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How Pixies Got Their Guitar Sound
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2024
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INFO: What made Pixies so unique? Some fans would say Charles Thompson’s aka Black Francis’ surreal lyrics and wailing vocals or Kim Deal’s sugar sweet backing vocals and punchy bass-lines or maybe David Lovering’s frenetic and heavy playing style. Although it probably was the sum of their parts that made them stick out from the crowd in the end, I want to focus more on their guitar work in this video. Guitarist Joey Santiago and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Charles Thompson created guitar music with an extreme variety of influence. Everything from hardcore punk, country, noise, pop and blues was considered and re-interpreted into their very own sound. I have no idea how they did it, but in this video we’ll try to find out.
What do you think of the new video format?
I loved the new album is such a turning back to punk and rock
Dig it!
focus your camera and tune your guitar..
great to see you doing new things =)
Still hoping for a Talk Talk / The The segment !
Awesome man always love your stuff especially Queens of the Stone age stuff, maybe do one on the desert sessions if you haven't already ?
I think that a very Pixies thing to do guitarwise is, to have a really dirty distorted guitar with powerchords and then play the same chords with an acoustic over the distorted track to give it definition and make it sound full.
That sounds right too! Thanks for adding that
Shoot im stealin this trick
Not quite. Black Frank uses a lot of major chords, which I think comes from a Spanish/Mexican influence. That makes a big difference to their guitar sound.
ok
@@chrisgilliver1 Don't forget surf music like the Beach Boys.
What about Santiagos bends? That's a really strong stylistic trait
Yeah the ones that make you feel you're going to lose your balance.
Yes, octave bends. Once notable with Hendrix.
Santiago's guitar is just magic. His ability to do what he does is a huge part of their sound. It's not particularly difficult but it's just so damn clever. He writes things I would never think to write. But the missing ingredient that to me really makes the Pixies the Pixies is something I rarely hear talked about. The blending of male and female vocals. It seems like such a simple thing but they use it so effectively. Check out "I Bleed" for a great example.
So true
100% Agreed
[ Pixies were truly amazing - though I really am not a fan of Gigantic ]
NEVER don't tune your guitar, man.
Yeaaaa probably something you should do especially before recording a video of yourself playing lol
@@andres6733 ...and especially before advertising your guitar course.
That les-paul sounds terrible
I usually like these videos but you missed the key point of Santiago's sound - bending things almost out of key, as well as black Francis' acoustic being mixed in there. Those two aspects are what is responsible for the bulk of their sound.
Yes..and his use of tritonal coloring. Strange that Joey Santiago would've been burned at the stake 500 years ago.
@@reidsmith9875 Thanks for adding these elements. Would've definitely mentioned them if i'd thought about them.
Exactly. The dissonance of Santiago's playing was just as important as the soft-loud-soft that has become an almost laughable simplification of what made them great. Additionally, Thompson is a superb guitarist and was the reason Santiago could do the things he does without songs losing their focus.
@Brandon Kurtz When you use three strings playing the same note. Santiago often does this then bends the strings to change pitch. The medieval catholic church deemed the use of this as satanic as they deemed the tritone... the devil's note. Anyone caught using it could be burned to the stake in olden times.
Reid Smith that’s not what a tritone is
everybody talks about doolittle and surfer rosa but bossanova goes sooo hard.
My favorite of theirs. Not a big fan of Doolittle. The only stinker on bossanova is digging for fire
"How the Pixies Got Their Guitar Sound" 1:30
09/10 for The Doors debut vinyl on your collection, one extra point for the Epiphone.
Cheers man! The Doors are so good. And the guitar ain't bad either. Although i prefer guitars with thinner necks
@@LieLikesMusic check out Hagstrom guitars. I wanted an LP style guitar but Epiphone and Gibson necks were too wide to comfortably play with my tiny, childlike hands. Insert Hagstrom guitars.
Love the Pixies. That Epiphone sounds horrible though. Sorry.
Wanting to learn how to play Pixies songs is one of the main reasons I picked up a guitat
Here's a little known fact- Their album Tromp Le Monde is really their finest work from that era.
absolutely leaves Doolittle in the dust
the pixies are like the 3rd wheel on a badass date between forever and eternity
I love your voice more when you’re talking to the camera over you talking directly into the mic
Zach Rowe Was less stuffed in my nose when i recorded the talking-head video format haha. That might be why
Lie Likes Music Also maybe you’re talking just a tiny bit too close to the mic and getting too much proximity effect (the artificial bass increase when talking close to a condenser mic). It can make you sound really stuffy even when you’re not.
I used to think that proximity effect was key to the smooth tones of video essay but actually I discovered that it was better to record at a more normal distance (something like 10 cm) and use a bit of compression afterwards to make it sound closer.
@@LieLikesMusic Removing/quieting the loud breaths in-between sentences helps a lot too. I do that for vocalists and I think it applies here too :)
@@LieLikesMusic I have the same guitar as you only in Cherry burst:))
@@BenjiGamer91 Thanks for the advice. I'll see what i can do.
That "Hey! been tryin to meet you" part cracked me up
This video is about anything but pixies' guitar sound
>Pixies DONE
gotta be sure
I loved, love and will love the Pixies for all these things you said but Kim Deal was bringing such an energy with her bass and her voice was going so well with Black Francis’s voice...Deal was a very important ingredient in their music.
A great musican, especially for being recruited as a total newbie, as a person on the other hand...
Cool video! But I think you missed out on covering just how important Charles Thompson's rhythm guitar playing is to the band. Especially in the early days. Songs like Oh My Golly, or Nimrod's son and Wave of Mutilation with that weird switching time signature come to mind immediately but I could go on. I honestly think he's one of the greatest rhythm players ever but he tends to get overlooked a lot.
Thanks for suggesting this alteration. There was just too much to cover in a brief video essay here so i narrowed it down to mostly a video on Joey Santiago
yeah Frank was obsessed with shorter pop song structures when he was with Pixies, and that probably was part of their universal appeal, however since then in his solo career he has gone on to explore longer more experimental song lengths in addition to his already perfected avant pop songs. 'Blast Off' off of Dog In The Sand is a perfect example of this. Personally, I don't think his solo career gets enough credit. Some of his solo records are lackluster, like the first two Catholics albums, but personally I think his self titled debut, Teenager of The Year and Dog In The Sand are up there with Pixies' best records. Part of that is due to Eric Drew Feldman's quirky keyboard flourishes, something distinctly different from Pixies' trademark sound except for Trompe Le Monde (of which Feldman also played on), an album that a lot of Pixies purists hate but that I think is a really good album. There's no pleasing narrow minded purists. Fuck 'em.
You can’t bottle up a pixie. There’s no hidden secret or formula. That’s insulting. They’re just genuine.
This is one of the best videos you've made, but DUDE get a proper setup done on that guitar. When you sat down and strummed some chords it sounds like your intonation is way off.
@Kevin Kral that's his point?
Or... just tune it :)
@Colby Dipsen yes tune ing
Tuning. Gotcha ;)
Sounded God awful. Totally ruined the video for me. I would never take lessons from this guy... not trying to be mean.
One of the best bands ever in my opinion, legends
By almost every critic Doolittle is considered top 5 for the most complete album's of alltime. I think Tromp Le Monde is. I think they are considered top 20 Rock band of alltime, am I mistaken.
I remember an interview with Kurt Cobain where he mentioned how crazy their sudden success (Nirvana) was and he'd honestly be happy if they were just a Pixie's cover band and didn't need to do anything else.
Very poor use of the possessive apostrophe!
thank you so much for this, great work! Joey Santiago is a genius indeed
Hello young man. Although I don’t care for many of the bands you cover on your channel a great deal, I appreciate your overviews and general fandom/appreciation for the artists themselves (even if I don’t know your personal feelings on them either - which means you’re doing your series right!). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know to keep it up and maintain the style and consistency that you have created over the years you’ve been posting these. I look forward to more!
Loving the new format! Whistling a certain weezer song before talking about buddy holly was a nice touch
I never cease to be amazed by your videos, keep up the good work man
Colby Dipsen jeez, I’ve been following Lie Likes Music for a long time and have seen his videos evolve. I was just saying I like his new content and I always look forward his videos
@@quasardude Thanks for the your kind words! It means a lot.
I was expecting more of what guitars / effects / amps / recording techniques they used would be discussed in this video. This is about influences & mindset only.
That's what I was expecting as well. The title and the thumbnail are a bit misleading.
Duuude i was just listening to surfer rosa yesterday! thanks for the video!!
That's sick! Now what do you think of their new album?
Awesome video man 🤘🏽
Perfect timing for their new album
Know One it was still better than Indie Cindy
i’m loving this video format!
Cheers dude! Glad you like it.
A lot of the tracks off Doolittle have guitar riffs that sound like, for lack of a better term, “wounded dogs” and it sounds amazing
Like what you're doing with your new style dude... Keep exploring and experimenting.
Such a beautiful video! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
WE LOVE PIXIES!!!
Good to see you in front of the camera! Great work.
This new format is awesome
Very well put. Can't put a finger on their greatness. just listen over and over like magic
gonna check out your course, i enjoyed the vid and am looking for a good guitar course.
fc ค้าบ เยี่ยมไปเลย สู้ๆค้าบบบบ
I really love the channel the content, you've inspired me to try and think about how I can do something like this for my channel with Ukulele.
I tend to think of the contrast between Joey's les Paul and its thick, chunky lead sound versus the attacky, twangy tone frank black uses with his Tele and acoustic is the main element tonally, that catches my ear as a guitarist. Kind of like something against you, or vamos. It's not a steadfast rule or anything, but that contrast makes for a good way to give both guitar parts their own kind of character.
To be completely honest, I like that tonal dynamic so much that I stole it in some of my songs.
Do a video on Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine (for being 30 years old next month)
October 20th? Thanks for the reminder! Consider it done
Nice video! you should talk about dinosaur jr
I couldn't describe that where is my mind better. nice presentation man
Interesting how different a retrospective take on an artist differs to how it felt when you lived through it. While the pop aspect of Pixies music was obvious to fans at the time, they were so out of step with mainstream popular music that it didn't matter. Being a Pixies fan in the late 80s was to be part of a subculture that was fractured - it was pre internet and too esrly for MTV to have a noticeable effect.
New video format looks great
It was the guitar work in their music that initially attracted me to them. I had a girlfriend who loved them and played them all the time, i wasnt familiar with them, but as a guitarist myself i couldnt help but notice all the cool guitar stuff going on in their music, and how versatile and wide-ranging their style was. There were pretty songs, screaming rock songs, punk songs, cool little pop tunes, and epic anthem type songs and it didnt take long for me to start checking them out for myself, and now today i am a huge fan.
Pixies is legit one of the best bands ever
“Into the Eyrie” is a great addition
Wow lie! You really are going the extra mile in this video, well done man, cool to see u take a different approach on how u make your vids! Keep up the good work :)
Thanks for the warm words and positive support :) I sure will. Cheers from Norway.
Best format by far
It was all of it. I loved Frank’s ability to write something so catchy, but would still keep it short at times. Many bands would milk such catchy tunes. Frank’s solo work is required listening. Genius
That overdrive on your guitar sounds so cool.
You literally make me want to crash my computer and just go play! It’s not wrong, it’s just insufferable! Long love PIXIES. 👊
Sometimes a sound or riff sticks and becomes a part of a masterpiece
Can you make a video about Low please?
Oh i would love that! Good suggestion
@@LieLikesMusic Please do! Also, it's a nice change to have more footage of you speaking, rather than just the animations. Keep it up!
Different type of video
Great band
Great video!!!
Emilio Guerra Thanks man!
I like the different style to this video. Fewer graphics and animations, and more oddball live action bits. It stands out as different and refreshing.
Glad you like it cause i'll do more of this in the future.
Saw them playing yesterday, god damn they still sound perfect if not better
Awesome!
"I have no idea how they did it..." Clearly. Good players know that when you have nothing useful to say you keep quiet.
facts
Like the new format
Good Work
Good video. You missed their habit of writing in 3 against 4 time signature. Makes things lope weird.
Thanks for reminding me of that. Good point!
A lot of Hendrix in Santiago's guitar tone- his "colours", as Bowie said. It isn't obvious at first, but if you listen to some of the songs from "Experienced" and "Axis: Bold As Love" and then follow it up with "Surfer Rosa", that influence reveals itself.
a Gibson with a Marshall, an old Guvnor pedal, a Boss OS-2, a Tele doing rythm, and a lot of Talent
Awwwww gooooood videos concept! LOVE IT! 👻👻👻
Sparse country and surf is a big part of it
Pixies are SO important. So many bands would not be here without them...like the Velvet underground they didn't get their due at the time but thankfully now they are.
😎🎸🎼🎤
So how did Pixies get their guitar sound?))
The Pixies are my favorite band ever. One of the mysteries you’re trying to figure out is drugs. Not to say that they wouldn’t be a great band without drugs but that definitely had something to do with their sound.
Cool! What were you running the guitar through, a child’s nightmare?
The pixies are the reason why I got into Alternative rock.
I was at a "party" and the radio was playing some music from a radio station i didnt know. At some point it started playing "where is my mind" and i loved it.
Thats when i started to listen to pixies and then smashing pumpkins and now basically everything from Arctic monkeys to Tame Impala
Can you highlight some examples of the playing 3 over 4 / 4 timing that fans mentioned the pixies use often?
Nice to see you Lie. Good video as always.
Thanks a ton!
really cool
An octave is 6 whole steps from a given note, or 8 degrees of the major scale apart
connor adcock major scale ☝️ Thanks for clarifying that. Still have a bit of music theory to learn.
Or if you're half-brained like me, twelve frets away. (My brain can't comprehend simple math whilst trying to control my hands haha)
@@evmanbutts 12 half steps
@Know One there are not 14 half steps in an octave
Lovely Day off Trompe Le Monde. All the elements of a modern pop song in two minutes. That's gold.
Like many bands, the US didn’t get them until really late on. I remember playing them when I was in Florida in 1990 and no one had a clue who they were, they were already really popular with UK students, etc. In the US it was all chilli peppers who quite frankly couldn’t touch the pixies. The UK is always miles ahead with this stuff.
the band that not just made me enjoy music but actually love it and loath it and crave it i think that was around 2000-2001 was lucky enough to actually see them in 2004 and ever since these 2 events transformed into a total music nerd to the extend that i really don't know what currently is trending on traditional media like radio stations i simply have no interest in that anyway as there just is to much good stuff IF you look for it. nice vid
The sound guitar of joey Santiago is like like a screaming elephant noise in skin texture.
Great guitar tone I'd totally pay money for a lesson... 😑🙈🙉🙊
ikr lmaooo
I grew up in 80's and there were so many good music and radio stations back then to help you find your musical taste. Actually, I can "flex" that at least I had the good sense to narrow my target to cool cutting edge KROQ music. I think it was a row of cassettes at the employee picks of the month at Tower Records that steered me towards the Pixies, Bossanova. There was something about the different raw and raucus sound that attracted me to them. It wasn't smooth and over-produced. There was a brand new "edge". That's fkn Rock and Roll, before it becomes derivative and corporate. An always changing/evolving energy!!!
14:03 "There's a sense of mystery around it"... let's leave it at that
Pixies coined the “big, small, big” thing right?
Nathan Brown Fellow Bostonians Mission of Burma did the loud-quiet-loud thing better and earlier. Turn an ear to “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver” for evidence.
@@JMarinelli Well i emphasized the point of them not being the first ones already. Maybe you didn't watch that part?
Yeah. Pink Floyd used to do it a lot as well. But like the man says, Pixies really honed it down, pushed it and made it their own.
Best guitar riffs , pure nostalgia
Nice vid
I love love love joey guitar on VAMOS and No 13
Really interesting
At 4:20...the guitar reflecting on the Album art....Harley Benton Left handed ey? Like the new format!
Name of song at the end of the video?
I LOVE THAT YOU GOT A FINAL FANTASY 7 poster. You just won my subscription, you beautiful jerk
Love your ff7 poster :)
Fun fact: The Les Paul Goldtop used by Joey throughout the Pixies belongs to Kim Deal.
Wut? Where did you get that from?
@@LieLikesMusic There's an guitar rig rundown video with Kelly Deal where she mentioned it. Joey also used it for a guest spot at a Breeders show at the Spaceland in 2004, before the reunion tour started.
I’m just waiting for the day Steve Albini will finally produce for them
Boi Retardus - Finally? You’re kidding, right? What was Surfer Rosa then?!
Pixies were also influenced by surf music!
Pixies made me want a Telecaster. Getting one at Xmas finally, can't wait.
You'd be hard pressed to make anything but the broadest statements about their sound, - it's whatever works FOR THE SONG.
Many bands could learn from this, - don't play just to play, - be adding something, or play nothing at all.
If you isolate tracks, you hear that Francis has a unique style ,whether on acoustic or electric.Almost Spanish Classical finger style.
Live, you see that Santiago never appears confident or comfortable; his sound reflects that, keeps that beginners edge.Deal isn't afraid to keep it simple and effective.
Single most important Alt band, period.Outstanding songwriting and lyrics.
i feel bad for the people behind this video, there is nothing interesting in substance regarding the music or any analysis of the history of the band and the personal members history. VERY LAZY indeed.... I don't even like that band that much but even i can see most of it is rubbish regarding the content lol ^^
Sorry for my english, it's my 3rd language and i'm still learning.
What’s the song at the end?