That stuff is pretty second nature to me at this point.ĭo you still practice instruments, beyond when you’re writing for your bands? Some people hear country and think telecaster, pedal steel where I’ll think more about building around the mixolydian mode with a minor third thrown in.
where I’ll think no full triads, stacks of 2nds and 4ths in the background vocals and the chords. I think a lot of people if they want to do something that sounds like say, Jimmy Eat World will think heavily overdriven guitars, simple hard beat, etc. I think it impacts the way I listen to music which therefore impacts the way I write it - I listen to what’s going on harmonically much more than what’s going on sonically, so I can usually pull out harmonic and melodic ideas that are little musical stamps of songs/writers/bands that I like which for lack of a better way of putting it makes it able for me to rip them off. Yes, I have a pretty thorough understanding of theory. Sometimes I see guys who can play Yngwie Malmsteen licks but can’t make it through a Tom Petty song and lessons gave me a structure that kept me from going down that road.ĭo you have an understand of scales and music theory? Still, I think that lessons gave me a strong background in theory and a good ear, and the ability to play what’s appropriate for the song. I actually spend very little time focused on lead playing until very recently and I of course wish I had spent the 1990s shredding in my room but it was the 1990s and that wasn’t a very popular thing to do. I was a very solid rhythm guitar player before even trying to play lead. Well I think that taking lessons young forced me to learn things in the right order, i.e. What impact did that have on you as a musician?
Yes, until I was 16, and I started taking lessons again about a year ago from 2 teachers - Doug Rappaport (Edgar Winter Band) who is one of the best rock lead players I’ve ever heard and John Zeigler (Volto, Pygmy Love Circus) who’s kind of a fusion guy but is really all over the place and is one of the great thinkers about guitar. The thing I’m spending the most time on at the moment is writing country songs that my co-writer and I intend to pitch into the Nashville machine and see what happens.ĭid you take any lessons growing up? (guitar or other) What musical projects do you have currently, that you’d call active?īesides Ke$ha which is off the road for a few months, my band Max and the Marginalized is semi-active playing shows here and there, and a Jawbreaker tribute band which is tons of fun.
I think students will appreciate his insight on what it takes to be a true professional musician! These days he’s the touring musical director and live guitar player for Ke$ha, as well as writing for his own politically driven rock band, Max and the Marginalized. After The Actual disbanded, Max spent time playing guitar in Scott Weiland’s (solo group) band. He toured the country front the alternative rock group The Actual (who still gets frequent plays at my place). Max Bernstein is a veteran to the modern music industry.