But most people that say that they know absolutely know theory, do know a lot of theory. You literally HAVE to in order to create songs, whether you know the details abotu what you are playing or not, it's still theory. You can't just pull shitty chords out of your ass and cal it music.
@peavelSD Saying that you sing in unison with the riff that you're playing hardly requires any theoretical knowledge. Anyone with ears and half a brain could point out that Mikael sings in unison with the riff. |:
Are most of the songs on Ghost Reveries in D,A,D,F,A,E tuning? because aswell at this song, Reverie/Harlequin Forest is, The Baying of the Hounds is and beneath the mire is.
i really think they gotta know at least something basic, maybe they haven't studied and killed there brains off studying music as Petrucci and DT guys, but they gotta at elast learned some stuff here and there, y know, like Akerfledt he has to at least learned some Blue sclaes, some jazz stuff cuz cmon his solos are just fucking brilliant, epic, beautiful... at least a lil bit man, i honestly can't think that the whole thing is just like inner soul shit, most of it alright. hail OPETH!!
@Jorvas25 You don't need to learn it. I know people who play crazy solos because they've learned what notes sound right with what sounds. Not saying necessarily that that's how Mike plays, but just saying you don't need to officially learn or be taught something to know it.
You're right though, his playing is so damn good. Very dynamic, very eclectic. Some guitar magazine ranked him 9th Best Metal Guitarist of all time.
I find him very inspirational. He makes me wanna play whenever I hear him.
@losermonster you're exactly right man, Mikael is awesome as well as Peter Lindgren, let's round it whole Opeth is like mind-blowing, how complex are their compositions, even the simple ones are just fantastic, for me he should be on the Top 5.
I understand what you're saying I know it's possible to play good solos without having to learn a lot of stuff but in my case it would be very helpful since I start doing my thing then i BLOCK so for me It be good to learn some stuff. Cheers!
@bill14231393 Understood. Talent and passion are definetely a must if you wanna be known as a true artist, you know cuz u are able to perform your art, theory by itself isn't really gonna take you anywhere, but it definetely helps to ease the road I guess.
@Jorvas25 The first one he mentioned was Scott Walker - The Drift. If you have not heard it be prepared for what could easily be the weirdest thing you've ever heard. I couldn't believe it was even music. It's so goddamn strange. Maybe I'm just impatient but I could barely finish one whole track, although I did my best to at least check out all of the songs
I think theyre exaggerating their lack of knowledge of theory, Im sure they have a good understanding of it. I think they say this because they arnt able to piece together some crazy wacko jazz chord. which most people who arnt music majors wouldnt be able to do anyway
@opethas1 i'm pretty sure it's, "...it's one of the coolest licks i've done, i think. It's so simple, it's basically if the guitar would have been in a standard tunning, it would have been a blues lick..."
and it's like a lot of people here have said, he might not know theory in a classical sense or w/e but when you listen to a lot of stuff and write as long as he has been or just hold a guitar for that long XD you learn what standard tunning and "bluesy" is anyway
He is lying, at some point he had lessons in Theory and tunings and other shit. Just look at their song structures.....a lot of that stuff requires the knowledge of music when they wrote it.
@igotwoodhaha its not necessarily that he's lying, but its the same thing that alot of really great musicians do, its not that they don't know anything about music, but they don't understand theory from traditional perspectives, they know theory, but they learned if from music they're drawn to, they can't elucidate music theory, probably don't know anything about the notes they're playing from a classical perspective, what intervals they're drawn to, but their ear knows them, if you will.
@igotwoodhaha not true. Believe or not some people can write shit that sounds cool that may be complicated from a theory perspective. In fact it's probably easier because you don't ever worry about being out of key or something stupid like that.
You can't really avoid learning some theory once you get to a certain point as a musician. He obviously knows some musical theory, but he's denying that he's had any formal instruction or serious study (which is probably true).
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
its a joke he knows music theory. its a bid joke in the music industry. it started with van halen when everyone would ask him if he knew music theory and eventually he would just say no but all famous prog musicians obviously know music theory. all of the band members from opeth graduated from the european berkley equivalent. and if your wondering...when you go to school for music your gonna learn music theory and chord formations and more :0
im actually 13 and im learning 1st year of berkley music theory and i can play several songs by opeth like bleak, blackwater park, and the grand conjuration
I think its crazy that all these great prog metal players admittedly don't know any music theory. I know mastodon say they don't know any theory either. I guess that just shows amazing music isn't always about technical knowledege.
@jordaniac89: It isn't, but it sure helps :D I felt a little weird when I first found out that Akerfeldt actually doesn't know any music theory - not even the chords names! Then how was he able to write all that stuff he composed, especially for the "Watershed" album? "Hessian Peel" is such a long and complicated song, and the first melodic part is stunning... He must rely on his guts... Gosh, I wish I could, too...
@jordaniac89 I do agree, but they were definitely understating saying they don't know any music theory. They definitely know scales and understand key signatures.
@nado117 Perhaps it is instinct. Most of these 'theories' and 'keys' that we ramble on and on about, are actually concepts conceived and implemented from the perception of the human ear. It sounds consitent, and it has a certainly flow. Saying that a guitarist cannot pick up on this without theory-knowledge is stretching the facts. Besides, I know plenty of guitarists who can play the same and have NO real knowledge or care of key names/notes.
@jordaniac89 i may be wrong but i remember reading somewhere that brent hinds had been really big into music lessons and what not before joining mastodon and that because mastodon wasn't the type of stuff his teachers were teaching him that his family wasnt on board for him being in the band at first
@jordaniac89 i think i remember reading mastadons one guitarist actually said in some other interviews he knows a lot of theroy from the 11 or so years of banjo lessons and 9 or so years of guitar lessons lol, and that he just feels like messing with people/ dosent feel like explaining. lol
@jedivolt 1, Petrucci is one of the greatest guitarist on the face of the earth, I know they studied music. 2, he is saying that not ALL prog bands have studied music. He also said you don't need to know everything about music to be a great musicianist.
@jordaniac89 man, I don't care what anyone says, it's very rarely is about musical knowledge, it's not like you have some guitar playing thinking while he's playing that "oh now comes and E and than a G!!" it's about feel, that's what I love about Opeth. I know your comment was old but I'm a little tipsy and on an Opeth binge.
You have your terminology mixed up. Technical knowledge refers to how well they know how to play their instruments. I think we can all agree that theirs is quite advanced. What you wanted to say was "theoretical knowledge", which refers to their understanding of music theory.
u probably mean theoretical knowledge. the thing with music is, that music is created by humans and it doesnt follow rules. its not science. everything in music is based on taste in the end. so musictheory helps only to describe things so others can understand it. but it sets no rules or whatsoever. u only need your ears and the feeling for music in order to be able to do music.
@Neltheros man i heard him say that oon a clinic he did im my city... I really cant understand how all these great musicians who compose so great and technically difficult music dont know theory.especially when you play a shitload of arpeggios and scales like jeff I cant imagine ho w you can play all these withouy knowinh even the basics
@21Fixxxer Music theory is a bit like physics: It doesn't really create anything new, it just discovers relations which exist. Many need music theory to discover those relations, but some are so talented they discover those relations on an intuitive basis, just through listening. Music theory kind of is a way for people with "normal" talent to get what people with exceptional talent get just by listening.
@Altairograph A person who has an exceptional ear and doesn't learn theory because they think they don't need it is either lazy or has an inflated ego. Every musician needs to learn theory if they're serious about what they do. Theory isn't just for people who aren't naturally talented. It's a universal language used in music. How can you call yourself a musician if you don't speak the language?
@bill14231393 Because this language isn't the only way to communicate as a musician. You can also just record your ideas and play them to others. I am always amazed that Mikael can even remember his stuff without writing it down or having it in his head as a sequence of chords or something like that. Maybe he knows a bit of music theory, but I doubt it's much. And obviously that is a possible way to compose cause Opeth has some of the best compositions in metal in my oppinion.
@Altairograph I wouldn't be in a band with someone unless they spoke the language. Sitting around and teaching a bunch of illiterates is a waste of my time. At the bare minimum you at least need lead sheets, which I'm guessing Opeth uses even if they aren't using standard notation.
@bill14231393 Well yeah, I assumed that they have some sort of notation and strictly speaking notation is a part of music theory, but that's not the kind of theory I meant. What I meant is more knowing how chords are built, knowing scales and so on. In short, the theory that is relevant for composition, not just for playing. I would love to be in a band with good players who don't know much about theory. That way they could concentrate on playing and I could focus on composition.
@Altairograph the real breakthrough is when people with exceptional talent utilize theory. imagine the outcomes.. (see guthrie govan, steve vai, joe satriani for some examples)
@21Fixxxer you write by ear. He's a composer. You don't need to know scales etc the five pentatonic which you move up and down. The other scales are not needed. People with an ear don't need that. Eric Clapton and McCartney would just know those five too. Anything else is a deviation from that and you ears do it.
@jordaniac89 music theory, at least from a jazz theory point of view, is about putting names to whatever you're doing, and communicating about music. not knowing theory means that Mikael Akerfeldt and Akesson say "arabic sounding scale" instead of "harmonic minor", they hear it but they don't know the word for it. There is no downside to learning music theory, it helps you understand what you're doing and helps you describe it to other musicians. "knowing" theory won't make you a musician
good lesson....Akesson its an amazing guitar player!! i really think that Fredrick Akesson kicked ass in Opeth wth Watershed....and its my opinion but i think that the change with Peter-Fredrick was a good move....even though Peter leaved the band because of his desicion....
i always the the image tha the other band mates that play with mike in these playing interviews get really pissed cause they never know when mike starts to play and what he starts to play and just when the other dudes are going to play it too he stops all of sudden
Agreed. There are echoes of the late, great Joe Pass, who's seminars consisted of, "I don't know what these chords are! You just go like that! And that's it!"
I love you Mike don't forget me, remember me screaming during the concert in Rome (Alpheus) that I love you forever and ever. I'm not gay. I have grown with your music.
haha That's funny to me as well, because you listen to some of their songs, and how intricate the guitar parts are along with their overall style, I was thinking they were the type that knew a lot about musical theory... I guess not lol
One of the reasons I like Opeth, is that almost every song has a lot to offer, it's not like, a nice riff and verse, with some chords to fill and complete the song, it's like a very delicate and detailed process in every song .
thing about Opeth is that they've paved their own way to a songwriting process that eliminates whatever "rules" people may feel the need to think music has.
Ex: The Outro of "Burden"... where the guitar is slowly being untuned. That shit was subtle, but fucking amazing. Made the best song of the album, all that much better.
Now.... had some other band, [insert whatever band you wish here], done it. They would have just looked like damn fools.
I love Mikael can have some of the heaviest riffs and then some of the most classy riffs I've ever heard in one song and make them fit together perfectly.
I'm sorry, But that is your own view on it. I'm liked Opeth for years, and I think it's one of their best. It has more emotion in the songs then several of the previous albums, So it doesn't suprise me when people, more then likely hard core metalers, bash on it for taking a slightly different turn.
lmao, whatever you have to say to yourself to help you sleep at night. It has nothing to do with it being 'different' but rather that the songs are far more jointed and disorganized, there are some cool parts, but the whole album can't ride on that alone. Fact is, this album sounds like opeth trying to hard to sound like opeth and be different all at the same time, nothing feels natural, the whole album feels completely forced and almost amateurish.
Watershed was my favourite, how come you didn't like it? I'm not going to be one of these people who slate you for your views. Just curious as to why the album didn't give you what you wanted.
I thought that so when i first heard it. This Album needs to listen it many times to discover its hidden beautifulity :D More melodic, different Michael vocals but still very good music. As good as Ghost Reveries IMO
I don't blame Dick here for thinking Watershed is a weak album in his opinion. The song writing of pre-Black Water Park and Post-Black Water Park are completely different. It's almost listening to two different bands.
Some people may think GR and WS were their best albums while others may think MAYH and SL were their best. You can't compare the two eras. It's completely different genres and style of music.
Which pixel is Opeth?
pwn00bz1337 1 month ago
4:07 Akkesson:Fuck Yeah
MrZirip 2 months ago
wtf from oracle and odyssey is hippee album
Khachik2003 3 months ago
Amazing music is about feeling thats why
cubbykovu666 3 months ago
It's tuned to a Dm with a 9th on top that's the open chord he played at the start, so you have the suspended E on top
societyforrealmusic 5 months ago
But most people that say that they know absolutely know theory, do know a lot of theory. You literally HAVE to in order to create songs, whether you know the details abotu what you are playing or not, it's still theory. You can't just pull shitty chords out of your ass and cal it music.
masternewbz117 8 months ago
first he says: "i don't know shit about theory"
later on you can hear: "i sing unisono"
peavelSD 8 months ago
@peavelSD Saying that you sing in unison with the riff that you're playing hardly requires any theoretical knowledge. Anyone with ears and half a brain could point out that Mikael sings in unison with the riff. |:
fsbfsbfsbfsbfsbfsb 2 months ago
@fsbfsbfsbfsbfsbfsb yeah, you are right, i didnt know unison is a standard word in english, i always thought it belongs just to music language
peavelSD 2 months ago
Their sense of timing and synchronicity is amazing!
TheBren93 8 months ago
Are most of the songs on Ghost Reveries in D,A,D,F,A,E tuning? because aswell at this song, Reverie/Harlequin Forest is, The Baying of the Hounds is and beneath the mire is.
TheFriedTurtle 9 months ago
@TheFriedTurtle DADFAD tuning. Open D minor
NapoleanXV 7 months ago 2
Freddy looks bored.
iHateBeingViet 9 months ago
doesn't know shit about theory or tuning and still is a musical genius.
metfan4l 10 months ago
what harmonics did Mikael do at the start?
how do you do that?
Joskun 1 year ago
i really think they gotta know at least something basic, maybe they haven't studied and killed there brains off studying music as Petrucci and DT guys, but they gotta at elast learned some stuff here and there, y know, like Akerfledt he has to at least learned some Blue sclaes, some jazz stuff cuz cmon his solos are just fucking brilliant, epic, beautiful... at least a lil bit man, i honestly can't think that the whole thing is just like inner soul shit, most of it alright. hail OPETH!!
Jorvas25 1 year ago 9
@Jorvas25 You don't need to learn it. I know people who play crazy solos because they've learned what notes sound right with what sounds. Not saying necessarily that that's how Mike plays, but just saying you don't need to officially learn or be taught something to know it.
You're right though, his playing is so damn good. Very dynamic, very eclectic. Some guitar magazine ranked him 9th Best Metal Guitarist of all time.
I find him very inspirational. He makes me wanna play whenever I hear him.
losermonster 10 months ago 2
@losermonster you're exactly right man, Mikael is awesome as well as Peter Lindgren, let's round it whole Opeth is like mind-blowing, how complex are their compositions, even the simple ones are just fantastic, for me he should be on the Top 5.
I understand what you're saying I know it's possible to play good solos without having to learn a lot of stuff but in my case it would be very helpful since I start doing my thing then i BLOCK so for me It be good to learn some stuff. Cheers!
Jorvas25 10 months ago
@Jorvas25 The guys in Dream Theater aren't very theory savvy besides Jordan.
bill14231393 1 month ago
@Jorvas25 By that I mean they aren't theory nuts. They know theory, but the extent of their knowledge is GREATLY exaggerated.
bill14231393 1 month ago
@bill14231393 Understood. Talent and passion are definetely a must if you wanna be known as a true artist, you know cuz u are able to perform your art, theory by itself isn't really gonna take you anywhere, but it definetely helps to ease the road I guess.
Jorvas25 1 month ago
someone could tell which band his talking about that's on his Top 3, i wanna listen to that a whole day so I master my master's likes.
Jorvas25 1 year ago
@Jorvas25 The Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle
deanneugebauer 1 year ago 4
@Jorvas25 The first one he mentioned was Scott Walker - The Drift. If you have not heard it be prepared for what could easily be the weirdest thing you've ever heard. I couldn't believe it was even music. It's so goddamn strange. Maybe I'm just impatient but I could barely finish one whole track, although I did my best to at least check out all of the songs
losermonster 10 months ago 2
@losermonster hahah! no prob man I'll give it my try too. Thax for the info.
Jorvas25 10 months ago
Ragash91@ im totally agree with him. Mi reflexion is, How he's able to do a great music without knowing theory?
its like a math teacher that doesnt how to add and subtract numbers
aldinni09 1 year ago
This is so good.
Hellcoam 1 year ago
where is this video from ? it looks like a dvd or something
fawkes78 1 year ago
@fawkes78 Guitar World Magazine cd (don´t no which one though.
Tuscopa 1 year ago
@Tuscopa
98723123 1 year ago
@fawkes78 It looks like a Metalkult video
thenameiwantedwasnta 1 year ago
fucking guitar world I stopped reading it cuz it started sucking then they drop this shit on me???
Roodski 1 year ago
I love Mikael akerfeldt!
His playing is soo expressive! Love that riff at 3;39 and bridge, very tasty!
REIrg2620pgm301 1 year ago
He has a very soothing voice. I could probably fall asleep listening to it.
CaptainPancake1 1 year ago 4
I think theyre exaggerating their lack of knowledge of theory, Im sure they have a good understanding of it. I think they say this because they arnt able to piece together some crazy wacko jazz chord. which most people who arnt music majors wouldnt be able to do anyway
NapoleanXV 1 year ago
@NapoleanXV I'm about 90% sure Fredrik does but Mike just plays and writes by ear for the most part.
Steve128967 1 year ago
rofl these guys are such burnouts, i love it XD
azerioku 1 year ago
what did he says about the zombies?
WallysaurRex 1 year ago
@WallysaurRex he's saying about an album..
opethas1 1 year ago
@WallysaurRex he's saying about an album of them..It'a called "Odessey and Oracle"
opethas1 1 year ago
@opethas1 I love that album. Time of the Seasons the greatest
WallysaurRex 1 year ago
at 7:30 mike's saying something but i cant hear it well does anyone knows...?
opethas1 1 year ago
@opethas1 i'm pretty sure it's, "...it's one of the coolest licks i've done, i think. It's so simple, it's basically if the guitar would have been in a standard tunning, it would have been a blues lick..."
and it's like a lot of people here have said, he might not know theory in a classical sense or w/e but when you listen to a lot of stuff and write as long as he has been or just hold a guitar for that long XD you learn what standard tunning and "bluesy" is anyway
shnookyx69 1 year ago
I think the tuning is the chord Dmadd9?
SoullessPerfection 1 year ago
@SoullessPerfection D minor add 6 and 9. Not far off.
jd36 1 year ago
mastodon and opeth should tour
TamitShah 1 year ago 14
He is lying, at some point he had lessons in Theory and tunings and other shit. Just look at their song structures.....a lot of that stuff requires the knowledge of music when they wrote it.
igotwoodhaha 1 year ago
@igotwoodhaha its not necessarily that he's lying, but its the same thing that alot of really great musicians do, its not that they don't know anything about music, but they don't understand theory from traditional perspectives, they know theory, but they learned if from music they're drawn to, they can't elucidate music theory, probably don't know anything about the notes they're playing from a classical perspective, what intervals they're drawn to, but their ear knows them, if you will.
goatgoesbahhhhhh 1 year ago 3
@igotwoodhaha not true. Believe or not some people can write shit that sounds cool that may be complicated from a theory perspective. In fact it's probably easier because you don't ever worry about being out of key or something stupid like that.
MrVoiceofreason123 1 year ago
@igotwoodhaha Not really. Look at Hendrix. He was self taught and he wrote some pretty complicated shit...
AmericanMizfit 1 year ago
@AmericanMizfit hendrix wasn't self taught, actually he was very well-versed in music theory
betonomobmotan 1 year ago
@betonomobmotan No he wasn't.
JoshIsNumber3 1 year ago
LOL Akesson's sitting there looking like a zombie until Akerfeldt says "The Zombies" at 2:00 :P
YtseJam16 1 year ago
@Birdbomb88 Yes, those are PRS Guitars. One is a Custom 22 or 24, and the other is an SC245, probably an SC250.
ibanezman007 1 year ago
You can't really avoid learning some theory once you get to a certain point as a musician. He obviously knows some musical theory, but he's denying that he's had any formal instruction or serious study (which is probably true).
SausageJavelins 1 year ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
its a joke he knows music theory. its a bid joke in the music industry. it started with van halen when everyone would ask him if he knew music theory and eventually he would just say no but all famous prog musicians obviously know music theory. all of the band members from opeth graduated from the european berkley equivalent. and if your wondering...when you go to school for music your gonna learn music theory and chord formations and more :0
GOPESNX 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Pathetic comment, obviously you are a music student, wich is the equivalente of LOSER.
donbarredora 2 years ago
im actually 13 and im learning 1st year of berkley music theory and i can play several songs by opeth like bleak, blackwater park, and the grand conjuration
GOPESNX 2 years ago
dude this isnt the place to brag about songs you can play by opeth.
WallyBeego 2 years ago 8
lol nor do you have to go to berkley to play any of their songs. its not the most technically challenging music to learn to play
funkin182 1 year ago
If you HAVE to go to Berkley to be able to play Opeth's music then you're not as good as you want us to think you are.
Arkayem 1 year ago
Actually, Mikael doesn't know much about theory. He uses his ear to get what he wants.
BraydonSzafranski 2 years ago 4
I think its crazy that all these great prog metal players admittedly don't know any music theory. I know mastodon say they don't know any theory either. I guess that just shows amazing music isn't always about technical knowledege.
jordaniac89 2 years ago 100
@jordaniac89 +1000
Music comes from entirely different place than a brain.
kls4life 2 years ago
i dont mind both, i love DT and opeth just as much
and they are total opposites in musical knowledge, admittedly DT pull off very impressive stuff but opeth comes back with amazing composition
DoCWaSaBe 2 years ago 5
@jordaniac89: It isn't, but it sure helps :D I felt a little weird when I first found out that Akerfeldt actually doesn't know any music theory - not even the chords names! Then how was he able to write all that stuff he composed, especially for the "Watershed" album? "Hessian Peel" is such a long and complicated song, and the first melodic part is stunning... He must rely on his guts... Gosh, I wish I could, too...
Ragash91 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 I do agree, but they were definitely understating saying they don't know any music theory. They definitely know scales and understand key signatures.
nado117 1 year ago
@nado117 Perhaps it is instinct. Most of these 'theories' and 'keys' that we ramble on and on about, are actually concepts conceived and implemented from the perception of the human ear. It sounds consitent, and it has a certainly flow. Saying that a guitarist cannot pick up on this without theory-knowledge is stretching the facts. Besides, I know plenty of guitarists who can play the same and have NO real knowledge or care of key names/notes.
DarkMaelstrom 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 i may be wrong but i remember reading somewhere that brent hinds had been really big into music lessons and what not before joining mastodon and that because mastodon wasn't the type of stuff his teachers were teaching him that his family wasnt on board for him being in the band at first
ilikeandrealowell 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 i think i remember reading mastadons one guitarist actually said in some other interviews he knows a lot of theroy from the 11 or so years of banjo lessons and 9 or so years of guitar lessons lol, and that he just feels like messing with people/ dosent feel like explaining. lol
selibucaz 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 Interestingly enough, Brent Hinds went to a fancy music school when he was growing up.
LinoleumKnife79 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 read something about dream theater and come again
jedivolt 1 year ago
@jedivolt why don't you read his comment again.
FuckingFaithless 1 year ago
@FuckingFaithless yeah and then? petrucci and portnoy studied music at berklee so don't tell me they know nothing about theory...
jedivolt 1 year ago
@jedivolt 1, Petrucci is one of the greatest guitarist on the face of the earth, I know they studied music. 2, he is saying that not ALL prog bands have studied music. He also said you don't need to know everything about music to be a great musicianist.
FuckingFaithless 1 year ago 3
@FuckingFaithless LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL @ musicianist. What a fucking idiot.
HaldirMark 1 year ago
@HaldirMark I'm sorry what language are you speaking?
FuckingFaithless 1 year ago
@FuckingFaithless I'm quite sure it's English, sir. Problem?
HaldirMark 1 year ago
@HaldirMark Not if you make it a problem =/.
FuckingFaithless 1 year ago
@jedivolt they dropped out to play in dream theater. they don't have a degree!
they dropped out in the 1st year
casaroli 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 yay, good thing I had a bad teacher, I learned how to read tabs and I play fast, but I did'nt get any of the chords and scales stuff XD
I hope it works haha
thomas666t666 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 I agree with you
CaseyViolette92 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 i gues thats coz all about soul if you understand what i want to say ;)
98723123 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 maybe that's how they come up with all that weird shit dude
jacksonthrasher 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 the only musicians that knows what they play is Dream Theater
MarianOctavarium 1 year ago
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@MarianOctavarium are you fucking dumb?
thenameiwantedwasnta 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 Well... Amazing music isn't always about THEORETICAL knowledge. You must be technically advanced to be able to play.
stakleni00 1 year ago
@jordaniac89 man, I don't care what anyone says, it's very rarely is about musical knowledge, it's not like you have some guitar playing thinking while he's playing that "oh now comes and E and than a G!!" it's about feel, that's what I love about Opeth. I know your comment was old but I'm a little tipsy and on an Opeth binge.
MetallicOpeth 1 year ago
@jordaniac89
You have your terminology mixed up. Technical knowledge refers to how well they know how to play their instruments. I think we can all agree that theirs is quite advanced. What you wanted to say was "theoretical knowledge", which refers to their understanding of music theory.
Tkot2326 10 months ago 2
@jordaniac89
u probably mean theoretical knowledge. the thing with music is, that music is created by humans and it doesnt follow rules. its not science. everything in music is based on taste in the end. so musictheory helps only to describe things so others can understand it. but it sets no rules or whatsoever. u only need your ears and the feeling for music in order to be able to do music.
haubsen 9 months ago
@jordaniac89 even jeff loomis doesnt know theory. songwriting skills are not connected to musical knowledge imo
Neltheros 8 months ago
@Neltheros He sortof does, though.
nugma 6 months ago 2
@Neltheros man i heard him say that oon a clinic he did im my city... I really cant understand how all these great musicians who compose so great and technically difficult music dont know theory.especially when you play a shitload of arpeggios and scales like jeff I cant imagine ho w you can play all these withouy knowinh even the basics
21Fixxxer 6 months ago
@21Fixxxer Music theory is a bit like physics: It doesn't really create anything new, it just discovers relations which exist. Many need music theory to discover those relations, but some are so talented they discover those relations on an intuitive basis, just through listening. Music theory kind of is a way for people with "normal" talent to get what people with exceptional talent get just by listening.
Altairograph 5 months ago 27
@Altairograph A person who has an exceptional ear and doesn't learn theory because they think they don't need it is either lazy or has an inflated ego. Every musician needs to learn theory if they're serious about what they do. Theory isn't just for people who aren't naturally talented. It's a universal language used in music. How can you call yourself a musician if you don't speak the language?
bill14231393 1 month ago
@bill14231393 Because this language isn't the only way to communicate as a musician. You can also just record your ideas and play them to others. I am always amazed that Mikael can even remember his stuff without writing it down or having it in his head as a sequence of chords or something like that. Maybe he knows a bit of music theory, but I doubt it's much. And obviously that is a possible way to compose cause Opeth has some of the best compositions in metal in my oppinion.
Altairograph 1 month ago
@Altairograph I wouldn't be in a band with someone unless they spoke the language. Sitting around and teaching a bunch of illiterates is a waste of my time. At the bare minimum you at least need lead sheets, which I'm guessing Opeth uses even if they aren't using standard notation.
bill14231393 1 month ago
@bill14231393 Well yeah, I assumed that they have some sort of notation and strictly speaking notation is a part of music theory, but that's not the kind of theory I meant. What I meant is more knowing how chords are built, knowing scales and so on. In short, the theory that is relevant for composition, not just for playing. I would love to be in a band with good players who don't know much about theory. That way they could concentrate on playing and I could focus on composition.
Altairograph 1 month ago
@Altairograph couldn't explain it better, bravo. It sucks to know I'm "normal". :)
Jorvas25 1 month ago
@Jorvas25 Thanks! Yeah, I'm normal as well :(. But thanks to modern technology and info on the internet we can still compose :D
Altairograph 1 month ago
@Altairograph the real breakthrough is when people with exceptional talent utilize theory. imagine the outcomes.. (see guthrie govan, steve vai, joe satriani for some examples)
steliospitsillides 3 weeks ago
@21Fixxxer you write by ear. He's a composer. You don't need to know scales etc the five pentatonic which you move up and down. The other scales are not needed. People with an ear don't need that. Eric Clapton and McCartney would just know those five too. Anything else is a deviation from that and you ears do it.
societyforrealmusic 5 months ago
@jordaniac89 guitar is one of the instruments which dont require theory to compose well, drums and bass being the others, thats why its so awesome :)
toolfan92 6 months ago
@jordaniac89 Of course not.
MacJARedd 5 months ago
@jordaniac89 music theory is basically like having gps to a city you've never been to where you dont even know the language as opposed to neither
shredrix 4 months ago
@jordaniac89 music theory, at least from a jazz theory point of view, is about putting names to whatever you're doing, and communicating about music. not knowing theory means that Mikael Akerfeldt and Akesson say "arabic sounding scale" instead of "harmonic minor", they hear it but they don't know the word for it. There is no downside to learning music theory, it helps you understand what you're doing and helps you describe it to other musicians. "knowing" theory won't make you a musician
mikeischangingplaces 3 months ago
good lesson....Akesson its an amazing guitar player!! i really think that Fredrick Akesson kicked ass in Opeth wth Watershed....and its my opinion but i think that the change with Peter-Fredrick was a good move....even though Peter leaved the band because of his desicion....
SorrowsSavior 2 years ago
Yeah, I agree. Fred is a fucking beast
DanielAbbasi07 2 years ago
yea mike has a custom 24 i think and frederik is either playing a SC245 or 250. i think frederik usually plays an ESP maybe?
zachhartwell 2 years ago
The solo on Grand Conjuration is fantastic, it felt like a wave in my ears hearing that bend =D
Dragslo 2 years ago 3
i always the the image tha the other band mates that play with mike in these playing interviews get really pissed cause they never know when mike starts to play and what he starts to play and just when the other dudes are going to play it too he stops all of sudden
Hedon11 2 years ago 2
Hahaha yeah lol me too
ImAStupidBoy 2 years ago
Frederick doesn't say anything the whole time haha.. hes a great guitar players though.
Andrewsonfire 2 years ago 3
"I don't know shit about theory or tunings" holy shit that's pretty awesome!
Soilwar 2 years ago 72
@Soilwar
Agreed. There are echoes of the late, great Joe Pass, who's seminars consisted of, "I don't know what these chords are! You just go like that! And that's it!"
Poignant comments from a jazz guitar icon.
13Danjiri 2 years ago 3
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lorononsanno 2 years ago
that song is freaking awesome
Kaazt2008 2 years ago
i'm pretty sure the grans conjuration isn't on watershed, so why do they start talking about watershed then go into the grabd conjuration?
Hailstonedpikachu 2 years ago
thats a watershed promotion video i think when this interview was done watershed wasnt released yet
manosarrr 2 years ago
Its off Ghost Reveries
Nevadatyler13 1 year ago
The Grand Conjuration if I spelled it correctly one of their heaviest songs
vagabondmj 2 years ago 3
Yea
One of my favourties.
Stevemcsteve 2 years ago
heir apparent
kyle122388 2 years ago
The song Blackwater Park is pritty heavy as well
Nevadatyler13 1 year ago
they have way heavier on that album man
allmetaliswelcome 1 year ago
What is the song that they play on the video???
dajdostih 2 years ago
OPETH!!!!!!!!!
alkalinetrio751 2 years ago
yeah i mean theory is just patterns so im sure he knows the patterns just not the keys they are in.thr are many great musicians that are like that
kliffster 2 years ago
3:20... xD ahhahaha dark, evil , devil , worship !!! xD ahhahaha love this song they are so musical for be death metal infleuces guys
omgrobin666 2 years ago
I desire Mikael's PRS. That red finish is killer.
MephistosCafeManager 2 years ago 5
i love Akkesson's reaction at 5:19
n0cturnalsurfer 2 years ago 2
fredrik is just too quiet
ivan619666 2 years ago 2
I love how michael doesn't realize he's using a phrygian dominant scale and that his guitar is tunes to a d minor tuning lol
EtherealSunrise 2 years ago 3
I'm pretty sure he doesn't give a shit either way so long as it sounds awesome, which it does.
AtTheApostasy 2 years ago 4
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im pretty sure yo are gay
pipiri45654 2 years ago
"I don't know shit about theory..."
haha That's funny to me as well, because you listen to some of their songs, and how intricate the guitar parts are along with their overall style, I was thinking they were the type that knew a lot about musical theory... I guess not lol
guitarerist7 2 years ago 7
im sure he knows...he just dont know he knows
Stillillgal 2 years ago 6
I dont know a shit about theory or anything... haha mikael is the greatest.
rockmusic111 2 years ago 3
One of the reasons I like Opeth, is that almost every song has a lot to offer, it's not like, a nice riff and verse, with some chords to fill and complete the song, it's like a very delicate and detailed process in every song .
SoullessOpeth 2 years ago 8
1.51 the begining of heir apparent i think :P
manosarrr 2 years ago 2
God I can just imagine meeting these guys that would be the coolest thing in the world or jaming with them would be even better
Nevadatyler13 2 years ago 8
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darkhallow7251 2 years ago
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darkhallow7251 2 years ago
Eq and compress this mother fucker!
ultimateinfinite 2 years ago
i think its really unique of how they make their songs and hoiw it sounds different from other metal, im glad their diff :D
joeySIXXXXX 2 years ago
Wish you would have fixed the audio with vegas or soundforge or something..it's too low and fuzzy.
surgeyX 2 years ago
6.28 is one of the coolest riffs to come after a solo ever...so evil!!
JackoThe1st 2 years ago
i know mikael has a huge interest in psychedelic music, i wonder if he dabbles in the subject matter..
n0cturnalsurfer 2 years ago
When mike says the tuning, he says DADFAE correct?
mooseface13 2 years ago
yeah... thats what i clearly heard
gorgoroth107 2 years ago
Very Good
Chesmosh666 2 years ago
thing about Opeth is that they've paved their own way to a songwriting process that eliminates whatever "rules" people may feel the need to think music has.
Ex: The Outro of "Burden"... where the guitar is slowly being untuned. That shit was subtle, but fucking amazing. Made the best song of the album, all that much better.
Now.... had some other band, [insert whatever band you wish here], done it. They would have just looked like damn fools.
Stratophony 2 years ago
Lol...using Burden's outro as an example of their subtle greatness.
Could you have chosing a peice that wasen't gimmicky and straight up annoying?
I love Opeth, more than anybody else, but there are certainly much better examples.
KurtsABCs 2 years ago 2
Burden is a mainstream-ish song, but it has an incredibly original and very mature sound to it and it still is Opeth, therefore it rules.
Although since I am a fan of Progressive Rock I would have liked it even if it wasn't Opeth.
GodinSDXTguitars 2 years ago 2
the eight minutes of Burden (the real, full version) won't make the charts, that's for sure.
SantomPh 2 years ago
I think Mikael is a genus the only Death Metal I listin to is Opeth but I think I like it bc they have prog rock in ther music
Nevadatyler13 2 years ago
He definitely does not have an entire genus to himself, he is still a human being, but he is a genius. You should check out Edge of Sanity.
GodinSDXTguitars 2 years ago 2
LOL at the Paula Abdul mocking :P
SlaveExplosion 2 years ago 3
"the it goes into the....VERSE actually i have a verse...can you believe" HAHA Michaels awesome, by far one of the coolest and nicest guys in metal.
meakmeakmeak 3 years ago 6
Mikael is up there with Maynard James Keenan for me. ;) But I like Maynard a little bit more. Only a little.
MagrisTheBomb 3 years ago 2
Agreed in every aspect, they're my inspirations..
devanshu123 2 years ago
I named my account after MJK and Mikael is better.
maynrdjkeenan 2 years ago 3
I love Mikael can have some of the heaviest riffs and then some of the most classy riffs I've ever heard in one song and make them fit together perfectly.
amaltoadie 3 years ago
what the fuck he doesn't know anything about theory or tuning? that's fucking amazing!
Boooby 3 years ago
he's honest.. and that's cool.. good attitude to have really, because you never get too cocky to write some good shit.
metalmonkey88 3 years ago 2
Dick motorman.... your a fuckwit! Watershed owns....
masolei17 3 years ago
lol when he just busted out the first chord to heir apparent at 1:51, just got watershed it is legendary.
LewisSword 3 years ago
Watershed is one of their weakest albums, I'm a huge, huge, opeth fan, and for me, it was very, meh.
DickMotorman 3 years ago
I'm sorry, But that is your own view on it. I'm liked Opeth for years, and I think it's one of their best. It has more emotion in the songs then several of the previous albums, So it doesn't suprise me when people, more then likely hard core metalers, bash on it for taking a slightly different turn.
xMissMalicex 3 years ago
lmao, whatever you have to say to yourself to help you sleep at night. It has nothing to do with it being 'different' but rather that the songs are far more jointed and disorganized, there are some cool parts, but the whole album can't ride on that alone. Fact is, this album sounds like opeth trying to hard to sound like opeth and be different all at the same time, nothing feels natural, the whole album feels completely forced and almost amateurish.
DickMotorman 3 years ago
Watershed was my favourite, how come you didn't like it? I'm not going to be one of these people who slate you for your views. Just curious as to why the album didn't give you what you wanted.
meakmeakmeak 3 years ago
I thought that so when i first heard it. This Album needs to listen it many times to discover its hidden beautifulity :D More melodic, different Michael vocals but still very good music. As good as Ghost Reveries IMO
galatonim 3 years ago
thats ironic, because Ghost Reveries it also near the bottom of my list when it comes to ranking my personal Opeth albums.
DickMotorman 3 years ago 2
I don't blame Dick here for thinking Watershed is a weak album in his opinion. The song writing of pre-Black Water Park and Post-Black Water Park are completely different. It's almost listening to two different bands.
Some people may think GR and WS were their best albums while others may think MAYH and SL were their best. You can't compare the two eras. It's completely different genres and style of music.
MagrisTheBomb 3 years ago
thanks. At least not everyone is a dimwitted cretin.
DickMotorman 3 years ago 2