Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore | rhythm & solo
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An electric guitar lesson on how to play Parisienne Walkways" by Gary Moore from his 1978 album, "Back On The Streets."
Gary Moore is one of my favorite guitar players. The Les Paul, the cranked Marshall, the perfect singing tone and the absolutely killer bends and vibrato. He could make notes that last forever or he could rip it up with those blistering pentatonic runs! Just AWESOME! Not many play with as much passion and commitment as Gary did. He may not have been as technically sophisticated or as polished as some, but the rawness, fire and sheer beauty of his playing has always resonated with me. He wrote "Parisienne Walkways" with his former Thin Lizzy band mate Phil Lynott. Phil sings on the original recording. He also played the bass part. The leads on the album version are quite subdued and understated which I like, but for me it's the live versions that really shine. His solos are much more aggressive and his live tone is epic.
In my demo, I played at roughly the same tempo as the original recording and played the rhythm parts virtually identical to the record. On the leads I tried to get the live vibe, mostly from the Royal Albert Hall performance. Gary had one of the greatest vibratos ever. Trying to get that is tough, but it's great practice and it just reinforces what an important and under appreciated aspect of playing it is. (especially by newer guitar players who tend to think that speed is everything...) There's nowhere to hide when you play the slow stuff! If your tone, bends and vibrato aren't right on the money, things can get ugly real quick! No doubt Gary Moore was inspired by Carlos Santana's "Europa" which was released in 1976, two years prior. The changes are virtually identical and his other huge hit "Still Got The Blues" is again almost a carbon copy of Parisienne Walkways, just starting on a different chord in the progression, but using the same changes and 6/8 feel. Anyways, I really loved working on this tune. It's fantastic guitar playing! I hope that you're able to get something from the video. Cheers Andy |
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