Oddball. I really like the arpeggios at the end of “Lost Inside the Girl.” They’re extremely simple, but they just elevate the song and tie it all together.
In Slash's autobiography he talks about finding a book called "How to Play Rock Guitar" in the trunk of some old car he got. He said he pretty much learned everything he needed to know from that book and also that he has never found another copy of it anywhere. He sometimes wonders if that book was somehow there specifically for him.
I read his autobiography also. I think it also said he got an old guitar from his grandma or someone that only had 1 string on it. Also he used to ride BMX and hang out with Michael Balsary aka Flea. Pretty good read. Dave Mustaines book is pretty good too 👍.
@@ChristianCMC yes I remember that. He was all about bmx bikes until he discovered guitar. He was also a talented artist and despite his partying he had a strong work ethic. In fact it was one of his drawings that got Axl's attention.
@@Morten_Nielsen1979 I read it and I remember him also mentioning this elusive book full of chords with the relevant scales and arpeggios. Then he went on to write about his love affair with heroine for most of the rest of the book lol. In all seriousness it`s a must read for any aspiring musician
Funny thing is, Slash has said one of his most influential guitar players is Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who is also known for mixing major and minor. Their styles overlap a lot and both offer a plethora of cool bluesy licks. Great lesson!
Slash also talks about that his goal every year is to take his playing up another level. If you were lucky enough to see him on the most recent GnR tour he was showing virtuoso talent that has only gotten monstrously better since I first saw him in 87, then saw him in '91 when I thought he couldn't possibly get better. Very inspiring that even one of the best knows the importance of never stopping learning.
Saw him with Ozzy 10-15 years ago, so impressive live. I think being a guitarist myself really helps you see how much talent and hard work he's put into his trade.
Slash is a prime example of keeping it straight up, but doing it as well as possible. Saw em play up close. He seemed so comfortable, so rarely missing a note. Even when someone in the crowd threw a lighter that dinged right off his guitar. Didn’t even flinch. Slash rules!
@musicfriend2051 get your emotions out of here, he has improved with time He was messy in early g n r, he could play and he created some great parts to pieces of music but his technical skills and how he pulls that off have gotten a lot more proficient
You also can't ignore how much Izzy shaped his leads. The solo in Sweet Child is a perfect example, that loose almost-gypsy jazz-meets-kind-of-blues feel relied totally on Izzy's rhythm.
I love slash. It was learning Rocket Queen, the end solo , that I figured out the difference between major and minor. Song is in E so I figured I'd find the notes in the minor scale and I was so frustrated. Then I just happened to hit a lick in D flat while it was playing and voila, that was my gateway into modes.
Wait! You had no idea how to use modes, and in fact didn't even the difference in maj and min, and after playing one lick you suddenly had a complete understanding of music theory? You know something? That story is so bullshitty and hard to believe, that I actually believe you! Nobody could or would make that shit up! 😂
Yes this is basically it for Slash, with some Mixolydian thrown in there sometimes too. Well done explaining this to people. Straight to the point, no fuzz and easy riffs so everyone can understand and hear the switches. Instant sub!
Slash is a perfect embodiment of the right amount of theory. He understands what he is doing and has a foundation but then let’s his soul get all up in there
There's something called relative theory, mostly seen on self taught players, we don't have the text theory but you create your own by your logic. Some nights something just clicks and you unlock the next chapter of your own theory, is fucking great tbh, if you learn theory after having your relative, is incredibly musical, cuz u can go back and forth from text-book theory to your relative theory which is basically your personality and licks you've heard through your guitar career.
Slash is a master of mixing the minor and major scales but something he also does a lot is use the natural minor and harmonic minor scales. This is very prevalent in the Sweet Child O Mine solos.
I noticed this about Slash many years ago reading his interviews in guitar mags. He talks about mixolydian and stuff and I was like “whoa, this dude is legit”. It actually inspired me in other areas of life to get educated about things I really care about, and then forget that I got educated. Kind of Zen, in a way. Love that guy.
Indeed... Major pentatonic with a b7 is basically Mixolydian with a blues feel. Also the minor 3rd is the "blue" note in a Major blues scale, like the b5 would be in its relative minor blues scale. And that "dark" note goes into modes of melodic minor like Mixolydian b6 and lydian dominant. Yeah... Slash knows what's up. Great vid!
Awesome!!!!!This is the Best Breakdown of a Guitar Style I’ve ever Seen. Slash is literally the reason I picked up a Guitar and Appetite For Destruction completely changed my life. The switching from minor to major scales is Brilliantly explained. I would watch his guitar solo in the GNR live In Tokyo (Use Your Illusions tour) video over and over again to watch his fingers navigate the fretboard🤘🏽
Totally agree. If you dig into and reverse engineer just about any Slash solo, even the AFD stuff, you see a lot of very well thought out musical ideas that tie well into what he's playing over to make the note choices pop.
"BE DANGEROUS ON ROCK GUITAR" by Richard Daniels is what opened the door for me. And then learning many many songs developing my ear and mostly right hand skills.
Good point- I asked one of of my guitar teachers many years ago about this and he referenced a B.B. King interview where he made a brief reference to jazz guitar and casually played some complex jazz voicings , one would think he just knows the blues scale
I am bass player sometimes cover GNR. Last week I was covering Civil War. I think Duff McKagan is also same as what you explain. Obviously GNR is genius clusters. Thank you interesting video😊
I've only learned one of his songs and I'm convinced this dude knew more theory at age 20 than I know now at 43. But then again, buckets of talent do help.
I never learned music or guitar theorie, my teachers always were like "Today we noodle this, today we noodle that" But I never understood what and why were doing things. My music career first came into gear 15 years after I picked up the guitar, where I taught myself music theory and suddenly saw and understood how certain things are constructed and how to construct runs, melodies etc myself. Theory is super essential for doing your own stuff, and although it seems boring, it can be super fascinating to put theory into practice.
Yes, you are right Robert. I heared it quite often times guitar players downplay themselves pretending not to know theory but in reality they do know very well, at least the basic foundation. I wished they would not mask everything and just be open and clear about themselves. Marty Friedman also said in an interview he doesn’t know a lot and that can really confuse people.
About three days ago I was watching that Slash video, wishing that somebody would expand on what he was talking about so I’d be able to make use of that info..which is EXACTLY what this video does. 👍
When you’ve drilled a thing like a scale into your head for long enough you stop having to think about it and it just becomes an extension of your creativity. It’s like touch typing on a physical keyboard, I can type 90 words per minute and at no point in the process of laying down a sentence do I have to direct a single thought towards guiding my finders towards the keys for the individual letters I’m using. This is how I personally view scales and the fretboard, as time I have to spend learning how to interact with the instrument so I can start speaking in coherent “sentences” without wasting thoughts on guiding my fingers to the notes which make up that “sentence.”
Thank you Robert! I absolutely agree about knowing theory. Have to have some understanding otherwise ruts begin. Great teaching and would really dig a SLASH course. Fav solo probably Slither!
Amazing Video Robert !! I think you just opened a lot of doors between my head and my fingers. I'll be watching this Video for at least a couple of dozen times. Really great job on this !! I hope you and your Family are doing well and staying safe . 🎸🎸🎸
At the very end of the video their is audio snippet of Slash talking about every kid has a book of scales lying around, but mentions if you can't apply them, then there is no use for them. He's SO right on that. I studied with teachers many years ago before all this internet teaching availability. One of the things I had to do was practice scales. But they made no sense to me. I wanted to play like Jimi or Jimmy, and those scales did not sound like they fit in. Then somehow I learned the minor-pentatonic scale and things started to jive, although I did not know what it was called at the time. Eventually I discovered the major-pentatonic. I quit those lessons at some point. Not saying knowing full scales is something you don't need, but it helps if you know how they can fit in. A lot of more traditional country music is great for that.
He incorporates major and minor scales, along with some exotic elements, which is why his playing always feels fresh and avoids sounding stale or cliché. Here’s how I interpret the Slash mode after studying many of his solos: Let’s use the key of A, but we’ll begin with a G note (for educational reasons): G, A, B, C, D, D#, E, F#, G, A, B, C It starts and ends on G, but this approach is what I refer to as "Slash Mode in A." Start by playing this with your second finger on the 5th fret of the d string. Then pinky on the A and your index hits the B on the next string, etc. There's a position shift on the B string, THIS is where the magic happens. Some exotic flavor right in the middle of a rock-blues scale. You almost can't hit a wrong note when you start doodling around in this scale like Slash does for his fast playing. It's where he cuts loose and start embellishing. Listen to outro solo in Nightrain to get a feel for this. But make no mistake he does this all over the place. It's really pure genius.
Playing guitar and doing it like a pro takes more than just a little talent. Most of the guitar players that we adore put it as their life. It's all they wanted to do. They lived poor, sometimes homeless because of this. Because they dove in, I mean ALL IN! and spent nearly all waking moments just playing guitar. The saying practice makes perfect is no small thing. Angus would learn songs by ear then if he noticed a song being played in a progression similar to another he would try to mix solos together to invent something new. No real training other then what his brothers taught him. Yes he knows some scales, but he himself has been quoted as now really knowing much music theory. That's why a lot of their songs sound so alike. And he is my favorite guitar player of all time. Favorite band. He learned what he liked to listen to, mainly blues which is major and minor pentatonic, and went with it. He knows what it is. He didn't when he was learning. But I'm sure he does now. And he has probably picked up some stuff along the way. But he master those scales. It's all in or nothing. That's how you become great by the age of 20. If you only noodle around for a hour a day once a week, maybe by the time you are 50 you can play like that. The human body and mind is capable of amazing things, if one has the determination and drive to go ALL IN! I love playing guitar, and it feels so great when things just jive and you are in the zone. You can't help but smile, because that feeling is kind of a tickle in the gut. I hope everyone finds it. 🙏
Crazy that guitar player would think that Slash, Jimi, SRV or Angus aren't well aware of the theory behind the fretboard. Jimi didn't just "hear and feel" his way into the iconic Little Wing progression. It's a great story that people like to tell. They didn't just pickup a guitar and start playing notes and say "oh that sounds good".
@@rtelles1127 well then you're doing yourself a disservice. Knowing at least the major and minor pentatonic, and knowing how to combine the two can help you sound good in most situations. Knowing intervals, chord tones, double stops, triads, and such will help make it unique.
The key in the guitar theory is triads . Once you can tell "here's the maj7 , here's the 3b , etc.. " And also know shapes of inversions within the scale , its all you need to noodle by feel.
I don’t have a favorite Slash solo as I’m not a GnR fan at all or that type music. What I am a fan of is learning cool stuff from the channel. The lick at 6:23 is note for note from Robin Trower’s “I can’t stand it “ off twice removed from yesterday album.
I found that more informative than 99% of videos on UA-cam. Great explanation on theory just being a general set of directions, but it's ok to wander off the path and find your own way.
What a great video Robert. Hey, if you can analyze one or two of Slash's solos and break them down and explain the links to the theory and major/minor scale combo it'll REALLY be a great thing you can do. That's not anything I found on UA-cam, hopefully you don't mind doing that, it'll be GREAT if you can. Good video again dude !
My dad was classically trained from young then 1963 he decided to kind of reteach himself he could read music and knew all the theory after training for hours for years because he loved it. He swapped over night. The lads loved it they got classical one day then him experimenting with the blues then rock and roll. He ended up playing in a local band in late 1966 maybe before a lot of famous bands and when he joined over night the quiet club was rammed. He was in Germany in the Army.
I’ve played guitar for like 25 years. Never really learned theory or even scales. Just wasn’t what I was interested in. Been in multiple bands, played tons of shows. I’m just now wanting to learn stuff like this. Just for myself. Cheers Robert
Even that intro to this video sounded really really good, but slash's is just on another level, because its HIS song and every fkn note has nuances to it that are unique.
I have never heard someone phrase it the way you did. When it comes to slash all we hear people say about him is “harmonic minor” but you referred to that note as maj7. Very cool way to look at it
I think Page plays the F as a chord tone (root) of the F in the AM G F progression in Stairway. He's playing a minor pent run down and introducing the diatonic minor flat 6th to anchor.
There is this solo that Clapton did in a song called Badge that he and George Harrison wrote together...I worked on learning that solo, because I really liked it as a kid when Best of Cream came out...I found in that solo that he would do various position changes on the fretboard, but when landing in the various positions, he would stay in a secluded area where he landed and then do a bunch of stuff within a particular area...and he would do this minor/ back to major/ back to minor thing, with bends...it took a lot of work to get to where I could play it in the ballpark of being right...including slowing it down in youtube to really hear what he was doing...
Slash does know what he's doing. If you read his book he learned theory and harmony from a guitar teacher named Robert. He's very melodic and emotional while at the same time well versed with Major, minor, pentatonic, and blues scales. Also note if you take the blues scale and combine it with the major you get the Spanish Flamenco scale. This is where his noodling comes from a long with his being exposed to alot of music comes from. He probably don't realize that, but his ability is there to that of what he's doing.
I've seen that video many times and Slash just cracks me up everytime I hear him say, "Well...I try to stick with as many rock positions as I can" Haha! Just a perfect "aw shucks" Slash-ism. He definitely knows what he's doing, he just doesn't know how to articulate it like your typical theory geek.
Thought you were going to start playing "The Entertainer" with that 'chromatic' bit just over halfway through the vid LOL. Some rock players knows the 'theory' by ear/instinct, others know minimal theory enough to communicate chord names, common scales, keys etc and others know the theory inside out. Some lean to using triads and chord shapes adding notes around them for leads, some lean to scale shapes, some do it all...the more approaches a player has to write with, the bigger their tool box. The theory is always in there. Borrowing chords/notes outside a key/scale can add flavor ... different ways to think outside the box. It's all good/beneficial.
I think the point about Slash and Angus is, that they are both pretty humble guys and they probably don't say they know music theory because they never classicly studied it. They know a lot of stuff and can put it to practice, but its not like a trained musician spending half a decade in college learning everything they need. I like that they say they don't know stuff instead of bragging with what they learned. What would fascinate me is the interaction beween Myles Kennedy, who is a classically trained musician and Slash. Both super nice, super humble guys, exchanging tricks and knowledge they aquired, to grow together :)
All top guitar players know their stuff, it is less about technical ability it is about how they "feel" their music, and that is what the listeners ENJOY. This is what is special about this, not how many notes he can play etc
Can you imagine thinking that Slash DOESNT know what he’s doing on the guitar? 😂 Regardless whether you’re into the music or not - He’s cemented as a guitar God. The man knows how to play the guitar
When you are able to play the C major scale and make your guitar a piano with white keys, you are able to play every scale you need. It's the same as A minor, Aeolian, it has G mixolydian in it and Dorian. And suddenly you are able to play all these scales everywhere on the fretboard and switch between them. All you need are the five fingerings of C major.
Great analysis. Another Slash's trademark I still don't understand is the change of mood/atmosphere in his solos. I guess that comes from the rythmic section too. For instance, in sweet Child o mine, or in some velvet revolver tunes, like Slither...
The songs typically have a completely different chord structure under the solo, that's not repeated anywhere else in the sing. Those chords change the feel just as much, if not more than the solos
Sliding up on the fifth string to go into major pentatonic - mind blown, never thought of that. Its a crazy dream at my age, but Id love to get to the point that somebody on YT analyzed my playing and said, "So you can see that he totally ripped this part off from Neal Schon and that one from David Gilmour, which is pretty cool." Or Slash, or Santana, or etc.
A lot of the great guitarists mix major and minor recently saw a lesson that showed Eric Clapton was into it as well and probably many more do this I am only just starting to do it myself very useful to change up what your playing.
For example before i just know the Mayor scales, and then i notice the C mayor scale is relative to A minor scale and changing stuff like that fits with the chords.
Because of things like this, I would NEVER call Slash "overrated" When you actually study what he does in every solo you find a lot of interesting stuff and it goes way beyond "pentatonic and bends" (nothing wrong with that though, I love pentatonic) Great video!
I agree he was the reason i started guitar 10 years ago. 2 years in I started to think he was not really a unique guitarist as i thought by what I would heard and i was able to play 90% of his stuff but eventually when I learned theory and scales I realized he is not just a simple pentatonic minor guitarist. I now appreciate every single solo him ive studied non stop how and why he choses each note truly amazing
You can make a minor third sound great in a major key if you play it right. It’s all about phrasing. I like to think in terms of major and minor intervals. Three notes, two intervals, one major and one minor. Essential to play the blues.
The thing is with theory (of your self taught) is knowing where to begin and why it sounds the way it does. Theory is the most important part of playing. Without it your stabbing blindly in the dark.
Guitar is such a cool instrument with so many ways to play it across a variety of styles and genres. Personally, I love my 80s shred, but I still appreciate how great other players are. You’re probably not going to see Slash playing the kind of licks Yngwie Malmsteen or Paul Gilbert does, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an incredibly talented guitarist. Consider the fact that he was only 21 when he recorded Appetite for Destruction. Heck, most of his iconic work with Guns N' Roses was recorded by the time he was 25. You don’t reach that level of maturity in your playing and etch legendary solos like that into history without being gifted. And he had probably only been playing about 10 years when did it.
Robert, this is some great Slash theory! My favorite Slash solo's are "You Could Be Mine" and a song called "Starlight" he did with Miles Kennedy and the conspirators. I recommend it if you have never heard it. 🎸😎🤟
What's your favorite Slash solo?
I love the solo for You Could be Mine! Full of attitude
sweet childdd, first one I ever heard
Oddball. I really like the arpeggios at the end of “Lost Inside the Girl.” They’re extremely simple, but they just elevate the song and tie it all together.
Probably the main solo AND outro solos from "Night Train."
The main Sweet Child o' mine solo!
In Slash's autobiography he talks about finding a book called "How to Play Rock Guitar" in the trunk of some old car he got. He said he pretty much learned everything he needed to know from that book and also that he has never found another copy of it anywhere. He sometimes wonders if that book was somehow there specifically for him.
Amazing. I have read Slash's autobiography, but I don't remember that story.
I remember that story from he’s book
I read his autobiography also. I think it also said he got an old guitar from his grandma or someone that only had 1 string on it. Also he used to ride BMX and hang out with Michael Balsary aka Flea. Pretty good read. Dave Mustaines book is pretty good too 👍.
@@ChristianCMC yes I remember that. He was all about bmx bikes until he discovered guitar. He was also a talented artist and despite his partying he had a strong work ethic. In fact it was one of his drawings that got Axl's attention.
@@Morten_Nielsen1979 I read it and I remember him also mentioning this elusive book full of chords with the relevant scales and arpeggios. Then he went on to write about his love affair with heroine for most of the rest of the book lol. In all seriousness it`s a must read for any aspiring musician
Funny thing is, Slash has said one of his most influential guitar players is Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who is also known for mixing major and minor. Their styles overlap a lot and both offer a plethora of cool bluesy licks. Great lesson!
The riff on brownstone is kinda similar to walk this way. Definitely has a perry vibe
Joe Perry has always been tough to cover, he has his completely own style. I’ve always loved slash because he’s a rock guy through and through.
I got kicked out of a band for mixing major and minor in my leads
@@godsinbox damn son😂
@@godsinbox you were ahead of your time...lol
Slash also talks about that his goal every year is to take his playing up another level. If you were lucky enough to see him on the most recent GnR tour he was showing virtuoso talent that has only gotten monstrously better since I first saw him in 87, then saw him in '91 when I thought he couldn't possibly get better. Very inspiring that even one of the best knows the importance of never stopping learning.
Yes! I saw them this summer in Norway, and he was a beast. He is clearly putting in some practice hours.
Agreed. Saw them at Fenway this summer. So good. Slash was killin it.
His extended solo when playing Rocket Queen live with Myles & The Conspirators live is incredible.
Saw him with Ozzy 10-15 years ago, so impressive live. I think being a guitarist myself really helps you see how much talent and hard work he's put into his trade.
And he has
Slash is a prime example of keeping it straight up, but doing it as well as possible.
Saw em play up close. He seemed so comfortable, so rarely missing a note. Even when someone in the crowd threw a lighter that dinged right off his guitar. Didn’t even flinch. Slash rules!
Slash is better than most people think. He’s actually gotten better with time
What you mean better ? Slash is one of the greatest rock guitar player, it was blessings to see guns and roses play live recently
@musicfriend2051 get your emotions out of here, he has improved with time
He was messy in early g n r, he could play and he created some great parts to pieces of music but his technical skills and how he pulls that off have gotten a lot more proficient
You also can't ignore how much Izzy shaped his leads. The solo in Sweet Child is a perfect example, that loose almost-gypsy jazz-meets-kind-of-blues feel relied totally on Izzy's rhythm.
Yeah I agree. Everyone pretty much forgets about Izzy. Underrated for sure.
Izzy was the soul of the band. He was the loose, sleazy, in time/out of time Kieth Richards vibe the band was built off of.
GNR died when Izzy left. One of the most amazing rock rhythm guitarists ever 🤙. So many embellishments.
Absolutely. With izzy gone, slash wasn't nearly as impressive as he was in GNR
@@ChristianCMCsadly. Yes. It was never the same without Izzy
I love slash.
It was learning Rocket Queen, the end solo , that I figured out the difference between major and minor.
Song is in E so I figured I'd find the notes in the minor scale and I was so frustrated.
Then I just happened to hit a lick in D flat while it was playing and voila, that was my gateway into modes.
Wait! You had no idea how to use modes, and in fact didn't even the difference in maj and min, and after playing one lick you suddenly had a complete understanding of music theory?
You know something? That story is so bullshitty and hard to believe, that I actually believe you! Nobody could or would make that shit up! 😂
I think this was a clever troll...
Yes this is basically it for Slash, with some Mixolydian thrown in there sometimes too.
Well done explaining this to people. Straight to the point, no fuzz and easy riffs so everyone can understand and hear the switches. Instant sub!
It took a decade for me to start appreciating slashes playing. Man is really good. A great guitar player.
same here!
Slash is a perfect embodiment of the right amount of theory. He understands what he is doing and has a foundation but then let’s his soul get all up in there
There's something called relative theory, mostly seen on self taught players, we don't have the text theory but you create your own by your logic. Some nights something just clicks and you unlock the next chapter of your own theory, is fucking great tbh, if you learn theory after having your relative, is incredibly musical, cuz u can go back and forth from text-book theory to your relative theory which is basically your personality and licks you've heard through your guitar career.
Slash is a master of mixing the minor and major scales but something he also does a lot is use the natural minor and harmonic minor scales. This is very prevalent in the Sweet Child O Mine solos.
Also Double Talkin Jive
I noticed this about Slash many years ago reading his interviews in guitar mags. He talks about mixolydian and stuff and I was like “whoa, this dude is legit”. It actually inspired me in other areas of life to get educated about things I really care about, and then forget that I got educated. Kind of Zen, in a way. Love that guy.
He got me in the mixolydian back in middle school(1990). That’s what inspired me to learn the circle of 5ths. Was great for fretboard mapping!
Indeed... Major pentatonic with a b7 is basically Mixolydian with a blues feel. Also the minor 3rd is the "blue" note in a Major blues scale, like the b5 would be in its relative minor blues scale. And that "dark" note goes into modes of melodic minor like Mixolydian b6 and lydian dominant. Yeah... Slash knows what's up. Great vid!
Awesome!!!!!This is the Best Breakdown of a Guitar Style I’ve ever Seen. Slash is literally the reason I picked up a Guitar and Appetite For Destruction completely changed my life. The switching from minor to major scales is Brilliantly explained. I would watch his guitar solo in the GNR live In Tokyo (Use Your Illusions tour) video over and over again to watch his fingers navigate the fretboard🤘🏽
Same here
Hahahhaha, exactly the same here! I watched that vhs casette a million times!
Heh yup same!
Totally agree. If you dig into and reverse engineer just about any Slash solo, even the AFD stuff, you see a lot of very well thought out musical ideas that tie well into what he's playing over to make the note choices pop.
"It's music theory, not music fact... there are no rules." - E. Van Halen
I do dig your channel, man... thanks for cool useful content!
"BE DANGEROUS ON ROCK GUITAR" by Richard Daniels is what opened the door for me. And then learning many many songs developing my ear and mostly right hand skills.
😎
Here’s to hoping for the Robert Baker Slash class being announced next 👏🏼
That would be deluxe!!!
Absolutely I could dig that
No joke , the breakdown, the examples, no fluff just straight knowledge that was easily digested.
Good point- I asked one of of my guitar teachers many years ago about this and he referenced a B.B. King interview where he made a brief reference to jazz guitar and casually played some complex jazz voicings , one would think he just knows the blues scale
He had lessons from a guitar program in LA and studied music at school. He didn't just copy records and stumble on minor scales by magic.
I am bass player sometimes cover GNR. Last week I was covering Civil War. I think Duff McKagan is also same as what you explain. Obviously GNR is genius clusters. Thank you interesting video😊
I've only learned one of his songs and I'm convinced this dude knew more theory at age 20 than I know now at 43. But then again, buckets of talent do help.
Its not talent…its hard work and a lot of hours practicing
@@Johnny_0706 exactly, and what you choose to practice daily ultimately determines your style
I never learned music or guitar theorie, my teachers always were like "Today we noodle this, today we noodle that"
But I never understood what and why were doing things.
My music career first came into gear 15 years after I picked up the guitar, where I taught myself music theory and suddenly saw and understood how certain things are constructed and how to construct runs, melodies etc myself.
Theory is super essential for doing your own stuff, and although it seems boring, it can be super fascinating to put theory into practice.
Yes, you are right Robert. I heared it quite often times guitar players downplay themselves pretending not to know theory but in reality they do know very well, at least the basic foundation. I wished they would not mask everything and just be open and clear about themselves.
Marty Friedman also said in an interview he doesn’t know a lot and that can really confuse people.
This is a great breakdown. Super easy to follow, plus you gave us tabs. Thank you
About three days ago I was watching that Slash video, wishing that somebody would expand on what he was talking about so I’d be able to make use of that info..which is EXACTLY what this video does. 👍
When you’ve drilled a thing like a scale into your head for long enough you stop having to think about it and it just becomes an extension of your creativity. It’s like touch typing on a physical keyboard, I can type 90 words per minute and at no point in the process of laying down a sentence do I have to direct a single thought towards guiding my finders towards the keys for the individual letters I’m using.
This is how I personally view scales and the fretboard, as time I have to spend learning how to interact with the instrument so I can start speaking in coherent “sentences” without wasting thoughts on guiding my fingers to the notes which make up that “sentence.”
Thank you Robert! I absolutely agree about knowing theory. Have to have some understanding otherwise ruts begin. Great teaching and would really dig a SLASH course. Fav solo probably Slither!
Amazing Video Robert !! I think you just opened a lot of doors between my head and my fingers. I'll be watching this Video for at least a couple of dozen times. Really great job on this !!
I hope you and your Family are doing well and staying safe . 🎸🎸🎸
My favorite solo by Slash in the song Anastasia.
At the very end of the video their is audio snippet of Slash talking about every kid has a book of scales lying around, but mentions if you can't apply them, then there is no use for them. He's SO right on that. I studied with teachers many years ago before all this internet teaching availability. One of the things I had to do was practice scales. But they made no sense to me. I wanted to play like Jimi or Jimmy, and those scales did not sound like they fit in. Then somehow I learned the minor-pentatonic scale and things started to jive, although I did not know what it was called at the time. Eventually I discovered the major-pentatonic. I quit those lessons at some point. Not saying knowing full scales is something you don't need, but it helps if you know how they can fit in. A lot of more traditional country music is great for that.
This is an awesome deconstructing Slash lesson!!! 👍🏻
He incorporates major and minor scales, along with some exotic elements, which is why his playing always feels fresh and avoids sounding stale or cliché. Here’s how I interpret the Slash mode after studying many of his solos:
Let’s use the key of A, but we’ll begin with a G note (for educational reasons):
G, A, B, C, D, D#, E, F#, G, A, B, C
It starts and ends on G, but this approach is what I refer to as "Slash Mode in A."
Start by playing this with your second finger on the 5th fret of the d string. Then pinky on the A and your index hits the B on the next string, etc. There's a position shift on the B string, THIS is where the magic happens. Some exotic flavor right in the middle of a rock-blues scale. You almost can't hit a wrong note when you start doodling around in this scale like Slash does for his fast playing. It's where he cuts loose and start embellishing. Listen to outro solo in Nightrain to get a feel for this. But make no mistake he does this all over the place.
It's really pure genius.
Really nice example build on a couple of simple scales. Thx
Nice commentary on the style of Slash. And, as usual, your hair is PERFECT!
Playing guitar and doing it like a pro takes more than just a little talent. Most of the guitar players that we adore put it as their life. It's all they wanted to do. They lived poor, sometimes homeless because of this. Because they dove in, I mean ALL IN! and spent nearly all waking moments just playing guitar. The saying practice makes perfect is no small thing. Angus would learn songs by ear then if he noticed a song being played in a progression similar to another he would try to mix solos together to invent something new. No real training other then what his brothers taught him. Yes he knows some scales, but he himself has been quoted as now really knowing much music theory. That's why a lot of their songs sound so alike. And he is my favorite guitar player of all time. Favorite band. He learned what he liked to listen to, mainly blues which is major and minor pentatonic, and went with it. He knows what it is. He didn't when he was learning. But I'm sure he does now. And he has probably picked up some stuff along the way. But he master those scales. It's all in or nothing. That's how you become great by the age of 20. If you only noodle around for a hour a day once a week, maybe by the time you are 50 you can play like that. The human body and mind is capable of amazing things, if one has the determination and drive to go ALL IN! I love playing guitar, and it feels so great when things just jive and you are in the zone. You can't help but smile, because that feeling is kind of a tickle in the gut. I hope everyone finds it. 🙏
Robert, your playing, teaching and hair care are second to none. Love your stuff.
"you hear what's going through their mind" yeeeah, nice point. Its like when you get to understand how someone reasons maths and get to results.
Crazy that guitar player would think that Slash, Jimi, SRV or Angus aren't well aware of the theory behind the fretboard. Jimi didn't just "hear and feel" his way into the iconic Little Wing progression. It's a great story that people like to tell. They didn't just pickup a guitar and start playing notes and say "oh that sounds good".
Oh hell that's how I play if it sounds good .I play it no music theory at all .
Same thing with EVH. He commented over time that he didn't know any theory, yet he trained in classical piano as a youngster. Doesn't make sense.
@@rtelles1127 well then you're doing yourself a disservice. Knowing at least the major and minor pentatonic, and knowing how to combine the two can help you sound good in most situations. Knowing intervals, chord tones, double stops, triads, and such will help make it unique.
9 out of 10 times if an accomplished rock guitarist says he/she doesn't know/use scales/theory, they are lying.
The key in the guitar theory is triads .
Once you can tell "here's the maj7 , here's the 3b , etc.. "
And also know shapes of inversions within the scale , its all you need to noodle by feel.
I don’t have a favorite Slash solo as I’m not a GnR fan at all or that type music. What I am a fan of is learning cool stuff from the channel.
The lick at 6:23 is note for note from Robin Trower’s “I can’t stand it “ off twice removed from yesterday album.
Excellent lesson.
As often as you can, switch from major to minor pentatonic. But let your ears or your heart guide you.
I found that more informative than 99% of videos on UA-cam. Great explanation on theory just being a general set of directions, but it's ok to wander off the path and find your own way.
true, i think if worry about theory too much, it can hold you back
4:14 Thank you so much for sharing this!
Master of the Harmonic Minor scale, a true talent in every sense of the word.
The man is a total legend and 100% worth seeing for real. Great video, brilliantly explained!
What a great video Robert. Hey, if you can analyze one or two of Slash's solos and break them down and explain the links to the theory and major/minor scale combo it'll REALLY be a great thing you can do. That's not anything I found on UA-cam, hopefully you don't mind doing that, it'll be GREAT if you can. Good video again dude !
My dad was classically trained from young then 1963 he decided to kind of reteach himself he could read music and knew all the theory after training for hours for years because he loved it. He swapped over night. The lads loved it they got classical one day then him experimenting with the blues then rock and roll. He ended up playing in a local band in late 1966 maybe before a lot of famous bands and when he joined over night the quiet club was rammed. He was in Germany in the Army.
I play mostly in minor but I will sometimes add the blues note or the flat second and go Phrygian. I rarely go with anything major though.
Great to see how to pull apart solos into their relevant scales
Love the enthusiasm! And breaking this down for us of course.
I’ve played guitar for like 25 years. Never really learned theory or even scales. Just wasn’t what I was interested in. Been in multiple bands, played tons of shows. I’m just now wanting to learn stuff like this. Just for myself. Cheers Robert
Even that intro to this video sounded really really good, but slash's is just on another level, because its HIS song and every fkn note has nuances to it that are unique.
One thing Slash is great at is working in the spice notes into the pentatonic scale
Slash never looks lost on the fretboard. Even his little “mistakes” sound amazing. He really does play with his heart and soul.
I have never heard someone phrase it the way you did. When it comes to slash all we hear people say about him is “harmonic minor” but you referred to that note as maj7. Very cool way to look at it
Great work deciphering what Slash is doing in his playing!
Slash’s guitar technique sounds a lot like blues when mixing minor and major pentatonic scales. Love his style!
I think Page plays the F as a chord tone (root) of the F in the AM G F progression in Stairway. He's playing a minor pent run down and introducing the diatonic minor flat 6th to anchor.
I love Slash’s new commercial where he plays a couple of notes and the lady says, You”re hired. LOL😂🎸
There is this solo that Clapton did in a song called Badge that he and George Harrison wrote together...I worked on learning that solo, because I really liked it as a kid when Best of Cream came out...I found in that solo that he would do various position changes on the fretboard, but when landing in the various positions, he would stay in a secluded area where he landed and then do a bunch of stuff within a particular area...and he would do this minor/ back to major/ back to minor thing, with bends...it took a lot of work to get to where I could play it in the ballpark of being right...including slowing it down in youtube to really hear what he was doing...
This analysis is such incredible!!! Congrats for your understanding!!!!
You're one of my favorite yt guitar guys and I've learned so much from you, thanks 🙏🤘... you kick ass
fantastic Rob. you opened another Door for me. great lesson.
Excellent Slash analysis video, Robert! Thanks!
All of your videos are without doubt helpful.
This one Truley hit a nerve with me it showed me things like no other video.
Thanks
So glad you dig it homie
@@RobertBakerGuitar "homie? I don't think we did time in prison........did we?
Scales for sure help out, but nothing compares to learning by feel only. You can hear the short cuts.
Slash does know what he's doing. If you read his book he learned theory and harmony from a guitar teacher named Robert. He's very melodic and emotional while at the same time well versed with Major, minor, pentatonic, and blues scales. Also note if you take the blues scale and combine it with the major you get the Spanish Flamenco scale. This is where his noodling comes from a long with his being exposed to alot of music comes from. He probably don't realize that, but his ability is there to that of what he's doing.
"Messages" fav Slash solo
Every1 talks about Slash, but nobody have top compositions solos like him.
Really great break down into some great lics
Great breakdown of my favorite guitarist. Very insightful. Subscribed!
I've seen that video many times and Slash just cracks me up everytime I hear him say, "Well...I try to stick with as many rock positions as I can" Haha! Just a perfect "aw shucks" Slash-ism. He definitely knows what he's doing, he just doesn't know how to articulate it like your typical theory geek.
Thought you were going to start playing "The Entertainer" with that 'chromatic' bit just over halfway through the vid LOL. Some rock players knows the 'theory' by ear/instinct, others know minimal theory enough to communicate chord names, common scales, keys etc and others know the theory inside out. Some lean to using triads and chord shapes adding notes around them for leads, some lean to scale shapes, some do it all...the more approaches a player has to write with, the bigger their tool box. The theory is always in there. Borrowing chords/notes outside a key/scale can add flavor ... different ways to think outside the box. It's all good/beneficial.
I think the point about Slash and Angus is, that they are both pretty humble guys and they probably don't say they know music theory because they never classicly studied it.
They know a lot of stuff and can put it to practice, but its not like a trained musician spending half a decade in college learning everything they need.
I like that they say they don't know stuff instead of bragging with what they learned.
What would fascinate me is the interaction beween Myles Kennedy, who is a classically trained musician and Slash. Both super nice, super humble guys, exchanging tricks and knowledge they aquired, to grow together :)
All top guitar players know their stuff, it is less about technical ability it is about how they "feel" their music, and that is what the listeners ENJOY. This is what is special about this, not how many notes he can play etc
Thank you so much for letting us know that Slash and others are guitar literate !
Lessons like this are gold! Thanks so much!!
Great video. Other one that is great in using both major and minor penta is Angus. no surprise they have iconic solos
Can you imagine thinking that Slash DOESNT know what he’s doing on the guitar? 😂 Regardless whether you’re into the music or not - He’s cemented as a guitar God. The man knows how to play the guitar
Guitar God ? You can't be serious .
@@herbcanter2114 let’s argue about it on the internet 👍🏻
Thanks so much Robert! I love your teaching style.
7:00 I hear Mick Taylor Get Yer Ya Ya's Out Sympathy licks in Slash's playing . That's the country you mention via the Stones ?
8:56 a little place holder for me to come back to. Intervals explained a few minutes before
When you are able to play the C major scale and make your guitar a piano with white keys, you are able to play every scale you need. It's the same as A minor, Aeolian, it has G mixolydian in it and Dorian. And suddenly you are able to play all these scales everywhere on the fretboard and switch between them. All you need are the five fingerings of C major.
Great analysis. Another Slash's trademark I still don't understand is the change of mood/atmosphere in his solos. I guess that comes from the rythmic section too. For instance, in sweet Child o mine, or in some velvet revolver tunes, like Slither...
Change of scale?
The songs typically have a completely different chord structure under the solo, that's not repeated anywhere else in the sing. Those chords change the feel just as much, if not more than the solos
Cool video dude, respect from a slasher from Turkey🎉
Sliding up on the fifth string to go into major pentatonic - mind blown, never thought of that. Its a crazy dream at my age, but Id love to get to the point that somebody on YT analyzed my playing and said, "So you can see that he totally ripped this part off from Neal Schon and that one from David Gilmour, which is pretty cool." Or Slash, or Santana, or etc.
This is what you need learn a lesson from great guitar players that is play with feel
A lot of the great guitarists mix major and minor recently saw a lesson that showed Eric Clapton was into it as well and probably many more do this I am only just starting to do it myself very useful to change up what your playing.
For example before i just know the Mayor scales, and then i notice the C mayor scale is relative to A minor scale and changing stuff like that fits with the chords.
Because of things like this, I would NEVER call Slash "overrated"
When you actually study what he does in every solo you find a lot of interesting stuff and it goes way beyond "pentatonic and bends" (nothing wrong with that though, I love pentatonic)
Great video!
I agree he was the reason i started guitar 10 years ago. 2 years in I started to think he was not really a unique guitarist as i thought by what I would heard and i was able to play 90% of his stuff but eventually when I learned theory and scales I realized he is not just a simple pentatonic minor guitarist. I now appreciate every single solo him ive studied non stop how and why he choses each note truly amazing
The 2nd lick on what you tagged together sounds like a variation of something a bit older to me... reminds me of Scott Joplin, the entertainer...
I’m sure someone has already mentioned this.
A huge trait of Page was mixing Maj/Min pentatonics.
brilliant video, thx for sharing!
You can make a minor third sound great in a major key if you play it right. It’s all about phrasing. I like to think in terms of major and minor intervals. Three notes, two intervals, one major and one minor. Essential to play the blues.
The thing is with theory (of your self taught) is knowing where to begin and why it sounds the way it does. Theory is the most important part of playing. Without it your stabbing blindly in the dark.
Guitar is such a cool instrument with so many ways to play it across a variety of styles and genres. Personally, I love my 80s shred, but I still appreciate how great other players are. You’re probably not going to see Slash playing the kind of licks Yngwie Malmsteen or Paul Gilbert does, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an incredibly talented guitarist. Consider the fact that he was only 21 when he recorded Appetite for Destruction. Heck, most of his iconic work with Guns N' Roses was recorded by the time he was 25. You don’t reach that level of maturity in your playing and etch legendary solos like that into history without being gifted. And he had probably only been playing about 10 years when did it.
Robert, this is some great Slash theory! My favorite Slash solo's are "You Could Be Mine" and a song called "Starlight" he did with Miles Kennedy and the conspirators. I recommend it if you have never heard it. 🎸😎🤟
What’s the song from at the beginning of the video
Never had the chance to see him play live but would like to at some point