DEEP DIVE - How Garcia & Mayer Solo Over "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo" | Guitar Lesson

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[@geoffdanker3034]

After listening to Jerry for years and years it's fun to hear you say, "Don't get lost in the note-for-noteness of it...HE'S lost in the note-for-noteness of it." and it's so true! When I started mapping out those chromatic runs and half step lead-ins, it really opened up a lot of Jerry's style for me. Just try to anticipate the chord that's coming up and get to that 3rd however you can!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

You did a great job on this. I find Garcia’s playing endlessly fascinating, you can really hear him think as he plays. Thanks for giving this music the attention it deserves and your analysis of these Jerryisms is truly insightful.

[@RussCote]

Fascinating, emphasis on “endlessly”.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@RussCote lol

[@tomyates2551]

That bit - and you know which bit - was amazing to watch.

[@dizzydad4708]

I love the differences between these cats. The timing and strategy difference give almost an insight into their personalities. Thanks for introducing me to the dead and dead and co.

[@jimmyc3904]

Highly suggest listening to 9/3/77 half step. Some of the best jerry playing ive ever heard!

[@andwall1965]

12/30/77 too

[@Greg-go8ep]

I couldn't agree more!

[@girthbloodstool339]

Yep, 771230, 770903, and Boston 770507 are my favourites.

[@joshuacalzada5892]

This and the Palladium in 77 are the best imo

[@soccergirlcheri]

If I may be so bold: the two minute plus buildup during Garcia's first solo in Englishtown that resolves in the shattering climax at about 6.20 into the song is one of the peak moments of the band's entire career.

[@HyzersGR]

Lost my boots in transit baby... pile a smokin leather... nailed the retread to my feet and prayed for better weather...

[@ericpfeiffer1361]

Favorite dead lyric by a mile

[@HyzersGR]

@@ericpfeiffer1361 you're probably aware it's autobiographical... Jerry almost died in a car wreck when he was like 19. Flew through the windshield and when he came to he didn't even have his shoes on. I think the driver or one of the passengers actually died. Close call

[@Guitargate]

See. You’re on it :)

[@nizzurtmontalgizzert3337]

Robert hunter wrote the lyrics so I am not sure that line is about Jerry

[@HyzersGR]

@@nizzurtmontalgizzert3337 Dennis McNally talks about it in Long Strange Trip. Can’t remember the exact page number but lots of lines in their songs are inspired by actual events.

[@slonegan]

Michael, you are the best. Thank you.

[@paulgordon6949]

Love this song. One my favourite dead tunes. You don't hear them play this one all too often it seams to me.

[@jgold78]

Masterclass, Michael. Appreciate the care you take in documenting the theory and artisanship of multiple performances in a way the lay fan and player can consume.

[@searing7549]

I think Mayer is great, but this video really demonstrates the incredible genius of Jerry! So expansive and melodic!

[@jwconstruction9065]

U figured out.hes not figured itot

[@seansmodernlife9823]

Shout out to the Billy Strings cap. Love these Dead deep dives 👍

[@garrbigster]

I could go on and on and talk about how much I love this video. But I just want to say...I ordered my first PRS and I'm so excited to be apart of the club. You're amazing Michael! Rock on!

[@Billy_Bojangles68]

Gotta like Vassar Clements on the fiddle on the studio recording.

[@scotttam7491]

It funny to see how much Mayer has improved as a guitar player since this date not only in the dead material but all round as a player the dead has brought Mayer to different level of Mayer than he has ever hit before goes to show how good jerry really was

[@tre_3509]

Having a half a cup of rock and rye while checking this out, cheers!!

[@samjones24566]

At around 3:40 Mike says B7 but he means D7. He corrects it about 30 seconds later but for any confused it is a D7 he's talking about

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Sometimes the fingers have minds of their own. The Mississippi Halfstep from Boston 5-7-77 is a great example of Jerry kinda doing some stuff that Mayer would do.

[@marklyon8406]

This was just awesome. Thank you. Mayer is a beast. Leaving the frustration in the video and demonstrating you working through it was* helpful. "Nonspecific exploratory" lol!

[@sollyharr]

Your the man Michael....hee hee it's funny when we get lost on something and kind of blank out trying to figure out someone else's lead work...I usually give up and play my own stuff but plowing on through has it's rewards ! Thanks dude 👍

[@mattsiddons733]

Favorite dead tune to play over by far. I love how the borrowed chords AND the groove force you into interesting ideas/pathways when soloing. Lotta opportunities for bebop lines in a dead tune!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Bebop all the way.

[@brentwentfishing]

What a great song to deep dive! One of my favorites!

[@Guitargate]

Thanks Brent!

[@brentwentfishing]

@@Guitargate Diggin' the Billy Strings cap too!

[@danielpaskoful]

Thank you Micheal. You and stitchguitar help me break through and expand my awareness. Best two Jerry analysis teachers on the net.

[@tylercartwright]

The Billy Strings hat! Love it!!

[@user-cb5we5dr5g]

Been blasting wake of the flood lately perfect timing lol

[@Anywherestudios]

Thanks so much! It's lovely watching you pick out the pieces and I learn with every frame. Thanks again!

[@Guitargate]

I'm so glad!

[@noahimua1289]

Great video Michael! I love your deep dives. I play this tune all the time, and this was some great insight here. Definitely gonna use a lot of your findings to inform my future renditions of this tune. Love it!

[@kriskolenut7591]

Gotta check out the version from dicks picks 15. Englishtown Nj 1977. One of the best jams I’ve ever heard. Whole band is firing on all cylinders. They were hitting it on a different level in 77!

[@orangeandblackattack]

right on! perfect timing almost tuning in

[@ridesingletrack]

Great deep dive. I love the Dead focused videos, and it's particularly interesting to see multiple minds approaching the same music. Thanks for the breakdown (and all the other great content). Cheers, man!

[@zitnbit]

Deep dive contents are outstanding. Thanks.

[@ultimateuygur4419]

Thank you for these videos! Just signed up for Guitar Gate. Just waiting on my guitar to come back from the shop, then IT’S ON

[@mickjagger149]

Been waiting on this one for months and I was not disappointed! Amazing vid as always! Appreciate all the time and effort you put into these deep dives, especially the Dead ones

[@thejamnasium6447]

Garcia had absolutely perfect picking hand technique.

[@swosene]

His ring finger was particularly perfect

[@josevillarreal9920]

@@swosene the 'ghost' note.

[@AMinorCaseOfBlues]

Great video dude! Thanks!

[@muzikman183]

man i love your videos. i dont play guitar but i often hear the same stuff you're hearing. my wife was laughing at me because i was yelling at the computer screen trying to tell you the one note u were missing on that slick john mayer lick lol.. John had a microsecond to clean that up or else he would've landed in no man's land haha of course he was landed on his feet, but his facial expression said, "Shit, that got kinda hairy.."

[@Guitargate]

Yes!! Yes he did!!

[@mrvootie1]

My fave is 11/5/77 Rochester NY. Garcia's solos are PERFECT!

[@mattevers654]

I wear bird dogs every day. You’re the man

[@ChrisSiegert031201]

The Hat 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@michaelhoward4173]

These deep dives are awesome!! I’m a Mayerhead turned deadhead so it’s interesting coming into the dead world and having to get to know Jerry so to speak because I’ve grown up with John! Neat to see their styles and how they differ.. maybe look into a Sugaree or Bertha! 2 of my favs that Mayer excels on

[@stevesuv]

Mike dont loose your mind. You are good. Think Reggie on Dobie Grey.

[@klb3293]

Mayer sounds pretty dam good

[@searing7549]

11-5-77 is the most amazing version of Half Step ever! Do yourself a favor and give it a listen!

[@mrvootie1]

Best ever IMO. Helps that I was there.

[@jwconstruction9065]

Nice job Mike. I never. Said that before

[@justinguitarcia]

Jerry plays like a country or even bop player - playing over the changes and connecting the dots chromatically

[@JohnGieschenJr]

Exactly- he was a folkie bluegrass when he first learned to play music. It underlies all he does at the core. imho

[@jamesincharlotte]

1/2 step to stairway to heaven 😹 great video btw !! Thanks a million !!

[@ryanfrancis6092]

After the Citi field show on Friday, you HAVE to do an updated video on John Mayer’s Half-Step. Killed it that night. Damn near brought me to my knees

[@xdeejayjones]

billy strings hat is a nice extra touch

[@brianbranch7133]

Great job. Listen to Jazz is Dead cover this with Jimmy Herring. Actually listen to all Jazz is Dead. Great stuff that’s been forgotten.

[@kevinborchers3522]

Awesome stuff as always. My favorite Dead jam is the outro jam in this song so it would be great if you did a deep dive part 2 on how they approach that part of the song.

[@stonepaintertim]

modal change--into A -D

[@srnickvelluzzi]

Great stuff. I think you'll find Jerry doing his version of Albert King in the early 70s Jerry Garcia Band stuff.

[@brett7129]

Got the same hat at my first Billy Strings concert!

[@OTM87]

Thanks for the great video. I doubt I'm the first to suggest some usb pedals for pause/rewind videos with your foot. I love mine.

[@henrykosofsky8988]

You should react to more dead love it

[@michaelconway2183]

Wake of the Flood is underrated.

[@TomTomTheLeprechaun]

More coheed brother. There's a whole community out there dying to see your reactions to coheed and cambria.

[@Guitargate]

Hit me with a live track!

[@TomTomTheLeprechaun]

@@Guitargate kzbin.info/www/bejne/haO4ZIxsqM5nic0 solo starts at 2:23 they do an improv solo at the end but the main solo is at 2:23. Can i just say that watching the welcome home reaction was so amazing. They literally inspired you and you could barely contain doing a solo yourself. And when you did solo it was an honor to hear over my favorite track. You may even consider doing your own solos over some tracks because of how epic it sounds. You've got music in your soul brother. Keep doing your thing and making people smile with your great personality and talent ✌️

[@yourmomma2995]

my daddy sat down and cried 😭

[@matrosickles9659]

I'm diggin' the Strings hat! Just saying.

[@dabomdotorg]

What about the outro though? Best part!!

[@cjscala87]

Man it really sounds like Jerry’s playing with a slide sometimes

[@Greg-go8ep]

Michael please cover this tune from 9/3/77! several references to it here and its a great demonstration of the Dead when they are "on" and at the height of their powers, as it were....

[@gordtvradio3465]

Jerry doesn’t overshoot. I think he intentionally targets the flat 9th to add spicy dissonance. It’s one of my favorite Jerry-isms

[@jessesnyder5426]

I think Michael is not quite aware of the plethora of Jerryisms. Jerry is a musical genius and is indisputably "The Master".

[@douglynch8954]

It's hard to tell with Jerry because he often folds his "mistakes" into the solo in such a way that adds dynamism to the whole thing. I think its a stylistic choice to play on the edge and if there is an overshoot, you just react to make it work. I think Jerry allows for wild cards in there, but I'm not sure he plans the wild cards.

[@gordtvradio3465]

@@douglynch8954 who doesn’t make mistakes? However, Listen to recordings of LUCKY OLD SUN by Jerry Garcia band in the late 80s. You can tell he is doing it on purpose as he does it multiple times in some single solos and over different performances

[@douglynch8954]

@@gordtvradio3465 Sure, everybody makes 'em. My point wasn't to criticize. I actually think mistakes, insofar as you can call them mistakes, are an important part of Jerry's playing style. My actual point was that sometimes it is hard to tell if he's actually targeting a note or if he is going a little sharp or flat and then reacts to that. Who can say? Maybe in the example you give he does in fact do it intentionally. It wouldn't surprise me. On the other hand, I have listened to an awful lot of Jerry's playing and I'm pretty sure that he does hit some off notes and then works with it, often to make something really cool sounding! The spontaneity and the willingness to shoot from the hip are what make his playing so interesting. The fact that he can turn lemons into lemonade is a an awesome skill.

[@josephm.noviello1996]

In the Frets Magazine interview with Jerry, Him and John Kahn didn't worry about mistakes, just move along.... Later Jer says "There are no mistakes"....I love that.

[@tyjordan6470]

Yes and yes

[@nducati]

"these are the halfsteps you wanna pay attention to." - guitargate

[@3fingerheater]

Can you do a deep dive on some new billy? Maybe ice bridges or hide and seek? Love the hat and I love your billy content

[@jillcnc]

It's clear that Jerry's roots are in bluegrass/Americana AND blues where John is primarily a blues guitarist. Completely different sound, but it works. He doesn't make a guitar cry the way Jerry did but if you can take him on his own merits, he's really revitalized this band.

[@IvorThomas]

Fun tune. I have a suggestion... how about some Amos Garrett? But instead of "Midnight at Oasis", listen to his playing on "Oh Papa" with Maria Muldaur. Such slippery, double stoppy lushness.

[@ulrikosnes4726]

Seperate ways live!

[@mikegaudet6264]

listen to blackberry smoke and billy strings play that song WOW WOW

[@mitchweiner]

I never appreciated Grateful Dead’s music when I was in my teens and 20s. I get the fascination now at the age of 50.

[@GaryPhelps-dx7rt]

doug irwin has built an exact copy of wolf for john mayer to play on the new tour to pay tribute to jerry

[@blakebeehler4511]

Michael, you should do a deep dive or a reaction video for Dave Mathew’s Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the killer Live at Central Park! I’d love to see you break down, in my opinion, the best live rendition of the song

[@jonathanpappas5583]

video aside, i have a billy strings question mike (the hat). have you heard the chord progression on "Love and Regret?" I cannot get it out of my head since i heard it, i just love it

[@jonathanpappas5583]

I figured out why. It’s the Cmaj7 (or just C) -> B turnaround which is lifted from Melissa, which was one of my favorite songs growing up

[@erlingmomo3582]

Hey Michael, could you please react to Eric Gales? The guy is an absolute monstrous force of nature. Normally I’m not a huge fan of shredding but this man is just something else. Besides that, he also uses very interesting and unusual chords. One of the best right now for sure!

[@arewestilldoingphrasing6490]

He did in the joe bona who vs eric gales kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKqtf2yqodCthq8

[@ianquittner6067]

103:54 the hybrid bend... remember who his teacher is ... Tomo is king of the micro bends... not like Jerry... like Tomo.. I think with Mayer you get both the Albert King and the Tomo and probably Jerry too.....

[@hesch-tag]

Can you please do a video on Gary Moore playing Shapes of things from the Emerald Aisles 1984. In my opinion much better than all the blues stuff he has ever done.

[@stevesuv]

More Deal then Stairway without the diminished chords.

[@matiasponsxx]

With Mick all we re 3rd followers!!!

[@tzegras]

Thought your shirt said Birdsong at first glance...."would have been it a whole lot cooler if it did,,," ha. (movie?)

[@gordtvradio3465]

Hi Michael You should ditch the album in these videos instead choose a live version from the 70s Pair that with a late 80s early 90s version like you did here

[@joshwright2379]

this was way too hard for me but sick video

[@stevesuv]

at 119 reggie young

[@GaryPhelps-dx7rt]

he built 10 of them and the prototype for mayer he selling them for 22000 a piece

[@biffjohnson7891]

Jerry created music Meeger “covers” it up

[@Provis55]

Can you do a react to Alexandr Misko plz

[@stevesuv]

So Dixeyland.

[@klb3293]

But there is only one Jerry

[@jonathandickson4405]

Ok now play it all together instead of little bits at a time

[@kpslinger6030]

Better toss the Billy and kids version with Billy Strings . . .

[@jessesnyder5426]

Hey Michael. I love your podcast and playing but you haven't come close to Jerry on any riff. What Jerry did, was other worldly and cannot be duplicated. You have other things to focus on music wise but guys like me, cannot listen to anything else. One thing where Jer really shines is the seamlessness of his solos. I would suggest, if you want to sound better( you sound great now) is to try to approach the seamlessness of his sounds.

[@GaryPhelps-dx7rt]

i love john mayer but honestly not close to jerry

[@thejamnasium6447]

Mayer's a good player. But Jerry is so much better it's not even funny.

[@kevinborchers3522]

Id say they excell at different things. I think Mayer is rhythmically superior and more consistent where Jerrys more experimental and willing to take risk. I personally enjoy Mayers phrasing more often. Love Jerry to death but sometimes his chromaticisms wear on me.

[@nuendo2496]

Mayer is not great player. He’s ok, but he always plays scales and doesn’t know how to flow……

[@douglynch8954]

One thing is for sure, with Jerry, your a lot more likely to hear something you haven't heard before.

[@marmonhammer6799]

Love your vids, but who cares about the video aspect with respect to the best Dead versions. You’re doing a disservice to yourself and those tuning in by not offering up versions of songs like this from ‘73-‘82. ‘90 ain’t holding a candle to a plethora of all-time examples in ‘77 and ‘78, so you’re not hearing Jerr + the band at their best. It lends you less credence as a teacher to use substandard versions, when about every single version ever played is at your fingertips. And you can find video of ‘70’s + early-80’s shows, if you care to dig. Driving me nuts, cuz you’re right there, but you’re not doing everything you can for your students and your audience.

[@Guitargate]

I don’t disagree - and I obviously start with the record - and I’ve done many non-video versions. But frankly, I love seeing improvisers do their thing. The sound is perhaps the most important thing in the end, but holy shit it’s great to be able to see their body language and the vibe of that time snd place. There’s a tremendous amount to learn from that, too.

[@marmonhammer6799]

@@Guitargate Yup, understood. I figured that was what you were going for, and I don’t blame ya, but there’s more 70’s/80’s video out there than you think, just gotta poke around. Regardless, good vid + good talk. Thanks for your time and passion!

[@B1B904]

I thought I knew how to play the song.. until you embarrassed me with the skills I don't have.

[@nuendo2496]

Yeah….Mayer just isn’t in the class as Jerry….and his tone is flat.

[@JasonMccoubrey-qp9pn]

Like you and your Channel but Garcia and Mayer should never be compared in any way John Mayer and every other guitar wish and can only try and copy God's favorite Guitar player is Jerry Garcia peace

[@pjs777s.8]

Love your vids but you talked too much in this one.

[@McSkankify]

Overtalked and over noodled. I get why he did though.

[@e69748]

That’s the worst hat I’ve ever seen. You should get a free bowl of soup.

[@seanbell4258]

Mayer blows. No soul

[@vallesh1978]

Please never but Jerry and johns name in the same sentence Mayer is not and will never be one of us he is a disgrace to deadheads everywhere

[@seanbell4258]

No shit he's a disgrace.

[@rikard.h]

I think you got it wrong. You are not one of them.