Rock

PRINCE '1999'
GT RATING
MODERATE
I
Helps improve your:
Knowledge of
transposing for solo
Usage of
signature riffs/licks
Recognising main
grooves
"The
combination
of fretted and
open strings
helps create
the illusion of
polyphonic
. "
mUSIC.
YOUR GTTUTOR
ERIC ROCHE
38 Guitar Techniques JULY 2oo3
(- TRACK RECORD
'1999' IS TAKEN FROM PRINCE'S 1987 ALBUM OF
THE SAME NAME
PRINCE RECORDED AND PRODUCED his fi rst
album 'For You' in 1978 .. Since then he's had a long run
of char t-topping albums and singles. In 1984 the
al bum, single and movie ' Purple Rain' made Prince a household name and
' 1999' came three years later. He entered the ' 90s with another huge success
in ' Diamonds And Pearls'. Hi s numerous albums and movie soundtracks, as well
as writing and production credits, have ensured his place in pop music history.
I
know what you'r.e thinking ...
why do this tune four years
'late'? Well, L worked out a solo
arrangement well over four
years ago, but the complex world of
copyright clearance foiled us and it's
been siLting on the GT shelves for all
that time. As you know from Lhis
column and my live shows, I am
always drawn to create cover
arrangements from the least obvious
material - some of you will hopefully
have enjoyed learning my
interpretations of Van Halen's 'Jump'
and Van Morrison's 'Moondance' in
recent years. Highly polished and
produced pop by Prince may seem
like a no-go area for fingerstyle, but
that's exactly whaL attracted me to
do it! It's given me a chance to hone
the arrangement, re-record the
audio and satisfy the requests I've
had for this tune over the years.
Prince Roger Nelson was born in
1958 in Minneapolis and was, of
course, one of the great
songwriter/performer/producer/
guitarists of the '80s and '90s. His
songs defmed and set the tone for
pop music for over two decades.
The multi-talented pop genius has
many strings to his bow, being
equally comfortable at the mixing
desk and on stage. He even owns his
own record label, 'Paisley Park'!
'1999' was a huge worldwide hit
for the artist in 1987.
TECHNICAL NOTES
I've arranged '1999' in standard
twting and the key of E - well, E
ntixolydian to be exact. In solo
guitar arranging, this affords us the
luxury of a strong deep tonic note
(in this case E) on an open string.
The combination of fretted and open
strings can help to create the
illusion of polyphmlic music (that's
music with different things
happening at once, folks). The
essential ingredients for a good
strong solo guitar arrangement are:
+ Capturing the main melody
accur ately
+ Playing, or at least implying,
the basic chord changes
+ Including t he main s i gn a t UIe
riffs or licks
+ Reproducing the overall
= SOUND ADVICE
MILLENNIUM BUG
FOR THIS RECORDING I used my
Lowden 0 I 0 model with Cedar top
and mahogany back and sides. The
guitar was recorded direct to a
Tascam 788 hard disc recorder via a
groove and rhythms of the
original recording.
Easy?! No, it's noL always, though
there are a few tricks to make it
easier. l often start working from the
bass line upwards. A good bass line
will often combine the harmonic (ie,
chord changes) and rhythntic (ie,
drums, percussion, tempo etc)
elements of the song. My
arrangement of' 1999' has a steady,
thumping bassline underpinning Lhe
chords and melody. When you are
practising it, pay attention to the
importanL role the bassline plays.
Some simple arrangement ideas
include transposing the melody up
an octave to create the sense of
harmonic and textural development
(old classical terms that mean: start
building it up and fleshing it out!). I
use this trick on the second chorus
to take the song into Lop gear.
It's only a small touch, buL I quite
like Lhe ouLro groove where 1
include an E9#9 (no third) . It adds a
delicate spice to a chord that has
been played throughout the
arrangement. Well, I like it anyway.
The techniql!e is standard stuff
with the thumb playing the bass
line, and the index, nliddle and ring
fingers tackling the chords and
melody. Watch out for the right-
hand fingering in. the bass line in
BAR 2 and subsequent brus. Good
luck. See you next month with
something a bit more traditional. [iii
Fishman Rare Earth blend system. I
put t he magnetic part of the pick up
through a Yamaha AG Stomp Box - a
foot-controlled processor. The
strings are 0.0 13 gauge EXP
phosphor bronze-coated strings by
D'Addario. Fi ngernails by Sally
Hansen, available from Boots.
E MIXOLYDIAN
The fifth mode of the
major scale. It is a major
scale starting on its fifth
degree. E mixolydian is
the A major scale
start ing on E and has
the not es:
E F# G#A B C# D
The essential flavour is
the seventh notes {the
b7) and the thi rd note
(major third), an earthy,
bluesy sounding mode.
JULY 2oo3 Guitar Technique; 39
Rock
PRINCE ' 1999'
' 1999' Words & Music by Prince 1983 Copyright Universai/MCA Music Limited. Used by
permission of Music Sales Limited. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
PRINCE '1999'
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PRINCE 1999' ... CONTINUED
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JULY 2ooJ GuitarTechniques 41
Rock
PRINCE ' 1999'
PRINCE ' 1999' ... CONTINUED
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Rock
PRINCE '1999'
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