Rhythm Thing
I’ve put out a few solo records, and they’re OK. I could do much better, and the reason why is because I’m always working on the rhythmic aspect of [chord-melody playing]. I realized that, to me, the most important aspect of any tune is the feel that you’re going to impart into it. For instance, yeah, you could play a complicated jazz song, but if you’re gonna play the same feel every single time when you’re doing a solo, unaccompanied guitar thing, it’s gonna quickly become tired. Even if the feel is good, you really have to vary it. If I’m thinking of a tune, I’m thinking, first and foremost, “What is the drum feel on this? What would the drummer play on this?” Let me use that as a departure point.