Queen

Queen. My favorite band, and biggest influence. Queen is home to considerably the most talented vocalist of all time, Freddie Mercury. However, vocals are not my forte.  Most of my influence derives from the guitarists, Brian May.

Brian May

Queen was formed in 1970 by lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor. The band was later accompanied by bassist John Deacon. Queen was first signed by EMI and Trident in 1973, and continued to release their first album in that first year. It was a hit. This led to Queen going on their first major tour, and they only got bigger from there.

I vividly remember my first time listening to Bohemian Rhapsody. I was in about 4th grade, and my mom was dropping me off at school while it happened to be playing in the background. “This song is weird” I told my mom. And it is. Rock? Opera? Metal? I would never think to combine such genres together in a million years. However, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the greatest songs of all time. Being “weird” is what makes it so special. All of my favorite Queen songs have something in them that is most certainly out of the norm for the genre, but the bands combined musical genius just makes unnatural things sound natural. The band evokes so many emotions in every project. Love of my Life puts me in a trance state listening to all the layers of harmony and unique instruments, such as the harp. We Will Rock You fills me with an unprecedented level of confidence and excitement.

We Will Rock You Live Aid 1985

Queen has changed the way I play music in several ways. One of the biggest things is harmony. One of the best examples is the solo from Killer Queen on the Live Killers album. Brian May not only has 2 other harmony guitars playing standard harmonies in 3rds along with the track, but has those same guitars playing their respective harmony parts offset from the main part. It is unexpected, and breathtaking. I have attempted to recreate this when recording music on several occasions. Another technique I have picked up from Brian May is a way to change the sound of a lead lick. He tends to go up the scale, and on the resolving note, he will go down a half step and bend back up to the resolving note. The sound created allows you to get creative with it. I like to go into a Dorian-style lick directly after. This really changes the mood of the playing to something more stylistic.

It is safe to say that Queen owns the 70s, but they left a mark on music that is still with us today. Queen has been a great influence to me, but also many very well known groups such as Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Radiohead. Freddie Mercury challenged many social norms by embracing femininity and his sexuality. His stage presence was more similar to a theatre performance than a rock show, and that energy is one of the reasons Queen was so popular and influential. We are still experiencing the impact of Queen, and that isn’t likely to stop.

60s Classic Rock

Led Zeppelin

Following the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix making their mark on the music world, a lot of people started taking inspiration from them.  A young British guitarist named Jimmy Page was one of those musicians. After the popularity of The Beatles, Cream, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy wanted to take inspiration from their album style. At this time, he was a guitarist playing with the Yardbirds; a band that holds a starting point for guitar legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page himself, and Jeff Beck. However, he was having problems with the manager, so he left to look for a new band.  After many months of trial and error Led Zeppelin came together for the first time in 1968.

First Live Performance 1968

The band hit the ground running and dropped their first album (Led Zeppelin) in 1969.  What makes Led Zeppelin so influential to me is their ability to flip their energy on and off like a light switch. Their most defining song is Stairway to Heaven. It starts off as such a melodic and chord heavy song. There is a multitude of instruments: the most unique to this genre in my opinion being the flute. However by the end of the song the band has completely switched attitudes, with very active drums and much busier background guitar. Robert Plant (the lead vocalist) is also singing in a much higher octave to match the energy of the song. Robert Plant’s flamboyant energy is one of the reasons that they are so entertaining to listen to. Led Zeppelin is the face of classic rock because of their ability to do this so easily. Their mark on classic rock that has influenced me is the way their classic riffs. Songs like Black Dog and Whole Lotta Love create a sound and energy that is what classic rock means to me. Additionally, learning Jimmy Page’s rapid and sloppy solos have taught me little nuances that I implement every time I play.

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd Band Members

Pink Floyd is an English Rock band formed in 1965.  It was founded by Syd Barrett, only to later be taken over by Roger Waters. Waters led the band in projects such as The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here. The band pioneers a new genre that was developing along side classic rock: psychedelic/progressive rock. This is a very influential band to me. Pink Floyd is home to one of my favorite guitarists of all time, David Gilmour. Gilmour’s signature guitar is an all black Fender Stratocaster. I recently purchased a Fender Stratocaster because it is a high quality instrument-but also because of my inspiration from David’s work on the instrument.

My Fender Stratocaster Roadhouse Deluxe

Following in Gilmour’s footsteps has led me to have much better phrasing in any solo parts that I have. His tone is also one of a kind because of its contradictory nature. It manages to be very spacy and distant, but with the simple switch of a pickup it develops a punch behind it.

Rock Throughout the Ages and it’s Personal Influence

Part 1- 60s Blues Rock

When people think of 60s rock, or rock period, their mind most likely goes to the Beatles. Of course this makes sense, the Beatles are undoubtedly one of if not the most popular band of all time. The Beatles are a phenomenal band with an abundance of influence on the music today. However, I would like to take a closer look at blues rock in the 60s. Blues rock and the artists that created the genre have influenced my guitar playing since I was 8 years old.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is in my opinion, one of the best guitarists to ever live. His unique style and popularization of triads has influenced huge names like Steve Vai, Miles Davis, and Johnny Lang. His influence even reaches modern guitar legends like John Mayer. Jimi could neither write nor read music, which makes all of his accomplishments that much more impressive.

Hendrix’s 1967 album titled The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold as Love, is the second studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This album reached top ten charts in both the UK and US. Bold as Love showcased a variety of music styles with a focus on blues rock. One song from the album, Little Wing, is the perfect example of Hendrix’s mark on music. It utilizes a beautiful chord progression that relies heavily on triad licks. It is a soothingly melodic song with a solo that reminds the listeners why Hendrix is one of the greats. It quickly became a concert standard, and countless musicians have given their interpretation of the song. One of my favorite interpretations is by Stevie Ray Vaughn. Stevie will not be discussed in this section of the blog due to the time period that he was popular in, however this is a link to his version of Little Wing.

The Rolling Stones

Everyone has heard of The Rolling Stones. They are what I would consider the second most popular band of all time, falling second only to The Beatles. They are a London band created in 1962 and have made a huge impact in the genre of rock blues. Their roots include both blues and rock separately, and they flawlessly combined them with albums such as Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed.

Let it Bleed

A defining song for the rolling stones in the blues rock genre is Gimme Shelter. It has a flawless mixture of soul and grit with the crisp background vocals and wailing guitar solo. I had the privilege of seeing The Rolling Stones in 2021 in Pittsburgh.  This was the performance of Gimme Shelter.

Rolling Stones Concert October 4th, 2021

I believe that one of the biggest factors that led The Rolling Stones to the level of fame and influence that they are at is stage presence. Mick Jagger is currently 79 years old, and still performing with ease! I believe that what makes the band so great is how entertaining they are. The blues rock artists  have such a presence when performing that makes it hard to look away. Jimi Hendrix’s face is constantly contorted in various odd positions when playing lead parts. This is called “guitar face“. It is a natural occurrence derived from extreme passion for playing. “Soul” is a staple in the genre of blues rock that has makes listeners really feel the music.

The genre of 60s blues rock was created by some of the most talented and lively musicians to ever live. It is responsible for the styles of many guitar legends from the the 60s even to now in 2022. It has touched my music spirit personally, and I will explain how in the next blog post.