VAN Mike Stern This month GT's fusion maestro Gianluca Corona unravels an iconic track from one of the most successful jazz-rock guitarists of all time — the mighty Mike Stern. on THE CD ‘& TRacKs.6-7 aT @@@@ Advanced KEY: E 1 Alternat picking TEMPO: 89bpm |B Fusion phasing CD:TRACKS67 | ythmicshils NICKNAMED FAT TIME’ by Miles Davis in the early'80s Mike Stern (born in Boston in 1953) isa fine musician who continues to play around the world enjoying jazz and fusion guitar legend status. ARter studying with Mick Goodrick at Berklee College, alongside slttering contemporaries like Jaco Pastorius, snworking with Mahavishnu drummer Billy Cobham and then the Michael Brecker band. Thanks to these serious contacts and the gigging activity TECHNIQUE FOCUS PICKING, BENDING AND VIOLINING Sterspicking gesfastinsome of helcshere. ‘Often hese es are but using fragment that uke knows wel somakesureyou become ‘confident with themtoo Bends and pre-bends are ‘everyhere ote followed Mike’ sul ‘oes! syle wrata Statthe vibrato slowtyand ‘gradual increase sped and/or intensity Mikes approach to melody soften rock ke so expect. random ghost notes andharmoncs, obtained ‘thanks to strong pickattack Dont be afracdof imperfection: aslong as yourtime keeping ‘good nd you know where go next on your ‘wn os too. Another tem raderarkisthe use ‘ofhis Tele volume knob fr avoir type fect. (often with vibrato and pre-bending). simply pick the note wath the volume contol al theway down then, sing yourplcking hand’ fourth ger, ‘smal the volume uptothedesied level, that ensued, he was chosen as guitarist in Miles Davis’ band (after the man himself went to the club at which he was playing to check Jhim out). Mike gigged and recorded with Miles andthe rest is history So highly regarded is Stem by his peers that he has recorded and toured with a seemingly endless list of great names, including legends such asthe aforementioned Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker brothers, John Patitucei, Dave Weckl, Steve Jordan and Blood Sweet And Tears, to name just afew While these days a stalwart ofthe jazzand fusion circuit, Mike's background iselearlyin rockand blues, with a particular predilection 66 His natural ‘swing’ gained him admiration from those famously fussy supporters of traditional jazz 99 for Jimi Hendrix. As with many ofthe players that have featured in GT's Fusion column, ‘Stern wanted toretain the power, gutsand ‘energy of rock but useitin harmonically more advanced music. Elements like finger vibrato, serious string bending, fast alternate picking and rock and blues-stye pentatonie shapes are mixed with altered chords, past be-bop lines, modem harmonic concepts and intricate polyrhythms, ‘Thenickname Fat Time’ was Miles nod to Stern's strong yet relaxed timingand swing ‘which also makes hima fantastic interpreter ‘ofthe more traditional jazz repertoire. This natural ‘swing’ eventually gained admiration from those famously fussy supporters of more traditional jazz, even though St improvisational vocabulary draws more heavily on harmonically sophisticated blues and rock than on the established language of swing orbop. His guitar voice is one ofthe most personal around he's used Tele-stse instruments since Pat Metheny heard him with one and suggested he stick with it. His touch can be light and sweet but when distortion time comes, things ean get very brutal. Agreat ‘composer and song lover, Stern uses his knowledge and technique moreto tell stories than to impress people. His phrasing can be straightforward and diatonic, but never boring. Mikeis amature, passionate improviser who accepts the risks involved and. doesn’t care too much if things aren’talways pretty- which, you should have gathered by now, isthe spirit ofreal improvisation. (iat ace ® 6 @ ) ‘TRACK RECORD Lipsicle Downside (1986) is Stern's frst solo album, als starring Jaco Pastorious, Dave Weck! Michael Brecker and Bob ‘Berg, Although broadly in the same vein, Time n lace (188) is less rocky and more jazz. Check out Mike's melodic jazz interpetion on ‘Standards And Other Songs (1982). With Miles Davis he did The Man With The Horn, We Want Miles, Miles! Miles! Miles! and Star People. 26 Guitar Techniques February 20Maa Sa 4ENA onto) rmacKs.67 Bed on [Bars 6-11 Rollthe volume knob from zero to maxafteryou strike the pre-___ muting and some sing a the end. The parts mainy built on amajor bent note. You might want odo some micro bending and vibrato aswell (ot Interval moving up and down the neck. otatedin the tabas its quite random) to add.abk more ofa dark attitude. [Bars 37-52) The Becton s also lightly palm muted and supported by a [Bars 13.261 The AVAZ sections ofthe melody are played with ight pam descending chromatic progression with dominant chords, » Jes9 eam To.coDA ste Solo Gm eriors ers ong aa ins ene [aa] eam mit 28 Guitar Techniques February 201