Eric Roche 4 & 20

ON THE CD · . Tracks 20-22

Stills got the blues... Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Four And Twenty This is actually a solo piece by the talented Stephen Stills, although credited to the whole band. Eric Roche is all fingers and thumbs ... ABIUTY RATING

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TECHNIQUE FOCUS Moderate-Advanced

Will improve your: l"J Fingerstyle technique

l"J Use of altered tunings l"JCo-ordination

STEPHEN STILLS IS one quarter of probably the greatest supergroup ever. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young emerged from the remains three of the most popular acts of the sixties- The Byrds, The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield. They started playing together in 1968 (Young joined in 1970), released their debut album in 1969, and played Woodstock the same year. The quartet was often reduced to a trio when Neil Young was pursuing his solo career. and David Crosby and

TRACK RECORD • In my opinion the first. selftitled Crosby, ~~~~ Stills and Nash ~ record and the first Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young record, Deja Vu count among the greatest works that Stills has recorded. To add some of his solo work to the top three list. I would also include his 1976 album 111egal Stills.

Alternating thumb fingerstyle

Stephen Stills' right-hand technique can be tricky, but use our guide to help you

1

• The right-hand technique will need more attention than the left The left hand uses some simple, movable shapes with plenty of open string sound. The right hand uses a simple adaptation of Travis picking (that's Merle Travis for our younger readers!) where the thumb alternates primarily between the low sixth string and the fourth string. Interestingly, despite his

possible (and easier) to include variation in the tuning, Stills at least the middle finger. In completely avoids the retuned A string. However, I would still the interest of accuracy I have recommend that you use the transcribed the piece as a thumb-and-forefinger workout. tuning correctly as the B note on the open fifth string vibrates This piece will help your rightin sympathetic resonance with hand picking technique as well the other notes and adds to the expanding your knowledge overall tone of the sound. of altered tunings. To develop the technique you will need to In video footage I have seen Stills uses his right hand thumb practise a pattern such as bars 1 and 2 repeatedly, preferably with and index finger exclusively in this piece, although it is certainly a metronome.

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Graham Nash often toured as a duo when Stills was unavailable. Stills was often referred to as the lead guitarist of the group, armed with his trademark White Falcon or one of his many Gretsch Country Gentleman guitars. However, no discussion of Stephen Stills's playing would be complete without a look at his acoustic fingerstyle talents. This month's lesson focuses on his tune Four And Twenty from the first Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album, Deja Vu. It is a simple vocal and guitar arrangement with dark lyrics citing the devil and other sources of torment. Stills uses a variation of the Bruce Palmer Modal Tuning

(EEeebe'), tuning the A string up to B giving EBeebe'. With all those octaves, fourths and fifths the tuning creates a dream-like droning sound. To get to this tuning, tune the

G string down to e, the d string up toe (check these two strings for unison) and the A string up to B. The open strings will give you a very resonant ES chord. GT

GET THE TONE • Stephen Stills is known for his fat electric sound, usually created with Gretsch guitars and Fender amps. When playing acoustically though, he is almost always associated with the pearl encrusted Martin D-45 - Martin's top-of-the-range dreadnought model at the time. Stills always gets a great tone: clear, warm and yet cutting through in the treble register. Even if you can't afford £1000s for said Martin, you can go some way towards emulating the tone with nothing more than a fine emery board or nail file, and judicious placing of your picking hand over the guitar body. First. smoothly filed and shaped nails sound sweeter, smoother and you're less likely to catch the strings! When picking, try not to rest your hand on the bridge- arch it in a pseudo classical fashion and the guitar's top will ring more freely. Position your picking fingers over the soundhole to achieve warmth; nearer the bridge for cut.

' ' My loudest sound is acheived by keeping my right t humbnail long, and using it to add a little guts. JJ Stephen Stills 50 GuitarTechniques February 2005

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• In bar 7, Stills moves from the Emajor harmony into the more bluesy G chord. Gets me every time, even though it is more than 20 years since I first heard it

C EBET ROBERTS/ REDFERN$

ON THE CD · Tracks 20-22

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG FOUR AND TWENTY Four & Twenty. Words and Music by Stephen Stills@ 1970 Gold Hill Music Inc. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Music Square West. Nashville, TN 37203 For UK/EU: Reprinted by permission of Music Sales For US/Can: Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation All nghts reserved. International Copyright Secured

[Bars 1·2] As the left hand shapes are so easy,

[Bar 4] The thumb replays the lowE string again, slightly disrupting the regularity of the pattern. Practise this carefully. [Bar 8] As in all the other measures, hold the left hand shapes down for as long as possible so that the notes ring on. Add a little light vibrato to g1ve a more spooky bluesy effect.

concentrate on the right hand. Follow the right hand fingering carefully. The thumb will act as your reference point for the more syncopated higher notes.

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Crosby, St i lis, Nash And Young The Guitar Collection (Guitar Tab/ Vocal, 240pp, £19.99, ref: PG9519). Complete guitar transcriptions of 24 classic numbers.

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