Any guitarists out there?

[briank]

I really love the music of Jefferson Airplane, especially the very trippy guitar stuff. I've been playing the guitar for about a year, and I want to learn how to play some "psychedelic" music. From what I understand, I should learn different scales to get different moods and sounds. So what scales should I learn to play psychedelic guitar like the guitarists of the Airplane? I have an acoustic, so I would have to transfer any music on the high frets down twelve frets. If anyone has any advice or links to some cool websites showing techniques on this type of playing, that would be great .

[Whenheco]

Don't play guitar myselve, that they're are websites out there with guitar tabs. http://www.guitartabs.com/
I do know that a lot of guitarist who came to play psych music started out with other styles like folk etc.

[briank]

I do know of a lot of tab websites, but I'm looking for some techniques on how to play psychedelic music. Not any band in particular, just the scales and whatnot.

[SurrealisticPillowChild]

I love it when i come across other people into psychedelic music!

rightyho, jefferson airplane arent the easiest band in the world to be able to play like. If you want to learn how to play psychedelic guitar you're better off starting by attempting any of the songs on Pink Floyds first album "the piper at the gates of dawn"...even if you dont really like pink floyd that much, learning songs like Lucifer Sam really give you a good start at learning psychedelic styles etc..

hope i was some help dude

[Briank]

Thanks, SurrealisticPillowChild, I've got a gift certificate to burn, so maybe I'll go buy that album.
Any more advice on guitar playing?
And while I'm here, I'd love to hear some references to any good psychedelic music. Besides Airplane, I'm a big fan of Led Zeppelin (especially the trippy violin bow stuff), but I'm afraid I'll go out and waste my money on a one hit wonder. Does anyone have anything to say about Strawberry Alarm Clock (I hear that one song on the radio from time to time) or Iron Butterfly (I've only heard In A Gadda Da Vida, but I've heard that they music is closely related to the Zeppelin)? Any words of advice is much appreciated .

[JPPMcStepBBlues]

If you want real psychedelic music dont bother with Led Zeppelin, I am a huge fan of psychedelia and here are some great albums you might consider:

Happy Trails ~ Quicksilver Messenger Service
Conspicuous Only in It's Absence ~ The Great Society (Grace Slick's first band)
Outsideinside ~ Blue Cheer
Anthem of the Sun ~ Grateful Dead
H.P. Lovecraft ~ H.P. Lovecraft
Electric Music for the Mind and Body ~ Country Joe and the Fish
Disraeli Gears ~ Cream
Children of the Future ~ The Steve Miller Band
Spirit ~ Spirit
Renaissance ~ Vanilla Fudge
Blind Faith ~ Blind Faith
Blows Against the Empire ~ Paul Kantner (many of the same musicians as in the next album mentioned)
If I Could Only Remember My Name ~ David Crosby (a diffrent brand of psychedelic album, but still awesome and Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick all appear on it)

If you on a Jefferson Airplane kick I would highly recommend the last two albums mentioned, they are amazing and there is defiantly no way you wont like them. I gave you a lot to choose from so hopefully maybe you will be able to find these albums and enjoy them. I listen to all vinyl and own all of those on vinyl so I dont know if some of them are on CD or not and the availability of them, good luck and happy listening.

[SurrealisticPillowChild]

Thanks, SurrealisticPillowChild, I've got a gift certificate to burn, so maybe I'll go buy that album.
Any more advice on guitar playing?
And while I'm here, I'd love to hear some references to any good psychedelic music. Besides Airplane, I'm a big fan of Led Zeppelin (especially the trippy violin bow stuff), but I'm afraid I'll go out and waste my money on a one hit wonder. Does anyone have anything to say about Strawberry Alarm Clock (I hear that one song on the radio from time to time) or Iron Butterfly (I've only heard In A Gadda Da Vida, but I've heard that they music is closely related to the Zeppelin)? Any words of advice is much appreciated .

No problems bro, I also love Led Zeppelin, what a band!
I bought In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly just last week and its a really good album, especially the actual title track. I wouldnt say they were like Led Zeppelin, but i know that the guitarist was a classical violin player at a VERY young age...

overall though, Iron butterfly are a very good band, and if you can read tablature I could get you the tablature for in-a-gadda-da-vida...

P.S, if you buy the album pretty soon, tell me what you think of the song "flowers and Beads" i love that song, almost more than the title track

Peace man x

[briank]

Happy Trails ~ Quicksilver Messenger Service

I just went out and got that CD. It's a solid piece of work, and the collective "Who do you love?" jam is great. I find the one "problem" is that the music really drifts off, and sometimes it never comes back. I'm more used to music where something is played and "resolved," which is what Airplane seems to do (in my opinion). But it's cool music, and the guitars really kick ass. Now I just have to find some tab . And I'm sure I'll have to lower everything 12 frets, because I only have an acoustic. I sometimes play my brother's electric (which I will do now that he's not home), but I'm trying to scrounge some money (even though I'm saving for college) to get a cheap guitar and wah-wah pedal.
Does anyone else have any guitar-related advice?

[briank]

I change my mind about that Happy Trails album- it's great, there's not much more I can say then that. A friend of mine also plays guitar, so we jam out sometimes, and we're trying to figure out how to play some of that, especially that "Who do You Love" jam.
But don't leave me hanging, guys- some of you gotta be musicians. I'm talking about playing trippy guitar like the solo at the end of "She Has Funny Cars." Any help would be grrrrreatly appreciated, please!

[nickwishkah]

Just a word of advice. if you are buying a guitar and hoping to play like the Airplane and QSMS then buy one with a fairly sensitive trem bar that bends notes both up an down...unless you can use vibrato like hendrix. That way you can get that Big Brother and the Holding Company sound too. In terms of scales, i really wouldn't bother: just use your ear.

Nick

[briank]

I'm hoping to get a cheap electric soon, but I'll have to settle for my acoustic for now.
It seems that the music is essentially just psychedelic blues. I've never seen Airplane concert footage, but my friend said Jorma was a fingerpicker, and that made it easier to jump around the guitar to get different sounds.
As for scales, I've also heard that a lot of late 60s/early 70s bands used "far eastern" scales like Dorian and Phrygian, which you can use to kinda get a sitar-like sound. But I get lost after that, I can't get that psychedelic vibe going for very long.
I guess I'll just try to get good at fingerpicking and study tabs to see if I can find any clues to this mysterious music.

[Mekstat1]

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[jimmie ray]

Brian,
Go to Jorma's "Fur Peace Guitar Camp" website - he offers online exactly what you are looking for (from what I gather, not being a player).
I just started visiting this site yesterday, but am perplexed as to why no one guided you there sooner?
Good Luck!

[Guest]

i just jam with my friend who plays drums and i just play like whatever i want and it comes out to be pretty pshycadelic....my next thing i want to learn is embryonic journey.....

[MigztheHippy]

just jam with my friend who plays drums and i just play like whatever i want and it comes out to be pretty pshycadelic....my next thing i want to learn is embryonic journey.....



sorry guys...that was me