Tue, 29/07/2008 - 22:24 - Owen Edwards

REAWAKENING

OE: SO WHAT WAS THE CATALYST FOR YOUR ‘REAWAKENING’ 3 YEARS AGO? YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE INTERNET AS PROVIDING YOU WITH VISUAL TEACHERS FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN MORE?

Well, I met my wife!! It’s so important to have someone who believes in you, and when we first got together she couldn't help but notice that I loved music. I'd always be reading guitar magazines and listening to all these hot players.

So, she was like: "What’s going on? Do you just like music - what is it about the guitar?" And one day - on my birthday - there it was: in December 2005 she left a guitar in the house because she knew that if she just left it there, and didn't talk about it, I would be driven to it - she was smart! I'd be staring at it and soon enough I knew that it was time to go get some masking tape and a pick and start up again where I left off 15 years ago!

And, of course with the Internet being what it is now - things like Licklibrary.com and everything - it was all so different!

I mean, I had a few tab books from years ago, some old ‘Guitar Techniques’ and ‘Guitar World’ mags - or was it ‘Guitar For The Practising Musician’ back then? - and that’s how it went. With the beauty of tablature, and videos, someone can sit on their own at home and really learn the music.

Of course, I think what's happening now is that so many kids at home - and people like myself - are getting all these big chops, but not getting the theory behind how to really apply them. So, I think that it would be really cool now for sites to make sure they get across the theoretical side of things in order for people to learn how to apply all those chops...

Personally, I had to take the physical path to begin with - but now the learning part is what I need to focus on: so I'm sort of having to go backward in my leaning a bit!

OE: LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE DO! SO WITH YOUR REBIRTH WHAT SONG DID YOU START WITH?

Guess what - ’Sultans of The Swing!’

OE: SO YOU WENT BACK AND FINISHED IT OFF THEN?!

Oh yeah - I just still really like the licks there! So, I tried to get all of that down - and then went straight to ‘Eruption!’ (John plays the famous tremolo picking part) I guess it doesn't make any sense when you don't even know what an ‘A’ chord is - but you're able to trem pick at high speed - but that’s the way I did it! I remember when Jamie was saying on the video: "Don't worry if you're having difficulty on this - it’s Van Halen!" - and yet it’s like the first thing I'm learning!

O.E: SO WHEN LEARNING ‘ERUPTION’ WHICH BITS DID YOU FIND THE TRICKIEST (I KNOW THAT MOST OF STUDENTS I'VE TAUGHT FIND THE FAST PENTATONIC/BLUES SCALE PARTS IN SECTION TWO A SON OF A BITCH!)

Oh, you mean this bit? (John plays said section) Yeah... that’s a little tricky for me because of the muting. I think Eddie Van Halen in Eruption uses a lot of left hand hammer-ons here as well - but, I actually found the trem picking to be the trickiest part! Thank god I have my Bugera 6260 these days!

OE: WHY - BECAUSE OF THE MUTING ASPECT ON THE BASS STRINGS?

Well, I don't know?

OE: BECAUSE HERE YOU ARE PLAYING ALMOST LIKE EDDIE VAN HALENIN YOUR PHYSICAL PICKING - AND A LOT OF US WHENEVER WE TRY THAT FIND THAT THE OTHER STRINGS GO OFF LIKE HELL!

I really worked on that because initially when you listen to that solo - particularly with ‘non musical’ or ‘non guitarist’ ears - well, that’s the part that always stuck out to me. Y’ know, it’s fast as hell - but also a real tune in there!