I'm in my 2nd year of studying music and this blew my mind to see how expertly this stuff I'm studying is being implemented. I've been really fed up with my theory class because all of the examples are vocal and piano music but seeing this awesome breakdown of a guitar masterpiece has me enthused for this stuff again.

@nicholassharp9798

2 жыл бұрын

Also remember some people just hear melodies and are just able to play them! Ear training is a must with theory! I for one prefer playing by ear and not by theory lol

@randyzack8886

2 жыл бұрын

@@nicholassharp9798 Agreed! When you're playing by ear and just nailing it.. you are one with the universe.

@quintinarnold4929

2 жыл бұрын

Music theory gets a lot of flack for some reason. People say it's "not needed" which is true, but it's really just a useful tool. It helps better understand other pieces of music as well communicating those pieces to others quickly and effectively. Keep up with the excersize of this and i assure you you'll love it. Forgetting this ability is frustrating trust me. If you want some interesting breakdowns try Frank Zappa (yeah he's very weird). If you get past some of the weird stuff he's done there are amazing pieces of music but also the how those pieces are executed. Hard to make a short story of him but very worth checking out. Keep up with the music man

@romulusxyz6722

2 жыл бұрын

What you learn on the piano can be translated to almost any other instrument. For example, the basic triad. It's 1-3-5.. If you know a C major is C-E-G on piano, then all you need to do is figure out where C-E-G are on the guitar, and you've got it. Theory is fun stuff, just keep at it!

@kittler53

2 жыл бұрын

Eric’s first instrument was the piano. Rick Beato has a great interview with Eric on KZread.

On a sidenote: thanks for not drowning the guitar in delay and reverb like most everybody else. We're all guitarists here, no need to sugarcoat the sound, just makes it harder to analyze and hear what's being played.

This is a fantastic video; great to deconstruct an iconic riff that we've all heard a million times, in order to understand how and why it works! One added benefit of doing this is: you can now "file" that riff away in your mind according to the chord progression that it derives from -- Am - G - D - G - D Em7 is ii - I - V - I - V - vi. Then in the future if you're ever soloing over that same progression, or a significant portion of that progression IN ANY KEY, you can quote the riff and totally blow people's minds. ("Wait! Did I just hear him play part of Cliffs of Dover? OMG!")

@WickBeavers

2 жыл бұрын

Good... I plugged that progression into my looper and got lost for an hour. Thanks Stich and thanks Kevin!

@richardturk7162

2 жыл бұрын

I have no idea what you meant by that.

Tone leading is incredibly useful to keep the harshness of thinner string that would change the tonality of the riff. Example would be a wound third string.

@lolomelon528

2 жыл бұрын

wound thirds are the best, learned that from Paul Waggoner ;)

I played this in front of my hs in 08 I just now possess the skill to do it justice, so glad I always played way above my ability only thing that kept me around for the seemingly unprogressive years then I started just gaming with live bands, and backing tracks I've done more in a year than most of the time spent with tabs

@azhaz578

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry what made the biggest difference? Was a little confused by this post

@K.youran

2 жыл бұрын

he probably means that he used to play this song in highschool in 2008 but he wasn't very good back then, and now he's capable of playing the song really well, he always tried to play difficult things that were above his skill level, he started playing with other musicians and practicing with backing tracks, and he progressed more in one year doing that, compared to just learning songs with tabs for several years i think... honestly xxstfu i'm not usually one to criticize someone based on his english level (since i'm not very good at it either), but you should try to check your comments before pressing reply, this one was honestly hard to understand

@jackrobinson9403

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah then you learn chord tone and follow the pentatonic sometimes till the harmonic minor stuff then with band you make song with audience they like it you hope and you must grind always grind

@xxstfubmx

2 жыл бұрын

​ @ً appreciations. I've consistently had a tribulation when I write ( not because it is bland or dry). I think faster than I compose, so I omit the slow components you think that's not adequate. My handwriting is atrocious, but thanks! Thank you for clarifying that story to those who can't self-edit. ( i thought most people always did at a glance). I've typically got a 2nd draft I revise and make proper. However, I was enthused by the topic and streamed my actual recollections and reflections without interruption. ( I find it more honest and less self-censoring too much of that these days ) I found individuals who point these out are better avoided and would use my writing like a honey pot. However, I realized people didn't understand it changed my way of communicating online, excluding when I type and send it impulsively.

@xxstfubmx

2 жыл бұрын

also just re read it some horrible program went nuts editing. that makes no sense

Oooh got that new PRS SE Silver Sky, the dragon fruit finish is amazing! I love the way you break down things and explain your thinking, really helps out a newbie to theory like myself.

@kittler53

2 жыл бұрын

I’m still waiting for my PRS SE Silver Sky in dragon fruit. I can’t play an electric guitar but I’m certainly not going to start with Cliffs of Dover! 🤣

I love riff deconstruction. Masterful work here, Stich. This type of analysis makes the song much less intimidating and easier to learn. I did a similar deconstruction for Satriani Always With Me...same technique. Starting to recognize patterns!

Finally! after however many years since this song came out, and just as many "lesson and tab' tutorials that I barely got 3 notes from, you're the first to make me go Damn! that's it! I can't wait to delve into this step by step. I have watched your lessons for years and you always teach me something cool, and I've been playing since 1968! Thanks man!

Based on the caption in the thumbnail, "What Eric Johnson knows about guitar that you don't, " this video should be much longer than 17mins, Stitch

@keithkolb6350

2 жыл бұрын

This is an underrated comment right here

It's all A, C, D, E and G shapes. All the time, every time. Nice Baskin Robbins!

You are the first teacher on KZread that identifies positions on the fretboard as chord shapes. I learned the fretboard by the same method calling scales, arpeggios , & chords by the open string chord shape. A G E etc. That method makes it easier for me to follow along and understand exactly what you are talking about. Thank you.

I have been a subscriber for a while. I saw a tab for this song years ago and took a very half-hearted stab at it and went nowhere. Just the other day I was thinking about digging up that tab and trying again. Then I thought, "Hmmmm, maybe there is a video on KZread of this somewhere". Then I saw this today! It was too good to be true! Thank you! I love it!!!!!

You’ve explained and showed it so that even I can figure it out, bravo!!!

Beautifully worked out and explained, a real eye opener and something i would not twigg by myself in a million years. Much appreciated thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Unlike everyone else here, apparently, not an EJ fan so I didn't know the song. (Now, I'm gonna have to listen to it LOL) What I found the most interesting was first where you played it on the high strings and said it was too hard that way, to me would have been the way a guitar master would have therefore played it. Also, it sounds the most awesome with the lower string version. If I were to write something like that, I would have based it around the lower string version with occasional accents with the highest string version. Thanks for this. Obviously, I have to stop procrastinating on your arpegio master class vid. You know, it's not a competition, but FOR ME, you are far and away the best teacher on KZread.

Thanks from and older player/EJ lover. Never actually tried to play this and you laid out a path for anyone with chops to actually play this! Muchos Gracias!

Absolutely awesome... Greetings from Mantova Northern Italy

I’ll be the 3rd to ask: How do you like your new PRS Silver Sky SE?

Amazing insight and break down. As always I'm in awe of how you explain things so a simple-minded musician ( like me ) can understand. I've learned more from your free video's than I have from hundreds of dollars spent on online courses in the past couple of years.

😯 The brother of Jerry Garcia! Great how he breaks down rather complex figures to simple forms.

And so the difference between learning licks/tabs and this lesson....I began to work on this song using g a popular and excellent tab play thru site.... working it but I didn't feel like I understand what I was doing as I normally would.....this is a complex song in many ways.......this lesson unlocked the whole thing for me.......this Mr Stich is teaching!!! understanding what you are playing takes you to a whole other level!! Thank you!

I reckon that’s the trouble i had with learning it. It’s like I’m expecting to play it a certain way (running scales) but thrown off bc it’s only 2 string arpeggio stuff. Still have a ways to go with this song though. Eric is a guitar genius! Great tips and explanations, this actually really helps. Doesn’t seem as complicated seeing your finger positions. Tabs can be quite overwhelming for this song!

Love this breakdown, it really helps to appreciate the care and detail that masters such as Eric Johnson put into their craft

Damn you. I'm just here minding my own business trying to be productive with work, and you throw this useful and interesting stuff out at me. Now I've got to sit here the rest of the day trying to ignore my guitars.

This is a great lesson. Thank you! And while this is definitely an iconic riff, the thing I probably think of first with EJ is his use of fifths as his interval of choice to get a key part of his sound. Maybe another Stich Method lesson?

Sketti Westerns play the same sequence, lolol......N classical, n jazz, n country...smart guy! Got a PRS SE same color on way too, yours sounds great! :)

Just finished you 2 hour master class so this is very cool to see applied to a song.

Dude you're so eloquent and well spoken. I haven't really played guitar in forever but it's pleasant just to listen to you explain it. Subbed 😎

Yeah it’s just a 6 2 5 1 that starts on the 2.

I've been using this piece to practice guitar concepts for a while, it's loaded and musical, way more fun than scales, no not close to mastering it. Another treasure trove I've found for fun practice is Yngwie Malmsteen, his stuff is loaded with really great stuff to practice, way more fun then just paying scales or arpeggios. I was pretty excited to see someone teach something I've been doing for a while to make make my practice fun. Really great lesson, I learned a lot about what I was hearing in trying to learn this piece.

this is the first video i've seen of yours. the concepts you're presenting make a lot of sense. thanks for the breakdown. subbed 🤘

Man that's a really beautiful breakdown there, thanks for putting it out there for free. Really happy to have discovered your content.

Oh my god, I can’t wait to watch THIS a video for the next 2 weeks on a loop. Thank you, Ian!!!!

Dude I love your teaching skills you have opened up a whole new experience! I'm seeing the fretboard in a new light! Thanx brother!

These are good observations. Between these little two string arpeggios, and SPREAD TRIADS, you have the essence of Eric Johnson. Good luck executing it convincingly! It’s tough. Still really good stuff to learn though.

Amazing video!! Ima be revisiting this tons tbh! Glad to see you're still kicking it, Ian!

Glad I found your channel. You’re helping me understand guitar better for free. If I ever see any affiliate links I will make sure to go through you sir. Thanks for being a good person

Kc and jo jo are like “uh oh” Alllll my liiiifeee lmao

Amazing lesson!!! Can't wait to start writing with this new found knowledge.

Great video unlocking some things. Might be ready to try and tackle some of this now that I have an understanding

Good job adding the fret numbers.

Nice one. Loads of food for thought. Cheers

Really enjoyed that sir.....broke that passage down beautifully....well done...

Amazing breakdown of the piece. Makes total sense now!

Can't stop gawking at your guitar. That pink color looks fantabulous in the lighting.

That 80s hot pink color guitar 🎸 gets me going for some reason (guitar candy 🍭).

How you don’t have 2 mil sub is out of my mind? Great job as always

@StichMethodGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Eh…. Subs is but a number. Real fans that enjoy the lessons and make them their own…. Priceless

Wow, dude. Great lesson. Thanks!

Here’s one, if you listen to “The Lark ascending” by Vaughn Williams (end music to “Childhood’s end”.) that tune was written in top of the Cliffs of Dover.

Thanks, good mental workout.

Lucky, you got a new Silver Sky SE, solid video

Another awesome lesson! Thank you! I really enjoy your courses.

Absolutely great lesson. Thank you!

Nice Dragonfruit SE, would love a video on your reaction to this guitar

New to the channel... wow! You're a great teacher!

Hate to say the good old days are over, but they are over. I talked to Eric way back in 94ish and it was dying then!

Brilliant!!! What a great video man!! Keep them coming!! Fantastic

The SE Silver Sky is amazing.

Thanks for the awesome video!

I don’t understand what’s happening or even play guitar but this video is cool :)

Funny how similar that beginning is to Sting - Shape of my heart!

Subscription earned! I’ve struggled with this for years.

Beautiful PRS

This is excellent!

Earned a subscriber. Can’t wait to dig into your other videos. Love your approach.

YES!!! Movie What About Bob….. Bill Murray telling Richard Dreyfus , “I think you can help me!”

Awesome....demonstration

what eric johnson knows about guitar and I don't know ... would be enough to fill the frikken sun

Will be so much easier thinking about the chords,instead of all the single notes

@StichMethodGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

At that’s all of guitar btw😉

@michaeldematteis9944

2 жыл бұрын

@@StichMethodGuitar oh,yes.lol..I always thought of scales,now I focus on chords,since learning all the caged shapes,breaking them up into smaller shapes, arpeggios.then adding the scales.so awesome. Really learned the fretboard that way too..

Great breakdown and explanation- thanks!

great break down thanks and introducing creative voice leading

Great work! So simple behind the scenes!

Hi Stich, Hope all is well with you? Rock on

@StichMethodGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Just taking my time and enjoying life. Will post soon😉

Great video. Thanks!

Thumbnail: "What Eric Johnson knows about guitar that you don't!" Me: This video is about 10 years too short...

@pascaljeanne6520

2 жыл бұрын

ahahahah good !:

check out the chorus to 'all my life' by k-ci and jo jo. same progression

THANK YOU!! Would be SO grateful if you would do a lesson on Jerry’s lead approach on Watchtower. NO ONE has done one. Particularly the speed descending licks he does (similar to 80s Fire) I think the scale is Bm and possibly another. LOVE the channel. THANKS!!

Excellent break-down.

Thank you!!

Nice, I almost got that... No really, I'm just starting to learn this. I know.... What was I thinking! Getting to tempo with that feel is insanely challenging.

I see you chose the best color of all the SE Silver Sky colors. :) (Great lesson!)

@everennui1

2 жыл бұрын

You might want to get your eyes checked. That's a pink guitar, friend.

@CheddarKungPao

2 жыл бұрын

@@everennui1 pink guitars are awesome. Also it's more purple-red or plum than pink.

@everennui1

2 жыл бұрын

I'm just joshing you. Dragonfruit is not my first choice. Maybe if there was sparkle flakes.

The first time I heard this song, I looked at it and aid, " one day, one day im going to play it." thank you for breaking it down. A video suggestion would be the solo from One, by Metallica, its the tapping solo. A little out of the realm, but still none the less, please can you make a video on it?

Hey, how did you get your hands on the Silver Sky SE? How do you like it? : )

Back in my day when the song came out, I had two guitar magazines that had wildly different and incorrect tabs. I think those 80/90's mags really screwed up a generation of learning guitarists.

Brilliant lesson

Cool break down... good methods

This is a great surprise!

Great comparison video. I had to laugh at one point, when u said ..but maybe you don’t want that chord sound… and my brain just thought (well just play it the Eric Johnson way then) 🤣.. great work. I’m not trying to slight it.. 🤘 it’s an interesting way to look at it.

Great lesson,man!🤟❤✌

Just found your channel man it’s extremely helpful thank you

Great vídeo, thank you!!!

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Thank you!

@StichMethodGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Dude, so glad you enjoyed it!

You are too kind. Thank you.

First i hear you playing it sounded like the song: I need some sleep by Eels so my question do i hear something similar or the same notes used for the songs 🤔🤔

All hail Stitch

Awesome lesson.

Incredibly simplified, notice i didnt say easy:)

Having known the riff, It's interesting to actually know what I'm doing XD.

Hey stich , how does the new Silver sky play?