POST # 296 Pat Metheny on his gear and his sound

I'll be happy to go into detail about how my gear works, but I had a revelatory experience a few years ago when I realized that "equipment", although certainly a component in my sound, really had little to do with why I sound like the way I sound. For years, between around 1977 to 1987, I never did ANYTHING without my "rig". I would never "sit in" unless I could have my amps and stuff there, I basically didn't do any record dates at all other than my own cause I was sure they would "mess up my sound" -- etc., etc. Then in 1987, I went to the then-USSR on a tour with the group and there were a few "jam session" situations where I HAD to play with some Russian guys on their "gear" -- and I use the term loosely. I played one night on a Polish guitar and a Czech amp. Someone taped it and gave me the tape the next day. I was shocked to hear that I sounded JUST LIKE ME!!!! Since then, I sit in all the time on any old thing and have a blast and do record dates without worrying too much that it's gonna get mixed wrong, etc., etc. I feel much better knowing FOR SURE that it's more about conception and touch and spirit and soul, etc., than whether my hardware was in place. I do, however, totally envy horn players who are "sonically self-contained". They ARE their sound, especially if they can tote their own axe around with them, as they all easily can do.

POST # 295 Robben Ford on the Music Business

The most important thing is that you make sure you follow the music, which is a musician way of saying follow your heart. The two things are intertwined. You know, when you even mention the phrase music business, the older you get, the sourer it sounds. It's a terrible business, you know. Music and business have nothing to do with each other; there's no correlation, so it's always a rub. I would encourage people, don't be swayed by the music business. If youare truly, in your heart, a musician, stay one, and let the business find you.

POST # 294 Frank Gambale on Going to GIT

I went crazy for the guitar. There were so many good players around in the school and in the clubs that I was determined to be one of them. I routinely practiced 12 hour days. I had no life outside of guitar. I was a sponge and absorbed as much as I could from Diorio, Mock and Henderson, I even spent some time with Joe Pass. It was a great time. I made some lifelong friends and I met people who I still work with today. I spent a lot of time developing my sweep picking technique. I wrote the Speed Picking book while I was still a student. When I graduated I was asked to teach ( which was great because I was completely broke!) and went on to teach for 4 more years having the guitar in my hand for often 12 hour days.

POST # 293 Herbie Hancock on his style

I think the time when I was with Miles Davis — middle period of that time, which is mid-’60s — I began to recognize that I did have my own style. It wasn’t that I could describe it, but I heard a record playing — I remember this experience — I heard a record on the radio, and wondered, when did I do that record? I’m listening and listening, and then I said, “Wait a minute, that’s not me.” Other people told me about my style, but I didn’t know what they were talking about. But when I heard that [song], I could recognize that it was someone who was influenced by me.

If I were to describe my style, or my individuality, I think I have a particular touch that’s mine, on the instrument.

POST # 292 Jimmy Page on Les Paul

Have you ever heard “It’s Been A Long, Long Time?” (mid-Forties single by the Les Paul Trio with Bing Crosby) You ought to hear that. He does everything on that, everything in one go. And it’s just one guitar; it’s basically one guitar even though they’ve tracked on rhythms and stuff. But my goodness, the introductory chords and everything are fantastic. He sets this whole tone, and then he goes into this solo which is fantastic.

Now that’s where I heard feedback first –from Les Paul. Also vibratos and things. Even before B.B. King, you know, I’ve traced a hell of a lot of rock and roll, little riffs and things, back to Les Paul, Chuck berry, Cliff Gallup and all those—it’s all there. But then Les Paul was very influenced by Reinhardt, wasn’t he? Very much so. I can’t get my hands on the records of Les Paul, the Les Paul Trio, and all that stuff. But I’ve got all the Capitol LPs and things. I mean he’s the father of it all: multi-tracking and everything else. If it hadn’t been for him, there wouldn’t have been anything really.

POST # 291 Kenny Burrell on Guitar Forms

"I wanted to express the various things I felt about the guitar on this album; not just to sample this and that, but to showcase different aspects of the instrument. Each piece would have to stand on its own, regardless of what kind of guitar I used."

(Guitar, the Swiss Army Knife of the instrument world. - Ed )

POST # 290 Frank Gambale on What to Practice

I think it's important to always be learning. If you don't know what to play on an E7#9 chord, then that's what you should practice. Find the scale, harmonize it, learn it's arpeggios, it's pentatonics and play with the notes. Sometimes if you sit for 10 minutes without the guitar just to decide what you are going to learn in your practice time, that's good. If you can play over an Emin7 chord, move on, it will still be there when you get back. The bottom line is Quality time is more important the Quantity time.

( Turn your worst enemy into your best friend. - Ed )

POST # 289 Jimimy Page on Telecasters

Yeah, well that’s the amp and everything. You see, I could get a lot of tones out of the guitar, which you normally couldn’t. This confusion goes back to those early sessions again with the Les Paul. Those might not sound like a Les Paul, but that’s what I used. It’s just different amps, mike placings, and all different things. Also, if you just crank it up to the distortion point so you can sustain notes, it’s bound to sound like a Les Paul. I was using the Supro amp for the first album and still do.

The “Stairway To Heaven” solo was done when I pulled out the Telecaster, which I hadn’t used for a long time, plugged it into the Supro, and away it went again. That’s a different sound entirely from any of the rest of the first album. It was a good versatile setup. I’m using a Leslie on the solo on “Good Times Bad Times”. It was wired up for an organ thing.

( Page with his "Dragon" Telecaster. Awesome. - Ed )

POST # 288 Herbie Hancock on Technique

I decided some time ago that I was no longer interested in being a virtuoso of the piano. I just want to play the music; the technique is a tool. I’m not going for speed just to be fancy. I’m looking for more about what the music feels like. The sound that’s happening, the sound being the vehicle, the message, the emotion and the drama is what’s carried through the medium. That’s what I’m primarily interested in.

( Cantelope Island with Pat Metheny! - Ed )

POST # 287 George Harrison on While My Guitar Gently Weeps

“The next day I brought Eric Clapton with me [to the studio]. He was really nervous. I was saying, 'Just come and play on the session, then I can sing and play acoustic guitar.' Because what happened when Eric was there on that day … it helped, because the others would have to control themselves a bit more. Eric was nervous saying, 'No, what will they say?' And I was saying, 'F**k 'em, that's my song!'”

“[Eric and I] used to hang out such a lot at that period, and Eric gave me a fantastic Les Paul guitar, which is the one he plays on [“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”]. So it worked out well.”