[w1av]

Hi,

I am NEW to the forum and a new listener of the Dead. I am also a musician who plays guitar/keys/bass. I am mostly into light jazz. However I find alot of the Dead's music hard to NOT listen to. In particular, I happened to come across on Youtube the concert at Winterland in 1974. I really dig "Uncle John's band" on here quite alot. I listened to many other versions but I always go back to this one. There is something magical about the performance......I was wondering if any of you long time listeners have any comments about this particular show AND Jerry's guitar TONE! I am going to an open mic today and the guy that hosts it plays this tune sometimes. I learned the song and studied the soloing Jerry is doing. It appears that the song is mostly Mixolydian in "D" then during that long jam break it switches to Dorian in "D". I know my modes and as I am playing along with the recording I quickly found myself playing in those 2 modes. I kinda found some of the cool little riffs and chord tones Jerry is playing. It is very interesting in one part of that jam with Jerry soloing in D Dorian, he hits an "E" note repeatedly which is one of the notes that give Dorian it's "flavor" so maybe he was trying to re establish the feel and sound of Dorian in that part of the tune? What do you guys (especially guitar players) think?

[James-T]

Geeze.....two posts and you are already miles ahead of most of us. If you can play like you can formulate your analysis, just use your ears.

That's a great version and a great set of shows, of which there is lots to listen to on youtube. I love the Scarlet from that run and have it on my iPhone. For all the same reasons. Good luck getting that tone though. If you do tell us your secrets.

Peace,

James

[w1av]

Hi James-T

I have been writing and recording my own music for a few years. I play mostly jazzy bluesy stuff all modal based. I studied Garcia's playing in some of their tunes. He is incredibly great. I played at an open mic with some friends and we did Uncle John's band and it was the first time I ever played it. My buddy Al handled all the rhythm and I did the lead guitar parts. It was very inspiring and everyone liked the song. I told one of the guys in there that asked me about my playing that he should learn the Mixolydian mode cause Garcia uses that ALOT and it is also heavily used in Bluegrass music.
Thats why the Dead sound so good because they are not playing the same ol' boring minor pentatonic blue scales everyone else does.
I listen to the '74 show alot and I also do agree with you that Scarlet begonias is fun to listen to. As far as Jerrys TONE......well, I am still exploring that but I don't plan to go too far with it because I don't want to try to sound exactly the same. I can't anyway....different guitars/amps etc....

[tcsned]

Hi,

I am NEW to the forum and a new listener of the Dead. I am also a musician who plays guitar/keys/bass. I am mostly into light jazz. However I find alot of the Dead's music hard to NOT listen to. In particular, I happened to come across on Youtube the concert at Winterland in 1974. I really dig "Uncle John's band" on here quite alot. I listened to many other versions but I always go back to this one. There is something magical about the performance......I was wondering if any of you long time listeners have any comments about this particular show AND Jerry's guitar TONE! I am going to an open mic today and the guy that hosts it plays this tune sometimes. I learned the song and studied the soloing Jerry is doing. It appears that the song is mostly Mixolydian in "D" then during that long jam break it switches to Dorian in "D". I know my modes and as I am playing along with the recording I quickly found myself playing in those 2 modes. I kinda found some of the cool little riffs and chord tones Jerry is playing. It is very interesting in one part of that jam with Jerry soloing in D Dorian, he hits an "E" note repeatedly which is one of the notes that give Dorian it's "flavor" so maybe he was trying to re establish the feel and sound of Dorian in that part of the tune? What do you guys (especially guitar players) think?

I use D-Dorian in that spot (or generally the key of C) - I find a lot of Jerry stuff is Dorian/Phrygian if it's not one of the Mixo folky tunes.

[James-T]

You've got the right attitude. All the pros have thier own sound like John K, Stu Allen and Steve K.
It's a rabbit hole to go down trying to mimic. I'm good with my very non jerry but near jerry rig these days. And if you are really good you can do a whole lot just with a Strat, Fender amp and a few pedals. That's not me but what I aspire to for sure.

Keep on truckin'. It's all about the modes, melodies and rythems.

But all the same I'm always in awe of a player who can use the blues scale creatively. - like Clapton.

Peace,

James

[w1av]

It takes a while to develop your own sound. I've gone thru many guitars and set ups. But I have finally selltled on 2 guitars and 2 amps. I like to play either my Fender Nashville Telecaster or the Fender Strat with P90's. I use a blues driver pedal set with very low gain thru my Fender Super Champ amp. And if I use my Fender Blues Jr. I go thru a compressor/tube screamer and get a nice Santana-like tone.
I used to play an old SG junior with a single P90 in the bridge for a long time. Gone thru many Tele's, a couple semi-hollow body guitars. I had a Les Paul for a short while but didn't really like it. I play an old Yamaha acoustic with nylon strings quite a bit now.

[James-T]

+1 for the SG.


67 SG junior with a single t bucker at the bridge was my one and only guitar from high school into
my late thirties. It's a sweet guitar. But a one trick pony. I gig with it on vary rare occasions. But it's tone is as good as any other guitar I play.

Peace,

James