Chuck Berry - one of rock's greatest guitarists?

Yes, it's "Carol". My friend and I used to love that scene. You can see how infuriated Keith is getting, but the one guy in the entire world who knows more than he does about Chuck Berry's guitar playing is telling him he's doing it wrong.

 

Yes, and jazz hasn't been the same since!

 

Who?

 

Talk about a 'Golden' period.
Those 30's, 40's and 50's, really seem like the greatest era for guitar music to me.
I know the 60's Rock guys were good too, I get that, but the magic lies before all of them.
Just gotta dig to find them.

 

I love many of Chuck's great instrumentals he did.All his early Chess albums had one or two.They show a very different side of his music from all his well known hits.
Remember getting Chuck's first record "After School Session" when i was a young lad in the early 60's and hearing these songs that were so different than the hits i was familiar with.
Chuck on his steel guitar


and a rockin song from Chuck
Guitar Boogie

Jeff Beck liked that song so much when he was in the Yardbirds..he did his version of it Calling it Jeff's Boogie
Jeff's Boogie (The Stereo Album)

 

I saw Chuck Berry in 1986 and he was incredible. The local band that he played with was more than up to the task. The crowd was still filing out when Chuck walked through with his guitar case headed to a car in the parking lot. I said hi to him while he was putting it in the trunk. He was pleasant to me.

 

yes, one of the greats, but not the greatest...

 

Who would be the Greatest in your opinion?
(nothing serious either! just a thought provoking question )

 

My favourite instrumental:


I don't think Chuck's ability or influence needs questioning by anyone.

 

I'd have to ponder this...

 

But Chuck's genius went way beyond just speeding the blues riffs up. I am not sure what that means but specifically he did things like incorporate series of 6ths intervals, parallel descending intervals in thirds and sixths and modal mixing within his lines to add a country sound to the basic blues licks. He sweetened them up so to speak and made them sound more country/pop to the ear. Brilliant player goes without saying.

 

Admit it, it's Chuck!

 

In terms of technique, no; in terms of innovation and flat-out rockin’, absolutely. Yngwie Malmsteen could never tear off a solo as good as the one in “Roll Over Beethoven”.

 

no...; )

 

While were doin' Chuck, what is your favorite Chuck tune?
'Johnny B' belongs to the Bible of rock playing, but I'd probably go with 'Sweet Little 16'.

The older I get however, the more wrong this song seems.
Great tune though!

 

I forgot to mention that Chuck did modal mixing with modes such as Dorian and Mixolydian that just about every rock player that followed copied from him. No Chuck Berry, no Jimmy Page, Keith, Michael Schenker, and on and on.

 

There is something special about the guitar players from the pre rock 'n' roll and early rock 'n' roll eras. Django Reinhardt was incredible and I love Barney Kessell on Julie London's records. Cliff Gallup from the Blue Caps too. Sensational. The mighty Bo Diddley too.

 

Yes.
Thank goodness for Johnnie Johnson and his piano playing which he based his guitar style on.

 

Johnny B Goode

 

That's so great, it's hard to beat.
That song is great for many reasons.

 

You can't blame Chuck for that!

 

indeed!~

 

I always thought the lyrics were pretty innocent.

 

One of those horrible songs for a guitar player in the key of Bb.
Imagine being a beginner and being faced with this stuff?
I said this recently somewhere else about Brian Wilson, and the songs he composed.
These piano player guys, love these flat keys.
Really indicates that Chuck was influenced by Johnnie, and the blues of the day, which
were based around these key structures, which are not guitar friendly until you get way around the fretboard.