Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number”: Guitar Arrangement & Lesson

[@looksie]

you're the best teacher on this platform imo. invariably within a few minutes of watching one of your lessons i pick up my guitar and start trying something you're doing, and that always winds up with me writing a new song in a style or using a technique that i wouldn't have otherwise. not to mention the way you focus on the philosophy of guitar in addition to technique makes me feel like your lessons are equally as useful for a beginner as they are for more advanced players.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks my brother! I just do what I like and what I think is interesting - it's nice to know so many other folks out that think the same way!

[@abrigospardos]

And Eric is as inspirational a teacher as it gets!

[@boomerdell]

So much going on in just about all Steely Dan songs. So incredibly rich, layered, catchy with memorable hooks, nuanced with jazz influences yet also right in our faces with rock sensibility. All that plus some of the greatest musicians of many generations showing up to contribute to their studio work. Fantastic. Thank you, Eric!🙏🏽😊🌟

[@jarodivey9033]

Man, The Dan is as harmonically rich as it gets.

[@socalldcmrd7847]

I love how you always manage to translate both rhythm and lyrics to 1 arrangement. I can't watch a single one of your videos without pickup up my guitar and following the lesson.

[@frankvaleron]

Such a brilliant rendition, I keep coming back to it

[@TomClarkSouthLondon]

Beautiful guitar 🥰

[@koho]

I still remember hearing this on the radio in 1974. IMO, the iconic *perfect* pop song, yet so sophisticated. The guitar/piano interplay on the original is, just, mmmmm ...., and of course there is Skunk Baxter's peerless solo. Eric - thank you! This is a great arrangement that grabs some of that great Dan harmony while bringing the melody up front. I haven't seen anything like it. Warming up the fingers ....

[@rdnzlallures6789]

Sorry, but that solo is Denny Dias.

[@rdnzlallures6789]

I'll correct myself before someone else does. It was Baxter. Sounds like a Dias, though!

[@Rustyjamesman]

Perfect timing, I've been really getting into Steely Dan lately!

[@InsolentMusicalPeasant]

Really outstanding dynamics. When I was young, I played way too hard. There's such amazing tone in the softer picking.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! These days, I really try to play every note just exactly clean and nice - no snapping or popping. I still don't get it 100% how I want it but that's the fun part!

[@thelonegr00ver]

Now that's a really nice-looking axe with lovely tone.

[@pm8278]

Great arrangement 👍

[@ST-xg3gy]

Such a soothing sound. Enjoyed that!

[@fabiocaverzan5120]

Lovely style of playing and teaching as always

[@wackyrig]

Outstanding, Eric. Thank you.

[@stevemorse108]

Thanks a lot for this great lesson which is enabling me to access harmonic subtleties beyond my normal capacities. You are a great teacher.I've been working on this lesson for one week now and although there is still work for me to do I've got the whole intro and verse down.

[@stephenowen5229]

Classic! Great arrangement!!

[@jasspolice]

3:38 "Evil. That's evil" - completely agree! This made me think of that Marc Ribot video where he plays Fat Man Blues solo on an acoustic - although in that one he sort of hacks half of the "bass" line by hammering on the E string with his left hand. I remember spending weeks trying to nail it and just ended up getting frustrated. And that was just a blues shuffle rhythm - as this is bossa nova I'll stick to the voice part, I guess my brain's not too good for multitasking :D

[@mheberling5939]

What an awesome lesson. Thank you!

[@michaeldmytriw1047]

Fantastic! What a tone and your dynamics are so stellar! Hot damn!

[@elwrongo]

nice arrangement

[@GreatWaterCircus]

wow totaly cool thank you

[@CousinOlivier]

I really love that song! 🤩

[@moose6676]

What a great tutorial 🙏🏻 Thanks 🙏🏻 subscribed

[@boomerdell]

Oh, yes, meant to mention that the bossa nova baseline Walter Becker lays down so beautifully in this song is a direct homage to Horace Silver’s ‘Song For My Father’ (1964) that features a keyboard riff to open it in nearly identical fashion. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYjIiYKjaZ6ee5I

[@sayas_music_]

One of my favourite steely Dan tune..rip... Walter Becker!!!

[@ojaisherpa]

Solid Gold here🤩

[@worldsbestwatcher3735]

I saw Steely Dan in concert two times. SD is not Rock-N-Roll for sure. Like at an orchestra, I fell asleep both times (no, I wasn't baked). Smooth music. Thanks for the lesson.

[@koho]

Sorry, one more thought: the timing's great. I just got through transcribing Marc Ribot's Aurora en Pekin, which has a cornucopia of 3rds and 6ths, and was a big project for me (and is just a gorgeous tune). Eric - you had a big hand in giving me the knowledge and inspiration to do that. I can definitely use some of that larnin' on this one.

[@lairdhanstrum6335]

I've never heard of this song and I'm buying the TAB. When you got to the EVIL part I was thinking of how I could make a crappy hybrid with strumming. Thank you so much for being honest about that part. I don't think I have the technology to have a lesson, but it's nice to hear you wouldn't have expected that too quickly.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! That's the thing with internet guitar lessons - sometimes we don't know when we're reaching for something that's just a little bit too tricky!

[@JasonClute]

We need to talk about that shirt 😎 Caught my eye right away. Friggin amazing! At this point in my almost 50 years in this dimension when I meet new people I just want to cut to the chase and say look, I like Steely Dan, Sonic Youth, Wilco & Tom Petty. If you can't deal, we ain't hanging out 🤣😂 I didn't get into Dan until later in my life, but I had Goo on tape after my hair metal phase and wore that thing out!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

www.fsgprints.com - they have so much fun stuff!

[@macsarcule]

OMG! STEELY DAN!!! 🤩✨ This is some serious happy about this lesson and then….. holy cats…. This is gonna be tricky. BUT THE PAYOFF IS PLAYING SOME STEELY DAN!!! Thank you, Eric! ✌️😃🎸

[@ditchgator1]

Great tone Eric😃👍 😎👍❤🖖 Love Brother

[@Robowx]

Eric I’m sure you heard “Song For My Father” by Horace Silver. Where They got that great bass line from.

[@blues61]

Yup, Steely Dan totally co-opted Horace Silver "Song for My Father" for the intro. But so did Stevie Wonder in "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing". He just lifted a different part of Silver's tune. 🙂

[@29brendus]

Really nice.

[@shipsahoy1793]

I like the SD t-shirt lol 😎touch .. 🥳👨🏻 That intro is reminiscent of “Song for My Father” from Horace Silver (early ‘60’s).

[@blues61]

Yup, Steely Dan totally co-opted Horace Silver "Song for My Father" for the intro. But so did Stevie Wonder in "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing". He just lifted a different part of Silver's tune. 🙂

[@shipsahoy1793]

@@blues61 Jazz musicians borrow or quote melodies or riffs or grooves or sections thereof or whatever and it’s just accepted as a sign of respect, but popular music types try to sue you! What a difference in culture. The ironic twist.. the less someone actually knows, the smarter they think they are.

[@blues61]

@@shipsahoy1793 Yup. True dat.

[@markkindermannart4028]

It used to be 3 degrees of separation from Marty, now it's you my dude. Of course I come to your RDLTN on my third video while working on this tune...you're my new third stone from the sun lol

[@fendermatt874]

We used to play that in a cover band it was my first solo I worked out myself

[@davidflint12]

Dean such an amazing guitarist 👍👍🎸👀

[@benwagner713]

Could you do a video on power pop, Big Star-esque songwriting or arranging, maybe like you did with Television?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Oooh good idea I'll add it to my list!

[@Judsonian]

The Steely/Black Flag Tee is perfect!

[@swinehorde9118]

It's Sonic Youth - Goo

[@Judsonian]

@@swinehorde9118 You're right, my bad. I thought it was BF since Raymond Pettibon did a lot of their art on flyers and covers.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

www.fsgprints.com - they have lots of fun stuff!

[@andybrown6981]

This is very good

[@HectorMoran-i3t]

Clean!!

[@TheRealJanKafka]

Horace Silver, 'Song For My Father'.

[@DallonAnderson]

Who else gives us in depth dan and television??

[@godbyone]

Wow what a smart melodic song. Has a little vibe of Chris issak

[@koho]

Heard this first in 1974 on the radio. It is the *perfect* pop song. Listen to the guitar/piano interplay in the original.

[@RomainG6409]

you would not be so expensive as a teacher, I would take a weekly guitar lesson with you for the rest of my life ... 😁😉 Great video and great playing as always, thanks ! 👌🤘👏

[@henveee]

Can you do an arrangement of the steel pipe sound effect?

[@rossman265]

Hello do you have the backing track available for purchase?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! it comes with the tab on my website :-)

[@gabrielebartolucci6659]

This is a whole Trufire chapter by itself

[@uberjam-sam8512]

Brilliant and beautiful as always. Taking us places we'd not venture on our own. So tasty too...

[@HollandOats]

Rumor is the number was indeed lost.

[@lorenzoblum868]

Smooth and tasty

[@jcrane721]

Hopefully just a truss rod adjustment will cure your fretting-out issue. Killer arrangement man.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah I loosened it a little before shooting but it may need another 1/4 turn!

[@donyoung7874]

Great song! It has one of my all-time favorite guitar leads. Would you consider a video on the guitar phrases in Fleetwood Mac's Future Games? Specifically the phrase that begins at 37 seconds? It's a flurry of notes that I can't figure out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX2ZgYqLppapp6M Hope you have a great weekend!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

oooh that's a snazzy sixtuplet Cmaj7 arpeggio landing on the Am! -------7---------10------8----7---------------------------------------------------------------- ---8----------------------------------8----------------------------------------------------------- --9------------------------------------------9---------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------10---9-----7------7----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[@paulsutherland3278]

Love your playing mate

[@theloniouscoltrane3778]

Great lesson. But please put the chord shapes and/or tabs on screen. Music learning is both aural & visual. Thanks 😊

[@koho]

I could not click fast enough ...