I have re-edited this so that this is part 6a and includes all the talk we had about buying a new guitar: https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup/guitar-lesson-6a-advice-on-buying-a-new-guitar
AND this is part 6b and includes all the work Dan and I did on Pinball Wizard, Black Betty, and Get Lucky: https://soundcloud.com/tunein-toneup/guitar-lesson-6b-rhythmic-ideas-pinball-wizard-black-betty-and-get-lucky-as-guidance
This episode covers advice for me on buying a guitar, with my 40th birthday fast approaching. I’m definitely looking for that special electric instrument which will function as a great all-rounder and an excellent tool with an amazing selection of tone.
After the talk on buying a guitar, we move back to look at the subject of rhythmic practice and slightly trickier tunes.
In this session Dan also gives my guitar a quick setup, for which I am incredibly grateful. I was finding that when I bent some of my strings I was getting a bit too much contact from the next string and so Dan slightly tweaked the action and adjusted the pickup distance. “All part of the service” as Dan says 🙂 As this was edited out because it is not so listenable, the remaining episode is a little shorter than normal.
Once we had wrangled through the tricky topic of my parting with a large sum of cash on the law of ‘diminishing returns’, I also wanted some help with a few tunes which I wanted to use a rhythm playing practice.
- Pinball Wizard by the Who
- Black Betty by Ram Jam
- Get Lucky by Daft Punk feat. Nile Rodgers
Firstly, we look at Pinball Wizard by the Who and I got some great pointers on the dynamics in this tune – including how Pete Townsend plays with lots of attack and energy.
Then we look at Black Betty, which I’d also found had some good left hand muting and interesting rhythm playing.
Finally, we examine briefly Nile Rodger’s playing again – this time in Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. What a player!!!
If you haven’t yet seen this version of Get Lucky, then waste no time and click on the video below. I love it! Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Nathan East, Paul Jackson Jr., and Omar Hakim on drums. Simply a must watch – it was live at the Grammys 2014 and contains an amazing entrance by the Daft Punk boys. They also mix Le Freak, Harder Better Stronger Faster and Another Star. Some major stars all dancing along in the audience too – see how many you can name.
Tune in, Tone up! Guitar lessons 