I bought the DVD of the performance and was able to stop frame it to get the chord shapes and then learned the song that way. Then I saw a performance of the song by Hayward and the band at Red Rocks and watched, fascinated, as Justin played a 12 string in OPEN C tuning! Who the hell would ever even THINK of open C on a 12 string? Even when the internet era arrived and I found guitar tabs of the song, they never sounded correct because they were in standard tuning. That opening 12 string chord riff was so amazingly cool (somewhat like Pete Townshend's Pinball Wizard).
I remember always wanting to play "Question" by the Moody Blues. It's really hard to get the thumb around the neck ? If you're using a nylon string guitar just stick with one of the other two versions I've talked about here.Finding out that some songs are in alternate or open tunings is always a thrill and an eye-opener for me. I don't recommend trying to do the original version on a nylon string guitar.The progression is: Bsus4 to B Asus4 to A Gsus4 to G F#sus4 to F#.For those interested in theory that means the 4th becomes the 3rd of the chord once it resolves. For example: the first chord is a Bsus4 that resolves (as in take the pinky off) to a B major chord. I wasn't sure if I got this across clearly in the video. The chords you'll actually be playing are suspended fourth chords (sus4) resolving to the major chord.It does sound slightly different, but it’s not likely anyone will hear the difference (except diehard Who fans that play guitar and are fanatics about playing things the way the original artist played it.
I show in the video how to deaden out the 5th string and the 1st string. Alternative Form #1: The easiest form involves leaving out the thumb and playing the top strings only.Even though this is the way Pete Townshend plays the chords it's really fine to use one of two alternate forms. Fingering the chord with the thumb around the neck will be easier for some people than others.In this lesson I've chosen to teach (in my humble opinion) the most useful part, and the most difficult part, of “Pinball Wizard” by The Who. I'm still not sure.īut “Pinball Wizard” was indelibly stamped in my brain for the rest of my life. I listened to this album over and over, probably in part trying to figure out what they were talking about. I found the Tommy album (actually released before Whos Next). Such a BIG sound… with melody and chords. He sounded like two guitar players playing at the same time. Pete Townshend was totally amazing to me. I actually didn't try to play their songs for a long time. The music really spoke to my teenage soul. I jumped in right around the time they released “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Won't Get Fooled Again”. How could you not want to play guitar after hearing “Stairway to Heaven” as a teenager? I think it was their most well-known song that first awakened my desire to play the guitar when I heard it drift over the radio waves in my room during one of my “moody teenage” days. I remember hearing Santana… Kind of like a first love, I'll never forget Santana. Then I heard rock music… and I’ve never been the same. It conjures the images and feelings of being in an exotic place… away from the stresses of everyday life In the US.įirst there was a short teenage pop phase (as in Tommy James and the Shondells, don’t laugh… you were a teenager once) I really enjoy the music by artist like the Gipsy Kings and Ottmar Liebert. I'm best known (and have 5 CDs) for my own original Spanish/Flamenco style of music.