INTRO INSTRUMENTAL INQUISITION
Guitar instrumentals have supplied some of music’s most evocative moments. Jason Sidwell asks top guitarists for their take on this iconic movement. This month: top UK rock guitarist and producer Keith More.
GT What is it about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you?
KM: Instrumentals in general allow the composer to take the listener on a slightly different journey than with vocals. With bands like Rush, Yes or most of the prog bands, the arrangements allow for the vocal and instrumental sections to work together to keep the interest of the listener strong. When writing an entirely instrumental piece, the composer needs to work hard to create something that keeps the listener involved without the aid of a voice or song. That is quite a challenge. Vai And Satch are the obvious masters when it comes to rock. Metheny is on another planet. Check out the YouTube Steve Vai Attitude Song performances. Now that's how to keep your audience hooked!
GT: What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can't?
KM: As above, a totally different journey.
GT: Any tendencies that you like to embrace or avoid, such as rhythms, harmony, playing approach, tones?
KM: I'm all ears, I'll try anything and love almost everything. I wouldn't be too keen on Morris dancing instrumentals though!
Seriously, if you've got an idea, melody or riff that you think is cool, explore what you can do with it and find a way to make it cooler. Always look for something else until you're grinning like a Cheshire cat!
GT: Is a typical song structure of intro, verse, chorus,middle eight etc, always relevant for an instrumental?
KM: Familiarity is a good thing but surprises are what it's all about. There's loads of room to throw in something left of centre and move away from the norm. The thing of most importance is keeping it moving in an interesting way so that there's no dead wood.
GT: How useful is studying a vocalist's approach for guitar melodies?
KM: I never have, apart from one thing that Robert Plant did at the end of Four Sticks. I did my version of that at the end of my Retribution track. I've just tried to come up with my own thing. When I was with Arena I came up with a part that sounds like a synth with portamento on but each downstroke having a pinched harmonic, and each up stroke was clean. It's on my YouTube channel, me with Arena, playing Fool’s Gold. I also take great care in vocalising any riff by how and where I play them. A riff played really hard and close to the bridge will have a totally different vibe to the same riff played in normal position medium hard. Same goes with soloing, if you're really improvising, then how you play the line should be as important as the line its
