Pink Floyd: Guitar Signature Licks: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of David Gilmour's Guitar Styles and Techniques

185 Pages·2015·10.17 MB·English

Cover photo by Daniel Simon Gamma-Rapho Getty Images

ISBN 978-1-4950-2517-4

7777 W. Bluemound Rd. P.O. Box 13819 Milwaukee, WI 53213
Copyright © 2015 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

For all works contained herein:
Unauthorized copying, arranging, adapting, recording, Internet posting,
public performance, or other distribution of the printed or recorded music
in this publication is an infringement of copyright.
Infringers are liable under the law.

Visit Hal Leonard Online at
www.halleonard.com
Contents

Introduction
Equipment
Discography
About the Audio
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2

COMFORTABLY NUMB

DOGS

HAVE A CIGAR

HEY YOU

HIGH HOPES

LEARNING TO FLY

MAROONED

MOTHER

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND (PARTS 1–5)
SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND (PARTS 6–9)

WISH YOU WERE HERE

YOUNG LUST

Guitar Notation Legend
Introduction

Pink Floyd is a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. The idea that a band could
be so blatantly original from the very beginning while still achieving such
massive, worldwide commercial success is simply unheard of. Even the Beatles,
who certainly achieved the freedom to express themselves as they saw fit while
still enjoying unrivaled commercial success, started off much more meekly,
working within the confines of their chosen genre and slightly bending the rules
at first to find their niche. Pink Floyd, however, never bothered to conform to
any established structures; they were art/space/psychedelic rock from the
beginning, and they managed to amass a huge cult following doing just that.
That cult following, of course, would eventually grow into one of the biggest fan
bases the world has ever known.
Originally a four piece consisting of students Syd Barrett (guitar, vocals),
Roger Waters (bass), Richard Wright (keyboards), and Nick Mason (drums), the
band formed in 1965, when Barrett joined Waters, Mason, and Wright, who
were then performing as the Tea Set. When they were booked on a show with
another band known as the Tea Set, Barrett suggested the name Pink Floyd—an
amalgamation of blues artists Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, both of whose
records Barrett owned—and the band became known as the Pink Floyd Sound.
In March of 1966, their new manager, Peter Jenner, suggested they drop
“Sound” from their name, and they became known as simply Pink Floyd.
Originally, they played R&B covers almost exclusively, but by late 1966, they
had begun to introduce an increasing amount of Barrett originals. Their live
shows included extended improvisations, wild sound effects, and increasingly
complex light shows, which only heightened the psychedelic nature of their
sound.
In 1967, the band signed to EMI with a £5,000 advance (slightly under
$8,000) and released the single “Arnold Layne,” with “Candy and a Currant
Bun” as the B-side. Despite being banned by some stations for its reference to
cross-dressing, the single reached #20 in the U.K. That song was bested by their
follow-up, “See Emily Play,” which climbed to #6, and they began making
appearances on popular TV shows, including Top of the Pops, greatly expanding
their fan base. It wouldn’t be long, though, before Barrett’s increasing intake of
LSD began to take its toll.
In August of 1967, the band released its debut album for EMI, The Piper at
the Gates of Dawn, which peaked at #6 in the U.K. Though the band was still
drawing big crowds in concert, when Syd was unable to perform live—at one
show, he simply stood there with his guitar strapped on and his arms hanging to
his side—his mental instability could no longer be ignored. His condition only
grew worse throughout the year, and by the end of 1967, the band decided they
could no longer continue as such. They brought in David Gilmour as the fifth
member, with the intention of him covering for any of Barrett’s shortcomings at
live shows, and eventually aiming to move Barrett into the role of non-
performing songwriter. That plan didn’t hold up long, though, and by March of
1968, Barrett had agreed to leave the band. This also meant a change in
management, as the band’s current managers, Peter Jenner and Andrew King,
decided to represent Barrett, whom they considered the creative genius of the
band. Steve O’Rourke, assistant to the band’s booking agent at the time, Bryan
Morrison, became the band’s personal manager.
In June of 1968, the band released its second album, A Saucerful of Secrets.
Though the album contained one Barrett composition, “Jugband Blues” (his final
composition on record with the band), the majority of composition duties fell on
Waters, with Wright also composing two songs. Though they were encouraged
by EMI to produce their own music, producer Norman Smith expressed some
dissatisfaction with some of their work and even played drums on one track
when he felt that Mason wasn’t pulling his weight. The album reached #9 on the
U.K. charts and resulted in the band’s first lengthy U.S. tour, performing with
the Who and the Soft Machine. The single “Point Me at the Sky” performed
poorly, however, and it would be their last single release for a while.
With 1969’s Ummagumma, the band pushed the boundaries of popular music.
A double LP, the first disc contained live performances of pre-released material
(singles or album tracks), while the second disc allowed each member to express
himself fully with several experimental tracks each. No singles were released,
but it peaked at #5 in the U.K. and made a showing in the U.S., at #74. It has
since gone on to become one of the more celebrated works from the band’s early
period. Less than a year later, the band released Atom Heart Mother (1970).
Though quite loathed by most of the band itself, it became their first #1 in the
U.K. and hit #55 in the U.S. And though not as sprawling as Ummagumma, the
album was no more accessible and is largely praised only by true cult fans of the
band.
After an extensive American and European tour in 1970–71, the band began
work on a new album. The resultant Meddle, released in October of 1971,
displayed a more prominent Gilmour influence on the band and sounded
decidedly more focused than Atom Heart Mother. Of course, it still contained an
epic track, the 23-minute “Echoes,” but the album felt a bit more unidirectional
in general and was a precursor of the band’s future work. It reached #3 in the
U.K. and #70 in the U.S.
In May of 1972, the band entered Abbey Road studios with engineer Alan
Parsons. Over the next eight months, they recorded what would not only become
their commercial breakthrough, but also one of the most successful albums of all
time. The Dark Side of the Moon topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic
and remained on the Billboard charts for more than 14 consecutive years!
Selling over 50 million albums worldwide, The Dark Side of the Moon is the
band’s best-selling album and one of the most beloved musical recordings in
history. It’s been covered, in its entirety, in concert by numerous artists,
including Phish and Dream Theater, and has been the subject of dozens of tribute
albums. It also marked the band’s return to the practice of releasing singles
(“Time” and “Money”). Though neither did significantly well on the charts at
the time, both songs—not to mention most cuts on the album—have become
classic rock staples. After the worldwide success of the album, the band cut ties
with their U.S. label, Capitol Records, and negotiated a contract with Columbia
Records for which they received a $1 million advance.
In early 1975, after finishing their tours for Dark Side, the band began work
on a new album. Due to numerous factors—disillusionment and exhaustion from
the whirlwind success of Dark Side, Nick Mason’s marriage falling apart, etc.—
progress was slow going at first. Eventually, Waters decided to work with a new
idea that they’d been honing in concert, based on a four-note motif that Gilmour
had once played, which had reminded Waters of Syd Barrett (for some unknown
reason). This would eventually become “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” which
helped set the tone for the new album. In a bizarre incident, Syd Barrett made a
surprise, unannounced visit to the studio during the recording. Overweight and
completely bald, the band didn’t recognize him at first, and the event proved
quite traumatic for the band—particularly Waters. Barrett attended Gilmour’s
wedding the next day, but left without saying goodbye, never to be seen again by
any member of the band. With the event still fresh on the mind of Waters, he
finished composing the lyrics of the album. With the lengthy “Shine On You
Crazy Diamond, Parts 1–5” and “Parts 6–9” bookending the album, three more
accessible tracks—“Welcome to the Machine,” “Have a Cigar,” and “Wish You
Were Here”—filled out Wish You Were Here (1975). “Have a Cigar” marks the
first—and only—time the band has featured a guest lead vocalist. Folk singer
Roy Harper, who happened to be tracking in another room at the same time,
asked for a shot when Rogers wasn’t able to perform to his liking and Gilmour
declined. Like Dark Side, the album topped the charts on both sides of the pond,
though it wasn’t the phenomenon that its predecessor was.
After the continued success of Wish You Were Here, the band built itself a
24-track studio in Islington and, in 1976, began work on Animals. Based loosely
on George Orwell’s Animal Farm novel, the project was largely led by Waters.
These sessions mark one of the first points when a struggle began to emerge
between Waters and the rest of the band, as the other members started to feel
dictated by Waters. The album reached #2 in the U.K. and #3 in the U.S. and
was followed by the first tour in which the band played large stadiums, which
didn’t do much for the band’s morale. Waters would often arrive first and leave
immediately after the show, Wright flew back to England briefly at one point,
threatening to quit the band, and Gilmour felt tapped out by the end and didn’t
see the band continuing on.
Nevertheless, in 1978, Waters presented the band two demos of ideas that he
had for their next album, one of which was tentatively called Bricks in the Wall
and became the subject of the band’s effort (the other demo would become The
Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Waters’ first solo album, which was released in
1984). Dissatisfied with Wright’s lack of contribution to the album—described
by other members as simply showing up and “doing nothing”—the keyboardist
was asked to leave the band, which he did after the recording was finished. The
Wall was a worldwide smash, topping the charts and eventually becoming one of
the greatest-selling albums of all time, with over 20 million albums sold in the
U.S. alone. For the ensuing tour, however, which was the biggest production the
band had put together to date (including giant, inflatable puppet characters from
the storyline), the band’s communication was the worst it had ever been, with
members barely speaking outside of the show. Wright was brought on board as a
paid musician, and the tour ended up losing over $600,000 when all was said and
done. The album also became the subject of a film, Pink Floyd: The Wall, which
starred Bob Geldof in the lead role as “Pink.” The film was a commercial and
critical success, but the project led to more unrest between group members—
particularly Waters and Gilmour.
In 1982, Waters suggested a new direction for the band but wanted to use
some leftover material from The Wall as the basis from which to start developing