GT : This album was six years in the making and inspired by a Shakti tour with vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. What is it about Shankar’s voice that inspired you?
JMc: Two things: His voice touches me very deeply and he is a marvelous vocal improviser.
GT: You have studied Indian music and the melodic rules of the raga system. Can you explain a little about what this system involves?
JMc: The system of ragas used by Indian musicians both North and South, is a system that goes back many hundreds of years if not, thousands. Moreover, ragas can be related to not only aspects of the human psyche, that is, to a great variety of moods, but also to the times of the day when they can be played or sung. In addition, in order to impose more restrictions which, contrary to general thought, are essential in all music, the raga is played one way ascending and another way descending. The idea behind being that when the musician starts playing or singing, the raga is also exposed firstly, without rhythm, in order for the listener to enter into the mood and atmosphere of the raga.
GT: Discarding the raga system for this album would suggest all you have left is Shankar’s voice and your western harmony sensibilities. Was the creation as clean a slate as that or did you bring new compositional systems into play sooner or later?
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Guitar Techniques.
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THE MOODY BLUES
This month Stuart Ryan delves into the picking style of this British prog legend whose acoustic guitar has powered many a Moody Blues song.
WAYNE KRANTZ
This issue Nick Mellor provides an insight into this brilliant jazz stylist, focusing on his approach to improvising over static chords.
OPEN G TUNING
Open tunings are great fun and can help create exciting new ideas. Simon Barnard shows how to incorporate open G tuning into your playing.
RODRIGO GOUVEIA
Last month we featured Mateus Asato, and mentioned the importance of the neo-soul style in his playing. Here we turn to his fellow Brazilian, the master of neo-soul fusion.
MARK KNOPFLER
Our topic this month is a master craftsman as both guitar player and songwriter. His style is unique and his influence spreads far and wide.
U2
Martin Cooper checks out the chiming pedal delay tones of this stadium-filling band from Dublin, Ireland, and guitarist The Edge.
LUTHER ALLISON
It’s blues with a touch of soul this month, as David Gerrish explores the dynamic, expressive style of an often overlooked Chicago bluesman.
JOHANN KASPAR MERTZ Capriccio
This month Declan Zapala explores the music of Austria at the turn of the Romantic period with a fiery caprice to level up your fingers and unlock your inner virtuoso.
THE CROSSROADS Michael Landau
John Wheatcroft explores the playing of a session ace _ and blazing blues-rock maestro who graces the top-flight m band of singer-songwriting legend, James Taylor.
VIDEO MASTERCLASS Troy Redfern
This month GT welcomes this slide guitar virtuoso. If you've been wanting to take your slide playing to the next level then this is one's for you. With Jon Bishop.
