Muddy Waters is a blues guitar icon who pioneered the sound of electric guitar and invented a new solo language Story by David Gerrish ______There are few figures in blues history as notable as Muddy Waters. Born McKinley Morganfield in... More

Muddy Waters is a blues guitar icon who pioneered the sound of electric guitar and invented a new solo language Story by David Gerrish ______There are few figures in blues history as notable as Muddy Waters. Born McKinley Morganfield in 1913, Muddy was cetral to the evolution of the genre, from its beginnings as the folk music of the southern states to the electrified Chicago sound that served as a bedrock for all later guitar-based music.  Like many early blues artists, Muddy’s musical education came from church. Singing in Sunday service and emulating local musicians gave him a rich education and deep connection to the country-blues tradition.  By his teens he was supporting his powerful voice with intricate blues guitar work and harmonica embellishments, but his career would really take off when he moved to Chicago in the early ’40s. Arriving in the big city, Muddy realised he would need to amplify his guitar in order to be heard over the crowds of the music clubs. In doing so, he helped to develop the sound of electric guitar as we know it and secure its place at the forefront of popular music. His music during these years was raw and emotive. The cranked amplifiers delivered a rugged, powerful tone that perfectly suited the music’s primal nature. The licks may be considered somewhat primitive when we listen with modern ears but then it was the dawn of an exciting style never heard before. Muddy and others were essentially inventing a language, and so the study of this source material is vital for any blues guitarist.  Our solos in this lesson focus on Muddy’s early electrified sound, the first being a guitar slide piece in open G tuning (D-G-D-G-B-D). This tuning was traditional for many country blues slide players, and many of Muddy’s early recordings utilised it. If it’s unfamiliar to you, we recommend spending a little time exploring the fretboard. You will notice that the second, third, and fourth strings remain the same as standard tuning, so familiar shapes will still work here. The remaining strings are all tuned down a tone, so a little adjustment in your thinking will be required. Do not be deterred, as this tuning can give you access to an abundance of new language. Our second study delivers more essential vocabulary, this time in standard tuning, as Muddy switched to this later on. The vibe of this is just as important as the notes, and capturing some of Muddy’s swagger is the hardest element of emulating his style. He would push and pull rhythms and play heavily with dynamics, so aim to capture some of these details for added authenticity. Check out as much of Muddy’s music as possible, as it’s best to learn from the real deal. Just listen to Voodoo Chile, and you’ll hear that Jimi did, too!  Get the tone Amp Settings: Gain 5, Bass 4, Middle 7, Treble 6, Reverb Muddy was synonymous with his red Telecaster, but many of his early tracks were recorded with a Gretsch Synchromatic or a Gibson Les Paul. These were likely paired with a tweed Fender combo amp. Aim for an edge of breakup tone with plenty of mids and treble. You may need a little more gain than expected for slide, in order to allow the notes to sustain. Study Piece 1. Slide guitar solo in open G Our first study demonstrates Muddy’s open G slide guitar chops and showcases some fundamental moves for this style. Intonation is always key when it comes to slide guitar, so practise these licks slowly to ensure you are dead in tune.  Fingerstyle is probably the best bet here, or pick and fingers, or perhaps thumbpick and fingers. But if you prefer to go the ‘pick only’ route, be careful of any unwanted strings ringing out. Study Piece 2. Slow shuffle solo We’re back in standard tuning for our second study which demonstrates Muddy’s vocabulary over a slow shuffle in E. Keeping the rhythm going is what’s important here, as the low strings provide an accompaniment for the higher-string melodies.  If this is a challenge, work on each bar individually before you put it together. The style of this piece is foundational to so much of the blues that came later, so study it carefully and learn from its simple brilliance.  Less

Scott Gorham nearly lost his 'Holy Grail' 1957 Gibson Les Paul to a customs officer just after he bought it – and he had to go to court to get it back Story by Matt Owen, Guitar World Scott Gorham’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard is one... More

Scott Gorham nearly lost his 'Holy Grail' 1957 Gibson Les Paul to a customs officer just after he bought it – and he had to go to court to get it back Story by Matt Owen, Guitar World Scott Gorham’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard is one of the Thin Lizzy hero’s most prized electric guitars – but just a month after buying it, he faced a fight to fly it overseas. Originally acquired in the late 1970s, the guitar was sold to Gorham for a princely sum of $2,300 by a vintage guitar dealer who visited the band while they were in Boston. Gorham was besotted with the ‘Holy Grail’ guitar, and – with the enthusiastic encouragement of his colleagues – quickly snapped up the Les Paul, and began playing it while in the States. When it came to traveling to London a few weeks later, though, Gorham ran afoul of the airport customs security, who seized his new pride and joy while it was entering the country. “I played that ’57 for a month in the States,” Gorham recalls in the new issue of Guitarist. “We get back to Heathrow and the customs guy has all our cases out, with the lids flipped up. “And he went straight for that Les Paul. He says, ‘What a beautiful guitar – how much did you pay for it?’ I said, ‘$2,300.’ He goes, ‘Really? On the carnet here it says $600.’ He closes the lid – whack! ‘That’s my guitar now.’” As a result of the incorrect carnet – which, in the context of music gear, is effectively a passport for goods that lets you take equipment out of the country without paying tax or duties – Gorham’s newly acquired ‘57 Les Paul Standard was confiscated. In order to smooth over the issue and get his Les Paul back safe and sound, Gorham had to go to court. Fortunately, London Heathrow airport had its own court, which would hear Gorham’s case. “So we had to go to court, right there at Heathrow,” he continues. “I didn’t even know they had a court. A guy comes in, he’s got the black robe on, and he goes, ‘Well, Mr Gorham, we find you guilty – and the fine is the price of the guitar, plus £750 for breaking the law.’” So, what on paper started out as a $2,300 guitar ultimately ended up being a $4,600 guitar with a premium down-payment that, when adjusted for inflation, made it even more expensive. But Gorham did get the guitar back, and he’d put it to good use for the rest of Thin Lizzy’s career. As he explained in a previous interview with MusicRadar (above), it became his number-one recording instrument. “I used this guitar right after the Jailbreak album and right to the end of the band at that point,” he said. “Whatever guitar sounds you’re hearing on those albums, it will be this guitar.” Visit Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitarist, which features the full interview with Gorham.   Less