I need to live a couple lives concurrently so I have a shot at pouring all that skill and knowledge into my own head. Some people are close to being genius level and they just don't know it....or maybe they do.
A lot of musicians are only focused on one genre. Then there are those certain special individuals who can adapt to any style of music. Rick is part of the latter.
His refusal to call himself a guitarist literally ruined me on the instrument for awhile, though. If someone that good refuses to call himself a guitarist, what does that make me? A step above Guitar Hero, on my best day. That's what.
I've watched several long videos on jazz guitar improvisation and learned almost nothing. You come with a 6-minute video and teach me more than all those videos combined. Thank you, Rick!
Frankly, you tell me, but I really don’t know how you’d go about trying to actually teach that. And I’m not even talking about the genius of something like the timing & feel of George Benson, which is obviously God-given….
@lplucasarts Question for you - & any other guitar players: my son-in-law plays guitar in a blues/rock bank, but he only plays by ear. Do you know, would he be able to benefit from Rick's new music theory course for songwriters, or would you need to be able to read music to learn from the course? I was thinking of buying it for him as a Christmas present.
Hey Rick! Sat my 19 year old down and I watched him just melt into being a GB fan. On his bedroom walls he’s got his fav guitarists: Beck. SRV. Jimi. BB. Eric Johnson Gotta find a George Benson poster for him for Xmas now. Funny, he prefers posters where the guitarist is smoking a cigarette…and he doesn’t smoke. Kids these days lol You gave me quality time with my kid man…thanks
There’s a great black & white photo of GB smoking taken by the legendary Francis Wolff during the sessions for Lou Donaldson’s “Alligator Boogaloo” album. Rare because he’s long since stopped smoking, this was when he was in his 20s. It’s not hard to find with an image search. I’d link to it, but it won’t seem to let me.
I worked for a production company back in the early 2000s and we did a show at Red Bank, NJ for George Benson. It was unbelievable! His singing and playing were out of this world. I was so inspired I wrote an instrumental song the next morning on Father's Day. My daughter gave me a hand-drawn picture of a sunset that she labeled "Sunset Picture" for Father's Day. (She was about 10 at the time.) I titled the song "Sunset Picture". One of my favorite life memories tied to music and fatherhood.
I’m following George Benson since I was 16 now I’m 61. I’ve seen him eight or 10 times in Europe and in my hometown Cologne Germany His music has a big influence for my life and taste of music beside Earth, Wind & Fire
Yeah, I’m glad the video said “MOST young people” because imo like George Benson had a nice feel on even his earlier records before he started to sing more, he just got more and more refined as time went on.
@ Being a teenager in the 80’s I was hard rock and punk fan. My mother, God rest her soul, was a huge Al Jarreau fan and I took her to see him every time he came into town. I believe it was his last tour, a double bill with George Benson. I indeed was fortunate and have very fond memories of each show.
He's doing just what Skunk Baxter was talking about in your interview with him, learn to "sing" with the guitar and it becomes your voice. So cool to see it in application.
I wonder if the reason some young players lack this is because most current music is quantized. Feel is all about how a person plays, but locking everything to a grid ruins that. If that's the only kind of music you hear, you might start playing like that and never really develop your own feel.
SImply one of the most technically gifted and musically versatile guitarists, his fluid, melodic phrasing and masterful improvisational skills can't be beat. Salute & Peace
George Benson is one of a handful that crossed the jazzy, funk, r&b side of radio air play to getting a lot of airplay on Rock stations because of his kick but vocal/guitar phrasing in his live version of Broadway!!! So good❤️😎
I'm astounded how well integrated your scene is, Maestro Beato. Right from Maestro Benson to the lesson that is so pleasurable, easy to understand and feel. I anticipate future guitarists, your students, achieving greatness because of the greatness of their teacher. Thank you Rick.☮
The feel comes a lot from singing the notes. Many guitarists - especially the shredders - don’t sing the notes they are playing. David Gilmour’s advice to your son Dylan was priceless.
My thoughts exactly! Although of a different style, Jimi used to 'scat' with his guitar incredibly well. Chick Corea used to say 'only play what you hear'.
What George did there, and as David Gilmore does (Wish You Were Here), was sing the notes they’re playing. This method has always helped me learn new material and fix most timing mistakes when I can’t find the groove.
@@OriginalOldSkoolFunk What!? I'm 30, a complete loser living with my parents, but you should absolutely be singing along with your playing in your head at least while improvising
@kwyatt261 Lighten up, Bro. Living with the folks in this day and age does y not make you a loser. I can definitely sing along in my head, but singing out loud while playing...fugitaboutit!
Kenny Werner used to do a thing in his clinics where he would play the identical licks (one time through in a 12 bar blues) in all twelve keys over ONE key - MFer swung so hard it sounded great every time through 🤘💥
Smooth jazz and (modern) bluegrass are both played ahead of the beat -- that's why they're so exciting. And George was one of the originators of smooth jazz. *Of course* they can be taught -- once we understand which beats are ahead and which are on time. And an audio editor will tell you that. It would be great if you made a video about microtiming -- I don't think anyone's done it yet !
I am 68, nearly 69 and heard George Benson when I was about 16, our teen group would meet up twice a month on a weekend to share our new music (vinyl) purchases. There were about 6 to 10 of us sitting in someone’s bedroom or a garage in a circle on cushions listening and discussing and more importantly learning about each other’s musical tastes. I was the guitarist type and would often have maybe Tal Farlow, George Benson, Django Reinhard or John McLaughlin - talking about how Django saved Tony Iommi’s career when he chopped his great hand finger tips off and then heard Django playing Nuages and giving Tony renewed hope and focus to move forward. Your video of Benson was great the man had a certain touch, like BB King or even Les Paul. Something I have learned over time is listening to these players across all genres fed into new players. Clapton was God, Peter Green was Jesus and Rory Gallagher was just himself - Total Guitar 250 list is a joke because it was written by someone who is too young to understand what the source material means and were it came from. CDs for me saved my lifetime soundtrack as it reintroduced rare vinyl that the industry had deleted from their catalogs and allowed me, older and wealthier to invest in hard to find rarities. So many great albums and artists are being forgotten or lost to shows like The Voice or AGT where they have a winner who signs a record deal but they don’t have their own feel or touch or sound and their longevity is extremely limited. I loved Benson playing his Jazz, and like later stuff as well but I felt he was trying to hard to be everything to everyone and he was reasonably successful in his endeavour. Simplicity is just a display of someone who has worked damned hard to hone his skill and craft with his own style and creativity. He makes it look easy but it is not easy - bit like trying to play like Jeff Beck or Rory Gallagher when it looks easy to you then you can be sure that you have missed something and you don’t really understand what you need to be hearing. As usual great content again.
Your enthusiasm is contagious! Ooooooo! Back in the day, George Benson was HUGE! Love him! 🥰 Sometimes, it’s as though he isn’t playing and singing, he channels the music. You can see it oozing out of him! 😉Incredible!
Wondering when you were going to showcase my all time number one guitar hero George Benson, been playing his GB-10 since 1978! He's still killin' it! Guy launched a million jazz guitarists in the mid 70s. That's my hero...
I don’t play any instruments, but love music ! 1st concert Jethro Tull Aqualung tour , San Diego Sports Arena 1971 . I was 15 yrs old at the time. Rick , I enjoy your passion for music, and your interviews are outstanding. Thanks so much !
I love this channel. Lost some passion after weird life circumstances ended schooling for audio production. Been ten years, getting back into it- watching this channel evokes that excitement and motivation again. Feels awesome. Benson is nuts!!!!!! And dang, Beato, that Ibanez is beautiful.
What metal shredders could learn from George; build intensity by dropping those hot licks into a groove. He also knows when to stop, accent or bend to build that tension. I remember hearing Nuno say something akin to become a great guitar player, learn (or listen intently) to drums. Something like that. It's that air in between that give you the room to blow.
George grew up in the R&B soulful church environment which is where you learn and get that stuff in your blood. All of the players who came up in that blues, soul old school R&B has that and makes them hipper than anybody else
Pocket, feel. Pat Metheny talked about this in a lesson that was recorded decades ago. His attention to where he plays each note is key to feel and totally under his control.
Agreed. I always have a good feel in the pocket. Those who know, know and just give you a nod like 'yeah'. Those who don't, haven't a clue - which suits me fine.
If the vibrant spirit of George Benson could hover over most of today's artists and fall like a mist until their souls were transformed by that wondrous skill and precision, how wonderful this world would be.
Jeff Beck did most of his playing off of feel. His phrasing, the different ways he would pick a note, the volume and tone of each note, the bending of a note with either his finger on the fretboard or with the whammy bar, etc. Jeff was absolutely in control of the feel for every note he ever played. I grew up listening to George Benson because he was from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and a awesome guitarist. I grew up listening to Jeff Beck because the path he followed with his guitar playing was from another universe! I am really surprised you never have spoken about the Jeff Beck Effect; maybe because it is unattainable by any other guitarist?
@@raceandrodeo There is no doubt about that. Jeff always said he wanted to play where chaos and beauty intersect. JB certainly succeeded! He was the genius guitar wizard.👍✌️🤙
You mentioned the "Gilmour Effect" a million times and here it is. Why do people prefer Gilmour's playing? THIS. Exactly this. It's as much about the notes he _doesn't_ play as the ones he does, and where he puts the notes he plays. It just feels good.
was born a drummer, literally...grew up playing in church, was four years old playing with the adult band and holding my own....say all this to say, now that im playing guitar, my feel is always what im complimented on the most
Same here. Started drums in 5th grade in the late 60s with the 'all city music program' in school, in the meantime taught myself guitar by listening to the usual suspects, Santana, Hendrix, Beck, Clapton...and some local guys who showed me stuff, been playing ever since. I get compliments on my timing more than anything, I chalk it up to my drum training.
@@fattone166 absolutely. i owe a lot to my experience playing in church. developed pro level time and feel subconsciously. not knowing at the time the skills i was developing.
George Benson is my #1 favorite guitarist. In the late 70's I bought every single album that he produced and listened to them 24/7. I remember his Charlie Christian tribute sessions with Benny Goodman on public TV. He could play any bebop, jazz or smooth jazz style and ultimately created his own style. Great video and great lesson Rick!
I've seen George more times than any jazz musician. Have a photo with George when I got a backstage pass included with the ticket scalper I used to get my tickets from back in the day in Houston! I came from a rock/pop and classical piano upbringing since mom was a piano teacher, but when I heard George play when I was self learning guitar, no pedals, no effects, just straight clear sweet guitar tone, he WON OUT against all other players in my book... Just his rich melodic and rhythmic vocabulary hit me harder than anyone else when Breezin' came out and so I started chasing that, learning those songs by ear... good memories.
Took a few Metalhead friends to see George in the late 80s in Prov RI. Jaws were dropped, fans were made. They were high fiving half the night it was insane. George was smoking that night too.
Yes, insanely great! About "pocket": I watched Tim Pierce and Rhett Shull today talking about things that set pro guitarist ahead of semi pro's or hobbyists. And Tim quoted another studio guitarist having said that when he set out to do studio work he needed to become like a drummer in essence and on the guitar. I take that as paraphrasing something to the effect of pocket. And yes, those triplets: Not only are they in the pocket with the entire phrase, but each of them also perfectly "spaced" over the sub divisions of the beat. 😮 Amazing, indeed!
I remember listening to George’s solo on the ghetto(the studio version) like 25 years ago or something and the way it made me feel. I’ll never forget that day, the tone, the feeling, the phrasing, the precision, the freedom, the pocked, the tempo.. it was just like too much to my teenager beginner guitar player heart! I’m still trying to make my guitar sound like that. Sometimes I am successful at it sometimes not. Thanks George for all these years of inspiration. Benson is the best!
Anyone with a little commitment can lean arpeggios and scales.....it's not about that....players like GB have something in their soul that makes them play the way they do
I just purchased one of George's guitars from his personal collection, Ibanez GB10EM-AA 5B-02 Owned by George Benson. Always been a huge fan. I recorded a few songs in his recording studio in Lahaina Maui back in the early 90s, to shop in Los Angeles for a recording deal. I love watching his concerts on YT.
I am pretty certain the same has been said in one of the other 170+ comments below. But as a drummer, pocket and feel are a bit more black and white than on a chorded instrument like piano or guitar. There, feel and pocket can be learned -- although some folks pick it up right away and it takes longer for others. Generally if you always have a good sense of 1, are listening to what the rest of the band is playing, and are comfortable playing and syncopating over the bar, you can groove in a pocket with feeling. For me, it just took many, many hours of practice and there are many who are better.
There are many younger players that are technically proficient but seem to lack “feeling”. There is one young finger stylist I’m thinking of in particular. I won’t mention names or genders. They are to the point absolutely astounding but I don’t feel anything when they play. The complete opposite of this is Kent Nishimura. His renditions of any cover can bring such feelings in certain cases more than the originals.
When I was a kid my dad had some good music..i heard this George Benson song playing one day and I fell in love with: Breezin'..I remember asking my dad who is this? And next week I dubbed myself a copy of the album on a cassette (Maxell UDXL II ftw ;-) always loved his playing and feel. And your interview with him was fantastic.
That he scats along with some of his solos must play into the nuts and bolts of his playing. He has to breathe. So he can't just blow over the changes. And having sung the verses, he may have a different connection, psychologically, the song as a whole. He still telling the story, not just wailing.
15 year old here (so probably over shooting the whole young players thing), I've never had an issue with feel or anything like that that you were talking about, but what really seems to mess me up, and I probably speak for a lot of people, is the technical aspect of it. We've got the feel and the rhythm but for some reason we can't navigate the up and down strums in the right places 😂
When you are young, you take time to build up your fingers and muscle memory. Once you know how different pattern sounds and you start to get the hang of it. Also, trust me you have to be polished technically first for the song before you can apply proper feel
To be honest, this is something that a lot of young players can’t even hear yet in their playing, can’t tell the difference of good vs bad time. Have you recorded yourself and listened back?
Reasons to why ... Getting Grounded to my Room was ... Ok , as a Teenager ! Just kept on working for Hours on that Real love 💕 Kinda like in the movie ... Stir Crazy ! The scene where Gene Wilder gets Hemmed Up in the Hot Box ... Now , if the scene was written with a guitar ... as a Prop , and Wilder than that ... Comes , smoking like ... Benson & Hedges ... On Flames 🔥
Just on singing, iterestingly, Omar Hakim said that drummers should sing too (in order to get that 'feel') Something to do with when you sing, you naturally need to take a breath so the drumming will follow.
I remember watching a video of him playing with Carlos Santana - Montreux(?). I immediately thought how will this be? an odd pairing but, to my surprise, it was totally excellent. GB is one of the best at tasteful, grooving guitar playing.
You know it's kind of crazy how good of a guitar player Rick is. He doesn't draw attention to it. But that dude can play.
I need to live a couple lives concurrently so I have a shot at pouring all that skill and knowledge into my own head. Some people are close to being genius level and they just don't know it....or maybe they do.
A lot of musicians are only focused on one genre. Then there are those certain special individuals who can adapt to any style of music. Rick is part of the latter.
His refusal to call himself a guitarist literally ruined me on the instrument for awhile, though. If someone that good refuses to call himself a guitarist, what does that make me? A step above Guitar Hero, on my best day. That's what.
Rick is a virtuoso.
It's nuts how much he knows!
I've watched several long videos on jazz guitar improvisation and learned almost nothing. You come with a 6-minute video and teach me more than all those videos combined. Thank you, Rick!
Frankly, you tell me, but I really don’t know how you’d go about trying to actually teach that. And I’m not even talking about the genius of something like the timing & feel of George Benson, which is obviously God-given….
Exactly what I was thinking you said it very well
@lplucasarts Question for you - & any other guitar players: my son-in-law plays guitar in a blues/rock bank, but he only plays by ear. Do you know, would he be able to benefit from Rick's new music theory course for songwriters, or would you need to be able to read music to learn from the course? I was thinking of buying it for him as a Christmas present.
Not only does he play such complicated riffs smooth it seems like he's even smoother when he sings the notes too, just incredible!
Hey Rick! Sat my 19 year old down and I watched him just melt into being a GB fan. On his bedroom walls he’s got his fav guitarists: Beck. SRV. Jimi. BB. Eric Johnson
Gotta find a George Benson poster for him for Xmas now. Funny, he prefers posters where the guitarist is smoking a cigarette…and he doesn’t smoke. Kids these days lol
You gave me quality time with my kid man…thanks
There’s a great black & white photo of GB smoking taken by the legendary Francis Wolff during the sessions for Lou Donaldson’s “Alligator Boogaloo” album. Rare because he’s long since stopped smoking, this was when he was in his 20s. It’s not hard to find with an image search. I’d link to it, but it won’t seem to let me.
I worked for a production company back in the early 2000s and we did a show at Red Bank, NJ for George Benson. It was unbelievable! His singing and playing were out of this world. I was so inspired I wrote an instrumental song the next morning on Father's Day. My daughter gave me a hand-drawn picture of a sunset that she labeled "Sunset Picture" for Father's Day. (She was about 10 at the time.) I titled the song "Sunset Picture". One of my favorite life memories tied to music and fatherhood.
What a beautiful story!
Would that be the Count Basie theater?
I’m following George Benson since I was 16 now I’m 61. I’ve seen him eight or 10 times in Europe and in my hometown Cologne Germany His music has a big influence for my life and taste of music beside Earth, Wind & Fire
Rick I always love your enthusiasm in every video.
Yeah, well he’s George Benson….
Real
I'm too young to be George Benson
Your comment pretty much sums up anything thatI was going to type in response to the foolishly worded title giving to this video.
Yeah, I’m glad the video said “MOST young people” because imo like George Benson had a nice feel on even his earlier records before he started to sing more, he just got more and more refined as time went on.
Not to be confused with Richard Benson 😂
Subscribing to both Beato channels has been such a musical education & awakening for me, as a guitar player & as a music fan in general!
Had the pleasure of seeing George Benson with Al Jarreau… both were AMAZING live.
You’re Fortunate! 👏👏👏
@ Being a teenager in the 80’s I was hard rock and punk fan. My mother, God rest her soul, was a huge Al Jarreau fan and I took her to see him every time he came into town. I believe it was his last tour, a double bill with George Benson. I indeed was fortunate and have very fond memories of each show.
He's doing just what Skunk Baxter was talking about in your interview with him, learn to "sing" with the guitar and it becomes your voice. So cool to see it in application.
I thought of George Benson when he said that
I thought of Gilmour, who does the same.
Said the same thing,2 hours after you did!
Yes! Play guitar with sax phrasing
That's the first thing I noticed 🙂 pretty cool
I wonder if the reason some young players lack this is because most current music is quantized. Feel is all about how a person plays, but locking everything to a grid ruins that. If that's the only kind of music you hear, you might start playing like that and never really develop your own feel.
Spot on 👍🏾
You could be on to something!
Well said.
It's because they all repeat the same SRV licks seeing who can rip through a pentatonic scale the fastest.
Rick has talked about this before, especially in his Bonham vids, where he puts Zeppelin tracks in a DAW and quantizes them, making them suck.
Those triples - I keep re-listening and my ears still can’t believe it.
SImply one of the most technically gifted and musically versatile guitarists, his fluid, melodic phrasing and masterful improvisational skills can't be beat. Salute & Peace
George Benson is one of a handful that crossed the jazzy, funk, r&b side of radio air play to getting a lot of airplay on Rock stations because of his kick but vocal/guitar phrasing in his live version of Broadway!!! So good❤️😎
I'm astounded how well integrated your scene is, Maestro Beato. Right from Maestro Benson to the lesson
that is so pleasurable, easy to understand and feel. I anticipate future guitarists, your students, achieving
greatness because of the greatness of their teacher. Thank you Rick.☮
The feel comes a lot from singing the notes. Many guitarists - especially the shredders - don’t sing the notes they are playing. David Gilmour’s advice to your son Dylan was priceless.
My thoughts exactly! Although of a different style, Jimi used to 'scat' with his guitar incredibly well. Chick Corea used to say 'only play what you hear'.
What George did there, and as David Gilmore does (Wish You Were Here), was sing the notes they’re playing. This method has always helped me learn new material and fix most timing mistakes when I can’t find the groove.
@jayluck8047 It's called scatting. I've never been able to do it, though.
@@OriginalOldSkoolFunk What!? I'm 30, a complete loser living with my parents, but you should absolutely be singing along with your playing in your head at least while improvising
* Gilmour *
@kwyatt261 Lighten up, Bro. Living with the folks in this day and age does y
not make you a loser.
I can definitely sing along in my head, but singing out loud while playing...fugitaboutit!
How have I been playing for twenty years and never really heard George Benson before. Absolutely gorgeous playing.
Playing in time and groove might actually be more important than nailing exact notes. I think people really respond more to rhythm.
You can play any sequence of notes, but as long as the rhythmic feel is good, it will sound musical.
Awesome comment! With ya 100z
Kenny Werner used to do a thing in his clinics where he would play the identical licks (one time through in a 12 bar blues) in all twelve keys over ONE key - MFer swung so hard it sounded great every time through 🤘💥
Timing is everything. Without it nothing has context.
Chuck Rainy said rhythm is more important than the notes all being 'right".....
Fantastic. As Skunk said in your interview, if you can sing it, you can learn to play it. 👍
I thought that was a fantastic point as well!
And nobody does it better. GB has been teaching himself to 'sing' the guitar his whole life.
Smooth jazz and (modern) bluegrass are both played ahead of the beat -- that's why they're so exciting. And George was one of the originators of smooth jazz. *Of course* they can be taught -- once we understand which beats are ahead and which are on time. And an audio editor will tell you that. It would be great if you made a video about microtiming -- I don't think anyone's done it yet !
I think what makes him so special is he always layer’s everything with blues goodness
I am 68, nearly 69 and heard George Benson when I was about 16, our teen group would meet up twice a month on a weekend to share our new music (vinyl) purchases. There were about 6 to 10 of us sitting in someone’s bedroom or a garage in a circle on cushions listening and discussing and more importantly learning about each other’s musical tastes. I was the guitarist type and would often have maybe Tal Farlow, George Benson, Django Reinhard or John McLaughlin - talking about how Django saved Tony Iommi’s career when he chopped his great hand finger tips off and then heard Django playing Nuages and giving Tony renewed hope and focus to move forward. Your video of Benson was great the man had a certain touch, like BB King or even Les Paul. Something I have learned over time is listening to these players across all genres fed into new players. Clapton was God, Peter Green was Jesus and Rory Gallagher was just himself - Total Guitar 250 list is a joke because it was written by someone who is too young to understand what the source material means and were it came from. CDs for me saved my lifetime soundtrack as it reintroduced rare vinyl that the industry had deleted from their catalogs and allowed me, older and wealthier to invest in hard to find rarities. So many great albums and artists are being forgotten or lost to shows like The Voice or AGT where they have a winner who signs a record deal but they don’t have their own feel or touch or sound and their longevity is extremely limited. I loved Benson playing his Jazz, and like later stuff as well but I felt he was trying to hard to be everything to everyone and he was reasonably successful in his endeavour. Simplicity is just a display of someone who has worked damned hard to hone his skill and craft with his own style and creativity. He makes it look easy but it is not easy - bit like trying to play like Jeff Beck or Rory Gallagher when it looks easy to you then you can be sure that you have missed something and you don’t really understand what you need to be hearing. As usual great content again.
This is one of my fave live performances
Your enthusiasm is contagious! Ooooooo! Back in the day, George Benson was HUGE! Love him! 🥰 Sometimes, it’s as though he isn’t playing and singing, he channels the music. You can see it oozing out of him! 😉Incredible!
Wondering when you were going to showcase my all time number one guitar hero George Benson, been playing his GB-10 since 1978! He's still killin' it! Guy launched a million jazz guitarists in the mid 70s. That's my hero...
He did a full interview
Have you seen the interview? Rick featured him several months ago.
I don’t play any instruments, but love music ! 1st concert Jethro Tull Aqualung tour , San Diego Sports Arena 1971 . I was 15 yrs old at the time. Rick , I enjoy your passion for music, and your interviews are outstanding. Thanks so much !
Saw Benson in Philly in '77. Memorable!
I love this channel. Lost some passion after weird life circumstances ended schooling for audio production. Been ten years, getting back into it- watching this channel evokes that excitement and motivation again. Feels awesome. Benson is nuts!!!!!! And dang, Beato, that Ibanez is beautiful.
Love me some George Benson! I saw him play in Nashville msny years ago and was blown away!
I saw GB back in the late seventies shortly after his release of "On Broadway". he is an amazing guitarist and has only gotten better over the years.
I agree he played effortlessly and smooth
Finally, someone mentioning "feel' and "pocket". I've always tried to be a student of those things ever since I started playing in 1968. Thanks Rick!
What metal shredders could learn from George; build intensity by dropping those hot licks into a groove. He also knows when to stop, accent or bend to build that tension. I remember hearing Nuno say something akin to become a great guitar player, learn (or listen intently) to drums. Something like that. It's that air in between that give you the room to blow.
🤦
George grew up in the R&B soulful church environment which is where you learn and get that stuff in your blood. All of the players who came up in that blues, soul old school R&B has that and makes them hipper than anybody else
Pocket, feel.
Pat Metheny talked about this in a lesson that was recorded decades ago. His attention to where he plays each note is key to feel and totally under his control.
Agreed. I always have a good feel in the pocket. Those who know, know and just give you a nod like 'yeah'. Those who don't, haven't a clue - which suits me fine.
Pat said the first thing he wants to hear you play is quarter notes........
@ Right. I bet that lesson was taken off of TH-cam long ago. I think I have a recording of it.
My favourite of that concert is the tune Deeper Than You Think
If the vibrant spirit of George Benson could hover over most of today's artists and fall like a mist until their souls were transformed by that wondrous skill and precision, how wonderful this world would be.
Very nicely worded.
Jeff Beck did most of his playing off of feel. His phrasing, the different ways he would pick a note, the volume and tone of each note, the bending of a note with either his finger on the fretboard or with the whammy bar, etc. Jeff was absolutely in control of the feel for every note he ever played. I grew up listening to George Benson because he was from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and a awesome guitarist. I grew up listening to Jeff Beck because the path he followed with his guitar playing was from another universe! I am really surprised you never have spoken about the Jeff Beck Effect; maybe because it is unattainable by any other guitarist?
Jeff was a God. Period.
@@raceandrodeo There is no doubt about that. Jeff always said he wanted to play where chaos and beauty intersect. JB certainly succeeded! He was the genius guitar wizard.👍✌️🤙
You mentioned the "Gilmour Effect" a million times and here it is. Why do people prefer Gilmour's playing? THIS. Exactly this. It's as much about the notes he _doesn't_ play as the ones he does, and where he puts the notes he plays. It just feels good.
Man your reactions and the genuine joy you get from music is awesome!
Insane is a great description! Two jazz chords, so much going on!
And Rick got his skills going on! 🙏🏻
was born a drummer, literally...grew up playing in church, was four years old playing with the adult band and holding my own....say all this to say, now that im playing guitar, my feel is always what im complimented on the most
Same here. Started drums in 5th grade in the late 60s with the 'all city music program' in school, in the meantime taught myself guitar by listening to the usual suspects, Santana, Hendrix, Beck, Clapton...and some local guys who showed me stuff, been playing ever since. I get compliments on my timing more than anything, I chalk it up to my drum training.
@@fattone166 absolutely. i owe a lot to my experience playing in church. developed pro level time and feel subconsciously. not knowing at the time the skills i was developing.
Reminds me of Sir Gilmour singing wish you were here, singing along with the phrases. That’s soul baby!
Freak'n phenomenal!!!
It's so good it almost hurts
Love it!
I love that Rick is playing air guitar while holding a guitar.
He doesn't want to step on Benson - can't blame him!
lol 😁
George Benson is my #1 favorite guitarist. In the late 70's I bought every single album that he produced and listened to them 24/7. I remember his Charlie Christian tribute sessions with Benny Goodman on public TV. He could play any bebop, jazz or smooth jazz style and ultimately created his own style. Great video and great lesson Rick!
I've seen George more times than any jazz musician. Have a photo with George when I got a backstage pass included with the ticket scalper I used to get my tickets from back in the day in Houston! I came from a rock/pop and classical piano upbringing since mom was a piano teacher, but when I heard George play when I was self learning guitar, no pedals, no effects, just straight clear sweet guitar tone, he WON OUT against all other players in my book... Just his rich melodic and rhythmic vocabulary hit me harder than anyone else when Breezin' came out and so I started chasing that, learning those songs by ear... good memories.
He's performing Donny Hathaway's "The Ghetto". Also think of Santana's and/or Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va". Both are in Am progressions.
Also like Samba Pa Ti.i
One of my absolute favorite guitarists and musicians of all time, never a burning listen with him.
Enjoyed a GB performance at the Hollywood Bowl in the 1990's. Such a great performer and deep repertoire!
Took a few Metalhead friends to see George in the late 80s in Prov RI. Jaws were dropped, fans were made. They were high fiving half the night it was insane. George was smoking that night too.
What was George smoking?
I think you get feel from playing with others in a live setting a lot and really listening
Hi brother. Thanks for the great work
Love it! More jazz please.
Ah! George Benson! I had the privilege of working on the Riverboat President during Jazz Fast in 1988. What a talent! George has, as I call it, "It"!😊
God Bless you maam👌
Yes, insanely great! About "pocket": I watched Tim Pierce and Rhett Shull today talking about things that set pro guitarist ahead of semi pro's or hobbyists. And Tim quoted another studio guitarist having said that when he set out to do studio work he needed to become like a drummer in essence and on the guitar. I take that as paraphrasing something to the effect of pocket.
And yes, those triplets: Not only are they in the pocket with the entire phrase, but each of them also perfectly "spaced" over the sub divisions of the beat. 😮 Amazing, indeed!
I remember listening to George’s solo on the ghetto(the studio version) like 25 years ago or something and the way it made me feel. I’ll never forget that day, the tone, the feeling, the phrasing, the precision, the freedom, the pocked, the tempo.. it was just like too much to my teenager beginner guitar player heart! I’m still trying to make my guitar sound like that. Sometimes I am successful at it sometimes not. Thanks George for all these years of inspiration. Benson is the best!
This is why I love music.
Vocals so great his badass guitar work goes unmentioned, SMOKIN !!!! Clean AND smooth.
Benson is killer live
You realize he's really improvising, so fluid no repetition or planned playing
When I was a kid, Benson used to blow my mind.
Somethings never change🇨🇦
Anyone with a little commitment can lean arpeggios and scales.....it's not about that....players like GB have something in their soul that makes them play the way they do
That's being in the groove. George just has it so naturally. You can't teach that stuff
I just purchased one of George's guitars from his personal collection, Ibanez GB10EM-AA 5B-02 Owned by George Benson. Always been a huge fan. I recorded a few songs in his recording studio in Lahaina Maui back in the early 90s, to shop in Los Angeles for a recording deal. I love watching his concerts on YT.
The connection between brain, mouth and fingers is a glory to experience. Just wow...
Incredible groove. Can't get any more "in" than that.
Nothing better than watching Rick's facial expressions when he's listening to music he appreciates! 😃
He stole some of those straight off my own face. (We share a birthday several years apart.) But I do agree with you on that.
I am pretty certain the same has been said in one of the other 170+ comments below. But as a drummer, pocket and feel are a bit more black and white than on a chorded instrument like piano or guitar. There, feel and pocket can be learned -- although some folks pick it up right away and it takes longer for others. Generally if you always have a good sense of 1, are listening to what the rest of the band is playing, and are comfortable playing and syncopating over the bar, you can groove in a pocket with feeling. For me, it just took many, many hours of practice and there are many who are better.
No effects, yet the affect of George’s soulfulness is infectious. Pure brilliance.
There are many younger players that are technically proficient but seem to lack “feeling”. There is one young finger stylist I’m thinking of in particular. I won’t mention names or genders. They are to the point absolutely astounding but I don’t feel anything when they play.
The complete opposite of this is Kent Nishimura. His renditions of any cover can bring such feelings in certain cases more than the originals.
"Take Five" live at Montreux. Check it out if you haven't seen it before.
Yep, I can identify all my favorite guitarists from their phrasing/timing . Love the scat in unison with the lead. 🙂
And all that with his eyes shut. Amazing
Thanks Rick for featuring the great man. This video has pleased me to no end. Cheers!
When I was a kid my dad had some good music..i heard this George Benson song playing one day and I fell in love with: Breezin'..I remember asking my dad who is this? And next week I dubbed myself a copy of the album on a cassette (Maxell UDXL II ftw ;-) always loved his playing and feel. And your interview with him was fantastic.
You say feel and pocket - my mind goes straight to Knopfler on the Alchemy live album
Maybe start a new channel - what makes this song f*****g insanely great - start with the live version of Telegraph Road (Alchemy)
@sainsy907 As soon as I saw your first comment, I wanted to mention Telegraph Road, but you beat me to it! Awesome performance!
@@35milesoflead my cousin lent me a copy of that concert in VHS when I was 12. Was blown away then, still blows me away 40 years later.
That he scats along with some of his solos must play into the nuts and bolts of his playing. He has to breathe. So he can't just blow over the changes. And having sung the verses, he may have a different connection, psychologically, the song as a whole. He still telling the story, not just wailing.
Amazingly intuitive and inovative playing... despite being over 30 at the time. Seriously, George is a God.
At the time of what?
GB is the greatest R'n'B-Jazz Guitarist and wonderful Singer/Musician/Writer... love him❣️🙏🏼💜🎶
I notice he sings what he's playing, that has helped me find the pocket and stay in it.
15 year old here (so probably over shooting the whole young players thing), I've never had an issue with feel or anything like that that you were talking about, but what really seems to mess me up, and I probably speak for a lot of people, is the technical aspect of it. We've got the feel and the rhythm but for some reason we can't navigate the up and down strums in the right places 😂
Luke.... Use the force. I'm serious, just FEEL IT.
When you are young, you take time to build up your fingers and muscle memory. Once you know how different pattern sounds and you start to get the hang of it. Also, trust me you have to be polished technically first for the song before you can apply proper feel
To be honest, this is something that a lot of young players can’t even hear yet in their playing, can’t tell the difference of good vs bad time. Have you recorded yourself and listened back?
Notice GB sings his notes- THAT'S where he started, but I've heard of alot of guitarists do that.
Reasons to why ... Getting Grounded to my Room was ... Ok , as a Teenager !
Just kept on working for Hours on that Real love 💕
Kinda like in the movie ... Stir Crazy !
The scene where Gene Wilder gets Hemmed Up in the Hot Box ...
Now , if the scene was written with a guitar ... as a Prop , and Wilder than that ...
Comes , smoking like ... Benson & Hedges ... On Flames 🔥
You are to music what Alton Brown is to food. This tastes good, here's the science behind it. This sounds good, here's the theory behind it.
I've got good feel. I play jazz, but I started out in blues and listened to the early blues greats.
That was sweet and your explanation was on point!!!
Great Bebop lesson thanks Rick
Just on singing, iterestingly, Omar Hakim said that drummers should sing too (in order to get that 'feel') Something to do with when you sing, you naturally need to take a breath so the drumming will follow.
Thanks for the great example you rock
Pocket and Feel... Great for all ages.
Another virtuoso improv on a two-chord vamp: “Old Devil Moon” Benson & Farrell. Check out the outro, too. Brilliant.
I knew it was going to be George before I saw him. So good!!!
George has played with any & everyone, his repertoire is extensive & monumental. He is like no one else he is George Benson.❤🦄🎯🇦🇺
I remember watching a video of him playing with Carlos Santana - Montreux(?). I immediately thought how will this be? an odd pairing but, to my surprise, it was totally excellent. GB is one of the best at tasteful, grooving guitar playing.
Amazing!!!! I have always been a big fan of George Benson! Thanks, Rick...💗💗💗
Not so much this but Elvin Bishop playing on "Fooled Around and Fell in Love." Don't know why but Jazz reminds me of the dentist office. 🤔🤣
And he scats nearly every note perfectly in tune and in time with the guitar
Feel is as much about life experience as it about music experience. Having both is an obvious winner.
amazing how he can sing along and spell out the notes on the fretboard instantaneously.
Simplicity works best for me
As soon as I start thinking about it or trying to make it more difficult it just becomes less what it should be