Holdsworth Technique Question (attn: Chris Brooks)

[the_satanic_rabbit]

OK, so I will never be able to play legato like him...big deal

I still want to know how he does it.

Does he use some kind of crazy tapping at all? When he's doing really fast stuff it is so smooth it just sounds like its all left hand. There are a couple times in his solo on "Rocks" (Truth in Shredding) that are blazing by yet sound so fluid that they could be a programmed synth...and I know he's not using the synth axe on that solo. Listen to that solo at 5:10 and you'll see (or hear rather) what I mean. Unbelieveable. Oh, and Gambale's pretty good too...for an Aussie.

 

[Chris Brooks]

Hey,

I don't have the song in question (I'll pick up the reissue soon), but yeah - all Holdsworth's fast passages are legato (hence smooth), and his left hand stretches are legendary (giving the impression of two handed tapping at times because of the wide intervals). He does pick some notes (perhaps more than you can hear), but he reduces the pick attack to match the hammer on volume. Most of the lines he does are made up of hammer ons, but from what I know of AH's style, he doesn't often pull off as such when descending, rather he tends to re-hammer the notes while descending as well as ascending, with only a light pull off when used.

He also goes pretty light on the gain compared to say the modern shred legato player, so it has more to do with sustain than ball crunching distortion.

Gambale is great too. I look forward to hearing T.I.S. again soon after all these years.

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

It's awesome...I just got the reissue and "rocks" is the best track, but the whole thing is awesome for sure.

I got Centrifugal Funk awhile ago, and that really smokes too. Gambale and Lane (RIP), what a duo.

But I think I prefer the contrast of FG and AH.

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

Allan Holdsworth and Frank Gambale are two of my favourite players. They just absolutely fucking ownagely own. Along with Greg Howe I only have 16 Men of Tane from AH and "show me what you can do' from FG, what other CD's (from both these guys) do you guys suggest me to get?

 

[ChrisM.]

From Holdsworth get Hard hat area (his best in my opinion), Heavy Machinery (with the Johansson brothers, some awesome solos on that one) and Metal Fatigue (this is more rock, half of the songs are vocal songs, but the instrumental Devil take the hindmost features the best solo Allan ever played). From Frank Gambale, defineately get his LIVE albums from 1988, some scary playing on that one. And make sure you get Greg Howe's Parallax, one of the best fusion albums ever recorded. I transcribed a couple of solos from different Greg Howe albums and have them in Power Tab. If you like, I can send them to you. Haven't done anything from Extraction yet, but I will in my semester holidays in February.

 

[sweepking]

I heard that Michael Romeo developed many of his tapping arpeggio ideas playing Holdsworth stuff that he could not play purely legato due to Holdsworth's enormous fret span. I need to hear some Holdsworth stuff...should I start with Hard Hat Area?

 

[Dado-x]

Hard Hat Area is pretty good. My pick: Secrets, Atavachron, Road Games and also the UK album. I'm not a huge fan of Gambale's solo material, but the force is strong with his Chick Corea's Elektric Band and stuff.

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

I have 16 men of Tain and that is pretty amazing, sweepking.

 

[ChrisM.]

I heard that Michael Romeo developed many of his tapping arpeggio ideas playing Holdsworth stuff that he could not play purely legato due to Holdsworth's enormous fret span. I need to hear some Holdsworth stuff...should I start with Hard Hat Area?

Get Hard hat area - so scary. But to start off it might be a better idea to get the more accessable ones, Metal Fatigue and Heavy Machinery. All these albums feature some of Allan's best playing. I heard his new one, All night wrong, shall be damn good too.

Although I'm not TOO much of a fusion guru and more of a rock/metal head, Allan is one of my favorite guitarists ever. His chops and musicallity are beyond anybody else. And he doesn't bore me like so much other fusion stuff. Same for Greg Howe - they're from the same planet I guess.