Playing Dick Dale's "The Wedge"

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Playing Dick Dale's "The Wedge"

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Brian Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19265 Des Moines, Iowa, USA	Posted on Jan 24 2024 04:45 PM 7 year thread bump thanks to Billy! — Site dude - S3 Agent #202 Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan	Posted on Jan 25 2024 11:09 AM Yes, a most unexpected bump!! Thank you for your kind words, Joel, Synchro, and Daniel! Synchro, the older I get the more difficult it is to tremolo pick at that intensity for the duration of a song, for sure. It takes a lot of previous conditioning, if I'll be playing a show that requires it I'll start training at least a week or two in advance. And even then I've really gotta stretch my arm, both at elbow and wrist, to be able to do it justice. Yep, not easy, and that's eve after playing surf music exclusively for 27 years. DeathTide wrote: Wow. Amazing single take man. How much do you practice guitar on average per week? That is one tough number! Thank you! It's tough to answer that question, since I don't often 'practice' per se. I've found that the thing that's stretched my playing the most over those 27 years is writing songs which often require that I do something I hadn't done before, so I have to be able to pull it off to play the song I wrote. Also, learning other people's songs can be pretty challenging, too, and I will practice that, too. But most often I just play, noodle while watching TV or whatever (usually unplugged or at very low volume), and I can usually do that for a couple of hours each day, in the evening. My wife is patient enough where she doesn't mind me doing that while we're watching a show at night. But I absolutely love to just play, to have the guitar in my lap and in my hands and feel its resonance and twang. If I don't get to do that each day for a some period of time, I really feel wrong, like something is off-kilter, off-balance. There you go! — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
wooza Joined: Apr 24, 2006 Posts: 1618 Ithaca, NY	Posted on Jan 25 2024 02:59 PM Very cool thread bump! It's an excellent performance, but my favorite part was reading Ivan's video description, which is spot on! After many years as a surf fan I believe Dick Dale's Checkered Flag recording of the Wedge is THE quintessential surf recording. I have plenty of songs and recordings I personally enjoy more, but I still think this one track is the single best exemplar of the surf genre - like if I had to pick only one recording to explain to someone what surf is about, I'd pick this. It nails all the surf hallmarks: the guitar tone, the reverb, the tremolo picking, the glissandos, and of course Dick's technique elevates everything to premier level. He is one of the best examples of one of surf's fun paradoxes: it's capacity for really technical, nuanced melodic phrasing over what are usually very simple chords and song structures. Add to all that the drums: while they don't employ the classic surf rhythm here, the attack and rapid snare and tom rolls are also pretty quintessential. Melodically, the Wedge is also archetypically surf - no other genre sounds anything like this song. The Spanish turnaround to close out the two halves of the song is a perfect example of how naturally surf can incorporate more 'exotic' melodic phrasing into a rock n' roll setting, which is one of my favorite characteristics of the genre. (Even though it's a blatant Malaguena ripoff it fits so perfectly in this song I've never faulted Dick for it, like the song couldn't have been better with any alternative.) God, it really is primo stuff. It's not just a song that makes you love surf music, it's music that makes you love music! Thanks for the bump to make me revisit this glorious, iconic song! Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jan 25 2024 08:41 PM IvanP wrote: Yes, a most unexpected bump!! Thank you for your kind words, Joel, Synchro, and Daniel! Synchro, the older I get the more difficult it is to tremolo pick at that intensity for the duration of a song, for sure. It takes a lot of previous conditioning, if I'll be playing a show that requires it I'll start training at least a week or two in advance. And even then I've really gotta stretch my arm, both at elbow and wrist, to be able to do it justice. Yep, not easy, and that's eve after playing surf music exclusively for 27 years. Likewise to your experience, the years don’t seem to be making things any easier. Speed has never been my forte, even when I was a young stallion. I once saw a video of Lee Ritenour soloing in 16th notes, bar, after bar, after bar. I probably could have kept up for four bars, maybe eight bars on a good day, but Rit’ stayed at it for probably 64 bars of nonstop 16th notes. I was non-plussed. I find Surf challenging to play, and in itself, a great way to practice. IvanP wrote: DeathTide wrote: Wow. Amazing single take man. How much do you practice guitar on average per week? That is one tough number! Thank you! It's tough to answer that question, since I don't often 'practice' per se. I've found that the thing that's stretched my playing the most over those 27 years is writing songs which often require that I do something I hadn't done before, so I have to be able to pull it off to play the song I wrote. Also, learning other people's songs can be pretty challenging, too, and I will practice that, too. But most often I just play, noodle while watching TV or whatever (usually unplugged or at very low volume), and I can usually do that for a couple of hours each day, in the evening. My wife is patient enough where she doesn't mind me doing that while we're watching a show at night. But I absolutely love to just play, to have the guitar in my lap and in my hands and feel its resonance and twang. If I don't get to do that each day for a some period of time, I really feel wrong, like something is off-kilter, off-balance. There you go! Mile Davis famously stated that he never practiced. It’s a great sound bite, but once a musician has learned their craft and has a good grasp on technique, playing becomes a good substitute for woodshedding. I will woodshed certain passages, or certain arpeggios if I’m having a problem with them, usually deliberately slowing myself down and forcing myself to do it right, and allowing the speed to come in the moment, when I play it as part of the song. I have an elaborate vocal arrangement of Secret Agent Man where I play two 32 bar rides as guitar solos between the 3rd and 4th verses. At one point, I play an Em add 9 arpeggio followed by an Am add 9 arpeggio, the Am being an absolute bear to play cleanly because there’s a slide from B4 (4th fret, 3rd string, to C4 (5th fret, third string) and if I don’t pick each note separately, the feel is lost. I woodshed that one, virtually every time I pick up a guitar. Great exercise, and it’s part of a great old tune. But I usually do my woodshedding while watching YouTube. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan	Posted on Jan 27 2024 05:07 PM wooza wrote: Very cool thread bump! It's an excellent performance, but my favorite part was reading Ivan's video description, which is spot on! After many years as a surf fan I believe Dick Dale's Checkered Flag recording of the Wedge is THE quintessential surf recording. I have plenty of songs and recordings I personally enjoy more, but I still think this one track is the single best exemplar of the surf genre - like if I had to pick only one recording to explain to someone what surf is about, I'd pick this. It nails all the surf hallmarks: the guitar tone, the reverb, the tremolo picking, the glissandos, and of course Dick's technique elevates everything to premier level. He is one of the best examples of one of surf's fun paradoxes: it's capacity for really technical, nuanced melodic phrasing over what are usually very simple chords and song structures. Add to all that the drums: while they don't employ the classic surf rhythm here, the attack and rapid snare and tom rolls are also pretty quintessential. Melodically, the Wedge is also archetypically surf - no other genre sounds anything like this song. The Spanish turnaround to close out the two halves of the song is a perfect example of how naturally surf can incorporate more 'exotic' melodic phrasing into a rock n' roll setting, which is one of my favorite characteristics of the genre. (Even though it's a blatant Malaguena ripoff it fits so perfectly in this song I've never faulted Dick for it, like the song couldn't have been better with any alternative.) God, it really is primo stuff. It's not just a song that makes you love surf music, it's music that makes you love music! Thanks for the bump to make me revisit this glorious, iconic song! Hey Ben!!! So good to see you commenting here!! It's been too long, my friend! I hope you're doing well! I love you comments above, and find myself in almost complete agreement with them. I'd like to just add the somewhat controversial development and evolution of the track, which you may or may not know about. The basic melody of what became "The Wedge" seems to originate in a track "Rising Surf" by the Tandems, recorded but never released back in the day. It's interesting that it doesn't yet feature the full Malaguena-ish bridge, but instead just a hint of it, and like you point out, it definitely suffers for it. Its overall energy level is much lower, too, so the overall effect of the recording is fairly forgettable. I have heard - I'm not sure where, but probably Stephen MacParland's Dick Dale biography - that Dick's father, who was his manager in the '60s, bought the songwriting rights to this track, obviously recognizing something promising in it. Dick revised it, adding the Malaguena bridge for the first time, and released it under the title of "A Run For Life" in January '63, as his final Deltone Records single before moving over to Capitol Records. It's such a great version, too! It doesn't yet have the over-the-top brutality and energy of "The Wedge", but it does have a much more sophisticated arrangement, with the horns, a choir, and my favorite aspect, the acoustic rhythm guitar which I absolutely love on there! Finally, it's interesting that Dick claims in the songwriting credit for the track, too. From there, we finally get to "The Wedge", released in November of '63. It now has a more streamlined arrangement (though still featuring the choir in the background), the horns dropped, the acoustic guitar replaced with a more direct electric rhythm part, and a drum part that much more upfront and key to the song, especially in the intro, played by the legendary Earl Palmer. It's an interesting evolution to get to this possibly most quintessential surf recording! It took a little while, at each step being perfected a bit further, I would say. — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
Brian Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19265 Des Moines, Iowa, USA	Posted on Jan 27 2024 05:34 PM I was just going to go dig out those videos Ivan, you beat me to it! The Wedge is a fantastic song in all it's different forms. Long live the King! — Site dude - S3 Agent #202 Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan	Posted on Jan 27 2024 09:46 PM Ha!! I'm sure there are several other posts or even threads on SG101 about that whole thing! Should have just looked it up and linked it! — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2230 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Jan 28 2024 04:33 AM That’s good to know that not only I often have several evolving versions of the same tune) — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2533 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Jan 28 2024 07:38 AM Great to see an old thread come back up talking the King and Ivan! The challenge of playing fast, trem picking inspired music is always fun. Ivan mentioned conditioning when trem picking. It truly is relatable to sport. I'll be 63 in February and our music is not getting any more relaxed. We did 2 hours just before Christmas after several months rest. I was shocked to realize how poorly conditioned I was going into that gig. I practiced pretty hard for a few weeks going into the gig to get the right hand and arm where it needed to be. I learned my lesson about staying in condition. We have a building schedule for 2024. I'll exercise frequently. I don't want my hand to look like this again following a gig. — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jan 28 2024 08:11 AM stratdancer wrote: Great to see an old thread come back up talking the King and Ivan! The challenge of playing fast, trem picking inspired music is always fun. Ivan mentioned conditioning when trem picking. It truly is relatable to sport. I'll be 63 in February and our music is not getting any more relaxed. We did 2 hours just before Christmas after several months rest. I was shocked to realize how poorly conditioned I was going into that gig. I practiced pretty hard for a few weeks going into the gig to get the right hand and arm where it needed to be. I learned my lesson about staying in condition. We have a building schedule for 2024. I'll exercise frequently. I don't want my hand to look like this again following a gig. Holy smokes! That reminds me of when I used to do roofing jobs, way back in the day, and my hands looked like that all the time, because of the gravel on the shingles. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2533 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Jan 28 2024 08:31 AM Ha! "Holy smokes! That reminds me of when I used to do roofing jobs, way back in the day, and my hands looked like that all the time, because of the gravel on the shingles." Needless to say, I am going with a thicker pick after years of playing .73's. I always loved the tone of the.73 attack. We had played 2 hours of our most aggressive music and I should have pulled out a new pick occasionally. Wore the pick, nail and skin down. Very painful but the crowd loved it! — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jan 28 2024 08:50 AM stratdancer wrote: Ha! "Holy smokes! That reminds me of when I used to do roofing jobs, way back in the day, and my hands looked like that all the time, because of the gravel on the shingles." Needless to say, I am going with a thicker pick after years of playing .73's. I always loved the tone of the.73 attack. We had played 2 hours of our most aggressive music and I should have pulled out a new pick occasionally. Wore the pick, nail and skin down. Very painful but the crowd loved it! I know that it’s gauche to quote oneself, but: Holy Smokes! FWIW, the best Surf sound I’ve ever gotten from a pick was from a Dunlop 486-ML pick, but you had better have more than a few ready to go on your mic’ stand, because I get the feeling that you’d probably go through several, every set. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jan 28 2024 08:53 AM I just have to ask, are you sure that you didn’t do a roofing demonstration during pert of your act? “And now, our lead guitarist will demonstrate the application of T-Lock shingles, for your education and edification.” — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2533 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Jan 28 2024 10:39 AM synchro wrote: I just have to ask, are you sure that you didn’t do a roofing demonstration during pert of your act? “And now, our lead guitarist will demonstrate the application of T-Lock shingles, for your education and edification.” — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4417 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Jan 28 2024 01:30 PM I couldn’t resist. When I was in my teens, I worked installing T-Lock shingles, and my hands looked just like that. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top

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