Jazz Rock Lesson: Didier Lockwood

In this lesson, we're going to talk some more about jazz rock, and in particular, about a French fiddle player called Didier Lockwood.

Background

Didier was a musician who transitioned from electric guitar to the violin. This background provided him with a solid feel for rock music before he began playing the violin, giving him an advantage over Jean Leponti, though it's difficult to truly compare the two.

Distinctive Features of Didier Lockwood's Playing

Didier had several distinctive features in his playing, which I really enjoy:

Altered Notes

One of Didier's trademarks was his love for altered notes.

• Explanation: If you have a simple little scale over a D7, Didier would incorporate:
  • Flat nines
  • Sharp nines
  • Flat fives

This little lick works in a much more interesting way than it might initially sound. It can be difficult to discern what's happening, but when you hear it in context, it sounds fantastic. We'll hear that particular lick at the end of this lesson.

Sliding Techniques

Didier made great use of sliding, which could be either upward or downward. Here's how they sound:

• Upward Slide: You play the note and slide up an indeterminate amount right at the end of the note.
• Downward Slide: This sounds a bit like this [demonstration].

When used in the right context, these slides sound exquisite.

Solo Albums and Nickname

In the 70s and early 80s, Didier released a string of solo albums characterized by a poppy and powerful feel. Because of his innovative style, he became known as the Jimi Hendrix of the violin. While many musicians have received this nickname, I believe Didier truly deserved it.

Harmonic Tricks

Another lick of Didier's that I particularly enjoy is a harmonic trick:

• Starting with your middle finger positioned high, you slide up and down to produce a swirl of harmonics.
• Using various effects and echo creates a fantastic sound. You'll hear this technique in the little tune we're going to play.

Didier was a master of harmonics. In his proper jazz playing, especially in gypsy jazz, he utilized all kinds of harmonics with great effect. I strongly recommend you check him out.

Tune: Ionosphere

Now, let's dive into a tune titled Ionosphere. I will show you a few tricky bits:

Melody and Solo

• The melody is fairly straightforward.
• The solo includes:
  • Slide: downward slide, that's one we keep returning to.
  • Third finger: followed by the first finger open.
  • Pentaonic lick: 1, 2, 1, this goes up a semitone.
    • Incidentally, it's easy to get into a pentatonic lick, but it's much harder to exit neatly.

After that, we have:

• Double E followed by some octaves.
• Descending lick: one of his sharp nine-flat nine licks with slides.
• Harmonic swirl.

Conclusion

Putting all these elements together, here is what we end up with. Enjoy!