When Dave Learned Guitar

[dmb16]

Does anyone know of a website that tells about Daves musical past? I want to know what type of music influenced him and what kind of stuff he liked and played, not just a biography of his career. Also does anyone know if Dave just sits down and figures stuff out or does it follow a particular theory, scale ect.?

[Christopher]

That's a great question(s). I'm interested to know as well if anyone has any insight.

[freezedried74]

In the Step Into The light book it lists his influences as:

Jackson Five
Bob Dylan
Sex Pistols
Led Zeppelin
Jethro Tull
James Taylor
John Denver
Cat Stevens
Joan Baez
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Joni Mitchell
Carly Simon
Pink Floyd
It also lists some South African musicians.

Brian

[Jamo52]

i was thinkin about that same question earlier today...i wonder if he has some method to writing songs, or if he just sorta sits down and wings it...

[MattJ]

He said in some interview once his writing style is like "a drunk man stumbling in the dark" or something to that effect. I think he's self conscious about a lack of formal training.

Heard somewhere he's been playing since he was nine or something. Not sure if I'm just spreading false rumors though...

[dmb16]

Im pretty sure he has to wing some of it cause a lot of the chords he uses arent real chords. Id say he would definitely have to be drunk to make his fingers bend like that. But whats this about no formal training? No lessons or what? Can he read music? Anyone know what type of music he played before the band (blues, jazz ect)?

[Beanz41]

Yes, he can read music. In an interview he said that carter taught him how. Also, I'm not sure how credible this is, but I heard that Dave played piano before he picked up guitar (which is true) but I also heard that he writes some of his songs on piano first and then transcribes them to guitar. I seriously doubt that last part though.

[pay4whatuget]

crash was written on piano

[AcE25]

Dave was 9 when he first started to play guitar, he played the piano before that. I once heard him say (I am sure he was joking, but you never know) he said the only song he was sure what key it was in was Warehouse, because Tim Reynolds told him. Also I heard him say that he just messes around on the guitar and if something sounds good he keeps it.

[Christopher]

Originally posted by AcE25
Dave was 9 when he first started to play guitar, he played the piano before that. I once heard him say (I am sure he was joking, but you never know) he said the only song he was sure what key it was in was Warehouse, because Tim Reynolds told him. Also I heard him say that he just messes around on the guitar and if something sounds good he keeps it.

Haha, I remember hearing that Tim Reynolds comment too. I think it was on a video I was watching once. Made me laugh when I heard it though :)

[BustedMachead]

Originally posted by AcE25
Dave was 9 when he first started to play guitar, he played the piano before that. I once heard him say (I am sure he was joking, but you never know) he said the only song he was sure what key it was in was Warehouse, because Tim Reynolds told him. Also I heard him say that he just messes around on the guitar and if something sounds good he keeps it.

I was listening to a dave and tim show or something like that and dave said "tim told me this song is in the key of --" and then tim corrected him with something like "actually its --"..i thought that was a bit humerous.

[sk8kay]

Originally posted by freezedried74
In the Step Into The light book it lists his influences as:

Jackson Five
Bob Dylan
Sex Pistols
Led Zeppelin
Jethro Tull
James Taylor
John Denver
Cat Stevens
Joan Baez
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Joni Mitchell
Carly Simon
Pink Floyd
It also lists some South African musicians.

Brian
thats so cool that Pink Floyd is one of his influences. Man I am a Pink Floyd freak. Every day it is a struggle of wether to listen to Pink Floyd or Dave Matthews in the car. Mostly Dave Matthews wins though cause Pink Floyd isn't really good driving music

[BustedGirl]

Originally posted by dmb16
Id say he would definitely have to be drunk to make his fingers bend like that.

:lol :lol :lol

[Jimithingee]

Originally posted by Christopher
That's a great question(s). I'm interested to know as well if anyone has any insight.

I can not believe no one has mentioned the Beatles...didn't Dave use to jam Beatle songs out with with his "big brother" who used Afrin? I thought this was well known that Dave was a huge Beatles fan when he was young and knew most of their catalog.

gee.

[Blaha 41]

dave is a HUGE beatles fan to do some of the covers that he's done (COUGH COUGH RAIN!)

and he's said in an interview that sgt. pepper is his favorite album and magical mystery tour is the first record he owned.

[Shane O]

Originally posted by Christopher


Haha, I remember hearing that Tim Reynolds comment too. I think it was on a video I was watching once. Made me laugh when I heard it though :)

wasnt that prism coffehouse? i remember that as well...


also, i read in an interview from like 95-ish where he said he couldn't, although he must have learned since then...

peace
shane

[fastplant]

He also said that he learn his crazy chords and progressions from trying to imitate others but not realizing that they were using alternate tunings.

[AcE25]

Originally posted by BustedMachead


I was listening to a dave and tim show or something like that and dave said "tim told me this song is in the key of --" and then tim corrected him with something like "actually its --"..i thought that was a bit humerous.

Thats right he said what key he thought Tim told him it was in and then Tim corrected him. i think dave said it was in Ab and Tim said it was in B. i though that was funny too, I think it was the 4-22-93 show.

[rag819]

dave seems to like using the same chords in different orders, i mean billies, grey street, too much, and lover lay down are just the same notes in different orders...

[Zio DMB]

my guitar teacher put Daves style, now he's not a big DMB fan, but when we worked on Grey Street (2 months after i started lessons) he pointed out that Dave plays a cross of jazz and rock.
Jazz, the chords don't always have to be chords, and they don't have to be a perfect fit
But with Rock the chords should sound good next to each other.
and Dave took his chords and applied them to rock rules.

soemthing to that extent.