Dweezil Zappa Teaches Frank Zappa's Improvisation Techniques | Reverb Interview
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ธ.ค. 2016
- Read more about Dweezil and these techniques at bit.ly/2hczqAT.
Shop Dweezil Zappa records on Reverb LP: goo.gl/JyU5Hh
Dweezil Zappa is the first born son of famed guitarist and musical visionary Frank Zappa, and he has inherited his father's skill for tasty and sonically interesting improvised guitar soloing. In this interview, Dweezil was kind enough to share with Reverb a few of his favorite tricks he learned from his father and some of the logic behind his approach to improvised soloing. - เพลง
To me the impact of a video like this goes beyond merely guitar technique. Everything Dweezil's been doing to preserve and share his father's music is really beautiful.
well said
I love the fact he started calling Frank, "my Dad". I miss Frank! We are very luck to have The Dweez!
Indeed.
what should he have called him???
Michael Adamonis when he was alive, Dweezil typically referred to Frank as “Frank”. I think he’s done an admirable job of recognizing and promoting his father’s legacy, even though he is arguably a better guitarist in his own style than he is in his father’s. It’s a real accomplishment to get to the point that you can improvise is another player’s highly idiosyncratic style. A labor of love.
I also call Frank my dad
Michael Adamonis Father? God? Supreme Person? Go back to ya church and hide there heathen
"the battle between the chicken and the spider"
-Dweezil Zappa
(best quote describing how to play guitar ever)
edit: it took me four years to notice that I misspelled 'chickenn' (thanks for the likes)
That seriously made me almost spit out the mouthful of water I'd just sipped all over my keyboard.
It's a Zappaism
"Spider of Destiny"
Hell of an analogy! great stuff here.
LOL
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dweezil at his father's studio 17 years ago, after he supported an autism fundraiser by this invitation. He was incredibly polite, and can't say enough good things about him. His father would be proud not only for his artistic accomplishments, but also what a gentleman he raised. I only wish my fingers didn't freeze when he handed me Jimi Hendrix's strat to play along with him!
Nick Tuso wow that's awesome, I once was able to play with tommy Emmanuel, my fingers froze too haha
I once talked to Allan Holdsworth, and my brain froze.
I met him briefly last week. He is still an absolute gentleman.. and monster musician.
I don´t think I´d even touch that guitar ... seems disrespectful somehow ...
I tought him and every other guitarist that has ever lived!!!
As soon as he played that triplet lick with two different fingerings, I immediately thought of 5 different times frank used that technique, it's like once you hear it you can't unhear it. What a cool interview. Nice guitar too.
Yeah, that little technique was a big part of Frank's signature sound.
Chicken-Spider analogy is epic. What a neat guy and diligent steward of his fathers legacy, and alone has a right to be in the upper class of great players.
Dweezil, your dad made my high school days livable. The man is a musical genius. Looks like the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.
Amen man! Zappa record just STAYED on the turntable!
Genius? Lmao. No friggin way.
@@JC-11111 Imbecile.
Dweezil is a gentleman and a fine musician who keeps getting better. He keeps Frank's music alive and I personally owe him a debt of gratitude for that
"the battle between the chicken and the spider..." lmao epic 3:39
wow, haven't even gotten that far in the video but what a precise description of frank's style.
I immediately wondered if he took that from something his Dad said!
Yes, that's exactly where he got that...
nice profile pic man ;)
Picture him sitting watching his dad play as a kid thinking about the chicken and the spider
Only his son could understand and explain it. There is so much hidden and complex genius to Frank's music.
*Anyone* who actually uses their ears when listening to Zappa can understand and explain it, Frank's guitar playing was secondary to his work as a composer.
So under rated because he's compared to his Father. He has some interesting chops.
He's a better guitarist than his father was. Frank was just a creative genius.
He also has the ability to translate and explain that genius. Dweezil deserves every bit of recognition as archivist and presenter of his fathers music thereby requiring him to be a much better guitarist. But as stated in the video, these compositions are also the sum of the parts...everyone in the band has an integral role.
Just...
I find Dweezil a very musical player. He's obviously a very devoted musician and analytical in his approach. Good teacher too. His father was very impressed with Dweezil's playing even when he was still in his teens. Dweezil, if you happen to read this, it's about time you book a gig at the new Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik. It's been more than a decade already!
@Your Momma no need to diminish others, to lift up Dweezil
Dweezil is my favorite original-style player. He has elevated a solid background of guitar playing to a unique level of excellence that is all his own. It is gratifying to see this dedicated young(-ish) man achieve the success he has worked diligently for, and shares with us so generously
Dweezil is such an interesting cat. He's in possession of this truly humble vibe, the little half smile as he plays is endearing not annoying, and he quietly takes some (to him) very simple ideas and presents them like its the most obvious thing in the world "one two, one two three" and I go
"wait... wha?"
A bit like when I've seen him play: humble, outrageously good, amazing hands and ears and just in service of the music and his audience.
Hats off to you Dweezil.
Man this guy worshiped his Dad. Such devotion. Hope my sons love me half as much.
Could you have found a worse camera angle to film him from when playing?
jeremy355 he could’ve filmed him from the back
@@locke180 or film his feet...
use those ears of yours
up ya bum?
TomBrindleMusic
Not everyone is as talented as you, Tom.
WHat I loved about Frank's playing is that he wasn't a "guitar player", he played music, using a guitar. BIG difference.
pterantula Frank was excellent at guitar and even better at composition.
pterantula explain the difference
Zappa was adept enough at the guitar to express his musical ideas. However, if you notice, he practically never (if ever) played rhythm, was not adept enough to play without looking at the frets (by his own admission) and I don't think I ever heard him sing and play at the same time (which goes into the first two). In other words, Frank wouldn't have been someone you called up to do session work for Linda Ronstadt.
Ahahahahahhah
Yeah! But Steve Vai should :)
Yep. My thoughts exactly.
It’s really cool how Dweezil shares FZ’s style and sound. He’s such a humble guy for being such a badass. I think those might be his dad’s pants as well!
Excellent video! Most guitar instructional vids are like "here's this riff, now repeat after me." But this one was, "here's how I approach this instrument." Even though I'm not great at understanding music theory, a lot of what Dweezil said was really applicable. I wish there were more videos like this!
It is very nice to see a son talking about his dad with great respect and admiration.
The horn player stopping to breathe is a great insight. Less is sometimes more.
yes , sometimes just slowing down and letting the delay or reverb do there thing on a few slow notes is more powerful than a blaze of notes and the combination of both lends itself to some awesome music.
Zappa was perfect with this even if the solos from Inca Roads and Black Napkins were edited (as two famous examples) he made them "breathe" (like his impros) and thats what made his solos so interesting & alive..tbh most of the guitar solos (&masturbations) in the seventies even if they were technically challenging I found boring like F*** (sry) compared to what Zappa did.
Many thx to Dweezil btw. ;)
Dweezil seems like a nice chilled out person , and a great guitarist, thanks for keeping franks music alive.
Awesome insights. One of the best videos I've seen in a while.
Dweezil is so great because he is always learning and trying new things.
What a great player and musician and seems like a real genuine guy. This was really enjoyable to watch.
Generational brilliance. Thank you Dweezil. Thanks to the memory of your Dad. RIP
Thank you Dweezil
for keeping your father's
music & legacy alive! Your
constant mantra of bring the music to the masses is opening
the doors to a new, younger
audience.
Seeing him perform Franks music live since 2006 and also hearing and watching him do his own Via Zammata compositions, Dweezil is always progressing and continually expanding his harmonic, compositional and poly rhythmic explorations and has become one of the best musicians out there. Tremendous amount of dedication.
Frank was a tremendous musical innovator. I'm fortunate to have been at a number of his concerts, which were always entertaining, and musically astounding and fun. Dweezil is a tremendous musician too. He exudes a very welcoming warmth in his music in addition to wonderful musical virtuosity. I recommend going to hear him live.
thanks so much for this video! It was so good to hear Dweezil share his insights in Frank's music. Wishing the best of success to him. This great musician is THE REAL DEAL.
That just spoke volumes. Lucidity, concept, struggle, but most of all, freedom of self-expression, articulated ad hoc with amazing clarity and succinctly. Thanks Dweezil!
I've been playing guitar for 30 years, started out just pure rock / metal. But then I started to listen to jazz, soloing and chordal expressions. Here is the jazz element in droves. This is why jazz, or improvisation was such a big part of Frank's music. I love canned solos, but improve is great, as long as you're doing it well, some direction and discipline, as Dweezil mentions here. And that's one of the toughest things to do, not just noodle but to actually make complete, flowing statements. Frank was the master.
Such a brilliant player. If you ever have a chance to see him, do it. Very entertaining and fun to watch.
I always appreciate this guy taking time to explain guitar sounds and techniques. cool guy
I've never been more humbled to be at a concert than when I saw Dweezil last year. Dweezil is the pinnacle of what I wish I could do with a band or just guitar playing in general.
Thx Dweezil, looking forward to seeing you and the band in London again real soon
Some of the literate, instructive, and worthwhile guitar tutorials anywhere.
He is an amazing guitarist and a well spoken teacher...
This is just wonderful! Thank you very much Dweezil and Reverb.com!
I’ve only recently started to really appreciate Dweezil and what he does. One thing I’ve really noticed about his instructional stuff is the focus on approach and mindset instead of a step by step with tab lesson.
Everyone worried about the camera angle here... try focusing with your ears. Don’t even look at his hands. Just listen to what he’s saying and trying to convey. Listen to the notes. You CAN discern a big difference in what he’s doing in one position vs the other. When it comes to Zappa, your ears are FAR more important than your eyes and any precise fingering.
Awesome video!
Such a cool dude. A great and humble teacher sharing some of his dad's mastery. That's what it's about.
Oh man, the idea at 6:30 is worth the price of admission.
Yeah you are right, that stuff sounds good with hexitonic scales too.
This is really cool. He's taking Frank's improv techniques to the next level. The music lives!
So didactical I'm about to cry. Thanks, Dweezil, this lessons are unvaluable.
So glad Dweezil mentioned his dad's weird picking style, always noticed that. Zappa is the best!
I was blessed to see Zappa Plays Zappa in Baltimore when they celebrated the installation of the statue of Zappa at the Highlandtown Library. Absolutely amazing concert. Zappa is the greatest guitarist of all time.
Dweezil is one of the best guitar players alive. very cool that he is also a great teacher who seems very down to earth. if you haven't seen him live, make it happen.
Terrific, thanks. Sounds great but more importantly, I'm invigorated. I feel like Frank and Dweezil are helping me to do what I was trying to do, and now I should listen more.
this was super interesting! MORE PLEASE
I´m gonna need to watch this at least 10 times. Is to amazing to fully understand it at first watch.
One of the greatest gifts a father can give his children is knowledge... beautiful job Frank Zappa...
Great interview REVERB! I love when they actually show you something about the playing!
The first time I heard Black napkins, I was hooked, genius! Thank you for expounding upon your fathers playing.
So many thing's I already wanted to know! ..best lesson on the 'tube! Thanks, DZ! Show was incredible, can't wait to see you next time around.
Oh Dear God ....thank U Mr Dweezil Zappa.Greetings from Italia.And keep showing Ur Dad Work. I'm proud of U Man
This has got to be the most enlightening guitar concept video i have ever seen.
Awesome! Thanks a lot Dweezil & Reverb 👍 Want more!!!!
Thanks Reverb and special thanks to the Dweeze...I have always loved Franks guitar playing and this is a small but wonderful insight......
Dweezil's ripped my flesh!
Thanks for sharing your insight, Dweezil!!! My dad and I see you LIVE as much as possible! Sending love from Pittsburgh!!!
Great personal insight from Dweezil about his dad. A great little film from which much has been learned.
I think Frank Zappa is the most underrated guitar player in music history....I don't usually like long guitar solo's but I LOVE the "shut up n play your guitar " album (double album full of guitar solo's). How did he do THAT !? He doesn't repeat himself.
What's crazy is that many of the solos come from the same songs, but somehow Frank took them to so many different places the listener easily forgets this.
Hint for those who upload video of guitar lessons: Place the camera where the view is similar to the player's or just don't bother. To learn from this video you must play by ear just like the olden days!
Dweez not only is fantastic in his own right but the amount of knowledge he got from Frank and the unwritten history of Frank must be incredible. Please do a bio on Frank please
Thanks Dweezil. Massive talent runs in your family.
Just imagine having one of the best guitarists ever not only as your father but as your teacher, it would be an incredible experience!
Thanks Dweezil! Some very cool ideas there. Got me experimenting with some new stuff already.
Great video, Dweezil seems to be doing lots of FZ instructional or How to approach videos. Absolutely brilliant stuff. Keep em coming!!!!
This is simply a gold mine.
So stoked Dweezil is doing this.
Great tips, great presentation, thanks!
What a legacy to carry to as to dive into? I love how Dweezil Zappa give us a continuous story to his fathers music.
Frank Zappa is so missed.
He left such a vast catalogue of fantastic composing that maybe won’t be able to be played for an audience for a hundreds of years from now.
I wish I’ll be able to come back till then and to check it out.
For now I will use my skill to listen to his 60 or so copies of albums that he so graciously left for us to interpret. 🤪🙏
I’ve seen Dweezil live but I literally just learned a whole new 5/7 lick system watching this. I can’t wait to practice this lick around 8:30.
This video is a gem. Treasure it.
"It's not about somebody just supporting a soloist all the time...", that's what the people that I myself play with understand the most. None of us as individuals are the draw, the collection of who we are is the draw. Thanks for the Frank riff tips Dweezil! I have MAD respect for your father, and you! Rock on!
This Man Is a Legend...His musicality Is unique
Saw Dweezil with Frank in London 88. Great memories. Also ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ some years later. He’s way ahead of the modern shredders.
This is so fulfilling
Love that acoustic/electric tone on the SG. Frank used that a lot. A favorite of mine is the solo on I Promise... from Zappa In New York.
That stuff at the end about playing in complete sentences is genius. That's where tasteful playing comes from.
It's just incredible to see Dweezil's maturity as a guitar player and a musician. For me, he is fast becoming the most complete player in the known universe and I'm sure his father is tumescent with pride.
Grossly underrated and underappreciated.
He really does understand theory and is able to exploit it on the guitar. I saw him in Denver for ZPZ and more recently in Scottsdale for the DZWPWTFHWs tour and it was a religious experience. I hope I can see him again.
Every Halloween night in NYC for many years..Great shows, great days..Frank is missed.
This is absolutely incredible.
Dweezil. You’re inspiring the shit out of me right now.
This is an absoutely-informative video. Learned a lot. Thank you, Sir.
This is a great show and tell.Thanks reverb.com and Dweezil.
That was a great video!!
just awesome .. great stuff
Guy is a monster guitarist / total musician artist, way beyond what people know. Huge respect
Full of music and brains through and through, just like dad.
very kool, Dweezil inspires the hell out of me. so much in common yet so different from him. Hard to describe but I like his attitude and approach to composing music. enjoyed this video a lot. Frank your amazing. Enough said
love the three string triplets. Really helped me out on Black Napkins
The battle between the chicken and the spider lmao. Great video thanks for posting this!!
Thank You Dweezil!
Thank you for sharing.
I can't help but notice stravinsky's influence on zappa here. When dweez talks about circular arguments, that's how stravinsky built a lot of his melodies. The Tritone triad thing is basically the petrushka chord. Great minds think alike i guess; fantastic video btw! And many thanks to dweezil for sharing his insights with us
Dweezil is great . He has his Father's talent for playing fantastic , and unorthodox guitar . I wish he would bring his band to Australia .
I just saw him in Cincinnati on Thursday. He and the band were incredible. Especially Sheila Rodriguez on saxophone
Scheila is awesome. The only person I've seen playing two saxophones and a keyboard at the same time. I realize that seems impossible but I'm sure I saw her doing it.
Thanks, great insightful piece by a thougtful musician!
This is a great little lesson! I'm gonna sign up to do a master class with him, when I see him in January.