PLAY INTERVIEW &VIDEO LESSON
Tight syncopated riffs, dramatic chord progressions, and slippery legato lines, are all part of Geoff Tyson’s impressive and unique style.
T-Ride is one of those bands that sadly didn’t gain the fame it deserved. And possibly like that fellow three-piece outfit Kings X, was a band hard to pigeonhole stylistically. The group featured tight syncopated grooves, rich vocal harmonies, dramatic and unorthodox chord progressions, and immaculate production.
The band’s debut, and tragically only album was released in 1992, at a time when we witnessed a huge shift in rock. But unlike many of the ‘hair’ bands that fell victim to the grunge movement, T-Ride had everything that the eclectic rock fan would love. I was introduced to them by my old teacher Phil Hilborne, back in 92. And while I was inspired by the guitarists of the 80s, was always searching for bands that were musically more advanced, not just with their playing, but with their compositions. I absolutely connected with this album. You could hear elements of guitar-driven metal, plus the virtuosic side of the instrument, but fused with the vocal harmonies of bands like Queen. Or you’d hear Tom Waits inspired spoken sections over pseudo jazz chord progressions.The guitar playing was exceptional, a rhythm guitar masterclass. Insanely tight, syncopated grooves, incredible chord progressions and advanced use of harmony, and not your typical chord harmony heard in the rock music of that era. Another standout of the album was the lack of traditional guitar solos. The guitar virtuosity was always understated, with only sporadic six-string pyrotechnics. It wasn’t in-your-face, and it left you wanting more.
Geoff Tyson was one of Joe Satriani’s high-profile students. Satriani said that Geoff was one of two students who ‘graduated’ from his lessons, the other being Steve Vai. Geoff’s playing on the T-Ride album is insanely good, and demonstrates a deep connection with the instrument. His rhythm was incredibly tight, yet had groove. The chord progressions were far from st
