SOUND
COVERADVICE
STORY
Sound
Advice
Bob
Weir
By John Stix
S
ince the mid-sixties
the Grateful Dead’s,
Bob Weir, has been
absorbing and redefining the subtle
complexities that link the past to the
future of rhythm guitar playing. His
most recent insights are shared in
the live performances of Dead and
Company. Weir started by copying
the guitar figures of Joan Baez
and progressed onto the country
blues of Reverend Gary Davis,
who for a short time, was his only
“real” teacher. Today his ideas for
rhythm guitar playing may come
from listening to McCoy Tyner and
string quartets. Tapping those years
of experience on stage and in the
studio, Bob Weiroffers the following
insights into developing your skills as
a rock rhythm guitar player.
OCT/NOV
1
Playing With
the Band.
Gary Davis taught me how one
guitar player could be a whole band.
I’ve never directly applied this on
stage. It’s too complicated for a
whole band to fall behind, especially
a band with six members. When
you play with another guitarist or
keyboard player, you’re either going
to dance around or walk all over
each other. It’s one or the other. So
you have to play with other people
that you like and who will listen to
you. And of course you have to listen
to them. Play jams together, tape
them, and find out who is good at
what. If you’re playing in a band you
have to get over the soloist ego hang
up. You’ve got to listen to the whole
DIGITAL EDITION
GUITAR TRICKS INSIDER
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