When their popularity was at its dizzying peak, Creedence Clearwater Revival were proud outcasts in the world of rock.
During a time when the concept of “guitar gods” was just beginning to permeate popular culture – and seemingly every A-tier rock band sought to expand the boundaries of their music with lengthy jams and far-out lyrics influenced by psychedelics, non-Judeo/Christian religions about which they had maybe stumbled upon a single book, or what have you – Creedence were religious adherents to the old-school playbook: dishing out classic, fat-free, three-minute hits at an incredible clip.
For that reason, Creedence frontman and creative leader John Fogerty is almost never a name you hear when the great guitarists of the late '60s are discussed. But the guy can shred (we're not being sarcastic)
As he tours behind Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years – a new album of Creedence re-recordings he undertook after finally gaining back the rights to the band's music – Fogerty says his guitar practice regimen is as rigorous as ever.
Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning late last month, the legendary singer-songwriter was asked about the value of practice to someone as he seasoned a player as he is, to which he said, “It just feels really good. I like to practice, because my connection to the guitar makes me feel better. It's kind of therapy.
“It always takes a certain amount of time to work up to where you were yesterday. It doesn't just start right there. You kind of sink back or something. Your muscles have to get warm again, I suppose.”
“What's cool about it is the next day, meaning today, you start practicing, and then you get better at something than you were yesterday,” he continued. “That happens every single day. Sometimes, there's a big chunk I'm trying to get better at, and sometimes it's just some little thing. And the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more you understand it, and you develop the actual coordination.”
Raw numbers-wise, Fogerty says he puts in two to three hours a day.
“That's ingrained in me, and also when I do that – that's kind of what for other people would be their office, and their meditation space to kind of get it together to do their job.
“I'm practicing, and I do have various things I'm trying to get better at, but it also allows me to mentally and spiritually bond with the music that I love. You know, there's always little bits of stuff that I'm not good at, and I wish I was better at some parts.”
Fogerty added that his “endless quest” to guitar tone nirvana is still very much in progress.
“It's like an orator would be trying to describe an idea to an audience and find just the right words, and in that same way I'm trying to find just the right tone. I feel like if I find that and I'm really happy with it, then they will understand. That might be a musician's false comfort, but that's all I've got.
“If I think it tastes great, hopefully they're gonna think it tastes great. That's all I've got to judge you by.”
Last month, Fogerty revealed why he parted ways the his iconic Acme Rickenbacker – and how he got it back.
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