|
|
#1
08-02-2012, 04:23 PM
|
|||
|
|||
How to do John Mayer's sixtuplet percussive noise he does during solos?
I've watched quite a bit of John Mayer, and I have figured out pretty much anything he has done either live or in the studio, but this is one thing that I haven't figured out yet. Here's just one example of it, but he does it during a lot of songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUQI...eature=related It's 3:42 in or so that he does it. You'll hear quickly muted notes played in an 8th-note pattern, but then he also plays completely muted sixtuplet notes over this, meaning that 6 notes are played every quarter note. I know he does it all with his picking hand because you can see it moving in a sixtuplet manner, but it's so little movement that it's hard to tell. Does anyone know how John does this? Thanks.
__________________
2014 Lefty African Blackwood/Adirondack Fan-Fret Baranik Meridian Concert - pending 
Last edited by guitarlifter; 08-02-2012 at 04:29 PM. 
|
|
#2
08-02-2012, 07:40 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Wow, thats quick.
Here's my take... --------------------------------------- ---------10--------------10------------ ---------10--------------10------------ ---x-x-x-10-x-x----x-x-x-10-x-x-------- ---x---------------x------------------- --------------------------------------- All the mutes are played on one string (D) (hence why the hand movement is so minimal) -Starts with your typlcal thumb slap (on the D/A strings). -Followed by a muted up-pick with your index -A muted down pick with your thumb -The chord with your index, middle, and ring fingers, -Then another muted thumb and index. Here's my attempt at it... sounds pretty close... http://tindeck.com/listen/fjao The trick to getting the real percussive sound is to either pick more from underneath the string or grow out a set of nails.
__________________
Fingerstyle Guitar ~ Hammered Dulcimer ~ Clawhammer Banjo ~ Diatonic Harmonica ~ Anglo Concertina Last edited by wood nacho; 08-02-2012 at 08:22 PM.
|
|
#3
08-02-2012, 10:39 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
I have applied what I learned from this video to try my own hand at it, and I got something like this: --------------------------------------- --------10-----------10------------ --------10-----------10------------ ------x-10---x-----x-10---x-------- ----x------x---x-x-------x------------ --x------------x----------------------- --P-P-P-X-P-I-S-P-P--X-P-I P = thumb I = index M = middle A = ring X = IMA together S = slap with thumb R = rest, no notes are played This may not be quite right, but the first four notes of each sixtuplet will be easy to do and can definitely be used in this technique, and it's also closer to what John does from what I've seen and from what the video is saying. Those four notes basically consist of grazing the thumb across the E, A, and D strings in a sixtuplet pattern, then playing the chord on the "and" of the first beat. The bass note can also be unmuted or partially muted in this technique to better mimic the "Your Body is a Wonderland" riff. You can also replace the first bass note on the low E string with another slap if you want to do double time with the slapping. It's just as easy. You'd just repeat the 2nd sixtuplet in my tab above twice instead of doing the tab above. After that, the last two notes of the sixtuplet are hard to figure out because your hand gets no rest to prepare so you have to move fast. With how I tabbed it, I basically have a triplet's worth of time to get my thumb back into position for the 2nd set of triplets. One solution might be to use more of the IMA fingers to take up some of the triplets. Perhaps one could even do down strokes with the nails on the IMA fingers for one of the sixtuplet notes. I'm definitely getting closer! The use of the thumb going across a few strings definitely lends to getting a fuller sound than using the index. It's also easy to control at least if you have a well-developed thumb. Does anyone have any other recommendations? EDIT: Ok, I think I might actually have EXACTLY what John does while playing it! After closely listening, I think that John DOES do a single rest after the chord for a sixtpuplet rest, making this slightly more humanly possible. I think the tab would look something more like this: --------------------------------------- --------10---x-------10----x-------- --------10---x-------10----x-------- ------x-10---x-----x-10----x-------- --x-x------x---x-x-------x------------ --x------------x----------------------- --S-P-P-X-R-X-S-P-P--X-P-X Fingerings: P = thumb I = index M = middle A = ring X = IMA together S = slap with thumb R = rest, no notes are played and the x on the tab is just a placeholder I feel more strongly about this than my post before I edited. Here is the evidence. 1. If you watch ANY video, John does not separate his IMA fingers. They always move in unison during those sixtuplets, making me believe that the IMA are always together during this. 2. If you listen VERY closely to the video that I posted in addition to any other video in which he plays the triplet, he skips a beat after the first four notes of each sixtuplet, so it goes one-la-le-and-(rest)-le-two-la-le-and-(rest)-le-three-la-le-and-(rest)-le-four-la-le-and-(rest)-le. ALL that goes in one measure. haha It's a lot for sure! 3. He also does drag his thumb across at least two strings after he slaps, so he starts off by doing a slap, followed by mutedly playing two bass strings followed by a quickly muted chord, so the idea of using the IMA fingers before the chord is invalid in terms of how John actually does this. There is video proof to show that he uses his thumb for the first three beats of the measure. However, on the "le" of all the "ands" (the 6th beat of each sixtuplet), he does use the IMA fingers once again. So this is pretty much it. I originally thought that it was just straight sixtuplets, which is still possible if you develop the hand speed, but it's often easier guitar to get really fast at certain patterns so long as you get a small rest to reset for repeating the pattern. Having just one sixtuplet rest is just enough to get the thumb back to the top and do a "waterfall" of muted bass notes. If you really want to get fancy like John does, do a bass slap with the low E string instead of a mute slap. I might post a video later. First I have to record it and also clean off my phone so I can upload it because my phone has too much crud to even run the app to replay a video or even look at a picture! Btw, one key to getting fast at this will be to, as always, limit hand movement. In this case, making one's thumb move independently from the IMA fingers will be important for being able to keep up tempo. With this kind of speed, one cannot afford to have their whole hand move when one part of it moves. It really has to stay still in order to move that fast. DOUBLE EDIT: OK, so I have ONE more refinement to add to what I have already refined above. Nothing has changed except that, when I first pluck the chord and do that rest, I am finding that, when I bring my fingers back down to pluck on the "la" before the next string slap, I am getting a sound out of it anyway, which is actually a good thing. So, for what I am playing, there are no rests. --------------------------------------- --------10-x-x--------10-x-x-------- --------10-x-x--------10-x-x-------- ------x-10-x-x------x-10-x-x-------- --x-x-----------x-x-------------------- --x-------------x----------------------- --S-P-P-X-R-X-S-P-P--X-R-X Fingerings: P = thumb I = index M = middle A = ring X = IMA together S = slap with thumb R = IMA fingers come back down to be ready for next pluck and backs of nails make noise on strings above them for a mute note in the process This version is surprising because the first three notes of the sixtuplet are handled by the thumb while the next three notes of the sixtuplet are handled only by the IMA fingers in unison. You REALLY have to have independent control of your thumb and IMA fingers if you want to be able to do this. Like I said, a small spurt of notes is easy as long as you have prep time for it, and this allows for prep time for both the thumb and IMA fingers to do three notes of the sixtuplet in a row each. Although I don't hear John having a note played during that rest like I do where the backs of my nails are making a noise when my IMA fingers come back down to make that second muted pluck, but I actually like that better AND I can still take that out if I need to (although I don't really want to). I am pretty satisfied with this. I practiced it for a few minutes and was able to sound exactly like John does during his solos or at least in a slower form. I am positive that I will be able to keep up with John once I work up my speed. The cool thing about this technique is that it will allow me to expand it to other songs and styles. What a good night this has been! Does anyone think I'm crazy yet? Sorry, I'm bored, and I am just really excited to have figured out one of the few John Mayer techniques that I haven't figured out yet. 
__________________
2014 Lefty African Blackwood/Adirondack Fan-Fret Baranik Meridian Concert - pending
Last edited by guitarlifter; 08-03-2012 at 12:09 AM.
|
|
#4
08-03-2012, 09:57 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Looks like you've got it figured out! Yeah, I've never thought about doing a 'thumb rake'. Great job.
__________________
Fingerstyle Guitar ~ Hammered Dulcimer ~ Clawhammer Banjo ~ Diatonic Harmonica ~ Anglo Concertina
|
|
#5
08-03-2012, 01:58 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Check it out: (It'll go straight to the part that I'm talking about) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIocd...ailpage#t=295s If you look, John will slap with his thumb, then "rake" (as you put it) two bass strings, followed by a chord with the IMA fingers, then John brings his IMA fingers back down to pluck them again. Now the problem is just getting up to John's speed!
__________________
2014 Lefty African Blackwood/Adirondack Fan-Fret Baranik Meridian Concert - pending
|
