vault vol.4 no5 may 2014

WW

W.

GU

IT

AR

PL

AY

ER

.C

OM

M A Y 2 0 1 4

GeorGe Harrison rememberedIn thIs classIc cover story from 2002, we pay trIbute to the fab four guItarIst who wrote classIc songs, played tImeless parts, and turned the rock world onto eastern musIc.

mark knopflererIc clapton’s “lIttle gIrl” solo transcrIptIon

Plus3 free song transcrIptIons

www.mcsystemsmusic.com [email protected]

MC Systems presents the “APOLLO” range of classic effects pedals. Precision engineered for robust performance, the Apollo range introducesour innovative, dynamic response V-SWITCH velocity sensitive true bypass

switching system - giving you MORE right when you need it.Stompboxes just got smarter !

mcsystems

mcsystems

Editor in Chief Michael Molenda - [email protected]

Editors Matt Blackett - mblackett@nbmediacom Barry Cleveland - [email protected] Art Thompson - [email protected]

Consulting Editors Jim Campilongo, Jesse Gress, Henry Kaiser, Michael Ross, Leni Stern, David Torn, Tom Wheeler

Designer Amy Santana

Production Manager Beatrice Kim

Publisher Joe Perry - [email protected] 212.378.0464

Advertising Director Jeff Donnenwerth - [email protected] Region, Midwest 770.643.1425& Europe

Advertising Director Mari Deetz - [email protected] Region 650.238.0344& Asia

Advertising Sales Anna Blumenthal - [email protected] Accounts 646.723.5404

Specialty Sales Advertising, Michelle Eigen - [email protected] 650.238.0325

Specialty Sales Advertising, Jon Brudner - [email protected] 917.281.4721

The Newbay Music Group

Vice President, Publishing Director Bill Amstutz Group Publisher Bob Ziltz Editorial Director Brad Tolinski Senior Financial Analyst Bob Jenkins Production Department Manager Beatrice Kim Director of Marketing Christopher Campana Marketing Project Manager Emily O’Neill Motion Graphics Designer Tim Tsuruda IT Tech Bill Brooks Office Services Coordinator Mara Hampson

Newbay Media Corporate

President & CEO Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer Paul Mastronardi Controller Jack Liedke Vice President, Digital Strategy & Operations Robert Ames Vice Presidend, Audience Development Denise Robbins Vice President, Content & Marketing Anthony Savona IT Director Anthony Verbanic Vice President, Human Resources Ray Vollmer

Please direct all advertising and editorial inquiries to: Guitar Player, 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA, 94066 (650) 238-0300; FAX (650) 238-0261; [email protected]

Please direct subscription orders, inquiries, and address changes to: Guitar Player, box 469073, Escondido, CA 92046-9073, or phone (800) 289-9839, or send an email to [email protected], or click to subscriber services at guitarplayer.com.

BACKISSUES:Back issues of Guitar Player are available for $10 each by calling (800) 289-9839 or by contacting [email protected].

Guitar Player (ISSN 0017-5463) is published 13 times a year, monthly plus a Holiday issue to follow the December issue, by Newbay Media, LLC, 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. Guitar Player is a registered trademark of Newbay Media. All material published in Guitar Player is copyrighted © 2013 by Newbay Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Guitar Player is prohibited without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unso-licited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. All listed model numbers and product names are manufacturers’ registered trademarks. Periodicals postage paid at San Bruno, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

Follow Guitar Player online at:

PUBLISHED IN THE U.S.A.

4 | May 2014 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT

the world’smost epic guitars

Discover the Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World

Jimmy Page’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Carlos Santana’s PRS Santana II “Supernatural.” Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstein.” Discover the

world’s most incredible guitars, the stories behind them, and the musicians and collectors who own them. � e Collections presents spectacular photography and unprecedented access to the artists who created

America’s rock music culture.

Available wherever books are sold.

GUITAR_guitarplayer_two thirds vert.indd 1 9/10/13 3:12 PM

Interact with Alfred’s Basic Rock Guitar

Method 1

This 3-Part Multi-touch Method Features:

• Interactive diagrams

• Full-screen video demonstrations

• Ability to take notes, highlight text, and create flash cards

• Images with multiple angles of fingerings

• Authentic-sounding backing tracks and full performances

• Interactive quizzes and reviews

• And much more!

*iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iBookstore is a service mark of Apple Inc.

alfred.com/basicrockgpv

BRING YOUR FAVORITE ROCKGUITAR METHOD TO LIFE

http://4wrd.it/A.ADGPV_0514_3

GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | May 2014 | 7

contentsMay 2014 · Volume 4, Number 5

from the vault8 George Harrison

ThistributetoHarrisonfromtheMarch2002issue,celebratestheguitaristwhoplayedtimelessparts,wroteclassicsongs,andhippedtherockworldtoEasternmusic.FeaturesrecollectionsfromLesPaul,BrainMay,SteveLukather,AndyPartridge,BrainSetzer,andmanymore.

20 Mark Knopfler FromtheFebruary2001issueofGuitarPlayer.

Gear28 New Gear FromtheMay2014issuesofGuitarPlayer.

oN the NewsstaNd30 GPMay2014TableofContents

lessoNs33 Play it Right EricClapton’s“LittleGirl”solo,astranscribedby

JesseGress(fromtheSeptember2000issueofGuitarPlayer)

sessioNs38 Theever-popularTrueFire Lessons

traNscriptioNs40 “IWannaBeYourMan”The Beatles

44 “Echo” Trapt

52 “OrangeCrush” R.E.M.

George Harrison - Page 8

classic interviewHarrison with the

Rickenbacker 360-12 that

changed the sound of rock.

Ph

ot

o: M

ich

ae

l o

ch

s a

rc

hiv

es.

co

M


march 2002

G e or

Ge

H

ar

ri

so

n’

s F

a b L i F e o F i n n o v a t io

n

an

d

ex

pL

or

at

i o

n

Quiet? Like hell. George Harrison may not have

prattled on like the characters in the Monty Python skits

he loved, but his actions were loud, clear, and far reaching.

Often characterized as cranky and uncomfortable with fame, it’s

no surprise that Harrison didn’t embrace Paul McCartney’s wide-eyed

ambition or John Lennon’s spasms of confession. He simply wanted to play guitar

and write songs. (When the Beatles were first called to audition for EMI, the others talked

b y m i cH

ae

L mo

Le

d a

u u

uguitarplayer.com M a r c h 2 0 0 2

about getting rich. Harrison’s request? “Please order four new guitars.”)


Appropriately, it was his serene celebra-tion of creativity and spirituality that trans-formed popular culture. And although those changes weren’t heralded by bombast or fanfare, they are still molding our conscious-ness today. He popularized the concept of world music, for example, by cross-pollinating Western pop structures with Indian instru-ments and melodies. The concept of bor-rowing musical elements from other cultures didn’t originate with Harrison, of course. But adding a sitar to “Norwegian Wood” in

1965—while a member of the biggest band in the universe—shattered the so-called stylistic limitations of the pop song, and initiated a frenzy of artistic freedom that can be traced all the way to contemporary dance music. The use of synths and tape loops on Wonderwall Music (1968) and Electronic Sounds (1969) further presaged tracks that artists such as the Chemical Brothers would build careers upon throughout the electronica-crazed ’90s.

Then there was the gorgeous shimmer of Harrison’s Rickenbacker 12-string—a sound that inspired the Byrds, R.E.M., and countless jangle-obsessed indie bands. And it’s not a stretch to maintain that Harrison is partly responsible for launching the folk-rock genre. In addition, his unique, instantly identifiable

approach to slide challenged melodic conven-tions. Players who held tightly to blues-based phrases were put on notice that more creative options are available.

But Harrison’s cultural contributions weren’t limited to music. Bob Geldof can rightly take credit for the mammoth impact of 1985’s Live Aid festival, but it was Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 that first es-tablished the concept of the rock-star-studded uber-benefit. He almost single-handedly revitalized the independent British film in-dustry during its ’80s doldrums by producing stupendously subversive and darkly humor-ous flicks such as Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), Mona Lisa (1986), Withnail and I (1987), and How to Get Ahead

classic interview march 2002


PHoTo: L.A. MEdIA/RETNAuk/RETNA

First Guitar, 1955. Egmond acoustic (made in The Netherlands,

and distributed in England by Rosetti).

The Quarry Men, 1958. Hofner President and Club 40 guitars.

Johnny & the Moondogs, 1959. Delicia Futurama (made in

Czechoslovakia, and imported by Selmer).

The Hamburg & Cavern Club Eras, 1960-62. Delicia Futurama,

’57 Gretsch Duo Jet, Selmer Truvoice Stadium amp, Gibson

GA-40 amp.

Beatlemania, 1962-64. Gibson J-160E, Gretsch Chet Atkins

Country Gentleman, ’63 Gretsch Tennessean, Gretsch George

Harrison model electric 12-string, Rickenbacker 425, ’63 Rick-

enbacker 360-12, Ramirez classical, Vox AC30, Vox AC50, Vox

AC100.

Help! & Rubber Soul, 1965. Fender Stratocaster, Framus Hoote-

nanny acoustic 12-string, Gibson J-160E, Gibson ES-345, ’65

Rickenbacker 360-12.

The Final Live Shows, 1966. ’65 Gibson SG Standard, Vox 7120

amp, Epiphone Casino, Fender Showman, Vox Super Beatle,

Vox Conqueror.

Sgt. Pepper, 1967. Epiphone Casino, Gibson J-160E, Fender

Stratocaster (now nicknamed “Rocky”), Fender Showman, Vox

Defiant.

The End, 1968-70. Vox V846 wah, Leslie rotary speaker, Moog

IIIp synth, Epiphone Casino, Fender Strat, Fender VI, custom

Fender rosewood Telecaster, Gibson SG, Gibson J-200, Gib-

son Les Paul (“Lucy”), Fender Showman, Fender Deluxe Re-

verb, Fender Twin.

Info culled from Andy Babuik’s Beatles Gear, published by GP’s Backbeat Books.

The Tools of Beatlemania: The young fabs pose with John’s Rickenbacker 325, George’s Gretsch Duo Jet, Paul’s Hofner 500/1 bass, and Ringo’s Ludwig kit.

A l l T h o s e Y e A r s A g o A C h r o n o l o g Y o f h A r r i s o n ’ s B e A T l e s - e r A g e A r

in Advertising (1989) through his HandMade Films company. While HandMade ultimately forced Harrison to near bankruptcy, his will-ingness to fund “small,” quirky films yielded some of the finest jewels of British cinema.

Finally, his belief in God, love, and Eastern mysticism shot beams of goodness through his work. And while many disparaged his “Krishna consciousness,” Harrison’s devo-tion to love did affect society. Getting “My Sweet Lord” to succeed as a hit pop song and a jubilant prayer was almost a miracle in itself, and his unflinching spirituality was a quiet, nonjudgmental rebuke to the self-absorption and selfishness that rests in us all.

“Everybody dreams of being rich and famous,” Harrison once said. “But once you get rich and famous, you think, ‘This isn’t it.’ That made me try to find out what it is, and, in the end, you’re trying to find God—that’s the result of not being satisfied. And it doesn’t matter how much money or property you’ve got, because you’ll never find perfect happi-ness until you reach a state of consciousness that enables you to be happy in your heart.”

Harrison’s optimism, wit, and inner strength were in full flower until he passed away on November 29, 2001, at 58 years old. He was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997. He never beat the beast, and also endured surgeries and treatments for throat nodules and a brain tumor. It didn’t help that

a wacko broke into his Friar Park estate in 1999, and punctured the guitarist’s lung with a knife before being subdued by Harrison and his wife, Olivia.

Yet throughout the cancer battles, Har-rison continued to work on a new album in his home studio, as well as contribute tracks to other projects. In the weeks before his death, he and his son, Dhani, wrote and recorded “Horse to Water” for Jools Holland’s duets album, Small World Big Band, and Harrison played guitar on “Love Letters” for Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings’ Double Bill. He also played slide on “A Long Time Gone” and “All She Wanted” on the recent Electric Light Orchestra album, Zoom, which was released in June 2001. (Harrison’s dark sense of humor was explicitly asserted on the Holland project, when he chose the name “RIP Ltd 2001” as his song’s publishing company.)

In November 2001, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney gathered at Harrison’s bedside at Staten Island University Hospital. Although the meeting of surviving Beatles was report-edly upbeat, it was definitely a goodbye. During his last moments, Harrison played guitar and chanted. He died bravely and privately with his wife and son at his side. His ashes were allegedly scattered along the Ganges river in India, but these reports were not confirmed at press time.

classic interviewmarch 2002


Harrison playing the sitar for then-wife Patti Boyd in 1965. The sitar’s appearance on “Norwegian Wood”

brought world music to the pop charts.

PH

OT

O: C

AM

ER

A P

RE

SS

/TH

OM

AS

PIC

TO

N/R

ET

NA

And in the end.. .

Guitarists touched by George Har-

rison’s transcendent talent

always have tales about special “George

moments” that inspired them. Here’s

a small collection of remembrances by

some mighty players who knew him,

played with him, or were forever changed

by him. —MM

Les PAuL There aren’t many great guitarists—even though there are billions of players out there. So few have something to say, and have the privilege of saying it. For those, we should be very grateful. George was one of the greats.

Robben FoRd I first met George Harrison in 1974, while I was backing Joni Mitchell with Tom Scott and the L.A. Express. George came to our concert in London, and he invited the group over to his place at Henley on Thames to do some re-cording for Dark Horse. We tracked “Simply Shady” and “Hari’s on Tour (Express)” at his home studio—which was a beautiful, state-of-the-art room.

When George began putting a group to-gether for a tour, he called me. He had Willie Weeks on bass, Jim Keltner and Andy New-mark on drums, and Billy Preston on key-boards. George had also hired Ravi Shankar and a 16-piece Indian orchestra. We toured the U.S. and Canada for two months—from December 1974 through January 1975—do-ing two shows a day, three or four days a week. It was a hard-working tour, and the shows were long. We’d play an opening set with George, and then Shankar’s orchestra would play a set. We’d come back and play two songs with the Indian orchestra, and then do another 45 minutes by ourselves.

George kept his playing simple. He had pretty much given up single-string soloing by that time, and was just into playing slide. He had a sunburst ’58 Strat with the action set high, and he played through a Mesa/Boogie amp.

We didn’t see much of George on show days, but we had a private jet with a lounge, and that’s where people would hang out and talk. George was used to being the center of attention, and he was very funny and entertaining. He was always telling lots of Beatles stories.

Continued on page 18Continued on page 14



Here’s the Coral Electric Sitar they gave me because of the Ravi thing. It’s

supposed to be the very first one, and it has a strip on the back that says,

“Patent Pending.” Spencer Davis saw it once, and said, “Oh, can I borrow

that for the night?” He hijacked it—I didn’t see it again for two years! By that

time, everybody had used one, so I never actually used it myself.

That’s Rocky on the left. John and I bought identical early-’60s Strats that were pale blue, and they were first used on “Nowhere Man.” Later—when we all took certain substances—I decided to paint mine in day-glo colors. Now I have it set up for slide. To the right of the Rickenbacker 12-string is my original Gretsch Duo Jet. I gave it away once, but I got it back. One pickup had been changed, but [tech] Alan Rogan got it back to original.

It was one of those unbelievable gifts of grooviness. Before his interview with Guitar Player in 1987,

Harrison actually went to the trouble of hauling out his guitars, positioning a few instruments around his house, and then taking snapshots of the models he thought would interest our readers. Some favor! Here, we reprint some of those photos, along with Harrison’s original comments about his fave guitars. And what a gas it is to be able to have the byline, “Story and photos by George Harrison” in

our magazine! —MM

John and I scraped the varnish off our Epiphone Casinos, and they became much better guitars. I think that works on a lot of guitars—if you take the paint and varnish off, and get the bare wood, the guitar seems to sort of breathe.

story and photos by george harrison

classic interviewmarch 2002


I had this guitar made by John Greven around 1974. I told them not to put all this fancy pearl work on the fingerboard, because I can’t tell where I am. So it has the greatest pearl inlay, but I’ve got gaffer’s tape over it so I’ll know which fret I’m on.

I’ve got a “couple” of really nice handmade guitars by Tony Zemaitis,

including a 12-string with a heart-shaped soundhole—I also had a 6-string

version made for Carl Perkins—and a small acoustic that can fit in the

[carry-on] rack of a plane.

Eric Clapton gave me the Les Paul (left), and then it got kidnapped and taken

to Guadalajara. I had to buy this guy a Les Paul to get it back! And there’s

the original Ricky 12-string I used on “A Hard Day’s Night.” It’s the second

12-string Rickenbacker made.

This is a little Hofner. It’s the grooviest little guitar. It’s very strange looking, but I always liked it as a kid, and I had a one-pickup version [the Club 40]. I swapped it for something, but I finally got another one. In the case was a faded set list with “Sheik of Araby” and everything its owner played. It really feels like the ’50s.

Harrison’s final album—tentatively en-titled Portrait of a Leg-End—will be released sometime this year. And while it may not stand as his greatest work, the fact that he spent his waning reserves of strength making music for us is a testament to the man’s grace.

To end this tribute, we’ve decided to let Harrison himself weigh in on creativity and guitarcraft. The following snippets are excerpted from Guitar Player’s November 1987 cover story—with a final goodbye from Harrison’s February 2001 Yahoo! Web chat, and a set list from his last tour.

• • • • •

Guitars, Guitars, Guitars My first guitar was a cheap little acoustic,

and then I got what they call a cello-style, single-cutaway Hofner. I got a pickup and stuck it on the Hofner, and then I swapped it for a Club 40—which is a little Hofner that looked like a solidbody, but it was actually hollow with no soundholes. Then this guitar came along called a Futurama. It was a dog to play—it had the worst action. It had a great sound, though, and a real good way of switch-ing in the combinations of the three pickups. But when we got to Hamburg, I saw the first real Strat I’d ever seen in person. I was going to buy it the next day, but the guitar player from Rory Storm & the Hurricanes—which was the band Ringo was with—got his money first, and he bought it. When I got there, it was gone, and then I saw him onstage playing it.

Then we started making a bit of money, and I saved up 75 pounds. I saw an ad in the Liverpool paper, and this guy was selling a Gretsch Duo Jet. It was a sailor who bought it in America, and had brought it back. It was my first real American guitar, and even though it was second hand, I was so proud to own it. I polished that thing all the time.

When we went to the States to play the Ed Sullivan Show, Gretsch gave me the guitar I used for the performance. I read somewhere that after the Beatles appeared on the show, Gretsch sold 200,000 guitars a week or some-thing. I mean, we should have had shares in Fender, Vox, Gretsch, and everything, but we didn’t know—we were stupid.

sonGwritinGTry and write some melodies, and some

words that mean something. And if you’re on a roll, then it’s best to finish the song in one go—that’s what Johnny said.

ChopsI tend to just use the guitar to write tunes

and make demos. You have to really play and practice if you’re going to be any good on the guitar, and I don’t do that.

In fact, I don’t really see myself as a song-writer or a guitarist or a singer or a lyricist or even a film producer. All those are me in a way—just like I enjoy gardening. But I’m not really a gardener, just like I’m not really a guitarist. If I plant 500 coconut trees, I’m sort of a gardener, aren’t I? And if I play on records and stuff, then I’m a guitarist. But not in the sense like, say, B.B. King or Eric Clapton, who play constantly, keep their chops up, and are really fluid. I’m not trying to put myself down, but the reality is, I’m okay. I realize that I’ve absorbed quite a lot over the years, and I know quite a lot about guitar, but I’ve never really felt like I was a proper guitar player. In the sense of being a guitarist who could just pop in on anybody’s session and come up with the goods—I’m not that kind of player. I’m just a jungle musician, really.

the politiCs of Beatles solos

We all contributed a lot to the songs, and I didn’t care who played what. I was pleased to have Paul play that bit on “Taxman.” If you notice, he even did a little Indian thing for me. And John played a brilliant solo on “Honey Pie” that sounded like Django Reinhardt or something. It was one of those things where you close your eyes and happen to hit all the right notes. If someone is going to make my song sound better, it doesn’t matter to my guitar player’s ego.

I worked out my solos largely because, in the early days, we went straight to mono or stereo. Then we got a 4-track. But for a lot of those takes, we had to do everything at the same time—or as much as possible. We’d say, “These guitars are going to come in on the second chorus, playing these parts, at which time the piano will come in on top.” And we’d have to get the sound of each in-strument, and then set the individual levels, because everything was going to be locked together on one track. Then we had to do the performance, and everyone had to get their bit right. That’s why we worked out parts.

DisCoverinG sliDe GuitarThere was a period in the ’60s where I re-

ally got into Indian music. I started playing the sitar and hanging out with Ravi Shankar. After that period I thought, “Well, I’m a pop person, and I’m neglecting the guitar and what I’m supposed to do.” By that time, there were all these people like ten years old playing brilliantly. I just thought, “God, I’m so out of touch. I don’t even know how to get a half-decent sound.” The result of that was exploring what I could do with the slide.

the last ConCert tourIn 1991, Eric Clapton lured Harrison out

for some concert dates in Japan. It was the ex-Beatle’s final tour. For guitars, Harrison brought a Fender Roy Buchanan Bluesmas-ter Telecaster, an Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster, a Fender electric 12-string, a ’60 Gibson Les Paul, and a custom Gibson J-2000 acoustic. He plugged into a Fender Bassman amp, and used four stompboxes: an Ibanez Tube Screamer, an Ibanez digital delay, a Boss CE-3 chorus, and an MXR Dyna Comp. The set list and guitar selection (all in standard tuning unless otherwise noted) was as follows:

“I Want to Tell You” (Telecaster)“Old Brown Shoe” (Telecaster)“Taxman” (Telecaster)



Harrison posing with his Gretsch Country Gentle-

man during the photo shoot for Guitar Player’s

November, 1987 cover story.

PE

TE

R F

IGE

N

Continued from page 11

T5 ProT5ProPBlue

American Vintage ’65 Jaguar®

Jag65RWIBM

John Petrucci BFR 6

JPBFRRWIB

24 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLEON SELECT BRANDS, USING YOUR SWEETWATER MUSICIAN’S ALL ACCESS PLATINUM CARD, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2014*

2-YEAR WARRANTY**

Total Con� dence Coverage™ WarrantyFREE PRO ADVICEWe’re here to help! Call today!

FAST, FREE SHIPPINGOn most orders, with no minimum purchase!

*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for details or visit Sweetwater.com/� nancing. **Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit Sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details.

“You made me feel like

I was ordering a custom

guitar, just for me.”Christopher from Savannah, GA

(800) 222-4700 Sweetwater.com

GUITAR GALLERY SHOWS YOUR ACTUAL GUITARSweetwater’s online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class inventory of guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. Then, you can pick the exact guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery.

55-POINT EVALUATION PROVIDES MAXIMUM PLAYABILITY Nearly every guitar that we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation by our experts before it’s shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great — and plays as well as it possibly can — right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.


“Give Me Love” (Gibson J-2000, capoed at 3rd fret)

“If I Needed Someone” (Fender 12-string, capoed at 7th fret)

“Something” (Telecaster)“Fish on the Sand” (Telecaster)“Love Comes to Everyone” (Telecaster)“What Is Life?” (Telecaster)“Dark Horse” (J-2000, capoed at 5th fret)“Piggies” (J-2000)“Got My Mind Set on You” (Telecaster)“Cloud Nine” (Strat, tuned to an open Am

chord—low to high, E, A, E, A, C, E)“Here Comes the Sun” (J-2000, capoed

at 7th fret)“My Sweet Lord” (J-2000)“All Those Years Ago” (Telecaster)“Cheer Down” (Strat)“Devil’s Radio” (Telecaster)“Isn’t It a Pity?” (J-2000, capoed at 5th fret)“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Les Paul)“Roll Over Beethoven” (Les Paul)

What Is LIfe?Adi Shankara—an Indian historical,

groovy-type person—once said, “Life is fragile, like a raindrop on a lotus leaf.” And you better believe it! [From Harri-son’s February 2001 Web chat on Yahoo!.] g

classic interview march 2002L

.A. M

ED

IA/R

ET

NA

uk

/RE

TN

A

Beached Beatles:

Harrison, Lennon,

and Starr serenade

the surf while film-

ing Help! in 1965.

GeorGe Harrison and eric clapton perform “my Guitar Gently Weeps” in 1987.

CLASSIC INTERVIEWfrom the March 2002 issue of Guitar Player magazine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDs2Bkq6UU4

Tone You Can TrustThe S2 Series from PRS Guitars provides tone you can trust whether you’re rocking an arena or gigging in the bar around the corner. Now, with two new models, the S2 Custom 22 and the S2 Singlecut, it’s easier than ever to find the one that’s right for you. Affordable, Maryland-made guitars with classic PRS sound and playability.

© 2

014

PRS

Gui

tars

/ G

uita

r Pho

tos

by M

arc

Qui

gley

/ C

once

rt P

hoto

by

Gra

ham

Fie

lderS2

Cus

tom

22

S2 S

tarl

a

S2 C

usto

m 2

4

S2 M

ira

S2 S

ing

lecu

t



I turned 23 on the road, and George gave me a guitar as a gift. He also came to my wedding at the end of the tour. The last time I saw him was at the Grammy Awards in 1989. Everyone wanted to talk with him, of course, and when I finally got my turn, he said, “I think about you, Robben. It’s great to see you.” I thanked him and said goodbye, and that was the last time I ever spoke with him.

Brian Setzer The point everyone misses about George is all the great guitar riffs he came up with. In addition to his own tunes, almost every Lennon/McCartney song has a great guitar riff. Obviously, George was the one who had to think those up—and that’s two-thirds of a great song right there. We already miss you, George.

Joe WalSh If you actually sit down and work out a couple of George’s guitar parts, you’ll become aware of the unique place his head was at, and, dude, his solos were off the wall! He was underrated, but a vast amount of technique was needed to come up with his solos—they just don’t sound like it. That’s what got me. Every time I tried to figure out songs like “And Your Bird Can Sing” or “Baby You Can Drive My Car,” I’d come away scratching my head, thinking, “Where in the world is this guy at?” I couldn’t even tell who he was stealing his licks from!

elliot eaSton When the Beatles blasted into “All My Lovin’”—their first song on their debut Ed Sullivan appearance—my life was profoundly changed forever. I was ten years old, and that image of Harrison and his Gretsch guitar left an indelible print on my soul. He pointed the way for me to live, and I’ve never worked on a record where I didn’t at some point ask myself, “What would George have done here?”

andy Partridge (XtC) Some of my favorite Beatles songs are George Harrison songs. The spirit and desire he had to push the pop song format with his Eastern influence had a big effect on me. As a guitarist, Harrison wasn’t a shoot-from-the-hip player. His parts were always carefully worked out. Improvising wouldn’t have worked in the extremely structured nature of Beatles record-ings—those songs are like well-finished pieces of architecture.

I’m leaving myself open for a great kicking here, but I think the two most complete songs on Abbey Road are George’s. Also, if Lennon and McCartney had allowed George’s material to be used in the lat-ter part of the Beatles career, I think he would have pulled the band up by its bootstraps. Lennon and McCartney had the keys to the Beatles machine, and they weren’t going to let George drive. I’m sure they were shivering in their boots because he was

really coming up.

ChriS goSS (MaSterS of re-ality) No other guitarist in rock had such a fragile, almost broken style of playing. He played humbly and sweetly. No showing off—just a won-derful sense of melancholy.

John flanSBurgh (they Might Be giantS) In an era where almost everything seems dated, George’s work is timeless. He held his own as a songwriter, while working beside the best there will ever be. As a lead guitar player, he was always interesting and taste-ful—which is the rarest of combinations.

dave gregory (eX-XtC) Harrison’s chord at the beginning of the movie A Hard Day’s Night was the sound of a giant door opening to a magical world. Seeing him with his immaculate hair, sharp suit with velvet collar, and a brand-new Rick-enbacker—that was everything I ever wanted. The sound of that electric 12-string became the perfect stepping-stone between acoustic and electric guitar, and it consequently influenced a new generation of folk/rock players.

Harrison’s influence was more than the electric 12-string, however. “Love You To” [from Revolver] was a really innovative track in 1966—Indian instru-ments replacing guitars and drums was a totally fresh sound. And that track introduced Eastern scales and harmonies that would engender many of the psychedelic musical stylings of the following year.

Harrison always came up with parts that were exciting, yet tasteful. For example, the neat volume-control stuff on “Yes It Is,” the solos in “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and “Nowhere Man,” the amazing double-tracked lines in “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and the languid, perfectly chosen phrases in “Some-thing.” These were all integral pieces of the songs, contributed by a team player par excellence.

Steve lukather I started playing the guitar in 1964, after my dad bought me Meet the Beatles. I heard George’s solo on “I Saw Her Stand-ing There,” and my life changed forever. Later, George became a friend, and I have so many great memories of him. Once, he came by my house with his son, Dhani, who wanted to meet Slash. George knew Slash was a friend of mine, so I took them over. On another occasion, I jammed at Jeff Lynne’s house with Bob Dylan on bass, Lynne on keys, Jim Keltner on drums, and me and George on guitars. Man, I’ll cherish those memories. I am honored to have known George, and I’ll forever treasure him, his music, and his kindness.

Brian May George Harrison was a fabulous, fabulous, fabulous guitarist, and a wonderful ex-ample of what a rock star should be. I totally revered him as an innovator. He was always fresh, daring, magnificently melodic, full of spiritual quality, and totally conscious of the chord structure beneath the solo. And he had the courage to play simple. He never took refuge in effects, or tried to impress with

speed. I hope he knew how much we all loved and respected him.

neal SChon The Beatles were the reason I started playing guitar. I saw Yellow Submarine as a kid, and George’s song, “It’s All Too Much,” rang in my head for years. I loved his Eastern influences—how he used drones, where he’d have one note hanging there, and the melody would work around it. He was the first one to turn me on to that sound, and I found it very mystical, powerful, and beautiful. He was also an amazing slide player. When it comes to spot-on intonation with slide work, I put George Harrison right up there with Jeff Beck. I’m gonna miss him.

lyle WorkMan We all know George Harrison was a great songwriter, but he was also an intuitive guitarist of incredible diversity and taste. From Chet Atkins-style fingerpicking to experimen-tal, fuzzed-out tones to his recognizable slide work, George expressed a highly unique personality and maturity. His solo in “Something” is the most lyrical, fully developed, and beautiful solo ever recorded.

fred gretSCh (gretSCh gui-tarS) We owe a “thank you” to that nameless sailor who sold George a ’57 Duo Jet in 1961. Sentimentally, that was his favorite guitar. It was the American rockers he heard in the ’50s—players he was trying to emulate—that led him to Gretsch guitars.

Our modern-era relationship began when my wife, Dinah, sent George a thank you for posing on the Cloud Nine album cover with his ’57 Duo Jet. A month later, he called the office and told us about the Traveling Wilburys. He had us over to meet the band, and we discussed the Wilburys model he wanted to create.

The last time we saw George was at the 1990 British Music Fair. He had come into London for a benefit, and he decided to come by and see us. He was with Jeff Lynne and Duane Eddy, but they had a hard time getting in! We finally got them in, and it was a lot of fun walking through the show with George. It was his first music trade show.

John hall (riCkenBaCker) While George Harrison’s contributions to the music world have been many and varied, I choose to re-member him as playing the pivotal role in establish-ing the standard of the Merseybeat 12-string sound. He provided the inspiration for a veritable legion during the British Invasion of the ’60s, which eventu-ally spilled over to the U.S. and the rest of the world. He carved out a sound which was uniquely his own, and internationalized rock—which had been almost exclusively American.And throughout the rest of his life, he freely offered his talents to a wide range of artists—usually re-cording anonymously or without fanfare or compen-sation. This speaks volumes of his true dedication to music as an art form rather than purely as a busi-ness. Fortunately, his willingness to share his talent has ensured that his contributions will continue to inspire a generation not yet born. g

Continued from page 11

and in the end.. .

The Best... For LessOnly Guitarfetish.com offers the most unique brands in the music biz... Sold “Warehouse Direct” at Wholesale Pricing...

with the widest variety of cool vintage, modern and cutting edge gear anywhere.

Our GFS® Pickups, Xaviere® Guitars, Slickstraps™, Hardware and Accessories are shipped daily to customers all over th world. Our 30,000 sq. ft. of warehouses are packed with the brands that we design and sell, exclusively. We design everything in our Boston headquarters, and skip the middleman to sell direct to you!

We’ve been fortunate enough to sell our stuff to some of the most respected guitarists out there, check our website to see the latest guys who turned down paid endorsements to PAY for their GFS® pickups and electronics.

New products are arriving DAILY... New takes on the classics as well as totally new stuff that we invented... Great quality at the absolute lowest prices. Isn’t it time you stopped by to look around?

You can search the web or retail stores across the globe only to discover what tens of thousands of guitar players do every year...Nobody beats Guitarfetish.com

GFS® Pickups and Xaviere® Guitars are sold exclusively online by www.Guitarfetish.com

GFS REDactives™Noiseless Active Pickups...Vintage Tone...

Starting at $26.95

Necks and BodiesSolid Woods... Spectacular finishes

Starting at $32.95Xaviere® Guitars

Acoustics... Electrics... Semi Hollow... SolidbodiesGFS Pickups Factory installed... from $159

XV-890HHXV-950

XV-580SS

classic interview


“Most people are too intelli-

gent to take

on writing

movie scores,”

laughs Mark Knopfler,

“but I do them because

they give me discipline.

You have to turn out a

score in a certain amount

of time, and that’s good

for me because I tend to

be lazy. Also, my first

love—writing songs—

happens to be a fairly

lonesome occupation,

and working on films

puts me together with a

lot of talented people.”

february 2001

“Inspiration for a song can come from something

I read or something you say to me,” says Knopfler. “All I need are two words that reverberate together.”


n Dire Straits’ former leader is no newcomer to film scoring. Guitarists who celebrate Knopfler chiefly for his pingy Strat lines on “Sultans of Swing” or the throaty Les Paul riffs on “Money for Nothing” may be surprised to learn of his extensive soundtrack credits. Beginning in 1983 with the poignant score for Local Hero, Knopfler’s soundtracks include Cal (’84), The Princess Bride (’87), and Last Exit to Brooklyn (’89).

In fact, Knopfler has been so busy scoring films that his latest record, the richly textured Sailing to Philadelphia [Warner Bros.], has taken years to finish. “I did four movie scores while working on this album,” he reveals. “First came Wag the Dog, then Metroland, and then I did an animated Christmas film for Comic Relief with Guy Fletcher [Knop-fler’s keyboardist and collaborator since Dire Straits’ epic Brothers in Arms]. That took a hell of a long time. Most recently, we did the new Robert Duvall film, A Shot at Glory.”

Regardless of the medium—pop-rock re-cord or film soundtrack—Knopfler’s melodic-yet-melancholy guitar plays the lead role. To learn about his latest projects, we met with Knopfler at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, California. Over a bottle of Evian in the hotel lounge, the quiet Scotsman discussed his new record, described the joys of tracking with a band, detailed his current gear, and offered insights into his unique fingerstyle technique.

• • • •

When did you start work on Sailing to Philadelphia?

Right after my last solo album, Golden Heart, which came out in 1996. I’d go into the studio and try a song or two, and then get in-volved with another movie. As they said about me in high school: “He’s easily distracted.” It’s goofy—I go off on these tangents.

Nashville twang master Richard Bennett and pedal-steel wizard Paul Franklin—who both played on Golden Heart—are again featured on this album. What does each picker bring to the party?

Paul Franklin can make a pedal steel sound like anything—French horns, sitar, you name it. He’s very inventive—always searching and experimenting. People make the mistake of thinking he just makes country records.

Richard is skilled at finding parts for songs. He’ll go into his booth and come up with something magical. He has a big box of tricks—a pile of instruments he can draw on. For example, he’ll pull out a tiple [a miniature 10-string South American guitar] or a bouzou-ki [a long-necked, mandolin-like instrument from Greece] to add color to a track.

This record is full of amp tremolo. Is that you or Richard?

We both used tremolo, but that’s Richard doing all that lovely stuff on “Wanderlust” with his fantastic Gretsch 6120.

I hear two acoustics on “Who’s Your Baby Now?” Are you both strumming rhythm?

Yeah. I’m playing my ’38 Gibson Advanced Jumbo, and he’s playing his wonderful old Gibson J-45.

Sailing to Philadelphia is packed with intertwining guitar parts. Do you work them out in advance, or create them spontaneously in the studio?

It’s a little bit of both, but we definitely create parts on the spot. Everybody is arrang-ing—not just me. If you’re an experienced musician, you develop an ear for texture. You’re not just thinking about notes, you’re thinking about the shape and color and weight of your part, and you’re responding to what everybody else is doing. One of the joys of working with great players is that they’re alive to this exchange. They won’t sit there and say, “Well, I’ve got my part. You guys do what you like.”

How much do you steer someone’s part?I might ask them to try something, but

I don’t strut around telling these guys what

to play. A wise director wouldn’t tell a great actor, “Now put your elbow on the window sill and look out.” It’s the same thing with great players.

What do you enjoy most about making records?

One of the most pleasurable bits of the whole thing is when I’ve played a song to the band on acoustic guitar and we’re running it down those first few times. Everyone is feeling their way into it—they’re listening to the same air and are very focused on what is happening in the room. The song is slid-ing off my notebook and going out into the world. It’s transforming into something that will eventually, to some extent, become other peoples’ property. The next thing you know, people are telling you what that song means to them or what they were doing when they first heard it.

Did you do overdub your solos or play them with the band?

I tried to capture band performances throughout the album. On “Sailing to Phila-delphia” and “The Last Laugh,” for example, the lead guitar was played when we cut the basic tracks. The overdubs were the acoustic guitar and those glorious vocals by James Taylor and Van Morrison.

How do you know when a solo is right? Do you find it hard to let it go?

That can drive you nuts. I used to agonize over it, but somehow I stopped worrying. Now, when I hear the playback, I think, “Yeah, I could get a few notes in a better position, but it’s okay.” And you know what? It actu-ally sounds better. I’ve learned to live with spontaneity and like it.

On Sailing to Philadelphia, your guitar has much of the snap and ping of the early Dire Straits records. Even when you’re soloing, it’s not with the viscous, sustainy distortion you used on later Dire Straits albums such

classic interview february 2001


The Sultan’s HaremGuitars: ’54 Fender Telecaster, ’54 Fender Stratocaster, ’64 Fender Stratocaster,

early-’80s Schecter Strat copy, ’59 Gibson ES-335, ’58 Gibson Les Paul, ’38

Gibson Advanced Jumbo, early-’50s Gibson Southern Jumbo

amps: ’50s Fender Twin, ’59 Fender Bassman

Gizmos: Ernie Ball volume pedal, AKG C12 tube condenser mic

(“For consistency,” says Knopfler, “I use a C12 to record all my vocals.”)

WE’VE TAKENDIGITAL WIRELESSTO THE NEXT LEVEL. . .

THE FLOOR

Combining advanced 24-bit, � eld-proven performance, easy setup and clear, natural sound quality, our System

10 Stompbox delivers the ultimate wireless experience. With the tap of a foot on the rugged, metal Stompbox

receiver, guitarists can toggle between dual ¼” balanced outputs or mute one output without affecting the other.

And, since the System operates in the 2.4 GHz range, it’s free from TV and DTV interference. You can also pair

multiple UniPak® body-pack transmitters with a single receiver to easily change guitars. So go ahead, give it a try –

we think you’ll be � oored.

SYSTEM STOMPBOXDIGITAL 2.4 GHz HIGH-F IDELITY WIRELESS

audio-technica.com

as Brothers in Arms and On Every Street. What has changed about your gear since those records?

The lead tones on those albums came from either a wound-up Marshall or a stretched-out Soldano. This time I used old amps—a ’50s Fender Twin and a ’59 Bassman.

What about your guitars?I played a blond ’59 Gibson ES-335 on sev-

eral tracks. On “Baloney Again,” for example, it’s the 335 through the Bassman. What a great combination. That guitar is amazing, and it has one of those lovely, fat necks.

I also bought a white ’64 Strat from Rudy Pensa [of Rudy’s Music Stop in New York City]. That went straight onto “Sailing to Philadelphia” and “The Last Laugh.” It has an amazing sound. On “What It Is,” I played my red, Strat-style Schecter. That guitar goes all the way back to Local Hero. It has a smallish neck, which I don’t like now because I’ve been playing bigger necks so much, but I like its special tone. My ’58 Les Paul ends up on quite a few things, too. I love that guitar.

What makes you choose a particular guitar for a track?

It’s about personality. You could choose an instrument that makes a part easier to play, but that’s not the way. On “Prairie Wedding,” for instance, I’m playing a lovely ’54 Telecaster, strung up heavy. It doesn’t let me bend up to notes easily—trying to push those big old strings is like trying to bend steel rods—but the attempt is more interesting than the achievement. That guitar sounds like a bone.

Like a bone?Yeah, that’s how I’d describe it. I used

that Tele for A Shot at Glory, as well as my ’54

Strat— which was a present from [Nashville guitarist and producer] Paul Kennerley—and an early-’50s Gibson Southern Jumbo.

You’ll often start a note with a very vocal, ooh-wah attack. Are you manipulating your Strat’s volume pot with your pinky?

No, I use an Ernie Ball volume pedal. The volume pedal is one of the best tools I’ve ever come across. You can use it in a general way to move lines in and out of the music, or you can use it to bow into notes. I like the pedal approach because you don’t have to compro-mise your picking-hand position.

Have you always done your volume swells with a pedal?

Right on the first Dire Straits album—when I was doing foghorn noises in “Down to the Waterline” and at the beginning of “Lions”— everything was done with a pedal.

Sometimes your notes have a sputtering attack. How do you do that?

Well, I fingerpick everything. To get that percussive sound, I set up a rhythm between my thumb and fingers. Inside that rhythm, I pick certain notes and leave others out. The notes I don’t play become bumps and scrapes.



classic interviewfebruary 2001


How else does using fin-gerstyle technique shape your playing?

With thumb and fin-gers, you can get into these interesting ques-tions of where to place notes rhythmically. If you’re playing eighths or sixteenths, it’s unlikely they’ll all be in perfect time. Sometimes I’ll push the notes that I play with my thumb—I’ll accent ahead of the kick drum attacks. Pushing and pulling gives the music attitude. Over the years, I’ve learned how far out I can go.

Most songs on Sailing to Philadelphia contain subtle dynamics, yet they don’t sound fragile. How do you maintain impact while playing quietly?

You create size through emotional depth. One gentle piano note can be as big as a house. When you slam things, they can sometimes sound smaller. In a song like “Prairie Wed-ding,” we tried to create pictures without resort-ing to a heavy backbeat. A song has more room to grow when you’re not tak-ing up all the space with a huge whack.

Back in Brothers in Arms time, I was fed up with the big snare sound. I tried recording songs with the drummer doing soft, cross-stick parts in an attempt to create power without going for the bash. Funny enough, the big hits from that album were the snare-drum songs—“Money for Nothing” and “Walk of Life.”

Has working on films changed your ap-proach to songwriting?

I can’t really say, because I don’t know the mechanism that says “song” to me. A song can happen at any time. To take an example from this record, I wrote “Baloney Again” after reading the liner notes to a Fairfield Four album. [The Fairfield Four were a lead-ing gospel vocal group in the ’40s and early ’50s.] One of the singers was saying how he often had to eat a baloney sandwich in

the car, instead of having a steak in a white restaurant. It was rough touring the deep South back then!

Do you sit down and write an album the way you compose a soundtrack?

Oh, no. Songs evolve at their own pace. You can’t rush things. For instance, I wrote “Speedway at Nazareth” ten years ago and first recorded it in ’93. I didn’t fall in love with that track, so I reworked the music a little, and, this time, I managed to get a record-ing that was okay. Here’s another example: I wrote the lyrics for “Rudiger”—a song on Golden Heart—when John Lennon was murdered. But the music finally decided to come along 15 years later. A song can stay in your mental scrap yard until you find all its missing pieces.

How do you remember the unfinished pieces?

I keep the lyrics in a notebook and the melodies in my head. Even if I forget things, I don’t sweat it. I’ll wake up in the morning thinking about something, and by the time I’ve shaved, I’ve usually forgotten it. That’s fine— sometimes I could do without the hassle of being a songwriter.

Is it difficult switching from songwriting to film scoring?

They are very different disciplines, but, for me, they connect. Toward the end of a film project, I always find myself getting hungry for songs. On a soundtrack, you’re working mostly instrumentally, so I look forward to wrestling with lyrics again.

How does writing for film affect your guitar playing?

To find the right parts, I’ll sometimes have to go down a few roads I wouldn’t normally go—which can’t hurt.

Combination punch: Knopfler with his ’59 ES-335 and ’59 Bassman.

Take us through the film scoring process. What’s the first step?

You see the script, and if you agree to do the score, you ask for as final a cut as pos-sible. I learned that from Local Hero—where I recorded the music far too early. When the director started cutting the film down to its final form, he also had to cut into the music, and I didn’t like the music edits.

How do you decide which scenes should have music?

You sit with the director at a spotting session, where you both watch the film and he indicates where he hears music—from

which point to which point in a particular scene. You assemble each musical section into a cue list, and then you go away and start attacking those cues. After that, we just go from one crisis to another until the movie is finished. [Laughs.] But even before the spotting session, I’ll have some ideas sketched out. Before I write music for someone to fall downstairs to, I’m think-ing of themes. I try to circle a theme from a distance, and then close in on it over a period of time

Do you begin these themes on guitar?Yeah. I think about the script while play-

ing guitar.How do you log your ideas?I hum or whistle themes into a cassette

recorder—that’s all I need to remind myself of an idea.

What happens next?I get together with Guy, he sets up his

keyboard and Pro Tools system, and I grab the sofa at the back of the room where I can put my feet up. I’ll play a theme, show him the changes, and let him feel his way into it Eventually, the music starts to take shape.

Creating themes is always more fun than turning them into a finished score.

So even the sketching stage is a highly col-laborative process.

Yes. One of the nice things about film work is that nobody cares who does what. The only question is: “Does it work?” Scoring is a craft— an honest day’s work. You go in and try to do what’s best for the film, and then you go home. But we do get into some pretty interesting trips along the way.

What do you enjoy most about film work?I like pointing people’s attention to some-

thing through music. It can feel good if the director says, “There’s a section here that has never really worked right on camera. Can you help it a bit?” Also, to get back in a very elliptical way to your earlier question, scoring helps my songwriting.

How so?Through film, I’ve been exposed to all

sorts of moods and textures, and I’ve learned to work with a wider array of colors. Film scoring keeps my musical muscles hard, so when it comes time to make a record, I’m fighting fit. g



CLASSIC INTERVIEWfrom the February 2001 issue of Guitar Player magazine

Mark knopfler perforMs “sailing to philadelphia” in 2001.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrNy_gsNHGs

Robben Ford is the master of many musicalstyles. But when it comes to his speakers,

there’s only ever been one choice.

www.celestion.comFind out more

Many stylesOne voice


new gear

C o r t E a r t h 3 0 0 V Goodies Solid Adirondack spruce top. Solid

mahogany back and sides. Mahogany neck.

Rosewood fretboard.

Price $535 retail

More Info cortguitars.com

V o XS o u n d B ox M i n i Goodies Battery (or AC) powered mini-amp that doubles as a portable speaker

system. Eight effects, 11 amp models. Available in black, orange, ivory, or green.

Price $199 street

More Info voxamps.com

K e e l e y e l e C t r o n i C s S E a f oa M C h o r u S Goodies Studio-quality, hand-built

modulation effect with Rate, Depth,

Tone, and Blend controls. Opto-coupler-

enhanced LFO. True-bypass switching.

Price $229 street

More Info rkfx.com


B l a c k s t a r H T C lu b 4 0 V i n Tag e P r o Goodies 40 watts. Two ECC83 and two EL34 tubes. Two

footswitchable channels. Celestion Vintage 30 speaker.

Specially voiced reverb.

Price $799 street

More Info blackstaramps.com

r o t o s o u n d W o b b l e r T r e m o loGoodies A vintage valve-amp

tremolo tone. Vintage

optical attenuator. High

headroom. Smooth,

wide-range control of rate

and depth.

Price $299 retail

More Info rotosound.com

s o n u u s Vo lu u mGoodies Volume-based multieffect with a digitally controlled

pure-analog signal chain. Store presets and remotely control

effects via MIDI. Noise Gate, Compressor, LFO (tremolo),

Volume, and Limiter effects can be used in any combination.

Price $319 retail

More Info sonuus.com

B i g r o c k E n g i n E E r i n gS n a Pz Goodies Acoustic guitar

bridge-pin puller. Will not

damage bridge or pins.

Simple operation: Mount

on pin, slide lock, and pull.

Price $9 retail

More Info f1pick.com


current issueHere’s what’s in the May 2014 issue of Guitar Player, on Newsstands Now!

RIFFSBrian May plays acoustic with Kerry Ellis, we check in with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, Joe Perry goes legendary, the first annual Ronnie Montrose Award gets presented, we remember the great Paco de Lucia, and more!

COVER STORYThe State of the Art of PickupsWe check in with Fishman, Taylor, and Ultramagnetics to see where the most cutting-edge pickups are and what the future might hold.

ARTISTSTom Scholz · Mike Henderson and Gayle Ellett · Mike Dawes · Damon Fowler

LESSONSUnder InvestigationA thorough examination of a particular style or player. This month: ’70s-era Rick Derringer.

Fretboard Recipes Transposing the Five Major Scale Fingering Patterns.

Rhythm WorkshopRhythmic Displacement Pt. 1.

GEARNew Gear

Roundup!Five electrics from PureSalem

Accessory FileTronicalTune automated tuners

Taylor 814ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway ES2

Whack JobDenTone Call Sender Guitar Amp

Fable FightersWhat’s the Big Deal About Big Necks?

ChATTERCraig Anderton on Technology

Gary Brawer on Maintenance

Carl Verheyen on Performing

Scott Mathews on Recording

A N e w B A y M e d i A P u B l i c A t i o N

gu

it

Ar

Pl

Ay

er

.c

oM

®

Al Di MeolA CelebrAtes PACo De luCiA boston is bACk & toM sCholz tAlks tone!

MAy 2014 $6.50

Radical new TRends in PicKUP design!• sTUnning evolUTions

by Fishman & Taylor• 9 new PaF Models TesTed• les Paul’s Final

HUMbUcKeR PRojecT• ToP 33 PicKUP innovaTions• bUyeR’s gUide First AnnuAl

ronnie Montrose AwArd

BriAn MAy Goes Acoustic

dAMon FowlerMike dAwes

coP soMe sMoKin’

Rick DeRRingeR Licks

PlUs! RHyTHM woRKsHoP & FReTboaRd ReciPes

gpr0514_cover1_ph1.indd 1 3/12/14 1:29 PM

M AY 2 0 1 4 / G U I TA R P L AY E R . C O M 59

gpr0514_feat_fowler_ko2.indd 59 3/12/14 1:24 PM

118 G U I TA R P L AY E R . C O M / M AY 2 0 1 4

For keys other than C, the entire

CAGED template must be moved, or trans-posed. Transposing the fingerboard to any key is simply a matter of sliding the entire scale/chord template to other fret posi-tions. This provides a visual display of the correct notes in any major key. Some pat-terns, especially those that span five frets, will require fingering adjustments when played in open or first position.

The five fingering patterns always con-nect in the same ascending order: Pat-tern 1, followed by Patterns 2, 3, 4, and 5, or CAGED. The entire CAGED template repeats one octave higher above the 12th fret. Moving the template towards the nut causes patterns that vanish behind the nut to reappear one octave higher, below the 12th fret.

To play any major scale, move any fin-gering pattern up or down the fingerboard until its roots align with the desired key. This automatically aligns the five patterns and transposes the entire fingerboard to that key. Start on any root of any pattern

and play ascending or descending scale degrees through the next octave(s).

For instance, to organize the finger-board into the key of F, begin by locating the lowest-positioned F notes on the neck (sixth and first strings at the 1st fret). Determine which scale pattern or chord shape uses those root locations (Pattern 4) and align it with the proper fret (first position) so the root positions overlap the Fs. This shifts the CAGED template to ECGAD, and automatically aligns pat-terns 4, 5, 1, 2, and 3 to correctly display the entire fingerboard in the key of F. Use this process and the chart in Fig. 1 to trans-pose any of the five major scale or chord fingering patterns into any key. Explore each pattern with intervallic cycles and sequences, rhythmic and melodic motifs, and permutations.

Jesse Gress is the author of The Guitar Cook-book: The Complete Guide to Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Technique & Improvi-sation [Backbeat]. g

Lessons

Fretboard Recipes: Major Scales Pt. 4transposing the five major scale fingering patterns

By Jesse Gress

gpr0514_lessons_fretboard_recipes_ln2.indd 118 3/11/14 1:28 PM

136 G U I TA R P L AY E R . C O M / M AY 2 0 1 4

Taylor 814ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway ES2TesTed by ArT Thompson

L AsT y e A r b o b TAy Lo r A n d A n dy

Powers directed their attention to designing

a new 800 Series of guitars with the goal of

creating more musical-sounding instruments.

To get there, they modified the internal struc-

ture to improve tonal response by calibrating

the top and back bracing for each body shape

to influence how the top and back move both

independently and in relation to each other.

The wood thicknesses for the top and back

were also optimized for the new bracing, and

two types of protein glue were utilized for their

tone-enhancing properties due to their ability

to transfer sound. Other types of modern syn-

thetic glues are used elsewhere.

Finish thickness is important to sound as well,

and Taylor managed to reduce the thickness of

its gloss finish by more than 40 percent—from

6 mils to 3.5 mils—a difference that makes

for better tone without losing any of the gloss

sheen that Taylors are known for. The Elixir HD

Light strings were developed specially for the

Grand Auditorium and Grand Concert models in

a custom gauge set that uses medium gauges

for the top strings and lighter low E and A strings

to optimize string tension for improved playing

feel while making the highs sound richer.

TesT drive

Gear

H e a r I t N o w ! www.guitarplayer.com/may2014

gpr0514_gear_taylor_ko3.indd 136 3/13/14 12:25 PM

May 2014 · Volume 48, Number 5

When inspiration hits, be ready.

Visit alfred.com/create

The next generation of mobile music creation:

Find Your Inspiration

• CME Xkey, the professional, ultra-slim, and portable keyboard

• Garritan, the leader of virtual software instruments

• Finale, the gold-standard in music notation software

World ISBUTA

- Henry David Thoreau

TOOUR

http://4wrd.it/A.ADGPV_0514_2


lessonsseptember 2000

PHOTO: COurTesy Of deCCa reCOrds

S o l o t r a n S c r i p t i o n

L I T T L E G I R LClapton in ’66 with Les Paul and Marshall 2x12: “I was probably playing full volume to get that sound.”

t r a n S c r i b e d b y j e S S e g r e S S

P l ay i t r i g h t !

he Blues Breakers: John Mayall with Eric Clapton is a blues-guitar benchmark, not only because of Clapton’s

stellar performances, but because he was able to commit such rich, saturated power-tube tones to tape in 1966—sounds that recording engineers of the day were striving to avoid. Cranking his Les Paul through a 50-watt Marshall combo (miked from a distance), Clapton effectively changed the course of guitar history, launching a battle-of-the-tones that still rages today.

The rhythmic ambiguities in several of e.C.’s slow-blues solos are typical of the genre, but this looseness makes them difficult to notate precisely. Not so with “Little Girl”—every note is right in the pocket. Clapton’s clean execution, fresh ideas, and the guitar’s up-front placement in the mix make “Little Girl” one of his most accessible and noteworthy pre-Cream solos.

Mayall’s clever 24-bar song form is prefaced with an eight-bar intro (Ex. 1). Clapton outlines the V chord with low-register single notes in bars 1 and 2, and the IV chord with diads and bent double-stops in bars 3 and 4. The song’s signature two-bar, call-and-response riff first appears in

T

bars 5 and 6. (On his first album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, Johnny Winter used a similar riff to anchor Howlin’ Wolf’s “Forty Four.”) As this figure recurs throughout the song, Clapton occasionally stretches beat three’s sixteenth-note/dotted-eighth-note rhythm into twin eighth-notes. Played entirely in third position, the intro concludes with a two-bar, I-chord turnaround common to Delta blues.

Ex. 2’s verse fragment outlines the IV chord with descriptive single-note lines that zero in on C7’s chord tones (C, E, G, Bb). To assemble the song’s entire 24-bar verse, begin with Ex. 2, and connect it to bars 5-8 of Ex. 1. Repeat these eight bars,

then follow with Ex. 1 in its entirety, and there’s your verse. (The G at the end of Ex. 2 can be tied to the G that begins bar 5, or bar 5’s downbeat can be replaced with a quarter-note rest. E.C. uses both options, varying the figure throughout the song.)

Clapton’s 24-bar solo (Ex. 3) adheres to the verse form, though the progression is embellished in bars 5-8 with a few ad-ditional chord changes—I, IIm7, IIIm7, and Isus4/bVII—courtesy of Mayall’s tasty organ comping.

E.C. plays into the downbeat with a slide to an eighth-position, G major/minor pentatonic pattern—a box favored by B.B. King. In Clapton’s twice-repeated

opening motif (bars 1-4), use your 2nd finger to back up your 3rd finger for the dead-on, step-and-a-half, held-and-picked bends.

Next, Clapton initiates a series of four held-and-picked bends that share the same basic rhythmic motif. Bars 5-7 feature half-step releases on the and of beat three, followed by staccato, pre-bent whole-steps on beat four. Bar 8’s bend gradually widens to one-and-a-half steps.

When Clapton lands in the eleventh position for bars 9-12, his IV-chord moves aren’t strictly G minor pentatonic or G major pentatonic, as revealed by the repeated use of the tonic (G) pulled off to


lessons september 2000

��

TAB

�5 0:11

��

��

� �( ) � �

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

� ��

��

G C/G G

5

5 5 3 3 (6) 3 5 3 3 4

5 3

pre- B R

5

3 3 4

5 5 5

3 3 4

5 5 5 3 3

�

��

TAB

�

Intro = ca. 166�1 � 44

� � � � � � ��

��

��

��

�� ( ) ) (

( )

��

��

(D)N.C.

(C)

3 3

5 5 5 5 5 5 3

3 5 (3)

18 3 5

5 5

3 3 4

5 5

5 5

(6) (6)

(6) (6)

5 5 3 (4)

5 3

B Rpre- B R B

�

(5)

�

�

Ex. 1

��

TAB

�0:17

� 44 � � � ��

� � � � ��

�� ( )

��

��

��

��

( )

��

3 3 3 3 5 7 7 5 5 8 8

(8)

B1/4 B1/4

5 5 8 8 7

8 (9) (9) 8 5 5 5 7

B1/4 B B

Verse

0:11 = ca. 166 �

C7

( )

�

Ex. 2

Words and Music by John MayallLITTLE GIRL

© 1967 Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI). International copyright secured. All rights reserved.

lessonsseptember 2000


the natural 7 (F#) in bars 9 and 12. Even more mind-blowing is that F# functions as the #4 (or #11) of C7, the IV chord. A Lydian blues moment? Hardly clichéd! These four bars alone convey volumes about the depth of the Slowhand style.

Bar 13 is transitional. Clapton slips out of eleventh position, slides briefly

back into sixth position, then drops to third position in bar 14. Bar 15 begins in third position and adds a B.B. King-style stinger—a grace slide to a unison tonic on an adjacent string.

The twin hammered double-stops in bar 16 are dominated by E.C.’s elegant, legato phrasing, as he shuttles coolly

between sixth position and third. Finally, Clapton adds motion to an otherwise static turnaround—first with a sweet bend to the 6 in bar 21, and then by em-phasizing the 5 in bars 23 and 24.

If you don’t own a copy of this Holy Grail, redeem yourself today. —JESSE GrESS g

P l ay i t r i g h t !

��

TAB

�

Guitar solo

1:20 = ca. 164 �

1

� 44 �� ( )

� �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) ��

��

4 9 8 11 (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13)

hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R

�� ( ) � �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) �( )

11 (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13) (13)

hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R

(13) 11 8 8 9

�( ) ��

��(13) 11 8 8

9

��

10

��

C7

Ex. 3

��

TAB

�5 � � �( )

� �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) ( ) ( ) � �� ( )

� �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) ( ) ( )

11 (13) (13) (13) (13) (13)

��

��

G Am7

10 (12) (12) (12) (12) (12) (12) (11) (12) (13)

hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R1/2 B

hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R1/2 B

� �( ) � �( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) ��

�( ( ( ) ) )

�Bm7

� �( ) �( ) ��( ) �( ) �( ) �( ) � �� Gsus4/F G/E G/D

13 (15) (15) (15) (15) (14) (15) (15) (15) 15 (17) (17) (18) (18) (18) (18) 11 13

hold B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - R1/2 B - - - - B B B - - - - - - - - - - - R B1/4

holdhold

pre-pre- pre- pre-

15

��

TAB

��9 �� ( ( ) )

� � ��

3

� ��

( ) ��

��

C7

11 (12) 12 12 11

11 13 (15) 13 11 12

13 (12) 12

11

Bpre- B R

*P.M. ** pre- B B1/4

*P.M. = palm mute ** pre-bend from 11th-fret B .�

�� ( ) ) ( �( )

��

( )

13 (15) 13 13

13 13

13 13

B

13 (15)

B

(15)

B - - - - - - - R

11 (12) 12 11

**pre- B

let ring - - - - l.r. - - - - - - - l.r. - - - -

grad.

( )

(15)

hold

��

TAB

��

��13 � � ��

� ��

�� ( )

( )

3

G7

12 7 6 6

7 5 3 3 5 5 5

5 3 (4) 5 5 3

B

� � � � � � ��

�( ) � �

��

��

5 (7) 3

3 8

8 6 6 6

6 6

6 6

7 5 3 8 8

(0)

B

lessons september 2000

LITTLE GIRLP l ay i t r i g h t !


��

TAB

�17 � � � � �� ( ) � � � ��

��5 7 7

6 8 8 8 (10) 6 6 (6) 7 5 5

3 3

B R B1/4 B1/4

� �� ( ) � � � �� ( )

� � �

��

��

D7 9 C9�

6 6 (8) 3 3 3 5 3 3 5

5 5 3 (5)

B B grad.

B1/4

��

TAB

��21

� � �� ( (

) )

��

��

G7

��

��

5

3 3 (5) 5 3

3 3 5 3 (4)

5 3

B B grad.

� ��

� ��

1:55��

��

( )

� ��

5 3

3 4

5 5

5 5 3 3 3

5 5

(3)

The electric guitar. Remixed.

Compose The revolutionary songwriting and composition software makes it easy to create your own guitar tabs, lead sheets, and standard sheet music complete with an audio track of your work.

Perform Experience limitless guitar tones and effects, and a split fret capability that lets you play up to 4 instruments at once! This revolutionary new guitar synth provides fast, accurate tracking with virtually no lag.

Record Use the included DAW software on your PC or Mac to build entire multi-instrument arrangements or mind-blowing patches. Explore an entire library of tonal choices to help your music stand apart.

fishman.com/tripleplay

TriplePlay®, the wireless guitar controller that lets you turn your electric guitar into any instrument that you want − and compose, perform and record like never before. Includes a comprehensive software suite from PreSonus, Native Instruments, Notion Music, and IK Multimedia.

Derek Song performs “Solar Flare” with the Fishman TriplePlay


sessions

http://truefire.com/tftv/index.html?channel=slide-supernatural-sampler&videofile=mp4:guitar-slide-supernatural-videos/slss-000



truefire

http://truefire.com/slide-guitar-lessons/slide-supernatural/

http://truefire.com/join/









transcriptions

Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.

GUITAR PLAYER VAULT | May 2014 | 41Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.

the beatles

transcriptions the beatles

42 | May 2014 | GUITAR PLAYER VAULT Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING CO., INC.

transcriptionsthe beatles



transcriptions



trapt

transcriptions trapt


transcriptionstrapt


EXTRA LESSONS

MORE GEAR

ENHANCEDSEARCHING

AWESOMEVIDEOS

ONLINESTORE

EXCLUSIVEBLOGS

REVIEWS

AND MORE

INTRODUCINGINTRODUCINGINTRODUCINGTHE NEW .THE NEW .THE NEW .COMCOMCOM®


transcriptions



r.e.m.

transcriptions r.e.m.


transcriptionsr.e.m.


Guitar Afi cionado Wine Club is owned and operated by Wines That Rock™

Call 1-888-987- 4987 or visit GuitarAficionadoWineClub.com

JOIN TODAY.Includes one free 12 issue Guitar Player

subscription and each quarter you will receive three award winning bottles for

only $39.95 (plus S&H).

AWARD WINNING

CALIFORNIA WINE INSPIRED

BY LEGENDARY ARTISTS AND

THEIR CLASSIC ALBUMS.

WINE CLUB

BONUS One preview issue of Guitar Aficionado with your introductory membership!

Shredding Styles

German Schauss

Click here for a FREE sample lesson!

Photo By: Vincent Tijms

When Classical Composers and Guitar Styles Meet Extreme Shredding Techniques

Play Like the Greats

Shred like a master

http://4wrd.it/A.ADGPV_0514

vault vol.4 no5 may 2014

Documents

issues of guitar player

player issn

specialty sales advertising

editorial inquiries

bayhill drive

classic songs

san bruno

chief michael molenda