How does Tal Farlow do it?

[cjl]

Just been listening to the 'Tal' album for the first time in years.... and noticed how he provides a sort of 'hi hat' type of percussion to the drumless trio....

When I try to do it, I can't make anything near that sound.... yeah, obviously I'm a milliion miles away from sounding anything like him anyway, but I'd lilke to think I can imitate a hi hat if he can!

So - please - how does he do it????

[derek]

Luckily, there are a number of vids available of Tal playing. There is also a vid "An Evening With Tal Farlow", where Jody Fisher talks with Tal about his playing and approach. I have yet to view this, but I imagine they at least touch on his technique and how he gets his sound.

Most of the footage I have seen on Tal is when he was much older, later in life.

[Gambrosius1984]

Tal Farlow is one of my hero's, next to Django and Grant. His ideas are some of the most phenomenal to ever be played on guitar. The technique which you are referring is his attempt to sound like a snare with brushes, but also has a hi hat effect. He does this by turning his volume off, probably by switching his pick up to one that he has turned for faster results. He then strums his right hand ala Django or Freddie, very swinging strum, and partially mutes the strings or fully mutes them. When partially muting them, he is either playing some funky chords or a bass line or whatever he feels. Since his guitar is off, whenever he does play something while percussively strumming it gives a Freedie Greene effect of something beutifully harmonic happening underneath, but not being out in the front or very noticeable, but it is there. I have great fun playing with my bass player and sax player doing this technique and it was simple for me due to my gypsy jazz playing I do as well.

You can see a few glimpses of Tal doing this in this video:
Dailymotion - Tal Farlow - Fascinating Rhythm - une vidéo Musique

Here is some gypsy jazz greats so you can hear how percussive there technique is:
YouTube - Dorado Schmitt.mov

And here you can here Freddie, just for the sake of hearing Freddie:
YouTube - Count Basie Norman Keenan Freddie Green Sonny Payne Net Blues

Hope This Helps!

[Gambrosius1984]

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention it works best on big jazz boxes like Tal's, since they are very acoustic. So if do not have a big jazz box, you can use some slight amplification, though not quite as nice, but still fun. I have a byrdland and it is pretty good acoustically, though wish it was a little bigger when doing this technique. Cheers!

[mr. beaumont]

You can do it a couple of ways--but it's all about left hand muting and turning the volume all the way down for tal's technique. I like to move a bassline when i do it with an up and down strum, bass on the way down, all muted on the upstoke.

ray crawford (one of the most underrated guitarists in history) would do it amplified, muting over the neck pickup for percussive, bongo like sounds. Herb Ellis picked up on this as well, but I will swear to my grave that Ray did it first (and best)

check him out with ahmad jamal.

[Gambrosius1984]

Ah yes Mr. Beaumont, the bongo effect is another great percussive technique. Tal did it exceptionally well. It is a technique he used all the back to his Dadanelle days of 44'-46'. I know Ray did not switch to guitar until about 44', but Tal said he picked up the technique from Philadephia guitarist, it was a popular local technique he said, who would all play it with many different intricate variations. Since Ray is from PA, it is no surprise that he was schooled in this technique early on.

[mr. beaumont]

nice info Gambrosius!

[cjl]

Thanks very much, gents.... and some great clips as well, Gambrosius!

Funny how it makes it seem so obvious when you actually see him do it, isn't it??!! I saw him in the early eighties (first time was with Red Norvo) and was so impressed (especially with the bongo thing!) ....... he's remained one of my top two guitarists ever since....

Cheers....

[paynow]

Steve Rochinski's book "The Bebop Guitar Style Of Tal Farlow" has a chapter on how to do the bongo technique.