How to sound like Allan Holdsworth

if you dig subscribe and check out my band Marbin

[@xenomorph42]

I was flying in 2008 from LA back to Fukuoka, Japan and while I was getting ready to put my back in the overhead compartment, standing next to me was Holdsworth, I jumped and gasped and the man looked like....oh, he recognizes me perhaps? He helped me to get my bag loaded and sat next to. I couldn’t talk, he kind of broke the ice and then he asked me if I like drinking, I said, “heck, yeah!” and we talked for hours about music, family, he was quite open, i think it was all the booze. Lol! It was a 14 hour flight and I’m stoked getting drunk with Allan Holdsworth, nothing could have topped that day, even if the plane would have gone down. I was heart broken when he died on the exact same day my own father passed away, it was like a double jeopardy. I’ll aways remember this great man and most definitely underrated genius, just happy that I had the time to see the open side and the kind side of him. RIP

[@zilspeed]

You got to see that he's just a human at the end of the day. You made his day that day by being an easy neighbour on a long flight.

[@youngchool]

1st class? Business? Coach seats? Just curious. I had a chance to talk with him if very briefly, and definitely i felt the same. Good man! He was and still is my favorite guitarist of all time. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@xenomorph42]

@@youngchool It was coach. Yeah, I felt blessed, all drunken 14 hours of having the man next to me Lol

[@pobinr]

As a fanatical fan for 44 yrs I saw him 6 times. But I was too shy to speak to him. Wish I had.

[@Hue_Nery]

Thanks. You've made Holdsworth style playing available to mortals.

[@TheWoodenZozimos]

He was unfortunately all too mortal...rip

[@pensive_]

It is only a micro fraction of Allan's technique, but I fully get what you demonstrate. Very nice thank you very much. Very Very helpful.

[@stevengrinold3203]

I'll probably never be able to play any of this as fluidly as you, but thank you for de-mystifying it. I'll be happy to even get parts of this. Very useful!

[@lee95757]

Dude. You are a brilliant teacher. This is an easy to understand explanation because I had no idea of what he was doing.

[@Passion535]

Hey Thanks Dani! I did put a dent into what you showed, but, the next time, if you could just turn a little light on your guitar!! That would help immensely ! Thanks again! Your the Man!

[@MauriceBierhuizen]

You made me enter next level of legato playing, thanks!

[@marbinmusic]

You’re welcome!

[@kerygabor]

I used to look at these rather as pentatonic "side-stepping", thank you, Dani, you opened my ears and a new dimension of playing! :)

[@Acousticeg]

Thank you for taking time to share this. It's a great help to see other perspectives on Allan's approach to playing.

[@nevillepearson2670]

Brilliant explanation and demonstration! You really helped me with my playing. Thanks

[@mckinleymorton]

I really appriciate this video. It made complete sense, actually reminded me of Allan's own video. I particularly appriciated the notion of finding your own voice. That is something I feel strongly about, too. That being said, if I can allude to Holdsworth in my on playing, I will die a happy man.

[@diegovergaraelgueda5132]

Men your channel is pure gold for guitar players, congrats and cheers from Chile

[@ChuloDavidcito]

Great lesson on that, thanks. That really does sound like him. There are some people who have successfully copped his style. Some of them have the class to credit him, and others act like Allan doesn't exist, and won't admit that without playing what they got from him, they'd have nothing. When interviewers would bring this up, Allan was very diplomatic and kind as always, but must have been seething inside.

[@pabloandresalcayaga]

First time someone shows in full detail what Allan did. Very good video. Congratulations. I will learn a lot from this.

[@guskalogeros9021]

Very cool video. I’ve been watching more of your more recent videos so it’s cool to see some of these older ones. The lesson is very well laid out and useful but your production value has definitely improved

[@marbinmusic]

Glad you like them!

[@guskalogeros9021]

@@marbinmusic just saw there’s a Scott Henderson one…..about to hit click

[@DaveAlsado]

Praise God! Thanks for this

[@HpPmL]

I watched your video on Metheny and now this. You really manage to get into other players brain. Great stuff ! Immediate sub.

[@aliensporebomb]

Fascinating distillation making the impossible at least understandable to know what he was doing. The guy never stopped growing even at the end.

[@Acousticeg]

Checking out some of your older lessons. This is a very good one for anything Holdsworth.

[@HenryChinaski614]

Great analysis and playing!

[@a.s.518]

Dude that was outstanding, thank you. Very well broken down

[@jackbagwell3490]

I have this on in my ears in the gym and these licks sound so funny over play that funky music white boy.

[@mlm9964]

Yeah, all that nasty s- we are forced to listen to everywhere we go

[@dougreynolds4721]

Back watching and working on this for a 3rd time. Great Tut man, definitely dig. Ty

[@mikewilliams53]

Great lesson

[@johnpandolfino8663]

Thanks for sharing....... I saw him play backstage and was amazed how his hand looked like a spider going up and down the neck......

[@JamesUnityFuchs]

Bravo man. You have helped a great deal to holdsworth heads. Really, awesome job

[@vincentlussier8264]

Yes Allen!

[@thormusique]

This is such a wonderful video I keep coming back to, thank you! One thing I would love to see is for you to explain how to go about getting that sweet, warm, overdriven sound. My attempts at doing this have mostly just been too noisy. Cheers!

[@MichaelLewisMusic]

Man, cool lesson! Great stuff to work on here and well presented, thank you!

[@triclone123]

Very appreciated. Shawn Lane is somewhere in there. :)

[@paraverparaleer7858]

Great lesson ! How about sitting in front of a light source...table lamp for example? We will be able to see you and hands.

[@marbinmusic]

watch the more recent vids! This one is from forever ago

[@jedmarsillo]

Great lesson man. I came her for some Holdsworth stuff and I did get that. Thank you. But I'm really walking away from this video with some cool insight on the half-whole-half-whole scale.

[@-RandomBiz-]

Can you demonstrate how you get the actual tone?

[@building436]

Great Information, Great video, Great Music, Thanks!

[@yugaiceramic]

That feeling when Richie Kotzen shows you Allan Holdsworth style of playing )

[@frankfertier34]

great insight. nice playing. thank you, sincerely.

[@italoop7850]

Yeah, sure!

[@kiplukewhitehead8522]

Just brilliant

[@neaituppi7306]

Nice to find a video on it, that is about playing technique, and not about promoting pedals that they say will make you sound like him.

[@cesarprieto7533]

Thank a lot !

[@joelicitra4057]

An absolutely great explanation, thanks

[@davidlloyd9598]

Such a great insight into his way of playing. Eddie Van Halen used a similar method but using a symmetrical fretboard pattern and resolving to blues scale. I like your guitar tone.

[@MeshuggahDave.]

explain

[@davidlloyd9598]

@@MeshuggahDave. There is a lot on KZbin about EVH's symmetrical scales. There are 3 main shapes that he uses but rather than moving them in perfect 4ths he just moves them straight down when changing to the next set of strings. Check it out. 👍

[@treblemaker69]

@@davidlloyd9598 I always though EVH licks were beyond me until a few years ago I had been playing with a guy who did a lot of EVH licks and I thought, if he can do them...surely I can, too. It was then that I realized he did a lot of symmetrical patterns that make the licks easier to memorize and sound both "out" AND "in." It's why I always say that he was really an avant-garde blues player.

[@Guitars-Gear-Music]

Cool. Very useful information. Thanks for sharing!

[@xpicklepie]

Great lesson.

[@johncruz1811]

Very nice.. you made it so simple to understand..

[@Mr.Wu.]

Definitively you are a good teacher!

[@NicknLex]

Thanks for this man!!! You really opened my eyes with this video🙏

[@sargon55]

Thanks, Dani!!! Great Lesson!!!

[@giovannigiuliani3626]

You're such a fantastic player

[@marbinmusic]

Thank you

[@yzimsx]

Great stuff. Another little trick that I've found sounds a little bit Holdsworth'y is quartal chords. I learned to play quartal chords for diatonic notes on the four highest strings and it's a funny thing to add to a song once in awhile.

[@megadeth1818]

grabbed my guitar, slapped on a capo and now i'm ready to shred!

[@LydianLunch]

Wow

[@_santismo_]

thanks for the explanation!

[@user-zw8fz3gf8u]

Dude, please do a Allan Holdsworth - Zarabeth video!

[@a.s.vanhoose1545]

That's a really good song.

[@santiagodobles9843]

Allan Used many shapes. If you transcribe him you will see he does a lot of note permutations and yes omission of certain Intervals and he also sneaks a lot of triads & pentatonics in there. etc. Very nice video.

[@frizt0]

Messia mode 3

[@xenomorph42]

Thanks for the great vid, loved it!

[@SeanRosati]

Great stuff! RIP to the master.

[@markfitzgerald3840]

Thank you VERY much

[@santiagodobles9843]

Very Nice. And very true.

[@ilandiamond]

מדהים אחי!

[@DARIOSKYNYRD63]

And the right hand?Would be intresting how allan's way to pick is ( was ), velvet touch, a unesplicable unique mellow touch, i've always thought the key is in his right hand. You are a real amazing player dude!!!!

[@dontillman]

Awesome!

[@tristanavakian]

Wow. Did you ever open a can of worms 😅 you took something that completely baffled me for years and made it fun and addictive! I have no idea where I’ll ever get to use this stuff but I know what I’m doing the rest of the afternoon!

[@allahblesswinniehomo7789]

amazing legato!

[@dyk1578]

Thanks 👍

[@akoolstik]

thank you!

[@ferrollg]

Some great information here. Thanks. But next time can you use more lighting? Your video is dark.

[@danielduplantier3741]

But the sound is better than the well-lit ones.

[@rejiluz3465]

Love the tutorial man just that it's really dark... Hehehe... I had to guess by the sound... But kudos!...

[@xertiasstrat8957]

it s about years of practice damn

[@davidjablonovsky2442]

6:25

[@danielduplantier3741]

You win friend! This moment in the video is the greatest point to take away.

[@redhotkido]

bud...thanks a lot for this.

[@johnanderson27]

This is a key that opens a door to a very big room put some light strings on your guitar lower the action get amp to start to sing and get the fuck to work he just broke down a big part of trying to sound like Allan so now it’s up to you

[@Poppafunkband]

Nice one Dude

[@UltimateJgx]

Good one but you are just covering a part in the Icerberg in Allan's style. Believe me, there is so much in his play that is just not of this world.

[@AltGrendel]

So true, but ya gotta start somewhere.

[@nevillepearson2670]

What amp/effects are you using to get that great sound?

[@MrThomas1958]

thx

[@westrokker]

Damn, nice job

[@carguy3460]

What string guage are you using to play legato that easily? Is it just those long azz fingers or the string gauge? Mine doesn’t sound like that lol

[@marbinmusic]

It’s a technique thing that has to do with using the weight of your forearm rather than finger muscle. Check out our Patreon for a breakdown of the motion

[@carguy3460]

@@marbinmusic like a rotational thing, yea, sounds so fluid. Will join your Patreon, thanks!

[@cedricpeabody265]

That's easy for you to say.

[@Avatar7x7]

@marbinmusic - Looks like you have long fingers that make it easier to cover 6 frets under your hands... it's a little more difficult to play Allan's stuff when you can barely position your hand to cover the frets.. It's a little more accessible if I had a smaller scale neck with narrow frets...

[@marbinmusic]

You need long machinery to satisfy deep appetites!

[@Avatar7x7]

@@marbinmusic 😁 That's not fair Buddy boy..

[@Avatar7x7]

@@danielduplantier3741 I know right !

[@marbinmusic]

@@danielduplantier3741 you don’t like long organs?

[@hywel4605]

holdsworth just put his fingers anywhere, and he got good at it.

[@danihrabin]

Hywel 4 there’s more to it than that

[@tomazvital1986]

Hey! Which caps Do you use??? Noiseless?

[@RickDanner]

i wonder if Keith richards uses this ? i would do this but my 60 year old fingers wont stretch like this i do admit this was one of the best breakdowns of diminished stuff Great job

[@yonatanc25]

Legends cheat

[@nasapayrollsystem8701]

Cool , but turn the light on next time

[@tomnelson7898]

Appreciate the video but please put a light on the guitar next time. Watching you play in the dark is very frustrating.

[@MeshuggahDave.]

I didn't think you had it in you but you do. Nice content.

[@MeshuggahDave.]

@@danielduplantier3741 what? you think I dont have it in me? LMFAO Come at me bro.

[@guitarzan73]

Sound like Holdsworth: Step 1: Learn all correct notes in key. Step 2: Never play those notes.

[@danielduplantier3741]

Funny!!

[@dinger7608]

Why demystify?

[@Truthinshredding1]

I bet you hate this now 😂

[@marbinmusic]

It’s a nice souvenir

[@Truthinshredding1]

@@marbinmusic you're a good sport. Love your work.

[@biffcorbot8839]

You lost me. I guess that's why Holdsworth is Holdsworth.

[@marbinmusic]

I never had you

[@cugir321]

Holdsworth is online.....he explains his scales.

[@marbinmusic]

David Kennedy yes he does but unfortunately the way he talks about his own method is not very helpful in terms of sounding like him

[@cugir321]

That's because he plays more geometrically and not so much numerically. Have to think differently to write like him. Hear it instead of trying to calculate it. A lot of his movement has a whole tone type sound....even with passing tones that create other type scales. Play his scales over and over to train the ear. It will open up eventually. Just play it....don't try and figure it out in depth. Put it geometrically over the chords. Keep the major 7th over a major 7th chord, The flat 7th over a dominate 7th chord, and the minor third over a minor 7th chord. If the scale maintains those notes in the chord you're fine...use it geometrically. (can use passing tones also) (can use anything over anything if you really want tension) Your exercises are good......calculate them over the three types of chords. Play them over the chords. Move them geometrically. diagonal and such.

[@MichaelMKM]

@@cugir321 Hi Su. Could you explain what “geometrically” means?

[@cugir321]

@@MichaelMKM Put a 4 string G maj chord onto the guitar at the 3rd fret. Draw a diagonal line through the 4th, 3rd, 2nd strings of the G chord.....that is a geometric shape. Play 4,3,2 notes then slide it up a half step and play 2,3,4, then slide it up another 1/2 step and play 4,3,2......You can move it chromatically up or down the neck especially with dominate 7th chords. This works well with cross picking. You can also change direction of the shape from left to right every 1/2 step. This is a jazz thing. Chromatically moving shapes. The key is to resolve it to a note of the parent chord when you want to bring it back. You are moving the shape....the notes form a diagonal line. Holdsworth moved a lot of lines chromatically up and down the neck......you can write a line on the e string and then move it up a 1/2 step and play the same shape....same notes a 1/2 step up....then move it up again until you reach the mode position you want to play in or a chord position.....resolve it to a note in the chord. Another way to sound like Holdsworth is to use a exotic or say whole tone scale over a major 7th chord....just as an example. A B whole tone scale works over a C Major 7th chord because it does not change the determining note......the "B". All the other notes of the B whole tone scale make chord variations of the C major 7th chord. Change the B note to a Bb and the chord changes sex or becomes another parental chord. (A dominate 7th) That's why a C whole tone scale does not work over the C major 7 th chord. But in the end....everything works over everything if that's what you want to say. I use bit's of a whole tone scale and resolve it to a note in the Cmaj 7th chord. I love to use B,C#, B, C...played very quick over a Cmajor 7th chord. (hammered/pull off) B is the major 7th note of the chord, C# is the flat 9, C is the tonic of the Cmaj 7th chord.....you resolved to a chord note.

[@MichaelMKM]

@@cugir321 wow! Thanks for explaining in such detail. Much appreciated man!

[@pascaljeanne8002]

an obligation ? no i dont want to ! im not a fan ! never like his music sorry (can we? ) !

[@rigelloar7474]

Certainly not all music has to be meaningful, but meaningful music needs a lot less conceptual, pattern based, muscle memory stuff, and a lot more actual musical ideas, pointed and purposeful narrative musical "stories". Just sayin'. . . . . . . . . . . . .