Cliff Gallup's Rockabilly Guitar Solo in Gene Vincent's "Race with the Devil" | Reverb Learn to Play

Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps rockabilly "Race With the Devil" features Cliff Gallup's frenetic and tricky guitar work, unleashing upon the unsuspecting world a quintessential rockabilly solo. Influencing later guitar legends like Beck and Clapton, Gallup's work is as fun to learn as it is to play. Follow along as Joe runs through this progression so you can use some of the techniques in your own playing.
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[@elainekerslake6865]

Jeff Beck said this was so hard to copy. Cliff told Jeff that he made the solo up in his head minutes before recording. Amazing player.

[@gillan5]

To me Beck never was a good rockabilly player.

[@thelastwildcolonialboy3667]

I heard Brian Setzer first and thought he was the king of rockabilly. Then I heard Gallup and realised he was standing on the shoulders of a giant

[@petercousins1645]

Great to see someone with a passion to get the right sound, right echo, right guitar.

[@genevee6540]

Gene Vincent and Cliff Gallup is pure gold.

[@djangorheinhardt]

Wow you nailed Gallup's solo dead on,and the exact sound of Cliff's guitar.Great!

[@tonebonetones]

Great stuff, and nicely played. As a very old player, it is good to see young guitarists playing some of the old gems!

[@kentwood9821]

Outstanding lesson, short and to the point. Thanks for discussing this in musical terms instead of just covering which notes to play. Still trying to suss out the logic (and magic) that makes these solos sound the way they do, and this is a great help!

[@PeterPug]

The solos back then were extensions of the vocals. You can sing Cliff’s parts compared to others who are trying to show off their shedding abilities instead!

[@badhat63]

Thank you sir, haven’t heard a guitar player sound that good in years, please don’t stop.

[@mauricegull3406]

Heard Gene Vincent ‘BeBop a Lula’ on WGNY NY Oldies this morning’ & started digging into the guitar solos. Stumbled into this great lesson. Hard to believe I somehow skipped over that era of Rockabilly, but I am on it now. Great instruction, great pace, love the 3/4 speed repeat with top speed replay at the end. No ‘fat’ in this lesson. Tnx!

[@cd4627]

Checkout Willie Phelps dj jamboree and yes siree with Cliff on guitar he was in my grandfathers band before gene vincent

[@cd4627]

Checkout Willie Phelps song DJ's jamboree and yes siree with a young cliff Gallup tearing up the rockabilly licks awesome tracks Willie was my grandfather

[@asparagusbear3323]

YES! more rockabilly stuff please. so tasty.

[@tagsdm]

What a great lesson. Beautifully done. I could swear I was listening to Cliff himself. Many thanks.

[@TheVatonaught]

Great lesson and teaching pace...many thanks from an old timer.

[@TomBarradas]

This is FANTASTIC! THANK YOU!!!

[@dannyskrims5243]

Great lesson on one of my absolute favorite guitarists.

[@stilllifewithguitar184]

That's fucking great. Love all that stuff Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Buddy, Duane Eddy...

[@URTH-yb5xh]

Very fantastically done Clear and quick Thanks

[@nedlambton6602]

Great to find someone on here that really knows their subject. Bravo sir!

[@LEEFORDJAGG]

Excellent presentation and it kept me hooked. Great sound and technique.

[@AthelstanEngland]

Really well presented lesson. The technical (to me anyway) bits around why certain notes work was really useful - thank you.

[@glassslide]

That was seriously great, AWESOME lesson!!

[@chrismilbank]

Wow love to see you in concert

[@davecaputo918]

Nicely done young man 😎🎶

[@lonesomedavefisherthereal]

you have really paid attention- good ears!

[@cd4627]

Cliff played with Willie Phelps before all this checkout DJ's jamboree and yes siree both feature cliff on guitar awsome

[@RussellPaplior]

Very fine job indeed, my dude!

[@MarkWieske]

Thanks so much!

[@fruitcakedrifter1286]

Thanks for sharing.......

[@jonjennings13]

wow Fantastic Instructions

[@stevehughes1510]

Thanks for this..............really good!!

[@BabyBoomerChannel]

Cliff Gallup, Scott Moore, Grady Martin. That’s all

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

and Paul Burlison

[@nedlambton6602]

@@JulioLeonFandinho I heard it was Grady Martin that played lead on those Johnny Burnette songs.

[@nedlambton6602]

James Burton...

[@musik102]

@@JulioLeonFandinho See Vince Gordon's website. He reckons that Grady Martin did all the best playing on Gene's recordings.

[@dallasokelly2951]

Dimebag Darrell

[@glassslide]

That was AWESOME!!

[@mick712]

Good stuff!!!! 😎

[@juke699]

Hey Joe...............Great Video and lesson How about a few more Cliff Gallup solos................

[@taffywilliams5669]

nicely explained ......cheers dude.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

That guitar has a unique tone

[@titi64230]

Thanks !

[@theconversation9103]

That was great. You should do 'Rock Around The Clock' or the Ren and Stimpy theme tune next

[@SlickCrusty]

fantastic

[@BEUDEUDNEUVE]

Great !!!

[@Newwaver2007]

Cool 😎 I like this!

[@Nickpaflas]

Rockabilly cats can really play

[@Nickpaflas]

@@simonfarrell2537 Roackabilly and bluegrass- the original shredders. With all the chords and the combination of scales (major/blues/Myxolidian, they got all that) and syncopation, rockabilly's sorta like jazz (almost any notes allowed depending on where you start and where you end up) but easier to dance to , but they probably don't want everyone to know...

[@robertrobles4028]

Dude, you play nice, but please explain the delay setting you are using. Without delay it wouldn’t sound the same at all. Good job😊

[@leandrojosemartins1]

Too didatic, brilhant, thank you!!

[@mamashotsauce3864]

Okay, pretty good, except you state in the beginning that Cliff had a Bigsby tremolo on his Duo Jet and that is what he used for most of the bends in this solo. If you listen closely to the recording you will notice that the notes actually go down before they come up again....

[@e-man2081]

I play it that way. Except I do the 12th fret pull offs. You're right, it sounds better when you pick the 12th fret. I have heard that pull offs weren't ever used in the 1950s, and that players picked every note, but that can't be true. Eddie Van Halen made pull offs more popular.

[@vincentl.9469]

I first heard this in 1975 ; the 2 solos on the original were recorded 'on the spot' with no overdubs, second takes- not many can do that. i struggle with getting that triplet sound right on the first...

[@cd4627]

They both were from Norfolk VA , gene Vincent from Portsmouth VA, 5 miles away

[@HardwareDestination]

so cool man good job top ;-)

[@sloppy_hand]

Wayne Kramer from MC5 used that lick in some of their songs, at least in "looking at you"

[@rarerockk]

Didn't know that track and checked it out. You're right, their lead player definitely was inspired by it and stretched out the potential of this lick for a longer solo over a different progression, also changig the progression of this short lick after a while. Musicians all inspire each other lol. I can't remember in which track at the moment, but there is a recording I stumbled across in which django reinhardt would play this lick. To me, seemingly identically pickin it, not making use of any pull offs (at even slightly faster speed).

[@sloppy_hand]

@@rarerockk totally agreed! I was reading something about T.S Eliot's thoughts on originality and it was like we the creators are always conected to something other people created before, we are never creating something new but slightely adding our own takes on what others made before us... Something in the lines of that... buddy, if you ever remember what Django's track it was, please leave the title here!

[@rarerockk]

@@sloppy_hand I'll look through some of my loved Django LPs next week and will let you know, enjoy the rest of the weekend mate!

[@sloppy_hand]

@@rarerockk I'll be waiting for that! cheers, my good buddy!

[@law13ie29]

Awesome solo trademark !! Is there not another solo when songs goes to the key of F ?

[@johnnyfrisco5354]

Yes

[@jackgrattan1447]

Does anyone know if Cliff Gallup had a western swing background? His solo here always reminded me of the guitar solo in Bob Wills' ROLY POLY, especially the chromatic octave run.

[@innocentoctave]

I don't think Gallup had worked in Western Swing specifically, but there's a good chance he knew that song growing up. In any case, that chromatic lick in octaves was probably already a cliche for good players by the time Gallup used it. Still sound wonderful. He plays something similar in the second solo on 'Jump Back Baby, Jump Back', but even faster and more impactful because he jumps straight into it.

[@surfinwax58]

Guitar Player Magazine did an interview with him in the early 1980s. If you can find it, he does go into his guitar upbringing.

[@cd4627]

Yes cliff was in my grandfathers band norman Phelps and the VA rounders and they're in the western swing hall of fame ,checkout Willie Phelps DJ's jamboree and yes siree incredible guitar playing from a young cliff gallop

[@arvo56]

Get a Bigsby & you could get it spot on! Cliff used a bigsby in just about ALL of his solos.

[@Hans-fz6cc]

Class 💪

[@jordandelacruz1866]

Awesome Joe! Love your playing, scarves and cool beanies! Brands please! Need to invest in hipster wardrobe now that squad is complete( minus acoustics)

[@JGSHADID]

Haha thanks! Scarf brand is usually LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON - out of Venice, CA..check em out!

[@jordandelacruz1866]

Joe George Very cool! I will and the beanies??? Love your studio/apt setup! What do you use for software? That's next for me and my sons who both play! I play 4 instruments, my oldest 5( beat me with uke) and my youngest sings, plays drums and learning guitar! Thanks for inspiration!!

[@Shankopottomus]

My dream tone!

[@FrederickGlazier]

Great Cliff Notes...

[@robertrobles4028]

Actually Cliff influenced Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Eric Clapton and Peter Green were influenced by the great American Black Blues Masters. All great music!😊

[@GravyDaveNewson]

great work, sir. I wonder if on that particular guitar it may have sounded better on the bridge pickup only? I hear a little too much honk.

[@davidlara2172]

How to sound like. Slowdive please!!

[@V8Deuce]

Give it up pal. There is something a lot more to Cliffs playing than what you have!

[@christopherreel7274]

Great playing however the best part of Cliffs lead is not played here at all , the modulation to F which is really the feature in RWTD and the reason it kicks Ass!

[@johnnyfrisco5354]

Two great solos and the one in F is inspirational... one of the greatest recordings of all time... rare to get a sudden modulation like this in rockabilly or rock 'n roll... yes! the reason it sounds so exciting.

[@michaelbennett1883]

Fuckin mint!

[@TheSkarocker56]

Great stuff. Ignore the brain dead rockabilly nobheads negative comments

[@tomgee001]

My late brother Micky Gee was also a fan of Cliff Gallup. kzbin.info/door/lRPkv98gockZlRu8uwCJMg Facebook: facebook.com/MickyGeeGuitarist/ #MickyGeeGuitarist

[@bradleyford1174]

Billy Wallace

[@rockhard2654]

clapton hated rockabilly. jeff beck loved cliff

[@hiramsoberanes9688]

Jeff beck play this without pick

[@soundknight]

How many times were those riffs stolen

[@kevdean9967]

And they were probably stolen from guys like Eldon Shamblin, Lonnie Johnson, Django etc and reconfigured!

[@MyTwangyGuitar]

"THE solo"? There are *TWO* solos in "Race With The Devil" with the second solo being the baddest of both. Do your homework, young man!

[@headwhop26]

Whys this guy wearing star wars-lookin pants

[@JGSHADID]

I had just returned from a mission with the rebels

[@Erik_Block]

May 11th, 2018, 11:58am: 666 views.

[@skiptrailer7048]

yeah,,, whatever, who are you? only had 70 years to work it out, wasn't iconic when he done it

[@markeddeckmusic7202]

Ain’t rockabilly it’s jazz Ffs !!

[@petegilgan4058]

Cliff was NOT an influence for Clapton - at all.

[@jeffjeeves6337]

pete gilgan- clapton himself states that as a teenager he used to mime to be bop a lula in his mum's front room using a tennis raquet for a guitar......

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

Clapton loved rockabilly but he loved blues more... On the other way, Jeff Beck loved more rockabilly than blues. That's why a noob listener can't appreciate those influences on Clapton

[@jbarnes2288]

Why anyone would want to look like a clown with a BEEHIVE on their head is beyond me. Just goes to show how you can float any shallow little stupid trend if you push it hard enough...... Sorry, unable to look beyond that. It's a credibility thing man.

[@djangorheinhardt]

Eh ?

[@34bully]

Gonna play it on my gretsch for sure 😀

[@nickspurdo5503]

Well Met Mell Wet