An exclusive interview with Fredrik Pihl
Talking about solo guitar scene today, we will mention a name of Fredrik Pihl. The one who has been so productive creating guitar work. He's a Swedish guitarist and musician who released a phenomenal solo album Silhouettes in 2011 which is rated by many top players. Here are some of comments from world class guitar players:
Fredrik was invited to join Shred Freak Album Compilation on April of 2013 featuring some international talented guitar players, click here to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh-5ZmnYD44.
Beside writing and recording his own music, Fredrik is also working as a session player, guitar teacher and clinician. Throughout the years Fredrik has also been writing columns for Swedish guitar magazine Guitar Ink and also for various websites. Fredrik has also got mentioned and reviewed in various guitar magazines (Guitar Player, Axe Magazine, Gitar Plus etc). A couple of days ago we had a chat, and he was so kind enough to let me do an interview with him. He talked about his experience, opinion, gear, and of course some tips that is useful for everyone who is addicted to guitar. Hope you could possibly learn something from this interview. Enjoy...
- "I just listened to your album. Sounds great! Nice job!" - Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen),
- "Watch out for Freak out Fredrik!!!! Great ideas, tone and chops!" - Dave Martone,
- "Enjoyed listening - tasty melodies, songs were interesting, cool technical moments too... nice acoustic and fretless work!" - Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses).
Fredrik was invited to join Shred Freak Album Compilation on April of 2013 featuring some international talented guitar players, click here to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh-5ZmnYD44.
Beside writing and recording his own music, Fredrik is also working as a session player, guitar teacher and clinician. Throughout the years Fredrik has also been writing columns for Swedish guitar magazine Guitar Ink and also for various websites. Fredrik has also got mentioned and reviewed in various guitar magazines (Guitar Player, Axe Magazine, Gitar Plus etc). A couple of days ago we had a chat, and he was so kind enough to let me do an interview with him. He talked about his experience, opinion, gear, and of course some tips that is useful for everyone who is addicted to guitar. Hope you could possibly learn something from this interview. Enjoy...
1. You have such talented skills and musical abilities. Why didn’t you try to make a band for serious purpose?
Thanks! There have been some band situations in the past and it might happen again in the future. I played in a metal band named Indemnity that was laid to permanent rest in 2006 and after that I decided to focus on my own music for a while. Right now I do my own stuff, as well as collaborating with other musicians. There have been some discussions about doing a band thing, but it’s just in the speaking process as of now. But I like being my own boss.
2. Did you start your musical career as a soloist or a band player?
I started writing and record demos back in 1999 with very limited gear resources, so the songs will never see the light of day. But I learned a lot about orchestration and arranging music so it was a very beneficial time for me. When I later joined Indemnity we did some gigs and recorded some demos witch also was a very good experience.
3. What make you decide to create instrumental music rather than a band with vocals or let’s say an MTv music orientation?
Well, basically because my singing sucks. I wasn’t gifted with the greatest voice known to man. Whenever I need vocals for a song I let someone with talent do it, otherwise I let my guitar handle the vocal lines. The latest song I did with vocals was the single Beyond My Eyes, which is available on iTunes, CdBaby.com and Spotify. The song is a rock ballad and is quite different and more commercial than my previous work. Isabel José did the vocals and she really captured the feeling of the song. She is really talented and we will work together even more in the near future. www.isabeljose.com
4. What do you think about today’s world guitar scene? And what music do you listen to lately?
Honestly I don’t listen to as much guitar music like I did ten years ago, so I’m not really up to date with all the new players out there. Due to the Internet we get overwhelmed with new uprising players, which of course is a good thing. The internet has been a very helpful tool for me, for sure. But the downside is that it’s difficult to get your music through since there is so much information and music out there to compete with. You kind of drown in the masses, if you know what I mean. Almost anyone can upload a video on YouTube, showing his or her playing.
Music wise I listen to all kinds of music. Good music is good music regardless of genre. I find inspiration in everything from gypsy jazz to death metal. It could be the easiest pop song to the most advanced and extreme fusion or progressive metal song.
Thanks! There have been some band situations in the past and it might happen again in the future. I played in a metal band named Indemnity that was laid to permanent rest in 2006 and after that I decided to focus on my own music for a while. Right now I do my own stuff, as well as collaborating with other musicians. There have been some discussions about doing a band thing, but it’s just in the speaking process as of now. But I like being my own boss.
2. Did you start your musical career as a soloist or a band player?
I started writing and record demos back in 1999 with very limited gear resources, so the songs will never see the light of day. But I learned a lot about orchestration and arranging music so it was a very beneficial time for me. When I later joined Indemnity we did some gigs and recorded some demos witch also was a very good experience.
3. What make you decide to create instrumental music rather than a band with vocals or let’s say an MTv music orientation?
Well, basically because my singing sucks. I wasn’t gifted with the greatest voice known to man. Whenever I need vocals for a song I let someone with talent do it, otherwise I let my guitar handle the vocal lines. The latest song I did with vocals was the single Beyond My Eyes, which is available on iTunes, CdBaby.com and Spotify. The song is a rock ballad and is quite different and more commercial than my previous work. Isabel José did the vocals and she really captured the feeling of the song. She is really talented and we will work together even more in the near future. www.isabeljose.com
4. What do you think about today’s world guitar scene? And what music do you listen to lately?
Honestly I don’t listen to as much guitar music like I did ten years ago, so I’m not really up to date with all the new players out there. Due to the Internet we get overwhelmed with new uprising players, which of course is a good thing. The internet has been a very helpful tool for me, for sure. But the downside is that it’s difficult to get your music through since there is so much information and music out there to compete with. You kind of drown in the masses, if you know what I mean. Almost anyone can upload a video on YouTube, showing his or her playing.
Music wise I listen to all kinds of music. Good music is good music regardless of genre. I find inspiration in everything from gypsy jazz to death metal. It could be the easiest pop song to the most advanced and extreme fusion or progressive metal song.
5. You show us some varied guitar performances lately. How has your playing changed over the years?
For me the guitar is a tool to share my expressions. I guess my playing style has changed quite a bit since I first picked up the guitar. There have been many influences along the way that has inspired and shaped my playing style. So, you could say that I’m quite a musical mess after 20+ years of playing. Haha!
I think my playing style has changed regarding to the way I think and feel about music. When I was younger I was obsessed with technique, it was all about getting faster and crazier. But technique itself is quite pointless to have if you can’t use it to express yourself musically. Note choice, phrasing, rhythm… all that stuff.
6. About your album Silhouettes, how did you decide to release it? There must be a cool story behind.
I wanted to do a solo album for quite a long time, but I wasn’t too happy about the songs. They sounded very guitar-oriented and stereotypical. I wanted to bring something new and fresh to the table. So I decided to start from scratch and do an album with more focus on song writing, arrangements and orchestration. Therefore Silhouettes is not your typical guitar album, with all my coolest licks. The focus for me was the songs themselves, although there is some scary guitar work going on.
Genre-wise I would describe the music as progressive metal with elements of jazz/fusion and modern classical music. The album is quite dark and melancholic, yet romantic and beautiful.
The album features guest appearances by Ron Bumblefoot Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) and keyboard player Lalle Larsson (Agents of Mercy). They’re all friends of mine and they all really did some amazing appearances. I’m really proud and happy to work with such talented musicians.
7. You are featured in Guitaronsky’s project; Shred Freak compilation album along with some great players worldwide. How do you think of it?
First of all I’m grateful to be on an album that features so many great players from all over the world. I know Christian Johansson whom I worked with feels the same way! I also discovered some new great players thanks to it.
Secondly, I think these kind of projects are really good for the guitar music industry. It really gives you an opportunity to share your music with the world. So thumbs up to you Edwin for organizing such a great project!
For me the guitar is a tool to share my expressions. I guess my playing style has changed quite a bit since I first picked up the guitar. There have been many influences along the way that has inspired and shaped my playing style. So, you could say that I’m quite a musical mess after 20+ years of playing. Haha!
I think my playing style has changed regarding to the way I think and feel about music. When I was younger I was obsessed with technique, it was all about getting faster and crazier. But technique itself is quite pointless to have if you can’t use it to express yourself musically. Note choice, phrasing, rhythm… all that stuff.
6. About your album Silhouettes, how did you decide to release it? There must be a cool story behind.
I wanted to do a solo album for quite a long time, but I wasn’t too happy about the songs. They sounded very guitar-oriented and stereotypical. I wanted to bring something new and fresh to the table. So I decided to start from scratch and do an album with more focus on song writing, arrangements and orchestration. Therefore Silhouettes is not your typical guitar album, with all my coolest licks. The focus for me was the songs themselves, although there is some scary guitar work going on.
Genre-wise I would describe the music as progressive metal with elements of jazz/fusion and modern classical music. The album is quite dark and melancholic, yet romantic and beautiful.
The album features guest appearances by Ron Bumblefoot Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) and keyboard player Lalle Larsson (Agents of Mercy). They’re all friends of mine and they all really did some amazing appearances. I’m really proud and happy to work with such talented musicians.
7. You are featured in Guitaronsky’s project; Shred Freak compilation album along with some great players worldwide. How do you think of it?
First of all I’m grateful to be on an album that features so many great players from all over the world. I know Christian Johansson whom I worked with feels the same way! I also discovered some new great players thanks to it.
Secondly, I think these kind of projects are really good for the guitar music industry. It really gives you an opportunity to share your music with the world. So thumbs up to you Edwin for organizing such a great project!
8. You involved Christian Johansson into your song “Binary Steps”. How did you arrange the musical composition?
Christian and me are old friends, and we write music together under the name In Focuz, where the music is in focus. Right now we are recording an album together in the genre of rock/fusion.
When I got the request to participate on the Shred Freak album, I wanted to do a song specially written for the album. I wrote Binary Steps, which is a fusion song in the same vein as the music I do with Christian. Therefore I decided to ask him to participate on the song and he agreed. He recorded a great solo that really shows his style of playing. Christian is extremely talented and his melodic sense is beyond this world. www.cjohansson.com
Binary Steps is also our first collaboration with drummer Carl Williams. He will be doing a lot of the drum work for the upcoming In Focuz album. He is a phenomonal musician and we are happy to have him on board.
9. You give some kind of different approach on that song. Normally, people mention your name as a metal shredder. But this time you are so Fusion. Some kind of surprising stuff, isn’t it? What do you want to express with it actually?
Well, it’s about not staying in the same place for to long. I don’t see myself as a shredder, even though I play fast from time to time. I have been drawn towards the jazz/fusion genre the latest year, and it’s an area I really like exploring. I still try to adapt my personal touch to it. I always enjoy discovering new areas of music and push myself as a musician.
10. You’re using Vigier Guitars on stage now. What do you think about Vigier, and why does it complete your musical taste?
I have been playing Vigier guitars officially since 2007, and they are such amazing instruments. I use the Excalibur custom model as well as the Surfreter (fretless). They are really reliable and the necks are so easy to play. The 10/90 system with the carbon strip really works. They are really versatile and work with many music styles. I use DiMarzio pickups in all my guitars and they really contribute to my sound.
11. How do you go about writing a song now?
It actually varies. Most of the time I write it all inside my head, without the guitar in my hand. The initial idea to a song can rise from a drum groove, a set of chord changes, a melody, a feeling… you name it. Right now I’m writing music together with Christian Johansson for the upcoming In Focuz album. We bring different things to the table since we are quite different as guitar players, but we have known each other for many years now, hence we know each others thought process inside out.
Gear wise, I use an iMac computer with Logic Pro and Reason as my software of choice. I recently got endorsed by the good people of YouRock Guitar, and they sent me a midi guitar called the YRG Gen 2 modell. It really helps getting the work done faster since I can use the Gen 2 to control all plug ins in Logic Pro and Reason. I’m not really good at playing piano or keyboard so a midi guitar is a helpful tool and I highly recommend people to check out the YRG Gen2 guitar.
Christian and me are old friends, and we write music together under the name In Focuz, where the music is in focus. Right now we are recording an album together in the genre of rock/fusion.
When I got the request to participate on the Shred Freak album, I wanted to do a song specially written for the album. I wrote Binary Steps, which is a fusion song in the same vein as the music I do with Christian. Therefore I decided to ask him to participate on the song and he agreed. He recorded a great solo that really shows his style of playing. Christian is extremely talented and his melodic sense is beyond this world. www.cjohansson.com
Binary Steps is also our first collaboration with drummer Carl Williams. He will be doing a lot of the drum work for the upcoming In Focuz album. He is a phenomonal musician and we are happy to have him on board.
9. You give some kind of different approach on that song. Normally, people mention your name as a metal shredder. But this time you are so Fusion. Some kind of surprising stuff, isn’t it? What do you want to express with it actually?
Well, it’s about not staying in the same place for to long. I don’t see myself as a shredder, even though I play fast from time to time. I have been drawn towards the jazz/fusion genre the latest year, and it’s an area I really like exploring. I still try to adapt my personal touch to it. I always enjoy discovering new areas of music and push myself as a musician.
10. You’re using Vigier Guitars on stage now. What do you think about Vigier, and why does it complete your musical taste?
I have been playing Vigier guitars officially since 2007, and they are such amazing instruments. I use the Excalibur custom model as well as the Surfreter (fretless). They are really reliable and the necks are so easy to play. The 10/90 system with the carbon strip really works. They are really versatile and work with many music styles. I use DiMarzio pickups in all my guitars and they really contribute to my sound.
11. How do you go about writing a song now?
It actually varies. Most of the time I write it all inside my head, without the guitar in my hand. The initial idea to a song can rise from a drum groove, a set of chord changes, a melody, a feeling… you name it. Right now I’m writing music together with Christian Johansson for the upcoming In Focuz album. We bring different things to the table since we are quite different as guitar players, but we have known each other for many years now, hence we know each others thought process inside out.
Gear wise, I use an iMac computer with Logic Pro and Reason as my software of choice. I recently got endorsed by the good people of YouRock Guitar, and they sent me a midi guitar called the YRG Gen 2 modell. It really helps getting the work done faster since I can use the Gen 2 to control all plug ins in Logic Pro and Reason. I’m not really good at playing piano or keyboard so a midi guitar is a helpful tool and I highly recommend people to check out the YRG Gen2 guitar.
12. Do you remember the first time you ever had a guitar in your hands?
Yeah, I was about 12 years old and my parents bought me an electric guitar. It was a black Kingston Stratocaster copy. I was a big Metallica and Guns N’ Roses fan back then (still like them) and my dream was to be a guitar player like Slash. Getting the guitar was like a dream come true and I played the thing day and night. Now 20 years later my friend Ron Thal plays guitar in the very same band… life takes many funny turns.
13. Some guitar players have released a HD guitar lesson. Do you have any plan about it?
I have got some offers from various guitar magazines and webzines, but it’s always a time issue. Also there are tons of video lessons available on YouTube and at similar sites, so it ties back to what I mentioned in the previous question. There is so much material and information available out there so the chance is quite big that my lesson would just end up as a needle in a haystack.
Also, today’s generation of players are used to getting everything for free nowadays, due to YouTube and illegal downloading etc. Making a good lesson takes a lot of time with preparations etc, and I would need to know that I earn something from it in order to invest my time. I may sound negative, but when time is your enemy you need to prioritize.
14. How do you practice yourself to keep your chops up?
During my technique formative years I had a bunch of exercises, instructional videos etc, and I practiced a lot. I also had some really good teachers over the years that helped me shape my technique.
My practice routines nowadays are a bit different. It’s more song oriented I guess i.e. practing difficult parts for my songs. But sometimes I look through my old exercises and rip it up. Haha.
15. People are now sometimes confused about the exact difference between the old guitar style (you know 80’s) and the modern one. Can you help them to define it?
I guess the guitar “style” evolves in conjunction with music evolving. Technique-wise I don’t think there is that much difference. It’s the way the technique is used alongside other factors such as note choice, phrasing, rhythm etc.
Also we use more advanced gear nowadays that most likely plays a part in how we express ourselves on our instruments. And once again music can be found everywhere in such great proportions due to the Internet. In the old days we had the radio, or we traded demo tapes on cassettes or on CDs, hence the selections were much more narrow. Now in this digital society you click a button, download a mp3 and you got new music. It takes away some of the “magic” I think…
Yeah, I was about 12 years old and my parents bought me an electric guitar. It was a black Kingston Stratocaster copy. I was a big Metallica and Guns N’ Roses fan back then (still like them) and my dream was to be a guitar player like Slash. Getting the guitar was like a dream come true and I played the thing day and night. Now 20 years later my friend Ron Thal plays guitar in the very same band… life takes many funny turns.
13. Some guitar players have released a HD guitar lesson. Do you have any plan about it?
I have got some offers from various guitar magazines and webzines, but it’s always a time issue. Also there are tons of video lessons available on YouTube and at similar sites, so it ties back to what I mentioned in the previous question. There is so much material and information available out there so the chance is quite big that my lesson would just end up as a needle in a haystack.
Also, today’s generation of players are used to getting everything for free nowadays, due to YouTube and illegal downloading etc. Making a good lesson takes a lot of time with preparations etc, and I would need to know that I earn something from it in order to invest my time. I may sound negative, but when time is your enemy you need to prioritize.
14. How do you practice yourself to keep your chops up?
During my technique formative years I had a bunch of exercises, instructional videos etc, and I practiced a lot. I also had some really good teachers over the years that helped me shape my technique.
My practice routines nowadays are a bit different. It’s more song oriented I guess i.e. practing difficult parts for my songs. But sometimes I look through my old exercises and rip it up. Haha.
15. People are now sometimes confused about the exact difference between the old guitar style (you know 80’s) and the modern one. Can you help them to define it?
I guess the guitar “style” evolves in conjunction with music evolving. Technique-wise I don’t think there is that much difference. It’s the way the technique is used alongside other factors such as note choice, phrasing, rhythm etc.
Also we use more advanced gear nowadays that most likely plays a part in how we express ourselves on our instruments. And once again music can be found everywhere in such great proportions due to the Internet. In the old days we had the radio, or we traded demo tapes on cassettes or on CDs, hence the selections were much more narrow. Now in this digital society you click a button, download a mp3 and you got new music. It takes away some of the “magic” I think…
16. Who are the guitar players whom you really rate these days?
There are so many great players out there so the list could go on forever. But ten players on the top of my head would be: Brett Garsed, Shawn Lane, Bumblefoot, Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, Mattias IA Eklundh, Wayne Krantz, Guthrie Govan, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Allen Hinds.
17. Do you think selling the guitar work online will be profitable?
Yes and no. The internet really opens up possibilities for musicians to sell their music online. But since it’s very easily done, almost anyone can sell their songs online. Thus there is so much music available out there that people get over fed. There’s an old Swedish expressions that says: “You can’t see the forest because of all the trees”. I think that fits well to the discussion about selling music online, unless you’re already a big name in the music industry that is.
18. What is your suggestion for guitar learners?
First of all: Have fun! With all the YouTube competitions etc. it’s easy to think about music as a competition. However music is a free art and we are allowed to express ourselves in any way we like. Rules are made to be broken.
Secondly: Set up concrete goals and work towards them. Ask yourselves: “What kind of guitar player do I wish to become”, and then strive towards that.
Finally: Be curious -Learn music theory, listen to all kinds of music and learn as much as you can about the field of music. There is so much information out there. Also, get yourself a good teacher who can explain things to you. You can’t learn everything through books or from YouTube lessons (it almost sounds like I'm anti-YouTube, but I'm not haha).
19. Where should people go if they want to stay updated on your musical progress and where do they visit if they want to get your album?
My official website is located at: http://www.fredrikpihl.com
From there you can find my music or you can visit CdBaby.com. My music is also available as digital downloads on iTunes, Amazon etc.
20. Give us a quote please?
“Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny” – Frank Zappa
There are so many great players out there so the list could go on forever. But ten players on the top of my head would be: Brett Garsed, Shawn Lane, Bumblefoot, Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, Mattias IA Eklundh, Wayne Krantz, Guthrie Govan, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Allen Hinds.
17. Do you think selling the guitar work online will be profitable?
Yes and no. The internet really opens up possibilities for musicians to sell their music online. But since it’s very easily done, almost anyone can sell their songs online. Thus there is so much music available out there that people get over fed. There’s an old Swedish expressions that says: “You can’t see the forest because of all the trees”. I think that fits well to the discussion about selling music online, unless you’re already a big name in the music industry that is.
18. What is your suggestion for guitar learners?
First of all: Have fun! With all the YouTube competitions etc. it’s easy to think about music as a competition. However music is a free art and we are allowed to express ourselves in any way we like. Rules are made to be broken.
Secondly: Set up concrete goals and work towards them. Ask yourselves: “What kind of guitar player do I wish to become”, and then strive towards that.
Finally: Be curious -Learn music theory, listen to all kinds of music and learn as much as you can about the field of music. There is so much information out there. Also, get yourself a good teacher who can explain things to you. You can’t learn everything through books or from YouTube lessons (it almost sounds like I'm anti-YouTube, but I'm not haha).
19. Where should people go if they want to stay updated on your musical progress and where do they visit if they want to get your album?
My official website is located at: http://www.fredrikpihl.com
From there you can find my music or you can visit CdBaby.com. My music is also available as digital downloads on iTunes, Amazon etc.
20. Give us a quote please?
“Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny” – Frank Zappa
Interview by Edwin Mclean
Originally posted at: http://www.guitaronsky.com/2013/05/an-exclusive-interview-with-fredrik-pihl.html
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Originally posted at: http://www.guitaronsky.com/2013/05/an-exclusive-interview-with-fredrik-pihl.html
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