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GMC Forum _ Ask an Instructor _ Filter Riff/style/solo Lesson

Posted by: Neurologi Sep 1 2009, 06:59 PM

Since I was plowing through this board here I thought I might as well make a request for a lesson in the style of Filter.

The one. The only. I might even go so far as to say they were perhaps the best band I ever saw live. A great moment just has to be when the lead guitarist makes a death defying climb up the front of house speaker stack and traipses his merry way up along the lighting rig. Bravo! Geno! Lenardo! Oh and he had some chops too ...

A search did turn up a lesson in "Industrial Style" which is tagged with Filter but I will go out on a limb here (not quite as death defyingly insane perhaps in this instance) and play my role as the musical genre nazi by saying ... ummm ... not really. Filter has influenced many modern artists whether they care to know or not ... More importantly, me!

In particular, I always found Geno Lenardo (1995 – 2002) era solos to be quite tasty. Maybe even melodic? Ouch. Some of their classic riffs are fairly simple too. So, I bet could appeal to those just starting out on the guitar. For instance, "Hey Man, Nice Shot!". Killer.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 1 2009, 07:11 PM

I really like this style! I'm working in some industrial metal style lessons based on Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Stabbing Westward, Marylyn Manon, APC and I could add Filter to my list! I really like this band and even their last album with John 5 and Josh Freese is very good.
However I wasn't sure if GMC:ers would apreciate this type of lesson that are more based in distorted guitar walls of sound than in difficult technique.

Posted by: Neurologi Sep 1 2009, 07:25 PM

Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your work there, Gabriel. Sounds like you are just the man to do it!

All those bands you mentioned there are some of my all-time favourites. Particularly, A Perfect Circle. They were a treat to see live also. Billy Howerdel has such a great ear for inspiring music. My take on this for you would be that it shouldn't be all about flashy technique. At some point, the player needs to head off into the heady realms of texture or atmosphere. That may just be the age talking there though. I don't know.

Actually, I was a late starter on the latest album. I thought they weren't coming back. So, it was a big surprise for me. I absolutely love the remix version much more than the original release. From what I hear, it is the direction Richard wants to take the band in the future. Fine by me. It is a great direction. More industrial. Less Metal. Less a lot of things.