Dave Biller style guitar instruction

davidp158 · November 21st, 2003, 06:38 PM

I've been digging on guitarist Dave Biller lately. His playing on Wayne Hancock's live Swing Time CD slays me.

Can anyone recommend any instructional videos, CDs, tapes and/or tabulature that will help me learn this sort of style? His solos are chock full of hip country swing and jazz licks, and some nice chord substitutions (those exotic "adult chords") over fairly standard chord changes. I have a fairly good ear for licks, but he works with hipper scales than I'm used to, and I could use some help picking them up. This stuff would be a great change of pace from my usual blues/rawk cliche licks.

thanks in advance,
Dave

Ward · November 21st, 2003, 08:18 PM

I think he's the same player from Wayne's first album...I loved it. Tele style swing. Beautiful. I hear a lot of Les Paul in those licks. Maybe that'd be a good place to start, if someone could recommend a good Les Paul instruction book (I'd sure like to know the answer to this question as well). Also, if you like that style, Herb Steiner has a album called "Rancho Rhythm Roundup" that has Rick McRae (from George Strait's band) playing. A little more western swing than twang, but great stuff.

olewichita · November 22nd, 2003, 02:52 PM

dave can pretty much play anything... he's a great jazz player and for my money still the best chicken-picker around although unfortunately for us he hasn't been playing any country lately... tj

davidp158 · January 7th, 2004, 11:31 AM

Can anyone recommend any videos, CDs or tabulature books that demonstrate how to play like Dave Biller? I really dig his style, but those "adult" scales and chords he plays fly by too fast for my Neanderthal abilities to suss out.

thanks in advance,
Dave Patterson

pickinpaniolo · January 7th, 2004, 01:45 PM

I can't think of any instructional material but if you combine Roy Nichols and Django Reinhardt you be on your way. Here's some old school recommended listening if you can still find 'em:

Biller and Wakefield
The Hot Guitars of BIller and Wakefield
www.hightone.com

Dale Watson's first two Hightone CD's
Cheatin' Heart Attack and Blessed or Damned

Herb Steiner's Texas Dance Time
www.herbsteinermusic.com

Travis County Pickin'
His 3 cuts are great, the whole album is nothing but Western Swing, Chicken' Pickin' instrumentals
www.musicroom.org (there may still be copies)

He plays on a lot of local's records so you might check
www.texasmusicroundup.com and do a search on hig name, that might help.

PP

davidp158 · January 7th, 2004, 03:38 PM

PP - Thanks for the suggestions!

Dave

bernie01 · January 8th, 2004, 06:39 PM

Dave,
I'm a big fan of Biller too, and wonder if maybe he ever reads here? So I'll ressurect this thread, maybe we can persuade him to do a DVD one day.
Bernie.

Scott M · January 9th, 2004, 08:06 PM

a few years ago, he can play contemporary jazz like nobody's business. At a jazz clinic in Louisville, he played a standard (Stella, I think) with Jim Hall and he sounded very Michael Brecker - Pat Metheny ish. Everyone was impressed.

He learned quite a bit of contemporary stuff from a book by Jack Grassell. It is called "Monster Chops" and deals with the interval a fourth a lot and other larger intervals. He was working in sheet music in a local store then, and he ordered a copy for me. Beware, this book is very complicated and standard notation only.

He later moved to Austin and began playing with someone there, and a bass player friend of mine (and Dave's) described the music as something like Ernest Tubb meets Charlie Parker.

-Scott

bernie01 · January 10th, 2004, 07:50 AM

" Ernest Tubb meets Charlie Parker"
Yep, that sounds like the man!
And for anyone who's interested I found the Grassel books here:
http://www.jackgrassel.com/pages/merch_book.html

sugarinthegourd · October 23rd, 2008, 01:41 PM

Have you seen the Scotty Anderson Hot Licks DVD? Not exactly the same as what Biller does, but a bit in the same vein. Other than that, maybe check out some jazz/swing videos. Mike Dowling has a few swing guitar videos on Homespun that are good & might be a good place to start.

kennesmi2 · April 19th, 2009, 10:02 PM

I have been tabing Biller's and Paul Skelton's solo's from Wayne Hancock's C.D. That's What Daddy Wants. I would trade tab if anyone else has some of their stuff tab'd out.

Josh Davis · April 20th, 2009, 10:23 PM

Last I saw, Dave had been doing more gigs as a pedal-steel player. Pretty good to, but that won't surprise anybody. Pickup his "Biller and Wakefield" record. It's a modern-day Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West thing.

ch1naski · April 23rd, 2009, 11:57 PM

Dont forget his playing with Dave Stuckey and the Rhythm Gang! Or Biller and Horton....Texotica.

wangdangdoodle · July 3rd, 2009, 09:53 PM

Wow this guy's cool!

Mojohand40 · July 4th, 2009, 09:28 AM

Good stuff! .
to get a slight handle on that type of playing, may I suggest:
here:http://www.learnrootsmusic.com/flash/flash_ui.html
look at Paul Pigat's DVD called "Jazzin' up your guitar", also some of his Rockabilly ones might apply.

November 21st, 2003, 06:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
davidp158 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 356	Dave Biller style guitar instruction I've been digging on guitarist Dave Biller lately. His playing on Wayne Hancock's live Swing Time CD slays me. Can anyone recommend any instructional videos, CDs, tapes and/or tabulature that will help me learn this sort of style? His solos are chock full of hip country swing and jazz licks, and some nice chord substitutions (those exotic "adult chords") over fairly standard chord changes. I have a fairly good ear for licks, but he works with hipper scales than I'm used to, and I could use some help picking them up. This stuff would be a great change of pace from my usual blues/rawk cliche licks. thanks in advance, Dave

November 21st, 2003, 08:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ward Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Age: 31 Posts: 508	I think he's the same player from Wayne's first album...I loved it. Tele style swing. Beautiful. I hear a lot of Les Paul in those licks. Maybe that'd be a good place to start, if someone could recommend a good Les Paul instruction book (I'd sure like to know the answer to this question as well). Also, if you like that style, Herb Steiner has a album called "Rancho Rhythm Roundup" that has Rick McRae (from George Strait's band) playing. A little more western swing than twang, but great stuff. __________________ Ward James www.myspace.com/offthewagonmusic

November 22nd, 2003, 02:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
olewichita Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,610	dave can play anything... dave can pretty much play anything... he's a great jazz player and for my money still the best chicken-picker around although unfortunately for us he hasn't been playing any country lately... tj

January 7th, 2004, 11:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
davidp158 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 356	Dave Biller style instructional materials? Can anyone recommend any videos, CDs or tabulature books that demonstrate how to play like Dave Biller? I really dig his style, but those "adult" scales and chords he plays fly by too fast for my Neanderthal abilities to suss out. thanks in advance, Dave Patterson

January 7th, 2004, 01:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
pickinpaniolo TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Austin Posts: 42	Biller and Wakefield I can't think of any instructional material but if you combine Roy Nichols and Django Reinhardt you be on your way. Here's some old school recommended listening if you can still find 'em: Biller and Wakefield The Hot Guitars of BIller and Wakefield www.hightone.com Dale Watson's first two Hightone CD's Cheatin' Heart Attack and Blessed or Damned Herb Steiner's Texas Dance Time www.herbsteinermusic.com Travis County Pickin' His 3 cuts are great, the whole album is nothing but Western Swing, Chicken' Pickin' instrumentals www.musicroom.org (there may still be copies) He plays on a lot of local's records so you might check www.texasmusicroundup.com and do a search on hig name, that might help. PP

January 7th, 2004, 03:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
davidp158 Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 356	thanks! PP - Thanks for the suggestions! Dave

January 8th, 2004, 06:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
bernie01 TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 31	Dave, I'm a big fan of Biller too, and wonder if maybe he ever reads here? So I'll ressurect this thread, maybe we can persuade him to do a DVD one day. Bernie.

January 9th, 2004, 08:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
Scott M Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vincennes, IN Age: 44 Posts: 154	If it is the same Dave Biller I knew in Bloomington, IN a few years ago, he can play contemporary jazz like nobody's business. At a jazz clinic in Louisville, he played a standard (Stella, I think) with Jim Hall and he sounded very Michael Brecker - Pat Metheny ish. Everyone was impressed. He learned quite a bit of contemporary stuff from a book by Jack Grassell. It is called "Monster Chops" and deals with the interval a fourth a lot and other larger intervals. He was working in sheet music in a local store then, and he ordered a copy for me. Beware, this book is very complicated and standard notation only. He later moved to Austin and began playing with someone there, and a bass player friend of mine (and Dave's) described the music as something like Ernest Tubb meets Charlie Parker. -Scott __________________ Scott M

January 10th, 2004, 07:50 AM	#9 (permalink)
bernie01 TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 31	" Ernest Tubb meets Charlie Parker" Yep, that sounds like the man! And for anyone who's interested I found the Grassel books here: http://www.jackgrassel.com/pages/merch_book.html

October 23rd, 2008, 01:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
sugarinthegourd TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Philadelphia, PA Age: 42 Posts: 63	Have you seen the Scotty Anderson Hot Licks DVD? Not exactly the same as what Biller does, but a bit in the same vein. Other than that, maybe check out some jazz/swing videos. Mike Dowling has a few swing guitar videos on Homespun that are good & might be a good place to start.

April 19th, 2009, 10:02 PM	#11 (permalink)
kennesmi2 NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stanley Idaho Posts: 1	biller I have been tabing Biller's and Paul Skelton's solo's from Wayne Hancock's C.D. That's What Daddy Wants. I would trade tab if anyone else has some of their stuff tab'd out.

April 20th, 2009, 10:23 PM	#12 (permalink)
Josh Davis TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Galveston, Texas Age: 34 Posts: 89	Last I saw, Dave had been doing more gigs as a pedal-steel player. Pretty good to, but that won't surprise anybody. Pickup his "Biller and Wakefield" record. It's a modern-day Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West thing.

April 23rd, 2009, 11:57 PM	#13 (permalink)
ch1naski Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SoCal Age: 40 Posts: 148	Dont forget his playing with Dave Stuckey and the Rhythm Gang! Or Biller and Horton....Texotica. __________________ I don't own a Tele......yet.

July 3rd, 2009, 09:53 PM	#14 (permalink)
wangdangdoodle Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Leeds, UK Posts: 415	Wow this guy's cool!

July 4th, 2009, 09:28 AM	#15 (permalink)
Mojohand40 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 950 4 Photos	Good stuff! . to get a slight handle on that type of playing, may I suggest: here:http://www.learnrootsmusic.com/flash/flash_ui.html look at Paul Pigat's DVD called "Jazzin' up your guitar", also some of his Rockabilly ones might apply.

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