Bert Weedon, guitar teacher to a generation, dies at 91

[oldironside]

Bert Weedon, the English guitarist credited with inspiring millions to pick up and get to grips with the instrument using his Play in a Day books, has died at the age of 91.

A roll-call of musical greats including Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Brian May of Queen learned how to pluck at the strings of their guitars using his books, which sold in their millions.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/apr/20/bert-weedon-guitar-teacher-dies

Ah, I can well remember learning my first few riffs with him.

[Scuba]

1. Nice shirt. Nicer axe. But the chops are awesome.

Thanks.

[fedsron2us]

2. Not just a great teacher but a bit of a pioneer for the electric guitar in the UK

Lots of concentration on sound quality and control rather than flashy technique. He is in the background playing as a session musician on many hits of the of the late 1950s and early 1960s

[oldironside]

3. His basic technique was flawless...

... and it all flows from there. If you can't do the simple stuff perfectly, the complex stuff is never going to work.

It's a philosophy which comes across in Clapton's finest work (just listen to the Bluesbreakers Beano album -great tone, unhurried phrasing and perfect bending to pitch), and something a lot of amateur musicians could benefit from.

It's not enough to turn up the distortion to cover up the weaknesses in your technique.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. ****ing Channel 4 have blocked that from being viewed in the UK

Maybe proxies can get round it. But, till then, here's a Bad News clip that can be watched in Britain:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/comic-strip-presents/video/series-1/episode-4/bad-news-tour

(no music in it, so not really Bert Weedon related, but always worth a watch.)

[oldironside]

7. Since Channel 4 are a bunch of fascist bread heads...

... I offer you the Bad Shepherds instead. Not Bad News, but still Mr Edmonson.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Try this

Sometimes its just a matter of where it posted from - our own UK links differ. An actual Ch4 one posted here will always work here.

edit That works - just tried it but will probably only be of use here in the UK.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Yes, but that's not Bad News

Bad News was a spoof heavy metal rockumentary that The Comic Strip did around the same time as Spinal Tap (both completely independently, as far as I can tell - the difference between the 2 was Spinal Tap were has-beens, and Bad News were never-would-bes). I think oldironside put up a Bad News clip as an example of what you get when you don't learn to play in a day the Bert Weedon way (but I'm not sure, since I still can't get that to play).

[dipsydoodle]

13. Try this then

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Thanks! (nt)

[oldironside]

14. That was exactly my intention. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

15. I got confused as to which one Muriel meant.

Last edited Fri May 18, 2012, 07:03 PM - Edit history (1)

edited - fuck knows why I said Mildred.

[oldironside]

17. No biggy.

Confusion is my natural state.

[fedsron2us]

6. Agreed. A guitar players guitarist

whose influence can not simply be measured in records sold. A bit like Albert Lee another great British guitarist who has had a huge influence on modern US Country music guitar playing.

Of course, one could go on to mention earlier American guitar greats such as Arthur 'Guitar Boogie' Smith who influenced both of them (nb Smith composed the Feuding Banjos which was later reproduced without due credit to the author as Duelling Banjos in the film Deliverance. Smith sued for breach of copyright and won)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_%22Guitar_Boogie%22_Smith

Mention these names to many supposed music fans and all you get is blank looks as many have not heard of any of them. Their loss I suppose.

[oldironside]

8. Nice tone.

You'll probably appreciate this.

[fedsron2us]

9. Local Ripley boy made good

My Mum lives about a mile and half from his house on Coneyhurst Hill (I hasten to add her road is full of ex Council Houses not rock star mansions). Used to see him occasionally when I was a kid in the 1970s. He is even known to turn up and play low key gigs at some local venues

[dipsydoodle]

11. That's odd - he did live

round the corner to me in Sudbury Court Drive which is Wembley but Harrow for voting. That was back in the 60's/70s maybe later too - never came across him though. Screaming Lord Sutch lived , with his mother I believe, round another corner too.

[fedsron2us]

18. Clapton was born in Ripley outside Guildford

He has owned property all round the world but has had his main home in Ewhurst in Surrey for a long as I can remember and certainly since the 1970s.There are no shortages of superannuated rock starts in that part of the world but he is a genuine local boy.

[dipsydoodle]

19. I meant Bert Weedon

.

[SwissTony]

4. I went on to be absolutely awful. But that wasn't Bert's fault.

RIP, good sir. Thank you for all you did. (can you imagine music without Clapton, McCartney, May and dozens of others?)