Surf Guitar Lesson - How Does Surf Guitar Work?

[@gonzola88]

Three key elements. 1. Reverb 2. Reverb 3. And more reverb! 🏄‍♂️🏄🏽‍♀️🎸🎸

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Plus one more ingredient - the whammy bar! :)

[@tHoM0r]

slapback delay.. VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRB -> WHAMMY dripping wet

[@whatareyoudoingstepcomment4029]

and a 60's beach theme

[@geoffreyschofield8539]

And sometimes a little tremolo!

[@verstone2486]

man this is exactly the kind of video breakdown of how to play surf guitar that I've spent ages looking for. thank you dude

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks for watching Ver!

[@briankeller2048]

Fender Jag and Strats are the quintessential surf instruments. Some groups had jazzmasters.

[@MindDezign]

Very well broken down and explained. Thank You

[@southtoe3607]

Beautiful Jazzmaster!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you! It's such a cool guitar!

[@Pistefka]

One key element I would add is arpeggios. Plenty of classic surf tunes would switch from a riff/melody part (often with open strings) to some arpeggios as a way to transition to another part or cycle back into the main melody. e.g. I just learnt four surf/60s instro tunes: Surf Rider, Mr. Moto, Lullaby of the Leaves (Ventures) and El Ringo (Torquays/Wes Dakus) and they all contain arpeggios as a way to vary things and just cos they sound nice...

[@geoffreyschofield8539]

Surf rider and Mr. Moto are classics!

[@JetJockey87]

As soon as you demonstrated the A blues scale I instantly recognised a few popular surf bands!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Totally right! It's amazing how much of the sound comes from the sound of that scale and occasionally tenser scales like the Phrygian/Phrygian Dominant. It's such a great genre! Stay well, Stuart

[@JetJockey87]

@@StuartRyanMusic thanks Stuart. My home state of Western Australia is doing pretty well 🇦🇺👍

[@davidcudlip6587]

Damn, I can picture Herman Munster pulling the driveway in that hot rod hearse thing he drove.

[@TomTobin67]

I play surf and rockabilly on my strats and they sound fine. Thank you for this awesome video.

[@timmotel5804]

Most enjoyable. I grew up with surf music. I saw Dick Dale several years ago when I lived in Phoenix at the Rhythm Room. And of course the "beach party movies", etc. Thanks from a drummer.

[@jjim0437]

Dick Dale played a Stratocaster. Left handed, strung right handed. He did pretty well without a jazzmaster! (but I do have one 😂 & a Strat)

[@kitano0]

We guitarists are so indebted to DD...his work with Leo Fender created the modern guitar amplifiers...Dick wanted them loud and fire-proof (He caught a few amps on fire back in the day, just by volume alone!)

[@yieldspreadEXP_Music]

This is one of the best guitar videos I've seen on youtube. Great explanations, at a reasonable pace, enough theory to understand relationships but then you just go on playing simple techniques and explaining the RIGHT WAY to play them. LOVE how you broke down what each guitar would be doing at any given time also. Checking out the country video now!

[@anthonycastelluci9225]

Great lesson! The Holy Trinity of Surf Guitars are the Fender Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, and Mustang. I prefer the Strat. Link Wray is known for using an SG. And Insect Surfers use a variety of humbucking guitars. Getting that classic Fender Twin Reverb amp is key to get that authentic drippy Fender Reverb. And there are also some very good reverb pedals for extra drip like the Surfybear Reverb.

[@williamgarrett9479]

Don't forget the fender Jaguar..probably more so even than the Jazz master

[@Tahquitz]

I think you meant Jaguar not Mustang…though a Mustang would work well.

[@KRE808]

This is such a great lesson - and complete with free sheet music as well. Really appreciate not just focusing on the melody but including the other parts as well, as well as the tone and the specifics regarding the palm muting for the tick tock. As a beginner, I tend to "cheat" by playing these surf melodies like Pipeline or Wipe Out higher up the neck on the A and D strings but this is a good reminder that for a more authentic sound (and for more finger-stretching workouts), I need to play them in the open positions. Thanks ever so much!

[@jeremydahm2124]

This is great! Taking this with my loop and sdrum pedal into the rehearsal space today.

[@reneegoust]

I'm a singer-songwriter currently starting to arrange a track with a little surf section on it for my next album and your video is enlightening me so much. Clear, concise, useful. Thanks a lot!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Glad to help! Stay well, best wishes, Stuart

[@ondy71]

A fender 63 reverb pedal is great for this

[@JapaneseDogs]

Great video, man! Thanks so much. In terms of gear, thick strings and picks are recommended when you wanna go surfing.

[@scottshortall9374]

Wow,nice work. I also like the entire production.

[@Chris_Blackstock_Music]

Amazing! Subscribing to your channel.

[@andrerock6754]

Excellent lesson! Cheers, Stuart!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks for watching Andre!

[@seahark1]

Really helpful, and well explained. Thanks, Stuart!

[@alandennis3853]

Thank you for this video. I bought a seafoam green Strat and have a Fender champ with a TC electronic drip spring reverb simulator pedal. Very informative instruction, I appreciate how you explain some background information rather than just playing and expecting the viewer to get it. I'm ready to make some nice surf rock tunes!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Have fun Alan, it's a fantastic style! Stay well, Stuart

[@garymanning8920]

Awesome..I just started working the Byzantine scale with my Godin Dorchester big hollow body, thick single coil front #1 position, full reverb, tremolo picking and a Bigsby Tremolo system... Mosrite styled bridge. Add a tad of fuzz and get it drippy. Thanks for the outstanding lessons. I'm subscribed.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Many thanks Gary! Stay well, best wishes, Stuart

[@charleslampman6971]

Thanks for the lesson man

[@ficothecroatianrocker]

I am getting ready to do some surf rock original music, this helped a lot, you rock man

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you and glad it helped!

[@ficothecroatianrocker]

@@StuartRyanMusic it did help, a lot, I made the song and people really liked, check it out on my channel if you want to

[@hacerclic1020]

Great video, thanks! One of my biggest musical regrets is that I never saw Dick Dale when I had the chance.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you! I know what you mean - there are several of these guys who I wish I'd seen - I missed Duane Eddy last time he toured the UK and he probably won't be back

[@SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

Yer ears would still be ringing if you had...!

[@ancienttechnologies972]

@@SupraphonicsSurfCombo Mine are

[@rescue_my_unicorn3046]

Great lesson! Please do more videos about different styles!!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

They are coming, bluegrass next!

[@BrandonPrive1432]

love a video showing what effects pedals or DAW digital effects you used to get this sound, love it, need breakdowns on how to get it!!!

[@fuzzyloomchannel]

If you're interested in surf guitar I have this channel about just that. I have a video about the surf sound there. kzbin.info

[@sooperheep]

almost sounds like you have some octave pedal going on, gives it a nice 60s tv theme quality, might have to try that

[@TheTrollMastah]

Jags were THEE surf guitar

[@gebruykert]

Very informative, that'll keep me occupied for a bit! Thanks!

[@400_billion_suns]

Thank you so much for your videos! You're a *great* player and I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Glad you like them! Stay well, best wishes, Stuart

[@trevorhoward2254]

Nice one, Stuart, Subscribed. Thank you.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you Trevor - more coming soon. All the best! Stuart

[@idolhanz9842]

Mosrite Guitars and Fender Bandmaster amps forever!

[@johnperry9082]

I picked up lots of good tips here, great video on surf guitar. Thank you for so much advice on this subject.

[@pacoruizserrano]

Nice, thanks!

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Fantastic lesson..

[@smithy7034]

Great video. Thank you very much. 👍🏻

[@gabrieltoneguitars9365]

I learned much from this video

[@JsnHgl]

Stuart - I've just found your channel and subscribed. Hope you do more surf type lessons. Great stuff man!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks Jason! Just getting over a broken ankle at the moment but when I'm mobile again I'll get the cameras and lights set up for more!

[@JsnHgl]

StuartRyanMusic that’s rough. Here’s to a quick recovery!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

@@JsnHgl Thanks Jason, just got back from a hospital trip and it looks like it's fixed...now I just have to remember how to walk :(

[@JsnHgl]

@@StuartRyanMusic Good luck!

[@videogeekin]

“An excellent cover to demonstrate is 007-11 by The Ventures,”

[@DavidHBurkart]

Thanks for this tutorial. Very helpful.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you David! All the best, Stuart

[@LiamEserda]

Great! James Bond theme is this style too I guess?

[@harleyerickson3654]

Fantastic video - thank you!!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thank you Harley!

[@DelayTheWait]

Lacking reverb there. It should be dripping in it otherwise it sounds kinda Dolly Parton

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

I have just recorded a surf track that I wrote, I wish I had seen this first.

[@Apost0345]

Could you upload it?

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

@@Apost0345 thanks for the interest, I am afraid that it still needs mixing and mastering as well as four other songs. Due to the pandemic it has stayed that way, I have it as it was recorded and the mix is untouched. If we ever get the chance to mix (😂) socially again. I'll post a link here if and when that happens. Thanks again 😎

[@Apost0345]

@@SSRT_JubyDuby8742 I would love to hear it my friend

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

@@Apost0345 thankyou, it's my first attempt at doing a surf style track, I am not sure that it ticks all the boxes, but it was fun to write. I'll ask my wife if there is a way to share it with you, I have not kept on top of technology, which has been enabled in no small part by her dexterity with it. Cheers again. 🏝🏄‍♂️🏄‍♀️🏝

[@Apost0345]

@@SSRT_JubyDuby8742 Sharing a link to a mp3 file uploaded to google drive is usually the way I do it

[@ForeverDraconian]

Hi Stuart, fantastic playing and demonstration. I ´ve got myself a Fender 60th Anniversary Jazzmaster which i quiet like . But i seem to have a hard Time to get a good Sound with my Marshall JVM and EVH5150 with it. So which Amp would you recommend to use with a Jazzmaster ?

[@DouglasJerome]

Your amp is close to opposite of a surf style set-up. A Fender tube amp with spring reverb is what you want... Deluxe Reverb, Princeton, Twin Reverb, etc.

[@laneydeanwill]

Great information. Thank you. The volume, especially when you were speaking, was way too low, though, in my opinion. I think to watch KZbin videos while running on the treadmill, but this one was too quiet to hear while doing that.

[@jim-mellonmiccahofman7594]

I need more resources on the second component. What do you call it? Where can I get more videos on it? Any literature that I can read to study further on all components?

[@tallperson9422]

Great stuff! I had been looking for surf guitar tips and you really came through.

[@michaelgreen9866]

Vey informative !

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks for watching! Stay well, best wishes, Stuart

[@killkult]

fretbuzz on the low E , needs a setup me thinks good explanation and solid lesson learned something today

[@sebastianbarzallo5833]

Holy shit, this is gold. Thak you so much!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Glad it helped Sebastian!

[@nayob]

Do you have a Spotify account? It would be great to hear this awesome piece there. Thank you for the great instructional videos. Please go on. Your style is very pleasant.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks Bobby - I don't a Spotify at the moment but most of my original music is actually solo fingerstyle guitar, this stuff is more for teaching purposes. Plenty to listen to at my website, thanks for watching!

[@blueeyedsoulman]

DanElectro guitars work too as well as Mosrite.

[@StuartRyanMusic]

I played a vintage Mosrite just last year, it was so cool, expensive for a one trick pony but so much fun. Danos are great too, I need to add one to the collection at some point. Stay well!

[@hoffersmusic815]

Really interesting video, very laid back narration and good tips for Surfy guitarists

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Glad you enjoyed it and thank you! Stay well, best wishes, Stuart

[@nikolaus2688]

"You don't actually need a Jazzmaster" - Lalalalala ... can't hear you

[@gcar5214]

Nikolaus 😂😂😂😂, I’m trying to justify buying a squire classic vibe jaguar. I already have an hss Bullet strat and have been playing for about 4 months but i already have the guitar bug

[@67lilbear]

Hold my Mustang...

[@400_billion_suns]

I just bought an American Original Jazzmaster a few weeks ago and can confirm, you do actually need a Jazzmaster!

[@MLFranklin]

Or maybe a Jaguar.

[@franckgauthier1978]

aye aye captain

[@mattgehringer7292]

Hey, Stuart First off this is one of the best Surf Guitar Lessons I've come across. 2nd what do you think the best Jazzmaster pickups are for playing classic instrumental surf guitar music such as The Bel-Airs, Eddie Bertrand and the Showmen, The Surfaris, The Ventures, The Astronauts, etcetera. Thank you very much in advance. Also keep up the good work.

[@geoffreyschofield8539]

Check out Bruce Lindquist. He's got a ton of surf guitar stuff and tabs!

[@carlosrodriguezgarcia8103]

Video ofthe correcto use of pick

[@coldwar1977]

Q: How much reverb do you want? A: YES.

[@keithenzler2034]

Is it still possible to get a link to the backing track and tabs? Bitly is blocking the one listed above.

[@saltydog-mv4ij]

Dude I was watching Nicole and Shelby crank it out and I said I want to learn to play the guitar well Yeah they look great but I swear they sound even better is it the surf music? Next thing I know KZbin slams this video down on me and I like it teach me master teach me1❤🧂⚓🐕

[@dustdevilz4771]

Are P-90s the generally thought of surf specific pick up?

[@JapaneseDogs]

I'd say they definetly do the trick. All kinds of SC do. With your gear set up in the right way you can play surf with HB, too.

[@mateovicuna7640]

hey man, nice video! I have a question tho... the tremolo effect you achieve with ur Jazzmaster, could it be done with a Tele and a wah pedal? cause i think i'm getting something quite similar at home, so i was thinking that maybe it is possible. Sorry for my English. Cheers man, I really like your content!

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Thanks Mateo! Unfortunately the Tele/wah combo will be quite different, amazing for funk but it won't really do the tremolo thing like the Jazzmaster does (JMs are really quirky/unique guitars though so it's tricky to get other guitars to emulate them!). Stay well, all the best, Stuart

[@Apost0345]

Maybe behind the nut bending? Looks interesting on stage and could do the job very well

[@trevorgwelch7412]

What does " drip " really mean . 🎸🎼🎼🎼😊

[@geoffreyschofield8539]

I think it describes the sound of a spring reverb.

[@surfcollector]

I just gotta say it. Don Wilson from The Ventures is hands down the best rhythm player in Rock period. He’s super percussiony and his attack is insane. Listen to the middle section to Dick Tracy or the entire Live In Japan ‘65. As cool as the Shadows are, no one can beat the Wilson/Edwards guitar assault. There’s nothing subtle about it. And it’s uniquely American. A lot of the European instrumental bands tend to have either a Shadows or Spotnicks sound. Nothing as original or exciting as The Ventures. Ever.

[@KnowaLusion]

The Ventures bro

[@christoguichard4311]

Disagree... How come The Shadows had FAR more hits, worldwide, than The Ventures? 🤔

[@surfcollector]

Hit singles are OK, but The Ventures sold ALBUMS and a lot of them! I’ve never heard any famous guitarist say they were influenced by The Shadows but MANY are on record saying The Ventures got them playing, including all the best British players. The fact that Japan to this day has too many Ventures cover bands to count, from teenagers to seniors. The Ventures are deeply intertwined in their pop music culture. There is a reason they are acknowledged as the worlds number one instrumental band!

[@johng.8625]

Alright

[@theweapon2049]

Please, What it that actual color called???

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Hi Casey, this is Burgundy Mist. All the best, Stuart

[@Edward-MTBKR]

Sir, your intentional slight of the Jaguar in Surf music has spoiled an otherwise outstanding video. That's Jag-Wahr (American) and Jag-U-Aur (British). :)

[@StuartRyanMusic]

Ha ha! Regardless of how it's pronounced I really want a Jaguar now!! :) Stay well, all the best, Stuart

[@maorixp8812]

GOOD Lesson ! What strings do you use ?

[@StuartRyanMusic]

I think on this one they are just Ernie Ball Slinkys, guage 10 - 46

[@maorixp8812]

@@StuartRyanMusic Thank you

[@Thomas-pr5zh]

i have a fender telecaster, but how do I get it to sound like this

[@cavbaron3634]

Spring reverb and bridge pickup

[@Thomas-pr5zh]

@@cavbaron3634 cheers mate

[@guitashamilele]

This is a great video but slightly disappointed you didn't ask us if we're well. I am well, thanks.

[@drdave-vp3vh]

👍

[@jamescumbria4499]

Turns out you can.

[@QwikVidz]

Rad

[@clickbaitnumberone1403]

" people who dont play guitar are gonna love it" 🤔 but what about me, I play guitar and i love it either...

[@idolhanz9842]

Fuckin awesome!

[@johng.8625]

Teach how to play Jerry Garcia Me an My Uncle

[@ratalino73]

Falta reverb !

[@johng.8625]

Jerry Garcia Greatful Dead

[@RogerSpelling]

I don't hear any drip ?

[@tikibongo99]

Surf elements = fat strings. High E should be 13-16 gauge, Pick hard. The best surf songs are not 1-4-5,.

[@customagent74]

It's not tremolo picking....it's staccato picking!

[@Diabolik771]

To me that sounds like a trucker country riff.

[@1.123]

there is something wrong with that guitar. it is missing something essential for surf.

[@powerpopaholic876]

OK. What's that ?

[@LeCarlton]

Powerpopaholic dripppppp

[@ArtRebelsBloc]

bro you didnt really show nothing your guitar dont matter idgaf use single coil pickup guitar. you can pick near the neck but you must use reverb effects or pedals to get the tone. you can play any position on the guitar neck i have original surf songs in the key of a and b major not just the eminor position of g major

[@SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

Element 1 = get Jazzmaster.

[@n1cholas.w]

The Supraphonics strat works good too!

[@SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

@@n1cholas.w It does! I made a whole surf album without a JM. Just goes to show that you can make great sounds with lots of tools. I do have two JMs now tho-- a Nash and a BiLT (semi-hollow). The new surf album will be just those two...

[@n1cholas.w]

The Supraphonics I had a Jaguar (single coils) for about 2 weeks before I sold it. The scale length on the offset bodies kinda messes with me. Might be more psychological than physical. Either way i think I’d like to try a jazz master with humbuckers someday. I do miss the tremolo system on that guitar!

[@nothingandmore]

You DO have to have a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar LOL

[@bambamtherapist]

Dick Dale played the strat and he basically invented the genre. Calm yourself.