Hey guys, as I mentioned at the end of the video, I've created a 12 video course on how to play this solo step-by-step. I'll be uploading one video from this series every day for the next two weeks into this playlist th-cam.com/play/PL0BKERx_2obveIflK3QoH6f7NB1a_-6Pz.html
amarguitar Loving the channel. So cool to see how you dissect the solo. PLEASE keep presenting Jerry and Trey solos as no other soloist seems to drive the melody like a voice singing in your ear like these two.
Please dont stop making video lessons. I just found you and I love your teaching style. Although it may be a year before I can check out anymore video because that's probably how long it will take me to get through this one.
JMZ that 11/2/85 show from Richmond is so amazing, especially the 2nd set. Quite possibly my favorite of all time. This Buffalo show was also awesome, it was a great time wish I was at the Richmond show though.
Well done. Great use of tech and well played. But you have the chords wrong. There's no E chord in the song. It's an A with E in the bass. Or A7 with E in the bass. Otherwise, nice job.
How long did it take you to learn that solo? Just out of curiosity because I've been trying it for an hour and havent even made it past the first chords. But I'm not giving up til I can play the entire thing note for note
First video I have seen of yours. As a life long fan of The Dead I'm always looking for new approaches to Jerry's style. I can't wait to dig into this and the rest of your videos. REALLY well done and thought out! Thank you!
Hey Brad, as it turns out, the Warner record label owns the right to the Dead Set album so I may get a copyright strike if I recreate that solo and/or use parts of it, even for nonprofit teaching purposes on youtube. I'm absolutely going to teach a Jerry Loser solo in the near future, but I will probably have to choose a version that does not already exist on an official GD release like a dicks picks or live/studio album.
I can't believe it took me this long to find this. Extremely insightful, clear to understand and very thoughtful of you to spend the time to create it. I'm grateful, thanks man!
I just found your channel. Just Great. Thanks for putting this together. Loved every second. And one more vote here for a "tuck the pick" lesson. Thanks again for all of this.
Great video but I disagree that these are all key changes. The key of the moment is the center of gravity, at every point in this chord progression (except 1) the A continues to feel like “home.” In a soloing sense yes Jerry plays the changes, like most jazz players would, as if each chord is its own little world. But in terms of harmonic analysis that’s not what’s going on. If you interrupt the chord progression at almost any point with an A chord it feels like the tonic, therefore it’s firmly in the key of A. I would say it’s almost modal, it feels like A mixolydian the whole time, with the b7 implied. That makes the C#7 a chromatic mediant, it is also the V of F#minor but the relationship to the previous chord is as important as the relationship to the chord that follows. So in those first 3 chords the chromatic mediant is almost used like a pivot to get back around to a different tonic function chord (the tonic function chords are I, iii, & vi, so I’m not saying we’re now in the key of F#minor, just that we’re not on a dominant or subdominant, we’re somewhere stable again). Then the E is borrowed from A Ionian, but from my perspective it’s more like it just works because major chords a perfect 4th or 5th apart simply always work in a country/blues/rock context (modal interchange is kind of bs imo). The D I’ve always played as a D7, I justify that 7th as a blue note, and then the diminished chord is a passing chord (works by voice leading). When we get to the F#major I agree that is a key change, because it feels like the center of gravity, and when you play the B chord it feels like it could fall back to the F# and be home again. The D is a chromatic mediant from B which pivots us back toward A. And the A-G-D part of the chorus is a classic A mixolydian vamp. Sorry for the nitpicky rant, I really respect what you do and love these videos, I just get a little obsessive with harmony sometimes. I think the way Jerry wrote a lot of these types of chord progressions was by an intuitive understanding (which developed through his study of American folk music) that the open chords on a guitar, or any major chords or dom7th chords related by perfect 4ths & 5ths, & any kind of 2nd or 3rd, go together in a very “American” sounding way. I don’t think he thought much more of it beyond that until he began to study jazz, which wasn’t a replacement for what he knew but simply a supplement. That’s the kind of experience that told him he could use diminished passing chords for example. But he definitely wasn’t a theory nerd like me, just someone who understood what American music feels like, and had played so many songs deeply rooted in our culture on both guitar and banjo that these chord progressions came entirely naturally to him.
Incorrect sir. There is no 5 chord (E) anywhere in the song. After F#min is A with E in the bass. Actual chord is A7 with E in bass, which briefly takes you to a D maj scale. Nice job on transcribing, playing and presenting. But the devil is the detail.
I have played this progression for about 10 yrs now i am thinking of soloing on it with my blues jazz patterns I see the first A as a IV in melodic minor then G 1/2.whole diminished Over c# F# ,dorian b2, could still be relative to E melodic minor(A lydian dominant IV7) or f# could be vi7 modulating to A Melodic Minor (over D7 ,D is the IV7 of A melodic minor) On the next chords A major ,F# blues,B as a V7 in E melodic minor then D as D major The chorus would be A as a V7 in Melodic minor aka Melodic major Since the A diminished Whole half is relative to D melodic minor You can make a minor blues pattern out of A mixolydian b 6 the V7 of D Melodic minor , getting full use out of both the major third, minor third , and flat 5 So in this pattern you have a blend of mixolydian and dorian sounds , yet it is D melodic minor, so the relative diminished is D 1/2 whole , or A Whole 1/2 .( relative diminished is different than the major modes) An A major country sound over A Then a minor pentatonic blues sound over G and D
your channel is awesome. The content is great, you're focused and knowledgeable. Keep the dead videos coming. TH-cam has a lack of well done dead videos, so thank you for taking the time to make them.
This whole series was great and fun I really enjoyed learning it. Could you possibly do johns solo from friend of the devil 7/10/17? I was at that show and it blew me away
A key change = modulation. Most of the chords chosen in this tune are in the harmonised scale of A Major - therefore they are chord progressions. Your playing here is far more relaxed, more accurate and flowing than I have observed from other videos of yours, Amar.
Great work. I've seen Jerry play with both The Grateful Dead and JGB beginning in 1985. JGB was Jerry playing in what seemed a less restrained manner. Not that one experience diminished the other just different. There's a video on TH-cam which is a recording from Europe for the TV show RockPalast in 1981. Extraordinary show Pete Townsend was hanging back stage and on stage and I think the boys wanted to show him that a bunch of hippies can rock. Keep up the good work.
Great video. I think you’re mistaken about the key changes though. The song is in E major all the way through. It starts with an A major chord, but the key is definitely E major. The D#dim is a dead giveaway as it’s the seventh of the E major scale and pretty unique to that key. Even the D major chord works since it’s borrowed from the parallel minor of the B major in the key of E. Part of the distinct solo tones and difficulty in easily recognizing the key by ear is that he’s using an A Lydian scale as his diatonic. If you float through the different E major modes, you will stumble on to many of the signature musical phrases of this song.
That's awesome i was listening to this at lunch today on youtube at the factory I couldn't believe how great this jam was. It was titled "hot jam" Great super melodic Jerry , every note just sings out of his guitar He really seemed to love what he was doing
I literally can't play Althea without my middle right finger (for the hybrid picking section). I'd love to hear your thoughts on his ability to "tuck" the pick and alternate seamlessly from finger picking to plectrum. ps not only is the content awesome, but your editing game is strong dude. keep going! and THANKS!!!
Hey Andrew! That's a great call, I currently teach my private students how to tuck the pick when going from standard to hybrid picking, or vice versa. Everyone (students and pros alike) seems to have a completely different method of achieving it, but I can try to do a "one size fits" all video for how you can learn this skill. Thank you for your recommendation and the wonderful feedback! : )
Well I have just had about enough of this!(sarcasm) note for note once again! Thank you so much for all of the videos you make, the Phish and Grateful Dead songs and solos you tab out for us youtubers. This is great and I will use the shit out of this! Next challenge, Learn this version of Deal and the solo!haha thanks again man!!
Hey Brother - love the vids - you have such a great ear and the lessons are very well done - How about doing a lesson for Loser - the solo is so melodic and very Jerry - it could make for a good lesson w/the bending/phrasing in the Jerry Style- thanks !
Hey, great video and analysis! But regarding the chord progression, are you sure it's an E chord after the F#minor? To me it sounds like an A chord with E in the bass (at least on the original recording on 1st Garcia solo album). An E chord has a G# in it (major 3rd), and I don't hear a G# at that point in the progression (or in the soloing, for that matter). Anyway, interested to hear your thoughts on this. Great job again!!
I've found that learning theory only increases the enjoyment of playing guitar, I really hope that's the case for your journey as well! Thanks for watching : )
Dude, I just stumbled on to your stuff. I LOVE this. The way you go over the music truly helps me approach what I've been doing in a different way. Thanks!
Hey guys, as I mentioned at the end of the video, I've created a 12 video course on how to play this solo step-by-step. I'll be uploading one video from this series every day for the next two weeks into this playlist th-cam.com/play/PL0BKERx_2obveIflK3QoH6f7NB1a_-6Pz.html
amarguitar Loving the channel. So cool to see how you dissect the solo. PLEASE keep presenting Jerry and Trey solos as no other soloist seems to drive the melody like a voice singing in your ear like these two.
well done, sir. Thanks for transcribing, too. Kudos and god Bless!
My friend you are a genius, I could listen to you all day 👍🏻
Great Video!!!!!! Thank You!!!!
Wow! This is great. It's awesome to see someone so young preserving Jerry's music!❤
Thank you very, very much. You've done very important thing!!!
I appreciate your breakdown of this fascinating song and Jerry’s playing on it. I look forward one mini-course. 👍👍
Great video and great analysis ! Thank you!
thank you
Great lessons
Excellent!
Wow. Really great. I like this. Thanks.
You are the man!
You are a smart man.
Awesome video. All I can say.
Nice playing sir.
Great lesson! Thanks!
Fantastic... thank you very much!
this is mad interesting.
Great channel..
Do another Jerry solo breakdown
Brilliant deconstruction! Kudos...
Wow amazing video will use in future thanks!
kudos to you, Good sir. spot on!!!!!!!
The Deal solo from the Cornell 77 show makes me cry because its so fucking perfect..this one aint that bad
Awesome analysis and comments man! Subscribed to hear more
Maaaaannnn, you videos are great! Very thorough and clear to understand. Thanks for making these!
Excellent lesson, subscribed!
Holy wah dude
Ummm... I can't believe I'm just now finding your videos. Wow! This is just what I was looking for. Big thanks and you've got a new subscriber.
Hello Amar any chance you can do some lesson or transcription of the second deal solo?? It is a hot one and there is so much good stuff in it.
way to go
Dude...this is FANTASTIC
I love your videos.
Absolutely fabulous Amar. I am really enjoying trying to learn this song and appreciate your work and the clarity you bring to the lessons.
his deal solo at Cornell university is the best one look it up please
Grate job man! I'm a still beginner but break downs like this help cause the Dead are all I listen too
Love this version of deal! Nice job 👍
How about tabs for the end A G D solo? Thanks!!!
You are a gift!! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to this!! Namaste!!
I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years. This song has always been a bear. Thanks for the lesson.
Please dont stop making video lessons. I just found you and I love your teaching style. Although it may be a year before I can check out anymore video because that's probably how long it will take me to get through this one.
doing gods work out here
Your channel is incredible. The breakdown is amazing and really shows the genius of Jerry and the boys
Which one does he go around 4 times?
Loved the video...how about the 3 solos tin China Doll, Richmond '85?
JMZ that 11/2/85 show from Richmond is so amazing, especially the 2nd set. Quite possibly my favorite of all time. This Buffalo show was also awesome, it was a great time wish I was at the Richmond show though.
I watch this 89 show every single week..
Man, these vids and your anatomy of a jam stuff are awesome, thanks! You’ve got enough material out there to do this for years!...lol
Thank you for your hard work and insight in this video! It is truly appreciated
Finally got a chance to figure out what Jerry did. Thank you! Be careful to COVID-19
Well done. Great use of tech and well played. But you have the chords wrong. There's no E chord in the song. It's an A with E in the bass. Or A7 with E in the bass. Otherwise, nice job.
Was going to say this. No E chord. E/A or just A.
thank you Amar....im so glad I stumbled upon your lessons!
It's great to have you here, Erik! Thanks for watching : )
Why not consider the F# to B as a V-I in B and not a I in F# and a I in B?
How long did it take you to learn that solo? Just out of curiosity because I've been trying it for an hour and havent even made it past the first chords. But I'm not giving up til I can play the entire thing note for note
Great Lesson, just find your channel, keep on rocking and making incredible lessons !!!
Thanks so much for watching, Marcelo! There are more videos on the way
You are the man! I really appreciate this. Nice playing, a killer solo indeed
First video I have seen of yours. As a life long fan of The Dead I'm always looking for new approaches to Jerry's style. I can't wait to dig into this and the rest of your videos. REALLY well done and thought out! Thank you!
Hi Rick, it's great to have you here! Thank you for watching, I really hope you enjoy this series
Great video and analysis! Love this solo and your version is spot on:)
I'm dying to know how to play the solo for loser off of the dead set album. If you are looking for suggestions please consider the loser solo
Hey Brad, as it turns out, the Warner record label owns the right to the Dead Set album so I may get a copyright strike if I recreate that solo and/or use parts of it, even for nonprofit teaching purposes on youtube. I'm absolutely going to teach a Jerry Loser solo in the near future, but I will probably have to choose a version that does not already exist on an official GD release like a dicks picks or live/studio album.
Love and appreciate your thoughtful approach to this. Great production and content. You rock, dude.
Thank you ironman! I'm so glad you enjoyed it
I can't believe it took me this long to find this. Extremely insightful, clear to understand and very thoughtful of you to spend the time to create it. I'm grateful, thanks man!
Always loved this solo! Thank you for the time and effort. A lot of great things to say through each and every note
Love your videos! Please keep them coming. The way you structure your lessons and analyze the licks and underlying chords really makes sense to me.
Thank you for the great feedback, John!
Very well done, thank you for all your work! ~waldo
I just found your channel. Just Great. Thanks for putting this together. Loved every second. And one more vote here for a "tuck the pick" lesson. Thanks again for all of this.
Great video but I disagree that these are all key changes. The key of the moment is the center of gravity, at every point in this chord progression (except 1) the A continues to feel like “home.” In a soloing sense yes Jerry plays the changes, like most jazz players would, as if each chord is its own little world. But in terms of harmonic analysis that’s not what’s going on. If you interrupt the chord progression at almost any point with an A chord it feels like the tonic, therefore it’s firmly in the key of A. I would say it’s almost modal, it feels like A mixolydian the whole time, with the b7 implied. That makes the C#7 a chromatic mediant, it is also the V of F#minor but the relationship to the previous chord is as important as the relationship to the chord that follows. So in those first 3 chords the chromatic mediant is almost used like a pivot to get back around to a different tonic function chord (the tonic function chords are I, iii, & vi, so I’m not saying we’re now in the key of F#minor, just that we’re not on a dominant or subdominant, we’re somewhere stable again). Then the E is borrowed from A Ionian, but from my perspective it’s more like it just works because major chords a perfect 4th or 5th apart simply always work in a country/blues/rock context (modal interchange is kind of bs imo). The D I’ve always played as a D7, I justify that 7th as a blue note, and then the diminished chord is a passing chord (works by voice leading). When we get to the F#major I agree that is a key change, because it feels like the center of gravity, and when you play the B chord it feels like it could fall back to the F# and be home again. The D is a chromatic mediant from B which pivots us back toward A. And the A-G-D part of the chorus is a classic A mixolydian vamp. Sorry for the nitpicky rant, I really respect what you do and love these videos, I just get a little obsessive with harmony sometimes. I think the way Jerry wrote a lot of these types of chord progressions was by an intuitive understanding (which developed through his study of American folk music) that the open chords on a guitar, or any major chords or dom7th chords related by perfect 4ths & 5ths, & any kind of 2nd or 3rd, go together in a very “American” sounding way. I don’t think he thought much more of it beyond that until he began to study jazz, which wasn’t a replacement for what he knew but simply a supplement. That’s the kind of experience that told him he could use diminished passing chords for example. But he definitely wasn’t a theory nerd like me, just someone who understood what American music feels like, and had played so many songs deeply rooted in our culture on both guitar and banjo that these chord progressions came entirely naturally to him.
You're awesome dude.. this is so great
When you didn't post this past weekend I got a little nervous but now I see you were busy
Hey thank you for the kind words! I'm disappointed at myself for not posting a lesson last week, I really hope that this series makes up for it
no worries friend everyone appreciates your efforts!!
Incorrect sir. There is no 5 chord (E) anywhere in the song. After F#min is A with E in the bass. Actual chord is A7 with E in bass, which briefly takes you to a D maj scale. Nice job on transcribing, playing and presenting. But the devil is the detail.
I have played this progression for about 10 yrs now i am thinking of soloing on it with my blues jazz patterns
I see the first A as a IV in melodic minor then G 1/2.whole diminished Over c#
F# ,dorian b2, could still be relative to E melodic minor(A lydian dominant IV7) or
f# could be vi7 modulating to A Melodic Minor (over D7 ,D is the IV7 of A melodic minor)
On the next chords
A major ,F# blues,B as a V7 in E melodic minor then D as D major
The chorus would be A as a V7 in Melodic minor aka Melodic major
Since the A diminished Whole half is relative to D melodic minor
You can make a minor blues pattern out of A mixolydian b 6 the V7 of D Melodic minor , getting full use out of both the major third, minor third , and flat 5
So in this pattern you have a blend of mixolydian and dorian sounds , yet it is D melodic minor, so the relative diminished is D 1/2 whole , or A Whole 1/2 .( relative diminished is different than the major modes)
An A major country sound over A
Then a minor pentatonic blues sound over G and D
your channel is awesome. The content is great, you're focused and knowledgeable. Keep the dead videos coming. TH-cam has a lack of well done dead videos, so thank you for taking the time to make them.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark! : )
slipknot fascinates me. Love 2c a breakdown of it
u rock, nice axe too. ..Peace
n thanx.. from nyc
Well done great job
This is the way guitar should be taught on this intermediate/advanced level
absolute gold! these kinds of videos make my week. thank you, U R KIND
skynyrd fan- all right
Amazing. I especially like the part about the musical signals between Jerry and the boys.
Hey John, thanks for watching! Looking forward to catching up with you in the city soon : )
Well done here. Sounds like you've done some work!
This whole series was great and fun I really enjoyed learning it. Could you possibly do johns solo from friend of the devil 7/10/17? I was at that show and it blew me away
A key change = modulation. Most of the chords chosen in this tune are in the harmonised scale of A Major - therefore they are chord progressions. Your playing here is far more relaxed, more accurate and flowing than I have observed from other videos of yours, Amar.
6/7/12 Boogie On Reggae Woman. Can't seem to figure out that lick Trey plays
Hey Daniel, the Worcester '12 Boogie is about 12 minutes long - could you provide a timestamp for the lick you are talking about?
Yeah my bad. It starts at 6 mins and then he goes elsewhere then returns to it. Thanks!
Great work. I've seen Jerry play with both The Grateful Dead and JGB beginning in 1985. JGB was Jerry playing in what seemed a less restrained manner. Not that one experience diminished the other just different. There's a video on TH-cam which is a recording from Europe for the TV show RockPalast in 1981. Extraordinary show Pete Townsend was hanging back stage and on stage and I think the boys wanted to show him that a bunch of hippies can rock. Keep up the good work.
That's so cool, Bill. I bet Pete was pretty impressed with the boys that night!
Bill Eck That gig featured The Who and The Dead sharing a bill. Townshend sat in on 3 songs post-drums/space.
How about an analysis of the Europe '72 solo at the the end of Tennessee Jed?
Thanks for the recommendation, I've added it to the list!
can you do the 5.8.77 brown eyed women pleeeeease!
th-cam.com/video/kTDvKzwwOeE/w-d-xo.html
I was at this show by the way. I'm really happy to be learning a tune from it!
Great video. I think you’re mistaken about the key changes though. The song is in E major all the way through. It starts with an A major chord, but the key is definitely E major. The D#dim is a dead giveaway as it’s the seventh of the E major scale and pretty unique to that key. Even the D major chord works since it’s borrowed from the parallel minor of the B major in the key of E. Part of the distinct solo tones and difficulty in easily recognizing the key by ear is that he’s using an A Lydian scale as his diatonic. If you float through the different E major modes, you will stumble on to many of the signature musical phrases of this song.
Help on the Way/Slipknot, Or King Solomon’s Marbles
That's awesome i was listening to this at lunch today on youtube at the factory
I couldn't believe how great this jam was. It was titled "hot jam"
Great super melodic Jerry , every note just sings out of his guitar
He really seemed to love what he was doing
I want to adopt you
Thanks a lot from frozen Russia bro! I love this solo and the whole show a lot :-)
Great stuff! A lesson like this of Blessed Relief by Frank Zappa would be awesome.
I literally can't play Althea without my middle right finger (for the hybrid picking section). I'd love to hear your thoughts on his ability to "tuck" the pick and alternate seamlessly from finger picking to plectrum. ps not only is the content awesome, but your editing game is strong dude. keep going! and THANKS!!!
Hey Andrew! That's a great call, I currently teach my private students how to tuck the pick when going from standard to hybrid picking, or vice versa. Everyone (students and pros alike) seems to have a completely different method of achieving it, but I can try to do a "one size fits" all video for how you can learn this skill. Thank you for your recommendation and the wonderful feedback! : )
It's always superb....but you even use JERRY'S guitar?!?!?!?!?! 🤗🤗🤗
Well I have just had about enough of this!(sarcasm) note for note once again! Thank you so much for all of the videos you make, the Phish and Grateful Dead songs and solos you tab out for us youtubers. This is great and I will use the shit out of this! Next challenge, Learn this version of Deal and the solo!haha thanks again man!!
I wonder if the Gods of Opportunity, Desire, and Geography are in favor of connecting you with the GD Tribute project I'm involved with. I wonder....
Hey Brother - love the vids - you have such a great ear and the lessons are very well done - How about doing a lesson for Loser - the solo is so melodic and very Jerry - it could make for a good lesson w/the bending/phrasing in the Jerry Style- thanks !
Hi Tom! I'm really glad you're enjoying these vids. I've added another vote for Loser in my requests list, thank you!
The Other One
Dick's Picks Vol. 18
2/3/78
From about 5:25 to 6:46 = wet
Check it out!
Wow that other one solo is killer, I haven't heard it in years. Thanks for the recommendation, John, it's on my list now!
Hey, great video and analysis! But regarding the chord progression, are you sure it's an E chord after the F#minor? To me it sounds like an A chord with E in the bass (at least on the original recording on 1st Garcia solo album). An E chord has a G# in it (major 3rd), and I don't hear a G# at that point in the progression (or in the soloing, for that matter). Anyway, interested to hear your thoughts on this. Great job again!!
F# minor with E in the bass almost a walk down.
Wow where did you get the guitar from?
Hi Jeffrey, this is a custom guitar from Tom Lieber (lieberguitars dot com)
This is great! I love the indebt analysis even though I know very little about theory. I am learning theory atm. Looking forward to the solo stuff.
I've found that learning theory only increases the enjoyment of playing guitar, I really hope that's the case for your journey as well! Thanks for watching : )
amarguitar it sure does. Not easy, but fun nonetheless! You are welcome!
Dude, I just stumbled on to your stuff. I LOVE this. The way you go over the music truly helps me approach what I've been doing in a different way. Thanks!
::high fives::
I think Jerry would get a big laugh of you young guys trying to analyze his playing.
Fake lol
Well done, thank you.