Im doin this schedule where I pick a legendary guitarist and study his style for a two weeks or so and take what I can from them. This time around its the duck walkin Chuck Berry and so far here's what Ive taken from his style: Choppy Double Stops are the main part of his soloing and overall playing style, matched with smooth and sharp legato. His verse parts are mostly produced by the backing guitarist rhythm chords which he matches with a caboose chugging variety of melody following single notes and the occasional fast double stop. Chorus usually matches the intro, lots of repeated notes in a row laced with screeching bends. Outro ends heavy just as it started.

Anything missing?

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Everything is out of a 1, 4, 5 progression in C.

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You dig?

A playing tip.

He played a lot in Bflat which made sense when he started. As guitars became dominant in bands then rock and a lot of blues music shifted to A (and E). I and many guitarist play Chuck Berry in A (such as Johnny B Goode.) It sounds more or less the same but the rhythm chords are easier to finger especially if you are doing a solo version.

A lot of Chuck Berry's lead guitar parts were inspired by music originally written for horns.

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+1 Bb was easier for the horn players.

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Cameras in bathrooms and teens across state lines.

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I saw in some documentary he got a lot of his licks from his piano player so the key he often played in is more suitable for a piano.

I'm still a beginner so I don't know if this makes any sense or not.

And when he plays live he switches keys, most times not planned, his back up band has to try and keep up.

And Jerry Lee Lewis married his teenage cousin and had some death issues with a wife or two . They were brilliant musicians, not real models of society. So what's the point?

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No point, just conversation.

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I hope that I'm still fit for gigging when or if I hit my 80s.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

guitslinger, stay off the smokes and you'll be strumming that Rick till you're 100.

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I read somewhere that Chuck credited his sound, style, riffs, and stage presence to T-Bone Walker primarily (I believe BB King did too). There was a youtube where T-Bone is playing the exact bending section in the middle of the opening riff on Johnny B Goode (my personal selection as the greatest rock-and-roll tune of all time). I wish I could find it again, and post it.

Seems to lend substance to the old bromide: good artists mimic, but great artists steal.

I thought he credited Michael J Fox in "Back To The Future" At least that's what his brother Marvin said.

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+1...

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Yeah ive been playing in mostly A minor, Bb, and C, as for the piano and horn thing, very likely, like you can here the whole big band and swing influence for sure

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