How To Play Like Carlos Santana - Some Tricks To Get You To Your Goal!

First of all, understand that everyone has a distinctive playing style, and definitely Carlos Santana has a personal sound that's immediately identifiable. While you may never end up being Carlos, you are able to incorporate some of his approach to your personal playing.

Time, time, time

There is a saying in real estate: the 3 most significant things are "location, location, location." An identical evaluation can be made regarding Santana's acoustic guitar fashion: the 3 most significant aspects are time, time, and time.

The majority of players lay their notes in to foreseeable grooves: quarter, eighth, and 32nd note triplets, and so on. However Santana may both "anticipate" (perform early) and hold off (perform late) his notes, setting up phrasing that's both surprising and persuasive.

To be able to seize the feeling he provides normally, you might want to "force it" in the beginning. However before long, some of that off-time feeling may begin to slip to your personal solos.

That magic sustain

Oh, everyone knows the notes that never end. Here is a "secret," though: with no particular technique, it is virtually not possible to make notes last permanently, as Santana does. So how exactly does he accomplish this seemingly enchanting sustain? A number of elements.

one) You do need a heavy-bodied acoustic guitar with great natural sustain, along with hum bucking pickups which will improve it.

two) You do require an overdriven amplifier that provides an abundant, saturated distortion. It does not need to be the Mesa Boogie -- a lot of amps these days provide that sort of overdriven sound.

three) Most significant of all, you have to discover the "sweet spot." Right? Flip your amplifier up to performance quantity, than hold a specific note, and stroll about before you discover the precise place in the area where the note may feed back again enough to keep going, although not enough to "squeal." Tag that place with tape, and remain there when you want a never-ending note. There you will find the Santana key.

It is a matter of balance

Carlos' solos work in 2 ways: they standalone as powerful melodic statements, plus they completely enhance the accompaniment. Seems easy, but it is difficult to do.

Here is a technique, although: Document the solo over a tempo monitor. Will it match the groove of the tune? Work well with the note development? Great. Right now, pay attention without ANY other parts. Will your solo STILL have motion and energy?

Otherwise, keep finessing it till it really works with the background by itself. Do this, and you will start to capture some of the music genius which has made Carlos Santana such a tale.

Best of luck!