David Rawlings on Dissonance

Dave talks about his ear for dissonance and how not everyone appreciates it.

[@TheBullinamingvase]

The guitar on Revelator is one the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. David's guitar playing is second to none. Both he and Gillian are the Real deal.

[@fewhite5126]

DR is such a joyful soul. You can't help but smile watching him.

[@discerningpalate]

I appreciate their music even more, he's so funny and candid.

[@j1i9l5l]

I really, really fell in love with Dave and Gillian through Revelator. I loved those chords. I only listen and don't know music, but when I heard those chords it's like a whole new world opened up. I was blown away by it.

[@TheOpinionatedGuitarist]

I love his excitement. I still feel that way about music after all these years!

[@bluesborn]

The sound of a brilliant player caressing the fretboard of an almost 80 year old Epiphone guitar.

[@bkindglassworks]

A brilliant three minutes here, this is gold! Revelator in one of the most capturing pieces from the duo, it just 'does it' for me.

[@verithomas]

@TheBullinamingvase I completely agree. Ive played stringed instruments for more than half my life in anything from metal to classical, and I will ALWAYS put David Rawlings in my favorite guitarist of all times. He is one of the few musicians out there that can convey a certain emotion for the entire song simply through what he picks in the background...does that make sense?

[@SuperLeahbeah]

I love love the dissonance. We saw the show @ the Lensic in Santa Fe and my husband was asking me - what is that thing he does where it is not a "normal" chord; not because he didn't like it, but because it stood out to his ear. I didn't come up with the word dissonance, I could only think a 7th, sustained or something...to me it has a haunting effect where instead of coming home it leaves you hanging in suspense waiting for MORE!! ;) Love Dave's spirit.

[@pataleno]

No Dave your guitar does not sound out of tune on revelator. It sounds so special to me.

[@jessepoole106]

My favorite video on all of youtube :)

[@mrdupeep]

I just saw David play with Punch Brothers last night at red rocks and heard a group of kids say " he's so bad ass he doesn't care if he's out of tune!" So this is pretty funny haha

[@nelsonemily4]

The face he makes at 2:24 will never stop being funny to me. He looks like a Muppet. I love Dave Rawlings for many reasons, and that face just got added to the list.

[@dromanoff37]

that last story makes me laugh so hard every time I hear it

[@Celtokee]

Absolutely made my day.

[@djpants]

Dave Rawlings got a great vibe

[@jimmy2sticks]

Dave seems high as sh#t in this clip. I love it. He's incredible.

[@Emmetgriffin9]

❤❤❤❤❤🎉

[@guydecervens]

I wonder is that minor second chord he keeps hitting on Revelator the "sacred chord that David played that pleased the Lord" ... the other David? Because we all know that when this David plays it the whole world is well pleased.

[@meleecritical]

2021 Willing to bet on it

[@medicinegone]

He's so great. The things he loves about tones are the same things heroin heads love about tones. Awesome.

[@douglaslee8071]

Dave, plz keep on playing! I'll buy your guitar for 22 billion dollars!

[@philbillie]

Yeah, it's a really great tool, especially when you are playing acoustically and you can't rely on the types of inter-modulation you can get with an over-driven electric to get the same tension and excitement. Buddy does this, too and I get a lot of mileage out of this. In fact, when I first heard David's playing I thought "Cool! you can actually get away with that" The key, though, is knowing how to resolve in just the right way for that big payoff.

[@davakins]

love it!

[@sundaydiver]

I had a moment not too long ago where I was listening to Time the Revelator and suddenly realized I had the same, almost unconscious draw to dissonance that Dave describes. Although I'm still a noob for the most part, I had done this kind of thing many times in jams. Ever since, I've been paying particular attention to Dave's playing. To me, his sound is the THE best acoustic guitar sound of any. And yes, that includes Tony Rice, and Doc Watson, and the usual suspects. Dave has 'em beat. ;-)

[@ottobiggs]

Right on!!!!!

[@egauthre]

This is a description of why it is so confusing to hear overtones when you are trying to determine what is flat, sharp, major, minor when a person can hear all the sounds/vibrations it can be all of them at once....

[@jasonbradley673]

He is only high on B3. Try it sometime..

[@6kid1wifeandme]

He is so into how guitar playing, is subject to others interpretation He is just so good! and ya maybe a bit manic about his playing and describing it. YOU dont Need to do drugs when you get high off of being so good that you think that you are JUST average, If David is average, I say that others like Tony Rice, Eric Clapton are just beginners . I have been Playing 30 Years and i wish had 10 % of HIS Ability and KNowledge of MUSIC and his enthusiasm .

[@Melissajoe816]

Personally I love 2nds, 9ths, 11ths... A lot of the South American / Brazilian composers I liked in college wrote chords for guitar like train wrecks. Beautiful stuff. and I hate it when the guitars go out of tune, it sounds so...whack. However, I do LOVE and respect dissonance. Not into Cage, but like it. :)

[@Xlorntabis]

If anyone has spent a lot of time trying to get some of the David Rawlings sound under their belt, I would really ask for your help as far as tabs and videos to work on. The sound is almost identical, in many ways, to Kenneth Pattengale from Milk Carton Kids. I've mostly worked on Simon and Garfunkel, Pete Seeger, Carter Family, Norman Blake, Doc Watson, Skip James, ad naseum fingerstyle stuff in the 20 years I have played. I am trying to teach myself to get more into crosspicking.....eghads though, not professionally trained when it comes to ear training. Would love some tips on how to approach this sound.

[@Tigrebleau1]

If you've listened to Fred Neil, you can hear the same dissonances he used in 1965. It takes serious musicianship to make them work as well as he did and Dave Rawlings does. Fred Neil, of course, was a junkie and unfortunately died way too young.

[@JasonUmbrellabird]

CAN YOU GET ALL THE OTHER DR VIDS IN THIS SERIES?

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

Oh, Dave, don't listen internet comments.

[@paulhunton2156]

2:03

[@Halliday7895]

Tony plays a way different style as does Clapton but Tony is more advanced than Dave and Clapton in my opinion. I love all their contributions to roots music....Tony is more flashy...but its all matter of opinion really...bottom line Dave is REALLY GOOD and modest..both great qualities to have.

[@scavengersgreen]

PGT

[@dreamwell2020]

Imagine if Neil Young's music got stuffed in through one of those "no singer left behind" auto-tune gizmos - no one would listen to it.

[@optimustine]

press 5 over and over

[@oesrescueveteran]

The person who stated the guitars were out-of-tune, have NEVER been exposed to progressive bluegrass. I consider that person to be either not know that much about music composition, or one who got stuck in music time back when.

[@rodthecod]

I think that guitar is out of tune!