegrass.
If you’re able to help, here are some charities aimed at assisting musicians affected by the fires in L.A:
https://guitarcenterfoundation.org
https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html
https://www.musiciansfoundation.org
https://fireaidla.org
https://www.musicares.org
https://www.sweetrelief.org
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
The legendary Louisville rockers brought tons of vintage tone tools on the road this year.
My Morning Jacket’s Is, their 10th album, released on March 21, and as we reported in our feature on the band in our May print issue, it showcased a band exercising their classic strengths as well as newfound vision and curiosity. Helmed by superstar producer Brendan O’Brien, Is finds MMJ at their anthemic, psychedelic best.
We caught up with Carl Broemel for a Rig Rundown back in 2015, but on this year’s tour, PG’s John Bohlinger checked in with all three axemen—Jim James, Broemel, and bassist Tom Blankenship—to hear about their road rigs. In Broemel’s estimation, they’re lazy—they just like to bring everything.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Three's a Crowd
This gorgeous Gibson Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom, aged by Murphy Labs, initially had three humbuckers, but James kept hitting his pick on the middle pickup, so it got the yank—as did the hefty bridge and Maestro Vibrola system, which were replaced with a simple stopbar tailpiece.
Mirror Image
James picked up this 1998 Gibson Flying V right around when My Morning Jacket got started. He traced and ordered the flashy mirror pickguard himself. It’s got Gibson pickups, though James isn’t sure of the models.
Jim James' Jimmy
James plucked this one-of-a-kind from Scott Baxendale’s collection of restored vintage guitars. He guesses it’s either an old Kay or Harmony guitar, but the decorations, including the custom plastic headstock plaque, make exact identification difficult. But it was clear this one was meant for James, since it has his name on it.
Elsewhere backstage is James’ Epiphone Jim James ES-335, a custom shop Fender Telecaster and Strat, a 1967 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, and a Gibson Barney Kessel.
Make Love, Not War
James loves repurposing old military equipment for creative, peaceful purposes, which is how this old radar system came to be a part of his live amplification kit. Along with the old tech, James runs two 3 Monkeys Orangutan heads through a 3 Monkeys cab.
Jim James' Pedalboard
James’ board is built around a pair of GigRig QuarterMaster switching systems, which lets him navigate the stomps you see here: a Devi Ever US Fuzz, Boss BD-2w, SoloDallas Schaffer Boost, Boss OC-2, EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery, Strymon blueSky, EQD Ghost Echo, Malekko Spring Chicken, ISP Deci-Mate, Electro-Harmonix Mel9, UA Starlight Echo Station, and UA Astra Modulation Machine. A D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner duo keep things on pitch, a Strymon Zuma and Ojai pair handle the power, and a Radial SGI-44 line driver maintains clarity.
Arts and Crafts Night
One night while a bit tipsy, Broemel took out his paint pens and set to work on this Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, resulting in this masterpiece. He also removed the pickup selector switch; even though the neck pickup remains, it never gets used.
Relic By Broemel
This 1988 Les Paul Standard predates the band, and Broemel has given it its aged finish over the years—on one occasion, it fell out of a truck. It’s been treated to a Seymour Duncan pickup upgrade and occasional refrets when required.
Carl's Creston
This Creston Lea offset has two Novak lipstick pickups in the neck, with a switch to engage just one or both, plus a low-end roll-off control. It’s finished in the same blue-black color as Broemel’s house and sports a basil leaf on the headstock in tribute to Broemel’s son, Basil.
Also in the wardrobe are a shiny new Duesenberg tuned to open G, and a custom shop Fender Telecaster with a fattened neck and Bigsby to swing it closer to Broemel’s beloved LPs.
Milk Route
Broemel routes his GFI Ultra pedal steel, which is tuned to E9, through a board which includes a Milkman The Amp, which is projected through the speaker of a Fender Princeton Reissue combo. Operated with another GigRig QuarterMaster, the board also includes an Eventide H9, Moog MF Delay, Fender The Pelt, MXR Phase 90, EHX Nano POG, Xotic Effects EP Booster, Source Audio C4, and a Peterson StroboStomp HD.
Side-Carr
This time out, Broemel is running two Carr Slant 6V heads in stereo.
Carl Broemel's Pedalboard
Broemel commissioned XAct Tone Solutions to build this double-decker board, which depends on a GigRig G3S switching system. From top to bottom (literally), it includes a Boss TU-3, Durham Electronics Sex Drive, JAM Pedals Tubedreamer, Source Audio Spectrum, JAM Retrovibe, MXR Phase 100, Fender The Pelt, Origin Effects SlideRIG, 29 Pedals EUNA, two Eventide H9s, Kingsley Harlot V3, JAM Delay Llama, Merix LVX, Hologram Chroma Console, and EHX POGIII. A wah and Mission Engineering expression pedal sit on the left side, while a Lehle volume pedal and Gamechanger Audio Plus hold down the right edge.
Utility units include two SGI TX interfaces, two Strymon Ojais and a Strymon Zuma, and a Cioks Crux.
More From the Creston Crew
Blankenship, too, has brought along a few guitars from Lea, including these Precision-bass and Jazz-bass models. The dark-sparkle P-style rocks with GHS flatwound strings, while the natural-finish J-style has roundwounds.
Emperor's New Groove
Blankenship just got these brand-new Emperor cabinets, through which he cranks his Mesa Boogie WD-800 Subway heads.
Tom Blankenship’s Pedalboard
Like James, Blankenship uses a GigRig QuarterMaster to jump between his effects. After his Boss TU-3, that includes an Origin Effects Cali76, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Pepers’ Pedals Humongous Fuzz, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, Tronographic Rusty Box, and EHX Bassballs Nano. A Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus lights things up, and a Radial SGI TX keeps the signal squeaky clean.
Shop My Morning Jacket's Rig
EarthQuaker Devices host Echo Reverb Pedal
ISP Technologies DECI-MATE Micro Noise Reduction Pedal
Electro-Harmonix Mel9 Tape Replay Machine Pedal
EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery Envelope Filter Pedal
Universal Audio UAFX Starlight Echo Station Delay Pedal
Universal Audio UAFX Astra Modulation Machine Pedal
Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
Experience the pinnacle of Taylor playing comfort and tone with the Builder’s Edition 514ce, 514ce Kona Burst, and 524ce. These models feature solid Shamel ash back and sides, uniquely voiced V-Class bracing, Gotoh 510 tuners, ES2 electronics, and a Deluxe Hardshell Case.
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Expansive range of subtle thickening and focusing tones to fuzz. Great alternative to run-of-the-mill overdrive and fuzz. Enables surgical shaping of guitar sounds within a mix.
Interactive, sometimes sensitive controls make certain tones elusive and lend the pedal a twitchy feel.
$179
Catalinbread Airstrip
With the preamp from a Trident A-Range console as their target, Catalinbread conjures up a varied gain device that can massage or mangle your guitar tone.
Replicating a recording console preamp in a pedal is a pretty elementary idea, but it’s inspired stompboxes as varied as theJHS Colour Box andHudson Broadcast. All recording desks—and the pedals that imitate them—have their own color. Catalinbread’s Airstrip chases the sound of a Trident A-Range channel strip. (Search “Trident Studios” to get a handle on the kind of clientele the place attracted back in the ’60s and ’70s).
Presently, a new Trident A-Range channel strip costs thousands of dollars. An original? Well, only 13 desks were made, so you can probably get a nice used Rolls Royce for less—if you can find one. Rightly then, one should temper expectations about how well a $179 pedal can ape a priceless console. But like many preamps in a box, the Airstrip excels at a wide range of gain-shaping tasks, from surgical boost and EQ shadings to fuzzy, filtered, ready-to-rip-through-a-mix Jimmy Page/Beatles/Neil Young-style direct-to-desk tones. Even at extremes, the Airstrip is sensitive to touch, volume, and tone dynamics, enabling pivots from light (if very focused) overdrive to ’60s germanium-fuzz-like sounds with changes in guitar volume and tone. And though it’s dynamic and responsive, at many settings it also exhibits lovely compression tendencies, softening transients before giving way to wide-vista tone blooms—a great recipe for spare, lyrical, melodic leads with a ’60s biker-flick-soundtrack edge. Without any of its market-leading competitors around for comparison, it’s hard to say exactly how the Airstrip aligns with their EQ biases and core tones. What is certain is that there are scores of mellow to unconventionally aggressive colors here to explore.