Keith Richards

[Chad Thorne]

I was listening to maybe my all-time favorite Stones song, "Mixed Emotions", yesterday. It occurred to me that Keith Richards has carved out for himself one of the most enviable positions in rock 'n roll. He only plays five strings, fretted with only two fingers, never sweats about how is he going to build a kick-ass solo because he hardly ever solos, rocks his ass off, has a blast, makes bazillions of dollars, and has one of the two or three most recognizable sounds in rock guitardom.

 

"D'oh! Wish I'd thought of that. Stupid Keith Richards..."

[Guitarzan]

its all about being yourself, playing the song and attitude. its what it sounds like that is important, not how hard it is to play.

[Werewolf by Night]

To reduce it to "only two fingers" of his fretting-hand is to forget where much of the attitude in Keef's reefs comes from, namely, his picking-hand. His timing- sometimes so "behind the beat it's almost ahead of it", sometimes right on top of the beat, ALWAYS nail-gunned perfectly into the pocket- is where much of the gold is. His phrasing is dead-on. (Besides, he often barres or partial-barres, necessitating three fingers- plus those on picing duty- for many moves.)

 

I know that you weren't criticizing Keith, more commenting on the supreme economy of it all, right?

 

What's cool is how he's practically humble about it, too, having stated more or less that songs come to you, through you, not from you.

 

What was it he said? Something like, "Five strings, ten fingers, and one @$$h0l3!"

[edhead]

"I've always enjoyed the five-string tuning. (...) It's five strings, three notes, two fingers and one asshole!" - Keith Richards

[Werewolf by Night]

edhead on tha case!

 

So, I stand corrected, on the number of fingers, anyways...

 

Hey, welcome to the Guitar Forum! Stick around!

[Dave da Dude]

Originally posted by Guitarzan:

its all about being yourself, playing the song and attitude. its what it sounds like that is important, not how hard it is to play.

Yeah, man

[LeftyBlues]

I've loved the Stones music since I was in college way back in the late 70's. Never knew Keith only played 5 strings, which one does he leave off? My favorite KR story was when they were in Canada and he rolled his Bentley in a ditch. He had like a pound of coke and likewise heroin in the car, so they were banned from Canada for a long time. Two things came right to my mind: HIRE A DRIVER! and, were you looking to get a buzz on or what?!? I believe it was Homer Simpson who said "rock stars, is there anything they can't do?"

[Guitar Geezer]

Originally posted by Bruce Downs:

I believe it was Homer Simpson who said "rock stars, is there anything they can't do?"

http://www.teamtatham.com/lynntest/homer.jpg

[Base]

Lee can correct if I'm wrong, but I think that Keef leaves off the high E string because this is what many old blues players used to do trying to emulate some sort of banjo when they couldn't afford them...

 

Or something like that...?!

[antimatter]

Some more from Keith...

 

"Future? Know something? I never even think about it. Today's what counts. Ambitions? Things are fine now. But I want to keep on writing songs with Mick. It's a good partnership-I think-we never seem to be short of ideas." 1966

 

"I never had a problem with drugs, only with cops."

 

"I'm not a kid anymore, and I've thought to myself, 'How long can I keep doing this?' But within the narrow confines of rock n' roll, it's for me to find out how to use my experience & produce something that hopefully is worth listening to. Like I said, somebody has to find out how far you can take this thing, and I guess it might as well be me!"

 

"I'd hate to have to go around thinking of health & shit like that." 1997

 

"There's an excellent book I've quite often read called "Hashish", by a couple of French guys. Very interesting. It's an education in chemistry & folklore. I've done the Bible & the Koran a few times. Sometimes just for the prose, sometimes for the information. The Kamasutra I've been through a few times, come to think of it. (laughing) I've done the chandelier, and the revolving table with melon. I've done it all mate."

 

"Nobody ever wondered why the blues men were on stage until their old age: Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and so on. It's the same with us: Why does a dog lick his balls? Because he can! We play because we can. We do what we have to." March 1998

 

'Nobody starts off to play an instrument with the idea off making money. You learn the guitar because you have this burning desire.'

 

"When I started, all I wanted to do was play like Chuck (Berry)" 1992

[Teahead]

Originally posted by Bruce Downs:

I've loved the Stones music since I was in college way back in the late 70's. Never knew Keith only played 5 strings, which one does he leave off? My favorite KR story was when they were in Canada and he rolled his Bentley in a ditch. He had like a pound of coke and likewise heroin in the car, so they were banned from Canada for a long time. Two things came right to my mind: HIRE A DRIVER! and, were you looking to get a buzz on or what?!? I believe it was Homer Simpson who said "rock stars, is there anything they can't do?"

Not sure if it was in the same crash, I'm sure he had many, but he was once found to have a jewelled "snorting device" on a chain round his neck! That's getting your Rocks Off in more ways than one. I love his playing and he is the archetypical Rock Star in every sense.

 

A cool and rather sinister Keef quote, "The only way you leave this band is in a a coffin." The best Keef moment, when he whacked some stage invader acroos the head with his Tele, swung it back on his shoulder and got right back on the groove. Priceless.

 

Tea.

[Werewolf by Night]

"Excuse me- perhaps I could be of some assistance; I speak Keef..."

 

(Y'know... like that scene in Airplane... "I speak Jive"...)

 

When Keith does play only five strings- he also plays all six, and has used several tunings on classics over the years- he leaves off the 6th/"Low E"-string and tunes the remaining five, low-to-high, G-D-G-B-D, which is Open-G tuning.

 

You can keep the 6th-string, just tune it down to a low-D, I often wonder why he just didn't do that! I like the deep down growly low twang of it.

[Teahead]

Kevin, is it my eyes/isp/vdu or, is your avatar out of focus?

 

Wait a minute! I'm seeing Keef aren't I? Keef-vision!

[Billster]

Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite:

I often wonder why he just didn't do that! I like the deep down growly low twang of it.

I think removing the low string lets Keith be more free with his right hand, and leaves the low end clear for Wyman.

 

I think "Start Me Up" is the classic of the five string concept, and Keith's sense of timing.

 

"Excuse me- perhaps I could be of some assistance; I speak Keef..."

 

(Y'know... like that scene in Airplane... "I speak Jive"...)

[Werewolf by Night]

I guess it's just that the way I play, ridin' bareback/without a pick/bastardized-fingerstyle, I don't often have to worry about unwanted strings on either top or bottom or in between, even when bashing and flailing! It just works out that way for me.

 

-Caevan "Blurry Avatar" O'Shite

Rastafari Leprechaun, Ltd.

[Guitar Geezer]

I can't believe Lee Flier hasn't joined in

 

Is her gig in Miami this week?

[John O. Lennon]

What---no Ms. Flier yet?

 

"Emotional Rescue" seems to me an odd choice to reference in discussing KR's abilities (any guitar in there besides that little weedly riff before "You will be mine, you will be mine, mine ,mine"?).

 

I'd go for "Monkey Man" or maybe that slashing vamp at the end of "Moonlight Mile" or (less skilled but quite touching) the shambling intro to "Torn & Frayed"*.

 

[*Should that be "...'fraid"? ]

[Bob Keelan]

I believe the reason he left the 6th string off is so that the low string is the root note.

[Lee Flier]

Ding ding ding! Bob is the winner. Yes, Keith said he didn't really dig having the low string on there even if it was tuned down, cuz it sounded muddy and he preferred the root note on the lowest string. He doesn't always play 5-string though... he uses standard tuning quite often as well as open D, open E, Nashville tuning etc.

 

Oh, and John O., the original post referred to "Mixed Emotions," not "Emotional Rescue." And the vamp at the end of "Moonlight Mile" isn't Keith, it's Mick Taylor. Keith didn't play at all on that song. It's a great one though.

 

Our gig in Miami isn't till next week, but my dad is in town visiting so I haven't been able to respond quickly to emergencies like Keef threads.

[Werewolf by Night]

Our High Keefstress speaks!

 

Hey, that's great; hope you're family's having a great time, Lee!

 

Tell your Dad that you're internationally famous and an appreciated assett on these Forums!

 

P.S.- do so while playing "Lee" by Tenacious D on the stereo... !

[shood]

Originally posted by Bob Keelan:

I believe the reason he left the 6th string off is so that the low string is the root note.

Yep - by leaving off the low E, and tuning to open G (or other open tuning), Keith creates chords based upon major barre chords with fifth string roots. This enables a player to use his index finger to barre the entire major chord, whereas standard tuning requires the use of the index finger to fret the root and the ring finger to barre the notes on strings 4, 3, and 2.

 

Keith's way leaves the middle, ring, and pinkie free to add accents, hammer-ons, and double stops while continuing to barre the original chord.

 

This approach is also used by players using standard (or non-open) tuning (very often in 80's style rock, e.g. Round and Round, Unchained), but the entire chord cannot be created - usually the root is left out.

[John O. Lennon]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Ding ding ding! Bob is the winner. Yes, Keith said he didn't really dig having the low string on there even if it was tuned down, cuz it sounded muddy and he preferred the root note on the lowest string. He doesn't always play 5-string though... he uses standard tuning quite often as well as open D, open E, Nashville tuning etc.

 

Oh, and John O., the original post referred to "Mixed Emotions," not "Emotional Rescue." And the vamp at the end of "Moonlight Mile" isn't Keith, it's Mick Taylor. Keith didn't play at all on that song. It's a great one though.

OOPS! Oh well, "Mixed Emotions" is another one I never went back twice on.

As far as "Moonlight Mile", according to statements KR made, he played that little ending vamp...but he's been known to exjaggerate, I mean, exaggerate.

[Billster]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Ding ding ding! Bob is the winner.

Hey! I want my props! I was five posts ahead of Bob when I said Keith left the low string off so he didn't clutter up the bottom.

 

Yes, I'm joking. I'll let Bob keep the prize. What is the prize anyway?

[Bob Keelan]

I think I get a bandana.

[HiRoller]

Anybody check out the 'Sympathy for the Devil' DVD? I highly recommend it. Its basically the Stones in the studio creating the song from start to finish. Pretty cool watching Keef building up the solo.

[J J]

Originally posted by Guitarzan:

its all about being yourself, playing the song and attitude. its what it sounds like that is important, not how hard it is to play.

Alright everybody

look at Guitarzan's first post on this thread

Doesn't it look like jack black is saying that?

It looks as if he's teaching the class...

 

Sorry just something i noticed.

[Chad Thorne]

Originally posted by billster:

Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite:

I often wonder why he just didn't do that! I like the deep down growly low twang of it.

I think removing the low string lets Keith be more free with his right hand, and leaves the low end clear for Wyman.

 

I think "Start Me Up" is the classic of the five string concept, and Keith's sense of timing.

 

"Excuse me- perhaps I could be of some assistance; I speak Keef..."

 

(Y'know... like that scene in Airplane... "I speak Jive"...)

"Beast Of Burden" is another example where Keith's idiosyncratic style is front and center. I actually think he may have been heavily influenced in his open-tuning approach by Roebuck "Pops" Staples.

[John O. Lennon]

Mr. Staples should get some credit (if nothing else for theat early Stones hit "The Last Time") but Ry Cooder hipped him to the tuning when working on the Performance (film) soundtrack.

[Guitarzan]

man i am in a total rock and roll mode this week, i have been listening to classic acdc. its ammazing how much a simple groove with two guitars that know how to work together and pump the attitude factor up to the max. the same goes for keef and the boys. its only rock and roll , but i like it!!!! i think its time to soon dig some ramones and nazareth.......oh i gotta go ..Riff Raff is playing!!