Essentials: Surf Guitar

The Ventures have to be the quintessential surf band. The template for how they arranged surf music has become the standard for creating the classic surf sound. Nokie Edwards' clean jazzmaster tone and Mel Taylor's aggressive drumming generated a powerful joyful sound.

The majority of early Ventures' tunes are based on twist beat. The rolls of the guitars are pretty simple. One guitarist plays the melody and one plays rhythm. The melodies are usually clear, simple, and tend to favor the low register or open position and use techniques like tremolo picking, double stops and vibrato bar bends. The rhythm guitar comps using open chords, simple barre chords, rakes and tremolo picking.

There's isn't a lot of improvisation in this style of surf music; these are set arrangements. Of course, this is a generalization and there will always be exceptions to the rule.

This study is primarily in E major, though we do have a couple shifts in keys. Not modulations necessarily, but shifting to a new key in a smooth way. We have the classic surf beat underneath, farfisa organ, bass and rhythm guitar. We have a call and response part between a low melody and a high arpeggiation in the first section. Then, we switch gears and arpeggiate our way into the key of A major. Then, we shift again this time to E minor.

For this study, I start by establishing a call and response between a low melody and raking through an arpeggio in the upper register. Both phrases outline the arpeggios with very few passing notes. The progression we're playing over is E, C, and A.

In between each phrase, I add a different effect: The first time through I add a pick scrape at the end. Nokie Edwards would do this with his fingernail but there isn't any reason for one or the other. The second time through I added a vibrato bar dip. Our progression will change to A, F, and D, and we're gonna play the exact same melody transposed up. Repetition is a common device used in this era of surf. This just drives the idea home even more.

Then, we change gears to a totally new progression that will make A feel like the tonal center. I play a three note arpeggio over F, G, and A. By playing a three note pattern using straight eighth notes the accent will alternate between downbeats and upbeats. When we reach the A chord, I use double stops and walk down the arpeggio to the Em chord. Again, we have a shift in the tonal center. These shifts are common and help to add harmonic surprises to the tune. The last two measures of Em is arpeggiated in an unorthodox way. The palm muted pattern is R, 5, b3, 5.

Duane Eddy's contribution to surf is as important as The Ventures, but the music is pretty different. Duane Eddy's music usual walks the line between early rock 'n' roll and surf. He often uses the twist beat, but occasionally you hear train beats and two beats. Duane's guitar tone is a little twangier than The Ventures mostly due to the fact he used Gretsch guitars instead of Jazzmasters and Mosrites.

These tunes are arranged for one electric and tenor sax trading melody and solos. His melodies are primarily in the low register or are harmonized with basic triad inversions. He definitely understood the effectiveness of the key change. You don't get a shifting of tonal centers like you do in The Ventures' music; these are traditional modulations. This etude will look at all three of those techniques.

For this study, we'll be modulating from E major to F major. This is based on a simple I-IV-V progression. No harmonic surprises. The melody in the first key will be in the low register targeting chord tones. When we change keys, I'll be harmonizing that same melody with major triad inversions. The only effects I'm using are tremolo for the melody in E major and occasionally using the vibrato bar in the key of F major.

We start off in the key of E major. My melody is in the low register of the guitar and is always targeting chord tones with some common embellishments. The most prominent embellishment is approaching the chord tone from a diatonic step above. I'll also slide into a chord tone from a diatonic step below. There is one bluesy element being used here, the pickup note that kicks off the first phrase has a bend release from the b3rd to 2nd. This melody will get harmonized with major triads when we modulate to F.

You'll notice I'm using tremolo for the melody in E major. Duane Eddy used tremolo quite a bit. When there's longer notes in a melody, tremolo can help add movement.

Let's talk about the modulation now: First you'll notice I turned off the tremolo - no need for it since the rhythms are more active. This is basically the same melody played in E major except I'm harmonizing every note with a major triad inversions. The melody note will always be on top. Occasionally, I have to harmonize an approach note. Just find a major triad inversion with a top note that's close to the note you're looking for and change your top note. On my I chord I needed a 6th on top. So, I used a root position triad, Root, 3rd and 5th, and just changed it to Root, 3rd, and 6th. Use the vibrato bar wherever you have longer notes!