.~~~,_W~-""" " ,-~,"" ,-,.,~.. ~,.,~€...,-,~',"-"_..,". .~. . --.-...---. 'C"A L,ES SON WIT H 5 TEVE M 0 R 5 E .. I BY JIMMY BROWN FI r \ j Take a tour of Steve Morse's smokin' Southern steel plant as he churns out a dazzling series of rippin' chicken-pickin' licks, downhome slides and bluesy bends. STEVE MORSE, of rock's most innovaONE tive and well-rounded guitarists, is constantly expanding his musical horizons through diligent study, creative experic mention and prolificoutput. After finishing recording his latest solo album, Coast To Coast (MCA),Morse sat down and shared some of the secrets behind his monstrous technique. This lesson explores but a few of the many aspects of Steve's multi-faceted guitar style and vast technical vocabulary. ALTERNATE PICKING The cornerstone of Steve's technical arsenal is his fast, clean alternate-picking technique, which enables him to achieve his scorching rock lead attack, fast country popping and rhythmically complex counterpoint. Having made up his mind to perfect his plectrum technique at the tender age of 15, Steve was soon winning bluegrass flatpicking contests and dazzling audiences throughout the Southeast with his extraordinary chops. To understand the mechanics of Morse's pickingtechnique, we must first take a look at his unorthodox right-hand PHOTOC PHOTO D posture. Morse holds his pick between 1; ~ <) ~ . 0 ~ <) his thumb, index and middle fingers (Photo A). This three-fingered grip provides him maximum.control over the pick and enables him to quickly revertto tapping or touching harmonics with the indexfinger without havingto re-position his hand. Notehowhe rests his pinky on the front of the guitar. Anchoring his pinkythis way provideshis picking hand with greater stability anda close point of reference.Steveoften uses his pinky for volume or tone swells (Photos B and C) and for flicking the pickup selector switches on his Gustom-designedErnie Ball/Music Man Steve Morse guitar'. Palmmutingis also an integralaspect of Morse's right-handtechniq(je. Muting is what enables the DixiedemOnto pick fast, squeaky-cleanruns without annoying string noise. Photo D shows Steve's right-handmuting posture. Note how the heel of his palm coversalFsixstrings. "Practicingthrough a loud, distorted amp helps remind me of the necessity of muting," Steve says. "I've noticed, however,that when I play with distortion, 1992/GUITAR WORLD PHOTO E PHOTO F I don't have to work as hard to get a good sound. Thus, I tend to become lazy and rely on the amp, I've found that if I practice that way all the time, I don't sound as good when I play clean. That's why I always do a certain amount of practicing with either a clean sound or no amplification." Morse is very disciplined about practicing, believing that good technique is an essential part of developing and expressing musical ideas. To avoid boredom and to keep his chops fresh, he usually varies his practice regimen daily. "I tend to get bored with mechanical practice, so I change my practice routine all the time. One thing I'll often do is focus on a particular weakness and compose an exercise that will attack the problem. That helps keep me from getting bored. I do, however, tend to fall back on certain routine warmup exercises, especially when I'm standing around, waiting with fTlYguitar during a soundcheck with my volume turned down." SCAlES/ARPEGGIOS To keep his picking chops in top form, Morse constantly practices scales and arpeggios. "I definitely feel their beneficial effects on my overall speed and ease of execution." Steve backed up his words by systematically tearing through the seven diatonic modes of the A major scale (Fig. 1). Beginning each mode with the index finger on the 6th string, he ascended and descended two octaves across all six strings in a single position, using strict alternate picking. ".1nor37 MAY " ,..- ""~' ., "~',"'-"-","" ..,- -~'..~,..... g ~ .2421421421421 2'41241341342412 Beginning onringfinger' 3123124124131343 1314214213213 FIGURE3 F MAJOR SCALE:ASCENDING SEXTUPLET SEQUENCE n shi~ .' J n 3 n shift 3 3 n shi~ 3 3 n shift /' /' 412412 124134124124 FIGURE 1241241341341241241 5 D MAJOR~ENTATONIC "BOX" PATTERNS - 101hfr'. . . .I C:I::tl 12 MAY 1992jGUITAR WORLD . IV\I\/V\. rein. . T I B th.. :IGURE 10 N.1. ~ '. .ling. 7 93 6 6--5 ~ f I\: B .. check out his three instructional videos: 123'31. lull 7 1 3 2 2 . .------ ays in.' 9 ".OJ 1 3 (2) ' .'rapid-fire arpeggio exercise he' performs in the key of A minor:' Steve .Ip a(3) . I~ 4 (3.' 1 Fast Shuffle Feel ..:. _xample ina completely different vein:-neoclassicalrock. 1S . 11 3 123 .~' lis example sh9wcasessey~ralof his. .: IGURE 11 3 t f\IVV\/V\. For more information about his multi-faceted guitar style and compositional approach. 3'::"". fing.the keyof F.1) (1B) I 1 EXERCISE 432J43214 17 15 111314 1S 16131413:71613141131413Power Lines (REH).2 depicts a .. . .-is arippil1'plueslickcSteve --.&ars':2.23A2._.e ofchromaticpass' 3(2) . ."'.. 18 9 18 B 18 7 .d "" .'- . t Steel).. . . .: full 3 ':'. f /V\JVV\.h. picking: t'"I V t'"I V ele.Figure .<allic .C. 12 8 .: (Am) 18 81 .'j: .used' a simIlar exercise as the basis forthe melody to "Tumeni Notes"(High'Tension Wires).3 IGURE 12 ARPEGGIO EssentialSteve Morse(DCI). simllarto one heard: UCut o The Chase" (Souiherr. These are but a few of the many playing techniques in Steve's arsenal. -'--"'.I've included picking strokes above the' tablature to guide you.Steve Morse With 'IJ~' The Steve Morse Band (DCI)and The 1S 131413 -11 (1 . 8 11 .. Idemark soloing maneuvers: Note the'. 4- Id3):wideinter'. ':. . . ling. - Ig6~e ~1.-"c. The example further illustrates Morse's harmonic and rhythmic sophistication and broad stylistic range~ .- _u ------. 'forced :b~ndirig-T--r !1) and a wicked' vibrato (bar4). . $teve conclud esson"withan' full T I 8 .. (A) .2.. ._~- . . Practice this exercise slowly with a metronome until you can play every note cleanly and with convinction. . 4 1 4 3 4 414342414142 GUITAR WORLD/MAY 1992 '.. fing.' in UCutTo The Chase"(Souihern SteeO. . For more information about his multi-faceted guitar style and compositional approach. Practice this exercise slowly with a metronome until you can play every note cleanly and with convinction.teve conclude esson. Igure.1) FIGURE12 ARPEGGIO EXERCISE N..~ his example shpwcases.~r.-- .severalof rademark soloing mane' 3(2) -'-.2...the keyof F.l1 is arippin'blueslick"Steve_. Lh. These are but a few of the many playing techniques in Steve's arsenal. FIGURE 10 N. Power Lines (REH).: 1 1 3 (2) 1 3 FIGURE11 Fast Shuffle Feel full 3 NV\JV\..h. (Am) picking: I.C.sfmilar toone'heard . with xample ina completely different veineoclassical rock.-.-.: 4 (3.12 depicts a 3pid-fire arpeggio exercise he peiforms n the key of A minor:'Ste\(eused' a similar exercise as the basis foithe melody to "Tumeni Notes" (High Tension Wires).wideinte' '---" f6rced. IA flng.-..C.-. (A) full IVVV\/V\.and broad stylistic range~ I've included -picking strokes above the tablature to guide you.' -- ethe' pis 4 Iseofchror:natic passi Ind3). .a . ~-- .'rein-': and a wicked . check out his three instructional videos: .2" ar.: (Am) 414342414142 4 0 GUITAR WORLD/MAY 1992 . -plays in.( vibrato (bar 4).. ar. :Figure . .fing.b~ndirigc. The example further illustrates Morse's harmonic and rhythmic sophistication .. ' .'-'-' . Steve Morse With The Steve Morse Band (DCI) and The ~ential Steve Morse (D~I): .
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