Guitar Lesson 32: What can we learn and use from the style of David Gilmour?

Guitar Lessons with Tune in, Tone up!

https://tunein-toneup.com/ In guitar lesson 32, Dan and I take a look at some general ideas which you can take from David Gilmour’s playing. He plays with such meaning and purpose and the most incredible tone and yet what he plays is not usually technically too difficult. Using a style backing track, Dan and I look at how Gilmour uses dynamics, phrasing, bending, vibrato and intelligent note choices deeply connected to the chords which he plays over. We hope that this type of exploration, rather than note for note copying, will help you to actually be able to incorporate some of this in your own playing. Main timings 02:29 Initial thoughts about Gilmour’s playing style 10:16 Backing track jam 1 with lick trading and improvising from both Dan and I – This is the shortened version (go to our website to hear the whole thing 11:56 What can we notice from trying to play with Gilmour in mind? 17:09 Think in terms of notes rather than scales 27:25 Incorporating bass notes 28:48 2nd Backing track improvisation 33:00 Gilmour: Flangers, choruses, MXR Dynocomp, delays and reverbs for atmosphere, MGP SPC, powered pickups 43:53 Bending exercises 49:13 Theory on vibrato Detailed timings: 00:33 INTRO 01:26 START 02:29 First thoughts from both of us considering what it is about Gilmour's style that is so enthralling and popular 02:51 EXCERPT Shine on you Crazy Diamond 09:33 so what we're gonna do is take a style backing track and improvise over it to see what Gilmourisms come out 10:16 Backing track jam 1 with lick trading and improvising from both Dan and I 11:56 What can we notice from trying to play with Gilmour in mind? Dynamics, space, bends, pentatonic patterns, swapping notes, positional playing, economical playing 13:56 EXCERPT Comfortably Numb 17:09 Players looking for things in the wrong places - think in terms of notes rather than scales 19:26 For example, play minor pentatonic over Blues but just include the major 6th 22:19 Connecting to chords by thinking about the notes, targetting and listening carefully to the chords you play over 22:28 EXCERPT Echoes 27:25 The rich, gutteral, growly, gritty bass notes and using them when others don't so much 28:48 backing track again just after sorrow 30:52 Using the volume and tone pots to peel it back or let rip 31:19 RECAP: bass notes, volume and tone, listening, effects 33:00 Gilmour: Flangers, choruses, MXR Dynocomp, delays and reverbs for atmosphere, MGP SPC, powered pickups 34:11 EXCERPT Sorrow 37:23 He manipulates his sound with effects to take his bluesy style and make it more psychadelic, atmospheric and spacey 39:09 EXCERPT - Time 40:34 Any questions: I ask Dan about big slides and interpositional pentatonic playing, bending and vibrato 43:53 Bending exercise 1: Go up the major scale in bends using each string 45:56 Bending exercise 2: bend a whole tone then a semi-tone and back down the notes 47:03 Bending exercise 3: Pentatonic blues lick 49:13 Theory on vibrato a) after a bend vs b) from a static note - the string must return to the 'zero' point 51:37 Same problem as vibrato with tremolo bar systems - i.e. don't hold onto the bar