Alright, Keef! This guy DOES get the credit he deserves for developing a completely unique Guitar style. Sometimes it’s simple sounding, but it’s definitely NOT simple. Keith’s sense of time is unparallelled. With Ron Wood as his Guitar partner, I’d say they are the best one-two Guitar punch in Rock. Ever. And the reason is because they are both Rhythm Guitarists. Start Me Up is simply one example of the superb interplay these to men have going on. Start Me Up is a Jam. That’s all this is – a Jam. But it’s a fine one. Something I’ve never done before is make a video both guitar parts for a single song. So, if you want to see Ron’s Guitar part on Start Me Up, click this: https://youtu.be/ON2_RdMO3TQ.
These videos serve as lessons on how I play this bunch of Pop, Rock, and Reggae songs – sometimes as a single guitarist playing the only guitar part, though that’s rare. And sometimes if there is more than one guitar part, then trying to find the single good path through the tune. I complete one pass, demonstrating different Rhythm parts, styles, and techniques. There is no talking. No discussion. No note-for-note explanations. As such, for clarity, my guitar is supposed to be louder in the mix than it would ever be in a live setting. But, if you really want to hear what I hear, do what I do and put on a good pair headphones with great bass response! It’s worth it.
Why this is important to Rhythm Guitar:
It’s Keef’s most famous riff from a career filled with them. But, it is a lot hard to time this properly than you might think. You need to really listen to the orginal recording to get the nuances of all the different ways he pushes and pulls the beat. And of course it’s one half of what needs to be played. To me, there is no way to play this song live without both parts. And really, Keith and Ron blur just a bit between the two parts at times. Not in the stereo field, but to your ear. I think that’s the brilliance of what these guys do – weave a sonic masterpiece of of intertwining Rhythms. The other thing to really note here is the every member of this band knows where to put holes in their playing. All of them understand that silence is a big part of music. And where you put your silences will define your Guitar style.
No matter what, this is pretty much what Keith played.
It’s not perfect, and it could never be.
It’s just a feel.
#echohead #rhythmguitar #powerpop
