Soloing like Zappa?

[RadioElectric]

I was wondering whether anybody had heard of a book or a DVD that has tried to tackle this subject? He has such a unique and unusual style that I'm surprised I can't find anything in this area except for "The Frank Zappa Guitar Book", which I assume is just the raw scores.

[sfocata]

Originally Posted by RadioElectric

I was wondering whether anybody had heard of a book or a DVD that has tried to tackle this subject? He has such a unique and unusual style that I'm surprised I can't find anything in this area except for "The Frank Zappa Guitar Book", which I assume is just the raw scores.

The FZ Guitar Book is all solos (ie no composed parts) mostly from the Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar albums.

[ZombyWoof]

Originally Posted by RadioElectric

I was wondering whether anybody had heard of a book or a DVD that has tried to tackle this subject? He has such a unique and unusual style that I'm surprised I can't find anything in this area except for "The Frank Zappa Guitar Book", which I assume is just the raw scores.

Play everything a normal guitarist wouldn't and you'd be half way there.
He use up-picks mainly. Not sure about the scales - It always sounds like he has a phrase he starts with, then the noodling takes over - my impression, anyway. I would guess pentatonics, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, whole tone, diminished would all be in there somewhere.
The most important thing IMO is the phrasing. It's almost vocal in rhythm, like he's playing words rather than music (if that makes any sense).

[sfocata]

Originally Posted by ZombyWoof

Not sure about the scales - It always sounds like he has a phrase he starts with, then the noodling takes over - my impression, anyway. I would guess pentatonics, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, whole tone, diminished would all be in there somewhere.

Plenty of pentatonic licks, as part of FZ's background was in the blues, but as you say, his phrasing was unique... influenced by speech patterns.

When the backing vamp didn't specifically call for a blues approach, most of his solos tended to be modal... he liked using the mixolydian and lydian modes a lot, and some of the best solos on the "Shut Up..." set are taken from live versions of Inca Roads, where the backing vamp alternates C and D chords, suggesting C lydian or D mixolydian.

Frank also liked to superimpose diatonic chords over a vamp, either as arpeggio fragments or partial chords.

He went through a phase of dropping descending whole-tone scale lines into solos for jarring, angular effect... as far as I know, this was only on the 1984 tour, and to be honest, it starts to get a bit repetitive after a while. Obviously he thought so too

[colski]

As sfocata says, lots of myxolydian, played over vamps, or even a single chord. Whole tone scale used a lot, LOADS of left hand work, hammers and pulls a-plenty.

He was a big fan of using similar "shapes" in different parts of the neck to play changes and different modes. Loads of pull-offs to open strings as well.

The DVDs "Does humour belong in music" and "Baby Snakes" have lots of good close-ups of his left hand, which is idyosyncratic to say the least, Dweezil described it as a fight between a chicken and a spider... he kind of sweeps and scrapes, and taps with the edge of the pick. He used metal picks as well, had a low action, and I think he used 8's.

[evilmags]

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/s...es_frank_zappa

That should help

[sfocata]

There was a feature in Guitar Techniques a few years back, too. Some left-handed bloke from Lincoln wrote it, apparently...

(unsubtle plug )