(#2)
"Slippery When Wet"
by David M. McLean
Steve makes creative use of various techniques, and today I'd like to look at his slippery use of slides and intervals. We'll focus on octaves to make the point clear, but don't think Steve limits himself...and make sure you don't, either.
The two examples below are stylistically similar to devices Steve uses on everything from his remake of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Cold Shot" (found on "Crossfire: A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn"; Triage Records) to songs from "Flamenco A Go-Go", "Rebel Yell", "Black Light Syndrome", and "Atomic Playboys". Notice how Steve groups the notes in triplettes over the straight 4s (the 2 against 3 "hemiola") for the rhythmic flair in both examples, with example one using an ascending passage and example two using a descending passage.
In the final example, Steve uses the constant pedal tone to create tension before running up the neck and resolving with the double-stop (1-5 diad). This simple idea has been used with great success by folks like Bach, Wes Montgomery, George Lynch, and others, and is downright dangerous in Steve's hands.
That's all for now. Have fun with these ideas...and when you have a few moments, check out the "Guitar Gods" interview with Steve here.
See ya next time!
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(January - 2004)
David M. McLean is the proprietor of Skinny Devil Music Labs, former guitarist of the avant-garde fusion-metal band Aurora-Sen, guitar instructor, and columnist for TinFoil Music Magazine (where he conducts interviews in the on-going series “Guitar Gods”). His new solo album, “HUNGER”, will be released later this year.