Cosmik Debris Guitar Lesson: Frank Zappa's solo

[MEGAUFO777]

excellent !

[spoon149]

can you explain which scales etc: zappa tends to endeavour?

[megahendrix]

more zappa pleace :) maybe zombie woof ;) c´mon

[effzee]

omg, incredible! Thank you :-)))))

Um, if you ever get around to doing another FZ solo.... maybe Muffin Man? ;-)

[nickyfzr]

That was great. Apostrophe is one of my favorite albums. I will be playing this. Oh and just my opinion but playing the "greats" solos note for note is more rewarding to me than noodling on my own. Thanks for posting.

[nickyfzr]

That was really nice. I love Zappa and Apostrophe is one of my favorite albums. You got me going. Now I have to learn some myself. Thanks.

[TheGumboVariator]

Can you do more Zappa solos ? Perhaps DIrty Love?

[doctornerve]

@TheGumboVariator I would LOVE to transcribe more Zappa! But from whence the time? Already backed up way too far. But I won't say 'no', just 'thanks' for the suggestion. Rock on.

[ydontuwanttocopythis]

Zappa would have laughed about this. You do not need to learn his solos by heart. And you do not need to watch his solos under a microscope. But you do need to learn how to "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar".

Amen

[doctornerve]

@ydontuwanttocopythis

I disagree with you.

We know that Zappa hired Steve Vai after Vai sent him meticulous transcriptions of his solos. We also know Zappa published a book of transcriptions of his solos (The Frank Zappa Guitar Book). So the idea of Zappa laughing at a transcription of one of his guitar solos holds no water.

On a side note, you sound preachy and sophomoric by presuming to speak for Frank. The smug self-important "Amen" at the end of your message doesn't help much.

[ydontuwanttocopythis]

@doctornerve Oh, I am sorry, how could I dare to speak for Zappa, omg...erm...omFZ.... (irony !)

And I really do think that a teacher should learn his pupils NOT to copy anyone (learn how to NOT copy), but to play what they feel themselves.

What "we know" about Zappa....is too academic in my opinion. As a guitar player and a teacher I know: Tell your pupils (again) :"Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar".

[doctornerve]

@ydontuwanttocopythis Of course people should play their own solos and not copy. That's obvious. But transcription has a lot of value. I don't tell my students or anyone else (including you) to shut up.

[ydontuwanttocopythis]

@doctornerve I did not address you to shut up. Sorry if it came that way. I meant: Forget words, when it comes to playing music.

Amen ;-)

[doctornerve]

@ydontuwanttocopythis ok, we're all good.

[BrianMChampion]

Sweet SG. Is that a '61 SG Special, with the dot inlays?

[doctornerve]

@BrianMChampion Thanks, it's a 67 SG Special

[12Jetdiver55]

Now that WAS funny about the cigarette hanging from the headstock!!!!!!!!!!

[csimon86]

all you need is a cigarette hanging from the headstock

[doctornerve]

@csimon86 ...and a garland of panties passed up from the audience.

[TheBluescaster]

Schweeeet! Thank you!

[fmxkool]

fuckin pinch harmonics are a whore!!!

[ECHOHOTEL82]

great work on an oustanding solo

good to see people having good taste especially these days

you really captured the mood and feeling of the piece

you clearly prove its not what you play its how you play it

zappa rules keep rocking

[doctornerve]

@ECHOHOTEL82 Very nice words. Thanks!

[bruce9432]

Very good rendition

There is tab of Frank showing up on Guitar Pro (Muffin Man) and Power Tab (Black Napkins)

Also there is a Ranier Tankred Pappon on youtube that does a cover of Black Napkins and nails it

[matty2470]

Just loved this.........excellent phrasing!

[doctornerve]

@matty2470 Thanks!! The phrasing on this was just a mind warper... diabolical... worked hard on this one.

[dimaensionx]

I believe Frank actually used a Pignose amp in the studio for his solos during the early 70's albums (Apostrophe, Overnite Sensation and One Size Fits All) - He just plugged in and miked them with a very high quality condenser mic. I read that in one of the guitar magazines a few years ago.

[MarcBeckK]

hey great playing, fantastic video. I was wondering about your tone, is the SG an essential part of it, I have a telecaster and a classic player strat, with a Framus Ruby Riot II as my main amp, and I cannot get near that tone with my telecaster, but I feel I should be able to get that tone with my strat, I have a sovtek big muff and carl martin hot'n drive to throw in to the mix. Do you think it can be done? How do you achieve that fantastic overdrive sound on your low notes?

[doctornerve]

@MarcBeckK Thanks very much. I doubt my SG sounds much like Frank's, as his was a custom guitar with built in preamp, and perhaps the biggest difference is that he had humbuckers on his and there's P-90's on mine. I kept it simple, using the "thick mode" on the Vox Night Train and a middle-ish foot position on a wahwah pedal to get that mean midrange snarl. Dial up your gain and then limit the bandwidth of your tone with a wah and hopefully you'll get something satisfyingly Frank-like!

[MarcBeckK]

@doctornerve yea I know he was very fond of dimarzio pickups to, I've heard. I didn't even notice you had single coil pick ups. I kinda rushed in to the last comment though, I hadn't even given it a try, I must have thought I had, but I just after realized that I had only tried with my telecaster, I actually managed to get a decent tone very quickly, with just the hot drive'n boost at high gain and combined bridge and neck pick up, thank you though I can still use your advice to improve my tone

[MarcBeckK]

@doctornerve I actually have two more question, since you're clearly a Frank fanatic and know your stuff(+ quick response time, awesome) do you know how Frank got his tone on muffin man? And also Watermelon at easter hay, that tone is wow, I can get kinda close but when he plays c# on the b string and bends, his tone is pretty crunchy and oddly distorted and I can't get that at all, I've tried picking in a bunch of ways but it seems it's the settings(set-up) rather than the technique.

[doctornerve]

@MarcBeckK That's getting into some deeply obscure territory, sorry I can't be more helpful. We know Frank used a wide variety of amps and pedals, and he had a midboost preamp built into that guitar, so I really don't know what he used on Muffin Man. His tone changes a lot from tune to tune, solo to solo, so it's tough to speculate. He liked Carvin X100B series heads enough to allow Carvin to associate his name and photo with that amp, so maybe that was in the signal chain on Muffin Man, dunno

[MarcBeckK]

@doctornerve okay thanks anyway, I'll just have to experiment a bunch like Frank did.

How about the thing I mentioned about "watermelon at easter hay" you don't know what might have caused those very distinguished tone characteristics?

[Stevespeeze]

@doctornerve

He also ripped apart a green ringer and installed it in his guitar.. And some diff phase taps for the pickups.

[GuitarStringKiller]

wow. you play it like it was the easiest song in the world although i always thought zappa solos were impossible. it really sounds like the original, i think i'll have to learn it too.

[doctornerve]

@GuitarStringKiller Very nice of you to say that. This was pretty difficult (for me, anyway) to transcribe and get the phrasing right.

[superkulmedkniv25]

great lesson. i used to think zappa solos were inpossible...

[doctornerve]

@superkulmedkniv25 So nice to read this comment. It was not easy to transcribe. Very unusual and idiosyncratic phrasing. Was a great experience trying to work it through

[superkulmedkniv25]

@doctornerve yeah, i couldn't learn this solo by ear, so i fugured i would try to find a lesson on it, and there it was. Probobly the only lesson on youtube who actually TEACHES a Zappa solo. oh, and what's that thing about that russian at the end?

[doctornerve]

@superkulmedkniv25 haha - the Russian thing at the end - I was called up on stage at a Zappa concert in Troy NY. Was spectacularly intense to be one of his audience stooges.

[superkulmedkniv25]

@doctornerve Great experience learning this solo for me too. It'd be nice to see you post some more zappa solos, as you seem to be able to learn some of his stuff. good luck with your band, by the way!

[drthecat]

yo! could you do the little xylophone lick at the chorus? Tough bit to get

[youtubbeisshit]

play some floyd solos man! you're good

[12Jetdiver55]

Excellent sound..... great job!!!!!!!!!

[spiderjersualem]

excellent stuff!! well done on getting such an accurate zappa tone

[doctornerve]

@spiderjersualem thanks! That's a Jule Potter modded Vox Night Train in Thick Mode with a Crybaby wah at half mast

[helldx07]

Montana Zappa Plz Plz Plz...

[chopperharris100]

can you do the mufin man please?

[doctornerve]

@chopperharris100 such a great piece of music! but it's unlikely I'd transcribe a solo that long. Thanks for watching

[HectorTsolodimos]

that was just a-ma-zing!

[BeatleUniversity]

You're an amazing guitar player! Thank you for this excellent lesson!

[ekku1979]

I don't understand why someone has disliked this video. Can't find any reason for disliking it, except for jealousy.

[doctornerve]

@ekku1979 who dares!?!? haha - forget it.

[johnnyex5]

Play Nanook rubs it, I wanna learn those short solos!!!!!!! :D very nice! and yes by the way this is a request. ***** 5 stars.

[Farksisten]

Nice work! Terry Bozzio said that when Frank auditioned rhythm guitar players for his band, he made them play the opening line to San Berdino with some kind of blues bend. And most of them failed instantly.

Nice recording at the end, btw. Do you happen to have more of it? :P

[robbiechello]

i love your lesson please do more zappa

[kensmith06]

agreed more zappa!!! love your vids

[john48sh]

Awesome!! Please post more ZAPPA!

[aaronilai]

Great! you played with zappa, awesome!, but i cant find the tab in your web,

great lessons you have uploaded recently, and i want to learn this one!

[doctornerve]

@aaronilai

TAB is coming, sorry for the delay!

And thanks, but no I didn't play with Zappa. I was merely an audience stooge he brought up during a couple of goofy things he did onstage... the audio at the end of this lesson is about one of his crew who had to get shaved onstage because he lost a bet the previous night. Frank was calling him a schmuck and asked me to come onstage to verify his schmuckness, which I did with great gusto.

[aaronilai]

funny story! and take your time with the tab, quality its what matters

[doctornerve]

OK, guitar tab is posted! Thanks for your patience.

[RcUniverseGuy]

if you could do muffin man that would be so awesome dude nobody has done it yet for some reason

[hanearlpark]

What kind of guru are you? :-)

[kirkpab]

docternerve, your choice of songs for your recent videos have been brilliant.

I would never had thought to learn thisotherwise, thanks again.

[doctornerve]

Very good to hear it, kirkpab, thanks!

[ekku1979]

Oh man!!!!!Zappa solo! Great!!

[pobbart13]

first coment ftw!