British guitarist reacts to Robben Ford's EPIC restraint, dynamics AND control!

[@Trebor_I]

Robben is one of those players you hear and think "that's not overly difficult to play" until you try, his phrasing and control is so spot on. I had jazz guitar lessons for years and always tried to achieve that level, of course I never did :)

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yeah!

[@newmoon54]

Another great video!!! I've been a big fan of Robben since the Yellow Jacket days!!! It's good to see Robben praised for the superbly great musician and writer that he most certainly is!!!!! Thanks Fil!!!!

[@richardmilner8469]

What a terrific performance! Ford's expert control of the dynamics opens up a world that many of us haven't seen before. Thanks for bringing it forward.

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@scottmcgregor3317]

What a wonderful performance. I first became aware of Robin Ford in the 80s when I worked for a large music distribution company. My first listens to him were very frustrating because of the production on the cds at that time did not seem to bring out the dynamics of him or his band . Fast forward to the late 90s, I watched him on a PBS program, it might have been Austin City Limits,I was pleasantly blown away. He is totally unique in whatever style he chooses. thanks for posting this masterpiece.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@kodiakfamily8032]

Thank you Fil!!! This is the first I have heard of Robben and when he started to play I immediately liked him, like the first time you put on your favorite pair of shoes! He sounds so good! Just the perfect blend of technique and melody. I just watched a concert, such a good sound. And he can sing well too! Thank you Fil!

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@sharonraizor2839]

I just saw Robben on the 11th in Nashville. I was fortunate enough to sit right in front of the Dumble, and his tone was amazing. I highly recommend seeking him out.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@FooFighterzz]

It's nice to hear a guitarist handling the balance and subtle techniques with low volumes, which many jazz guitarists are great at.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@Dug6666666]

Such an articulate player, every note perfectly measured and delivered.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@michaelnettles2570]

One of the most endearing things about your vids is the obvious love in your eyes when you're hearing something you really admire. Really saw it in your Vince Gill review. Lol!

[@wingsofpegasus]

😂👍

[@crowhaven200]

Robben is one of my favorite players, no one can play just like him. A Master.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@gwendolyncarter5668]

Great Analysis as always , and what a very mellow groove!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Very smooth and soothing.That’s some good picking.

[@6Trannel]

A fantastic player. Robben is a big favorite. I´ve had the pleasure to see him live three times. Thanks Fil!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@6Trannel]

Another big favorite of mine is Mike Stern. Do you like him?

[@mydailybread7]

Robben Ford. Wow! Liquid gold. Pierces my soul. Thanks for breaking down the complexity. They didn't resolve it... it worked. Abrupt but subtle. He is now added to the top of my playlist. 🌟

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@freegracetruthembrace7188]

Noticed good 'ol Gary Novak at the drums on this one . Easily one of the all timers - featured with Chick Corea , Alan Holdsworth et al . Saw Robben twice in the early 90's . At the Monterey, California Jazz Festival Blues Saturday (1994) in a trio setup . Had the audience spellbound .

[@SidBonkers51]

Its always about the melody and the journey with Robben, such a classy player that knows how to hook you in and keep your interest. Great analysis Fil, as always...

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

Yeah, it's not ALL about shedding. These slower jams and parts would highlight any mistakes more readily than faster tracks. Nice analysis, Fil. Thanks! 👍😊

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@patrickgroll2046]

I think the thing that just cannot be duplicated is RF's phrasing. It's just unbelievable

[@StephenMarkTurner]

The only guitar player in the world (probably) to have gigged with all of Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, and George Harrison. :-)

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@frankd.506]

Phil Lesh,Greg Allman ,both fantastic show's Charlie Musslewhite Jimmy Witherspoon Kenny Loggins Michael McDonald Barbara Streisand Tom Scott and LA Express ~The Joni Mitchell you brought up Miles Of Aisles ,Larry Carlton so many more ,a fantastic guitarist ,ive probably seen him live more times than any other person or group.

[@raccoonresidence9086]

Fil again reading my mind. I'm in the garage working with my boy listening to this guy. I can't think of anything else that you have touched upon. Aside from the Jazz, blues, and rock techniques Robben employs. He is brilliant on all his works, usually I'm only into one two sometimes three songs per album. But Robben, his albums, CDs, the tracks are all awesome. Like SRV.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@johnnymossville]

Such a beautiful tune. The band is 100% into the song. Wish i was there to hear it live.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@mariorabottini5687]

I have seen Robben on a couple of occasions. He is amazing! Great control ,melodic and he really just keeps you so interested in what he’s playing! Sometimes less is more!! A legend!! Great vid Fil !!👌👌👌👌👌😀😀

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@gregmardon6973]

All the way awesome, I love players who can truly sing through their guitar! They can bring it way down and real slow, then go to the top of the mountain with it! Nothing short of a great pleasure♡

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@sandraard4306]

Very cool video , love the music and again have never heard of this band or Robin but love them .

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@aliciasymchych3508]

This was really wonderful! Nice to have the crowd vibe.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@Mikino1976]

Another guitarist I have heard of, have always wanted to hear, and now am hearing on Wings of Pegasus!

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍☺

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Robben Ford is a phenomenal guitar player. He has worked with many music legends, including Jennifer Warnes, John Mayall and Michael McDonald. Great analysis. Cheers Fil!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@deenibeeniable]

And Joni Mitchell.

[@claudehebert649]

And Miles Davis

[@wagstaff6135]

Again, a great appreciation guide to a master... thanks again, Fil!

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@ericheine2414]

Robin is a remarkable player. He lived up in Ukiah California. So he would play The Mystic Theater in Petaluma California. You could stand 10 feet away from the guy and watch him work. And you're looking for him to use the major pentatonic or minor pentatonic, the box system. But that isn't always what he does, he chooses his path anywhere on the neck he wants that provides him the setup for what he's going to do next. Oh it's a chromatic descent from the 5th to the 1st with an arpeggio on a minor 7th. One time I was watching him and he was doing a pure instrumental, something he rarely does. When he finished the crowd was dead quiet. He looked out to the audience and he said "was I so good I left you speechless?" Well we all went crazy screaming and clapping because that's exactly what he did. He was so good that we were dropped mouth silent. He also teaches on KZbin. He plays well and tastefully, great to listen to, and an education to watch. Check out Larry Carlton

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@vmat1000]

Nice story eric. I have family that lived north of Ukiah and on one trip back south got inspired and asked aguy at a fast food place if Ford Road was named after Robben's family, like Charles Ford. Guy laughed and said it went back to the 20's.

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

Eric, So grateful you told us this story after Robben finished his song. He really has that charismatic feel in his playing & is always present when he plays so it's like "Deja Vu all over again".

[@aholdera]

Robben never ceases to amaze. He is. SO. COOL. The accidental notes he throws in, throws away, wherever he’s soloing, they work at pulling the listeners in. Maybe it’s a holdover from Yellowjackets days? Grabs you, in a good way. Plus I love his telecaster. ❤️

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@MnBicycleCommuter]

Nice explanation of tremolo and vibrato. Here’s my Robben Ford story. It’s 1993. I get tickets to see a show with Danny Gatton and some guy named Robben Ford who I’d never heard of. I figure this Ford guy would open the show for Danny Gatton. Nope. Gatton and his band open up. It’s mind blowing of course. They clear the stage and set up a very sparse staging of a drum set bookended by several guitar amps on one side and a bass setup on the other. Robben was playing as a power trio in those days with Tom Brechtlein on drums and Roscoe Beck on bass. When the band walked out Robben’s wearing an Armani suit. He plugs in, hooks his long hair behind his ears, and they proceed to power through Step On It, an as yet unreleased instrumental on his upcoming album. It gives me chills to this day. What a night. That tone, that band, I’ll remember that night till the day I die.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@TaraLyz]

Love the smooth jazz vibes! Very cool!

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@markparee99]

it's been said that the ultimate compliment one jazz musician can give another is....'pro'. Yeah, Robben's a pro. Thanks for posting this vid!

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

A cool performance from Robben and his band and I love that Telecaster !

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@gangnamstylegrandpa6352]

Robben Ford , the greatest American Jazz/Blues guitar player we have ever produced ! Jimi and SRV were without a doubt the greatest Blues / Rock players , but when it comes to Jazz ,/Blues the crowd gets much smaller ! Listen to all the small nuances , the control , the dynamics , he is the only one in this form that stands alone , and is just a genius . A very humble and intelligent human being we all love !!

[@jamescarter8421]

First time a hear him. Nice clean jam. Thanks Fil.

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@edthesecond]

Charlie Parker on why he and the other Bop players-Dizzy, etc.-liked to jam with Country musicians like Ray Price's band-"Those Country boys know how to leave holes and we know how to fill them". Also, Duane Allman, in a studio session, said something along the lines of, "I can't play on this. You didn't leave me any room." Also, on Duke Ellington cuts, there are three million things going on but it never sounds busy.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@billykelly1013]

Completely new to me. Definitely need to look into him more.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@Mr4Strings]

Hey Fil, I see this is an older video, but I just came across it. Robben is a musical genius. Thank you for displaying your brilliant observations and appreciating Robben's musical skills. He can shred with the best of them, but his skills playing chords and using dynamics really sets him apart from other guitarists. You are also spot on when you say Robben knows how to "communicate" music. Well done Fil, very well done. It appears that Robben's Tele is the Classic style with only 3 saddles. Interesting.

[@gerryk3114]

THANK YOU !! I love the way he gets that Tone out of that Tele !🎸🎸

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@SIXSTRING63]

Robben is a master for sure. Been listening to him since his days with Tom Scott and the LA Express from the late 70's. I used to play Robben's version of Talk to Your Daughter. One of the most tricky tunes I ever played live. No room for screw ups and you're playing over changes a good bit of the time. This stuff can be more of a challenge than some shred fest thing like the last poster mentioned. I can listen to Robben and Larry Carlton all day. They have a few great videos of those two sharing the stage. Might make a good video analysis ??

[@wingsofpegasus]

I'll take all suggestions!

[@SIXSTRING63]

Great one here. One of my favorites off Larry's first solo album in 1979. Been listening to this since early 1980's. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3q0ZGhsm8R4qqs

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

Ok, Fil, how about Larry & Robben in 2007(?) in Paris at the New Morning playing "I Put A Spell On You" & ending the concert with "Rio ...." ? the musicians playing rhythm were stellar too, another performance with mouth open & in awe....

[@craigmeek3363]

Man I love the sound of a tele!

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

Craig, I guarantee when you play a Tele it won't sound like this. Robben is a true artist & musician par excellence. It's not to minimize any other player, it's just he really has a special way of expressing himself in music, & in this case with his 1960 Tele here.

[@StahlsBlues]

I'm new to your amazing channel. I love your videos. Thanks for sharing. Way cool stuff. I subscribed and I'm catching up on all your stuff.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@robertburke784]

I have seen Robben several times and though he may not be the "best" at any one thing, he is really good at what he does. I would go see him again! Excellent band.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@katrenagunter5526]

Nice and smooth

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@gerardgiudice8303]

OUTSTANDING ,PLAYS With A lot SOLE

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@spottheturtle9568]

Another great vid bruh.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@CARNELIANTURQUOISE]

He's very clean in his sound, and no one wants to listen to musicians that aren't a "team" in how they play together! Thank you for analyzing Robben Ford! I know he doesn't play anymore but Jason Becker is still a big influence. Would you consider him?

[@wingsofpegasus]

No problem!

[@CARNELIANTURQUOISE]

@DrumWild He does! ALS is awful, I wish there was a cure for ALS, MS,MD, all of these life robbing diseases....

[@knawl]

You should mention the sophisticated syncopation, its pretty important to that jazzy dancing sound, its what this tune is all about

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yeah I try to keep it simple for people to understand so just mentioned the tremolo in this one 😂

[@knawl]

@@wingsofpegasus I understand why you wouldn't want to go into detail, but a simple way to explain syncopation would be to say it's playing off the beat in a rhythmic fashion. Of course you know your audience better than I do. Maybe somewhere down the line would be more appropriate, its just playing with time much as vibrato and tremolo do with pitch and volume

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

Teaching us about Tremelo, & also HOW vibrato is different is very important to understand in listening as well as playing. Made this breakdown worth the time to listen here with you. Thanks.

[@edthesecond]

Count Basie-"The space between the notes is just as important as the notes".

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@tonyfaelens3626]

Hallo Fil, Lee ritenour and Larry carlton, great players too.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@kartikeyaattri2166]

He's is using volume pedal also for the dynamics.

[@Cr125stin]

I always enjoy your videos! Thanks for posting regularly. Have you done a video on Jeff Healey yet?

[@Cr125stin]

Or Robin Trower

[@jamescarter8421]

Yeah man

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yes both are here!

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

I love the mic you’re using.🎙

[@malindley]

Beautiful.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@laydownmisere3674]

Let's not forget Robben with Georgie Fame & Bozz Scaggs - brilliant! So under the radar it is criminal.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@brachashighhopeshomestead226]

LM, what a great lead, tysm!

[@cwebb2300]

Laid back and chilling 🍷🍷🍷

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@daydreambeliever6603]

Reallllly nice❤️

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@bekind6763]

Cool very cool 😎

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@briansbrain426]

One of the few players I listen to that can play an entire blues song and NOT use a single minor pentatonic scale. Such a refreshing sound.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Entranced by the music 🎶

[@veloguy4]

Great run down Robben is the cleanest guitarists around.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@veloguy4]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZSYqGZ3hrVqnZo Played LA very often. A true prodigy! At age 23

[@vmat1000]

Very cool pick, Fil. Long time RF fan going back to reading about him in the early '70s in GP. Just knew he was good (though he said he hated Rock :) First release i bought was Talk To Your Daughter when i wasn't playing much. Rediscovered this when i was and this album plus his later solo and Blue Line releases were jammed with for hours. The Brother is a great Blue Line track. Truth was the last release i bought. it's great, too. Nice Tele here. I believe a '67 (oops a '60) he found in SF (BMM) when gearing up for a Fillmore gig. There's a vid here devoted to it. btw,,,this tunes from Tiger Walk which i have as well.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@vmat1000]

thanks for the response, Fil. only one :( oh well :) Hell, you probably don't have the time to read this. its cool. Yeah, that vid that shows up for the '60 Tele from Guitarist Magazine is fairly recent. There was another that was better, though he didn't play it. Seems The Blue Line stopped by Black Market Music (late) in like '91 before the Fillmore gig to but strings, cables and stuff and off in the distance, Robben saw this blonde Tele. Funnily enough, he was never a 'fan' but this one spoke to him. I think he paid like $3700 for this which hard to believe was alot of money for this Tele then (ha). Its on the cover of Blue Moon, another great disc. reason to drag out my Fat Tele back in the day.

[@aldito7586]

"Unresolved" I like it !!!

[@sbardellajulio3114]

🎸🎼🤘 great video style 🤘🎼🎸

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@aumphp]

great vid and player reminds me of Lee Ritenour in some way keep it coming like to have new inspiration in music and you have certainly giving me some thx

[@lashashapira3406]

whole band is great here and listen to Hammond is awesome

[@briannewell6064]

Wanna hear something weird? According to Paul Stanley's autobiography Robben auditioned for lead guitar when Ace left Kiss. If I remember correctly he said they didn't think he was serious about it. How the hell would that have worked?

[@wingsofpegasus]

No idea!

[@hkguitar1984]

Ahhhh, Robben Ford, it's like he can move into his "zone" at will. Always a pleasure to listen to Mr. Ford. "Edit", I would add that for myself, playing almost exclusively through Dumble amplifiers like Robben does would certainly help me get into the "zone"!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Cool!

[@jazzcat8786]

Some tasty tasty stuff here.... he’s a great educator as well; has several instructional vids🤟🏻

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@iansnyder274]

Great Phil..have u checked out David Grissom...used to see him all the time at Antones in Austin....

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@jasonkeith9317]

Robben is a jazz cat with a blues feel. Or maybe the other way around I can't tell!!!

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@scottcrosby-art5490]

Probably the best player around at the moment, You should listen to his version of Worried Life Blues if you haven’t already 👌👌🤘

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

I’m not even mad about the Telecaster because it sounds so good.

[@StephenMarkTurner]

It probably doesn't help that Fender calls the Tremelo effect a Vibrato, and Bigsby called the Vibrato bar a Tremelo. :-)

[@wingsofpegasus]

Haha yeah 😂

[@mikehomner4724]

Anyone who plays with Larry Carlton has to be bad ass...

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Fil and morning coffee,it’s becoming a habit.lol.

[@mikeblue385]

gary novak on drums. nice.

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@kearonandrewobrien7460]

Yeah that's it,melodies played over different time values.between keyboards and Giitar

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@ursafan40]

You do find the good ones Fil. I'm a big fan of someone who knows how to play the spaces as well as the notes. Why does everyone call a Whammy Bar a Tremolo bar? I don't know. My Cello playing nephew knows the difference. and hates it when a guitar player calls it a Tremolo bar.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yeah the bigsby whammy bar was called a tremolo incorrectly so that didn't help! 😂

[@awickedtribe]

Another good choice... a good follow-up would be some Ronnie Earl

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@marcelboogaard5449]

Prime example that less is more 👍🏻

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

The keyboard player is good too.🎹

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@sbardellajulio3114]

🤘

[@smokindauberdoo4204]

Hey Fil / Gene Baker built a few guitars for Robben check it out :-')

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@carbine090909]

Dang that was smooth....Dang. This vid took me down a rabbit hole. I don't know anything about music. I looked up tremolo and vibrato and ended up in Khan Academy watching a course on the properties of sound. They never mentioned flashing the rock on/devil horns not even once. So I went back to Google and Eddie Van Halen's performance on Jimmy Kimmel kept popping up in the results for tremolo. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ6XnZh8Ys2NiM0, and just "BB King" for vibrato. It was hard for me to make out EVH's famous tremolo - he goes so fast, I'm not sure what I'm hearing -- but tremolo is that Chris Isaak, surf guitar, Angelo Badalamenti Twin Peaks sound, right?

[@wingsofpegasus]

Tremolo is the same note just an increase and decrease in volume, like waves of volume. That's all. Vibrato is a change in the pitch of a note, it's nothing to do with volume ☺

[@kramersurfer5280]

im confused, what qualifications do you have to analyze these guitarists, ive only seen you playing behind blue eyes on a piece of crud tanglewood and a squire telecaster,could you post a video of you playing what you preach and show people how you have such an insight in to all of your videos?

[@wingsofpegasus]

wingsofpegasusband.com/about-me

[@bgilley8199]

Kramer surfer a 10 second look at his video uploads would have shown you that he has almost 30 covers uploaded showcasing a pretty solid understanding of the instrument, to say the least. Not to mention this is a reaction/opinion video, not an instructional video on how to play, so what qualifications does he need exactly other than being a musician who likes to share his thoughts with interested listeners? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWacoHSimdecjaM

[@jasonkeith9317]

Leo Fender got tremolo and vibrato confused all the time hence the term tremolo arm when everybody knows that bar is for vibrato not tremolo.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yeah the guitar manufacturers confused everyone 😅

[@robbyrob0723]

Ok you've done Robben, Allen H. Now do Frank Gambale and Scott Henderson

[@robbyrob0723]

By the way, check out Allan Holdsworth's song Tulio. I think it's awesome!!!

[@Knards]

Steve Kimock is in the same vein

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@raccoonresidence9086]

Hey Fil, if you get a chance check out Pedro Javier Gonzalez. His fingers are WoW! Cheers. Sultans of swing, etc.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@danielabatabogdanov8586]

Sorry to be negative but i feel a lot of "popular" guitar players could learn from his "restraint". Maybe Joe B could also but i guess some people like Joe the way he does play. Different folkes different strokes.

[@johnboltonsmustache3014]

Great stuff. The snare is too loud though.

[@wingsofpegasus]

😅

[@Levashanks]

Seems like his playing and transitions are similar to Jerry Garcia and ironically John Mayer at times minus the strat ironic for me John is doing his very best to get Dead fans through the loss of Jerry

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@glassncobalt]

There's a video of Mayer stating," Robben Ford is just the best". I was lucky enough to see Robben Ford in 1974, been a fan ever since.

[@jawaadzulqernine2146]

I'm thinking maybe Guthrie took a leaf out of his book for "Waves".. Anyone with me?

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yeah Guthrie is definitely a fan!

[@jawaadzulqernine2146]

@@wingsofpegasus yep. Heard Guthrie mention him in some interview. Quite fondly actually

[@ggdchla]

Hey Fil, would love to hear your input on this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f57caY17r7KjrdE I feel like this summarizes his playing so well, many of his techniques really come to shine. Cheers, Armin

[@ggdchla]

AWESOME videos btw, love your stuff

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@jasonkeith9317]

Is this what they call baby makin' music?!?

[@wingsofpegasus]

😂

[@michaelnettles2570]

Uhhh...have you done anything on Andy Timmons and have you done anything on Dream Theater, The Dixie Dregs, Liquid Tension Experiment, Yellow Matter Custard or any of those lightweights? hahahaha!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[@seanmiller7889]

1st!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Yep!