African Soukous Guitar Demo #3

[dashinandchoi]

Just to confirm. From high to low, E B G D D E. With the D string (forth string) replaced with a E string and tuned to a D.

[alkisaka]

@dashinandchoi Hi small correction...you put 2 Ds it's E B G (D) A E with the fourth string replaced with an E string and tuned to D

[youngergunner09]

Sol -chord G

[littletingoddess96]

mi compose tuning (for clarification!) lowest to highest EADGBE (the "D" is the regular old D string but tuned an octave higher using another high e string.

[Andreas5616]

Hello again, can you please tell what are the chords you are using because I can see it is power chords but the way you finger it make difficult to guess

[Andreas5616]

Hello Sir how are you hope you alright, is this E-B-G-D-A-E ? and I would like to know that can I start learning soukos by using aucostic guitar or I should buy the electric one. Thanks

[alkisaka]

@Andreas5616 Yes it is E-B-G-(D)-D-E The 4th (D) string is the same size as the small #1 E string but it is tuned to D...As far as learning this mi-compose style of rhythm or lead you need to purchase an electric guitar..

[alkisaka]

@Andreas5616 G C & D in different positions and inversion of those same chords

[kharlos84]

Dude the only way too learn this "style" of playing is by listening to album and figuring out stuff don't ask for tabs TABS SUKS

[Andreas5616]

Hey man would you like to teach that please?

[alkisaka]

@Andreas5616 Sure....



[dashinandchoi]

@Andreas5616 I agree

[Andreas5616]

Yes but it look like you have oly five strings where's the fifth string?

[alkisaka]

@Andreas5616 I actually have all six....it's just that the where the 4th string is (the 4 largest in size or gauge usually the D string...you replace it with a string the same size as the 1st or E string and tune it to D....so that it sounds like D string but an octave higher

[BabiaaJacquiia426]

lòl_í_féEl_sÔ_lOñËlÿ_tOÐäÿ

[simbayao]

It's funny most of us africans play by ear, so the technique itself is to play as your heart sings! I have seen so many musicians play without even knowing what they were playing, when we were young, the elders would tell us ''just follow the rhytm'', if u go to RDC, 90% of the musicians don't know what micompose is but it u say accompain me with the seben, everyone can play and dance with u!

[ObeliskTheDestroyer]

wow, this is simply an awesome style of playing,

im greatly impressed

:)

[ryanchappel1]

you old black man... how the hell do you get that guitar to make such awesome noises?

[JoeGancher]

Great playing. Any tab available ?

[InternalRest1993]

CAN I PLEASE HAVE TABS????? THIS IS GREAT!!!!!

[estebaneeezy]

Hey, I'm new to this style. Any artist recommendations that you have in mind? By the way, you're a fantastic guitarist. I love the music.

[alkisaka]

@estebaneeezy Hi .Thanks for your comments..

As far as artists are concerned....I would start with the old greats that set the strandard.. Luambo Makiadi or Franco as well Dr. Nico and Tabuley Rochereau to name a few...Kanda Bongo Man, Werrason, Kofi Olimede are more current..

There is a great You Tube channel that features a lot of them..

it goes by the user Idimawatu...check it out..

[estebaneeezy]

@alkisaka Thanks a lot for the reply. I'll be checking them out.

[wartree]

the chords are like standard tunning, because you have the same note, just an octave higher

[rattletree]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing that!

[Leondale]

? say wha ? gotta go git some tab for this!! how marvelous and happy!!

[kakompo]

Well done.

[slchld11]

Alan..would youplay regular chords with Mi compoose or are the chords different because of the altered tuning? also do you use your standard scales for this style?

Thanks..enjoying your vids

[alkisaka]

I use regular chords and a regular major scale..

It's the rhythm technique that is the complicated part

[slchld11]

ok...

I sometimes play Ivorian music using that rhythm so its quite similar...its just the chords i was curious about.

[rastanegre]

i love it but I would like to see the technique you are using with the right hand. Thanks Alan keep them coming you are very much appreciated.

[jib36]

thank you, by 1 you mean the thinnest string? (forgive my ignorance!) it would have to be i guess, to be able to go to a higher D octave... yes i think i understand!? thanks

[jib36]

i'm confused? do you tune the thinnest, top E string to D? or the lowest E string to D? i should be able to hear it but the picking pattern makes it hard, are you in concert pitch? oh and thanks for posting!

[alkisaka]

No basically...I take a string the same guage as your #1 E string, and put it in the #4 or D string slot...tune it to D...so it's still D just an octave above....

You end up with two #1 guage strings in at the 1st and 4th string positions...hope that is not to confusing...I am in regular pitch E, B, G, D (octave up) A, E

[Geckooflife]

Goddamn, this music feels good.

[naturegirl999]

what you're playing there is rhythm guitar style called double string me-compose, or composed style. That means instead of the 4th string, you'll use the second string it's a little heavy than the first, and you tune it higher to sound like the first string but you'll be holding in the same normal position like playing a major cord on first position on for strings.

Professor Adam Solomon

[alkisaka]

As a point of clarification I use a 1st string not a 2nd string...I tune it to D...and octave higher than your normal D string...

You correct in the fact that the chord shapes are the same...the difference is in the picking.....that is where the technical challenge lies

[MuddyBoy61]

beautiful music!! great guitar playing, it's very emotional!!

[mebattin]

please post the guitar tab . . .

many thanx

[singjar]

best guitarists are in africaaaaaa

[austin1o5]

nooooooo finland or usa

[inevergiveup1402]

wow luv the rythm !! u play fucking well !!!;-)))

[mattmcavoy400]

what scale(s) do you use to play this stuff?

it sounds amazing

i really wanna have a go at it

thanks

[epiphone112689]

I love this ive been trying so hard to figure this out but i cant i know the tuning but if i could only get some tabs that would push me in the right direction i would be very thankful, its been a long time since music has touched my soul like this.

please keep posting more videos like these!!!!!

[kouapolo]

Thanks you very much but, sorry I still did not get the tuning system. You said the D string is out and the higher E is tuned to what. Please, I would like more details. Thanks.

[alkisaka]

Okay ....

The only thing you have to worry about is the D string.

Instead of the normal size D, you instead use a 2nd high E (sized) string in it's place..

you then tune this string to D...it will sound an octave higher..than the normal D string.

[kouapolo]

Hi, please tell me the way soukouss guitar is tuned From E, A, D, G, B, E many thanks.

[alkisaka]

It is regular tuning...so from your example starting with the lower E string it's the same as regular tuning..the only difference is that the D string is taken out and instead of it another high E string tuned to D ( it's pitch will be D but an octave above the regular string D)..

Hope that makes sense...

[kouapolo]

I cound not get the tuning system you told me please, tell me a bit more thanks.

[brian777999]

Where did this style of tuning originate ? Does anybody know who was the first to do it....and why ?

[luchoXVIII]

that rythim is from Republic Of Congo

[luchoXVIII]

one of the first soukous musicians was Antoine Kolosay also known as Papa Wendo

[Campbell88guitar]

he says it in the video.

this style of music I believe is most common in and throughout the Congo (Both the republic and Dem. Rep.)

[wada78]

I believe it was michelino another congolese rumba musician who first created the mi-compose.

[SpawnofHastur]

This style of rhythm playing is amazing. It's more fun than normal rhythm, and even more fun than playing lead. I love it.

[lareviera]

as a metal player any musician independently on his type of music has to recognise other types of music for their substance and composition

this is one of them.

this is trully very hard to acomplish and therefore,

hats off ^^

[stargate669]

dude I'm Jewish and always play metal music to kill Palestinians backed by American money and your support. Could you send us some of your metal music in order to kill more women and kids. We can continually dedicate all this killing to you if you want? We can't use african music as it's beautiful, creative and uplifting and of course inspiring.

[lareviera]

what ?

[MDefsquad9]

you should put this stuff in guitar tabs..pretty pleeeaase : )

[Ian3985]

wow, i don't know if its that altered string, a stratocaster's versatility or some effect your running through...but how do you make your playing sound like a flute or pennywhistle.

Maybe my ears are drastically mistaken, but somehow, you sound really different, in a great way though!

[alkisaka]

A bit of both...the altered tuning and the guitar itself....

[wallaballabingbang]

Nice playing and very interesting tip about the 5th string. Thank you for sharing!

[wallaballabingbang]

Edit: I meant the 4th string...

[nickfs2004]

Woow, great! For how long have you been playing guitar? I realy want to learn to play like this. Greetings from Holland.

[singjar]

er zijn genoeg afrikanen in NL, die jou kunne leren gitaarspelen hahaa

[Likerboy999]

lmao at 0:18 i though you said doctor negro not doctor niko and dont give me a thumbs down for this comments am black aswell i as just pointing out

[Likerboy999]

wow this is cool my dad listens to lots of african music i can really impress him if i learn this

[ucheprof]

Thank u sir 4 ur fast response i have understood it .. meanwhile keep on this great job cus wht ur doing is a blessing to the world and it will last for generation...as well as ur name. im a nigerian i live and study in kuala lumpur malaysia ..and the little things i was able to learn from ur teachings has made me proud of my heritage cus my co malaysian guitarlist in my church get confused when i apply Soukous parthern not withstanding that im still a beginer heheheh

[ucheprof]

Hello if this is the regular E-B-G-D-A-E turning

wht is the alternate turnig???????

if regular is EBGDAE

then alternate ??????

[alkisaka]

Good Question Ucheprof...

It is similar to regular tuning the difference is that the #4 string D...instead of having a regular guage D ...you swap it out and put a #1 guage (E) string tuned to D...so it actually is an octave above the normal D string...Another thing is that the technique to play with this config it totally different from the norm

[daveg4343]

Very similar to "re-enterant" my-dog-has-fleas tuning. Very interesting! Who knew?

[coatserk]

the tuning is still the same but u just have have a different string.

[nothinggoldcansay]

Wow, please if you get the time post a simpler tutorial

I love soukous! I would love to be able to play it properly for now I can only guess.

I can understand the chords you play it is just right hand that I cant follow in your video.

[moaningatmidnight]

amazing

if only i had the guitar tabs to go along with it

[bittansweet]

What is mi compose?

[alkisaka]

In classic Congolese rumba and Soukous you may have more than one rhythm guitar part...

Mi-Compose would identify the rhythm guitar part that uses the alternate tuning that I demonstrate here...in the case of a 2nd guitar called Mi-Solo played in regular tuning ..this can give the illusion that the Lead guitar player is doing amazing things on his own..

[afansi]

That tuning also sounds suspiciously like the mi compose part of Afro which a few years ago I thought I'd perfected using a regular tuning. That's my favourite ever guitar solo, so if you don't mind, it would be great if you could guide us through it.

[gomachols]

the most interesting thing ive heard anyone do with a guitar for quite some time. a lot of stuff over here has stagnated. other countries have so much to offer and we ignore it. its nice when someone plays guitar very differently than what i hear in my country and they can, instantly, make it sound like 'this is the way the guitar should be played'.

[wflinter]

I want to hear more from your style of guitar. It sounds really good.

[ICThr3e]

it isn't his style.

it's how Africans have been playing for over 20 years now.

[Kingangi]

@ICThr3e

Where did he say that it was his own style? He even names the originators: Dr. Nico and others, and nowadays Lokassa. I'd love to see your (positive) contribution to the knowledge of African guitar playing.

[ICThr3e]

@Kingangi

Why have you taken offense?

Somebody made a comment mistakenly thinking it was his particular style, all I did was tel the person it was a Continental sound

[654321654321]

very interesting music.

the melody is great.

[ChorltonM21]

That was brilliant thank you. I was actually looking for how to play like Ali Farka Toure and stumbled on this instead. What advantage does that tuning give you over regular tuning and what time signature is Soukous please?

[alkisaka]

This tuning gives you the ability to do complex rhythm patterns,arpeggios 16 & 32 nd note trills and such. The time signature is usually a 4/4 swung feel ...the complication is in the poly rhythms and syncompated patterns that usually fall behind or ahead of the beat.

[HeshimaJameni]

What is your opinion on Stanley Jordan?

[alkisaka]

He is Maestro of his form of playing..

A genius of execution.

[WCSLdglas]

thanks for teaching this. one of the best guitar styles in the world.

[maep1999]

I hope you make your instructional video soon. I love this style of music but trying to play it from cds is virtually impossible without knowing the basics. I would suggest starting the riff very slowly and then speed it up to normal time. Also is this tunning common around Africa with many bands or just in a certain area?

Finally, a past post seemed offended that you are teaching this form and giving away secrets, that is ridiculus backward thinking.

[alkisaka]

Thanks Maep1999 for your comments.

The tuning is unique to this style. Groups around the region of Congo mainly and East and Central Africa in general use it. It was first developed in the 50s by the famous "Dr. Nico" Nicholas Kabanda from Congo. As time went on other groups developed the use of Mi Compose into a very complex alternative rhythm part for guitar.

[ledindon45]

whaou you are the best =) it s so good !! thanks from france ! the sun shine now for me !!!! =)

[Snorglorf]

How do you get such amazing tone? Can you explain your entire rig? :D

[alkisaka]

My Setup is real simple.

I set my pickup switch to in between the fretboard pickup and the middle one..(Classic Fender Srat)

Going into my Delay pedal (Visual Sound H20) I like this pedal because it mirrors the old analog tape delays pretty well. From their I go straight to the my fender Deluxe tube amp..

I am kind of old school in that I go for the most natural sound I can get from my equipment.

A

[doshus32]

awesome

[papanzinga]

Would a Zairian display the family jewels like this???

[alkisaka]

During my music school years, I was very unhappy with the fact that in Africa there was a disdain on teaching kids African Pop music theory...yet, I was learning about all the great western masters from Bach to Tchaikovsky in classical etc...but, there was no mention of Franco, or Joseph Kabasele, or Nicholas Kabanda. My friend I think their legacy is enhanced rather than torn down by what I am doing..

Cheers,

Alan

[soukous70]

I do believe that a Zairian guitarist would be thrilled to show the english speaking world this loveley technique,it has been ignored for too long by north American audiences. And,yes,their legacy is VERY MUCH enhanced by what you are doing! And,I'd like to add Mwenda Jean Bosco to that list of great guitarists,man he did lovely work...

[Liloba2006]

You also need African talent and inspiration to play African music. It's just like African dancing, good technique is not enough to do it well...

[Adgegbe50]

this is interesting!!

[zenithdave]

Excellent, more please..

[ytkbe]

Hello,

I wrote down the notes of this beautiful mi-compose piece. Is anybody interested in the notes or in the midi file?

[zoukeddy]

hey ykbe iaam interested send it to me or write here pls

[ytkbe]

Thanks for this great video! Is the open tuning "gbdgbg"? Could my guitar neck not bend too much, if I tune my guitar like this?

[alkisaka]

it's actually "ebg(d)(this D tuned string is actually a 2nd #1 string tuned to D )a e

So you get (ebgdae) except for the string size and octave on the D string.

[jokege]

erm im jo and im congolese well i think this style of soukous really good could u upload some teachin video or where to get them coz i am a rythm player i know how to strum but i dont know how to play finger style. couldn't you help me? id appreciate it

[zoukeddy]

Excellent!you have to give more soukouss lessons!and talk about the positions that are used in Soukous!Whgen are you coming to Portugal?

[alkisaka]

I will definitely post more tips....

Portugal? Never quite thought about that..

Great country, Great football nation..hmm very tempting!!

Thanks for your comments..

[zoukeddy]

Portugal has a big African community although much dnt know Soukouss star musicians.But people enjoy it.Unfornattely Only Sakis and Kand B. Man were here and it was long time ago.But there are some musicians from Cape Vert, Guinea-bissau, Angola trying to play soukouss.But i wana contact the original.I love that guitar sound.

[dinkotom]

Thanks so much for this and could you please post some more similar videos. I've been an african music fan for many years and I would love to learn the rudiments of the style, but there is so precious little information about it, especially in my neck of woods. This is actually the first time I could see up close where those fingers go and of course I did it totally different and not sounding right. Thanks again.

[alkisaka]

It is my intention to help with more postings..

Hope to put our a DVD soon too.

Thanks for your comments!!

[soukous70]

Ohh wow what a wonderful insight into the soukous tuning,thank you!!

[flowamatic]

YES! thanks!

[drmlabs]

great stuff - thanks!