dohhhhh6 Posted May 2, 2004 Share Posted May 2, 2004 Sorry about the absolutely HORRIBLE subject heading. Alright, my band plays kind of older, surfy kinda music, and I'm wondering how can I more oftenly find progressions that sound surfy and stuff? I don't want to lean too hard on 12 bar blues though, which I'm pretty sure a lot of music that I'm talking about used. I just want to know, what makes surfer type music surfer type music? Does adding a major 7th in there help? More major chords? Please, if you can give me any tips that'll help me write that kind of music, it'd be REALLY appreciated. I hope someone understands this horribly written post... In Skynyrd We Trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted May 2, 2004 Share Posted May 2, 2004 First, listening to a lot of the historical surfer bands will get you there. Look for some of the more obscure bands, not just the Jan and Dean/Beachboys stuff. I really like the hot guitar surf music most famously from the Ventures. (I've had the pleasure to see Nokie a number of times in the last few years, what a joy.) Modern acts like "Man/Astroman" are fun, too. Perhaps trying to put yourself in the mindset of a simpler time.... prior to that, there had been little widespread rebellion among youth, and children were to be seen and not heard. The surfers, like their compatriots in the hot rodders and the fans of the British Invasion, were the first middle class American youth group to express their existance, their values, their confusion and disenfranchisement. They did this in their fashions, their persuits, and in the music that they created for themselves and shared with each other... later to be co-opted for profit by the music industry and movie industry. This youth followed in the footsteps of the beats and bikers of the 50s.. a much smaller and diverse group of disenfranchiesed thinkers. These groups had not been given the words or the liscence to express themselves. They made it up as they went along. It was naive, but not stupid... though it may seem so in the light of the ensuing years. The themes are repetitive and seldom 'deep', but almost always honest expression of teen angst, confusion, and other topics that pull at people who are no longer children but not quite adults. (I'll be cool when I have a cool car.... she's the hottest girl in school... I'll love her forever.... she loves me... we're cool, because we are surfers... we're tough, cause we surf the toughest waves.... yadada yadada) Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Eldon Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 dick. dale. http://www.purevolume.com/seaneldon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Originally posted by Sean Eldon: dick. dale.Yeah, I was tempted to throw out that name. Guitar guys know him as a surfer, but much of the public does not, so I skipped it. Saw him a few years ago... still a rocker. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Eldon Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 he's playing the club i work at this month. im psyched. http://www.purevolume.com/seaneldon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robman2 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Rhino, Rock Instrumental Classics. R2 72035 ISBN 1-56826-359-7. Call Ameoba, they'll get it for you. The first disk, Duane Eddy (Doyle Dykes plays with him in Nashville often), Tequilla (Precurser to Surf, Seals and Croft as sidemen), Raunchy (Covered by the Ventures) and more. Second disk, lots of 60's instrumentals, Telstar, Out of Limits, Ghost Riders etc... A 70's disk and a Soul disk (Booker T etc). Lastley, the Surf volume. Pipeline, Mr. Moto, Wipe Out, Underwater, Miserlou, Diamond Head, Baja, Sufers Stomp, Bustin' Surfboards, Penetration, Mr. Rebel, Fiberglass Jungle, K-39 (one of the best ever), Point Panic, Let's Go Trippin (Dick Dale), Surf Rider, Soul Surfer and my all time Jack Nitsche favorite, The Lonely Surfer.... Having grown up, playing that style, and attending dances at places like the Rendevous in Newport, or the Retail in Buena Park, I can attest that the "Hits" we collectd via LP's back then, are on this compilation. It's safe to say that, melody, and counterpoint, essentially are the roots, wether it's major or minor. Typically, intro, verse, B section chorus and bridge. Or intro, verse, chorus,sometimes bridge. Ostinato, is very understated in Surf, usually as a rythymic meter not unlike a the claves' in Latin music. The hard loud chordal ostinato that is emblematic of Punk, came way later. Surf was about mastery of the instrument and danceable tunes, listenable etc. ther is good and some not so good, but it's played with heart regradless. I still play Surf, and often restate it conceptually, the idiom. My George Fullerton (Fullerton red) G & L and a restored 55 Vibrolux bring it all back. A far cry from my Fiesta Red, Watkins (Fender knock off) and an old Silvertone amp. Have fun, Rob Label on the reverb, inside 1973 Ampeg G-212: "Folded Line Reverberation Unit" Manufactured by beautiful girls in Milton WIS. under controlled atmosphere conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Check out jay graydon's surf stuff. www.jaygraydon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tele Kinesis Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 All good suggestions. Also, don't forget you need the tools. A good single coil guitar (for the attack/twang), preferably with a whammy bar, through a good, relatively clean-but-can-get-rude tube amp, preferably with good reverb. And tremolo or vibrato for the amp is a handy thing for surf music. Get the pickin' hand trained for a lot of fast up/down single string stuff. Tele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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