Prince playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, and Jeff Lynne at George Harrison's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
To shred or not to shred? Sometimes a little restraint to serve a melody can shine brighter than scorching a solo.
A cop pulls a drunk over and demands that he get out of his car.
The cop says, "Obviously, you've been drinking. I need you to perform a sobriety test."
The drunk, swaying back and forth, answers with a smug slur: "Oh, really? You think I'm drunk, huh? Would a drunk be able to do this?"
The drunk then violently swings his arms above his head as he does a fast, deep knee bend. He then lets out a howl, craps his pants, and falls over in a stinking, moaning heap.
The cops say, "Yes, that's exactly what a drunk would do."
The drunk replies, "I was going for the backflip."
The wildly talented Reggie Bradley Smith told me that joke back when we toured together with country artist Lee Brice. After some of our more adventuresome performances, Reg and I would greet each other with, "I was going for the backflip," as we walked off stage.
Guitarists are left with this difficult balancing act: giving the people what they want while trying to give them something that means more.
This gig was a creative, safe place to stretch and grow as a musician. The rule was stay true to the signature elements of the song, but allow the muse to direct you. This environment made for some amazing shows, giving concertgoers something they'd never seen nor heard before. Admittedly, I did not always stick the landing, but missed notes don't matter. In this age, where so many bands are merely reinforcing prerecorded tracks, it's a beautiful and rare thing to see in the wild: a great band in full flight, listening and playing off each other, truly creating music. To my way of thinking, the "perfect show"is not the one that sounds just like the record—it's an emotionally charged, unique work of art that the audience and band experiences fresh, together.
I've always thought a show needed to be, well … showy. Prime example: Prince's nearly three-minute guitar solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," that he performed with Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, and Jeff Lynne at George Harrison's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. From his legato intro until he tosses his Telecaster in the air and struts off stage, it's an incredible improvised performance under the most high-pressure circumstances imaginable. Although it's got a lot of flash, it's all musical, respectfully paying homage to the Beatles and Clapton's iconic recording, while remaining spontaneous and fun. Prince went for the backflip and stuck the landing.
Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and others -- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
As you may suspect, I'm a doesn't-practice-what-I-preach kind of person. I talk a big game about taking chances with art, trying to create something new, serving the song, etc. In reality, when I'm playing live, I tend to build solos by pulling a few semi-fast, flashy licks I've memorized out of my medium-sized bag. What I should do is try to say something, be melodic, make it more about the song and less about my trying to impress people. I choose showy because I lack the confidence for restraint. I listen to playback of live recordings and hate 75 percent of my solos, because most are clichés strung together. But I'm not alone.
Slash's "November Rain" solo remains one of the most revered in all of rockdom. It's full of emotionally charged whole notes, much like a symphonic piece. Surprisingly, apart from some improvised 2-bar runs at the end of each 8-bar phrase in the outro, it's all easy to play. The hardest part of that solo is the restraint and dedication to melody. A while ago, I saw GNR live and, honestly, it was disappointing. Maybe it was an off night on a long tour, but with the exception of "November Rain" and "Sweet Child o' Mine," where Slash played melodically, most of his solos started and ended with blistering riffs that, although physically impressive, didn't hold my attention.
But Slash is in a difficult position: It's hard to trust in a simple part when you know that people want to see blistering runs. Why? Because that shit is awesome. So, guitarists are left with this difficult balancing act: giving the people what they want while trying to give them something that means more. It's just easier, or perhaps safer, to shred than to try to express something emotional.
My friend Joe Reed played bass with Merle Haggard from 1990 to 1995, when Clint Strong was on guitar. Although people often think of country music as primitive cowboy chords, Joe and Clint are incredibly advanced musicians, with deep jazz leanings. Joe told me, "Clint and I roomed together on the road and would come up with cool alternate changes. It was a very musical gig and Merle didn't mind you going for something cool, but I guess it would get a little too far out and Merle would address the issues saying, 'Boys, when you get so far away from my songs that I can't recognize them, it's time to pull it back'."
That's the challenge: when to stretch, when to pull back, when to go for the backflip, and when to walk a straight line.
Featuring a unique Blah Blah Circuit for expressive filtering effects, versatile tone control, and premium Morley buffer circuit. Available exclusively through the LERXST Reverb Store for $299.
Spawned out of Lifeson’s long-time appreciation and use of the classic wah-wah effect, the Lerxst Blah Blah is a new breed of wah designed specifically for adventurous tone chasers. The Blah Blah uses Morley’s iconic switchless optical wah circuit as a springboard, carefully tuned by Lifeson and the engineers at Lerxst and Morley for an expressively vocal response that is equally usable in both classic and modern applications.
“Wah pedals have been an essential tool of sonic expression for me since the ‘Fly by Night’ album,” explains Lifeson. “With the ‘wah’ side of the Blah Blah, we really wanted to capture that classic sound while also giving it a wide enough frequency response to suit modern players.”
“The guys at Morley have designed some of the greatest wah pedals ever, so it was a natural collaboration to work on this project with them, and also see where we could take it next.”
The Blah Blah’s namesake Blah Blah Circuit is where the pedal sets its sights, and sounds, squarely on the future. Taking inspiration from Lifeson’s immediately recognisable Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction acceptance speech from 2013, the Blah Blah Circuit is a cornucopia of expressive, touch-sensitive filtering effects that evoke both vocal and synth-like sounds out of whatever instrument that is run through the pedal – including a recognizable ‘Blah’! The Blah Blah’s onboard tone control allows precise EQ control of these effects to make them fit perfectly alongside anything else in your pedalboard, or mix.
"Alex wanted us to create something unique and inspiring," said Morley Owner Scott Fietsam. "We certainly achieved the 'Blah-talkie' sound, but what surprised us was how versatile this pedal turned out to be. It opened up numerous sonic possibilities in both clean and distorted modes, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players."
Blah Blah Specifications
- Iconic Morley Switchless Optical Wah Circuit
- Switchable Blah Blah Circuit for Expressive Filtering Effects
- Versatile Tone Control for Blah Blah Circuit
- Premium Morley Buffer Circuit
- Sturdy Steel Enclosure
- Heavy-Duty Footswitch, Knobs, and Jacks
- LED Indicator Light
- 9V DC Negative Center Power
- Current Draw: 300mA
- $299
Asked to comment on the implications of such a unique wah pedal in a crowded market of effects, Lifeson said the following: “Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah, blah blah. Blah, blah blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah. Blah? Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah.”
For more information, please visit lerxstamps.com.
With a few minor fingering adjustments another world of musical expression can be unlocked.
Beginner
Beginner
- Look at the pentatonic scale in a new light.
- Understand how to navigate diagonally across the fretboard.
- Use this newfound knowledge to create more musical phrases.
Likely the first melodic device any improvising musician learns is the pentatonic scale. It’s a simple pattern to learn on guitar, it’s easy to play, and it always sounds “correct.” It contains mostly the “good” notes and usually you don’t need to think too much about which notes to avoid. What’s not to love? After a while, however, a certain sameness begins to emerge, and one begins to wonder, “Is there something more here?” Well, it has much more to offer than what you see on the surface.
How do you play a pentatonic scale?
One of the first shapes that guitarists learn when starting to explore the pentatonic scale is the ubiquitous box in Ex. 1. And why not? It’s a simple pattern to memorize, it’s easy to play, and you can get musical sounding results almost immediately. In fact, if you play these notes in just about any order, play in time, and exercise some logical phrasing, you can’t really mess it up.
There is a wealth of guitar vocabulary in this simple device. Eric Johnson, Eric Clapton, Eric Gales, and other legendary guitarists not named Eric have demonstrated this for decades. However, the two-note-per-string nature of the pattern can limit your phrasing. Let’s dive into a few simple things we can do to inject some articulations into an otherwise choppy march across the fretboard.
This isn’t a “Stop doing this and start doing that” proposition but rather a supplement to your bag of badassery that you’ve accumulated. Let’s remap some of the notes found in Ex. 1 to other strings to elongate the scale along the neck rather than simply march across it (Ex. 2).
Notice that we alternate between two notes on a string and three notes on a string. Add some strategic slides into the mix and our little fretboard square dance gets a welcome dose of swagger. Naturally, we will need to practice this descending pattern (Ex. 3) as well. These fingerings have a certain hipness that the box lacks.
Ex. 4 features a nice blues gesture that exemplifies the articulations that this fingering invites. Judicious use of bends, slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs make the magic happen.
Double-Stop the Presses
The slippery fourths found on adjacent strings combined with an eighth-note delay summon an early ’80s funk/pop feeling. Play Ex. 5 with long legato notes and have a glass of chardonnay on hand for a funky smooth-jazz vibe.
Two often-used tricks are the sliding fourths/hammer-on double-stop phrases in Ex. 6. Once again, it’s the strategic use of slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs that make the slinky goodness happen. These tasty double-stop licks are useful chordal accents in your solos or R&B-style rhythm parts. Even though Ex. 6 is a bucket of pentatonic scale phrases over a I–VIm–IIm–V chord progression, the double-stops provide a harmonically informed sound. Think Mateus Asato, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Jimi Hendrix.
Get Louder … Without Turning Up
Did you know that two notes are louder than one? How ’bout that? Next time you’re playing at your local blues jam and the well-intentioned but way-too-loud rhythm player tempts you to turn up your amp, don’t do it. You’ll just add to the problem. Instead try some double-stops (Ex. 7). It transforms otherwise basic melodies into majestic, purposeful, and yes, louder statements without adding to a never-ending volume war.
Peace, Love, and Understanding
Play some nice rhythm guitar without banging out all those barre chords. Yes, barre chords are useful but sometimes it’s just way too much. Guitarists already have to deal with the stigma of being eye-rolling loud. Why is that? The bottom portion of the chord (the power chord part) is an essential sound if you’re in a rock band. But in a blues, R&B, jazz, or country setting, it can sound muddy (and kinda stupid). The low-register notes are getting in your bass player’s way and the keyboard player, by default, is already annoyed at you. Let’s be friends with these folks and sound better in the process.
Reimagining the pentatonic box will add depth and vibe to your playing. And using smaller double-stops versus banging out giant fists-full of notes not only tends to make the band sound better but they’re easier to play too. As a bonus you just may find that your solos sound fuller and more interesting. Don’t forget to acknowledge the perceptive audience that applauds your tasty masterpiece.
Blackstar's 30-watt combo amp with two footswitchable channels, ISF tone control, and built-in tape delay. Available in vintage cream or black finishes.
The features of the Debut 30E have been carefully selected to cover all the needs of an aspiring guitarist; two footswitchable channels, our patented ISF(Infinite Shape Feature) tone control, series effects loop, and a built-in tape delay. This amp is available in two gorgeous vintage finishes; cream covering with oxblood fret, or black and ‘biscuit’ basketweave.
Debut 30E Combo Features
- 30 Watt combo
- 2 Channels – Clean + Overdrive
- Patented ISF tone control
- Line In for jamming along or listening to music
- Speaker emulated Line Out for ‘silent’ practice or recording
- 1x10" custom-designed speaker, producing true Blackstar tones
- Series effects loop
- Stereo playback of Line In sources through headphones
- Dual footswitch control for channel switching
- Compatible with any 2-button latching footswitch (available separately)
- Vintage styling in cream and black options
Debut 30E | No Talking, Just Tones | Blackstar - YouTube
At a recent outdoor NHL Stadium Series performance, it was so cold that my hands went numb. So, I had to improvise. Last month, I wrapped the NHL Stadium Series at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium in front of 68,619 screaming fans and an army of TV production, crew, etc. The network chose to lean into Nashville’s Music City theme by including performances by 12 of the city’s biggest names in music. About a month ago, the director, Michael Dempsey, whom I worked with on several award shows, hired me as the music director. Here’s how it went....