How do you get better as a Surf Guitarist?

I find myself playing the same 15-20 songs over and over and will attempt learning new tracks when I feel inclined (and if tabs are available lol)

I’m studying the new Surf Guitar book and a book by the one and only Hank Marvin , but am wondering what else to do to bring my chops up to snuff.

Start learning Spanish guitar?

What scales do you guys like playing?

Excellent points Clark. Playing with others is the way to get to new levels of guitar playing and musicianship. There's only so much you can do at home that has practical application. Playing with others teaches you what aspects of your skill set are worth focusing on.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Danny Snyder had (has?) a really good Surf Band with his buddy, Mel Waldorf, called Meshugga Beach Party. Jewish themed traditional surf music. (Is that how you’d describe it, Danny?)

Also from that neck of the woods (NorCal), are the Mermen, Psychedelic Instrumental music. (I’ve heard them described as Dick Dale meets Sonic Youth.) The Aqua Velvets, and Pollo Del Mar are good, too. If you’re interested in checking out any of these bands, I’d recommend:

Meshugga Beach Party- Hava Nagila
The Mermen- Scalp Salad
Pollo Del Mar- A Flash of Green
The Aqua Velvets- Surf Nouveau

Lots of good stuff, that’s what comes to me right off the top of my head. You can find clips on YouTube.

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

racingsnail84 wrote:

How do you get better as a Surf Guitarist?

I find myself playing the same 15-20 songs over and over and will attempt learning new tracks when I feel inclined (and if tabs are available lol)

I’m studying the new Surf Guitar book and a book by the one and only Hank Marvin , but am wondering what else to do to bring my chops up to snuff.

Start learning Spanish guitar?

What scales do you guys like playing?

The only way is to practice, practice, practice. And then to put your instrument away for a couple of days to a week or fortnight. Then pick up the instrument again and practice, practice, practice again. Rinse, repeat. Since anything is a matter of 95% practice and 5% of talent, practice is the only thing that really matters. At least, that's how I learned it. Don't listen to other bands when writing music, else you subconsciously will write copies of the songs you here and there are already plenty of those bands in the genre. Try and write your own tunes. Not a 5000th version of Apache or sth like that.

As for scales, I generally like the minor scales in any key. The Byzantine scale of course, like everybody else does in this genre.

Albums:
_Introducing; Impala '59; An Evening with; Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz; Europa

Changing label.

https://magnatech.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic
https://www.magnatech-music.com

Last edited: May 10, 2023 04:47:44

Samurai wrote:

I also want to add that practice should be CONSCIOUS. Spending hours just noodling with guitar or endlessly playing pentatonic solos in Am is not really a practice, you may do it for years and not to move a step forward. So you need to set tasks (for example, I need to practice this lick, first no tempo, then slowly with metronome, then real speed with backtrack), and how will you measure your progress (I have recorded it and it sounds clear, neat and in time on any speed)

If you have a gig soon you may also need to practice playing it drunk while climbing up the bar counter) This also requires practice in my experience.

That's what I meant by practice. Indeed, not endlessly play Apache and so on. I taught myself completely how to play guitar - never had any lessons, first as rhythm guitarist, later as solo guitarist. I found the best way to get a feel for things is to first record a bunch of chords or a certain chord scheme and then play or jam along with those. For me this has helped me develop a sense of song and to know what works with certain chords and what does not.

As for alcohol consumption before shows. From my own experience, use alcohol to numb your nerves, don't drink too much, else all will fail. Just enough to get you confident, ergo get rid of your stage fright, but you still have the sense to know what you're doing. If you're drunk it will all sound great to yourself, but you will be the only one to think so in the room This worked for me back in the 80's and I have a literally paralyzing stage fright.

Albums:
_Introducing; Impala '59; An Evening with; Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz; Europa

Changing label.

https://magnatech.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic
https://www.magnatech-music.com

I hate to hear that, Danny. I must have watched you guys' video playing Hava Nagila/Misirlou over 50 times. It's the one where it looks like it's on a university campus. I was hoping to see you guys live one day, but I live nowhere near CA.

MooreLoud.com - A tribute to Dick Dale. New Singles "Finish Line" and "Paradiso" on Bandcamp and website.

DannySnyder wrote:

Reverbenator wrote:

Danny Snyder had (has?) a really good Surf Band with his buddy, Mel Waldorf, called Meshugga Beach Party. Jewish themed traditional surf music. (Is that how you’d describe it, Danny?)

Thanks! We are no longer active. Our drummer passed away and Mel moved to Palm Springs. I'm busy playing in Combo Tezeta these days with the former members of the Deadbeats and Tony from the TomorrowMen.

Meshuggah Beachparty has always been one of the rare post-2000 bands that I liked and respected, not in the least bit because of my own Jewish heritage. Mel gave me the chords to Zemer Atik some time ago and I did record it as a sort of tribute, but decided against putting it on my new album because it didn't really fit in with the rest. So I will use it on some future EP or LP, with more similar instrumentals or perhaps I will re-recorded with my Dynacord Echocord to turn it into a more European instro-tune.

Albums:
_Introducing; Impala '59; An Evening with; Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz; Europa

Changing label.

https://magnatech.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic
https://www.magnatech-music.com

DannySnyder wrote:

Thanks guys,
We got a lot of mileage out of what should have been a one gig joke

Oh well, thankfully you did Even my dad, when he was still around loved your version of "If I were a rich man". And my dad was just as critical when it came to music as I am.

Albums:
_Introducing; Impala '59; An Evening with; Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz; Europa

Changing label.

https://magnatech.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic
https://www.magnatech-music.com