Music Lesson: Hit It Harder - Grade Two Rock School Piece

So that was Hit It Harder, which is your grade two rock school piece. A very cool piece with quite a lot going on within it. There's a lot to talk about, really, for grade two. Again, there are some really advanced elements, so it's good that you're being pushed with these pieces.

Overview

• Ending Breakdown: We'll talk about the very ending on its own because that's something I'd like to discuss in detail.
• Blues Genre: From the beginning, there are many hallmarks of the blues genre in this piece. Whether you know a lot about blues music or not, it might pique your interest and make you want to check out more blues players.

Amp Settings

Let's quickly discuss the amp setting, as it is quite important for this tune.

• Gear:
  • I'm not using any pedals today for this particular sound.
  • Guitar: Fender Telecaster (an American model).
  • Amp: Fender Deluxe Hot Rod Deluxe amplifier, which might be too powerful for most people to use.

Alternative Amp Suggestions:

• Blues Junior
• Peavey Classic
• Blackstar Artist 15

Settings:

• Drive Channel: I've taken it into the drive channel with the drive level at about seven.
• Master Volume: I've got the master volume down quite a lot to emphasize more of the drive and less volume.

The idea is to run the valves quite hot so the guitar breaks up quickly, transitioning to that overdrive or distortion sound. We want that gritty, bluesy tone.

Pickup Selection:
I'm using the bridge pickup again because it has that low part with the requisite twang. It's a stylistic choice; you might prefer a fatter sound, so definitely experiment to find the best tone on your guitar.

The Importance of Tone

Your sound is a critical part of your musical identity, and as an electric player, your gear influences that significantly.

• Reverb: I've added a healthy dose of reverb to give it more of a stadium feel.

Techniques to Master

There are various techniques at play in this piece; the main one is palm muting.

• Palm Muting:
  • This technique is prevalent throughout the song.
  • It involves switching quickly between normal technique (unpalm muted) and palm muting.

This can be quite challenging, as you will play the unpalm muted parts totally open. Your right hand will provide the muting, ensuring you avoid a messy sound, what we want is a very tight, clean tone.

Tips for Palm Muting:

1. Execution:

   • Your muting comes from your right hand.
   • Aim for a concise movement in your technique to switch between open playing and palm muting.

2. Achieving the Technique:

   • Experiment with the position of your hand to achieve the right sound.
   • Your right hand movement should be minimal.

Additional Techniques:

• As your teacher probably mentioned, placing the pad of your thumb on the strings while playing is key to palm muting.
• This technique is widely used in rock and roll records.

Stylistic Elements

Adding Vibrato:

In figure B, if you want to capture that blues feel, consider incorporating a bit of vibrato.

• Vibrato Technique:
  • This is a subtle bending up and down of notes, not a full bend, but a slight movement.
  • Adding this nuance will give your piece a more authentic blues sound.

The Ending

The ending of the piece is quite wild and advanced for an early grade, but it's great for pushing your skill set.

• Importance of Learning:
  • It's crucial to master the techniques presented as they enable you to explore new parts of the guitar.
  • This fits into the broader context of learning the blues scale, foundational for many licks in the piece.

Listening Recommendations

Let's touch on where this piece has come from and where it could potentially lead you.

• Stevie Ray Vaughan Reference: While the piece has hallmarks reminiscent of his style, it might be worthwhile to check out:

  • Freddie King's "Hideaway": This will show the shifts between palm muting and single notes beautifully.

• Other Influential Guitarists:

  • T-Bone Walker
  • Bernie Marsden (his version of "Ain't That Loving You, Baby" is worth checking out)

Conclusion

So that's Hit It Harder! I hope it acts as an introduction to the blues for you and inspires further exploration into the genre.

Final Recommendations:

• Explore great blues players like Freddie King, Albert King, BB King, and others like Peter Green and Rory Gallagher.

Write all these names down and dive into their music. Enjoy the process, and good luck!