Hey Heston

[101Walterton]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

[Heston]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

[101Walterton]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

[Marky Dread]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

[Heston]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

Brilliant. Wilko is a fucking genius.

[Heston]

Couldn’t find the question for Heston thread but anyone who know about guitar playing welcome to chip in here.
I’ve read a lot over the years about Paul Weller’s guitar playing style when he was in The Jam and how (live) he could create the sound he did.
After Steve Brookes left Foxton played bass and Weller played lead/ rhythm based on Pete Townshend’s method.
What does that actually mean practically. I know how you play lead and rhythm but how do you do both at once?

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

Brilliant. Wilko is a fucking genius.

Those half chords he plays are what I referred to earlier. Weller did a much similar thing on the first couple of Jam albums but with a plectrum. A lot of it is about dampening certain strings whilst making others ring out.

[Marky Dread]

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

Brilliant. Wilko is a fucking genius.

Those half chords he plays are what I referred to earlier. Weller did a much similar thing on the first couple of Jam albums but with a plectrum. A lot of it is about dampening certain strings whilst making others ring out.

Just realised I put Peter Green when I should've put Mick Green. Mick Green was the guitarist from Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It's Important.

[Heston]

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

Brilliant. Wilko is a fucking genius.

Those half chords he plays are what I referred to earlier. Weller did a much similar thing on the first couple of Jam albums but with a plectrum. A lot of it is about dampening certain strings whilst making others ring out.

Just realised I put Peter Green when I should've put Mick Green. Mick Green was the guitarist from Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It's Important.

Yeah, I thought Wilko was cracking up when I watched it. Nice clarification.

[101Walterton]

Well let me say first of all I think Weller should have had a second guitarist in the Jam. All of their records have at least two guitars bashing away, usually more by the time they got to All Mod Cons. Strange Town has about seven guitar tracks on it. I've listened to a lot of live Jam and his lead often gets lost in the mix. Another guitar player could have freed him up a bit.

To answer your question isn't straightforward, it depends from song to song. One method is to play the lead within the chord, using half chord shapes. This can free up fingers to do little licks. An example of that is "In the City" where he uses pull ons/pull offs whilst playing the half chord. Or you have a solo like on Start! where he hits open strings whilst playing the lead. This may be a bit technical but it's pretty hard to explain.

Thanks I kindof get it.
I was talking about live before The Jam had extras on stage as I realised there were extra tracks on record especially Setting Sons.

101 I'm no guitar player and not technically minded like our pal Heston. But here's what I think is important. Weller just like Strummer was a huge admirer of Wilko Johnson and that Rhythm and lead style is all over In the City. Wilko was inspired by Peter Green.

Here's the great man spilling the beans.

Brilliant. Wilko is a fucking genius.

Those half chords he plays are what I referred to earlier. Weller did a much similar thing on the first couple of Jam albums but with a plectrum. A lot of it is about dampening certain strings whilst making others ring out.

Cheers Marky.
Yep even though he explained it it still doesn’t seem possible to play like that.
I often wondered what Wellers thumb was up to.