Richard Thompson
1Digest
Richard Thompson's podcast delves into his musical evolution, tracing his influences from The Band's honest blend of American musical traditions to the rich tapestry of Scottish folk music. He details his research into Scottish music, utilizing resources like the Cecil Sharp House and Child Ballads, and explains the process of adapting these traditional songs for his electric band, emphasizing the importance of strong lyrics and colorful language. Thompson highlights his unique guitar techniques, including the use of DADGAD tuning, drone notes inspired by bagpipes, and trills and grace notes common in Scottish and Irish music. He discusses the influence of the harp on his fingerpicking style and contrasts the open, unresolved feel of Scottish music with the more structured resolution found in American music. His London upbringing and exposure to the Shadows also shaped his early musical experiences, leading him to develop a distinctive voice separate from prevalent blues guitarists. The podcast also covers his songwriting process, emphasizing flexibility and collaboration with artists like Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson.
Outlines
Early Influences and Musical Development
Thompson discusses pivotal influences like The Band, his research into Scottish folk music (Cecil Sharp House, Child Ballads), and adapting traditional songs for his electric band, highlighting the challenges and successes of this process.
Guitar Techniques and Musical Styles
Thompson details his unique guitar techniques, including DADGAD tuning, drone notes, trills, and grace notes, explaining their origins in Scottish and Irish music and their contribution to his distinctive sound. He contrasts Scottish and American musical structures.
London Scene and Scottish Heritage
Thompson discusses the influence of the harp on his style, his London upbringing and exposure to diverse musical influences (including The Shadows), and his father's Scottish heritage as key factors in shaping his musical identity.
Developing a Unique Voice
Thompson explains his decision to forge a unique musical path distinct from London's blues scene, emphasizing his use of Celtic influences and distinctive techniques. He also discusses his songwriting process and collaborations.
Songwriting and Collaboration
Thompson discusses his flexible songwriting process, drawing inspiration from various sources and writing songs for specific singers like Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson.
Pentatonic Scales and Modal Tuning
Thompson analyzes the distinctive characteristics of Scottish melodies, focusing on the use of pentatonic scales and modal tuning, explaining how these create a spacious, evocative sound.
Keywords
DADGAD Tuning
A guitar tuning (D-A-D-G-A-D) known for its open sound and suitability for drone-based playing, often used in folk and Celtic music.
Modal Tuning
A tuning system emphasizing modes (variations of scales) rather than major/minor keys, offering a different harmonic palette often found in traditional music.
Pentatonic Scale
A five-note scale widely used in various musical traditions, including Scottish folk and country music.
Drone Note
A sustained, unchanging note played as a background accompaniment, often used in traditional music like bagpipe music.
The Band
Influential Canadian-American rock band known for their blend of folk, country, R&B, and gospel music.
The Shadows
Highly influential British instrumental rock and roll band known for their distinctive sound and use of the tremolo guitar.
Scottish Folk Music
Traditional music of Scotland, characterized by unique melodic structures, modal scales, and often featuring instruments like bagpipes and harp.
Cecil Sharp House
A prominent archive and resource center for English folk music and dance, also containing significant collections related to other folk traditions.
Child Ballads
A collection of traditional ballads compiled by Francis James Child, providing a rich source of material for folk musicians.
Linda Thompson
A singer-songwriter and former wife of Richard Thompson, with whom he collaborated on several songs.
Q&A
What are some of the key resources you used to research traditional Scottish music?
The Cecil Sharp House in London, the five volumes of Child Ballads, and direct interaction with living musicians like Lucy Stewart.
How did your upbringing in suburban London influence your musical style, given your strong connection to Scottish traditional music?
His father's Scottish heritage and early exposure to bagpipes were crucial, but his London upbringing exposed him to a diverse musical landscape, blending traditional and modern influences.
How did you adapt traditional Scottish songs for your electric band, and what challenges did you face?
Thompson carefully selected songs with strong lyrical content that translated well to an electric setting. Some songs proved too pastoral for his modern style.
Describe your unique guitar techniques and how they reflect your musical influences.
Thompson uses open tunings like DADGAD, drone notes (influenced by bagpipes), and bends (influenced by Irish music) to create a distinctive sound.
How did your experiences playing live in London's music scene shape your musical development?
The vibrant London scene provided ample opportunities to hone his skills, experiment with different styles, and develop his improvisational abilities.
Show Notes
Richard Thompson is a London-born guitar virtuoso whose career started in 1967 as part of the groundbreaking folk band Fairport Convention. The following decade Richard formed a duo with his former wife Linda Thompson, and together they released six albums, including the critically acclaimed, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. Richard then struck out on his own, writing songs that have since been covered by artists like Robert Plant, Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt.
On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Richard about his love of traditional Scottish music, and how he’s reworked old folk songs over the years. Richard also plays examples of his unique playing style on the guitar and talks about the time he played alongside Jimi Hendrix.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Richard Thompson songs HERE.
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