Guitar Tricks Insider August/September Issue | Page 40

COVER STORY
that is what I wanted to be . Later on you learn about your notes and chords , and Fender amps or Marshalls , or Boogies or guitars – they are not so important as your principles or emotions . Those are really the tools .”
While Santana knows he was born with this gift , he also knows that it is a talent that has to be nurtured . Here ’ s what he suggests guitarists work on : “ Keep bending notes until it doesn ’ t sound whiny or weird – until it sounds like a voice . For example , learn to develop and crystallize your own fingerprints . In one note you can tell Eric Clapton from Jeff Beck – by one note . So learn to go inside that note . A lot of musicians play over the note . They don ’ t get inside the note . It ’ s like a beer that has a lid . You can ’ t get inside of it . Learn to open it up and go inside of it . Get wet with it . The first rule of music is if you feel it , people are going to feel it . If you don ’ t feel it , why in the hell should they ? That ’ s the first rule of music . So learn to feel . You have to do certain things with your body and heart . Like I told you : soul , heart , mind , body , and cojones . You have to connect all of those things so when you hit that note it ’ s more than a Paul Reed Smith guitar , or GHS strings , or a Mesa Boogie . Listen to Peter Green play “ Supernatural .” It ’ s more than a Fender amplifier and a Gibson guitar . That ’ s what I ’ m talking about . That ’ s what I want the kids to understand . Transcend the instrument . You are the instrument . You go inside and bring from within yourself that note that says : Wow . THAT is a new person .”
The importance of being present and in-themoment is also a major component of the Santana approach to playing . To explain , he used an analogy of planes landing at an airport : “ When Kennedy airport gets backed up you see the planes going around and around . One plane is Marvin Gaye another plane is Bob Marley . There ’ s like 50 planes of Jimi Hendrix alone that want to land . There are a lot of thoughts about Jimi Hendrix . I ’ d love to play your music and
“ Supernatural ” by John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers with Peter Green
40 DIGITAL EDITION
AUG / SEPT