to do with the right hand. Given the fact that playing because I still find myself really happy listen better and play in time, and hopefully in
worship songs use a lot of the same chords playing rhythm stuff, even when I play lead a lot tune. That’s another thing I’ve worked a lot
that get capo’d up and down the neck, what of it is rhythm based. So, it’s kind of a rhythm on is giving my ear a really critical, you know,
percentage of being a great acoustic guitar guitar part slash lead part, or rhythm guitar part constantly working with my ears to make sure
would you say is about the strumming hand? that becomes a hook more than a fast single- I hear when I’m out of tune and how to fix it.
note run. Which is fun too, and I’ve worked at So tuning and timing has been such a huge
[Daniel] I don’t know about a percentage developing that over the years so that I’m not opportunity for growth for me when I was
but I would say most of the trick to getting it to unable to play that stuff, but I think the rhythm young, and I think over the years I’ve finally got
sound right is in my right hand. The left hand, aspect has been consistent. to where I can see some major improvements
you’re either fretting the note or you aren’t,
from when I was young.
and the meat of your fingers is either causing The part that’s changed is hopefully that I’ve the strings on the fretted notes to either ring gotten better at listening to my band mates and [WM] You just referred to what I classically
out or mute them, you’re on or off, you know? playing that rhythm stuff in time. I think when I call ‘drum strum’, where acoustic players add
Obviously, there’s vibrato and things that you was a kid I just wanted the baddest guitar tone a drum beat into their strum pattern. But then
can do with your left hand. Maybe because it I could have and when the chorus hits I wanted when the actually drummer starts playing, a
was such a rhythmic thing for me when I first it to be a wall of guitar sound as big as I could lot of acoustic players miss the fact that the
started that it was about speed with my left make it. And there’s some value to that but I drummer is actually playing a different pattern.
hand and because it was rhythm guitar I was don’t think I really placed a lot of importance What is your advice for striking a balance to
picking up… it was more about strumming and on listening to my band mates and playing in what you play as you practice on your own
tunings and finger picking, which was so much the pocket and making sure all my rhythm parts versus what you need to do when you start
emphasis on my right hand when I first started were locked in. Trying to find the hi-hat, the kick playing with the drummer?
playing. So that’s been something I’ve spent a drum, the bass guitar, so I could lock in.
lot of time with.
[Daniel] If you get into a battle with the
All that stuff has taken me some time, and a drummer on that kind of stuff you’re always
A lot of the players that I’m very fascinated lot of times it’s been playback that’s helped going to lose. You can’t out drum a drummer
by, it’s their right hand that really impresses me because I’ll hear a concert that we did, from an acoustic guitar position. I think the
me, whether it’s a rhythmic thing, or where or a board mix, and we’ll play it back and I’ll important thing there is to really try to listen
their pocket sits, or a tone thing, how they’re be like, “Oh, gosh, I’m rushing so bad on that and to match. Part of what I do with the strum
striking the string with their pick or their fingers, song.” It’s stuff like that, that really eats away pattern is to listen to what works with the song.
there’s a whole lot going on there. I don’t know at me. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time Songs end up with identities and there is a
percentage wise, but it’s definitely something on tour, especially a lot of times on tour we’ll natural DNA to the song, and the strum pattern
that I’ve worked hard at, it’s a huge part of play the same set list for a lot of nights in a row. I think is usually dictated by that. If anything
your sound. You’re no longer thinking about what you’ll play feels like it’s not matching with the drums, I of
when the chorus get’s here, you already know course adjust it. I worked with an engineer who
[WM] You were really young when you started what you’re going to play, so then the game called it a ‘soup’. So, it was like if it’s working
playing with Chris, but Chris himself is vocal becomes how locked in can I get on this chorus in the soup, then that’s the right ingredient. I
about how developed your playing was even with the drums? How well can I listen to the think once you get everything in the soup, the
then. What were some of things you were doing keys? So, you’re constantly allowing your ear drums, the bass, the keys, if you’re the odd
that he liked, how have they developed, and to mature and grow. man out and your acoustic guitar is not gelling,
what are some of the things that you’ve added
to the arsenal?
then you’ve got to figure out how to adjust it so
I think that’s one of the fun things about getting
that it works.
to play music for a long time, and the fun in
[Daniel] Stylistically one thing that I was having a long musical journey whether you’re [WM] You mentioned this soup concept. A
maybe already doing that I still do is to focus a professionally musician or not, is you do great soup has texture and flavor. You guys are
a lot on the rhythm side of things. Carrying the eventually look back and go, man my ear has playing Taylor guitars now, and the way they
song, bringing some energy, or some emotion really gotten better, or my time is way better sit in worship in particular is very unique. What
with the chords or the progression. A lot of than it used to be. There are a lot of those about these guitars drew you to them?
that was born out of rhythm playing for me. areas that you can grow on, and I think that’s So that’s carried through all these years of hopefully one area that I’ve grown in, trying to
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March 2019
[Daniel] To be honest, I’ve bought way more
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