Style Study - John Squire

By Nick Kellie Published on Mar 19th, 2010

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Guitarist John Squire is most famed for his excellent guitar playing in "The Stone Roses" and later, his own band "The Seahorses." Although not a technician, the main attraction in Squires playing are his innovating parts which always lend themselves perfectly to the overall sonic spectrum of the song. This is something that makes for a memorable yet challenging style of guitar playing. A strong rhythmic feel in the right hand is a prominent feature in Squires' playing as well as a good muting technique in the left. This technique is commonly associated with funk players such as Nile Rogers. When placed in a rock context as is seen in Squires' playing the guitar sound is generally more gutsy whilst still maintaining the strong funk rhythm elements. I would recommend that with any new guitarist you study, you should also look at the stylistic influences they have as well as any other players that they were influenced by. Good luck!

Lick 1
The first example is a melodic comping idea played in 3rds. Make sure you use a fingering that enables you to play this lick smoothly, i.e. one that sets you up for the next 3rd shape in the lick.



Lick 2
Here we have an almost Hendrix flavored example, making use of triads and double-stops as well as single note pentatonic based fills. Make sure you focus on getting the correct rhythmic feel in the right hand, this is crucial in order to establish a 16th note feel.



Lick 3