This lesson is a follow-on from last week when you consider the use of delay pedals that is important for the style of David Gilmour amongst other players.  Insofar as delay pedals go I am a beginner and learnt so much from Dan’s generous time.

We had discussed this before the lesson and so I took along my PodXT Line6 multi-effects pedal for us to gain some delay sounds.

Our podcast episode is here:

Dan begins to experiment with the delay sound on my PodXT Line 6 and we get some interesting tones starting to come through. I have a go at playing some things using the sound and Dan demonstrates some ideas including sliding back to a muted note after a phrase to end with some space for the delayed note.

During this time, Dan explains the difference in ‘time’ or gap between the notes – on my pedal this is both measured in note lengths, but also if you turn down past the notes it does change to reading in milliseconds; ‘feedback’ or the number of echoes you hear from playing the single note; and ‘mix’ or the volume of the echoes you hear after playing the initial note.  Muting and cutting a note off gains a more delayed sound.

We then move to look at the technique of violining.  Dan demonstrates some ideas to practise this with on my PRS and shows 1) how much volume he switches on – somewhere between 3 and 4 and 2) talks about how the most important thing is to shut the volume off again after hitting the note and allowing it and the delayed begin notes to swirl around together.

We then begin to try to get the delay sound from Gilmour’s playin on the beginning of the Wall and take a while to get there as we are both quite unfamiliar with the multi-effects pedal we are using, but a bit of editiing and some great information about delay pedals and effects such as slap-back, duck delay and so on, we eventually reach the sound we are looking for.

See this website for details on how Gilmour gets his sounds on the Wall (Look for Another Brick in the Wall Part 1 to see for the sound Dan was getting  with the pedal)

After Another Brick in the Wall part 1, Dan shows me a brilliant riff for an excellent song which uses the delay as part of the sound of the riff, bouncing off the rhythm of the echoed notes – Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap. This is a brilliant atmospheric tune which I hope you also enjoy.

Sweet Disposition by the Temper Trap:

Tabbed by: Jamie Callanan
Email: shamedog30@hotmail.com
Tuning: standard
[Intro]

(with delay)

Palm muted a bit (stacatto)
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7|
A|-5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Main riff (with delay) (x4) (stacatto)

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7-------4-------4-------4-------4|
A|-5-------5-------5-------5---------5-7-----5-7-----5-7-----5-7--|
E|---------------------------------7-------7-------7-------7------|

now just play this chord heaps

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7----etc...------------------------------------|
G|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7----etc...------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

back to the main riff (x2)(stacatto)

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7-------4-------4-------4-------4|
A|-5-------5-------5-------5---------5-7-----5-7-----5-7-----5-7--|
E|---------------------------------7-------7-------7-------7------|

Then this slight variation once (staccato except for higher note, F#)

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------7-------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4-5-7---4-5-----4-5-7---4-5-7-------4-------4-------4-------4-|
A|-5-------5-------5-------5---------5-7-----5-7-----5-7-----5-7---|
E|---------------------------------7-------7-------7-------7-------|

If you want I play the bass note every now and then (maybe the 
guitar does too..?) which 
be:

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7-------4-------4-------4-------4|
A|-5-------5-------5-------5---------5-7-----5-7-----5-7-----5-7--|
E|---------------------------------7-------7-------3-------3------|

Then play that same chord again for the pre-chorus:

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------etc...----------------------------------|
G|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------etc...----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

and as far as I can tell the chorus is the same, just keep strumming...

Back to verse:
Just bass for one measure

alteration of the main riff (x4)
Palm muted a little bit more

e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7-5-4---7-5-4---7-5-4---7-5-4---4-------4-------4-------4------|
A|-------5-------5-------5-------5---7-5-----7-5-----7-5-----7-5--|
E|---------------------------------------7-------7-------7-------7|


During verse a 2nd guitar comes in with some natural harmonics
e|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----7*----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7*---------5*---(whammy bar, depress)--------------------------|
D|---------5*-----------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

And that's pretty much everything i can hear guitar wise in the 
song, just the same for pre-chorus and chorus, ie strumming lots.

Dan also gave me some good shimmery tones for chords with a lot of ringing open notes to them and plays Prince’s Purple Rain as part of his demonstration of how to make the most of this tone.  He also shows how to play Walking on the Moon.

Walking on the Moon by the Police:

Tabbed by: Jatoo
Email: jatoo3@gmail.com

Based largely on the first version by Rob Del Mundo

Tuning: EADGBe

[Intro]
Guitar II (continues through verse)
e|--3--3-------------------------------------------------|
B|--3--3-------------------------------------------------|
G|--5--5-------------------------------------------------|
D|--3--3-------------------------------------------------|
A|--5--5-------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

[Verse]
Guitar I
    on the off-beat, reggae style
e|--5-----5-----5-----5-----10-----10-----12-----12------|
B|--6-----6-----6-----6-----11-----11-----13-----13------|
G|--5-----5-----5-----5-----10-----10-----12-----12------|
D|--7-----7-----7-----7-----12-----12-----14-----14------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

[Bridge]
Guitar I
e|--6-----6-----5-----5-----8-----8-----6-----6----------|
B|--6-----6-----6-----6-----8-----8-----8-----8----------|
G|--7-----7-----5-----5-----9-----9-----7-----7----------|
D|--8-----8-----7-----7----10----10-----5-----5----------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

Guitar II                               don't play the last time
e|--6-----------5-----------8-----------6----------------|
B|--6-----------6-----------8-----------6----------------|
G|--7-----------5-----------9-----------7----------------|
D|--8-----------7----------10-----------8----------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------|

Finally we get a good metal tone using a slap-back delay and an overdriven amp model.

Our philosophy: Our podcast and blog has organically grown and I do appreciate all feedback, follows, likes and suggestions.  It is now meant to be used as a way of introducing some ideas and themes which are useful to be aware of as you develop your practice on your guitar.  Hopefully, you’ll find them useful in the audio format which we release them in as this way you can listen while doing another task and then use the suggestions we raise in each episode to do some extra research and practise of your own.  It is my hope that you find this a useful listening exercise, to support the development of your musical ear.  It is good to think that you, our listeners, are not immediately looking for tabs, but rather using your ear to find the notes yourself.  This is so important to develop your feel, phasing and dynamics and can be lost if you spend too much time relying on tabs.

The way I myself find these lessons useful is to study in great depth what Dan introduces me too, including guidance on who or what to listen to, and I feel lucky that I can return to each lesson and not forget all his excellent advice as was the case prior to the recording of our lessons.  I also find studying my own mistakes hugely valuable, I hope you do too 

I plan to continue producing posts for each podcast episode, linking in some guitar lesson videos from online tutors and guitar covers from players out there.  I hope that you will find our lessons and blog useful and that we help you to see the big picture.  I certainly think that I could have organised my own practice to be more effective earlier in my own learning and if this had been the case, then I would have developed my skills more quickly and easily.  For further ideas about this I would encourage you to spend some time looking at my article on guitar practice, apps and software and then dedicate some time NOW into learning to recognise intervals, rhythms and chords by ear.  This will hugely fast-track your learning.

I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as I did and that you keep listening.  If you want to support us further, then like us on Facebook, follow us on SoundCloud, Twitter or Google+ and subscribe, rate and review on iTunes  to help us conquer the Apple algorithms.  You can also follow my online magazine: Lessons and Gear for Guitar Geeks and Fanatics

Good luck on your musical journey!

Gary and Dan