ON THE CD .

Tracks 20-22
Stills got the
blues ...
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Four And Twenty
This is actually a solo piece by the talented Stephen Stills, although
credited to the whole band. Eric Roche is all fingers and thumbs ...
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ABIUTY RATING
Moderate-Advanced
Will improve your:
l"J Fingerstyle technique
l"J Use of altered tunings
l"JCo-ordination
STEPHEN STILLS IS one quarter
of probably the greatest super-
group ever. Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young emerged
from the remains three of
TECHNIQUE FOCUS Alternating thumb fingerstyle
Stephen Stills' right-hand technique can be tricky, but use our guide to help you
The right-hand technique
will need more attention than
the left The left hand uses
some simple, movable shapes
with plenty of open string
sound. The right hand uses
a simple adaptation of Travis
picking (that's Merle Travis for
our younger readers!) where
the thumb alternates primarily
between the low sixth string and
the fourth string.
Interestingly, despite his
variation in the tuning, Stills
completely avoids the retuned
A string. However, I would still
recommend that you use the
tuning correctly as the B note
on the open fifth string vibrates
in sympathetic resonance with
the other notes and adds to the
overall tone of the sound.
In video footage I have seen
Sti lls uses his right hand thumb
and index finger exclusively in
this piece, although it is certainly
possible (and easier) to include
at least the middle finger. In
the interest of accuracy I have
transcribed the piece as a
thumb-and-forefinger workout.
This piece will help your right-
hand picking technique as well
expanding your knowledge
of altered tunings. To develop
the technique you will need to
practise a pattern such as bars 1
and 2 repeatedly, preferably with
a metronome.
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1
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I
the most popular act s of the
sixties- The Byrds, The Hollies
and Buffalo Springfield. They
started playing together in
1968 (Young joined in 1970),
released their debut album in
1969, and played Woodstock
the same year.
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The quartet was often
reduced to a trio when Neil
Young was pursuing his solo
career. and David Crosby and
TRACK RECORD
In my opinion
the first. self-
titled Crosby,
~ ~ ~ ~ Stills and Nash
~ record and the
first Crosby, Stills, Nash and
Young record, Deja Vu count
among the greatest works that
Stills has recorded. To add some
of his solo work to the top three
list. I would also include his 1976
album 111egal Stills.
Graham Nash often toured
as a duo when Stills was
unavailable. Stills was often
referred to as the lead guitarist
of the group, armed with
his trademark White Falcon
or one of his many Gretsch
Country Gentleman guitars.
However, no discussion of
Stephen Stills's playing would
be complete without a look at
his acoustic fingerstyle talents.
This month's lesson focuses
on his tune Four And Twenty
from the first Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young album, Deja
Vu. It is a simple vocal and
guitar arrangement with dark
lyrics citing the devil and other
sources of torment.
Stills uses a variation of the
Bruce Palmer Modal Tuning
(EEeebe'), tuning the A string
up to B giving EBeebe'. With
all those octaves, fourths and
fifths the tuning creates a
dream-like droning sound. To
get to this tuning, tune the
GET THE TONE
G string down to e, the d
string up toe (check these
two strings for unison) and
the A string up to B. The
open strings will give you a
very resonant ES chord. GT
Stephen Stills is known for his fat electric sound, usually created
with Gretsch guitars and Fender amps. When playing acoustically
though, he is almost always associated with the pearl encrusted
Martin D-45 - Martin's top-of-the-range dreadnought model
at the time. Stills always gets a great tone: clear, warm and yet
cutting through in the treble register. Even if you can't afford
1000s for said Martin, you can go some way towards emulating
the tone with nothing more than a fine emery board or nail fil e,
and judicious placing of your picking hand over the guitar body.
First. smoothly filed and shaped nails sound sweeter, smoother and
you're less likely to catch the strings! When picking, try not to rest
your hand on the bridge- arch it in a pseudo classical fashion and
the guitar's top will ring more freely. Position your picking fingers
over the soundhole to achieve warmth; nearer the bridge for cut.
'' My loudest sound is acheived by keeping my right t humbnail
long, and using it to add a little guts. J J Stephen Stills
50 GuitarTechniques February 2005
In bar 7, Stills moves from
the E major harmony into the
more bluesy G chord. Gets
me every time, even though
it is more than 20 years since I
first heard it
C EBET ROBERTS/ REDFERN$
CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG FOUR AND TWENTY
ON THE CD Tracks 20-22
Four & Twenty. Words and Music by Stephen Stills@ 1970 Gold Hill Music Inc. All
rights administered by Sony/A TV Music Publishing & Music Square West. Nashville,
TN 37203
Crosby, St i lis, Nash And Young
The Guitar Collection (Guitar Tab/
Vocal, 240pp, 19.99, ref: PG9519).
Complete guitar transcriptions of
24 classic numbers.
For UK/EU: Reprinted by permission of Music Sales
For US/Can: Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation
All nghts reserved. International Copyright Secured
[Bars 12] As the left hand shapes are so easy,
concentrate on the right hand. Follow the right hand
fingering carefully. The thumb will act as your reference
point for the more syncopated higher notes.
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[Bar 4] The thumb replays the lowE string again, slightly
disrupting the regularity of the pattern. Practise this carefully.
[Bar 8] As in all the other measures, hold the left hand
shapes down for as long as possible so that the notes ring on.
Add a little light vibrato to g1ve a more spooky bluesy effect.
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February 2005 Guitatl'echniques 51
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February 2005 GuitarTechniques 53