How NOT To Play Sykes Licks
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
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FINALLY someone who gets John Sykes !! He’s a LEGEND with insane talent. Tragically under rated.
Total beast of a muso
Check out Late Night Lessons’ John Sykes chat/lesson 👍
He's not underrated at all!
@@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070 How? The only person who even talks about john is eddie trunk, there are hardly any interviews and his band has such a small following and are only big in japan
@@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070 How? The only person who even talks about john is eddie trunk, there are hardly any interviews and his band has such a small following and are only big in japan
Liked and Subbed. Sykes songwriting style, playing and tone on "Still of the Night" is MY definition of "rock guitar". That BIG slide down the neck at the beginning stopped me in my tracks when I was a little metalhead. His playing style continues to be a MASSIVE influence for me. Thanks for spotlighting the guy!
John's playing = giant cajones. Love everything he's done.
🤘
You’re a humble guy, but don’t sell yourself short, you’re an amazing guitar player. Anyone who loves John Sykes and plays a $5000+ guitar is no slouch! Love it!
Sykes has the most incredibly awesome vibrato in music! That big, wide and even vibrato is second too none. Sykes and Gary Moore have/had the most killer vibratos in rock music.
Sykes, Gary, george Lynch, Yngwie - kings of vibrato!
That ‘87 album was such a HUGANTIC moment for me. I was 14 and had just started playing electric guitar earlier that year (Christmas ‘86, really). I was at that weird age where I had no concept of Whitesnake pre-‘87, how Whitesnake was basically Deep Purple MkV in the earliest days, separate UK and US mixes/releases of “Slide It In” or anything, much less Thin Lizzy or Tygers of Pan Tang. I had only learned about the latter two when Blue Murder came out a couple years later and was soaking up all I could in magazines about John Sykes.
Yeah, I admit it shocked the hell out of me when I first saw him, which wasn’t until Blue Murder came out. You figure why fire this guy? He looked like a rock star, guys wanted to be him, women wanted him, sick guitar player with an amazing vibrato on top of it all and could sing at the same time.
The 30th anniversary release of the ‘87 album give such an insight to the creation of that album. There are “evolutions” tracks that start in the seminal moments of every song, then morph into demos with John and David, finally morphing into the full band playing. Very cool how they manage to mix that. That two year period with that album and the first Blue Murder had such an affect on me. The Summers of ‘88 and ‘89, I don’t think I listened to another guitar player more than Sykes.
Mid teens for me = John Sykes worship. Still do to be honest.
Leon Todd
Could do a lot worse LOL! He was playing a Les Paul in the middle of the Ibanez RG era (he did use a Strat for his studio clean tones and the occasional Charvel) even before Slash made them cool again. He was the reason I wanted to hunt down a MkIII Coliseum and a vintage Dirty Fingers, until I realized they didn’t work for me LOL!
@@nicholastotoro7721 the Coliseum MKIII is a monster amp - what cab did you run it through?
Leon Todd
My drummer’s late ‘80’s Mesa metal-grill cab with EV’s, which he still has. Monster cab. It was more the Dirty Fingers that wasn’t quite my cup of tea. All these sounds I love, I can’t seem to make the gear work for me LOL!
John Sykes, the greatest unsung guitar hero from the 80s, imho the best brit guitar after Jimmy Page, a total package monster player, what a man! 😍👍
Ahh, but Sykes....can SIIIIING too.
Ha ha.
I love Sykes but I think Vito bratta is better.
Your tone is f--king killer, dude. Sykes is my favorite guitarist. I hesitate to say "influence " because that implies I could play ANYTHING of the sort!
John Sykes playing on the Tygers Of Pan Tang albums Spellbound and Crazy Nights is pretty awesome too.
Great stuff, Leon! Reminds of something I heard when I first started playing guitar... "Make the easy stuff look hard and the hard stuff look easy".
I also had a Sykes crush. When he came out with Blue Murder and I saw that first video, I just remember thinking this guy was as good as it gets. There was nothing he couldn't do! He's been teasing with a new album for the last few years. Hope he delivers!
I really like his voice too - perfect mix of Coverdale and Lynott
"Before puberty hit me with a vengeance... I was this pale, skinny, hard rock fan bla bla bla"...
You sure puberty has hit you already, mate?
Badaboom-tish!
I have been in to Blue Murder a lot lately. Beast!
Man.........Thank you from the deepest corner of my heart for this video. John Sykes, the original triple threat, was a massive influence on me growing up & at the age of 49 (yeah, I should not be commenting on RUclips Vid's) still is an influence. Thanks for this again Leon. Great work mate. Great work. Love your stuff.......
Definitely a triple threat - beast of a muso!
Gabriel Johannson - What’s wrong with commenting on RUclips videos at 49? I’m 57 and here I am. Don’t let age hold you back, man - you have every right! Sykes was a huge influence one me, too, and he’s one of my favorite musicians to this day! Take care 🤘🏼
Excellent video Leon - what a sensational tone you got and cool licks too . Love John Sykes playing such great choice of notes and killer vibrato - you nailed it !!! . I always thought the first Blue Murder album would have been awesome as the follow up the 1987. Great video.
Ahh John Sykes, what a legacy.
Utterly incredible
According to Rick Beato, it's not sloppy playing. It's Vibe. Apparently.
Exactly. Like when he talks about Jimmy Page.
I love these kind of tip lessons!
People with my kind of approach don't need, don't want, don't try to be Sykes or whoever. It's about creating some vibes, musical spice inspired by some iconic players that are in their own stratosphere anyway.
Everyone should do their own spin is how I think.
Live and Dangerous was my gateway drug into Thin Lizzy. I was familiar with the studio single Boys Are Back in Town. It was a pop hit on the radio. I thought it was a cool song but didn't really know anything about the band beyond that. Live and Dangerous came out and the local DJ played the "Cowboy Song/Boys are Back in Town" together and described the album cover as awesome. I was hooked. Ran out and bought the album. It greatly exceeded my expectations. Been a hardcore Lizzy fan ever since.
I love these videos where you talk about your early influences and the songs you learned. I am a big fan of Paul Gilbert as well. Best wishes---------Ben
Thanks mate. The 80's was a goldene ra for that type of playing.
Moore/Schenker/Sykes. The holy trinity of Dino style.
Hi Leon , great video, I am a big fan of john Sykes , man is great , with thin Lizzy he was awesome and with whitesnake too,
By the way Leon , well done for what you do , your video are great and your band ,Ragdoll is great awesome music , love your video when you play live , just phenomenal sound ,great riff, voices . Rock on man.
Great to see him getting credit. Absolute gentleman when I met him and he signed my guitar, thank you John!
I met him in 1989 just before closing of guitar center Hollywood I was in my car and a car pulls up and( we're the only two cars in the Lot ), all of a sudden John Sykes and Tony Franklin get out of the car, just as I'm getting out of my car John walks up to me and asked what band was I listening to ,just then I realize it was with him accent and all. He's was my all-time favorite at the time, I talked to him a little bit inside the store he told me they were working on songs for the next Blue Murder album, he said nice to meet you .The End
and then your mum woke you up for school.....
Thanks for sharing your inspirations! Be Well Leon!
Man. So cool.. I was a skinny pale long haired nerdy kid in the 70s and thought they were the band.. I still love them.. Man, that drummer is wayyyy under rated too.. Just a killer band and the singing is killer, just all of it.. Two guitars are always good and it's great..
John is the man.. Most non guitar players have no idea he did the guitar work on the 87 Album by Whitesnake. He has a patent I think on his bends.. Man, it sounds like he's using a Trem when he's not.. Just killer.. Catching up on your vids..
Man, you're not sloopy brother. Killer playing.. Just cool.. I'd love to jam with you if you were not so far away..heheh
Doug's style is good I love that style . the best way I can get warmed up to those pentatonic licks he does is just go for it try to be accurate but after some practice it gets a lot cleaner.
Awesome, Thunder and Lightning was my first Thin Lizzy album, and I remember the Whitesnake 1987 album just crushing me as a 17 year old guitarist.
Yeah it crushed me when I heard it too. So good
Leon Todd’s “Nervous Twitch Method” That’s awesome!! Thank you for posting these, Leon and hope to see you at Axe Fest this weekend
You got to roll with the twitches!
Leon Todd - Lol......everyday for me with teenage children
Some of us have been huge fans of Sykes since the 80's. 🙂
sykes was the shiznit.
nobody had the same swagger his playing did.
5:52...WOW!!!! Great skills man
I reckon I've wasted a lot of time over the years trying to play lick like other players, when I should have just stuck with my own workarounds, lol! There's something to be said for trying to nail the nuisances, from a learning point of view but when push comes to shove and you're playing it live, faster and sweatier than usual, the workaround is always the one I go for! Great stuff mate
I'm with you there dude. Took me a long time to embrace that approach
@@LeonTodd Well, at least we got there in the end, haha!
Cold sweat! Ooh those pinches so much better than mine at the time.. Saw sykes with Lizzy in Manchester on lightning album. He was the archetypal axe hero - hair your aunty would die for and attitude for days. Guy from my blues band years ago had been the whitesnake keyboardist for a few big tours. He didn't have anything nice to say about John... But he often had little to say that was nice about anyone he'd worked with - probably us included!
Your keyboard guy was correct about Mr Sykes. Very few people in the business have any time for him. That's why he's hibernating.
Dirty Fingers in the bridge position oooooooh yeeeeeeeeeah.
I think Coverdale was threatened by John's muchismo. When I saw Blue Murder live, he was amazing. I still didn't believe that LP Customs have the best tone. Nope, I had to buy a Kramer.
Lol - "I think I want to be you"
No doubt, right? John's a beast!
🤘😎🤟
Lots of interesting outcomes when you just let it rip with what you just covered, very cool
Great licks-loved this one Leon!
Love John, thanks!
More Sykes on this channel please!! \m/
Like B Vines said very accurately... that slide into the open E to F# power chord...first time I heard it...it stopped me cold and pulled my attention from whatever I was doing...and again, like what B Vines said...it, to this day, is STILL, to me, THE epitome of what rock guitar should sounds like. Cheers.
I discovered John Sykes with Tyger Of Pan Tang, the album called ,Spellbound! A great guitarist!!
Me too, in '82. The song that showcased the power of John Sykes' playing & tone for me was: "Mirror".
I still listen to that song a lot, Amazing Marshall + Les Paul tone, beautifully emotional & dramatic playing.
Hauntingly beautiful song.
that 3 note per string version sounded more like certain Gary Moore vibes
good stuff & humorous too. thanks for posting
Have fun at Axefest dude :) Well earned place with everything you've contributed to the community!
Can't wait!
Cheers, great vid. Lizzy are owed a huge debt, don't get enough love. Personally speaking the reason I'm a musician today
John sykes' cautionary warning is one of the greatest songs ever created. The soloes that he had done for the anime called black heaven are out of this world.
Some terrific ideas to practice thanks Leon! By the way, I went back to listen to Tell Me for some context and it really helped me. Love that song by the way, one of my favorites.
Yeah that song is really fun to play
If you watch Phil Collen’s (def leppard) spotlight solo on “in the round in your face” he does almost exactly your lick. Picks every note and it sounds monsterous. He was the guy that led me to Gary Moore and John Sykes. Phil came from the Moore/Blackmore (blackmoore, if you will) and I LOVE that style of ultra aggressive picking and playing. Check it out
I saw John Sykes playing with Thin Lizzy back in 83 on the Thunder and Lightning tour, awesome player
Keith Aubin hit the nail on the head. The “Nervous Twitch Method” will shortly be a staple in the guitar playing community. I’ve had a ton of fun using that method on songs like BOC’s “Godzilla” and Rainbow’s “Mistreated”.
THANKS SO MUCH LEON
I LOVE THIS YOUR VIDEO,SYKES IS MY KILLER.
Your Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III, AX8 & X-Load Guitar tone is killer!
I’ve learned so much from you man, thanks! You introduced me to Sykes and now I think I’ve become obsessed with his playing. Also, what shirt is it you’re wearing??? Looks super sick.
Glad to hear it! Shirt was a cheap Target one :p
I should’ve known haha! Do you have any sort of course? I love your playing style so much and would love to learn more from you man.
@@eliasnolin1748 there's some select stuff up on my Patreon, there's my free 5 minute licks series up on here and I teach privately online :)
You're too modest sir. Great playing and you have the look to match! Also love the Greco!
Thank you kindly! The Greco is wicked hey
very well done
Facial expression and moving your mouth is a very underrated part of rock playing - the audience appreciates it a lot especially if it looks painful . . . . .
I love the effortless playing by the way!
Play as if you smell shit
You knob.
Excellent video, thanks a lot. I subscribed!
Thanks for the sub!
Never knew Sykes was in Lizzy.
That one snuck by me somehow and I have been collecting this type of useless info since the summer of 1980.
Nice chops LT- everyone needs a few of these licks ready off the cuff.
Fuck yea brotha! Sykes is a freakin legend! Cheers
I was always a Thin Lizzy fan in my younger years (and Live & Dangerous is still one of the best live albums there is IMO). Some people don't like it, but I think Chinatown is one of their best. It was the first album of theirs that I'd heard and starter getting their back catalogue from there. Thunder & Lightening was one of the last I got hold of as it was one of the hardest to get at the time. Boy, was it a departure from their other stuff! But I dug it. When I went looking for who the guitar player was, I realised it was the same bloke from Tygers Of Pan Tang which I'd been listening to for a while. Then he turns up on Whitesnake's 1987! Still can't play anything like him, but I enjoy the playing.
BTW Do you notice on his Blue Murder album how much he sing's like Phil Lynott?
Yeah he's channelling Phil big time on that album - love it
Need to hear your thoughts about the NEW John Sykes "Dawning of a brand new day" maybe for a Friday QA
I felt a great passion for John Sykes. I also love John Sykes.
Your story about John Sykes and T.Lizzy is the same story for me
It was two more keystrokes to type out Thin. 🤨
Cold sweat was such a HOLY shit moment for me!
At 14 I went to the hairdresser with a poster of John Sykes and told the scizzor sister to make me like him!
And have you not left your house for 20 years either.?
Killah tone too :-D
Dont be hard on yourself you were trying to emulate a genius guitar android and thats not possible john is truly unique.
Awesome licks Leon, have fun at Axe Fest mate!
Cheers man!
Great vid, and a more personalised view of the Sykes guitar style
1987 one of the best, so many killer RIFFS
Hit after hit after hit
@@LeonTodd Yep I always love Bad boys Riff, back in the day it was so heavy and fast, love it.
Sykes, Moore, Gilbert , Gorham and Robertson etc.....does not get much better
Gorham was my first guitar hero
@@LeonTodd Yep, Gorhams solo on Sun Goes Down is epic,and that whole album with Sykes rocked.... maybe too heavy for Lizzy diehards, but it still rocks
So funny! I still think you sound great. Thanks for giving my ego a break.
Is that the husqvarna chainsaw guitar patch? If you're looking for work , you can use that patch to trim the bushes surrounding my house if you want
Yeah such an underrated musician
Awesome 👌
Sykes used a Charvel in the 87 album
The Mighty John Sykes
Where.?
I play that lick too! 👏
Get your own, you'll earn more respect, trust me.
Awesome video !!!
Listen to spellbound by Tygers of pan tang John Sykes solos are incredible on that album
Catching up. Man, that live album floored me too. I actually saw Blue Murder, and Whitesnake back in the day. Saw Whitesnake open for Motley Crue who made a video at the venue, and I was there in the audiance. Whitesnake of course had Vivian and the flying dutchman 😂..as guitarists.
Man, digging that LP custom. LPs are just too cool..
I play that lick more like you do I think. 2 note runs are a bitch for some reason. They mess up my timing. I just learn by ear playing along with the song until I get it. 😂 .. Sometimes I don't know how I'm doing it. 😂..
Hi Leon, Excellent Video, 👍👍👍 John Sykes, amazing Player, Thank you for the inspiration, the Blues Scale it is!
Would it be possible to do a Gary Moore, possibly End of the World intro?
Take care mate.♥️
Melbourne, Australia.
YES
Leon Todd Thank you 👍👍👍
Sykes is a beast! Perfect 80's tone.
If you haven't listened to spellbound by tygers of pan tang listen to it. Pre Lizzy Sykes
Sykes is a beast,i wish he'd do another Blue Murder album with Appice & Franklin
You and every other guitar nerd in the world, including me!
John Sykes! Man i dunno what to say after i say his name, damn talk about a name that says it all. The only other name i think sticks out to me like that is RAID!! John Sykes is deadly!🤘
alot older here it was jail break for me,
and johnny the fox
Great video! Love Sykes! Second favorite Lizzy guitarist after Gary!
Yeah, I love im too. Comes in a close 6th in my list.. .. just behind Midge Ure...
man u r great plyer
Too kind, thanks for checking this out
Think he's playing the d note on the g string on Cold Sweat in that repetitive lick but yours sounds just fine Gary Moore did that a lot also. Hammering onto the flat 5
To your comment about move your mouth to play faster, I've noticed that Rabea Massad and Roy Buchanan both do the same thing as you 😊. I'd say your in good company.
Gotta move the mouth to nail the licks
💥 Are You People Crazy 🧐 John Is An Icon 🎸 Underrated My Ass💥
Love John Sykes and the tone you got Leon! I try to emulate his style into my own playing a lot. Do you think John ever practiced his alternate picking with a metronome or does he just go for it? Myself I just can’t stand a metronome!
Good question actually. He must have practiced a shit ton though because he could burn with the very best.
Damn! You make it look easy. Wow, this is some great stuff to work on! Are those the original frets on your Greco or has it been refretted? I've played around on a Les Paul from 78 recently and the frets were soooo low! I couldn't bend very well. I look forward to working on these licks! Damn they sound amazing. This is a great legato lesson. I can tell I'm weak in that area. Lots to work on.
Thanks mate! yeah it's been refretted with jumbo's so those bends are super easy compared to a fretless wonder :p
@@LeonTodd Ok, cool! I figured since your bends are so smooth. They look bigger as well. Cheers!
Watching this again with my guitar this time. Man, that's fast. I can do it, but not for long, but I was playing the way you did at the start. Great stuff.
How about the song " Suicide by thin Lizzy? Love that song. Also, love don't believe a word.
Man, that drummer was kilker too and way way under recognized. If you listen to him, he does sone amazing stuff.
Great video. Glad I revisited it. You motivated me this AM with your other vid.
Brian Downey!! Absolutely incredible drummer! So tasteful and man, does he make it SWING!!!
@@crusheverything4449 He was the best.
Big Sykes fan especially with Blue Murder. Is that a Black Beauty LP like Sykes has?
It's a Greco LP copy with a Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup :)
You need checkout tygers of Pan Tang John was a monster on that s***
very nice video
Thanks for taking the time to check it out
A Greco fan!
Live and Dangerous is STILL a classic...should also check out Highway Song Live, by Blackfoot.
Epic solo in Highway Song. Love how all those southern bands each had their own epic songs.
Leon..have you heard any of Doug Aldrich' early work with "Lion"? They did two albums..late 80's,early 90's..... Dougs solo work here is simply unreal. Saw them live in LA in 89'...the bastard didn't drop a note all night and had the best sound ever!!
Love everything Doug has done!
I was a student of Doug's for about 6 years back in the mid '80s at Intrumental Music in TO when he was with Mansfield (pre-Lion). His style was so different from everyone in the LA area at the time. When he played the clubs with Mansfield as well as Lion they were always the headlining band... and at every show they played, the guitarist from the bands that opened for them were always on Doug's side of the stage with their jaws on the floor... blown away at his skills and abilities! One thing that I am so glad to see with Doug's fame is that he is still such a great and humble guy!
Here is Doug back in the day with Mansfield. ruclips.net/video/mLxbRVn5TrY/видео.html
erickclaytor nice one Eric! Thanks for sharing mate.
I have a mint collection js60 (600).
You swapped bridge what is it?