Steve LukatherOne of the most versatile guitarists ofthe 80s, Steve Lukather is famed for his superb Session work and recordings with Toto. GT probed him im for some star playing tips. Cool Hand Luke ar and producing on literally hundreds of Liane Ric With The thre 80 le, Lakathecs as part of OT cauahe up wath Lx middle ofthe recent GT: One of the most remarked ‘apon aspects of ‘Rosanna’ is the rhythm =f yo buy adram machine these days, they'l have recreated that Rosanna’ drum groove as.a program, Peres Beate ‘SLE “That's pretty funny: You know were that came fron? Jeff ophed ly The Rain’ (from Zeppelins through The Out Door’ an Bang. The end vamp GT# For ‘osanna’s first soo, ‘you've got a very unique bending technique - you bend a tone with your third finger and then fret that bend with your fourth finger for an additional note, Other players Would choose the more ‘country’ approach of splitting those notes lover two strings. What influenced that technique? “Ijust started playing and ‘Rosanna’ was SLE “I don't know, that’s just the way [feel your, Love in that (Steely Dan) ‘Kid a one-take CCharlemerge/ ‘Royal Seam eolarlawent back and then doubled it: GT: As ‘Rosanna’s solo is so melodic, was it pre-planned” SL: “No, [had just started playin. ke, What I did de layed, the guys sad I should double i, Sof went back and learnt st and then double ‘But the end sola is not doubled... 4 that was a one-take too? you get icky sometimes vith stuff ke that. In the used to be Fd get the track and leversbody would say ‘do the solo now’ and everybody would be partying in the studio. Youd have the whole vibe of people hanging out, just great, Now its more technical tha be. Now everything is 0 soTm glad id bad he experience I We were in the last era of session gus, as it doesnt exist the same way anymore GT: On that outro solo, you've got big two-tone bends. Had you been MARCH 2003 Quitar Techniques 27Interview STEVE LUKATHER ‘COOL HAND LUKE’ “| like to play a bit every listening to a lot of Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck the night before? day and | still Re eatee eeu oie actually give a Zeppelin! Pagey h really 0 shit... even to me too sine, os weve met up OUT TOL | Girne she usin Seve Tose cool to be to be a session g was Jo Teally good eg fe son toca et these days’ GT: The outro solo displays your very able picking hand technique SLE use everything: down-up picking, dosen-picking, I use finger Tdont ever think about what fm ying now. But what 1 he Tras kid, whieh isthe m dont burt yourself, was stiffening ip rid wr I you start practising ane veins Lo hurt, then stop practising Otherwise, you'l get tendonitis, and ou won't be able to play the guitar fF and you wont be able to vps GTs You were at your height asa session player in the ‘S08 — wi there a typieal kind of session? Between 1076 and 1986, i ee ee Beier er itn ‘Lamb Possibly, 28 GhitarTechnigues MARCH 2003 ta n charts ne es 1 worl sang with Ra or Lee Rater neds were just it had to listen GT: Did you try to get a sound sorted within 15 oF 0 minutes? You a ‘what should I 0 foe?" of a Les Paul an Someone ke Ray >a using, what the token hat stuff, 3 a Marsh the funk guy. And i Jay (Gray and I played together, ane af us ould do the clean shit and other one would do the other par Sometimes, a producer would request me to do the solo or hatover GT: For the majority of sessions, ‘were you just called in to do an cera of a gulta solo be like (Olivia or 16 AU the tin cheesy songs Joti) ireland id Ihave anywhere near stack were playing for Shirley Bassey GT: Was there a studio protocol, a pecking order, about who sat where, like Tommy Tedesco in seat Land Lary Carlton in seat 2 SL: “Oh sure! I there were two fuitars, fa be guitar 2. unt became th and the suitar 2 part was alot has ar 1 pat. Ish te Le Ritenoir was the other gultar part and he can read anything, { showed up late as my car had fed up, so there was no time for me to get my shit together and, at 19 years old, I was panicking, After trying to ay sly, [looked at Rit d then at my guitar 2 part My part was ike a king piano part, no chord symbols anywhere Fis part was fl oft Ph st little fills to do. So he jus abbed my part and put his part in ‘of me. said to him, iT wa Fa suck your fe ay, Xe right now Te Saved me nnel he dient have to He saved my ass then for sur GT: What's your practice regime Ike these days? st:"] the strings. ik and T stil act wen though is when you pick 0 play abit every a lve a shit Lo be real GT: What stall do yom do? Sb: “Tmn studying some chor Jody stu, Keyboard and hor lf, Just dipping more into ty 3s there’ nol much of the radio "oD that’s challenging these days GT: What do you say to readers ‘who might sage‘ ean't read but noither did Hendrix stir Stevie Ray Vaughan ¢ ld, don’ arm Now to read! didn ntl 1 was 16, s0 going back ary Had A Lit nd Jeaming ory frustrating, But L ugh 1 ated! it; now I find t really helpful ‘To read rousie means you can commmunieate with any musician and Interview by Jason Sidwell