EVH - can't read and knows zero theory... how many times you heard this nonsense.

[jeremy_green]

For all you theory bashers out there who love to throw Eddie's name as one of the masters who doesn't know anything but can play. Granted this was piano, but he was 'schooled' to a degree and his dad was a pro.

 

Check this quote:

 

"Did you take formal lessons?

 

Sure.

 

Learn to read?

 

Oh, yeah! Definitely. I slightly know how to read for the guitar, because I know notes. But like if I see an A or an E, I don

[1001gear]

What brang this on?

 

 

 

hmm that reminds me...

[jeremy_green]

Nothing really. I have heard people say over the years that Eddie knew 'nothing' and always found that hard to believe. So when i was reading that interview, that point really jumped out at me. Nice interview, done before all the years of abuse and ego stroking.

 

Some nice insights about him lifting every Clapton solo note for note off the record too. Lots of little tidbits in there.

[1001gear]

Knew nothing. That's so unbelievably ignorant. lol

[mosiddiqi]

Cool!..thanks for posting Jeremy. I used to read all of Jas's interviews slavishly..he contributes here, mostly in the EG forum which is great. Lots of archive gold!.

 

Regarding learning theory...I'm obviously not in the JonR league..I mean, who is? ..his knowledge level is fantastic and has actually inspired me to learn more. I don't see how educating yourself can EVER be a negative....the level you take it to is up to you.

 

EVH has always struck me as a superbly intuitive player with a fantastic ear. The fact that he had formal training on the piano didn't ruin his guitar playing now did it?..which is the other thing idiots sometimes say.."I don't want to know what I'm doing, it'll ruin my mojo"

 

In fact, I'd say his classical piano training was an important part of the kick ass rock musician he became. Everything you do, the way you live, they way you conduct yourself, how you practise, what you practise, whether you "practise" or just jam, every single thing you do that makes you "YOU" impacts your guitar playing.

 

I'm all in favour of trying everything. Even learning to read music ..anything to get that extra 1% from somewhere.

 

I still suck at reading, but I'm better than I was this time last year

 

Edit: A lot of guitar players claim they "know nothing" to add mystique to what they're doing. When you're a kid trying to learn, unfortunately, that's a powerful message.

[Still.ill]

most good rock musicians do know some theory.... they just say they don't to look cool

[jeremy_green]

 

A lot of guitar players claim they "know nothing" to add mystique to what they're doing. When you're a kid trying to learn, unfortunately, that's a powerful message.

 

 

This is exactly why i like posting things like this to debunk that message as much as possible.

Good post Mo, I couldn't agree more with you.

[BydoEmpire]

I'm all in favour of trying everything. Even learning to read music ..anything to get that extra 1% from somewhere.

That's it, exactly. Great comment. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to learn absolutely anything and everything about playing music. I certainly understand the million reasons they don't, or maybe prioritize their time differently, but learning more will never make you worse.

[jonfinn]

The bigwigs at Berklee asked me to track down Jeff Beck and ask him to come to Berklee to do a clinic. Since Jennifer Batten (who was playing with Jeff at the time) is an acquaintance of mine, I called her and asked for his manager's phone number. Berklee told me to tell him, "Name your price."

 

The conversation I had with Jeff's manager was awesome. But he was very clear, "Jeff wouldn't agree to do this in a million years because he doesn't believe in music schools."

 

After spending many hours pouring over and analyzing Jeff's solos, I came to the conclusion that he knows exactly what he's doing. But I also suspect that he may have invented his own "non-verbal inner language" to describe things to himself. Perhaps to him, music schools de-mystify and de-romanticize the process? Maybe we'll never know.

 

Even though Jeff's assessment of music schools was (ahem) different than mine, by the end of the conversation I understood Jeff's point of view. His manager laughed when I told him how wrong Jeff is :-)

 

For me, it doesn't matter at all HOW you get there, or whether school helped or not. I'm not impressed if you suck and are self-taught. I'm not MORE impressed if you're awesome and self-taught because no-one is really self-taught. Further, holding a music degree does not automatically make you awesome.

 

To me all that matters is what comes out. The music. The rest of it is just hot air.

[1001gear]

If it comes out right that is. Couple rare examples I'd say.

[3shiftgtr]

Imaging meetings TELL you what to say. Word for {censored}ing word. And it ain't "I've worked really hard to control my ability to express myself. I tool lessons, and know theory."

 

The idea is to create this myth that if you are on that stage and making that record, you are 'special' and 'talented' and possess skills that 'normal' folks just weren't lucky enough to be blessed with when they were born. That is why slash wears a {censored}ing hat and doesn't go by his real name, Saul. A rock star named Saul? You CERTAINLY can't be talented and be named Saul, can you?

 

Chris Poland when he was in Megadeth was told to say in interviews that his influences were punk bands. He was a fusion head and nuts over Mahavishnu and Return to Forever etc, but was FORBIDDEN to say so. Even to guitar magazines.

 

It's all a big wash job.....

[benzem]

 

The bigwigs at Berklee asked me to track down Jeff Beck and ask him to come to Berklee to do a clinic. Since Jennifer Batten (who was playing with Jeff at the time) is an acquaintance of mine, I called her and asked for his manager's phone number. Berklee told me to tell him, "Name your price." The conversation I had with Jeff's manager was awesome. But he was very clear, "Jeff wouldn't agree to do this in a million years because he doesn't believe in music schools." After spending many hours pouring over and analyzing Jeff's solos, I came to the conclusion that he knows exactly what he's doing. But I also suspect that he may have invented his own "non-verbal inner language" to describe things to himself. Perhaps to him, music schools de-mystify and de-romanticize the process? Maybe we'll never know. Even though Jeff's assessment of music schools was (ahem) different than mine, by the end of the conversation I understood Jeff's point of view. His manager laughed when I told him how wrong Jeff is :-) For me, it doesn't matter at all HOW you get there, or whether school helped or not. I'm not impressed if you suck and are self-taught. I'm not MORE impressed if you're awesome and self-taught because no-one is really self-taught. Further, holding a music degree does not automatically make you awesome. To me all that matters is what comes out. The music. The rest of it is just hot air.

 

 

+1

[Festus]

 

The idea is to create this myth that if you are on that stage and making that record, you are 'special' and 'talented' and possess skills that 'normal' folks just weren't lucky enough to be blessed with when they were born. That is why slash wears a {censored}ing hat and doesn't go by his real name, Saul. A rock star named Saul? You CERTAINLY can't be talented and be named Saul, can you?

 

 

This is sad, and sadly true. If you read EVH interviews over the years, you can see the 'evolution' of his formative years. He went from being proud of his piano training (and even that he studied Scoring and Arranging at the college level) to being a completely illiterate savant in about 10 or 12 years. After that, he began believing his own press (which he falsified in the first place), and living 'up' to it, and his playing has been spiraling downwards ever since.

 

It's just not 'cool' to actually have a clue as to what you're doing...or to have sunk so low as to need 'practice' to maintain or improve it. Hats, however, are cool...and so are pseudonyms. I tell all my male students that, if they want a chance at commercial success, wear a stupid hat everywhere you play, and speak in cryptic, 'artsy' terms. People will mistake it for 'sincere art', and assume you're one of the chosen few. As for the ladies, well, they just have to be attractive...no hat needed. But that's another sad situation altogether.

[3shiftgtr]

 

For me, it doesn't matter at all HOW you get there, or whether school helped or not. I'm not impressed if you suck and are self-taught. I'm not MORE impressed if you're awesome and self-taught because no-one is really self-taught. Further, holding a music degree does not automatically make you awesome. To me all that matters is what comes out. The music. The rest of it is just hot air.

 

 

This ^^^^^+1000.

[jeremy_green]

 

This is sad, and sadly true. If you read EVH interviews over the years, you can see the 'evolution' of his formative years. He went from being proud of his piano training (and even that he studied Scoring and Arranging at the college level) to being a completely illiterate savant in about 10 or 12 years. After that, he began believing his own press (which he falsified in the first place), and living 'up' to it, and his playing has been spiraling downwards ever since. It's just not 'cool' to actually have a clue as to what you're doing...or to have sunk so low as to need 'practice' to maintain or improve it. Hats, however, are cool...and so are pseudonyms. I tell all my male students that, if they want a chance at commercial success, wear a stupid hat everywhere you play, and speak in cryptic, 'artsy' terms. People will mistake it for 'sincere art', and assume you're one of the chosen few. As for the ladies, well, they just have to be attractive...no hat needed. But that's another sad situation altogether.

 

 

See this is exactly what triggered it for me to post it ... I could swear that I have heard Eddie himself profess to some level of ignorance over the years... Although I can't specifically recall an interview to quote (So forgive me Ed if this isn't the case. Massive fan). This interview happened BEFORE all that stuff. So to me it just rang true... a beautifully done piece BTW.

 

At some point along the way ego seems to surpass true love ... this is the moment one's creativity - no matter how large - begins decline.

 

I do understand the marketing side of show business. Let's not forget or slam the biz side here fully. People who pay for tickets and albums want a show, maybe some legend. Stage names and clothes are all part of the sizzle that packaged, presented music, like theater, is all about. Slash is cooler than Saul ... and his hat did make him more memorable and eventually an icon! Now granted, not because of the hat, if they sucked he'd be nobody. But the hat and name helped.

 

I know personally of a real life business person, who had a very pedestrian name and an average business that relied on him and his image. He changed NOTHING about the business except he went with a new name - a stage name if you will. Sales increased by 34% first year with no economic differentiators -> BANG! JUST the name did this. So before we scoff too hard, that kind of increase can't be shrugged off. Musicians have to feed families too. I have NO beef with any musician attempting any of these strategies. PROVIDED he/she stays true to the art. Brothers got ta make some bread!

 

Now none of this has anything to do with the cat playing his own stuff for love and all that. I do admire that ... usually more. But if you want to be in the BUSINESS of music, you better be prepared for all this image stuff. They often go too far ... but it isn't all evil.

[girevik]

That's it.

 

I'm changing my name to Max Power.

[gennation]

I remember that interview when it was published. Cool read.

 

Eddie also goes onto say...

 

 

Does reading music help?   [Tentatively] Uh, it would help in certain things. I don

[Jesse G]

Everyone who plays music knows theory. Some know more than others, and some just don't know that they know theroy.

[NorthernPaul]

On a side note but kind of on topic, I had my first ever Jam session the other week.

 

The other guitarist is a talented lad, a far far better player than I am. He was a bit annoying when I was asking him what the chords were, and he presented his fingers on the fretboard to me. He claimed to not know what he was doing, sort of shrugging his shoulders and acting like he was cool. The mystical chord was an Am7 in the open position. Was he honestly saying he didn't know it? Or was he taking the piss out of me?

 

Is it not easier for everyone to know what they are playing? So you can communicate with each other and just play stuff?

[1001gear]

Occurred to me that EVH used to be valuable stuff. Why would he brag off his secrets?

[chevybusa]

LOL This is a very interesting topic, because it always astounded me that there were several musos I met and played with over the years who claimed they never took lessons and didn't know any theory or anything, but the CLEARLY did, as I'd always catch them in an instance of something they'd say or do that would prove it. I just don't get it...I guess some musos are so insecure that they think people will think that they are even greater than they are because they had no training and don't know theory, it's all "them". I don't know, I always found it bizarre as hell...

[jeremy_green]

 

On a side note but kind of on topic, I had my first ever Jam session the other week. The other guitarist is a talented lad, a far far better player than I am. He was a bit annoying when I was asking him what the chords were, and he presented his fingers on the fretboard to me. He claimed to not know what he was doing, sort of shrugging his shoulders and acting like he was cool. The mystical chord was an Am7 in the open position. Was he honestly saying he didn't know it? Or was he taking the piss out of me? Is it not easier for everyone to know what they are playing? So you can communicate with each other and just play stuff?

 

 

It's possible he didn't know... I was like that at one point (minus the ego crud).

 

If you mess around enough you can find many of these sounds if your ears are strong. Some people learn basically 100% using their ears only in the early years - I was this guy. I started doing it before anyone told me it was difficult (which it isn't - it is mostly process of elimination and a boatload of hard work). Other guys learn from Tabs and books. So for the ear guy it really makes not a lot of difference what something is called in the earlier stages. You just know it works.

 

But let's be clear here - this guy is NOT Eddie. EVH was FAR more than some bar band guy. Plus all his piano stuff - he can;t have been ignorant as has been claimed.

[jeremy_green]

 

Occurred to me that EVH used to be valuable stuff. Why would he brag off his secrets?

 

 

He can do what he wants ... but playing stupid to me comes with ZERO respect. Ignorance is shameful.

 

Besides, the "secret" (if there is such a thing) is not what made him ... There is no one singular secret to playing well. The application of said 'secret' is what takes the work and there is NO shortcut for this. So what's to 'keep' then? We only borrow knowledge anyway.

 

You tell your secrets because they may bring a similar joy to others.

You tell your secrets for the love of the instrument and its advancement.

In hopes that someone else comes along doing it differently.

So that you can bask in it and be inspired by it all over again.

[3shiftgtr]

 

Occurred to me that EVH used to be valuable stuff. Why would he brag off his secrets?

 

 

When was theory such a secret?

[Mark Wein]

 

To me all that matters is what comes out. The music. The rest of it is just hot air.

 

 

 

This.