Pete Townshend's A-G-D Songwriting Foundation

**MarkRhodes** · 03-27-2021, 05:18 PM

I like this guy, who goes by the name James James.
Normally, he shows people how to play classic rock songs. It's what he loves and he learned by ear and shows others how to play these things.
(And he REFUSES any offer of viewers to give him money for it. As he said when asked about this in a Q&A video, "We have a relationship but it's not a financial one." He works, his wife works, they have no kids, he has lots of guitars and loves to play songs on 'em. This isn't a job, or work, it's something he does when he feels like it.)

This one is just about The Who / Pete Townshend songs and how often Pete uses the A-G-D progression.
Video starts on acoustic and switches to electric later on.

**neatomic** · 03-27-2021, 08:33 PM

never a who?...pete townsend!...fan... but interesting presentation...a little goes a long way!! chord shapes stripped to barebones!! hah...good when playing with a moon/entwistle rhythm section i suppose...the busiest of busy!

cheers

**Phil59** · 03-27-2021, 11:20 PM

i liked this. it reminds me immediately of AC/DC, the kings of guitar riffs, very similar. Three chords, sometimes different inversions, hammer on/offs. And of course the rhythmic twists are what make the riffs different. It's amazing to me what creative people have done with three chords. I could go on. David Lindley, anyone?

**Hep To The Jive** · 03-28-2021, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by Phil59

i liked this. it reminds me immediately of AC/DC, the kings of guitar riffs, very similar. Three chords, sometimes different inversions, hammer on/offs. And of course the rhythmic twists are what make the riffs different. It's amazing to me what creative people have done with three chords. I could go on. David Lindley, anyone?

Yep, the rhythmic twists, aka syncopation is what makes it exciting. You know how hard it is to teach AC/DC riffs to beginners or even intermediate level students? Even if they know the chords already, many just cant get the rhythm of it.

**MarkRhodes** · 03-28-2021, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by neatomic

never a who?...pete townsend!...fan... but interesting presentation...a little goes a long way!! chord shapes stripped to barebones!! hah...good when playing with a moon/entwistle rhythm section i suppose...the busiest of busy!

cheers

Pete once said he was the one who held them together because he was solid and they were all over the place. He wasn't suggesting they couldn't keep time but rather that his rhythm was the bedrock that allowed them to "do do that voodoo that you do so well". ;o)

**MarkRhodes** · 03-28-2021, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

Yep, the rhythmic twists, aka syncopation is what makes it exciting. You know how hard it is to teach AC/DC riffs to beginners or even intermediate level students? Even if they know the chords already, many just cant get the rhythm of it.

This guy does another video for beginners and he advise them to play every song on AC/DC's "High Voltage", learn every one, one after the other, and just play Malcolm's rhythm guitar parts. (Malcolm, like Pete, used a lot of open chords.) Play them along with the record until you can play through the whole album with the band. Like you say, the stuff is pretty easy in one sense, but getting the rhythm right (and keeping it steady) is another thing.

I've heard people refer to Malcolm's playing as "The Right Hand of God."

**Rob MacKillop** · 03-28-2021, 12:54 PM

Was God left handed?

**Hep To The Jive** · 03-28-2021, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

This guy does another video for beginners and he advise them to play every song on AC/DC's "High Voltage", learn every one, one after the other, and just play Malcolm's rhythm guitar parts. (Malcolm, like Pete, used a lot of open chords.) Play them along with the record until you can play through the whole album with the band. Like you say, the stuff is pretty easy in one sense, but getting the rhythm right (and keeping it steady) is another thing.

I've heard people refer to Malcolm's playing as "The Right Hand of God."

I actually done that! I jammed along to If You Want Blood live album too many times. And yea, I'm talking just rhythm.

The Right Hand Of God, nice! One thing is clear, Mal never missed a beat ever. Not in the studio, not live. And Pete Townshend was a big influence on him and Angus.

Speaking of Pete Townshed, Pinball Wizard is a must song to learn for any guitarist who wants to play rhythm in any style, jazz too of course.

**Midnight Blues** · 03-28-2021, 01:53 PM

I've been "Subscribed" and watching his videos for years. He used to be on, or maybe even run, the site "vanderbilly.com", which I don't think is around anymore?

He's had some health issues, but I think he's on the mend now, at least I hope he is.

Although he does play/demonstrates classic rock tunes as Mark mentioned, he does play a lot of different styles of music.

I think he's from and/or lives around the Buffalo, N.Y. area if I'm not mistaken?

**MarkRhodes** · 03-28-2021, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by Midnight Blues

I've been "Subscribed" and watching his videos for years. He used to be on, or maybe even run, the site "vanderbilly.com", which I don't think is around anymore?

He's had some health issues, but I think he's on the mend now, at least I hope he is.

Although he does play/demonstrates classic rock tunes as Mark mentioned, he does play a lot of different styles of music.

I think he's from and/or lives around the Buffalo, N.Y. area if I'm not mistaken?

He has had health issues. He recently had surgery on his left arm. (He was wearing a cast in the most recent video I saw, a Q&A where his wife read the Qs and he gave the As.) I watched a good bit of him for awhile and then went another way for a spell, so I had lost track of what he's been up to the past year or two.

I don't know where he's from. Maybe I should play more of his videos! ;o)