This Tosin Abasi clinic is INSANE...

[@Moakalatte]

Hey dude, moakalatte here (moak-a-latte, like "mocha-latte"). First of all, thanks for checking out this video. As someone in the comments noted, this was a part of a series of Masterclasses in a collaboration between the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in UK and Radar festival. AAL were playing Radar and Tosin came in and did this masterclass. I was tasked with shooting and editing it as part of my role working at ACM, and I (obvs) jumped at the chance being a fellow guitarist. As most things like this go, we had little prep time, one static cam and one roaming cam and an issue with the audio that was recorded which is why it sounds a bit like there's an echo on his voice and the backing/original track he was playing along to was a little too high in the mix. Anyway, I had to wait at least a year before I could share this, and I honestly thought that I'd get a request to take it down, but so happy that it's reached so many guitarists and has helped them out. Tosin's technique is killer, his clinic was super chill and informative, and he was a great chap to hang out with and chat to. Glad you like the video, there's a Rabea Massaad masterclass video on my channel, too. 🤟🏻

[@DeathStarLuke]

Thanks for the info, and for the video! Sounds like a pretty amazing experience!

[@paulbradshawguitar]

thanks for the video 🙏 I went to ACM waay back when (2007) , great place

[@TheLostSuperman]

This is the content that made youtube. Thanks for this amazing contribution!

[@martydibergi5228]

i love all things guitar thanks for this

[@joshhiroti]

Cheers for sharing mate

[@matthewdavis7674]

“Oh my god he’s going so fast” - a literal archspire band member

[@kamiljastrzab7784]

in Deans mouth that have to means something!

[@anddataforall]

@@kamiljastrzab7784 i think you guys don't listen to animals as leaders so often then. They have compositions as complex and as fast as archspire's.

[@jeremysikkema640]

welcome to our world watching Dean!

[@TheSquareOnes]

@@anddataforall Sure, but it's still funny when a member of a band that is basically a living meme of hyper fast tech death freaks out about another musician playing quickly. It's not about comparing them or being surprised that other fast guitarists exist, it's just an amusing reminder that even at his skill level Dean is just a human too and can still be impressed at how talented other humans are.

[@porknwithbill]

@@anddataforall you missed the point of the joke.

[@JWTechn1qu3]

My three favorite guitarists! Tosin Abasi’s left hand, Tosin Abasi’s right hand, and Dean Lamb!

[@gabegartzia3290]

You completely missed the chance to say Dean's lamb

[@walifsh]

I'm dead hahahhaa

[@derpderpin1568]

@@gabegartzia3290 meh

[@Meskuzze420]

😂😂😂

[@nicodamian7602]

Please dont forget tosin abasi's thumb

[@blaike6661]

Casually thumping 2 bars of Bleed is the epitome of a light Tosin flex

[@zzzzzz69]

Well it might be easier than regular tremelo picking it

[@iurigrang]

​@@zzzzzz69 if you're equally good at tremolo picking as you are with thumping, it probably is. Doubt there are many people like that around tho

[@manfredmar]

Not only is he a phenomenal guitarist, he also has killer style. What a guy.

[@DeanLamb]

Thanks man! 💅

[@killahasbigrpk8711]

yk when you have dean lamb making terrified faces, you’re in the top echelon of guitarists

[@AllTheRamenOnTheSky]

Two things I feel like I could become immortal and still never learn how to do: 1. Properly fold a burrito 2. Thump

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

3. Wrap clean Christmas gifts 🎁

[@AllTheRamenOnTheSky]

@@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power I never have to worry about gift wrapping 'cause majority of the time I just give people money as a present or have it mailed to them

[@gorgami29]

Burrito wrapping is easy. Put your contents in a line on the tortilla, take one end of the tortilla where the line is, fold it inside, the grab the outsides and fold them inwards. Probably harder to read than it is to see it visually but I promise you it's a gamechanger

[@AllTheRamenOnTheSky]

@@gorgami29 Instructions unclear, dick stuck in burrito

[@derpderpin1568]

remembering to cancel subscriptions to shit before the 2nd month hits

[@toddcontino7271]

Maybe try to get him on the channel for a “lesson” like you’ve done with some others?

[@motopolak]

This would be incredible. I’m not even a guitarist and I would no doubt watch that multiple times.

[@DangleSan]

even Tim Henson said he had to take Private lessons from Tosin and and to just focus Thumping for a month straight to get down

[@adamcogan211]

Your swybrid sweeps so unbelievably cool!!!!!!

[@ThrockmortonJGildersleeve]

For sure 👍...I've been checking out Charles Caswell in Berried Alive, his swybrid sweeps are really good along with a bunch of his other skillz

[@thefourthwritedjentleman3643]

Yep - absolutely insane

[@raven_g6667]

I went to the same school when he did. It's pretty surreal seeing him become one of the best players I listen to.

[@moisttowelette5353]

Tosin has to be one of the most skilled players alive.

[@filipeventura2729]

not a big fan of his music but id say -of all time!

[@KaiderKiller]

Water has to be one of the wettest compounds on earth.

[@infinidominion]

He spent like ten years watching VHS guitar lessons, you can too!

[@dedompler]

@@filipeventura2729 Tosin and his bandmates have so much out there, do you mean specifically AAL? i feel like every metalhead or prog nerd just hasn't found the album they like/think is listenable the first time through. Javier has Mestis and other solo work, TRAM is incredible and timeless, Garstka's projects with Casimir Liberski and Joshua De La Victoria are all insane. if you heard only CAFO and went "nah this isn't for me" i get it but there's so many different eras to explore

[@humanmerelybeing1966]

​@@KaiderKiller water isn't wet. things are wet when they're saturated with water. something can't be saturated with itself. if you think water is wet you're gonna wake up one day feelin silly and you'll be like, hey taht guy on youtube was right xd

[@MalcolmPugh]

That friend he is talking about is Evan Brewer

[@abcdefghijkl5408]

A beast in his own right

[@rhinoboger6784]

Miss him in Entheos guy is an absolute powerhouse of a bassist

[@RiffGrimez]

Who learned it from victor wootens brother

[@fromdepthswerise3024]

​@rhinoboger6784 if I recall, he's the studio bassist for Entheos. Just doesn't tour with them. Could be wrong, but I remember him doing the bass for their last record (not sure about the most recent EP).

[@ThyAsianMan]

@@fromdepthswerise3024 He also recorded the bass for Fallujah’s most recent album: Empyrean.

[@Magdalena8008s]

Tosin was the person who got my family to respect what I did and listened to. Before showing them Tosin all I listened to was "devils music" and "noise". Which I was raised on Dillinger and Converge so, fair. But when they heard Tosin and showed them who Tosin inspired and who looked up to him, they finally relented. They were raised on all the stereotypical rock guitar legends. And when they saw all them say, "Yeah, Tosin is in another league." They shut up about my music.

[@infinidominion]

Maybe show them Onieler for context of what devil music is 😂 She's haunting, especially when doing Dictious Te Necare stuff

[@ThyAsianMan]

My dad grew up on music like Sabbath, Rush, and Hendrix. Only music he heard me listen to that he wanted to listen to was AAL’s first album.

[@francho123]

If you want to nail this….I suggest you get rid of any delay.

[@canman87]

I had the same thought. I think delay (and to perhaps a slightly lesser extent, reverb) really does not gel well with that technique because it's all about the staccato notes.

[@infinidominion]

Could time the Delay to enhance these techniques

[@canman87]

@@infinidominion Possibly, but getting the technique down solidly first is more important.

[@francho123]

@@infinidominion could be a good idea, but IMO only after you have master the technique.

[@sebulban]

And every other effect as well. Learning with clean sound is the best way to avoid learning bad habits and small technical mistakes

[@abunai.j]

Tosin is insane. He's created such a unique voice on the instrument, it reminds me of when I heard Steve Vai as a kid. Also for the tone - you mentioned you weren't getting the same percussive quality that Tosin is - think less distorted/OD tone and more clean/comp on the signal instead. It'll give you that 'thunk' sound in your hammer ons and popping and help the process along. But the techniques are insane. I can't do any of them really effectively yet, but I really dig the selective picking best.

[@redcliffeshufflecore]

Dean you're the man! One of the best fastest metal guitarist out there and just a real dude learning off others not thinking or acting like you're the man when you are! Makes you so much cooler dude. I love this channel and your videos keep it up!! No edits and so raw and brootal it's awesome

[@DeanLamb]

Thanks!

[@davidhartman5594]

He says " did bro just play bleed with his thumb"? 😂😂 in all honesty that was INSANE. Hard not love Tosin. Love how positively different his style is and what he will inevitably inspire future players to reach for.

[@BaldorfBreakdowns]

Gotta love when I see comments of people saying thumping isn't that hard and Tosin is overhyped, then watch Dean Lamb absolutely struggling and being blown away by how good Tosin is.

[@byranakiempitts7374]

0:57 average 8 string guitarists to do list

[@bowlofnuggets]

17:07 i LOVE this. seeing dean realising that he wrote a sick melody and then replaying it, figuring it out and enjoying it. this has been such a wholesome and interesting video

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

09:38 "if this was America you'd know chickin' pickin'" 😅👌

[@GuyManley]

Tosin is so sick. I saw him when he was in Reflux twice in the 2000s. This was before he went to school. He was great at technical metal stuff back then but it was more riffs based. It's really cool to see what a legend he has become.

[@rorz999]

Yeah, Reflux was a lot more conventional than the stuff he's doing now, but even back then anyone who saw him knew he was something special

[@MichaelZ89]

A potential reason why you don't have the snappiness when thumbing is because you don't apply enough pressure and release it properly at tempo. Slow you are getting it but as soon as you pick up speed, your thumbing becomes shallow as you relax more. Same with the selective picking, if you really pay close attention to Tosins right hand, he picks like a classical guitarist would pluck a string. We use pressure on the string to create dynamics, not velocity, and that doesn't change with speed. So maybe applying classical plucking technique to your picking can transform your sound and get that thick tone just as Tosins but at super fast tempos🎸🎸🎸 Just a perspective from a classical guitarist. Hope that helps as AAL are just amazing

[@ChristianMoses]

Position 2 on Abasi guitars is similar to position 3 on Kiesels: split (inner) coil neck + bridge and kind of mimics a Tele position 2. They use a Schaller megaswitch set up for: 1) bridge humbucking, 2) s coil inner bridge and neck, 3) both humbuckers, 4) neck single coil (neck side), 5) neck humbucker.

[@paulbradshawguitar]

Those Swybrid clean parts were really cool, i think as you said due to the Fishmans , it might be a Single coil mode that's on the pickup itself, with zero noise due to the pickup/active design , Tosin's a monster player in any case

[@TokiWardguitar]

For those that want to know: This was a clinic for RADAR Festival in 2019. Afterwards we all got to hang out with him, get pics and try the guitar from the video, great way to spend an afternoon.

[@t-liminal]

6:14 biggest dosage of euphoria I've had in a long time. You're pretty much 20 years ahead of me as far as skill and practice goes. But seeing you blank out on that was really funny to me 😂

[@lesliehamilton2020]

After the first fucking 3 seconds I could NOT stop looking at the head/hat ratio lmao

[@PhilMeadJams]

It's too early for my brain to process Tosin 🫠

[@atithesnail]

Hey Dean! You've asked multiple times in the video that how is Tosin's playing is so clean. Well, besides the human factor, there are some things you can change actually. Your technique looks good, but the circumstances could be improved (which would instantly improve your technique as a byproduct). Here are some things you should try: 1. Turn off the delay and turn down the reverb too. 2. Go for an edge of break up sound, rather than a full on distortion. 3. I think you've used like a solo sound here, which is quite mid heavy. For the slap sound you basically need the opposite, a scooped one. I'd start back rolling back the mids a bit then dial in the highs, as the highs give you the most feedback of your playing with this style. Then I'd go for the lows to have the "thump" behind it, then you go back to the mids and find the sweetspot. 4. Depending on the amp (sim) you may sprinkle some clean OD or compression at the beginning of the chain to get the right touch sensitivity, and you should sound pretty close.

[@TommyToboggan611]

Tosin is an alien. Dean plays something, I can see it being possible with dedication and practice. Tosin is just like a robot

[@bimp.]

This content has been so helpful Dean, as an intermediate guitarist getting your pov on these techniques and ideas that feel out of reach makes it so much more digestible. Stay Tech

[@RiffGrimez]

I’ve been working on this for about a month now…. I’m glad to see someone of your skill level in the beginning stages along with me. Come on hypothetical future.

[@HappyHacker_RC]

Every now and then I get complacent watching Dean and lean into that "he's just like one of us!" as he's gushing over Tosin (or any other guitarist) playing, and then 19:28 happens and I'm like "oh, right - Dean is also actually a monster."

[@PUFFBALLRULEZD00D]

Tosin Abasin is INSANE!

[@patrickftw8464]

anytime you post a video related to animals as leaders im here. lol. it's cool to see you play those styles that aren't normally what you'd play with archspire. i love both of course, but it's sick to see you grasp those concepts. youre too talented man lol. i really enjoyed back when you tried learning that chon song as well, same kinda idea. different styles, but sounds SUPER cool

[@Afraidsolution7676]

Get Jared on here! This is much like the double thumb technique on bass!

[@bolillo5013]

This masterclass is one of my favorite videos on KZbin, period.

[@thefourthwritedjentleman3643]

Deans face is exactly like mine when I try and learn Archspire songs 😂

[@FullMetalDMZ]

Great video! One awesome tip is to thump and pluck the strings with minimum force, you don't need to hit the strings hard at all, in fact that would slow you down. Obviously a compressor helps with this

[@laakarisaatana]

I FUCKING LOVE YOUR BAND HOMIE, I PRAY I GET TO SEE YOU LIVE ONE DAY! tosin abasi is a tech legend!

[@sirsaltycat1933]

I remember seeing Archspire with Vulvodynia and Kris does alot of that thumping stuff. I’m glad more of the extreme metal bands are integrating it into their sound

[@ees42]

Cool stuff. Love the entheos hat! I would love to see you tour with them again!

[@Christopher-yz3ig]

I had that same look you were giving the entire video. But... I am going to keep trying! Great video, Dean.

[@Crcmvnt]

Love watching this channel grow. You are the man Dean!

[@TheLostSuperman]

Dean with some Tosin is what the world needs rn. That riff at 10:51 reminded me of the song Terran from Fury 3. Now I need to hear a metal version of it!

[@dedompler]

from the moment you hear the first several bars in Tempting Time (thank you Misha) you suddenly realize how special Tosin and AAL really is

[@colbystewart3753]

if you could do a video with Tosin himself that would be beyond cool. little guitar interview/lesson

[@rocesboyanthony5343]

Not sure if you’ve already thought of this but he probably also a good callous build up on his thumb which helps get the tone. I know bass players for sure know calloused fingers help a punchy articulate tone

[@bendykirk]

@DeanLamb Please do something with that melody you wrote, its super sick!

[@domn9c]

“Tosin Abasi Fishman Clinic at the Music Zoo” is a cool one I just found after this video, its very nerdy but fun

[@sirhcsuiris]

Great vid. Regarding the 9:00 ish mark, remember the rubber band technique he mentioned earlier. He's pulling and pushing the string, like a bend, and then releasing it. That's what's giving him that power. ...at least I think that's how to describe it.

[@RX120D]

You're gonna need a boatload of compression for this kind of stuff, my dude. Loved this video!

[@ajadeleye4970]

There’s a theme park called Frontier City in Oklahoma that has a wooden rollercoaster called the Wildcat that sounds like this technique. Love it

[@Silo1776]

You got this, man! I’d love to hear some of this technique in an Archspire song. Archspire is one of the greats! Love your music. Keep up the hard work!

[@mateuszb.4011]

I dont know if Tosin mentioned it in this video but when your're doing groups of 4 and more (where u involve more then just index finger) u should start from the farther finger to you. ex- grups of 4 should be picked: thump down, thump up, mid finger, index finger. This motion is much more effective. Also visualize your fingers getting thru the strings and not picking on them

[@barthaande893]

Love the increased frequency of uploads! Almost interesting and often makes me laugh too for some reason

[@harleydorazio7847]

Tosin did a guitar clinic at Verns here in calgary once a long time ago for the last Noctis festival. It was just as mind blowing then as it is now. And this is over ten years later so he's gotten THAT much better. Very cool to see. (He was a super nice dude too by the way!)

[@TonyTheDago]

Dude you guys are on another planet!

[@brandonbain224]

Geat, now Dean is gonna incorporate this shit into the next Archspire album and I'll be even farther away from ever being able to play any of their songs lol saw you guys live in Tampa by the way, sick show! I got a video on my phone of the dude in the banana suit getting lifted up to kiss the disco ball on the ceiling and shit lol it was a good time

[@kratanicverses4805]

@ 6:56 TOSIN-'it feels like you'll never get it..." ALL OF US-.....Ya don't say!...

[@Asthmos]

bassist here! i'm still trying to keep up with Toby and Matt from The Omnific! the stuff Tosin does is just mind blowing....

[@aaronmcelrea8172]

I like how Tosin talks a lot about his technique, very cool. I always wished Adam Jones would do stuff like this.

[@dylanbourne4880]

I've found that especially with thumping and selective picking that compression is super important. Usually running a slow attack and fast release. It gets that percussive quality and thats why even though he is on split coil he is getting that slappy in your face type tone even with very little gain on the amp.

[@FitzMastaflex]

10:17 that On Impulse riff is soooooo sooothing.

[@uncbrygaming4997]

Watched him (animals as leaders) and Plini last night at the Commodore Ballroom here in Vancouver BC. Him and Javier Reyes are the perfect duo playing in a band. Ridiculous talent

[@myselph1761]

Tosin's a wizard. 'Nuff said.

[@theReignofRon]

You and Tosin should write something together. It would be insane!!

[@Silo1776]

I met Tosin after a concert in Austin years ago. Really cool dude. Very humble. I was drunk as fuck and star struck…all I could muster is “Hey, I love you. What are you currently reading?” Lmao Fun times.

[@di0__0ib]

only Dean could pick up what Tosin is playing so quickly 😮

[@wondrouslyperish]

12:27 - Those notes hit ya right in the gooch lol found your channel recently after the auditions and very glad I did. Cheers my friend 👍 *Also, very cool to hear some potential new beginnings of an ASS, (ArchSpire Song). That riff was sick 👌 gotta be a keeper.

[@VEGABRICCS]

15:18 riff is phuccing sick

[@harrisonfouts8735]

I always use infinite regression - AAL to work on the thump technique, pretty easy to wrap your head around

[@mick_thundus]

This was super rad, thanks for taking us along

[@TobyKBTY]

I attended a Tosin clinic back in 2015. The only thing I understood was when someone asked him the first ever solo he learned, and he says "I think it was Smells like Teen Spirit" 😂

[@TobyKBTY]

His explanation of "not getting it for months then suddenly clicking" reminds me of how techniques felt as a beginner, or learning them from scratch. Alternate picking was hell for a long time until the practice and time made it click. Same with sweeping. His thumping is just such an unintuitive way of playing compared to what we're used to that the learning curve seems steeper.It's crazy how the attack is so consistent across all his fingers

[@tamarockstar45]

I'd love to see some of these techniques make their way into some Archspire songs in the future. Good stuff.

[@Burning_Star_IV]

This is so cool, for me it’s closer feel wise to playing banjo for the first technique

[@miningcowman9943]

So glad to finally see a veteran of guitar struggle with it aswell that shi is sooo hard

[@eightmetalstrings]

Hey Dean! You mentioned the tone a few times and not quite having the same slap. For the thumping, a little bit of it is in the wrist slap, but overall, he has lighter gauge strings 74 on the 8th and somewhere around a 58 on the 7th. I'm not sure what gauge you use, but the lighter strings definitely slap better!

[@metalfather8139]

DEAN you can't have delay an verb smacking back during his bleed little ditty....has to be clean distortion. but Fishman actives have profiles totally different than a split on a passive but several options

[@DeanLamb]

Ain't no one telling me I gotta turn off my delay and reverb. 😤

[@metalfather8139]

​@@DeanLamb I meant on Tosin bleed spot with his thumb man ... but it's up to you of course. hope your being sarcastic

[@danieldodson941]

​@@metalfather8139Agreed, that delay is a total mess

[@EeekItsSnek]

As a bassist, that "it just clicked and you cant remember a time where you couldnt do it" line he said is exactly how i felt when i figured out how to make thumping feel right. Its like aggravating that you dont think its right and then poof, it just clicks.

[@justinwearn620]

That second sweep picking technique is so fascinating. While sweep picking its all your fretboard hand, while the other method is all your playing hand #Intriguing

[@sakules]

"get rash checked out" thats been on my top 3 todo list for a while now. I will take this a as a sign to actually do it

[@Ryo7_7]

So awesome. I'm almost there with the thumping. I have to work on the hybrid picking. 🤘

[@ace4evr]

I learned thumping probably over 6 years ago, and what always mystified me about Tosin's method is that his accents are with his thumb(strike), where mine are my fingers(pluck). Its easier to accent with the index or middle finger for me because sometimes I miss the string my thumb is supposed to strike, so if the accent is a miss.... you get my point lol. The "push/pull" thing w/ the thumb is interesting, very relative to keeping your pick as close to a string as possible for faster playing with a bit less effort.... his 100% accuracy at faster speeds is still confusing even with that bit of knowledge lmfao! Been my favorite since 2008, I love Tosin's playing!

[@ashesog4204]

Just to help you out a bit that pickup selection on the abasi concepts is both the bridge and neck split together so use them both together and you’ll get better attack and definition when thumping!! That position 2 is what he uses for selective picking and thumping and leads but he will switch to the neck pickup mid solo which is steezy lol idk how people just casually mid riffing switch fluidly

[@redcliffeshufflecore]

Is the Sweetwater bit backed my some Django Reinhardt music? I sure do hope so! Nagakasi?

[@graemeoliver744]

Wes Montgomery played with his thumb and did upstrokes as well but he didn't depend on a nail, he apparently had a huge callus

[@mikeromano3001]

Respect for showing that thumping isn't as easy as tosin makes it look.

[@liambrookbanks9679]

In terms of the thumping stuff Ando san is really underrated for it. Mad the technique his own and applies it to a different style of music super well. If you like the sound of the technique he's definitely one to check out.

[@jonajon91]

You say that the thumping is very Tosin Abasi, but Josh Martin has been doing it just as long and has his own completely unique style to bring to the table.

[@cbsaulren]

6:46 My reaction to just about every skilled guitarist when they demonstrate

[@sebastiaanx7867]

Please make a song of the melody on 16:44 someday, it was lit!

[@sammybowker7823]

Tosin is my favorite guitar player, dude is not human

[@linktojinx]

After almost 10 years of not playing and regretting it, I finally just got my first eight string, never could I go back to regular. There are eight notes in any given key, therefore there should be eight strings. You could literally play an entire key simultaneously

[@darkallyrecordings4931]

You may need to lower your strings or raise your pickups to get the poppiness you're looking for. If you notice how close his strings are to his pickups. He has very low action.

[@WhiteLatex-333]

Crazy how clean he is able to get all these sounds too

[@1TakoyakiStore]

When he did his video with John Petrucci and Devin Townsend on Rick Beato's channel I could finally understand some of what he was doing and it's actually not because he's playing fast but that he's doing a lot at the same time because he's doing things with 9 fingers than simply 5 like with most guitarists. I was like oh yeah that's why it sounds like it's twice as fast as he looks like he's playing. Also the hybrid picking when done really well makes it very hard to audibly tell what's happening as taps and hammer-ons sound like they're being picked and vice-versa.

[@stepitupandgo67]

you are really good at figuring stuff out quick