Looking for Shadows chords

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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby Iain Purdon » Fri Jan 05, 2018 3:12 pm

I started out as a rhythm guitarist because my mate want to play Shads but could only do the tunes. I was able to work out the chords and so our first duo was born. An accident of who could do what.

If all you want to do is play Hank tunes then as long as there are either BTs or guitarists who know the chords then you can do it. But if you want to make Shadows music you need lead, rhythm, bass and drums as a basic quartet. It would be nice if more lead players would familiarise themselves with the other instruments, particularly rhythm where they already have the guitar!
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby Tigerdaisy » Fri Jan 05, 2018 4:39 pm

Well chords are harder to play than melody lines... Bruce likes to kid that he just learnt three chords, but of course that's far from the truth. Many song writers (myself included...) start out with a nice chord sequence and then improvise over to find a suitably pleasing melody line... doing it the opposite way requires a knowledge of chord structure or a damn good ear.
One good way of getting your head around how chords work is to go through the Beatles catalogue or any other popular music.
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby RUSSET » Sun Jan 07, 2018 5:59 am

Having been the 'Rhythm Guitar' player all my life, I totally sympathise with what everyone is saying here. As time goes by I am picking up all those little nuances in Bruce's Rhythm playing in many of the Shads tunes, & my opinion of his skills & inventiveness have gone up considerably. Yes, I can play two or three of Hanks melody parts & enjoy doing it, but I really enjoy being part of the 'Rhythm section' & keeping those unruly Lead guitarists in time. :D
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby SJB » Sun Jan 07, 2018 12:41 pm

I am a lead player - but some time ago realised that playing rhythm would not only help me but support others when rhythm players are short.
Also I realised I had not backed singers.
I have been working on this for about 12 months now - slowly at first but more intense in the last two months.
I have a group of badminton players now set up to sing / play at the late Xmas dinner tomorrow. Initially we were going to just use acoustic guitars - but the Uke in the group was too loud and because we are not used to the additional string effort on the bar chords for the guitars - the two of us ended up with duff left hands for a while. I have had carpal tunnel ops so maybe that is a factor.

Anyway we are ok now - all electric.

I very much appreciate good rhythm players - it allows me to float along on the lead and in the driving numbers really give it some go. (All the other players are also appreciated).

So the moral is this:-

I must not let playing rhythm slip - keep it going, and don't become a strummer.
Oh! and I must learn to play "Happy Birthday" -- you never know when I might need to!! :lol:
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby flingelbunt » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:33 am

I started out back in the late 60's playing with social club style bands around the Birmingham area as a mainly rhythm player but featuring some lead lines on occasion. Consequently, my chord knowledge and ability to play in 'jazz' keys eg Eb, Bb etc became 2nd nature. As my playing improved, and the quality of bands I played with pushed me to something approaching a pro standard, I was improving my lead playing as I could relate the lead lines to the chords etc.
Bruce's playing had inspired me to listen to chords- his smooth and accurate playing was just as much a feature of the Shadows Sound as Hank's lead playing and I started playing guitar as a result of both of these guys. Listen to Bruces arpeggio style for instance in 'The High and the Mighty'- an exquisite lesson in touch and control and then on to later tracks like 'Another Night'- all lovely stuff! Good lead playing will always be enhanced by a good knowledge of the chords in the background.......
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby Uncle Fiesta » Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:22 pm

Another advantage of learning rhythm is that it helps improve your timing! I frequently notice people at Shadows clubs drifting ahead of, or behind the backing track - then for some reason they can't get back! Would probably not have happened had they learned rhythm first.

But no, everybody wants to run before they can walk ..
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby RUSSET » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:30 pm

I know just what you mean. A Lead guitarist that I have played with many times over the last 15 years insists it is his job to start the tune at his own speed, & inevitably, in his excitement, starts at a speed rather too fast for the rhythm of the tune, & myself & the Bass player have to somehow fit in. Shadoogie is a good example. He starts with the single B note tremolo dips at speed & then almost makes it to fast for himself to keep up the melody. In his own little world, the drums , bass & rhythm are merely the backers who have to keep up with him. It's rather frustrating.
My attitude is, even if the rhythm section section gets the speed wrong, the Lead player must follow that speed.

T.
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Re: Looking for Shadows chords

Postby cockroach » Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:18 am

Tempo is an interesting subject when playing in a band..

When I first got the Final Tour video, I took it along to a band practice..at that time (2004) I was playing in a trio with a bass player and drummer who had become two dear old mates as well as band members over a long period..both of these chaps had been playing even longer than me, and could (and still can) play almost any style very well indeed..and both true Shads fans too!

After rehearsing etc, we sat down with some beers and watched the DVD.

After the first couple of numbers, being true 'rhythm section' experts with great time sense (IMHO) they BOTH exclaimed at the tempos at which the Shadows were playing the tunes..surprisingly fast!

And it's true..if you go back and listen to the early Shads classics, many of them are at a fairly sprightly tempo...I've found that this is true of other groups too- Beatles, Stones etc

I've always felt that many cover bands play those covers at a tempo which is slower than the recordings they cover...and the overall sound tends to drag IMHO..
Most of the up tempo rock'n'roll '50's and '60's music had a lot of energy and adrenaline and was made for dancing..

It is likely that the band members' individual level of ability, musical ear, natural feel for tempo and rhythm and playing technique has something to do with this..

..and as mentioned above, then there are players whose timing (not tempo) is poor...folks who come in too early or late (vocals or instrumentals) and who often don't even know they've done it..while the other band members have to quickly adjust to keep going...
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