Here we continue with our blog about what makes a guitarist great.

Sound/tone

The electric guitar opened up to musicians an incredibly diverse palate of sounds. Jimi Hendrix playing his Strat through a Marshall sounded a world away from Pete Townsend playing his Les Paul through a HiWatt. Although Steve Vai and Eric Johnson both play Stratocaster style guitars, their approach, sound, articulation, and phrasing are vastly different. Just watch any of the “G3” videos to see this for yourself.

Sound or tone is the medium through which our musical ideas come to life.  Some great players are so serious about their tone that they give them names. Clapton called the warm, bassy sound produced by the humbucker neck pickup his “woman tone” (check out Sunshine of Your Love); Eddie Van Halen named the sharp, biting yet thick sound he used on Eruption his “brown sound.”

The player has as much to do with the sound as the equipment. Ted Nugent once asked to play Eddie Van Halen’s rig when the two were touring together. When asked what he sounded like, Eddie Van Halen replied, “Ted Nugent.”

Originality/style

A player’s originality (or style) is really the sum of his technique, taste/feel, and sound/tone. It is how he combines all these to create a fresh, new voice.

We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, meaning that we all are—to one degree or another—the product of our influences. But the best ones took what inspired them and made it their own, even though you can still hear traces of their heroes.

Hubert Sumlin, Wes Montgomery, Curtis Mayfield, and other R-n-B guitarists of the 60’s influenced Jimi Hendrix. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, and Allan Holdsworth influenced Eddie Van Halen. Charlie Parker and John Coltrane influenced Allan Holdsworth.

The great adventure continues. Now it’s up to you to find your own voice.

Great guitarists put the stamp of their personality on the instrument: you can immediately hear the signature style of Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Allan Holdsworth, Stevie Ray Vaughan or any of the other giants of the instrument.

So what are the elements that make for a great player?

Technique

Most great guitarists have mastered the basic techniques of the guitar. They are adept at hammer-ons, pull-offs, string bends, and artificial harmonics.

They also often layer over their technique either a staccato (choppy) or legato (smooth) feel. Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin and Yngwie Malmsteen are classic examples of staccato players; John Scofield, Joe Satriani and Allan Holdsworth are legato players.

Perhaps the most important thing about technique is that it should never be an end in itself, but a foundation that lets the player express what is inside. Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin have superhuman technique, yet they always use it to express something musical—instead of just a blizzard of meaningless notes.

Taste/Feel

Great players have an incredible sense of musicality and phrasing—meaning how they play what they play. Jeff Beck is a shining example of this: he can play four notes in a way that is drenched with feeling and expression. Just listen to Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers from Blow by Blow, or Goodbye Porkpie Hat from Wired to hear great musicality and taste.

David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Steve Howe, and Carlos Santana are other examples of guitarists who play with incredible passion, taste, and feeling. Comfortably Numb, All Along the Watchtower, and Europa are just a few solos that are etched in the mind of every guitarist because they are packed with emotion.

Anybody can learn their scales and practice techniques endlessly, but it is a master who makes magic with them.

—To be continued.

Jay Graydon ‘s solo on the classic Steely Dan tune, Peg, is one of the great moments in contemporary guitar. In just 12 bars that run for 24 seconds, Graydon lays down one musical lick after the other over some very challenging harmonic terrain (you can hear the six other guitarists tripping over themselves from 4:15-6:25 at http://bit.ly/9s4kfG).

Graydon plays four major ideas, each one incredibly melodic and memorable. But here was the chord sequence he had to survive to make such great music:

• Four bars of Cmaj7 to Gadd2
• Two bars of Fmaj7 to Cadd2
• Two bars of Cmaj7 to Gadd2
• One bar of Gmaj7 to Dadd2
• One bar of Fmaj7 to Cadd2
• Two bars Cmaj7 to Gadd2

The chord sequence is basically a major blues with three different IV to I cadences. A G pentatonic might have gotten you through it with lots of luck and prayer, but that is not the path Graydon took.

For the first four measures (1:46 to 1:54) Graydon plays a G Mixolydian (G, A, B, C, D, E, F), when the chords really call for a G Ionian (G, A, B, C, D, E, F#). Mixolydian creates a much edgier sound that Ionian, which is why the first few licks he plays immediately grab you.

The second phrase goes from 1:55 to 2:02. It is pretty much straight G Mixolydian, but the phrasing is fantastic. The use of a G Mixolydian over F maj7 and Cmaj7 also is extremely creative and aurally arresting. In the hands of a lesser guitarist, the solo would probably have fallen to pieces at this point. This is really obvious when Graydon pulls off a cool ascending chromatic lick at the end of this section. It also creates tension that sets up the third phrase and sets up the solo for harmonic resolution at 2:11.

The third phrase goes from 2:02 to 2:06. Graydon starts it with a D major pentatonic scale (D, E, F#, G, A, B), takes it out harmonically, and then resolves to a high G (he’s actually alternating between an F# and a G, which works nicely over the Fmaj7 to Cadd2/E).

Graydon segues into the last phrase (2:07 to 2:11) by bending an A up to a B. This brings a nice resolution to the solo, whose ending chords are Cmaj7 to Gadd2/B.

When Steely Dan tours, guitarists in the band had to take on the challenge of Peg. Check out Drew Zinng, Georg Wadenius, Wayne Kratz, and Jon Herington giving it their best shot—with all paying homage to Graydon by quoting his solo (http://bit.ly/aD4euu).

So what’s the lesson here, other than Peg is one difficult tune to solo over?

Maybe Graydon worked out the solo before he went into the studio. Maybe be was the lucky recipient of Gods guitar solo grace that day. Maybe he knew he modes inside and out, upside and down.

Whatever the reason, it is one heck of a solo.

Wes Montgomery is one of the titans of jazz guitar—a soulful, unique voice that has inspired generations of guitarists. We’re not alone in our admiration: Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, and many other great guitarists have cited Wes as a major influence.

Wes really shines on Impressions, a classic jazz composition written by the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. Impressions has a simple melody and is based on the Dorian mode—16 bars of Dmin9 (D Dorian), 8 bars of Ebmin9 (Eb Dorian), and then 8 bars of Dmin9 (D Dorian). This is a classic 32-bar AABA form.

The Dorian mode is on full display once the guitar solo starts (D Dorian = D, E, F, G, A, B, C). Wes emphasizes the 2nd (or 9th) degree of the scale (an E) and the 6th (or 13th) degree of the scale (a B). Playing the upper extended notes of a mode or scale is a trademark of jazz.

Because the changes to Impressions are fairly simple, it’s ideal for developing melodic ideas, and that is one of the first characteristics of Wes’ soloing: he plays a phrase, pauses, and then patiently develops it. Instead of ripping off a series of licks, Wes plays ideas , embellishing them as inspiration strikes.

This is evident at 0:40, when Wes continues the idea he’s developing as the chord changes from Dmin9 to Ebmin9. Rather than start a whole new idea, he carries it over, creating thematic continuity. Wes does the same thing but in reverse when the tune returns to Dmin9.

You can see Wes discovering a new melodic idea at 1:11 and then playing with it until 1:14, creating tension and interest along the way. This improvisation is jazz at its best, and shows the depth and beauty of the art form.

Looking at the solo as a whole, it is obvious that Wes is building a musical narrative throughout the tune. His note choices and phrasing serve this greater end. The result is that his solo has a beginning, middle, and end, and this makes it extremely musical and engaging.

Here are some other noteworthy elements to the solo. Wes plays with his thumb instead of a pick, creating a smooth, thick sound. And he is extremely proficient with this unorthodox technique; check out his playing at 1:01. Wes developed the technique because he would practice very late at night, and he didn’t want to wake up his family. Plus, the thumb gives a warmer, softer sound.

Wes also pioneered the use of octaves in solos. He had an amazing facility with this, and it’s on full display at 1:43.

Maybe the most important thing: Wes loved playing the guitar, and his smile at 1:00 comes straight from the heart. It is an attitude to which we all can aspire.

When Joe Satriani first appeared on the music scene in the mid 80’s, his reputation preceded him. Other well-known guitar gods including Steve Vai and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett had studied with him, and were raving about him as a master guitar teacher who had showed them not only how to shred lead guitar, but also the theory behind it.  Even one listen to Joe Satriani’s music reveals him to be a consummate guitarist who clearly has full command of his craft.

“Surfing With the Alien” is the title track from Satriani’s 1987 debut recording. The track is filled with interesting and inspired ideas, and one is the dramatic contrast between the happy-go-lucky blues/rock licks played during the main part of the song, and the exotic sounding shred scales he plays during the solo.

Most of the tune is revolves around G7 to C7 and then back to G, but the solo features Phrygian major—an exotic sounding mode/scale that is arresting to the ear.

Phrygian Major is the Phrygian mode played with a major 3rd instead of a minor 3rd.

C Phrygian: C, D♭, D, F, G♭, A♭, A, B.    

C Phrygian Major: C, D♭, E, F, G, A♭, B♭.

The solo begins at 1:09 with a lick that clearly demonstrates Satch’s technical skill. Using his pick as an extra finger (some players like Eddie Van Halen prefer to use the index finger of the right hand for this effect), he plays a descending pattern with the left hand that outlines Phrygian Major in the key of D♭ (D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, B).  At 1:15 he plays an awesome hammer-on/pull-off sequence that could justifiably be called “shredtastic”!!      Satch’s solo continues as the chord progression transposes up a whole step to Eb. Using the same Phrygian Major scale/mode in the key of E♭ (E♭, E, G, A♭, B♭, B, D♭), Satch plays a memorable melody at 1:26.  He then does a stellar job of balancing jaw-dropping shred passages with more simple, melodic material.

After the melody at 1:26, the progression goes up another whole step to F. Still using Phrygian Major, but now in F (F, G♭, A, B♭, C, D♭, E♭) Satch blows our minds again with his technical skill. As opposed to Metal shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen who pick every note, Satriani prefers a smoother more legato sound that’s achieved through the use of hammer-ons and pull-offs.  

The solo concludes with some down-home bluesy rock licks played over a G chord, highlighting one last time the stark contrast between a major scale and the exotic Phrygian Major.

Joe Satriani’s solo on “Surfing With the Alien” clearly shows that a command of different modes and scales can make a player’s soloing more rich and colorful. Spend some time with Phrygian Major and add another dimension to your solos!!

At some point in most guitarists’ musical journey, they want to learn the modes.

It may be because they’re bored playing the same pentatonic licks. Or they have a hunch that the modes will make their playing more interesting. Or they just want to grow as a musician.

What happens next is typical. They’ll stumble across an explanation of the modes that goes something like this:

• C Ionian is C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.
• D Dorian is D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
• E Phrygian is E, F, G, A, B, C, D.

This explanation is pretty worthless. It’s confusing. C Ionian sounds just like D Dorian, etc. And there is no explanation on how to use this in a musical setting.

After struggling with the traditional approach, we at Master the Modes came up with a simple and easy method. Here is an introduction to it.

The modes are just another word for scales. Guitarists—most musicians, actually—start getting confused right here. So let’s remove the FUD factor lots of guitarists get when they hear the modes, and just think of them as scales: nothing more, nothing less.

A look at the Ionian mode

The Ionian mode is the same thing as a major scale. C Ionian (or C major) would look like this:

So what can you do with this?

The Ionian mode works well over the following chords: major, major 7th, major 9th, major 6th, and major 6th/9th. You’ll find it used in pop songs, country, Southern Rock, and rock.

Once you can hear the Ionian mode in your head, you’ll start hearing it everywhere. Check out the solo in Boston’s More than a Feeling for a great example.

A Look at the Dorian mode

The next mode is Dorian. Think of it as the same as a major scale except the third and seventh degrees are ALWAYS FLATTED.

Flatting the third and seventh degrees of the scale gives the Dorian mode a bluesy feel. It sounds great in funk, blues, and tunes that have a minor, melancholy vibe.

C Dorian looks like this.

Play a C Major scale. Now play a C Dorian. You should immediately hear that the two sound very different.

Here are chords that work well with the Dorian mode: minor triads, minor 7th, minor 9th, minor 11th, minor 13th, and minor 6th/9th. You’ll hear the Dorian mode in rock, funk, heavy metal, pop, and just about everything else.

Check out Carlos Santana’s Oyo Como Va or Van Morrison’s Moon Dance. These are two famous Dorian vamps.

How to start making music with the modes

• Find a friend and jam on C Ionian by playing C major to F major (you can play them as major 7th chord).
• Now jam to C Dorian by playing C minor to F (you can play C minor 7th to F 7th).

Not too hard, eh? You can learn how to play all the modes at MastertheModes.com.

Robby Krieger’s solo on The Doors’ Light My Fire is a great example of how using different modes over a simple progression opens up a world of ideas. Krieger, in fact, uses three modes in the solo: the Dorian, the minor pentatonic scale, and the Aeolian mode.

This might sound a little technical, but it’s proof that knowing a little theory goes a long way: Robbie Krieger’s two-minute solo very deftly captured the spirit of psychedelic, soul-searching era of the 1960’s.

Here’s a closer look at solo that has endured for decades.

The solo (3:17) starts with a beautiful musical phrase straight from the Dorian mode in the key of A (A, B, C, D, E, F#, G). The phrase emphasizes the 2nd degree of the mode (B) and the natural 6th (F#), which really brings out the mode’s unique color. Krieger develops the beginning phrase a bit until 3:33, when he ends the section with an A minor pentatonic blues (A, C, D, E, G).  

A very interesting hammer on sequence follows that combines the minor pentatonic scale and the Dorian mode. Kreiger really shows great instincts in his playing: when an idea bears repetition he riffs on it (3:37). He then plays a classic minor pentatonic scale from 3:45 to 3:45 and to 3:55, throwing in some bluesy double stops.

A highlight of the solo comes next: Krieger lays down an exotic-sounding Aeolian lick at 3:56 (A Aeolian = A, B, C, D, E, F, G). Because he’s jumped from A Dorian to A minor pentatonic to A Aeolian, it’s easy to hear the considerable differences in sound and feeling evoked by each mode. Krieger then plays another pretty A Dorian phrase at 4:04, again emphasizing the 2nd (B) and natural 6th (F#).

Embellishing musical ideas—instead of just spitting out a bunch of licks—is a hallmark of great improviser. Krieger’s solo from 4:15 - 4:40 is one of rock music’s finer examples of this; he introduces a lick and then embellishes it.

At 4:42, Krieger repeats the opening phrase of his solo. This signals that the solo is coming to a close—a device used by classical composers since the time of Bach. He continues improvising around the opening phrase until 5:12.   Krieger once again shows that he’s an “idea” man at 5:13 with a repetitive bent note blues scale phrase that invites drummer John Densmore to join in the fun. The two of them continue with a quarter note triplet figure that rounds out this classic rock guitar solo.

David Gilmour’s solo on Comfortably Numb is less than 50 notes—and it is still considered to be one of the great moments in rock.

Why?

Gilmour’s solo (1:58—2:34)is harmonically rich, and it sounds this way because he is using the Ionian mode over a fairly simple chord progression. A pentatonic scale would have worked, too, but it probably would not have had the same effect. The Ionian mode in Gilmour’s talented hands sounds exotic…sparkling…soaring.

Gilmour also works in the C Lydian mode (2:19 and 2:28). At 2:19 in the solo, he plays a piece of the mode, and again at 2:28, when he bends an F# to a G. The Lydian mode is often described as “airy” and “spacey,” and is a perfect fit considering the song’s lyrics.

Another way to view the solo is Gilmour’s use of “chord tones”. If you were to stop and listen to the downbeat of each chord change, you’d see that he’s playing either the root, 3rd or 5th of that chord.  For instance, the first note of the solo is an F#, which is the major third of a D chord. When the chord changes to A, he plays the fifth degree of that chord (an E). He then arpeggiates the A chord: C#, A, and E. 

The biggest reason this solo is a classic is because every single note counts. The solo is only 30 seconds, and as said, has less than 50 notes. It’s obvious that Gilmour worked the lead out before he recorded it, and every note and lick is played with tremendous depth of feeling.

Gilmour’s beautifully poetic manner of phrasing vividly illustrates this. The solo’s first phrase ends at 2:10, and then is echoed at 2:15. Gilmour introduces a new phrase at 2:20, and again embellishes it at 2:28. Just four sweet, simple melodic ideas, yet they are expressed so creatively and musically that the solo has rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of rock classics.

Gilmour also coaxes an incredible range of tones out of his Strat. His guitar wails in one moment, and whispers in the next. Bright high notes plunge into deep rich bass notes glowing with sustain. The whole universe of guitar sounds seems contained in this unforgettable solo.

So why do you think Comfortably Numb is such a great solo?

Jimmy Page’s solo in Stairway to Heaven is generally considered to be one of rock’s great moments.

Why?

Let’s start off with note choices (See the video below to play the song). Page could have played a simple A minor pentatonic over the progression, but instead deftly blended A Aeolian and the pentatonic scale, giving the solo a brooding, rich feel. The first famous lick (5:55), in fact, ends on an F (which is not in the A minor pentatonic scale but is in A Aeolian), which is one reason it so memorable.

Page especially uses the Aeolian mode at the end of the solo, laying on the 11th and 9th (D and B) from 6:40 to the end. These last licks are some of the most famous moments of the solo, showing how even a little application of the modes can make a solo soar.

Phrasing is another noteworthy facet of the solo. If you listen to it carefully, you’ll hear that Page frequently plays a four-bar idea and then answers it with another four-bar idea. Each idea builds on the one before it. He also does this by playing variations on a theme: listen to the first phrase of the solo and you’ll hear him embellishing it at 6:05 and then at 6:09.

Tension and release (or harmony and disharmony) also makes the solo rock. A blues lick played in the middle of the solo creates tension, and it is finally resolved when the second guitar enters at 6:27. Page uses “call and response” with these two guitars: the first one plays a phrase and the second one answers it.

Page also “plays the space.” Instead of cramming in a stream of 32nd notes, he lets the solo breathe.

Tone is another aspect of this great solo. Page used a Telecaster probably through a Supro (or Marshall), which created that bright biting sound that cut through John Bonham’s wall of drums. He also used very light strings (.008), creating a twangy punch that immediately pops and sings.

So why do you think the solo is so memorable?

Have you ever seen one of those old black-and-white televisions—the ones with the small grainy screen, the crummy picture, and could only get three channels? Then take a look at 42” HDTV, with its vibrant colors and crystalline display, and 1,000 channels.

That’s a pretty good comparison between the kind of music you can make if you don’t—or do—know the modes.

To be fair, the minor pentatonic scale has served rock guitarists well for about fifty years. Some of the greatest solos ever recorded use just the minor pentatonic scale.

But this fact doesn’t disprove the basic point: knowing the modes is a key to making great music and killer solos.

Only knowing the minor pentatonic scale is something like that old television with just three channels. You can make music—some pretty great stuff if you’re really talented—but your musical palette is just five notes. That’s like playing only in black and white when the world around you is in living color.

And here’s what usually happens when you just know the minor pentatonic scale:

• You end up playing the same licks and positions
• You’re really not improvising
• You end up getting bored with your playing because you are limited by what you know

Developing mastery of the modes is like getting that spanking new television. Your playing will become far more interesting…richer…exciting. You’ll be able to switch gears between different kinds of music with great ease. Your favorite music will become more captivating because you’ll be able to express a far wider range of sounds and emotions.

You’ll also join the company of most of the world’s great musicians—the talented ones who know the modes and use them to make unforgettable music.

Steve Vai. Yngwie Malmsteen. Joe Satriani. Eddie Van Halen. George Lynch. Kirk Hammett. Eric Johnson. Warren DiMartini. Paul Gilbert. Mark Knofler. Brian May. Allan Holdsworth. Steve Morse. Al Di Meola. John McLaughlin. John Scofield. Pat Metheny. Jimi Hendrix. Tony McAlpine. Uli John Roth. George Benson. Ritchie Blackmore. Jeff Beck. Steve Howe. Steve Hackett. Mike Stern.

Master the modes. It is your start to musical success.