TRACK RECORD
instruments. In INkBlot, the guitar takes on different functions. It can be the prima donna, but it also positions itself in the middle ground and the foreground.
How did you develop your clean and precise tapping style?
DG: Eddie Van Halen would say “practice, practice, practice!” In addition, I would say to record yourself as much as you can. When playing we are often focused on the performance, and small but important details are difficult to notice. Listening back can give us an objective point of view on how we sound. It can be sometimes painful, but we must do it. In the past, I was experimenting with crazy fingerings that weren’t often very effective. More recently I have focused on what works best for me, making my life easier and at the same time improving the consistency of my tapping.
I like to combine picking and legato to achieve an articulation that is often associated with the horns.
Your picking and legato techniques are precise; when soloing or composing do you aim to balance their usage or is it a case of allowing ‘in the moment’ spontaneity to dictate the outcome?
DG: It depends. I tended to abuse legato, but recently I have paid more attention to articulations. I like to combine picking and legato to achieve an articulation that is often associated with the horns, picking one note and slurring the next. I have been influenced by modern jazz guitar players like Ben Eunson or Mike Moreno, as they seem to favour this type of approach. Often the usage of these articulations is spontaneous, but sometimes I work with specific exercises or lines that help me build a stronger foundation for this type of playing.
What guitar tones do you like, and why?
DG: While trying to be a little bit experimental with the music, I have a classic taste when approaching guitars and amps. For INkblot, I used my custom Charvel guitar most of the time. As an amplifier, I used a Two-Rock Bloomfield Drive. It is a blues amp, and I fell in love with it. The range of dynamics is huge, and this aspect helped me in placing my guitar parts within the sonic environment of the album. I also wanted a soft tone. A rock metal tone, often used in a neoclassical situation, can be too harsh and won’t work well with the gentle tone of the woodwind section or even with the strings.
What are your plans for 2023?
I’m composing a concerto for electric guitar and orchestra, a challenging project that scares and excited me at the same time! I’m also resuming my side project, The Nuts. As a trio, we are working on arrangements of pieces by Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker. While composing is probably my favourite musical aspect, improvisation is vital for me. It allows me to explore the endless vocabulary of different musical dialects. The study of guitar in this way can always be fresh and exciting. I’m also learning the ukulele!!
InKBLot is out now. For more info on Daniele and his exploits, visit https:// officialdanielegottardo.com