CLASSIC CORNER
SONGS
THAT
CHANGED
YOUR
LIFE
1
by John Stix
BRIAN
SETZER
P
ositive, life-changing events happen
every day. With guitarists it often
starts with a song. For me, that song
was the Animals’ version of “House of the
Rising Sun.” Those chords – Am, C, D, F, Am,
C, and E – kept on repeating in a circular
pattern while I fingerpicked the notes with
my right hand. Of course, there was the
heavy lifting of the F chord that was always
just coming up or just leaving. Between the
fingerpicking and the dreaded F chord, it
was a good thing I didn’t have to sing along.
That song pushed the limits of my beginner’s
ability. So in that spirit, I thought it would be
fun to ask some classic players about musical
moments that changed their lives.
20
DIGITAL EDITION
It was probably “Johnny B. Goode.”
I remember discovering Slinky strings.
I couldn’t figure out how Chuck Berry could
bend that part in “Johnny B. Goode.” I was
10 years old. Nobody knew or said anything.
And one day I had to buy new strings for my
guitar. The salesman said, “What gauge do
you want?” I said, “I don’t know what that
means.” I had these big jazz guitar strings.
The guy probably said, “Well, you are skinny
little kid. Why don’t you take this set.”
I put them on the guitar and realized that’s
how rock guitarists get that sound. I was
blown away. So that’s how you do it. I was
fascinated with it. You can actually bend the
strings. I didn’t know that.
AUG/SEPT