Peter Green is probably my favorite guitar player, and he isn't really that well known outside of guitar players/blues fans. Here is a great vid of him and Fleetwood Mac performing Rattlesnake Shake when he was in his prime.The improv at the end is awesome, I'd like to know more about his flowing technique if any guitar players out there with a lot of experience care to share, that would be awesome!

Well most people consider "technique" (in respect to guitar playing) to be the actual mechanics of a guitarist's playing. Picking techniques, vibrato, fret hand technique, whatever...

I'm wondering if maybe you're inquiring more about his style?

So far as his playing style, I always heard similarities between Green, Mick Taylor, and Eric Clapton. They were all influenced by many of the same American Blues guitarists and they all started with the same blues-based (some might say pentatonic scale based) guitar playing. They all developed their own individual styles and expanded beyond their blues roots later on, but their styles all started with the same "ingredients" so to speak. You can trace their playing back to the three Kings (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.), Buddy Guy, and other American blues guitarists.

For what it's worth, to me, Clapton, Greeny, and Taylor are the great triumvant of British blues guitar playing. There have certainly been other guitar British players but these three define British blues for me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-18 21:59 by Tumblin_Dice_07.

I know nothing about technique.
I do know however that one of the most awesome solos I have ever heard was an mp3 track of the fleetwood mac playing 'I've got a mind to give up living'. That was posted once here by somebody. Just a straight blues, but the solo was incredible. I mean, it doesn't beat hear my train at fillmore east from band of gypsies 2, but still incredible.
Maybe mostly for that solo I once went to see Peter Green when he came to town. A shadow of a man. But hey, it was him there who once played that solo.

I guess the frethand technique of that sort of continuous, rolling spree of notes (3:40 especially and 4:27). I guess it's almost jazz-like, and if I were to guess I'd say Chicago style Blues? I've heard Clapton do things similar. I feel like maybe he is just rocking back between a few notes, but it sounds like more. If that makes any sense, haha. I'm not trying to imitate him, but I just love that freeflowing style.

I've Got a Mind to Give Up Living is awesome. I think they played it in New Orleans and Fillmore West.

Funny how hinde sight can get you. You just did not have allot of electric white guy blues bands at the time.

Saw Fleetwood Mac in the day but were sandwhiched between Long John Baldry as an opener doing Don't Lay No Boogie Woogie and the headliners Savoy Brown who were a great party band, the blues put the audience to sleep.

Not just a great guitarist. An excellent singer and writer too. Man of the World moves me every time.

Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

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mitchflorida1
Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

That was Jeremy Spencer not Peter Green..............

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NICOS

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mitchflorida1
Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

That was Jeremy Spencer not Peter Green..............

I will pay you $1000 if you can get a copy of that to me on the London label in the next 24 hours.

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treaclefingers

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NICOS

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mitchflorida1
Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

That was Jeremy Spencer not Peter Green..............

I will pay you $1000 if you can get a copy of that to me on the London label in the next 24 hours.

Well - there are part's of this that are somewhat true all over the place.

Peter Greenbaum (Green) was Jewish - according to John McVie - Peter went to
Germany one weekend with a couple of german dudes and one amazing german chick
that gave Peter too much bad LSD and he was never the same. Affected him mentally
he got it in his head that this rock star life was influenced by the devil. He
gave away close to a quarter of a million $ at the time, didn't want the devil $$
took a gun to his accountant's office when his royalities kept showing up in his bank account, they committed him, shock treatment ruined the best white Blues player - per BB King, Carlos Santana, Gary Moore...

Jeremy Spencer got side-tracted by some Jesus freeks in the 70's at one of the US
airports. Another situation where a beautiful girl got his attention, saw a
interview he did right after they took him where - ever = he was still playing
guitar but re-nounced his rock star life and this "cult" used him to promote their
religious agenda - saw when he performed a few years ago somewhere, couldn't tell it was him. I like all the rest was/am a big Peter Green / fan - such a sad story. MLC

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NICOS

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mitchflorida1
Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

That was Jeremy Spencer not Peter Green..............

Illness and first re-emergence
Green was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent time in psychiatric hospitals undergoing electroconvulsive therapy during the mid 1970s. Many sources attest to his lethargic, trancelike state during this period.[23] In 1977, he was arrested for threatening his accountant Clifford Davis with a shotgun. The exact circumstances are the subject of much speculation, the most popular being that Green wanted Davis to stop sending money to him. In the BBC documentary "Peter Green: Man Of The World" (2011)[24], he stated that at the time he had just returned from Canada needing money and that, during a telephone conversation with his accounts manager he alluded to the fact that he had brought back a gun from his travels. His accounts manager promptly called the police who surrounded Green's house.[25] After this incident he was sent to a psychiatric institution in London.


[en.wikipedia.org]

Probably his best work.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-19 01:37 by mitchflorida1.

Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton played with John Mayall in their formative years and they sound alike when they play the blues. Mayall must have something to do with it although Mayall isn't himself a guitar virtuoso. May be Mayall who was kind of a blues expert in the early 60's, exposed them ( listening to Lps) to the same influencial US blues guitar players. To me Peter Green is the less predictable of the 3 and I like it. He sometimes bends the strings on his guitar producing some screeching sounds that are heartbreaking to me; very free, emotional, adventurous and wild all of that while physically not moving much; the madness shows up in the music instead.
Rock and Roll,
Mops

The stumble is one of his famous tune.
There are many followers and worshippers.

You can find their story here 1 out 9 the rest you can find on you tube ...just do a search with this '"peter green man of the world documentary part"





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Tumblin_Dice_07
Well most people consider "technique" (in respect to guitar playing) to be the actual mechanics of a guitarist's playing. Picking techniques, vibrato, fret hand technique, whatever...

I'm wondering if maybe you're inquiring more about his style?

So far as his playing style, I always heard similarities between Green, Mick Taylor, and Eric Clapton. They were all influenced by many of the same American Blues guitarists and they all started with the same blues-based (some might say pentatonic scale based) guitar playing. They all developed their own individual styles and expanded beyond their blues roots later on, but their styles all started with the same "ingredients" so to speak. You can trace their playing back to the three Kings (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.), Buddy Guy, and other American blues guitarists.

For what it's worth, to me, Clapton, Greeny, and Taylor are the great triumvant of British blues guitar playing. There have certainly been other guitar British players but these three define British blues for me.

Danny Kirwan - often looked down on by guitar snobs but him and mr green were unbelievable together live - one of the best guitar duo's i've ever seen imho

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Captainchaos

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Tumblin_Dice_07
Well most people consider "technique" (in respect to guitar playing) to be the actual mechanics of a guitarist's playing. Picking techniques, vibrato, fret hand technique, whatever...

I'm wondering if maybe you're inquiring more about his style?

So far as his playing style, I always heard similarities between Green, Mick Taylor, and Eric Clapton. They were all influenced by many of the same American Blues guitarists and they all started with the same blues-based (some might say pentatonic scale based) guitar playing. They all developed their own individual styles and expanded beyond their blues roots later on, but their styles all started with the same "ingredients" so to speak. You can trace their playing back to the three Kings (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.), Buddy Guy, and other American blues guitarists.
For what it's worth, to me, Clapton, Greeny, and Taylor are the great triumvant of British blues guitar playing. There have certainly been other guitar British players but these three define British blues for me.

Danny Kirwan - often looked down on by guitar snobs but him and mr green were unbelievable together live - one of the best guitar duo's i've ever seen imho

I am in complete agreement with you Capt.Incredible creativity, spontaneous. Those two could really cook. The library of live material from the old Mac remains vibrant and exciting. I never tire of listening to the old MAC. Greeny had such a feel for the blues. It came from somewhere way down low in him. I would love to hear/see some of the 1969 tour in England where BB King toured with the Mac.It was called magical by those that attended. Maybe something of quality will surface someday.

Anything you want to know about Peter Green's technique can be found on the awesome "Live At The Boston Tea Party" CD set. Turned my head all the way around when I heard it.

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UnderAssistantWCpromoMan
Anything you want to know about Peter Green's technique can be found on the awesome "Live At The Boston Tea Party" CD set. Turned my head all the way around when I heard it.

Essential listening if there ever was. The Complete Blue Horizon sessions is also phenomenal and highly recommended.

I've got a boot of them playing London College in 1969 - superb!

all the above recommendations are great btw

His technique is pretty simple. He sticks with the minor pentatonic scale almost exclusively and changes it and spices it up by bending and stopping the phrase in time with the drummers and reversing it or continuing on down the scale. His playing is fluid and very in time with the drumming which makes it very groove oriented. His bends are not always on the typical bent notes in that scale and that is the only thing that gives him a bit of a jazz feel.

I personally think he was an above average guitar player for the time but people like Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix took it so much farther that he bores the death out of me. Kind of like Carlos Santana, they seem to have got to a certain level of playing and just stopped progressing.

If you want to play like Peter Green, I'd say you can do it with a years practice, noodling up and down the minor pentatonic scale until it becomes something you can do in time with any piece of backing music with fluidity. Maybe he was someting back then but since I didn't find him till after hearing Hendrix and Jeff Beck, he doesn't ring my bell.

You want to see the state of the state for guitar players these days check out folks like Monte Montgomery. He still plays those blues scales and his repertoir is built on them but he has worked to take it to the next level, both with speed and unusual right hand picking techniques.

Most really advanced guitar players will tell you, it's all about the right hand once you get past a certain point. Here is a tune from Monte for you to digest, might not be your cup of tea but the dude can play. He can get soft and really soulful too, the sign of a true master. peace

Saw him a few years ago supporting BB King at Bournemouth..Still did it for me..great feel and touch..I am the Green Manalishi......

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Naturalust
If you want to play like Peter Green, I'd say you can do it with a years practice, noodling up and down the minor pentatonic scale until it becomes something you can do in time with any piece of backing music with fluidity.

It's (nearly) the only scale you'll ever need.

Shift it down three frets and you're in a major pentatonic - country style!

Believe me.

I get away with murder.

Monte Montgomery gets high marks for technique perhaps, but lower marks for musicality. At least to my ears.

Reminds me of Alvin Lee of Ten Years After , he was fast but was he good?

Feel over speed.

Every time.

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mitchflorida1
Monte Montgomery gets high marks for technique perhaps, but lower marks for musicality. At least to my ears.

Reminds me of Alvin Lee of Ten Years After , he was fast but was he good?

Monte does tend to overplay at times, but check out his version of Sara up on you tube that is pretty soulful, and no, I never did like Alvin Lee except that one intro he did to Goin Home that rocked. As soon as the song started I had to lift the needle.

Just because this is a guitar players thread I thought this clip would be appropriate to share. Sometimes all it takes is an acoustic guitar and a magical lyric to do the trick. Who cares what he's wearing 24FPS? lol peace

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MCDDTLC

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treaclefingers

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NICOS

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mitchflorida1
Peter Green was up there with Jeff Beck. I think he went crazy from taking LSD and then ended up on a commune somewhere in Germany. He was Jewish and became a Jesus freak. Never heard from him since.

That was Jeremy Spencer not Peter Green..............

I will pay you $1000 if you can get a copy of that to me on the London label in the next 24 hours.

Well - there are part's of this that are somewhat true all over the place.

Peter Greenbaum (Green) was Jewish - according to John McVie - Peter went to
Germany one weekend with a couple of german dudes and one amazing german chick
that gave Peter too much bad LSD and he was never the same. Affected him mentally
he got it in his head that this rock star life was influenced by the devil. He
gave away close to a quarter of a million $ at the time, didn't want the devil $$
took a gun to his accountant's office when his royalities kept showing up in his bank account, they committed him, shock treatment ruined the best white Blues player - per BB King, Carlos Santana, Gary Moore...

Jeremy Spencer got side-tracted by some Jesus freeks in the 70's at one of the US
airports. Another situation where a beautiful girl got his attention, saw a
interview he did right after they took him where - ever = he was still playing
guitar but re-nounced his rock star life and this "cult" used him to promote their
religious agenda - saw when he performed a few years ago somewhere, couldn't tell it was him. I like all the rest was/am a big Peter Green / fan - such a sad story. MLC

There's a Stone connection there - wasn't that German model involved Uschi Obermaier, who was close to Keith at some point?

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Tumblin_Dice_07
You can trace their playing back to the three Kings (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.), Buddy Guy, and other American blues guitarists.

Elmore James should be mentioned here, when it comes to being a strong influence on Peter Green:





Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

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marcovandereijk

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Tumblin_Dice_07
You can trace their playing back to the three Kings (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.), Buddy Guy, and other American blues guitarists.

Elmore James should be mentioned here, when it comes to being a strong influence on Peter Green:

I'm sure he was an influence on Greeny, but it wasn't Green that played all those Elmore licks note for note on the Mack's covers of Elmore's songs, if I'm not mistaken. That was Jeremy Spencer I'm pretty sure. He could do a pretty good Elmore vocal impersonation too.

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Naturalust


Most really advanced guitar players will tell you, it's all about the right hand once you get past a certain point. Here is a tune from Monte for you to digest, might not be your cup of tea but the dude can play. He can get soft and really soulful too, the sign of a true master. peace

I may not be a "really advanced guitar player"....don't know how you'd define one of those.....but I have played for 15 years and I'm a pretty good blues-based player. I don't agree with that "It's all about the right hand" statement at all. Never heard anybody else say that either. It's alot more than just the right hand.