Pete is a unique guitar player.I saw lots of the guitar greats including Hendrix but Pete was the best performer I ever saw live!
@stradaveriusfiddle Жыл бұрын
Definitely worthwhile Pete Townshend technique to point out. Thanks for showing how he did them!
@alsenar29 ай бұрын
Pete has such a unique guitar sound. Simple, effective and melodic. Some great chords and riffs is all you need sometimes.
@briansbrain426 Жыл бұрын
I LOVE that song "The Seeker". The guitar chords don't sound like regular chords and that's what makes it interesting.
@lynyrddeville Жыл бұрын
I am 60 years old and have been playing since I was 7. I even played my share of paid live shows and put recordings out too. But you taught me some really great stuff about Pete Townshends chord voicing that I totally missed out on so kudos to you! I better get singned up!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Rock on!
@JamesMeikle-h1z9 ай бұрын
Yeah I'M TEACHING MYSELF GUITAR ... Thanks for the lesson... first time visit Thanks
@vayabroder729 Жыл бұрын
I love Pete’s use of chord inversions. From ‘67-‘72 he had the best sound with the SG Specials and the Hiwatts. You nailed the sound of those songs in Quadrophenia!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Me too - love his sound during that period and even into Who By Numbers. IMHO it was Pete's fingers though as much as the amps and guitars. His chords "shimmer" in an agitated sort of way.
@trajan6927 Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabelI would rather watch Townshend perform live than any other guitarist. I would rather watch Moonie live than any other drummer. I would rather have Thunder Fingers bass pound through body than any bass player. I would rather watch the greatest frontman who acts like a man on stage over any other frontman.
@billtolles7406 Жыл бұрын
He actually played the Gretsch Joe Walsh gave him. *Only live his stage guitar was the Gibson SG with P90 p/us.
@vayabroder729 Жыл бұрын
@@billtolles7406 Yes; he used that with the 3-10 tweed Fender Bandmaster for Who’s Next. So he used the same rig for Quadrophenia then? I remember seeing a clip of him destroying it in some show; the orange one. Maybe he put it together after that.
@brucefreifeld4763 Жыл бұрын
@@vayabroder729Great thread here-also used the Edwards Light Beam volume pedal
@trajan6927 Жыл бұрын
The Mighty Who, greatest live band. Pete one of the greatest singer songwriters ever. Can play any instrument professionally, perform, play, and sing at the same time. Write hit songs all on his own. Author, editor, producer, businessman. Only equal to Paul McCartney.
@DMSProduktions Жыл бұрын
Pete was/is seriously UNDERRATED in rock guitar! \m/
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
He's an original. Created and influenced great guitar music.
@DMSProduktions Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel Yep!
@basher5107 Жыл бұрын
And loves little boys
@DMSProduktions Жыл бұрын
@@basher5107 LOL! NICE try!
@vibrolax Жыл бұрын
I became a Who/Pete Townend fan in 1970 when I was 12, two years after I started playing guitar. Fortunately, my 7th grade history/music teacher was also a PT fan, and together we worked on learning to play _Tommy_. I still never get tired listening to Pete's demos and isolated guitar tracks to pick up all his tricks.
@meltheartist11472 ай бұрын
Age 12 for me, too…1975. ❤!!!
@Ian_KH Жыл бұрын
As a lifetime bassist who has always dabbled with acoustic and rhythm I've lately been trying to improve my chord vocabulary. Some great tips here for me to learn some new techniques and chord voicings.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@zuperdee Жыл бұрын
That Les Paul Deluxe with the Mini Humbuckers really does have a unique sound on those Townshend chords-fat and plenty of low end, yet still clear and bright on the high end! I think some of those Townshend chords actually sound like the opening guitar riff on “Treat Her Like a Lady” by Cornelious Brothers and Sister Rose!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Mini humbuckers tend to be more scooped than P-90s. I always wondered whether it was those minis or the fact that they used Hiwatt instead of the more nasal Marshalls. Anyway, I love the mini hums!
@stephenhowell561111 ай бұрын
Love his songwriting and sound, the fact that he does not play the same tired blues solo's is a plus.
@MarkZabel11 ай бұрын
No doubt.
@johntaylor8829 Жыл бұрын
Nice video and showing some of the tricks of the rock guitar trade! I'm a big Who fan from way back and loved the showmanship of Pete. I'll just call him Mr. Power Chord moving forward. Earlier today, I was listening to one of their drummer's, Simon Phillips, tell the story of when Pete got his tremolo bar stuck through his hand. He saw Pete's hand go down, but it didn't come up. Pete was right next to Simon, and he could hear Pete say, "That doesn't look good." I guess a hand expert was in town and said Pete was so lucky as it didn't pierce anything important in the hand. He gave him some painkillers, and Pete was ready to go in just another day or two.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@SteveWattse Жыл бұрын
100% agree that Townshend is a guitar genius! Great analysis as usual! Thanks man!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
@surfrby8876 Жыл бұрын
Great video , I love The Who and Pete Townsend's playing, he was one of my early influences also ,his playing of triads, muting , droning , thanks for giving him attention !
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@simoneric8183 Жыл бұрын
Thank you Mark... another very exciting and informative lesson about one of our greatest modern composers!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
My pleasure!
@stephanegenilloud1139 Жыл бұрын
So cool to hear that Pete Townshend is a great guitar player. His sound is so efficient. No hard rock or metal act ever came close to the sheer aggression of Live at Leeds. Just listen to the riff at 8:40 in the My Generation medley.
@bullcrap9409 Жыл бұрын
Think Leeds and Get Your Ya-Yas out I will always be able to listen again and again.
@HumblyServingGod Жыл бұрын
The opening lead in Eminence Front is among the greatest I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard them all.
@johndaugherty41275 ай бұрын
My favorite band of all time. They invented heavy metal, punk and the Rock Opera, and every position a consumate musician. Thank you so much.
@MarkZabel5 ай бұрын
My pleasure!
@doorstepcult24074 ай бұрын
I also had a HUGE Who phase in middle school and early high school. Ive used that G open power chord at 2:07 for over 15 years and totally forgot that I learned it from Pete. Thanks for a great video and nostalgia trip.
@MarkZabel4 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing!
@lightfoot413 Жыл бұрын
that D triad moving up the neck is really cool Im using it..thanks for the video always gr8 stuff..
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Rock on!
@davidrobinson38899 ай бұрын
I have been chasing down Pete's exact harmonic phrasing for 40 years - and you nailed it. THANK YOU.
@MarkZabel9 ай бұрын
Thanks so much David!
@johna89738 ай бұрын
Yeah PT got the most interesting Chord Voicings . Probably a result of his Early jazz exposure ❓
@dpendery29 күн бұрын
The drone note is important, and it adds to a staccato style that I always saw and loved in Townshend, and try to emulate.
@baystreetblues Жыл бұрын
I spent thousands of hours listening to Who Live at Leeds, Who’s Next, and Tommy as a teenager. I spent all my time trying to emulate Page, Clapton, Alvin Lee, Paul Kossoff, Mark Farner, Carlos Santana, and never realized how much Pete Townsend’s playing influenced my playing of chords and riffs for that matter. I pretty much internalized and still routinely play these Townsend “tricks” without ever sitting down to study them.
@douglasmeneilley7321 Жыл бұрын
Live at Leeds = best live performance and recording ever. 🎸🎸🎸
@trajan6927 Жыл бұрын
Live At Leeds greatest live album. The Mighty Who set the bar very high for live performances on stage and album in 1970..
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Same for me, although Quadrophenia and Who By Numbers got more time than Tommy.
@Roscoe1279 Жыл бұрын
Presented very well. I love Townshend's (sp) roaring rhythms and simple but profound leads. 👍
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@artful_dodger59 Жыл бұрын
Very cool! I went through a Who phase in the 70s, so much so that after seeing Live at Leads, I bought an SG. To me, Pete is the ultimate less-is-more player. It looks simple, but it's his ferocity that is the secret sauce. That is what is hard to replicate. As always, great material, Mark! Thank you for taking the time you do to enlighten us.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@aschule5684 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this acknowledgment, Pete's def a fantasticly important part of rock guitar history. Power and finesse as only he does it, love Pete!!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed the video!
@georgerodrigues4638 Жыл бұрын
Superb, thanks Mark. Can you do one for his lead playing when you have time please? Pete is a majorly underrated lead player.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@scottkingsley8037 Жыл бұрын
Great stuff. Pete's G is my go to. Personally learned it first from Jimmy's Tangerine tho! Tom Petty goes there a lot too.
@Bob.Silverstein Жыл бұрын
He even did the drone very early on: I Can See For Miles. Very cool video. I think I'm more influenced by Pete than I even realized :) I really like playing the open A with the 5th fret on the top two strings pressed.
@bookashkin Жыл бұрын
And also Substitute.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
@bookashkin You beat me to it! Substitute!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Yes, Bob, I remember you playing that chord years ago in that loft in Somerville. Something like, "You know, he plays that Townshend sort of chord" ... and then you played that A. For some reason, I was never into early stuff from The Who, but it's very, very good. And you can hear the rudiments of everything Pete would do full-blown later. "I Can See For Miles" is a great example. Townshend clearly was an experimenter, with guitar, performing, and writing.
@d_walsh3 ай бұрын
3:18 like that drone d sound
@MarkZabel3 ай бұрын
Me too!
@brucefreifeld4763 Жыл бұрын
For Pete/Who fans. Check out Live Tanglewood 1970. You will see when he maxes the Hiwatt, hits the fuzz pedal and all hell breaks loose-just fantastic
@jackcrane78539 ай бұрын
That gig was sumthin else!! ❤🎉
@Dewydidit Жыл бұрын
While I was never a big Who or Townsend fan, I appreciate both and learned a lot of my "fat chording" from covering those songs when bandmates wanted to do them. While I like lots of the hits, the only album I really listened to was Tommy. But after taking that apart for a year or so, I found Pink Floyd and got lost there for a few years.
@CalvinLimSH-ld5le Жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark for sharing Pete's style of music playing especially the drone constant sound with movable scale example. The power chords are another one area I always explore to add into my library of guitar playing techniques.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
@GaryBook Жыл бұрын
I thought his best moves were windmills and guitar smashing. 😂 Pete did great soloing on Quadrophenia. He has great percussive technique and is a great writer.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Yes, great writer. One of rock's absolute top writers, no doubt.
@thomasfritsch3536 Жыл бұрын
Glorious indeed earn my gratitude my admiration and my zub thanks mark fom a guy who identified as Tommy to my whole family
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks Thomas!
@thomasfritsch3536 Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel oh and the movie all I can say is Ann Margaret and her Tommy Tom Tom's well let's just say that Tommy Ann Rock and opera oh and the Flintstones have made me think of Ann Margrock I mean Margaret lol
@analogalien10 ай бұрын
Great job. Pete was my main influence as a guitarist. He is one of the very few guitar players from that time period that actyally gave himself a voice.
@MarkZabel10 ай бұрын
Rock on!
@gregparker1012 Жыл бұрын
KILLER sound you got there.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@dmoni2837 Жыл бұрын
He’s a great inspiration for me
@paulbillingham6769 Жыл бұрын
Wish I had known all this back in 1978. Thanks heaps Mark
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
@RodFleming-World Жыл бұрын
Pete is an absolute metronome, quite apart from his fingering skills. Neither Moonie nor The Ox could hold time so Pete was like the click track. I learned so much about playing, both guitar and bass, from him. He could keep a beat with incredible accuracy while basically, musical chaos surrounded him. All bands need someone who can do that, even orchestras - it's why they have conductors. So, young sprockets, before you spend your time learning fancy licks or even scales, put in the hours to get your time and rhythm perfect.
@steliosposeidon6871 Жыл бұрын
I concur wholeheartedly
@MeMe-qr3go4 ай бұрын
Great video! I think it's worth taking note of Pete's solo guitar work. For a period of time he was heavily into the big solo thing, the Isle of Wight concert being a prime example but ultimately it seems that even though he was a great solo guitarist when he wanted to be, he didn't always want to be. Ultimately he is best remembered for his innovative chord work and his song writing, as well as other innovations. But he was every bit the solo guitarist when he wanted to be. Mind you it's hard to be a Solo guitarist when John Entwistle is producing bass notes like bubbles in a glass of overly excited beer!
@MarkZabel4 ай бұрын
Yes, Pete was very lead oriented on Live at Leeds and Live at Hull too. Both Keith and John were very busy players.
@blipblip100 Жыл бұрын
Very informative and very well presented!!! Thanks!!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@castleanthrax1833 Жыл бұрын
Great stuff here. I think Live At Leeds rivals The Song Remains The Same, as the greatest live album ever.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Yeah, it's a great live album.
@jamesball5743 Жыл бұрын
It’s better.
@MikeHunt90731 Жыл бұрын
Leeds is the greatest
@krisstieghorst7415 Жыл бұрын
SUPERB ❤ Mark I really enjoyed this lesson. Great stuff! Many thanks🤟👋🖤🦋🖤
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks a ton Kris!
@robertparker-m9d Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this ,I just love it
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
So glad!
@simonpark84311 ай бұрын
Thank you, I've subscribed - this is an excellent video, genuinely useful and insightful.
@MarkZabel11 ай бұрын
Awesome, thank you!
@GNeuman Жыл бұрын
Very clear. Thank you. ❤
@fiveeyes2802 Жыл бұрын
Fantastic!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Glad you like it!
@martinheath5947 Жыл бұрын
Fantastic rhythm player
@skinner5334 Жыл бұрын
Love me some Chairman Townshend!⚡️Nice work.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@leechilds3725 Жыл бұрын
Its easy to dismiss petes playing because he doesn't play many solos like Clapton etc . But nothing beats his own unique playing style , just listen to Tommy or live at Leeds his chord work is perfection! Plus he has the ability to get so much out of a few easy chords , check out won't get fooled again baba o reily, squeeze box .and so many more songs . 🎵
@TechnoRiff Жыл бұрын
@MarkZabel - Nice summary of Pete's tricks! I've admired his signature tricks since a teen, and it's nice that you've captured them in a short but sweet vid. How are you getting your tone? It's killer - thanks!
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks! The tone on this is pretty much amp to guitar. I have a little amp reverb as well - just a touch.
@TechnoRiff Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel Very nice! Which amp. - is it the Fender that's visible? I imagine that HBs in a LP certainly contributes. Thanks!
@AngelMartinez-qs3cf Жыл бұрын
Hey, awesome video like always insightful. What amp/pedal were you using in the demo?
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks Angel. Using a Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb. No pedals.
@reno8122 Жыл бұрын
It might just be me, but some of Pete's style reminds me of Malcolm Young's, especially when Pete hangs there and plays more of a rythym guitar. Pete is way more experimental, but their aggresive and precise playing are similar. I had never noticed it, but when you played that Won't Get Fooled Again riff, it reminded me of the riff on Rock and Roll Singer by AC/DC.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Yes, AC/DC - both Malcolm and Angus - often used the chords without 3rds. WGFA and Highway to Hell are very similar too.
@jackcrane78539 ай бұрын
At last a vid that does Pete justice. 🎉
@MarkZabel9 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@maggieo9 ай бұрын
I'm busting out my '61 SG Special and am going to HAVE SOME LOUD FUN!
@ericheine2414 Жыл бұрын
Hey that was a great lesson. I like Pete's work on Magic Bus. You can tell that he was a banjo player.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks! And yes, definitely!
@jimc6687 Жыл бұрын
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?? No windmills, Mark!!?? Jim C.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
LOL!
@markmalanaphy33744 ай бұрын
Big Who fan 😎👍
@Hneel65 Жыл бұрын
Inventing new chord shapes, just to omit the 3rd. Genius.
@flapjackson6077 Жыл бұрын
Great insight! I play guitar well enough to learn these cool techniques! Like you, I was in junior high when I discovered The Who (mid 70s), but I was a drummer discovering Keith Moon! Oh, the memories! I actually still play drums and have my Keith Moon chops! Lol.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@ScottJamesLIve8 ай бұрын
Nice, thank you.
@MarkZabel8 ай бұрын
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
@cosmicdebris3009 Жыл бұрын
Great stuff! Are those Lollar Firebird pickups in your LP Special?
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks! The pickups are stock. It's a 2012 1970s Tribute. It's a shame they stopped using these pickups. I love their sound.
@glennlilley8608 Жыл бұрын
The speed of the mans chord changes though It seems to me, he needed a way to do those and fingered the chords to suit Only guessing of course, I don't know the man personally
@Pat-nl4wk Жыл бұрын
Mark, Townshend possibly did invent the power chord and some are very intricate and loud, as you have demonstrated. Why? Keith Moon and the drums were the lead instrument, Entwistle was the time keeper.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
I think many would say Dave Davies or Link Wray or even John Lee Hooker. But Pete used it in a way that would really put it on the map as a serious musical tool. (No shade to the others.) That's why I used the word "essentially". Thanks for the great info in your comment!
@Pat-nl4wk Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel You’re welcome!
@MrDoneboy Жыл бұрын
What year is the gold top, Mark?
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
It's a 2012.
@bullcrap9409 Жыл бұрын
Nicely done. A lot of Pete’s solo-ish stuff is kinda hidden behind their wall of sound. Like Won’t Get Fooled Again. Tons going on beside the PCs. As for solos? If you haven’t come across it, Pure and Easy. Great song. And an astounding solo. (Think Pete said it was one he was particularly proud of)
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Pure and Easy has some great lead work, as does "Young Man Blues" from Live at Leeds, "Guitar and Pen" from Who's Next and a number of others too. His lead work was not "guitar hero" sort of style, but it was very compelling. He could play, that's for sure!
@user-ky6vw5up9m Жыл бұрын
Pete got the idea for the Windmill after witnessing Keith Richards doing an arm- stretch exercise before playing.
@eberts0604 Жыл бұрын
"Even if you have no interest in theory" = "I don't want to know what I'm doing."
@byrdie47 Жыл бұрын
when you talk about droning notes, you seem to walk right past one of their first and best songs ever, "I Can See For Miles"
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
I don't talk about every example done by Pete. That's true.
@bluearmy4228 Жыл бұрын
Subtle!
@Flerg3 Жыл бұрын
That Les Paul sounds incredible
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@jonasisrael71589 ай бұрын
Merci ....
@MarkZabel9 ай бұрын
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
@jonasisrael71589 ай бұрын
@@MarkZabel i play guitar only in open G ...like keith.!!!
@thedude7450 Жыл бұрын
Quadrophenia is one of the greatest albums of all time!
@davidmorton97225 ай бұрын
An album that definitely pulled me through the difficult years of becoming a young man. The isolation, the rejection and lost episodes that most, if not all young people go through trying to identify their own personality and be confident with that new stage of being.
@steveg.95564 ай бұрын
My favorite album of all time!!!!!
@jaforsatan Жыл бұрын
Did Pete not say that he was inspired by Purcell’s use of pedal point?
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Could be. I never heard that. I have heard he was a fan of jazz and Miles was all into modal play at the time.
@vayabroder729 Жыл бұрын
Yes! Henry Purcell’s. I read that he was inspired by Baroque music. Their first manager exposed him to that music.
@johnballantyne5110 Жыл бұрын
An extremely good "researcher" from what were led to believe.
@jerryclark8636 Жыл бұрын
Noice!!!
@giuseppewolf473 Жыл бұрын
Si!
@w4dZ0o Жыл бұрын
Do you think you could do a lesson on how Pete played won't get fooled again from the policemen's ball?
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Great suggestion! Love that version ... love his version of "Drowned" even more!
@w4dZ0o Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel I just checked out drowned. What an amazing performance!!! To play like that and sing! Pete is just incredible. My wrist would fly off my hand, ricochet off of something and smack me upside the head for attempting it lol. But yeah, a lesson on that would be amazing. He does so much in one song.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
@@w4dZ0o Yes, amazing, I agree!
@mattyoxide3650 Жыл бұрын
I loved his acoustic work on Love ain’t for Keeping. Learnt much from that.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Excellent work on that. You should check out his solo version of "Drowned" live from the Secret Policeman's Ball.
@mattyoxide3650 Жыл бұрын
@@MarkZabel saw it a while back. Most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Such intense strumming.
@scurfie234311 ай бұрын
I saw the classic Who Live and they were the best band live. Better than Zeppelin. Pete had this trick that I haven't totally figured out. He plays a chord that sounds to me like all the strings are open. What is he doing?
@charlescoleman6896 Жыл бұрын
I think Dave Davies was playing power chords before Pete
@QXZJX Жыл бұрын
❤
@jcstevegigs Жыл бұрын
Sus4 chords too - they are all over Tommy
@quidgybo34 минут бұрын
his really special trick was how he didn't do time for what he got caught doing on the dark web
@steppenwood11 ай бұрын
Yeah, but how does he do them windmills without missing or hitting his hand on the neck? 🤣😼
@weczq4 Жыл бұрын
I've ripped enough Townshend off in my playing that he'd be well within right to sue me.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
LOL! I hear you.
@robo6590 Жыл бұрын
Mini humbuckers? Hm.
@MarkZabel Жыл бұрын
Just like Pete's guitars in the early 70s. Gotta love the mini hums!
@dougshankle79468 ай бұрын
Love Pete's playing but he's turned into a grumpy old man who can't say a nice thing about anyone. I'll take Page over him in a heartbeat.
@curragh4635 Жыл бұрын
Alex Lifeson uses that e chord with the b more than anybody
@stradaveriusfiddle Жыл бұрын
Definitely worthwhile Pete Townshend technique to point out. Thanks for showing how he did them!