Steve Morse has been my fave guitarist for over 40 yrs now. His skill and imagination are just mind boggling. He never does anything that sounds clichéd. I feel very lucky in that I got to see Steve many times in small clubs in the late 80's early 90's usually with the SMB but i did also get to see him live with Kansas on the "Power" tour, on a couple of Dregs reunion tours, and a couple of solo shows too where he played mostly classical guitar! He's had some physical struggles the past 10 years or so, with his right wrist and def can not play as fast as he used to but his melodic sense, signature vibrato, and TASTE are what truly makes the man great! This was a great lesson thank you so much for giving Steve the spotlight again!
Used to chase The Dregs from city to city when they would come through NC in the late 70s early 80s... I was a Dreg-head.. we had tee-shirts that said “ I PUSH DREGS “ I saw them at the Attic in Greenville NC on my 18 th B day.. until then I was into hard rock and metal... man that night changed everything for me , I never knew music existed like that.. I bought one beer and went to the stage in front of Steve Morse and I never left that spot ... I was mesmerized and wasn’t going to lose my spot.. my musical direction took a left turn that night and it has guided me to this day .. thank you Dixie Dregs... Birdman from Wilmington NC
For me, it all started one day when I was riding with my older brother in the car. I'd heard him mention this band called the Dregs, but didn't know anything about them. I was fifteen, he was seventeen or eighteen, and both of us were already mad progressive rock fans. My brother put a cassette of the Dregs album What If into the car's cassette player. I was transformed. I kept shouting out the names of different prog rock bands, songs and players I was reminded of at different moments as the album played. My brother kept nodding and said "That's the Dregs, they're like, we've listened to all these greats too, and are now putting our own spin on it." Naturally, as a fledgling guitar players, I literally could not believe the guitar playing I was hearing. A short time later, in 1980, in a club on Long Island called My Father's Place, I would be sitting at the edge of the stage, right under Steve, staring at his fingers to try and figure out how he did the things he did. I saw them a couple of times back then in that club, which they always said was one of their favorite places to play, because of all the mad Dregs fans. The things that immediately stood out about Steve to me and made him, in my book, the best overall player in the world (an award he won five times in a row in Guitar Player magazine, so that they had to retire his number, as it were) were the facts that he could seemingly play any and all styles of music, and play each one with precision and mastery. I hadn't ever heard of a guy who was a master of seemingly everything. And that was the other thing about Steve which from the moment I first heard him through to today makes me admire him so much: He will not accept anything less than perfect from himself. He has unwavering discipline when it comes to practicing, learning and developing new skills. I've met him a couple of times now, in clubs. Just shaking his hand makes that still awestruck kid in me radiate. ;-)
I was just listening to the Southern Steel album this weekend. Thanks SO MUCH for this lesson!! The Dregs rule, and Steve is a one of the best there's ever been!!
Great lesson. I first discovered Steve from his Open Ears column in GFPM. I finally saved enough to buy his Stand Up cassette. Been hooked ever since. I saw Steve live with his trio, Dixie Dregs, and Deep Purple. He’s one of the best.
I started playing guitar at age 16 in 1980. It didn't take long for me to discover The Dregs and Steve Morse. Thanks this insight, and some inspiration for me to work more on my major key playing.
Hi, I´m a brazilian 58 years old guitarist and I´ve been playing guitar since I was 7. Everything you said about Steve Morse is exactly how I felt at the time I heard "Industry Standard" back in 1982, I guess. From this day on I´ve tried to play all the styles I can (that touches me, of course). Nice to see you playing so good his stuff. We share the same influences: Eddie VH, Steve Morse, Yngwie, Satriani. I also listened a lot of Gary Moore, Vivian Campbell, Frank Marino, Brian May, Steve Vai and all the others but Steve Morse is really unique and so humble. I hope he´ll see your videos. All the best for you.
Steve wasn't on the scene til 1976 when he graduated from University of Miami. I've known him since 1978 and later in the 90's I've had the pleasure to play shows with him with SMB and Dregs reunion in 94. One of the nicest people I've ever toured with and gotten to know personally. You didn't talk about String Skipping one note per string arpeggios. The Bash lick is played in 2nd position. Thanks for the video!!
Didn't even try to learn their works early, caught up in the awe. Cant stop that until its over. Now see some revealing with coaches like you. Thanks, you now it sometimes takes years to listen to something you thought was close enough to pass. So, sometimes putting it back away lets you start again, like a new day!
Great post! Mr. Morse has some interesting things to say about the guitar, scale length and pick-ups. Great player on all accounts. The fact he came to my hometown for a clinic is still talked about. Cheers from Canada!
Perfect timing with this upload for me. I recently bought "What If" (amazing album) and I am revisiting your 3 SM licks from '96 video. I'm in full SM mode. I'd heard of him for years and cannot believe it took me so long to explore his music. I can't wait to dive into this video!
One of my all-time favorite solos is on the song What If. It's such an odd song and the solo is so sensual, and very different from most of his solos. Night Meets Light was the song we played for the first dance at my wedding reception.
@@richardgrier8968 I find myself listening to What If the track, quite a bit. Very JB Blow by Blow but with Morse's touch. He doesn't overplay although he could and I would still like it! A fleeting moment in time, the mid to late 70s fusion has some of the absolute best guitar playing ever.
Dave, thanks for another beauty. Love Steve's guitar playing and music. Got to see Steve play with Deep Purple in Tokyo about a dozen years ago. Mighty fine! Looking ahead, would be willing to tackle some 1970s Frank Zappa stuff or anything Denny Dias played with Steely Dan? Getting esoteric perhaps but that would make my musical year. Cheers. -A
78" found Dixie Dregs while listening to Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke, Matheny, Little Feat, Zep, Crimson, ELP, Yes, etc, and was Hooked. Meeting him finally in 91 in Orangevale, CA with Jeff Watson was an example of his humbleness, humor and grace. We agreed on "his" favorite song which was also mine. "Night meets Light" and I told him I wanted it played at my funeral someday, and that knocked him back a step with a "WOW..Thank you!" I meant it and would have "Odyssey" thrown in for full effect. Hope one of my ex's remembers that for me. I better leave a note...
My favorite album was UNSUNG HEROS, rock and roll park is a great song. If you can find any of these albums snap them up, they are pretty well out of print. Met Steve in Toronto many years ago really nice guy and a very tiny guy but a good strong hand shake.
Thanks, Dave, you got it. Steve is just umique. If you ever come to Sevilla, Spain, lemme know, we have a conversation waiting! Morse, EJ, George Lynch.. ,
I used to see the Dregs at the Exit/In in Nashville starting in the late ‘70s. I’d wait in line for 2 hours before the doors ooened to get a table down front. The first time I saw them, the guy introducing the band asked if there were any guitar players in the audience. Almost every guy in the house raised his hand.
I was very late to the game with Steve Morse. Through the 80s, I was like, "Who's this guy that sometimes shows up in magazines but not in music I listen to?" But 30-40 years later, I'm really appreciating him more.
YAY FINALLY I get my eyes on that sick central riff on The Bash THANK YOU ! I was quite incorrect trying to play it in an Open D shape LoL wasn't really working 😝 I finally built me a Tele custom with Hot Chicken pickups and I friggin LOVE that guitar. it's definitely capable of some Morse action but now I have to catch up with him WHEW! I'm kinda on a mission to learn The Bash. Looking for Tabs.
I hated to hear when he was leaving Deep Purple - absolutely loved his chemistry with them! He left for noble reasons - but I highly encourage everyone to check out several of their live shows on TH-cam- his “voice” just fits perfectly with the bluesy / jazzy/ hard rock persona of Deep Purple- the material they wrote and recorded together is every bit as amazing as the classic material
The part starting at 12:51 can be played much easier with open strings (B and high E) starting on the 2nd fret on the B string. It is all picked, no pull-offs. Otherwise, nice analysis.
I think Petrucci was a big fan of morse for his picking and chromatic stuff. He picked a lot of stuff people would use hybrid picking or sweeping to play
Moar Morse. I love the major key, country-inspired "shred", rather than the typical Double-Mega-Minor everything that most guys play. He was like Guthrie before Guthrie, just an all-around Druid Master that can play anything with style and sincerity.
Morse has always been Petrucci's biggest influence according to JOhn, and you can certainly hear it in his playing with all the chromatic runs John does. What sets him apart from most shredders is his compositional skills.They tell stories. And he doesn't play fast for the sake of playing fast.
Same here at lippa lpool before he went on the Empire with Purple. He compared his divorse with jumpin out of a plane, pulling the parachute chord and nothing happens! Then some inconsiderate scouser shouts just pkay Steve. Yeah some people not all of course.
![Steve Morse/David Grisman/Rob Wasserman Trio • 1985 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WLYzPqdDVpk/mqdefault.jpg)
Steve Morse....greatest guitarist ever
I saw Steve Morse do a live clinic in 90. To this day he’s the best technical electric guitar player I have ever seen in person. Thanks Sensei Dave!
PLEASE make it 10 hours! ❤️
We would ALL watch it! 👀
Steve Morse has been my fave guitarist for over 40 yrs now. His skill and imagination are just mind boggling. He never does anything that sounds clichéd. I feel very lucky in that I got to see Steve many times in small clubs in the late 80's early 90's usually with the SMB but i did also get to see him live with Kansas on the "Power" tour, on a couple of Dregs reunion tours, and a couple of solo shows too where he played mostly classical guitar! He's had some physical struggles the past 10 years or so, with his right wrist and def can not play as fast as he used to but his melodic sense, signature vibrato, and TASTE are what truly makes the man great! This was a great lesson thank you so much for giving Steve the spotlight again!
I already knew of Steve, but jimmy herring recommended him, you can totally hear the influence
Bought many Dregs records on import in Australia in the 80's. Still got 'em. Steve is one of the great composers. Of any era or genre.
Used to chase The Dregs from city to city when they would come through NC in the late 70s early 80s... I was a Dreg-head.. we had tee-shirts that said “ I PUSH DREGS “ I saw them at the Attic in Greenville NC on my 18 th B day.. until then I was into hard rock and metal... man that night changed everything for me , I never knew music existed like that.. I bought one beer and went to the stage in front of Steve Morse and I never left that spot ... I was mesmerized and wasn’t going to lose my spot.. my musical direction took a left turn that night and it has guided me to this day .. thank you Dixie Dregs... Birdman from Wilmington NC
I still remember hearing the Dregs live album (my first time ever listening to the band), and just being floored by what I was hearing. So good.
Morse is such a versatile, monster guitar player - and then we have the music of Dregs! Thx for a great lesson!
The sound of pure joy!!! Steve Morse! One of the greatest!!!! Thanks, David!
So many shredders but Morse is so unique & instantly recognizable when you hear him. That’s what sets the great ones apart!
Love that intro!!! Haven't heard Dixie Dregs for a long time, let alone someone playing his stuff! Sounded GREAT!!!
Steve is the Greatest for me !!!
You can never discuss Steve Morse's music or playing too much, for me!
Your such a gracious teacher.
Great lesson. Steve Morse songs are not easy to play and you crushed it. Thanks !
For me, it all started one day when I was riding with my older brother in the car. I'd heard him mention this band called the Dregs, but didn't know anything about them. I was fifteen, he was seventeen or eighteen, and both of us were already mad progressive rock fans. My brother put a cassette of the Dregs album What If into the car's cassette player. I was transformed. I kept shouting out the names of different prog rock bands, songs and players I was reminded of at different moments as the album played. My brother kept nodding and said "That's the Dregs, they're like, we've listened to all these greats too, and are now putting our own spin on it."
Naturally, as a fledgling guitar players, I literally could not believe the guitar playing I was hearing.
A short time later, in 1980, in a club on Long Island called My Father's Place, I would be sitting at the edge of the stage, right under Steve, staring at his fingers to try and figure out how he did the things he did. I saw them a couple of times back then in that club, which they always said was one of their favorite places to play, because of all the mad Dregs fans.
The things that immediately stood out about Steve to me and made him, in my book, the best overall player in the world (an award he won five times in a row in Guitar Player magazine, so that they had to retire his number, as it were) were the facts that he could seemingly play any and all styles of music, and play each one with precision and mastery. I hadn't ever heard of a guy who was a master of seemingly everything. And that was the other thing about Steve which from the moment I first heard him through to today makes me admire him so much: He will not accept anything less than perfect from himself. He has unwavering discipline when it comes to practicing, learning and developing new skills.
I've met him a couple of times now, in clubs. Just shaking his hand makes that still awestruck kid in me radiate. ;-)
I was just listening to the Southern Steel album this weekend. Thanks SO MUCH for this lesson!! The Dregs rule, and Steve is a one of the best there's ever been!!
Great lesson. I first discovered Steve from his Open Ears column in GFPM. I finally saved enough to buy his Stand Up cassette. Been hooked ever since.
I saw Steve live with his trio, Dixie Dregs, and Deep Purple. He’s one of the best.
One of your best episodes yet Sir..... Great work and great content 🤘🤘✌️🖖
I started playing guitar at age 16 in 1980. It didn't take long for me to discover The Dregs and Steve Morse. Thanks this insight, and some inspiration for me to work more on my major key playing.
Hi, I´m a brazilian 58 years old guitarist and I´ve been playing guitar since I was 7. Everything you said about Steve Morse is exactly how I felt at the time I heard "Industry Standard" back in 1982, I guess. From this day on I´ve tried to play all the styles I can (that touches me, of course). Nice to see you playing so good his stuff. We share the same influences: Eddie VH, Steve Morse, Yngwie, Satriani. I also listened a lot of Gary Moore, Vivian Campbell, Frank Marino, Brian May, Steve Vai and all the others but Steve Morse is really unique and so humble. I hope he´ll see your videos. All the best for you.
Steve wasn't on the scene til 1976 when he graduated from University of Miami. I've known him since 1978 and later in the 90's I've had the pleasure to play shows with him with SMB and Dregs reunion in 94. One of the nicest people I've ever toured with and gotten to know personally. You didn't talk about String Skipping one note per string arpeggios. The Bash lick is played in 2nd position. Thanks for the video!!
Didn't even try to learn their works early, caught up in the awe. Cant stop that until its over. Now see some revealing with coaches like you. Thanks, you now it sometimes takes years to listen to something you thought was close enough to pass. So, sometimes putting it back away lets you start again, like a new day!
Amazing. I'm all over TIOTT at the moment so well timed. Thank you.
Great post! Mr. Morse has some interesting things to say about the guitar, scale length and pick-ups. Great player on all accounts. The fact he came to my hometown for a clinic is still talked about.
Cheers from Canada!
I like this. If you ever do another one of these, please include some of his Kansas stuff.
Killer playing! Thanks for sharing, big fan of Steve!
Another great lesson. Great workout. Thx Dave, keep up the great work 🎸
Perfect timing with this upload for me. I recently bought "What If" (amazing album) and I am revisiting your 3 SM licks from '96 video. I'm in full SM mode. I'd heard of him for years and cannot believe it took me so long to explore his music. I can't wait to dive into this video!
One of my all-time favorite solos is on the song What If. It's such an odd song and the solo is so sensual, and very different from most of his solos. Night Meets Light was the song we played for the first dance at my wedding reception.
@@richardgrier8968 I find myself listening to What If the track, quite a bit. Very JB Blow by Blow but with Morse's touch. He doesn't overplay although he could and I would still like it! A fleeting moment in time, the mid to late 70s fusion has some of the absolute best guitar playing ever.
Dave, thanks for another beauty. Love Steve's guitar playing and music. Got to see Steve play with Deep Purple in Tokyo about a dozen years ago. Mighty fine!
Looking ahead, would be willing to tackle some 1970s Frank Zappa stuff or anything Denny Dias played with Steely Dan? Getting esoteric perhaps but that would make my musical year. Cheers. -A
Love these videos - do more UFO Chapman era!
Steve has a great cover of Rush - "La Villa Strangiato" 🤘 Great video, thanks David!!
One of my favs!
78" found Dixie Dregs while listening to Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke, Matheny, Little Feat, Zep, Crimson, ELP, Yes, etc, and was Hooked. Meeting him finally in 91 in Orangevale, CA with Jeff Watson was an example of his humbleness, humor and grace. We agreed on "his" favorite song which was also mine. "Night meets Light" and I told him I wanted it played at my funeral someday, and that knocked him back a step with a "WOW..Thank you!" I meant it and would have "Odyssey" thrown in for full effect. Hope one of my ex's remembers that for me. I better leave a note...
Fantastic, Dave! The “Unsung Heroes” album has great stuff on it.
My favorite album was UNSUNG HEROS, rock and roll park is a great song. If you can find any of these albums snap them up, they are pretty well out of print. Met Steve in Toronto many years ago really nice guy and a very tiny guy but a good strong hand shake.
Thanks, Dave, you got it. Steve is just umique. If you ever come to Sevilla, Spain, lemme know, we have a conversation waiting! Morse, EJ, George Lynch..
,
Killer videos, Unsung Heroes is my all time favorite..I also studied with Dave LaRue
for many years here in Florida, he is also a complete musician.
I used to see the Dregs at the Exit/In in Nashville starting in the late ‘70s. I’d wait in line for 2 hours before the doors ooened to get a table down front. The first time I saw them, the guy introducing the band asked if there were any guitar players in the audience. Almost every guy in the house raised his hand.
Had your Guitar Player article! I never connected you to those old GP issues- very cool
“The Introduction” is one of the best “guitar” albums ever!!!
I was very late to the game with Steve Morse. Through the 80s, I was like, "Who's this guy that sometimes shows up in magazines but not in music I listen to?" But 30-40 years later, I'm really appreciating him more.
YAY FINALLY I get my eyes on that sick central riff on The Bash THANK YOU !
I was quite incorrect trying to play it in an Open D shape LoL wasn't really working 😝 I finally built me a Tele custom with Hot Chicken pickups and I friggin LOVE that guitar. it's definitely capable of some Morse action but now I have to catch up with him WHEW!
I'm kinda on a mission to learn The Bash. Looking for Tabs.
Saw the Dregs many times. Also attended a seminar BITD
Ever hear his tribute cover of Rushs’ La Villa Strangiato?? Epic!!!
Would love to hear you talk about the Southern Steel era of his playing. So slick, all his stuff.
I have that GP issue, btw.🤘🏻
I hear a lot of Albert Lee in his playing as well.
I love the Dregs "What If"
Steve’s sense of melody and song structure is where he stands apart. he has created his own brand of music, like Pat Metheny.
I hated to hear when he was leaving Deep Purple - absolutely loved his chemistry with them! He left for noble reasons - but I highly encourage everyone to check out several of their live shows on TH-cam- his “voice” just fits perfectly with the bluesy / jazzy/ hard rock persona of Deep Purple- the material they wrote and recorded together is every bit as amazing as the classic material
Been trying to learn Tumeni Notes for almost a year. Those alternate picked arpeggios are killing me.
The part starting at 12:51 can be played much easier with open strings (B and high E) starting on the 2nd fret on the B string. It is all picked, no pull-offs. Otherwise, nice analysis.
Same here , in Omaha at a guitar shop. Real up close and personal
Could you do a soloing secrets on Eddie hazel please
I think Petrucci was a big fan of morse for his picking and chromatic stuff. He picked a lot of stuff people would use hybrid picking or sweeping to play
Moar Morse. I love the major key, country-inspired "shred", rather than the typical Double-Mega-Minor everything that most guys play. He was like Guthrie before Guthrie, just an all-around Druid Master that can play anything with style and sincerity.
First comment! Great video (I haven’t had time to watch the whole the but I’m sure it is!)
I saw Steve at Mc grevies in Morton Grove he played communication brakedown better than I have ever heard
Morse has always been Petrucci's biggest influence according to JOhn, and you can certainly hear it in his playing with all the chromatic runs John does. What sets him apart from most shredders is his compositional skills.They tell stories. And he doesn't play fast for the sake of playing fast.
Please Just listen to Steve morse masterpiece Soloing in deep purple's "Fools" live performances
Same here at lippa lpool before he went on the Empire with Purple. He compared his divorse with jumpin out of a plane, pulling the parachute chord and nothing happens! Then some inconsiderate scouser shouts just pkay Steve. Yeah some people not all of course.
Don't you ever sleep ?
Morse is an incredible guitarist, won overall best guitarist 5 yrs in a row !