Music Lesson: "Fight No More"

So we're going to look at a song of mine called Fight No More. This is a riff that I had in D flat. I'm going to show you the rhythm parts and the lead melody line in the verses. This track has a bit of a swinging 60s feel to it.

Influences and Drumming Style

• Jeremy Stacey on drums played in a big band, crazy sort of way.
  It reminds me of Buddy Rich or something.
• Rocco was doing a James Brown style bass line.
• Influences for this track include:
  • John Schofield
  • Robin Ford
  • Jimmy

Main Rhythm Part

The song starts with what they call the Hendrix chord.

• You've got the open E with the B string playing the E as well.
• The progression goes like this:
  • Start with F sharp
  • Then E
  • Move into the chorus playing an E major chord
    (which always sounds kind of like Prince to me)
  • Followed by an F sharp major with the B and E string open
    (which sounds really satisfying to me)
  • Finally, move to the A chord.

Chorus Example

So the whole of the chorus is like this:

E major → F sharp major → A

Melody Line

The part that's playing the melody over that I recorded with an auto wire in the studio, but today I'm just going to use a wild pedal.

• The melody is quite simple and just in D flat.
• It goes like this:

(insert melody here)

I'm playing a version of the Hendrix chord there, but up higher. I really like how it sounds.

• It's reminiscent of a John Schofield style, where it's just grooving.
• You can let the E and B string ring open a bit.

Chorus Melody

In the chorus, I'm doing sort of an A to F sharp change, kind of like old stacks, similar to a Steve Cropper style.

• The main melody is basically that kind of vibe.
• You can mix that up with a wa pedal and a bit of fuzz for a different sound.

Playing Tips

As you head into the chorus with the wild pedal, remember:

• It's important to think beyond just playing on the beat.
• You want to move into each note, catching it every time:

"You want to try and catch that each time."

Avoiding a rigid rhythm helps.

• You don't just want to be playing like:

"Like that the whole time."

Instead, aim for a more expressive sound. It can be worth spending some time with the wild pedal.

• It's relatively easy but can sound really cool if you catch it right on each note or chord.