WOW - this stuff is so amazing. I could listen to investigations of Zappa's music all day, every day. There are certain parts of Zappa's compositions which are quite 'guitaristic', and other parts sound like they were 'arrived' at on a different instrument like piano, or just imagined. A typical Zappa composing tool is to re-contextualise intervals by moving them unusual distances - something which an instrumentalist normally avoids because we are conditioned to strive for a 'smooth transition' between scales/chords/phrases, no matter how far the new tonality is from where we are.
his popularity has grown over the decades, constant reissuing of albums is one measure, but also view counts on his music. all this type of music is getting more popular now, and part of that might be there isn't really anything in the popular field that is so leftfield - and zappa was popular and on major labels. if you go to indy releases there are plenty of zappa inspired bands out there.
Sinister footwear is my favourite of his, and the full length version, live at the Ritz, is a real treasure. His solo on that is a true accompaniment to the song especially as he changed changed the morality of the solo to be more dark. As someone who's understanding of music extends to putting down my coffee and listening intently, I appreciate the time and effort you have put into these videos and more broadly your dissertation, which I will get around to reading.
You're a rare find in the vast cyber wasteland of TH-cam: Someone who actually knows what he is talking about, can play the examples and share his enthusiasm for the subject. I almost passed on this and blocked the channel from recommendation but clicked on the link on a whim. I'm glad I did. I hope you have more content as interesting and informative as this video. Thank you.
Chanon taught me at bimm years ago, he’s an incredible player teacher and is a musical genius. He’s keeps it real and is purely about the music. Hope to see more Zappa lessons. Legend
I have a feeling I met him twenty odd years ago during his UWA years. Who knows. Maybe cool dudes just give off an aura of familiarity and I met some dude from UWA and just bored them senseless talking about Zappa
As a fan of "Freak Out" when it was released, I am still amazed at how prolific Zappa was. He is one of those artists that you appreciate more and more as you age. So unique and talented.
Thank you so much Chanan. Superb explanation and demonstration. I ve been watching many other of your Zappa videos. For the hard core Zappa fan, brilliant analysis!
If Zappa were to be alive today, he's say "Yeah! What took you guys so long? This stuff isn't slapped together haphazardly! I didn't write this stuff for a rock 'n roll journalist (the worst kind of sleaze)?" Thanks Chanan - FZ'd have you over for coffee.
Truly fascinating insight and breakdown of this fantastic composition by FZ. Definitely one of my favourites, not to mention the incredible solo which still blows me away every time, not the best solo ever but somehow Frank gives it serious eyebrows.
she did overdubs on “zappa in new york”, and after that i don’t think she had any involvement with frank until he sampled her for the synclavier… so no, she isn’t on “sheik yerbouti”…
I have owned a guitar for 30 years years that I can just barely play and know nothing about reading or notating music. But Been a Zappa fan since 1980, your videos and playing are brilliant.
Really nicely done Chanan. I'm trying (still) to get this under my fingers and this is a big help :) I reckon the reason a lot of Zappa parts like this are tricky on guitar is because it wasn't written on or for the instrument specifically. Vai's ability to play these 'impossible guitar' parts is testament to his prowess and his ears as he transcribed a lot of this.
It makes me wonder who played the impossible guitar part on the '77 version included in 'Wild Love'? Hmmm...maybe there's no guitar....must check! Thanks Chanan for the great vids. Very essential !!
I've dabbled in Zappa's music never knew he had these type of phrases that sound straight out of the more abrasive side of Jazz. In context of the song sounds fusion-ey.. the combination of techniques reminds of Animal as Leaders with the wacky melodicism of Robert Fripp. Thanks for the video! Also your breakdown of semi quavers in 5s although brief has completely demystified nested tuplets for me but in this case they're fivelets! Thanks!
[Edit: The orchestral version is indeed discussed in the video, and it sounds like that same radio recording is played!] And then he had an entire orchestra play it... The complete orchestral version didn't make it into any of Zappa's official recordings, to the best of my knowledge, but it was played live once, in Berkley, CA (conducted by Kent Nagano), and that performance was broadcast on a radio station. The broadcast was recorded by someone and put on TH-cam.
that material was relased on 2 bootlegs from ICA Masterworks, "Serious Music" & "Son of Serious Music", with "Pedro's Dowry" included in the monstro-bootleg "Mystery Box" from Nifty Tuff & Bitchen Records
This is great- thank you! Of course this section also pre-dates Steve Vai and features in Wild Love on Sheik Yerbouti- where it sounds like it's mainly played by percussion and keyboards.
I'm so happy, as a 40 yo lover of FZ that I discovered in 1996 at the age of 13, to see people like you who finally save me from all of these stupid morons who always said me "Yeah yeah, Zappa, it's technical music". There's a hate against complexity and a tyranny of simplicity since 30 years, that destroyed any individual trying to defend that good music exists. An accusation of pretention, that diserved to be fought. And the level of analysis in your video PROVE that what we (people who think there is SOMETHING in FZ 's music) were right. The connections you make throught various areas of his melodies is the kind of stuffs we all made intuitively. For example, those octaves uses were, to me, like stretchings in gymnastic, to open the mind. Thank you for your devotion in attempting an accurate exploration of his work. 🙏Now I save all videos like yours, as a "protecting shield" against liars.
Thank you for this, I just discovered your channel ! Please do more Frank Zappa, ? you are amazing at explaining his music! What a genius !!! Anyways, cheers from Québec City !
Great video! it takes ages with the score to pick this stuff apart! I'd love to see you dissect some of Allan Holdsworth's more modern classical pieces
Lo fantastico de esa frase,es,que la toques,con pequeños,silencios(y errores,que uno puede cometer al buscar las notas!?)No pierde ese espiritu zappiano!?!Gracias por esta maravillosa demostracion clinica!
Great work. Would you be willing to do some similar breakdowns for Beefheart guitar parts on Trout Mask Replica? For me I welcome how Beefheart mixes a little more heart into his off the wall arrangements.
When FZ credited Steve Vai with "impossible guitar parts", he wasn't kidding. Considering Frank's fairly rough and home-made guitar technique, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he heard the stuff entirely in his head and wrote it out - but never tried playing it himself, and assumed that Steve could somehow figure out how to do it.
Clickbait tittle! Impossible guitar part, then goes to play it with not effort what so so ever. No but seriously, i appreciate the fact that you took the time to break it all down. To me that is pretty elaborate shit, but atleast i learned couple or really pretty chords.
"Impossible guitar part" was the credit that Zappa gave to Steve Vai on the records. Zappa was credited with "guitar, vocals", whatever, and Steve was credited with "impossible guitar parts". The title is more of a nod to Frank's humor
Thanks for this! Great stunt guitaring. I have to ask you: where did you find such beautiful digital scans of these scores? And is there any way I could convince you to share them with me??! I've been studying Zappa for years and have done quite a few transcriptions. I got my hands on a handful of the scores years ago but didn't have the ability to scan them... I will gladly trade transcriptions/MIDIs if you're interested!
a FZ guy for many decades either frank plays to stoned 15 yo with silly idiotic lyrics and i was that kid or later making complex stuff like this he's playing to other musicians. One reason why i think he disliked most and thought he was miles above all others and he was more skilled than most. But thats FZ one of the best ever. complex and for me a frustrating cat.
Can't imagine any other case where the bandleader/composer/musician hired "sidemen" to play parts presumably too difficult for their own two hands. Herbie Hancock hiring another piano player, Miles hiring another trumpet player, Steve Vai hiring another guitarist, etc.. Or a singer/songwriter hiring another vocalist to sing main melodies they couldn't sing. Lots of Zappa's music seemed to be complex just for the sake of complexity, and lots of Ego. "The Impossible Guitar Part that Guitarist Zappa Didn't Play." How ironic, but watch the hateful responses toward any critique of their perfect idol . . . . .
Well, it's one thing to play / sing a part cleanly in studio, it's another to do it cleanly every single time on tour. Pink Floyd needs 3 vocalists to do The Great Gig in the Sky, King Crimson had 3 drummers and an extra guitarist just to match the sound that was displayed on their album Red, King Gizzard has touring musicians in the double digits. Maybe next time you can say that you don't like Zappa and move on?
@@ronrobbins2737 like you could write music like Zappa? He's more than a player, he's much more visionary and a true to form artist. He didn't need to be the featured virtuoso, his music compositions are bigger than the sum of its parts. Go ahead and twist into me defending "my perfect idol". That gaslight technique is disingenuous and you know it. How about you work on creating something of your own rather than shit on the work of a guy who isn't even alive anymore?
@@hamsandwich6685 His one "popular song" that got radio airplay back in the day was the comedy record "Valley Girl." You have every right to love his music and others have every right to critique it. Why so defensive?
@@ronrobbins2737 I'm defensive because I want to see others dare to experiment and explore sound/music as art rather than what catches mere radio play or nets popularity.
WOW-Frank Zappa; playing notes for the sake of playing notes. Let's make it "hard" and leave out all semblances of melody. I'd rather listen to Elvis Costello fart.
@@kurtkish6970 You are jumping to confusions I didn't say I don't like Zappa .I just said this particular line sounds like crap why bother learning it has no application outside of this piece
![ร้อยพ่อพันแม่ - WanMai [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XY2pNYASEbg/mqdefault.jpg)
Frank, dearly missed, pure genius!
WOW - this stuff is so amazing. I could listen to investigations of Zappa's music all day, every day.
There are certain parts of Zappa's compositions which are quite 'guitaristic', and other parts sound like they were 'arrived' at on a different instrument like piano, or just imagined.
A typical Zappa composing tool is to re-contextualise intervals by moving them unusual distances - something which an instrumentalist normally avoids because we are conditioned to strive for a 'smooth transition' between scales/chords/phrases, no matter how far the new tonality is from where we are.
I like bananas cuz they got no bonezzzzz
Brilliant....Exactly what Alan Haynes said!
I am a life long Zappa fan and this video was an eduction and a joy, your playing is fantastic and so natural and relaxed. Thanks
The phrases and melodies are like small explosions of pure beauty and genius.
I wonder, how the future society will appreciate the genius of Frank Zappa. Thanks for the valuable analysis and explanations.
Couldn't agree more
There will be no future society. All man will become muffin men.
his popularity has grown over the decades, constant reissuing of albums is one measure, but also view counts on his music.
all this type of music is getting more popular now, and part of that might be there isn't really anything in the popular field that is so leftfield - and zappa was popular and on major labels. if you go to indy releases there are plenty of zappa inspired bands out there.
@Zolar Czakl boomer take.
@Zolar Czakl its very possible.. either him or Dilla
Im....perplexed...you got some serious chops, buddy !
Fantastically detailed analysis! Thankyou!
I particularly loved when you built the chords for the piece. They sound so beautiful together!
Sinister footwear is my favourite of his, and the full length version, live at the Ritz, is a real treasure. His solo on that is a true accompaniment to the song especially as he changed changed the morality of the solo to be more dark.
As someone who's understanding of music extends to putting down my coffee and listening intently, I appreciate the time and effort you have put into these videos and more broadly your dissertation, which I will get around to reading.
You're a rare find in the vast cyber wasteland of TH-cam: Someone who actually knows what he is talking about, can play the examples and share his enthusiasm for the subject. I almost passed on this and blocked the channel from recommendation but clicked on the link on a whim. I'm glad I did. I hope you have more content as interesting and informative as this video. Thank you.
Chanon taught me at bimm years ago, he’s an incredible player teacher and is a musical genius. He’s keeps it real and is purely about the music. Hope to see more Zappa lessons. Legend
I have a feeling I met him twenty odd years ago during his UWA years. Who knows. Maybe cool dudes just give off an aura of familiarity and I met some dude from UWA and just bored them senseless talking about Zappa
Thanks for breaking it down for us.
As a fan of "Freak Out" when it was released, I am still amazed at how prolific Zappa was. He is one of those artists that you appreciate more and more as you age. So unique and talented.
Keep showing me your wonderful analysis of frank zappa music.
I love it!!!
Excellent video and playing!
Many thanks, I think your videos are excellent too.
Thank you so much Chanan. Superb explanation and demonstration. I ve been watching many other of your Zappa videos. For the hard core Zappa fan, brilliant analysis!
You're welcome, and many thanks for watching!
yet another mindmelt moment from Zappa.
Loved this - it's always fun to see Zappa's great music picked apart and explained.
If Zappa were to be alive today, he's say "Yeah! What took you guys so long? This stuff isn't slapped together haphazardly! I didn't write this stuff for a rock 'n roll journalist (the worst kind of sleaze)?"
Thanks Chanan - FZ'd have you over for coffee.
Truly fascinating insight and breakdown of this fantastic composition by FZ. Definitely one of my favourites, not to mention the incredible solo which still blows me away every time, not the best solo ever but somehow Frank gives it serious eyebrows.
Awesome analysis... the amazing part: this is just how Zappa's heart beat.. amazing part 2: you get it, and relate it so clearly
Beautiful and amazing! FZ is life
Bravo! This part also lays nicely on the marimba when inserted into Wild Love.
That’s the song I thought this came from originally with Ruth Underwood playing along.
ed mann did the marimba parts on ”wild love”…
@@nadabrahmamedia731
Was Ruth doing anything?
she did overdubs on “zappa in new york”, and after that i don’t think she had any involvement with frank until he sampled her for the synclavier… so no, she isn’t on “sheik yerbouti”…
@@nadabrahmamedia731
Yeah I remember now when Frank introduces the band at the end of Yo Mamma. No Ruth 👍
Nice rundown! One of the tunes that got me absolutely hooked on Zappa's music, really wild stuff in there.
Great video, you are an awesome player… Thanks for the video🙏🏽🇦🇺
Really great, clear explanation and demonstration of the easiest way to play something so very difficult. Well done, my man!!
ok, all of those incredible note transcriptions aside, that guitar tone all by itself is exceptional
Brilliant! This is truly valuable, thank you so very much for sharing it with us.
One of my favourite Zappa parts ever. That polyrhythm shifting to those pure beautiful chordes. Moves me to places in my body unseen before.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
what absolutely brilliant analysis and explanation of this beautiful music!
Wow...glad I found your channel....thanks!
I feel confident he charted this from his head without a guitar.
That's beautiful, i wish I can play it some day
I have owned a guitar for 30 years years that I can just barely play and know nothing about reading or notating music. But Been a Zappa fan since 1980, your videos and playing are brilliant.
Really nicely done Chanan. I'm trying (still) to get this under my fingers and this is a big help :) I reckon the reason a lot of Zappa parts like this are tricky on guitar is because it wasn't written on or for the instrument specifically. Vai's ability to play these 'impossible guitar' parts is testament to his prowess and his ears as he transcribed a lot of this.
Absolutely amazing ❤
It makes me wonder who played the impossible guitar part on the '77 version included in 'Wild Love'?
Hmmm...maybe there's no guitar....must check!
Thanks Chanan for the great vids. Very essential !!
Thanks for these excellent explanations , They help us to get closer to Frank’s intentions 👌
I've dabbled in Zappa's music never knew he had these type of phrases that sound straight out of the more abrasive side of Jazz. In context of the song sounds fusion-ey.. the combination of techniques reminds of Animal as Leaders with the wacky melodicism of Robert Fripp. Thanks for the video! Also your breakdown of semi quavers in 5s although brief has completely demystified nested tuplets for me but in this case they're fivelets! Thanks!
Quintetlets
Amazing work, love your channel Chanan.
Many thanks!
Wonderful, thank you for breaking it down..... Long Live the magic of the maestro.FZ.
Absolutely amazing as always.
Thanks Mark.
This wonderful section is also in the song "Wild Love," from Sheik Yerbouti.
[Edit: The orchestral version is indeed discussed in the video, and it sounds like that same radio recording is played!]
And then he had an entire orchestra play it...
The complete orchestral version didn't make it into any of Zappa's official recordings, to the best of my knowledge, but it was played live once, in Berkley, CA (conducted by Kent Nagano), and that performance was broadcast on a radio station. The broadcast was recorded by someone and put on TH-cam.
that material was relased on 2 bootlegs from ICA Masterworks, "Serious Music" & "Son of Serious Music", with "Pedro's Dowry" included in the monstro-bootleg "Mystery Box" from Nifty Tuff & Bitchen Records
I am a huge zappa nerd and you KILLED this video dude!
People who say Zappa is over rated CANT read music
More like can't hear music...
People who say that can’t enjoy life.
Though why would you have to know how to read music in order to decide how good a piece of music is?
This is great- thank you! Of course this section also pre-dates Steve Vai and features in Wild Love on Sheik Yerbouti- where it sounds like it's mainly played by percussion and keyboards.
Yes! Great, fun tune with Terry Bozzio on drums!
👊🤣 Congratulations...!!👏👏👏👏Very, Very, Very good...!! Excelente vídeo..!!
Great analysis. Subbed.
I'm so happy, as a 40 yo lover of FZ that I discovered in 1996 at the age of 13, to see people like you who finally save me from all of these stupid morons who always said me "Yeah yeah, Zappa, it's technical music". There's a hate against complexity and a tyranny of simplicity since 30 years, that destroyed any individual trying to defend that good music exists. An accusation of pretention, that diserved to be fought. And the level of analysis in your video PROVE that what we (people who think there is SOMETHING in FZ 's music) were right. The connections you make throught various areas of his melodies is the kind of stuffs we all made intuitively. For example, those octaves uses were, to me, like stretchings in gymnastic, to open the mind.
Thank you for your devotion in attempting an accurate exploration of his work. 🙏Now I save all videos like yours, as a "protecting shield" against liars.
Love your channel.
Many thanks!
Fabulous channel. Is there a transcription of that interlude?
Thank you for this, I just discovered your channel !
Please do more Frank Zappa, ? you are amazing at explaining his music!
What a genius !!!
Anyways, cheers from Québec City !
Phrase at 13.37 reminiscent of Shostakovich DSCH motif in his 10th symphony
Thank you, learned a lot 😍
Impressive.
He's back!!
GREAT!
Great video! it takes ages with the score to pick this stuff apart! I'd love to see you dissect some of Allan Holdsworth's more modern classical pieces
Lo fantastico de esa frase,es,que la toques,con pequeños,silencios(y errores,que uno puede cometer al buscar las notas!?)No pierde ese espiritu zappiano!?!Gracias por esta maravillosa demostracion clinica!
Great work. Would you be willing to do some similar breakdowns for Beefheart guitar parts on Trout Mask Replica? For me I welcome how Beefheart mixes a little more heart into his off the wall arrangements.
Here I am in 2024 watching and listening to a guitarist break down Zappa insanity in a music lesson format.
It's like post-grad math. Dweezil would hire you ;-)
When FZ credited Steve Vai with "impossible guitar parts", he wasn't kidding.
Considering Frank's fairly rough and home-made guitar technique, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he heard the stuff entirely in his head and wrote it out - but never tried playing it himself, and assumed that Steve could somehow figure out how to do it.
Damn! I cover this piece but can't play it anywhere near as well as you. And you make it look easy! (Which it most certainly is not)
This part of the song also appears on various versions of "Wild Love"
I would dearly love to hear this on an acoustic guitar.
Nice job!
I had this album back in the day but I was to young to understand what was happening. I just liked Zappa cause it was ironically silly.
Im starting to understand why Frank didn’t release live version of this song. Apart from Tommy Mars fucking up the chrods, it is a hard one to play
Man you're an awesum guitar player in your own right ... and you were knighted by Steve Vai
Clickbait tittle! Impossible guitar part, then goes to play it with not effort what so so ever. No but seriously, i appreciate the fact that you took the time to break it all down. To me that is pretty elaborate shit, but atleast i learned couple or really pretty chords.
"Impossible guitar part" was the credit that Zappa gave to Steve Vai on the records. Zappa was credited with "guitar, vocals", whatever, and Steve was credited with "impossible guitar parts". The title is more of a nod to Frank's humor
Omg...that's a funny slide: Sometimes they make you walk funny...
Very nice. Now, play it at double that speed to a backwards reggae beat!
I'll take Robert Fripp of King Crimson, he's got a dozen+ crazy riffs that are so hard to do !! 🎸🎶🎼
Frank and Fripp sounds like the next Emerson Lake n Palmer
You really are a very good gitarist your self. Do you make any music that's available on the marked?
Thanks for this! Great stunt guitaring. I have to ask you: where did you find such beautiful digital scans of these scores? And is there any way I could convince you to share them with me??! I've been studying Zappa for years and have done quite a few transcriptions. I got my hands on a handful of the scores years ago but didn't have the ability to scan them... I will gladly trade transcriptions/MIDIs if you're interested!
Who are you? Tight grasp of the Frank en Steve.
What?
This hard sections sound very similar to The Black Page to me.
don't think i understand or perhaps even like his music? i love your videos though
omg that is insane lol.
Ein Gelehrter der Zappalogie
Danke!
the nose knows
FRANK ZAPPA'S THE GREATEST !!!!!!!!!
brb, going to burn all my guitars.
a FZ guy for many decades either frank plays to stoned 15 yo with silly idiotic
lyrics and i was that kid or later making complex stuff like this he's playing to other musicians. One reason why i think he disliked most and thought he was miles above all others and he was more skilled than most. But thats FZ one of the best ever. complex and for me a frustrating cat.
Can't imagine any other case where the bandleader/composer/musician hired "sidemen" to play parts presumably too difficult for their own two hands. Herbie Hancock hiring another piano player, Miles hiring another trumpet player, Steve Vai hiring another guitarist, etc.. Or a singer/songwriter hiring another vocalist to sing main melodies they couldn't sing. Lots of Zappa's music seemed to be complex just for the sake of complexity, and lots of Ego. "The Impossible Guitar Part that Guitarist Zappa Didn't Play."
How ironic, but watch the hateful responses toward any critique of their perfect idol . . . . .
Well, it's one thing to play / sing a part cleanly in studio, it's another to do it cleanly every single time on tour. Pink Floyd needs 3 vocalists to do The Great Gig in the Sky, King Crimson had 3 drummers and an extra guitarist just to match the sound that was displayed on their album Red, King Gizzard has touring musicians in the double digits. Maybe next time you can say that you don't like Zappa and move on?
@@mr.nazareth4501 wow, sorry to have criticized Mr. Zappa! sounds like somebody got a little bit triggered so to speak?
@@ronrobbins2737 like you could write music like Zappa?
He's more than a player, he's much more visionary and a true to form artist.
He didn't need to be the featured virtuoso, his music compositions are bigger than the sum of its parts.
Go ahead and twist into me defending "my perfect idol".
That gaslight technique is disingenuous and you know it.
How about you work on creating something of your own rather than shit on the work of a guy who isn't even alive anymore?
@@hamsandwich6685 His one "popular song" that got radio airplay back in the day was the comedy record "Valley Girl." You have every right to love his music and others have every right to critique it. Why so defensive?
@@ronrobbins2737 I'm defensive because I want to see others dare to experiment and explore sound/music as art rather than what catches mere radio play or nets popularity.
oh wow so technical.....that doesnt mean it sounds good everyone
Zappa's music was fundamentally annoying .
WOW-Frank Zappa; playing notes for the sake of playing notes. Let's make it "hard" and leave out all semblances of melody. I'd rather listen to Elvis Costello fart.
I'd love to hear what you think of Hella. Playing notes for the sake of playing notes? You haven't seen shit, lol.
I hear a very distinct melody but you can choose to smell farts if that's your preference.
Well GOOD FOR YOU!!!!
@@reidwhitton6248 Zing!!!! You nailed him!
Your are correct sir! But the cultists don't appreciate open discussion and honest reactions.
why bother sounds crap
So you don’t like Zappa- that’s fine.
Several people do like Zappa.
Maybe even 100 people!
@@kurtkish6970 You are jumping to confusions I didn't say I don't like Zappa .I just said this particular line sounds like crap why bother learning it has no application outside of this piece
@@joanstone6740 because it's fun and you don't need an excuse to learn from and make content
Perfectly honest critique.
Metronome sounds like a horrible audio glitch. I'm out at 35 secs. Can't take it.
I hope it was a good video otherwise.
alien love secrets, ma right?
It's impossible because it's just sounds, like a 3 year old got hold of a guitar
If your level of musical understanding is that of a 3 year old I could see what u mean.
Are you deaf?
Or more like a 3 year old jumped up and down on one?
Never was a fan of steve vai. Especially with zappa