An interview with Mike from a guitarist perspective.

[MetalHeadMarc]

I know Mike's done a kagillion interviews but are there any out there that are guitarist oriented. I've heard things about his song writing routine but I want to know who he takes as an influence for his lead guitar work. What helped him to develop his guitar tone.

Any one know of any?
Links?

 

[BefriendedUnit]

There's that one quick workshop where they break-down "The Drapery Falls", but it's not really going to help you TOO much from a technical point. There's one part where the cameraman asks "and what chord is that?" at an interesting but and Mikael just grins and says "no idea". But if you learn by watching fingerings, it helps.

 

[opetcityofthemoon]

I've seen that lesson and it always kind of dissapoints me when i see that mikael doesn't even know the name of one of the more prominent opeth chords that he uses. I was always under the impression that they were skilled enough and knew their theory and what not.

 

[Simskre]

I've seen that lesson and it always kind of dissapoints me when i see that mikael doesn't even know the name of one of the more prominent opeth chords that he uses. I was always under the impression that they were skilled enough and knew their theory and what not.

Well, you don't really have to know the name of every chord your playing..

 

[Jester-Race]

I've seen that lesson and it always kind of dissapoints me when i see that mikael doesn't even know the name of one of the more prominent opeth chords that he uses. I was always under the impression that they were skilled enough and knew their theory and what not.

the ignorance of your post is absolutely astounding

 

[Lasse]

I've seen that lesson and it always kind of dissapoints me when i see that mikael doesn't even know the name of one of the more prominent opeth chords that he uses. I was always under the impression that they were skilled enough and knew their theory and what not.

I don't think that many metal bands is so into that theory stuff. Like Metallica "we just put that part in to annoy you"

 

[Maggai]

I think it's awesome he doesn't know all that stuff. You have all these theory heads that know everything there is to know, but still can't write a good song. Just fucking play something that sounds good!

 

[kalikatzaros]

I think it's awesome he doesn't know all that stuff. You have all these theory heads that know everything there is to know, but still can't write a good song. Just fucking play something that sounds good!

Yeah but you would think that it's not just talent that makes you write great stuff but musical knowledge as well.

 

[soundave]

He's got a good ear, and listens to good music. That goes a long way. If he listened to simplistic trash.... well, garbage in/garbage out.

 

[BefriendedUnit]

Theory is overrated. Music is not math!

 

[Walls1441]

Theory is overrated. Music is not math!

Theory isn't overrated, Music can be math. Theory is overrated when people think music 'must' be math.

 

[Sinten]

Theory is overrated. Music is not math!

theory isn't overrated. any musician who can follow a logical chord progression is using theory, and even if they don't know the chords, the math behind what they're playing is what makes it sound unique.

i can't stand when people spout off bull shit like this. and it's only a problem with guitar "players" it seems. you don't need to sight read through a song you've never heard but theory is never a detriment and can only benefit a musician.

 

[opetcityofthemoon]

Anybody who just responded to my comment by saying your ignorant, and you don't have to know every chord, etc., etc. is a fucking idiot. I listen to opeth not only as a listener of metal but as a musician as well and because their music seems so interesting and skillful i naturally assumed they would know the name of a particular chord that is used over and over again in their music. Actually knowing what your playing is what sets musicians aside from bands like green day ,etc. Music is a truly amazing thing, so if your not into what it's all about perhaps you should listen to green day instead.

 

[opetcityofthemoon]

Theory is overrated. Music is not math!

I'm afraid you are an idiot sir.

 

[BurningSky]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but green day actually know music. They're not trying to write symphonies, just pop songs. And you don't need to know the name of a chord in order to use it, and if you use it a lot, it's not like knowing what its called is going to change anything about it. Obviously whatever Mike is doing has been working. I'm pretty sure the chord was an Em7 Sus 4. OMG Mike doesn't know an Em7 Sus 4 just by looking at his hands? What a failure of a guitarist.

 

[hibernal_dream]

The important thing is - music came before theory, not the other way around. The first musicians did not make music by reference to chord tables, key signatures and notation. Theory was created by analyzing the music that existed to describe what sounds good to the ear: from there, it can be a tool to help create it but it need not be. There are a whole lot of different systems - the oriental and african music systems and their recognized modes were different from the western ones. There are atonal theories and mathematical theories which differ from the western ones. No chord is inherent to music, an "A major chord" did not exist from the moment it was first played they are identified because they fit into a system - millions of combinations of notes in music aren't even recognized as chords in the western theory of music. So in my view, unless Mikael is taking an exam on the history of western music, it doesn't really matter if he doesn't know the name of a sound which a bunch of other people have given to it in the past.

To put it another way: Van Gogh might not have been able to provide us with the precise wavelength emitted by the colors he was using to paint with - is he less of an artist because of it?

 

[opetcityofthemoon]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but green day actually know music. They're not trying to write symphonies, just pop songs. And you don't need to know the name of a chord in order to use it, and if you use it a lot, it's not like knowing what its called is going to change anything about it. Obviously whatever Mike is doing has been working. I'm pretty sure the chord was an Em7 Sus 4. OMG Mike doesn't know an Em7 Sus 4 just by looking at his hands? What a failure of a guitarist.

Your a fuckin asshole guy. Of course hes not a failure, thats why were all here yapping about his music on this forum. I don't know about you and your extensive knowlege of green day and their great pop, but i know that i, personally love this band named opeth, and think pretty damn highly of them, and was just a tad bit surprised to learn that they did not know the name of a chord. Why am i even dignifying your rhetoric with an actual thought out response? Your an idiot, that's it.

 

[TehLeperAffinity]

I don't understand everyone's problem with music theory. If you have an idea for a riff or progression in your head, knowing music theory will take out a lot of the guesswork involved in translating that to your instrument because you already know what notes to go to instead of fucking around with random, made up chord shapes that sound like shit.

 

[opetcityofthemoon]

Agreed.

 

[Carta's]

Your a fuckin asshole guy. Of course hes not a failure, thats why were all here yapping about his music on this forum..

Sir, sarcasm is dead.