Sweeps and Legato

[Sadistik]

Anybody know some patterns that James likes to use? I can play a few of his things here and there, but I love how smooth his plaing is. I hear alot of legato and sweeping going on (Epoch is so mindblowing!), so if anyone knows certain pattern, please help out!

 

[James Murphy]

Hi Sadistik,

Thanks for asking about my techniques. It would be pretty difficult to explain any here but I had several instructional columns in Guitar Player Magazine and a few others over the last several years that I hope to get permission to put up on Msanthrope's Official James Murphy site in the hopefully near future.

Another great source for my playing techniques is the guitar folio book for the Testament - "Low" album which came out on Warner Bros. Publications back in '94.

In this book I actually transcribed all of my solos myself in notation and tablature in order to insure 100% accuracy. Too many of these TAB books are transcribed by someone other than the artist and are very innacurate. I didn't wan't any fans paying $20 or more to get anything less than totally correct music and TAB.

This book is a great source for my techniques since I used a wide range of them on that album. It was always hard to find and has only gotten more difficult to locate over the past few years. I had no luck finding one online at Warner's website but I did find a British site through Yahoo that seems to have it for sale at http://www.euromusicweb.com/testament.html.

I hope this helps, thanks again for asking about my techniques!

"Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow. It is for this reason that wise people learn not to dread but actually welcome problems." ~M. Scott Peck~

 

[JAH]

Wow. Thanks alot for the info on this Tab book for "Low", James. Really cool that you're able to help us out. I didn't even know such a thing existed. I will have to buy it. Did you ever transcribe anything from your first solo release Convergence? I'd really like to know how the hell you did some of those things on there. It is definitely one guitar album that I can never get a mental picture of how you're doing the leads and stuff. Usually with most guitarists I am able to see it in my mind, where the fingers go on the frets but with you....sheesh.. It's completely alien to me and to tell the truth I sometimes cuss at the stereo when something wild comes along that you play... Just way to damn smart, buddy. Then again maybe thats another reason why you're tops in my book.

JAH

 

[TestamentNut]

i have a lesson that i cant scan to a size i cna send, im gonna try sending it to you soon james.

 

[TestamentNut]

i have a copy of low the tab book, as well as practice and new order.