While ZZ Top achieved mainstream success and worldwide aclaim with the stream of hits that came from their Eliminator album in 1983, they had long been Texas blues-rock trailblazers. And it’s a testament to Billy Gibbons’ stong musical identity that he’s still seen as an influence in his genre, over 40 years on.
Talking to Brian May about his impressions of Gibbons, the Queen guitarist told me: “I first heard Billy Gibbons because of Noddy Holder, the singer of Slade, in the 1970s. He had a couple of ZZ Top albums and was mad keen on the group.
“We were at his house and he played me La Grange and Tush, and some others. I thought Billy Gibbons was the coolest guitarist I’d ever heard, and that opinion hasn’t changed in 50 years! Always rooted in the moment. Never trying too hard. Solid as a giant rock.”
Billy has a few signature techniques, including pinched harmonics for that dramatic, squealing sound. He was using picking-hand tapping long before Eddie Van Halen came to prominence, and while he doesn’t use extended lines based on this approach, it’s a real feature of his sound. An influence on Larry Carlton’s classic solo on Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan, perhaps?
Gibbons’ phrasing is impeccable. As Dr May suggested above, his style is relaxed and totally uncontrived. This makes his approach perfect for classic solos, as Gibbons always plays for the song. He’s also a master groove player and his rhythm style often contains rootsy, almost country-tinged, doubled-stops and classic, soul-influenced guitar moves.
As a sharp riff writer, many of the band’s most successful songs hinge around simple but memorable hooks, often pentatonic in nature. Rather than Led Zeppelin-style monoliths, these are usually more like simple lick ideas that plant themselves as earworms in your brain. Think of tracks like Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin’, and Tush, for example.
In the licks below, I’ve crafted lines that reference some of his popular melodic shapes. While researching this article, it became apparent that many of Gibbons' tunes set up a solid groove within a key, but when it comes time for the solo he modulates elsewhere for a vamp or repeated chordal pattern.
For instance, in the ZZ Top classic, La Grange, Gibbons sets up a groove based firmly around A Minor, but the solo is based around C Major. Musically, this is the relative Major but a noticeable jump that lends instant excitement and lift to the tune. It’s a simple but extremely effective way to give a song a sort of ‘gear change.’
Get the tone
Amp Settings: Gain 7, Bass 7, Middle 5, Treble 7, Reverb 3
Gibbons has an amazing collection of guitars, so anything will work here. Set up a sound that’s good for rhythm but also powerful enough for blues-rock solos. A little reverb is essential, while delay can add breadth to soaring leads. Add overdrive too, but don’t go overboard with the distortion; note detail is important here, and too much drive can get in the way.
Example 1
This uses double-stops, which are a staple in Gibbons’ solos, as are the pinched harmonics in the third bar – catch the string with the flesh of the picking-hand thumb.
Example 2
Triplets and more double-stops here. Notice that the bottom note moves down in bars 1-2 to add melodic detail against the repeating F note.
Example 3
Note the use of the #11 note (F#) here for an infectious bluesy sound. Jimi Hendrix also used this sound to great effect on Band Of Gypsys.
Example 4
We’re on a chord of F7 here, but note the bluesy Minor 3rd (Ab). Gibbons also often uses the blues scale built on the root of the chord he’s playing over.
Example 5
Here’s a line based around the 6th interval, which adds a definite hint of soul to the phrase.
Study Piece. The Solo
The solo puts the example ideas together to create a guitar break that feels composed and melodic. Notice how it takes its time to develop, melodically. Since phrasing is key to Gibbons' style it’s important to leave room to let the licks breathe. Laying back on the timing is vital, too – you’ll never hear Gibbons rushing ahead.
