Guest Michael Rife
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Usually……but not always, the first “classical” piece a guitarist tries is from Beethoven’s Ninth, Ode to Joy (3rd Movement, I believe)…..simply because it was on an album by Leo Kottke in the 1970s and there are several sources for the sheet music.
Another song that is close to a classical piece is Greensleeves (or What Child is This……same melody). It is not really classical, but would fall under the traditional folk category…still it would be a good exercise for a guitarist.
Also, as I understand it, Blackbird (White Album) was based on a Bach piece, but, I believe that Paul based the guitar part on playing the Bach piece backwards……could be wrong but remember hearing it somewhere.
After that some of the smaller classical pieces, i.e., not symphonies, would be interesting to give a try.
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Hi Howard;
Sometimes it really sucks getting older since we are losing so many of our musical “heroes”. Ginger Baker was always an influence on me when playing drums. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s I had a daily practice routine of playing along with some of the harder drum songs of the time. White Room and Sunshine of Your Love was on the list. Also, on the list was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita, You Keep Me Hanging On (Vanilla Fudge), and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. I figured if I got those songs about 80% right, it was a good practice.
Anyway because of playing two of Ginger’s songs, he was always a important drummer to me. I have long since stopped that routine. But, the funny thing is when my oldest daughter visited us a couple of years ago, I told her about the routine. She asked if I could still do it then. I thought a bit about it and I queued up two of the songs. Maybe it was the daily repetition of doing those songs so many years ago, i.e., muscle memory is a good thing, but I remembered how to play much of the Iron Butterfly song and You Keep Me Hanging On. She was impressed that her old dad could still navigate around the drums which meant more to me than the opinions of other musicians!!
Again it really makes me sad that some of those who were important to us musically are passing away……not sure if it is because the time period was an important time in music and we are losing many of the innovators or it reminds us of our own mortality or something else……likely a combination of those things. Mike.
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Hi Howard;
Yes, I do have musical inspirations in my music. The Beatles, as expected, is at the top of the list. But, after the Beatles comes James Taylor, Stephen Stills, Poco, and Pure Prairie League. I have composed several guitar pieces (usually only chordal arrangements and melodies…….I just can’t write lyrics for whatever reason) and much of what I compose combines JT, the Beatles, and Poco, which means a basic pop-rock sound with a country flavor to it. There are a bunch of “hammer-ons” and “pull-offs” in the chords and pieces I put together which I steal greatly from JT.
Mike
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Hi Jung;
A Day In The Life would rank high as the song with the most impact. But, for me, and I am in the minority on this one, I have to go with She Loves You. I was 10 1/2 in February 1964 and I remember RnR before that time and after it….and the song She Loves You was like nothing ever heard before in popular music. The Beatles used maj7 and maj6 chords when most others would have used straight major chords…..also the three guys singing together were making chords vocally with their parts which is also rare……..the song was written in the 3rd person which I cannot remember ever done before. Popular music in the US was basically the Beach Boys singing about cars and surfing, girls groups, and assorted solo acts. About the only innovator at that time was Roy Orbison and maybe the Everly Bros. Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis were going through legal and other problems……so we didn’t get much from them. Even the Everly Bros. had cooled off a little by the time 1964 rolled around. The Beatles, though, showed a major shift in the way pop music was constructed and She Loves You is as good an example of that as any of their early songs. It was like the Beatles tossed out the rule book and did what they wanted.
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If I Fell, You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, and a tie between Yesterday and This Boy.
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- I’m told the 1970s really happened!!!! I was 16 at the advent of the 1970s and 26 when I left the 1970s. From 1971 to 1976 I was in college and from 1976 to 1979 I was in grad school……..and being in universities during the 1970s was “interesting”. Musically, I was in a garage RnR cover band in the early 1970s and by 1971 I was in a folk duo for a time and then another duo by the end of the 1970s. It was just for fun and we never did get paid…….but I learned so much from it. Then in 1979 a radical change came with an 8 to 5 grown-up office job. Very strange road looking back on it.
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Really like both the Far Side, Monty Python, Benny Hill, and others. Some that have not been mentioned (that I could see) are the Goon Show (Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan) and also Saturday Night Live…….but only certain years of SNL (definitely 1975 to 1980…..and maybe the late ’80s to early ’90s). Trivia note: The producer of some of the Goon Show records was ………. a youngish George Martin.
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Hi Jung;
JT’s original cover of Greensleeves is on the attached vid. It is mistitled as Something’s Wrong and is really Greensleeves/Something’s Wrong. There is another version around YouTube Land which is live at the BBC but I like this one more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP9x3iOW1-4
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Yeah, I remember hearing on the Sirius Beatles’ channel during an interview with Paul that he said he and George used to play some classical music on guitar during breaks in practice or recording and that he used the main notes (motif) of one of Bach’s pieces in reverse for Blackbird. Couldn’t remember it last night …….. oh well, memory is the second thing to go!!
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Thanks, Howard!!! I play guitar mostly now but the first instrument I learned was the drums. I was around 13 or so when I got my first set and played drums exclusively until around 19. I was also in the high marching band and orchestra in the percussion section. Still ever since then when I am driving in the car listening to music, without thinking about it the index finger of my right hand is playing the 4 beats of the cymbal and the index finger of my left hand is playing the 2 and 4 of the snare. There may be a bit of insanity in some when it comes to music or just plain enjoyment.
Also, at this age, one day we might do well on the drums and another day be hardly able to do much physically…. Oh well.
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Thanks, Lisa!!!!! You are very kind for answering our questions. I’ll keep checking to see if you do For No One. I can understand if MLT does not get to it with the things you are already doing and being so busy.
Mike
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Hi Jung;
I suspect that is how her guitar looks after playing Club 27!!
Mike
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Rev. Jim’s driving test is a comedy classic. The first time I saw it was back then and I laughed until I had tears. I have watched it about 40 or so times over the years and laugh every time even though I know what is coming. One thing that always got me was that he had to look back down at the paper after saying it slowly for four times prior…..that was a subtle comic touch which reinforced his “difficulties” that always got to me. Another Jim classic……https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-c4cd_Lm-Q
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My Sharona gets panned a lot these days…..part of it is due to it being overplayed. I enjoy it mostly because of the drum beat and, by far, the guitar riff in it. The riff has the Strat as a intro and the body of the riff is an LP. I have the belief that combing a Strat and an LP is among the best of pairings, e.g., Layla.
While I have your and other’s ears……I didn’t care much for ABBA in the 1970s. But, I have re-examined their music since then and it is still mostly just OK. The thing that stands out for me is the vocals by the girls. When they sing together, it almost sounds unnatural…..and I wonder if their vocals are synthesized some.
Concerning Badfinger…….that group is the classic case of “what could have been” and “the corruption in the music business in the 1970s”. One of my all time favorite groups. Mike.
Anyway……my 2 cents. Mike.
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I agree on all you mentioned. Peter Sellers was unusual but talented. So many personal demons there, but a comic genius. He played 4 parts in Dr. Stranglove and “killed” in each part. The writer/director of the movie wanted him in a 5th part (the Texan pilot, but he didn’t think he could have pulled off the Texas accent). His Pink Panther movies were just OK….some better than others but he never liked the role and did the movies for the money. Hi best part was in Being There…..showed he could act as well as be funny. Also, it was one of his last movies. So, I guess you could say I’m a huge fan of Sellers.
