Gary's Guitar Wankery

My Lydian Hell

September 6, 2007

MP3 Audio: My Lydian Hell (5.17mb) Download

By: Gary Drechsel visit website

Tags: My Lydian Hell

OK it wasn't THAT hellish but man this was more frustrating than everything else so far put together. This thing started out as an exercise I set up on the drum and bass machine so I could practice an idea that was made more clear to me after years of sort of understanding what it was about. What I'm talking about is scales and modes. In this case the Lydian mode of major scales. If it sounds a bit like a rip off of Joe Satriani (except that my playing isn't anywhere near what he does) it's because the main part of the tune is in the same key and mode as his song "Flying In A Blue Dream" which to me is an example of near perfection in guitar playing and composition. In my defense I used a different key than he does to switch to and then I also switch keys again and play a pentatonic-ish blues rock section. Oh wait I think he may do that too, but not in the same key. Whatever. He Goes C to G sharp, I'm going C to G. Anyway, the Lydian mode gives an almost major scale (happy) sound but with a little twist that makes it a little mysterious sounding. Basically for the main part all I'm doing is playing over a C bass note, but instead of playing a C major scale or C minor I'm playing in G major. C major and G major are very close, only having one note difference. Over the E bass part I'm playing in B major and over the G part I'm playing G minor pentatonic or blues-y kind of scale. That part sounds more familar to people who listen to rock music. I felt it brought things back to more familar territory for a little bit.

The hell part came in when I tried to record parts that actually sounded kind of OK. Not great, but just OK. I did many many takes on each solo part and finally settled on ones that I felt didn't completely blow. I ended up using twenty tracks in Cool Edit. Also since this was originally a practicing thing, I never really had and ending so I just decided to fade it out. I used the strat exclusively.

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edit - 10/10/07 - here's a cheesy video I made:

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Experiments in guitar recording.

Little nuggets of guitar playing for your (but especially my) enjoyment.

From the very beginning when I used to hear those solos on those old records I used to say: now here is an instrument that is capable of spewing forth true obscenity, you know? If ever there's an obscene noise to be made on an instrument, it's going to come out of a guitar. On a saxophone you can play sleaze. On a bass you can play balls. But on a guitar you can be truly obscene... Let's be realistic about this, the guitar can be the single most blasphemous device on the face of the earth. That's why I like it... The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar: now that's my idea of a good time.

Frank Zappa