Hey Mark, brilliant playing. Bang on with Johns astonishing playing as always. James Birkett would be proud. Do you know James, he teaches guitar at the Sage....your neck of the woods....
Mark beutifal teqnique those are tough lines ;Ive been playing my whole life and it would take me months to woodshed that stuff keep it coming also my all time favorite jazz guitarist is lenny breau I love all the jim halls wes coryell etc but lenny dos it for me
We have 1,000 excuses to explain why we can't play John McLaughlin. Hats off to Mark, you took the time to learn showing a level of commitment that is beyond most of us. I choose use Mark's video as inspiration and realize that, it can be done! Thanks for inspiring me Mark! Vittorio from Singapore
The other thing is note choice. Alot of guys are just running up and down scales as fast as they can, or playing mechanical patterns. Impressive like 500 push ups would be or whatever.
But if you're faced with having to come up with coherent melodies over one complex chord after another, then you'd better be good!
I'm amezed that people look so much to shredders and don't check John. I listen him since I was very little and I can say that John is infinit ... I don't feel his limits. Yes ... maybe there are others that can play as fast as he can but none of them can improvise a note like him.
Not all shredders play legato. Most people that "shredd" aren't even doing it. Anyone can play super fast penatonics. But also, its not that easy to just slur everything, look at Allan Holdsworth, he doesn't really pick, and he's amazing.
Yeah, but Allan Holdsworth does it cause hes wants to phrase like a sax player. And yea a majority of shredders do slur alot,depending on what shredder they like alot, but their lines aren't as intricate and hard as Holdsworth.They are just show off licks. There is no substance and its not hard. Not that everything has to be difficult to be good, but you get the idea.
Yep, I totally agree with you. I'm not super fast (wanting to get there,) but I try to phrase and play good melody lines. That's more important to me than showing off, although it can be fun haha. And my legato sucks by the way haha, I prefer to pick hehe. You play guitar jerfarme?
Yea I play, otherwise I wouldnt make comments on stuff I dont know anything about haha. Oh yeah I definitely think its good to show virtuosity, but just with a purpose and maybe sometimes just for flash. You can get more out of listening to Wes Montgomery tasty lines then listening to really fast illogical stuff. Mclaughlin has a good mix between melodic and virtuosic stuff though.
amen. john mclaughlin is one of few guitarists in history who actualy matter, who has musical inclinations on the level of john coltrane, even stravinsky.
Exactly - I could listen to any 30 seconds of his playing and learn so much about phrasing, note selection, harmony, rhythm, space. It's not worth mentioning technique. He's one of the few guitarists who transcends his instrument. It's magical
I wouldn't dream of claiming I can improvise to his level. For something like "The Wish" where it goes from lydian flat 7 to lydian, I could play fairly similar lines, although my phrasing isn't as good and I make more mistakes I'm learning - been working out John's stuff for a few months. I'd be the first to say that I will never be a patch on JM. There will only ever be one John McLaughlin.
Hey Mark, brilliant playing. Bang on with Johns astonishing playing as always. James Birkett would be proud. Do you know James, he teaches guitar at the Sage....your neck of the woods....
DaveyL1954 2 months ago
LOL , am speachless... incredible! fajnie basiawes, i swear =)
SIEJLALKA 4 years ago
Mark beutifal teqnique those are tough lines ;Ive been playing my whole life and it would take me months to woodshed that stuff keep it coming also my all time favorite jazz guitarist is lenny breau I love all the jim halls wes coryell etc but lenny dos it for me
wusupfoo 5 years ago
We have 1,000 excuses to explain why we can't play John McLaughlin. Hats off to Mark, you took the time to learn showing a level of commitment that is beyond most of us. I choose use Mark's video as inspiration and realize that, it can be done! Thanks for inspiring me Mark! Vittorio from Singapore
VittorioJoosten 5 years ago
with such long fingers ideal to play guitar. But also: respect - why hiding? is there some more from you?
LowSpark42 5 years ago
Boring to watch someone copy and completely pointless except for learning and developing. Should be done in private. I don't get this at all.
CharleeVee 5 years ago
ps - love the clip. What kind of guitar os that?
poplaar 5 years ago
It's just a cheap Yamaha - cost about £225. Plays really well but is a bit light.
MarkLown 5 years ago
The other thing is note choice. Alot of guys are just running up and down scales as fast as they can, or playing mechanical patterns. Impressive like 500 push ups would be or whatever.
But if you're faced with having to come up with coherent melodies over one complex chord after another, then you'd better be good!
poplaar 5 years ago
And then there's his chordal playing, compositional skills. 1 in a million
MarkLown 5 years ago
I'm amezed that people look so much to shredders and don't check John. I listen him since I was very little and I can say that John is infinit ... I don't feel his limits. Yes ... maybe there are others that can play as fast as he can but none of them can improvise a note like him.
valentin80 5 years ago
Shredders and tappers have it easy they slur everything. Picking takes alot more skill. Thats why you see alot more shredders. Nice technique
jerfarme 5 years ago
Not all shredders play legato. Most people that "shredd" aren't even doing it. Anyone can play super fast penatonics. But also, its not that easy to just slur everything, look at Allan Holdsworth, he doesn't really pick, and he's amazing.
guitarro777 5 years ago
Yeah, but Allan Holdsworth does it cause hes wants to phrase like a sax player. And yea a majority of shredders do slur alot,depending on what shredder they like alot, but their lines aren't as intricate and hard as Holdsworth.They are just show off licks. There is no substance and its not hard. Not that everything has to be difficult to be good, but you get the idea.
jerfarme 5 years ago
Yep, I totally agree with you. I'm not super fast (wanting to get there,) but I try to phrase and play good melody lines. That's more important to me than showing off, although it can be fun haha. And my legato sucks by the way haha, I prefer to pick hehe. You play guitar jerfarme?
guitarro777 5 years ago
Yea I play, otherwise I wouldnt make comments on stuff I dont know anything about haha. Oh yeah I definitely think its good to show virtuosity, but just with a purpose and maybe sometimes just for flash. You can get more out of listening to Wes Montgomery tasty lines then listening to really fast illogical stuff. Mclaughlin has a good mix between melodic and virtuosic stuff though.
jerfarme 5 years ago
amen. john mclaughlin is one of few guitarists in history who actualy matter, who has musical inclinations on the level of john coltrane, even stravinsky.
aniamls 5 years ago
Exactly - I could listen to any 30 seconds of his playing and learn so much about phrasing, note selection, harmony, rhythm, space. It's not worth mentioning technique. He's one of the few guitarists who transcends his instrument. It's magical
MarkLown 5 years ago
yeah but can he improvise at anything near john's level?
noonward 5 years ago
I wouldn't dream of claiming I can improvise to his level. For something like "The Wish" where it goes from lydian flat 7 to lydian, I could play fairly similar lines, although my phrasing isn't as good and I make more mistakes I'm learning - been working out John's stuff for a few months. I'd be the first to say that I will never be a patch on JM. There will only ever be one John McLaughlin.
MarkLown 5 years ago
Mark! Sometimes even a short sequence is enough for showing master skills. For sure this is highly regarded to you.
califdefunk 5 years ago
Thanks very much for the compliment
MarkLown 5 years ago
Yeah, cool stuff man. You have made it farther than many will :-]
noonward 5 years ago
This is a short mpg sent to me by guitarist Mark Lown from Newcastle UK.
This man can really play!
He matches John McLaughlin himself note by note, no joke!!
MMstudiO 6 years ago