Recently (OK, today), I was watching a random Guthrie Govan lesson video on YouTube (I get a sick satisfaction out of watching guitarists who are much better than I'll ever be).
In the clip, which you can watch here, Govan discusses elements of his right-hand (or right-thumb) slap technique.
"Some people can do the clever Victor Wooten thing where you can slap up and down," he says. "For me, that only works on the E string.
"My thumb is bigger than the gap between two strings. I can't get it in there, so I don't really do that. If you want to find out more about that, check out a guy called Scotty Mishoe, who's unbelievably good."
Scotty Mishoe, aka Scott Mishoe. That's a name I hadn't heard before; but since the recommendation came from Govan, I was more than willing to check it out, and I'm glad I did.
Even though the video below was posted in 2012, it's totally new to me; and, just as Govan promised, there's some incredible right-hand slapping action going on. And he's no slouch with his left hand, either. In terms of an artist page, bio and beyond, there's not a lot to be found online, although there are several Mishoe videos available on YouTube. This one happens to be my favorite.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
