Zappa's Alien Orifice Guitar Interlude - with Steve Vai

[@wowwhywow]

I just sit here with my jaw hanging open watching your videos....."great" doesn't even start to explain what a fantastic thing it is that you are doing .

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you very much indeed. Best wishes.

[@corpse-in-orbit]

Zappa is so underrated as a composer of melodies - the harmonic framework and the orchestration don't always accentuate it (very intentionally on FZ's part), but he wrote GORGEOUS melodic lines, and I think that's the root of his genius as a soloist. He never just cycled through licks; he was always writing melodies in real time as an improviser. Great work, man!

[@cosmikdebris4950]

_What?_

[@pancakemaster8567]

This might be the best KZbin channel I've ever followed. I'm shocked you don't already have a million subscribers. Thank you for all your great work. The world needs more scholars like yourself.

[@Eskimo1973]

O yes more Zappa content!

[@ChananHanspal]

👍

[@sonicart1808]

One thing I love about these videos you create about Frank's compositions is that you are actually highlighting to many people just how complex his music was because, for some, his music is easy to dismiss as "Novelty" or even "Crazy" but by breaking down these arrangements you are dispelling this completely and throwing light on his genius.... these are incredible lessons Chanan thank you.

[@sidoughty428]

Zappa was so far ahead with his direct marketing. Great to see your well studied copy. Great FZ insights here, it still seems impossible but you play it with such grace ❤

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you very much.

[@selliantuttimusi6735]

Alien Orifice is one my favourites Zappa tunes. A masterpiece. Thanks for this!

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome.

[@shadownet_nft]

Wonderful to get this insight into Zappa's compositions, I will be exploring further!

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you.

[@bigfootpegrande]

This piece is Zappa-crazyness beauty galore...

[@charlesboyle9223]

Expert analysis. Wonderful work. That four note cell repeatedly appears in Conlan Nancarrow's music. I love your work and I always look forward to you posting videos.

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks. Best wishes

[@fzmisty7579]

Thank you very much again for dive into Zappa's music!)

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@gf301]

Well played! Although this was all above my ability and understanding I still found it very educational. I can see why FZ dropped the chords in this piece, with them the melody gets a bit lost and absorbed in the sheer niceness, like it's almost too pleasing on the ears. Without them you get that starkness and jarring quality which is far more attention -grabbing,hats off to yourself and anyone else who can play it properly. Nice one!

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks.

[@jeffw.richman393]

Thank you for doing these videos. They’re always amazing. I’ve recently learned to play from bar 77 to the end of the release on flute using sheet music I found online. But I cheat at certain places - like if the melody goes up a major seventh, I’ll go down a half tone instead. By the way, the verse of “Alien Orifice” has always reminded me of “A String Of Pearls” and “If I Were A Rich Man”.

[@ChrisSharrock-x9r]

Simples...............😬 Thanks for another great insight into the maestro's work Chanan .

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@breakfall]

Once again.....free Zappa guitar lesson.

[@ToCoSo]

Amazing stuff, so good to see whats actually going on!! Thank you for the hard work!

[@JohnLloydDavis]

Excellent, a really good approach to learning to "accomplish" the polyrhythms in Zappa's music. The chord play at the start is wonderful too :). I remember getting a Barfko-Swill booklet in one of my Zappa albums (Pink fold-out booklet with the 818 Pumpkin on) but it was out of my league at the time, fun to look at though. I googled it and $500 in 1991 is $1,104.41 today, those scores weren't cheap!

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks and best wishes.

[@SalamaSond]

Always a special treat to see one of your analyses. Kudos, and thanks.

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks.

[@bigtombowski]

Hey, I never seen u before man, but I like you. Thanks for being you.

[@TylerVanner]

Lovely jubbly.

[@InstantCustardisawesome]

I look forward to each new Zappa track that you analyse. I know you like the Vai era but would you consider looking at G-Spot Tornado. It's a beast!

[@ornleifs]

I also ordered some music from Zappa in the late 80's early 90's and yes it's so interesting to see what scores you could buy from Zappa in that period but now apart from the six Hal Leonard books which are in print, all these scores are unavailable. I really hope they will be put on the market again.

[@jonlee7269]

I have been after this for years. I asked Joe Travers about this and he had no idea if they would ever be available again. I purchased Alien and Drowning Witch back in the 90s. I was recently able to obtain full scores from a library of Bogus pomp, Sad Jane and Greggory Peccary.

[@linuslauterbach2975]

@@jonlee7269Damn I‘m kind of jealous haha Would LOVE to have the score of Greggery Peccery

[@quentinjorstad6211]

I found the exact same score at a flea market. It was just laying around with shoe prints on it. I honestly thought it was missing pages. I’m glad to see that it’s all there! Excellent video!

[@andyokus5735]

Just curious how much did you pay for it?

[@quentinjorstad6211]

@@andyokus5735 A $5 dollar bill and overcoat too! A $5 dollar bill and a Florsheim shoe! Lol actually I payed $2 bucks for it!😁

[@nickdunne2773]

Wonderful,thankyou! I’ve loved this piece for years.Your dedication is pretty overwhelming!

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you very much.

[@geenadasilva9287]

Barfko Swill!!! ah memories. I bought the score of Black Page for my brother in law to learn...

[@Mo_Ketchups]

I’m stone-cold stunned this guy doesn’t have 1M subs. Then again, I don’t think there’s a million people who can, ta quote Frank, “approach the statistical density” of Chanan or his channel. 🤔 I’ll just shut up and be glad he exists. 🤷‍♂️🤟

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks indeed. Best wishes.

[@gianniiacopini9864]

super... go ahead !

[@777liber]

Man, the work you’re doing is amazing and someday someone will still state that Frank was the Einstein of music… his work is still to be understood. Well done!

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks.

[@markbogan7869]

Excellent analysis!!! Very cool…

[@martinmanhold6358]

Amazing❤

[@ChananHanspal]

Thanks Martin. Best wishes.

[@jonlee7269]

Thank you so much for this! Also for the corrections as I have this chart as well.

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@bobule]

Wonderful!

[@ChananHanspal]

👍

[@thisNewFoundLand]

...astonishing insight into the genius of Zappa. Thanks so much, Chanon. The rhythmic complexities remain baffling - tho you have opened a window for this drummer/writer with your count against the metronome. It is accessible if the discipline is there. The harmonic content leaves me feeling like i am watching wall-shadows in Plato's cave. Humbling and inspiring. Incredible post.

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you very much.

[@bundr]

Chanan, thank you so much for your videos. They are absolutely gold! Cheers from a fan in Brazil.

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@tchernas]

Great work!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@graemelightbody1144]

You are brilliant

[@ChananHanspal]

Thanks for watching.

[@Complicaadd0rock]

What a beast, thanks for sharing all this man it's awesome!!!

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@seabertotter4325]

Does this alien orifice have a motor or is it something different?

[@cfaibah]

The thing is to put a motor in yourself.

[@stevewik2280]

Ah, Barfko Swill. I picked up the conductor's score for Bogus Pomp and the Black Page back in the day just to have a sheet music relic in my Zappa collection. I wanted Sinister Footwear full score, but that was $500. :( EDIT: lol I posted my comment right before you mentioned the $500. :D

[@ChananHanspal]

Yeah some of them weren't cheap, and as you mention, they certainly are relics now. Thanks for watching.

[@zepeps]

great job man! thank you for sharing and deep diving on to the master's music

[@ChananHanspal]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@MrJadePinwheel]

21:49 im not sure if its entirely true, if you listen deeply with headphones on to the interlude, it sounds like tommy mars is playing those chords deep in the mix

[@tomn9094]

Complexity.

[@massapower]

A Smoking Frank on Stage 😁👍

[@tauronval1404]

Zappa Incredible Genius! And he study at a library!!!…

[@winstonschwarz1636]

Demented! I phoned Barfko Swill once when on a visit to California. A very moody Gail answered to my shock. I've always loved this track which is in all honesty on a very disappointing album. I had it on my Sony Walkman and used to walk my dog around Victoria Park in London listening to it.

[@adamm7001]

Agreed. One of my favorite fz tunes on one of my least favorite albums.

[@MrJadePinwheel]

I always thought of this like an avant garde "one note samba"

[@HoraceMash]

Wow! Thank you for sharing these amazing insights. Now I can easily play those pesky Zappa charts, romping through Bebop Tango and the double time septuplets of Inca Roads 🤣 Do you teach via zoom Channan?

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks Horace. Best wishes.

[@paulkeir3642]

Where are the septuplets?

[@sunnibird]

We're going to be needing some tabs here :)

[@Annellsson]

Great video, there's also some discrepancies in the notation of the head,

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you.

[@Annellsson]

@@ChananHanspal In the A-section (bar 33-56) the main theme is repeated (bar 40--56) but not played in the recording. The guitar solo seems like a later added idea.

[@ChananHanspal]

If you click on the link below, it will take you to a section from the interview I had with Steve Vai recently where we play through his demo guitar audio recording from 1981 where he is reading from the same chart. You'll notice that what he plays correlates with the chart, but of course, in the original recording from the album "FZMTMOP" the arrangement is different. Steve Vai discusses this in that interview we had: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4SygGeNh7mSqtksi=4rMiYYJD-FdsJJmf&t=1300

[@rickmcinnis3820]

Could Dr. Hanspal be the greatest guitar teacher to have ever lived? Those who can, do and those who feel true divine inspiration, teach what they know.

[@gmotionedc5412]

Ouch😱

[@jppagetoo]

Somewhere there is an interview with Frank where he explains why the scores cost so much. The price was due to the way the scores were stored and printed. It was very expensive to do. Today they could be done much cheaper, but alas, the ZFT doesn't seem interested in putting more money into releasing printed scores... the demand is low.

[@jarrahdrum]

I am with all of the comments below

[@GuitarSoloReactions]

Love hearing the chords underneath the melody, but agree better without them.

[@ChananHanspal]

👍

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

Mofo ! 🥲