Stevie Ray Vaughan Style File

Only Yesterday (Larry Carlton guitar cover)

Why I Suck... Series 2, Episode 12: SRV II

With the dust settling on the second year of The Great Plague and the first year of The Great Vaccination, it's time to take a look at a stalwart of this blog (probably because he's one of my all time favourite guitarists) - the blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan.

I'm not going to get  hung up on a potted history of his life or tragic, long before his time death - because I already did that last time - this is going to be strictly a dive into his style.

As December dawned I set myself the task - ever since I heard it in 99-2000, I've been totally smitten with the sublime SRV cover of "Little Wing".. so why not see if I could transcribe it?

Much to my surprise, I managed it! As well as "Cold Shot" and the tracks from "Texas Flood" that I didn't get last time around - so that's where this moth's licks are drawn from.

First up, the jaw-dropping slippery legato licks at the climax of "Little Wing". Both of these use the E blues scale, and notice the skilful use made of the b5 interval, the hallmark of the blues scale as opposed to the minor pentatonic.

Notice the "overlapping" approach SRV uses to get maximum mileage out of this simple scale - you've got the finger roll from the 3rd fret B string onto the 3rd fret G (where the b5 sits), sliding down to the second and then pulled off to the open G before down to the root on the 2nd fret D, before the classic open position blues lick, 2nd fret G slid to 4th, up on to 3rd fret B and then slid back down the G and pulled off to open string. It's this overlapping repetition which SRV uses to absolutely devastating effect and puts me in mind of T-Bone Walker. Both players repeat the same ideas with slight tweaks to execution, making their point again and again.

The first lick uses open position E Blues, the second example takes the same ideas and pushes them up an octave - one thing to note is how the run ends on the 5th, very much a "leading" tone - whereas the root note provides a satisfying conclusion, the 5th says "hold on, there's more to come".

The third lick comes from "Love Struck Baby", using the A Blues scale and this time is played almost exclusively in double stops - this is because the song itself is a fast and up tempo and double stops work to fill a lot of sonic space without the need for lots of distortion and legato flurries. It's also a very rhythmic approach to lead guitar, which makes sense when you consider this track was likely recorded live (legend has it that this whole album was recorded over two days at Jackson Browne's studio). Look for the classic minor to major 3rd hammer-ons that conclude the line - SRV very much channelling Chuck Berry cranked to 11!

This track was also released as a single, and just for kicks, here's a link to the video (love how they have "Lenny" playing in the background at the start):

https://youtu.be/nnbnRWHDFpw

The final example is taken from "Cold Shot" using the A Blues scale (although it should be noted that SRV famously detuned by a semitone) and although there's nothing particularly outstanding about note choice or technique, it's a very complete line, following a call - response - call - conclusion pattern. To play through this, your best bet is to keep the first finger planted on the 5th fret E and B strings using the 2nd and 3rd fingers to perform the bends, including the quarter tone bend on the high E string, bending between minor 3rd (C) and major 3rd (C#).

Don't forget to subscribe to me on YouTube to catch the demonstration video - with anything in music, it's easier to show than tell! - as well as to feast yourself on the One Minute Lick series, the beginners' Zero Point series and of course all the other Style Analysis videos.

Stay safe out there and see you next month for Mr. 335, the effortlessly smooth Larry Carlton!

2021 Retrospective and 2022 Resolutions

 So the dust settles on another year and although The Great Plague is not yet done with us, things are undoubtedly better than they were this time last year. Personally I've had two Astra Zenecas, a Moderna shot and a flu shot so I've practically got vaccine coming out of my ear...

This year, I've built on the success of my 2020 resolution but branched out a little – the blues greats (SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, – this time in his Cream incarnation – and the Three Kings) were still on the list but this time joined by the melodic majesty of Neil Zaza, YouTube sensations Sophie Lloyd and Pete Honore, Led Zeppelin's own riffmaster Jimmy Page, “God's Own Guitarist” Jeff Beck, and the modern day blues rock genius of Joe Bonamassa... and I've got to say, it's been a hell of a ride.

Particular standouts have been transcribing every solo off “Are You Experienced” (albeit helped by having done “Red House” in 2020), finishing all of “Texas Flood” (up till 1am with wine last night because I was damned if I was going to let the end bit of “Rude Mood” stymie me..) and at the start of December I set myself the goal of working out SRV's sublime cover of “Little Wing” which I heard and fell in love with back around 99-2000.. and from then on set the gold standard for how well the guitar should be played, as far as I was concerned. And I GOT it!!! Keep an eye on the YouTube channel for a performance (although it will be a while till I'm happy with it).

I also managed the “WOW” lick that floored me when I first heard Joe Bonamassa's cover of “Going Down” on “Live At The Greek” - and I'll admit, YouTube helped with the fingerings – but doing that keyed me into a different approach with the minor pentatonic, leading to this, “The Scariest PentatonicLick Ever?”.. so yeah, feeling pretty good about this year in guitar playing terms.

My point? Transcription is WHERE IT'S AT. Don't believe me? Try it. Take something simple, find the key, start with the appropriate pentatonic, and find those notes, just 2 or 3 at a time.

Of all of them though, the one I probably learnt most from in sheer “Oh holy SH*T THAT'S SO COOL” factor... was actually Pete Honore. Unfortunately the interview didn't quite pan out but the fact that I regularly found myself at gone midnight with the headphones on still picking out licks from his YouTube jams on the Andertons guitar channel is a testament to just how jaw droppingly good this guy is. And he hides it all in plain sight as well, there's very little overly widdly stuff... just a ton of intricacy hidden in what might seem like a simple line... BB King, Robben Ford, SRV, all combined in one hell of a player. His wide interval stuff, his use of the b5 in the blues scale and the b3 in the country scale.. put it this way – I can drive a car. Lewis Hamilton can drive a car. We both go about it the same way. The fact that Lewis could take my car and probably shave 15 minutes off a drive that normally takes me half an hour isn't down to him using different tools, it's about lots of tiny subtleties that add up to putting him in a completely different league.. and that's the same with Pete. Make no mistake about it, all the players I delved into this year are all brilliant, but there's something about Pete that just gelled with me.

Anyway, on to the future – here's the plan for 2022:

January – Larry Carlton

February – John Petrucci

March – Steve Vai

April - Joe Satriani

May - Eric Johnson

June – Ritchie Blackmore

July – Yngwie Malmsteen

August – Shawn Lane

September – Brent Mason

October – Paul Gilbert

November – SRV Pt. III

December – Slash

Some august company, I think you'll agree. The reason is simple – I'm planning to take my FLCM diploma this year and with the exception of Mssrs Blackmore & Slash, all the above feature on the performance list. So I plan to dig down into their styles a little – if you're performing (let's say) a Satriani track, you're going to do it more convincingly if you've learned a few others. And if (when) disaster strikes and it goes wrong, you're going to do a better job of improvising your way out of it if you can perform a convincing Satriani impression.

Ritchie Blackmore – well, Yngwie has often referenced Deep Purple's “Fireball” album as a huge influence on him, spending time transcribing everything off it.. so I'm going to do the same. Should help prepare me for a month of MAXIMUM SHRED. Slash? He's SLASH. 'Nuff said. You can't argue with Stoke's finest.

So where will we be this time next year? I know my guitar plans.. what are yours?

Roll on 2022. Can't wait :-)