T: Dregs, or as they were originally known ~ the Dixie Grits’ then “The Dixie Drage’ ara the band that gutarst Stove Morse helped form and who he played with both betore, during and after hi time studying fat the University of Miami's music department. The first commercial album release was 1977's ‘Freefall’ which was recorded winen Morse was only 21 years ol! This was folowed by ‘What If (1978), ‘Night (Of The Living Dregs’ (1979), ‘Dregs On Ear (1980), "Unsung Heroes’ (1981) and industry ‘Standarc’ (1982), after this the band was put fn ioe and Morse embarked an his solo career with the albums “The Introduction ‘Stand Up’, ‘High Tension Wires’ ‘Southern Stee!, ‘Coast To Coast, ‘Structural Damage and the recent ‘Stress Fest, Morse has also {quested on albums by Kansas, Liza Minnell ‘Triumph and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has been a memeer of Kansas and is ourrantly a member ‘of Deep Purple with whom he recorded their recent ‘Purpendicular’ album. The Drags raformad in 1992 (as Tho Dixie Dregs) for a ‘short tour which produced the live album ‘Bring 'Em Back Alive’, backed up in 1994 by ‘a stuco album Full Gc. Stylistiealy, Morse is well known for his mastery of everything 44 PS ‘rom classical to rock to country to jazz and ‘ven foik music! The Dregs have always been @ pertect vehicle for Morse both as composer and ‘guitarist and as such their music has always been guaranteed tobe both as averse and as challenging as possible. For this month's A, instead of showing the usual shor ri ideas, Ihave vanscribed a few longer musical sections which hopefully wil {g0 same way to showing a few of Steve's ‘many varied approaches. Ifyou enjoy playing ‘through this month's music, make sure you try te chook out some of the albums sted above there's lots more great music to be found on ‘them! Have fun! Performance Notes Ex 1, 1@ and 1b Take It Off The Top = Intro/main theme ‘This i undoubtedly the best known and most Instantly recognisable of this month's examples. Even it you have never heard of The Dregs then | am sure that you will recognise this piece as being the music that Tommy Vance uses for many years as the theme for his Radio One Friday Flock Show. There are four guitar parts on the original recording as well as a keyboard part which has be0n snown hare arranged for gut. The guitar 1 and parts shown In Ex 1 are doubles throughout and ars panned hard left and right inne mix ext Bars 1-8: These sian otf with some open low E strings that are played using a ‘random harmonics’ approach. To perform these Ccomsctly you should ‘aig in! withthe pick so that you sinks the sting withthe flesh of the left hand side of your F/M thumb immadiately ater each inal pickstroke. As you pick you ‘should also simultaneously move your ight hand's picking position gradually up and down between the bridge and bass pickup in ‘order to bring out the desired varied ‘harmonies Bars 8-16: Here tne part changas 10 include ‘syncopated chords and muted bass lines ~ ‘make sure you cutoff the notes as indicated during this seetion. Also, try to avoid the natural tendency to rush things that can sometimes cccur when playing off-beat type phrases such as tis. Bars 17-24: This section features the Galas ewig © September 1906ascending chord progression that occurs Lundemeath the main melody. Throughout this section these are names as being tlad over ‘base note slash chords’ — rotioe that the bass notes are actually being played by the bass ‘guitar and therefore are not the lowest nate of each individual chord voicing. This has been done simaly o clearly lustrato how the bass line ts descending whilst the chords are ascending, Emcoretan [E25] us FLA cw cra2 || 0" Hee = Ace EB AS ‘September 1996 © Guitar Teouiqies AS N.C. ro ‘se tes) Ex taand 10 Bars 1-16: Sparse accented chords with tests in between ata the order of the day here. Notice during this how the inclusion of the keyboard voicings means that you have to jump around quite abit - loads of fun it you find this awkward then miss them out Initially and add them in tater on as and when the remainder of the part feels comfortable. ~ | 1 ncandom nameones so asia Gia A Fre Bho FIC Bars 16-24: After 8 shor pick-up phrase in bar 16 we have the ful main melody/narmeny section. Treat this in much the same way that you would a solo ~ ia aim to make it flow and to sound musical and in partcuar Keep the prasing metrical and make the vibrato ‘sing Stove is famous for his widallast vibrato. Also, notice how the harmony part in Ex 1b isnt a usual and predictable 3rds idea ~ its actualy a miature of 6ths and Sths. xa Wn andom hamenes 66 notes) AS Mc. BIA a BUA 46oy BME AK re Emotion 145 rae i tt “ eet we Tacot| Dre AE Tacet 6 a Bs Tacet Die AE Tacot ace EIB AME EMA De a Ae EIA 6 A Bs AK Im a a Ale EIA aAich e/B as eR ete COR Le tee 2 | 6 eoubies an octave highor bu BU ww PO eu SU CITI ie Gitar Reigns 8 September 1996