Soloing Secrets - Robin Trower

Here's the next episode of Soloing Secrets with Robin Trower. I've had a number of requests to feature more of Trower's music and aside from a Chordplay and Three-For-All episode surrounding his important and highly influential music/playing style, I figured it was finally time to take a deeper look at some of the interesting things he's uncovered/discovered on the fretboard over the years - which is exactly what this lesson contains.
The ideas in this lesson were pulled from the classic 1974 Trower album 'Bridge Of Sighs.' Without question, this is the album that really put Trower's music, name, and guitar playing into the spotlight and on the map. His beginnings with Procol Harum helped him reach fame, but it was his output working with his trio in the early/mid-1970s that really helped him find his audience and build a legion of dedicated fans, copycat imitators, and loyal followers for decades.
The licks, phrases, and ideas in this episode were pulled from various classic Trower moments, including songs such as 'Day Of The Eagle' and 'Too Rolling Stoned,' not to mention a look at the dreamy deep cut from the album - 'About To Begin.' Additionally, this lesson also takes a look at the noticeable Jimi Hendrix influence found in Trower's music and playing style. From the general licks/phrases to the tones/effects he used during the 1970s and continues to use to this day - so there's plenty of MXR Uni-Vibe floating around in this lesson.
Needless to say, if you're a Robin Trower fan, a fan of blues-rock guitar, or a player searching for some new slick licks/phrases to borrow/steal, while also learning more about an absolute legend of the electric guitar - this lesson is totally for you! Give this episode a view, leave some comments/feedback, and please subscribe to Late night lessons - THANK YOU!
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[@suzannecoholic1467]

in a world of a million-note-shredding, Trower's style delivers its own jaw-drop

[@thebomontellano4996]

Robin, Carlos and David Gilmour.

[@mesoanarchy]

The main solo on Daydream from Robin Trower Live is one of THE best solos I've ever heard.

[@doughi1880]

me too, amazing

[@Bluespower1792]

Absolutely. It's just beautiful. The sustain lasts forever. Never heard anyone make their guitar wail and cry like that.

[@KajHeGeHaggman]

Agreed!

[@lovehategoddie]

Yup, the one recorded in Sweden, that album has the best rock guitar soloing , the wah is used perfectly. Robin was recorded on a magic night playing, hugely influential on me when I bought the album in 1975 .

[@petercontarino646]

I saw his tour for that album. Unbelievable. Gary Wright opened lol.

[@jppagetoo]

I've seen Robin play 7 times. I'd go to see him anytime he comes around. He can still play great. He has slowed down on touring these days, but it not because he can't play anymore, he can. If you haven't seen him yet... go! He won't be here forever and he is so worth the ticket price.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Excellent Lessons - Robin Trower is totally amazing - Winterland Concert 1975 is a must listen to . James Dewar is the vocalist and bass player . He helped write the songs . My favourite song : " I Can't Wait Much Longer . " many more

[@cato451]

I’ve seen Robin Trower live more than any other guitar player -maybe 25 times since the 1970s. His live shows are amazing. I am still mesmerized by his playing to this day. I describe it as a kaleidoscope of sound. You really nailed his style here Dave but his trills and vibrato are so unique they are hard to duplicate.

[@Astro_touches_children]

Well I'm jealous as hell. If I could pick one player to play like it would be Trower or Gilmour.

[@therealjohndoe3862]

Same here. Saw him many times back in the 80s and some of the best live shows ever.

[@lifelongfan07]

Some of my friends said that people claimed he was like a “Hendrix guy” and people associated him with Hendrix unfortunately. I think he’s different. I love Robin Trower “Live” Freakin awesome!

[@rogersdrums]

Drives me nuts the comparison to Jimi and yes theres a major influence there and i Love Jimi number one for me but Robin picked up where Jimi left off and brought his own beautiful interpretation of the Hendrix idiom !!

[@theethnicist5678]

​@@rogersdrums Wholeheartedly agree 👍🏾

[@johnwilliams1223]

I can just hear James Dewar’s voice now. “In your head you can hear, a voice so sweet and clear” I love it!

[@stratcat9432]

Wow! Yes! Fantastic choice Dave and Fantastic lesson! Again! Thank you.

[@AndrewCarlson-wj7fp]

I agree…fine job Dave…(I finally subscribed)

[@JACKPAVAL]

Robin Trower is seriously one of a kind.

[@esteban1487]

One of my favorite guitarists ever. About to Begin

[@yeti1002]

Dam , I love everything, all the licks , bends , vibrato 's , tone . Great 👍lesson .sweet .....

[@Weshopwizard]

Now you’re talking baby!!!!! Robin Trower!!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 The thing I love most about his playing is that he wasn’t afraid to leave some space between phrases. Bridge of Sighs is a good example. The intro has a lot of open spaces and it’s lovely!!

[@hkguitar1984]

"Trowerisms" Well Said and spot-on. Thank You

[@davidsmith6976]

First LP I heard ,was ."for earth below",then,bridge of sighs ,loved his use of the wah. and the warmth of those chords,with uni-vibe ,etc,but what did it,was the live Lp,with Too rolling stoned, I cant wait much longer,little bit of sympathy,,so much feel,and such a deft touch,thanks for keeping his name out there ,hes still playing ,and deserves much credit ,for his devotion.nice one Dave.

[@digitalchris6681]

A great tutorial. No matter how much I try I still can't really nail these licks, but it's good fun trying ! Please do a Trower solos part 2: there's plenty more truly inspirational material to choose from...

[@jamesfarrington9030]

LNS - you do a great service covering various guitarists. Much appreciated.

[@65Lynchy]

James Dewar,what a singer,bass,n Reg Isidore drums one of the top power trio👍 British band Magnum,story tellers night

[@STAMPER-DESIGN]

People never know who I'm talking about when I reference Trower. Great lesson! Thank you

[@dougstubbs4351]

Hell yeah man you're video last year was the main reason I started to check him out and listen to him more. He is a great player. Power blues I call it. Take care man when I get home I'm going to watch this definitely thanks brother

[@markpell8979]

Bridge of Sighs. A soundtrack album for one of the greatest times of my young life. So much feeling and one those you would listen to all the way through, over and over.

[@anthonydavella8350]

Nice seeing a killer player like you give credit to the greats

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Thanks Dave. Robin was a big influence on me as a kid. 😊The last band I was in (while I still lived near enough humans I could find a band) did a few Trower covers. Edit: check out how his solos are often behind the beat. That's part of how his feel pulls you in deeper.

[@voronOsphere]

I love Robin Trower's style and tone! Thanks, David!

[@gautamasakyamuni6688]

Robin Trower...great! When I first heard the guitar part in repent walpurgis (procol harum) as a kid, I was totally caught! Love him 😉

[@RF944]

What a coincidence, I was listening to Robin Trower all last weekend. Victims of the Fury, just kicks butt. Thanks David.

[@Oriolesfun]

Maestro Brewster thanks so much for teaching us the styles of legends like Trower and Warren Haynes. As a younger player these lessons are inspirational.

[@caleshtcincredibles]

Just loved this lesson. You can as close as anyone can to getting that Trower Tone. Very nice!

[@kutsbothways]

Nice Iesson. Almost wore this album out. Listening to Robin play, and Dewar sing "In This Place" was always a real treat. First time I saw them I was standing about six feet in front of Robin watching him, and didn't have a clue as to who he was. I asked the guy next to me who it was and he said he thought the name was Robert TrumbIe...IoI he obviousIy had no clue either. FinaIIy found the album when the girl at the record shop figured out who I was actually searching for.

[@mesmogruvinski]

Just beautiful. I'm so happy that you showed the chords for In This Place in the chords of RT. Thankyou, cool brother from another mother.

[@piperofsimms]

Oh yeah... some licks are hard to figure out with Robin. We thank you David for this sweet lesson.

[@sonvolt9938]

I was hoping to see the Robin Trower face just once for comic relief lol. Great lesson Dave.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Robin Trower is incredible. He makes "Every-note-count" Listen to tracks: I can't wait much longer (live) & instrumentals: Wish you were mine (my favorite) & Time and emotion (among many others). This was great. oNe LovE from NYC

[@lovehategoddie]

A song Robin wrote( I believe) in Procol was “whiskey Train” a harbinger of the blues rock bonanza that was to follow in his solo career after leaving Procol. My observation is that his work in Procol was largely without effects, rhythmic background ornamentation. Whiskey train has been covered by Jake E Lee ,Leslie West and David Gogo. Robin came out of a lesser role in a prog band to define power trio blues rock, of which Dewar was integral, you have to have the vocals, and Dewar more than delivered, and has never been matched since.

[@midnightflyer7510]

Friggin awesome! It’s amazing how these licks never get old!

[@mesmogruvinski]

About to Begin is so dreamy and atmospheric. Loved you soloing.

[@timwestcott361]

Huge influence - the whole UniVibe 'universe'. Bending and smearing. With an impeccable groove. He wrangles an amazing tone. Great work sir.

[@marks.3934]

Thanks David, Trower is a great player and great with his fans. Seen him many times,was able to talk to him and have him sign a bunch of stuff without having to buy a VIP package. Super humble, friendly, "normal" guy.

[@arunviswanathan5555]

Thanks for the great lesson and content Brewski!! Trower is probably my favorite player and biggest influence along with Page, Gibbons, Hendrix, and Larry Carlton. I have studied Bridge of Sighs, but also love Daydream, Sail On, Victims of the Fury, Rock me Baby and all his live stuff. Also want to recognize Jimmy Dewar who I think was definitely one of the best singers of all time!🎸🤘🏽😎🔥🎶

[@sebastionhawk5565]

You have the Trower tones, bends and overall feel down really well. IMO, this is one of your best tutorials/expositions. This was MOST enjoyable to watch!

[@douglaschristine8387]

Thanks for this. I love Grower and they don't have many lessons, so this will work.

[@kennycrow7870]

Really enjoyed this !! Thank you !!!

[@montbob100]

my firdt concert was trower in 77 Hampton Colliseum.I was 14.Ears rang for days .I think i lost a lot of hearing .Didnt stop me from attending 100s more .

[@adamkrauss303]

First time on your channel. Great stuff and BIG Trower fan, he being a prime example of being one with your guitar. He also has some of the best facial expressions in the biz. I wish you at least sometimes had the camera zoom in on the neck.

[@markroylance1584]

Another fine lesson David.. If you get the chance watch him live. A strat into some very lod marshalls ... Spine tingling still

[@gsbguitarsgsb679]

Robin Trower is a huge influence to me and inspiration always comes from there. You do a great job at capturing all the nuance of his style and sound. We chase tone no matter where it comes from. Trower is the king of the classic tone of our time.

[@mihalyvigyikan9114]

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! You are the best teacher on youtube, and the most authentic. I love this channel :)

[@RobJuneau]

I often get loads of good bang out of Late Night Lessons not just for the “new” riffs, old tasty bits or forgotten techniques you’ve chosen to highlight, but for the combination of careful reproduction and unfiltered glee you bring to their (re)discovery. Thanks, man. A lot!

[@greg77hot]

wow thanks Dave ... you nailed it again!

[@vicmorrison8128]

Cool. Thanks!

[@BungleJoogie68]

Getting the univibe out now

[@madkapsarasotaflorida3208]

Awesome lesson! we play 3 trower songs in our set, thank you!!! Great playing! would love to hear you play live.

[@chriscampbell9191]

One thing I notice about Robin Trower's playing is that he has a very fluid style. The notes run into each other a lot, especially when compared to a lot of other guitarists (Angus Young would be an example, where probably most of his notes are picked). Trower 'slurs' the notes together, and it really sounds cool. He also boosts his signal (obviously, the amps are cranked) but he cuts back on the volume and tone on his Strats (or at least he used to), and that's part of his tonal palette. I think somewhere he mentioned he has the controls backed off most of the time. RE: the Hendrix connection. I know when he came out a lot of folks said "wow, he sounds just like Hendrix! You gotta go see this guy!" But if you take apart the actual songs (Bridge Of Sighs is probably a good example, Twice Removed From Yesterday would be another), the songs themselves generally do not sound like Hendrix songs at all. Very English, in a way. Trower definitely has taken the Hendrix influence and has trodden his own path with it.

[@stevemora7845]

Sounded just like him 👍

[@keithraaum9559]

David, thank you for this one, really. I may be showing my age but I remember some people back in the day who wrote Robin off as just a Hendrix ripoff but he was always one of my favorite players! Thanks again.

[@rogersdrums]

Great stuff I love it ! Thanks! Big Robin fan - one of my main influences for sure …

[@doughi1880]

this is the best lesson on how to evoke emotion from technique, every guitar player needs to watch this lesson. Has anyone seen Robin Trower and Jack Bruce play politician?

[@tallpaul1020]

Fantastic lesson Dave!!! Robin Trower is incredible and original. Love those " smeared" lines. Eagle, Bridge of sighs, so deep and rich sounding. Just love it. Again, great lesson. Keep up the great work 🎸🤘🎸

[@davidt9841]

Great Job, man! I bought Bridge of Sighs when it was released.. I can relate to everything you’re saying about RT! 👍🎸✌️😎

[@jdziennik1]

Like butta. Sooo smoove. Melts “Into the Flame”.

[@stevehughes_5733]

Great lesson mate, thank you!

[@thomastucker5686]

Robin's 2016 record with him singing is quite good. I forgot about Mr. Trower for many years for some reason. About a year ago, I just remembered him and went back listening.

[@peterbuckley9734]

Great lesson! Thanks a lot.

[@tracyshoemake9686]

Broke my heart when my 8 track ate my Bridge of Sighs

[@timothyvaher2421]

1977!? Had the same 8 track in my Volkswagen. Still cool 😎

[@theethnicist5678]

😅 you better grab that Hi Def CD. Trust me, it sounds much better!

[@michaelmaynard58]

I saw Trower twice at the Spectrum in Philly in the early 70’s. One of the most unique live sounds that I have seen.

[@steveregotti8542]

Your a great teacher and player!!!

[@LawHunterSound]

Amazing Lesson. Thanks a Lot DAVE. Really great.

[@toddp5026]

Well done covering a super talent. Trower keeps getting better.

[@beverlyalton432]

Thank you, Dave. I adore Robin Trower. This was delightful.

[@vincenttomazzolli3940]

Awesome, David! Right on with Robin's sound. Learned a few tricks today. Thanks much! You're the best!

[@l6srob990]

awesome lesson guys is unbelievable

[@johnthursfield3056]

afaik Robin wrote a tribute number called Song for a Dreamer for Procal Harem which was about Jimi and played in the style of him for that. He found he enjoyed playing like it and left to form his own three piece which let him continue in the style.

[@stesharr]

Fantastic lesson again dave,really enjoyed watching.Lots of guitar lessons online but not all actually get the feel and vibe of the subject matter like you do.Much appreciated, keep up the great stuff your doing.🤘

[@scottloessy2088]

Dude your videos are jam packed with great secrets to learn and use. You are such a master! of the fretboard

[@user-yn5jo4ih3z]

Could you do a lesson on ‘Little Bit of Sympathy’ I’ve listened to Robin since early 70’s. Great job of interpreting his style.

[@me.roderick]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 young man!

[@gregmize01]

Trower, the middle pickup master!!!!🎸

[@christineblack4654]

thanks dude he is so good.

[@ZPX945]

Excellent!😎

[@newpathway]

Great lesson Dave...

[@mattyoxide3650]

It’s about to begin.

[@waynewells915]

Another great video Dave!

[@gavinfitzgerald2657]

It’s about to begin

[@timpitts9256]

Robin Trower is about as cool as you can get

[@kennycrow7870]

Tone sounds great !!

[@gplayer6602]

That was some cool tones you got out of your setup! The strat sounds great brother!

[@jppagetoo]

Simple gear, great hands is his secret. As far as your "rig" you weren't far off. Robin has been using Fulltone pedals for a long time, and MXR is close enough. He still uses Marshall amps and cabinets. He always plays his Signature Fender strats. I am not sure Fender offers them anymore but the custom shop can make them and of course you may find them on the used market.

[@me.roderick]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟young man!

[@Steve-si8hx]

He did a lot of Jimi tricks

[@williswet]

Robin stopped using the vibrato bar and blocked off his Strats vibratos with hard wood after his first solo album "Twice Removed From Yesterday" (1973) Neither did he play on Whiter Shade of Pale. He joined Procol just after the album "Procol Harum "was released in the USA

[@leesyrjanen3947]

I have tried several Uni-Vibes and clones. The MXR does it for me. No photo cells. Don't know how MXR did it, but WOW.

[@davidbaron8330]

Not just Eddie Hazel. While everyone around that time was influenced by Hendrix, Trower, Frank Marino, and the non Neo-classical side of Uli Roth REALLY made "the Hendrix trip" their thing and really wore that influence on their sleeve. Trower's great -- particularly on Bridge of Sighs. I think he used the middle pup on the Strat a lot, with the guitar volume knob rolled off to maybe 8 or so.

[@Fotosaurus56]

No one sounds like Robin Trower.

[@carlospellot2426]

Great lesson. He's still active, any Music or Guitar Lover should watch him. Two interesting covers of Bridge of Sighs: OPETH & Ann Wilson( w Tom Bukovak). Robin uses .13 strings tuned to standard D (1 step down).

[@gsbguitarsgsb679]

Wow, I did not know that, several of my guitars are tuned down to standard D, it helps when your a three piece band to make the sound bigger and adds depth.

[@obiem9319]

I love Day of the Eagle.

[@chrismorgan7494]

That lick at 17:17 is very difficult. I have no idea how you can bend that note so quickly. Practice, I know. Lol

[@outtathyme5679]

Oh yes

[@carlospellot2426]

Brewster you have a Great Tone no matter what you play.

[@mdpocoroba]

This is such a great tutorial, thank you! Can you tell me why Trower uses two overdrive pedals at the same time, one the Robin Trower Overdrive and two the FullDrive, both Fulltone pedals?

[@harlanlynn]

I looked it up and Trower was not on the Whiter Shade of Pale album. I believe he came later.

[@piperofsimms]

David, I have "In This Place" and "About to Begin" "Hannah" backing trx if you would like them. These are Bass & Drums only. They did an excellent job with them.