RICK BEATO: WHAT MAKES THIS GUY GREAT?

BEFORE THE DEMISE OF RECORD STORES, MUSIC FANS COULD ALWAYS RELY ON THE ‘COOL OLDER GUY’ WHO KNEW WHAT MUSIC YOU NEEDED TO LISTEN TO AND BUY.

MY GUY WAS BOB CARLTON, ABOUT 5 YEARS OLDER THAN I, AND WHEN I GOT TIRED OF LISTENING TO ROCK IN THE LATE 70S, I ASKED HIM WHAT OTHER WORLDS THERE MIGHT BE TO EXPLORE. OUT FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER HE SAUNTERED, WENT OVER TO THE UNCHARTED WORLD OF THE “JAZZ” SECTION OF THE STORE, AND PULLED OUT A FEW VINYL ALBUMS. THAT’S ALL THERE WAS BACK THEN.

“HERE YOU GO” HE DEADPANNED AS HE HANDED ME HERBIE HANCOCK’S MAIDEN VOYAGE, BILLIE HOLIDAY’S COMMODORE RECORDINGS, MILES DAVIS’ COOKIN‘ AND RELAXIN’ ALBUMS AND CHARLES MINGUS’ MINGUS AH UM. “THIS WILL GET YOU STARTED”

RICK BEATO HAS FILLED THE VOID, BECOMING THE SAGE OF SOUND TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MUSIC FANS IN SEARCH OF MUSICAL DIRECTION.

IT’S EASY TO FALL INTO THE ‘BEATO VORTEX’, AS ONCE YOU WATCH ONE OF HIS EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE, YOU’LL GET SUCKED INTO HIS LEGION OF TOPICS, SUB-TOPICS AND RABBIT TRAILS FROM HIS SUB-TOPICS.

WHAT GOT ME HOOKED ON RICK BEATO WAS HIS SERIES OF ‘WHAT MAKES THIS SONG GREAT?’ WHERE HE SPENDS ANYWHERE FROM 10-40 MINUTES DISSECTING SONGS FROM ARTIST RANGING FROM THE BEATLES TO YES. BEYOND THAT, HE HAS A COLLECTION OF LECTURES ON ‘ESSENTIAL’ MUSICIANS ON JUST ABOUT EVERY INSTRUMENT, EMPHASIZING THE ‘CLASSIC’ ROCK WORLD, WHICH IS A STONES THROUGH FROM HIS HEART ALLEGIANCE TO JAZZ. HIS VIDEOS ON PAT METHENY AND WES MONTGOMERY ARE DE RIGEUER, WHILE HIS INTERVIEWS WITH SIX STRING GIANTS INCLUDING LARRY CARLTON, ERIC JOHNSON OR PETER FRAMPTON ARE RED MEAT FOR GUITAR FANS.

I HAD THE CHANCE TO RUN INTO RICK BEATO AT THE FAMED BAKED POTATO TO SEE CARLTON, AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SET UP TIME FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO CHAT. WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE THE REASONS HE LOVES TO SHARE HIS ENTHUSIASM FOR MUSIC.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MUSIC?

I learned the cello in 3rd grade (laughs)

My undergrad degree is in Classical Bass, and I have a Masters Degree in Jazz Guitar, so I’ve studied music all the way from 3rd grade to my Masters, and then did Jazz Studies from ’87-92, mainly at Ithaca College in New York.

I got into music because I really liked it; a couple of my aunts music teachers. Music has always been a big  part of our household.

WHAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE A TEACHER GAVE YOU?

My old guitar teacher, Steve Brown, said “You can learn a lot by hanging out” (laughs) Meaning-“just listen and absorb things.”

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“You can learn a lot by hanging out” -just listen and absorb things.”

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THAT LESSON SHOWS ON YOUR INTERVIEWS; YOU’RE AN EXCELLENT LISTENER

I like to let  people talk and just listen and give them space.

YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN MUSIC EDUCATION, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE SYSTEM CREATES A FINANCIAL DEBT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF. ARE THESE EXPENSIVE SCHOOLS WORTH THE COST, OR IS IT TOO MUCH OF A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO GET OUT OF?

I graduated in the mid-1980s, when schools were really inexpensive. I did my Masters at the Conservatory, and the total was something like $6000. Compared to nowadays it was nothing.

It really depends on how good you are, and if you’re able to actually make enough money  to pay the loans, or if you have rich parents that can afford to pay the tuition. Most people don’t make enough to pay back a $300,000 loan. In music it’s almost impossible.

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“Most people don’t make enough to pay back a $300,000 (tuition)  loan. In music it’s almost impossible.”

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CAN YOU MAKE IT AS “JUST” AS A MUSICIAN, OR DO YOU NEED TO SUPPLEMENT IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE, SUCH AS TEACHING?

It depends. I’ve made my  living as a music producer, when there were still album sales.

As a  music producer, if you had a hit record up until 2008 or so, you would get three points to make a record, and one point to mix the record,  so up to four points. If you sold 1,000,000 records, that would be $300,000. There would be pop or country records that would sell 3-5 million records, and a producer could make $1,000,000 on one record.

The amount of artists that could make that much money were pretty small as well. You’d have to be a songwriter, or you’d have to be in a HUGELY successful band that had a massive touring base. Even back then.

Now there is no sales for records; streaming does not pay that much. Very few producers are able to make a living at all.

For musicians, particularly jazz musicians, the top jazz musicians remain the top jazz musicians. Chick Corea keeps playing at almost 80 years old. Herbie Hancock just turned 80 and he’s still playing gigs.

The reality is that the amount of people that are actually able to make a living in a genre like jazz is so tiny that you have to supplement your income by teaching or something else. You have to.

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“the amount of people that are actually able to make a living in a genre like jazz is so tiny that you have to supplement your income by teaching or something else.”

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WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING A PRODUCER?

Being a music producer is like being a director of a movie.

I don’t do jazz records. When you produce rock records, you do a lot of the engineering and mixing in addition to working on the songs, writing, structure and arrangements, you’re dealing with working on the sounds, which I really enjoy.

I like coming up with a sound and sonic structure for an album, to make each one different from another.

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“Being a music producer is like being a director of a movie”

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WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCERS?

Obviously George Martin, who produced the Beatles. Glyn Johns, who produced a lot of big bands like the Eagles and worked on the first Led Zeppelin record. Daniel Lanois has a signature sound, as does Brian Eno, who has been a visionary producer

In the 90s you had Brendan O’Brien who made some great rock records.

I like people who can get natural sounds and let the band’s personality shine through. They try to not put too much of their own fingerprint on it

YOUR EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS HAVE REALLY CAUGHT ON, BEING SO BRILLIANT IN THEIR SIMPLICITY. WHAT GOT YOU TO GO INTO THIS DIRECTION?

I had an intern, Rhett Shull (who has his own Youtube channel with about 170,000 viewers)  in my studio tell me that I should start a Youtube channel.

It was fun! I really like teaching, and I actually like making videos; it’s kind of similar to producing songs, but you’re producing visual content as well as musical content.

WHAT WERE THE FIRST VIDEOS YOU MADE, “WHAT MAKES THIS SONG GREAT?” OR YOUR MUSICAL THEORY CLASSES?

For the first two years of my channel it was all advanced music theory, film scoring; nothing to do with rock music or “What Makes This Song Great”. There was a lot of jazz improvisation and sophisticated music theory. I did videos on  all of the modes of the major scales, the minor scales, harmonic minors, harmonic majors, double harmonic major and all of the auxiliary scales. I wanted to have a channel for professional musicians. I had a couple hundred thousand subscribers.

THE VIDEOS OF “WHAT MAKES THIS SONG GREAT” MUST HAVE REALLY OPENED UP YOUR AUDIENCE

I had multi-tracks (recordings) of all of these songs for years, and I was on my second Youtube channel (which nobody knows about) and was playing these mulit-tracks for people, and they loved it. Rhett came in one time and said “I watched your live stream last night, and it was so interesting with the multi-tracks when you were talking about the songs. You should make videos of these”.

So I made my first episode of “What Makes This Song Great?” and that was it.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING YOU”RE TRYING TO CONVEY TO YOUR WATCHERS ON THE “WHAT MAKES THIS SONG GREAT?” SERIES?

When I made the title, it has a question mark in it. It’s not necessarily songs that I like are up there, but it’s asking “what makes people listen to these songs over and over” . Beyond even the lyrics and melody, there are things in the arrangements, the rhythms and the sonics of it that I want to examine and talk about all of these elements that went into that choice of sounds.

So, it’s about song writing, arranging, performance  and how things work together; I demystify it for people

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“it’s about song writing, arranging, performance  and how things work together; I demystify it for people”

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YOU HAVE THIS FAIRLY NEW SERIES OF “BEST BASS INTRO” OR “BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR INTRO” ETC

Those are just fun to make. They are about my favorite songs from when I grew up. I call them my “List” videos.

YOU HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. THE “FUN” PART, ANALYSING SONGS, EDUCATION AND MUSIC HISTORY. YOU’VE ALSO STARTED AN INTERVIEW SERIES WITH GUYS LIKE ERIC JOHNSON, PETER FRAMPTON AND LARRY CARLTON.

I have a really wide age range of people that follow my channel. I think that all of these people that I interview are really important and that everyone should know them.

It’s not just guitar players; I’ve interviewed Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Husband and Daryl Jones, who played with Miles. I haven’t put that one up yet. I’m about to interview Ron Carter- I’m trying to make people aware of these musicians that they should know about.

IN ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS YOU MENTIONED THAT ONLY A FEW ARTISTS WILL BE REMEMBERED 100 FROM NOW. IS THERE ANY CONTEMPORARY ARTIST THAT WILL STAND THAT TEST OF TIME?

(laughs) That is a good question, because society has changed in the last ten years.

I have 3 kids; my youngest is seven. Kids don’t stick with things very long, even more so nowadays than when I was a kid.

It’s hard to know what will stand the test of time, as things are so fragmented now. It’s hard for someone to break out unless there is some type of a star beyond having “big” songs. You have to be pretty soul-free nowadays. That’s pretty much the unfortunate thing. 1851

When I was growing up, people that became famous as songwriters and writers didn’t have to be the most beautiful people. They could be “regular’ looking people. We were not as image conscious.

Elvis became famous, but he was a great singer. You didn’t have to worry as much about image, but nowadays it’s a major component of a person that it’s hard to say who’s music is going to last.

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“nowadays (image) is a major component of a person that it’s hard to say who’s music is going to last”

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WHO WOULD YOU PAY $1000, LIVING OR DEAD, TO SEE PERFORM?

John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker. Any of the classical musicians that I’ve had on my videos. Jimi Hendrix-I’d need plenty of money to do this!

WHO’S BRAIN WOULD YOU LIKE TO PICK?

Some of the people I’d like to interview are Paul McCartney, David Gilmore, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Elton John. All of the people that are still with us.

ON ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS, YOUR  POSITIVE ATTITUDE COMES ACROSS. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BOOK, PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION OR TEACHING THAT YOU LIVE BY?

I come from a really close Italian family of seven kids; my parents were married for 53 years. My mom was the most positive person in the world.

When I got bad grades she’d say “Ah, the teachers don’t understand you; they don’t know how to teach you. You’re so smart”. My parents were positive about everything, and that’s why I’m like that. My brothers and sisters and I all get along incredibly well. It was just the best family you could have grown up in, so supportive. I think that’s why.

ON ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS, YOU SAID “ THE END” IS  YOUR FAVORITE BEATLES SONG. WHAT IS YOUR REAL FAVORITE ONE?

My real favorite Beatles song is maybe “He Said, She Said” I like the psychedelic period of the Beatles; Rubber Soul and Revolver are my two favorite Beatle records. I love all of those dark and moody songs: “Nowhere Man”, “Norwegian Wood”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Tomorrow Never Knows” every song on those two records are great. I love the sonics of the Revolver record; it just captures something that I never get tired of.

Then there are the George Harrison songs “Here Comes The Sun” and “Something” which are two of the greatest Beatle songs as well, which are on Abbey Road.

I think like a fan. People that I like I never get bored with; I’ve been listening to the same songs for 50 years and never get bored with them.

YOU HAVE A TON OF GUITARS ON YOUR VIDEOS THAT YOU PLAY ON VIDEOS. WHICH ONE WILL YOU TAKE TO THE GRAVE?

I have a nice 1957 Gibson Country and Western acoustic guitar that I love. Any other guitar is replaceable. I’ve owned that one for over 30 years so I have a real connection with it. I’ve used it on many recordings

But guitars are just things to communicate music through; I don’t get hung up on having to have a particular guitar. They’re tools.

WHEN YOU SEE A BAND IN CONCERT, WHAT DO YOU LISTEN FOR?

Great question. When I see a band live, I want to see a band that can actually put on a show; most bands can’t and I end up leaving most of the time. There’s very few concerts I’ll sit all the way through.

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” I want to see a band that can actually put on a show; most bands can’t and I end up leaving most of the time. There’s very few concerts I’ll sit all the way through”

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WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “A SHOW”?

They know how to connect songs. They know how to connect with the audience. They actually perform.

SO IT’S NOT NECESSARILY CHANGING OUTFITS FIVE TIMES LIKE DAVID BOWIE.

No, but it could be. I like to see people put on a show. People that are pros at performing where it’s really interesting. If they have great songs and not only play them to where the sound good, but actually perform, and have the performance be original in terms of that particular gig.

DO YOU HAVE A PET PEEVE IN MUSIC?

A pet peeve with me is people that can’t improvise. Maybe not a pet peeve, but If you can improvise and make the solos different every night or change the melodies around and make it special for each particular night…that’s why I always gravitated towards jazz .

Great jazz musicians make it different every night, depending on the mood. There are so many elements to it.

You used to have it in pop music in the 70s when people would improvise things.

But even then, if you have somebody like Larry Carlton  go into the studio and play “Kid Charlemagne”, if he went out and played it “live” you’d be expecting to hear that solo, and he’d have to relearn to play it, even though that would be against his natural inclination, as that would be for him to play something new.

People get used to hearing something real melodic like that solo, so they want to hear the exact notes played in the exact order. I liked music from the 60s and 70s because they improvised more.

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“If you can improvise and make the solos different every night or change the melodies around and make it special for each particular night…that’s why I always gravitated towards jazz”

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WHAT ARTISTS THAT YOU”VE SEEN HAVE GIVEN THE MOST SATISFYING PERFORMANCES TO YOU?

(long pause) Most shows that I’ve seen like that I think had to do with my age when I was younger. I don’t go to a lot of shows anymore for the past 15 years or so. I’m sorry I can’t give you a good answer; I’m better at interviewing people! (laughs)

Guys like Joe Bonamassa and Larry Carlton, blues, jazz and rock players that can improvise are what I gravitate towards.

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“Guys like Joe Bonamassa and Larry Carlton, blues, jazz and rock players that can improvise are what I gravitate towards”

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WHAT GIVES YOU JOY IN YOUR LIFE?

My family; wife and kids.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?

Hopefully continue what I’m doing. Explore more interesting topics; I have a whole list of videos that I want to make.

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SAY WHEN THEY LAY YOU TO REST?

They can say I was a good dad. If my kids say that and my wife says I was a good husband, that’s all that matters.

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“if (Larry Carlton)  went out and played  (“Kid Charlemagne”) “live” you’d be expecting to hear that solo, and he’d have to relearn to play it, even though that would be against his natural inclination, as that would be for him to play something new”

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QUICKLY BECOMING THE ‘MR. ROGERS OF MUSIC”, RICK BEATO IS SERVING LEGIONS OF MUSIC FANS STARVING FOR DIRECTION, ENCOURAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE. LIKE THE ‘COOL UNCLE’ OF YOUR YOUTH, HE DISPELS WISDOM WITH A COMPLETE LACK OF CONDESCENSION, MAKING YOU GLAD THAT HE IS YOUR FRIEND, YOUR TEACHER, AND YES, YOUR ‘NEIGHBOR’.

www.rickbeato.com

 

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