The Pat Metheny Interview (by Rick Beato)

**Lobomov** · 08-19-2021, 05:50 PM

Just noticed this ... It's midnight here, so won't watch it until tomorrow, but just wanted to put it here in case anyone is interested.

**grandstick01** · 08-20-2021, 07:08 AM

It is a pretty good interview. A lot of discussion of his recorded works, and his collaborations with many of the artists through the years.

He even breaks out the new Ibanez guitar to demonstrate some points of his chordal and melodic concepts.

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**grahambop** · 08-20-2021, 07:31 AM

Some great discussion from Pat about ‘what is melody’ at 38 minutes, very interesting.

**Tal_175** · 08-20-2021, 08:12 AM

Beato is really a great interviewer. He makes his guests very comfortable. There is not a single awkward moment in his interviews. He also isn't just there to be starstruck and kiss ass, he tries to get as much out of the interview for his audience as possible and he does it without putting himself in the spotlight and taking over the conversation.

**jaco** · 08-20-2021, 11:19 AM

I'll be watching this one several times. Great interview.

**kris** · 08-20-2021, 01:08 PM

Great!!! Thanks for the link.
Jazzingly
Kris

**Rob MacKillop** · 08-20-2021, 02:10 PM

I enjoyed that. How lucky we are. Imagine a 90-minute interview with Django, or Jim Hall, Wes...just incredible.

**grahambop** · 08-20-2021, 03:30 PM

Just one thing bothers me about Pat - nowadays that HAS to be a wig, right?

The guy is 67!

**Flat** · 08-20-2021, 06:17 PM

Yeah, Pat's been under something for quite a while. Looks best if you listen with your eyes closed.

**jazzkritter** · 08-20-2021, 06:34 PM

Least he’s smart enough to match the wig to age with it being grey.
He’s not like the guys out there with black as night hair and a whole bunch of wrinkles!

**lammie200** · 08-20-2021, 06:36 PM

If you are going to go wig you might as well go big.

**jaco** · 08-20-2021, 07:16 PM

I thought the most interesting part of the the interview was when Pat said " I like triads"...he states a large part of his music is based on this and different inversions.. and Beato tells him" a lot of people didn't think you were playing "jazz". "Falling Grace" the Swallow tune was a turning point for him...fascinating.

**jazzkritter** · 08-20-2021, 07:39 PM

Theres a lot there to learn from.
Yes and i liked his ‘happy birthday’ example: theme, variation, bigger variation, theme restated but keeping the sense of the song throughout. (His imitation of a bebopper right after that is lol funny)
So later it makes sense as he talks about holding a constant harmony or just note through variations that may bear little relation to the held harmony. But will tie things together to bring the improvisation back home. Cool.
Paraphrased, but i liked it: ‘its not piano or guitar its music’

**tonyb300** · 08-20-2021, 11:46 PM

A great watch, I really enjoyed all the back stories on his recording dates and people he's worked with.

**zdub** · 08-21-2021, 08:37 AM

Greatest PM interview ever. Rick intimately knows Pat's catalog and it came across more like old friends than interviewer/interviewee.

SO much musical wisdom there. Pat is a deep thinker to be sure. I'm a "bedroom musician" but I can see this as "required reading" for any aspiring professional that would like to play & tour with a group.

**grahambop** · 08-21-2021, 09:00 AM

I was amazed by Pat’s claim that he never eats anything on the day of a gig, because being hungry makes him play better.

I think I would pass out by the time the gig came round!

**zdub** · 08-21-2021, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

I was amazed by Pat’s claim that he never eats anything on the day of a gig, because being hungry makes him play better.

I think I would pass out by the time the gig came round!

Yeah, also found that quite surprising. But he may unwittingly be implementing a great health strategy (tho' studies are on-going) - time-restricting eating.

**princeplanet** · 08-21-2021, 09:42 AM

"You can learn Harmony in school, and you can learn Rhythm too, but Melody, well, there's no school for that..."

Amen?

**princeplanet** · 08-21-2021, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Lobomov

intermittent fasting is becoming quite popular. The one meal per day (OMAD) version is off course the most extreme version, but it's not frowned upon by medicine as far as I know .. on the contrary.

His secret for hair retention, maybe

...

**Christian Miller** · 08-21-2021, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

I was amazed by Pat’s claim that he never eats anything on the day of a gig, because being hungry makes him play better.

I think I would pass out by the time the gig came round!

Given gig food otw probably a good move health wise…. I have to say it’s hard to play after inhaling a whole pizza in the time between sound check and downbeat

**lammie200** · 08-21-2021, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Lobomov

intermittent fasting is becoming quite popular. The one meal per day (OMAD) version is off course the most extreme version, but it's not frowned upon by medicine as far as I know .. on the contrary.

I weigh myself every morning. I have found over the years that to keep my weight at the midrange of my recommended BMI I need to stop most of my eating early to mid afternoon. That and starchy carbs just don't work for me anymore. I don't gig but I can see playing prior to eating as long as I wouldn't be outrageously hungry. Of course a night gig would have to seem like midday for it to work for me.

**dot75** · 08-21-2021, 03:48 PM

Good interview...so much of this is what Gary Burton says.

He (gb) says your job as a soloist is to demonstrate the tune to the audience - most of whom are not musos, don't care if your playing locrian something over Coltrane something else.

If there's an A triad/Bb show them like you might show off the downlights in your kitchen if you're selling your house, pick tunes to play that you enjoy explaining.

**MarkRhodes** · 08-21-2021, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by lammie200

If you are going to go wig you might as well go big.

**LifeOnJazz** · 08-21-2021, 07:49 PM

I never get tired of listening to Pat talk about music. Great interview. I can't believe one of his secrets to a great performance is that he doesn't eat all day until after he plays. I guess no breakfast for me tomorrow... I'll see if it works. Haha.

**Tal_175** · 08-21-2021, 08:17 PM

The triad pattern he uses to outline the tune starting at 1:31:53 is playing the triads in every inversion but playing every other note of the chord (open triads of sorts):

A maj:
A E C#
C# A E
E C# A

F#7: (starts from the first "inversion")
A# F# C#
C# A# F#
F# C# A#

B-: (I think he messes up the pattern a bit here, repeats the first pattern after the second)
B F# D
D B F#
B F# D

etc ...