How to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan!
OK first do this - phone up Clapton, May, Slash, Jimmy (Page) and Gilmour. Get them round
to your local venue and put them on a stage behind a curtain with ONE guitar (to share)
(let's say a Mexican Strat) and ONE amp (let's say a 65 watt Marshall Valvestate). This is
affordable stuff within the reach of the average player. OK. Get them to decide on one
song to play (let's say "Little Wing" since everyone should know that) and then,
in no particular order each play the song. Shouldn't be difficult to spot who's who should
it? Now get them all to try sound like Stevie (i.e. try to play the way he would, with
similar amp settings etc. Still won't be too difficult to spot 'em! Why is that? The
reason is that Clapton sounds like Clapton, Slash sounds like Slash etc and no matter what
they do and how close they get to trying to sound like someone else they can't, because
there'll always be a little something that gives it away. Some little piece of phrasing or
a string widdle or bend or whatever, even their pick attack on the strings or how they
hold the guitar, which is a product of all they've done before, from where they learn't to
play, and what, to who they've played with etc. So what am I getting at? Clapton does not
want to sound like Stevie. He's happy to sound like Clapton. And you should be happy to
sound like yourself (because at the end of the day the only person you're going to sound
like is YOU). So every time you practice something or play something, you'll end up using
that in the future, even if you don't realise it. This is called 'developing your own
style'. Same goes for all the "totally accurate" TAB that's about. Why?? I
really prefer to play something and put my own feel to it. Listen to The Corrs playing
Little Wing on "Unplugged" and see if you agree. Listen to Sting playing Little
Wing. So use the TAB as a guide, see what others are doing and then play it your way.
Going off down another route, tho still on the "accurate TAB" thing - get as
many copies of Eric playing "Before You Accuse Me" (I've got about seven) and
tell me if he plays it the same way twice. No. So what's that telling you. Even the greats
play things the way they feel like playing them at the time. Amps and tone?? Aaahh... what
can we say about that? Next EVH concert you're at, jump on stage and grab Eddie's guitar
from him and play some Eddie riffs. Sound like him?? Naaa. Not even close.
So where to from here? Pick up your guitar and play something. Sounds like you, right?
Sounds cool. Work on it, develop it.
Where would we be if The Beatles had decided that they sounded like shit and went on to
try and sound just like The Stones?
(btw if you can't rustle up the names above, then get some of your mates around, or speak
to the local band, and try the same thing).