“I’m just happy that I got to do it,” says jazz-fusion guitar legend Mike Stern, speaking about his most recent album, Echoes and Other Songs.
As it turns out, he’s not being overdramatic: Back in 2016, after breaking both of his arms following a New York street accident, there was some real question whether Stern would be playing at all, let alone making records.
Fortunately, he quickly regained near total use of his left hand, but he endured lasting nerve damage to his right hand that prevented him from holding onto a pick.
After experimenting with a few workarounds, the guitarist spoke to a drummer friend who managed to keep playing after badly damaging his hands in a fire.
“He said, ‘Try some wig glue,’ Stern says. “So that’s what I did. I got this kind of wig glue that’s very sticky but doesn’t hurt your skin. I glue my pick between my thumb and index finger, and I’m able to pretty much play what I want.”
He pauses.
“There’s certain things I can’t do anymore, but people tell me I sound like I always did, and that means a lot. You make adjustments and do what you have to.”
Stern is also grateful to have worked on the album with longtime friend, producer and colleague Jim Beard, who passed away shortly before the record’s release last year.
I’m the happiest when I’m playing music, and I think it’s important to stick a little humor in my songs.”
— Mike Stern
“Jim has played with so many brilliant artists, and he’s always been so helpful to me,” the guitarist says. “He had ways of influencing my music in ways that were big and obvious, but sometimes he’d suggest something subtle that made a huge difference. I’m going to miss him.”
A general feeling of sunny optimism runs through Echoes and Other Songs – Stern’s fluid, rollicking lines bristle with irrepressible energy. Even some of the titles – “Could Be,” “Stuff Happens,” “I Hope So” – reflect a playful vibe.
“Anytime you get to work with (drummers) Antonio Sanchez and Dennis Chambers, you gotta feel good,” he says. “The thing is, I’m the happiest when I’m playing music, and I think it’s important to stick a little humor in my songs.”
He takes a deep breath.
“The world can be a dark place, particularly now. But music can pull you out of it every time. It’s one of the best gifts we have. More and more, it carries me along. If I have any kind of advice for people, that would be it.”
It just so happens that Stern has a few more words of wisdom for guitarists. Here his top five tips.
1. Keep Your Time Together
“Nobody has perfect time, but you should try to be aware of it while you’re playing. Whether the music is swinging or rocking, there’s a pocket you need to get inside of. This is especially true when you’re soloing; it’s easy to get out of the groove because you’re kind of doing your own thing. Phrases might go a little faster or slower — you might want to push things or you might want to lay back. That doesn’t change the time of the music, though.
“There’s no specific way to work on your time. One thing that I’ve found helpful is listening to great time-keeping players like Wes Montgomery and B.B. King. No matter where the music was going, they knew where to put the notes.
“If you’re a relatively new player, you might want to try a metronome or a drum machine, but you don’t want to be married to them. At the end of the day, you need to keep your own time. If you’re mindful about it, you’ll get there.”
2. Smile
“Sometimes you might not be vibing with another musician — it happens. Whatever the reason, I find the best and fastest way to get through a gig or a rehearsal is to just smile through it. You don’t have to send up a flare or jump up and down — it doesn’t have to be obvious. But you want to send off a positive vibe to keep the music positive. If somebody is being a drag, try not to concentrate on it. Maybe the drummer’s having a bad day. Let me feel his way through it. If you get in his face, you might wind up making things worse.
Miles Davis had a great sense of humor, even when things were pretty hard for him.”
— Mike Stern
“It helps to bring whatever positive energy you can. Sometimes it can be hard to find, especially if you’re playing a gig and you’re like, ‘I gotta get through this show.’ There is some value to exploring that, like, ‘Okay, tonight’s gonna be a kind of dark gig.’ But I usually try to make a joke of it and find some humor in the situation. After all, we’re playing music — you gotta celebrate that!
“This might surprise people, but Miles Davis had a great sense of humor, even when things were pretty hard for him. His chops were down, he had pneumonia. At one point when I was playing with him, he had just had a stroke. He showed up, man, and dealt with whatever he had, and a lot of times he’s get through it with humor. It’s very inspiring to see that.”
3. Persevere
“Life can get tough sometimes. I’ve had all sorts of things challenge me, and there have been times when it was hard to keep going. But then I remember, ‘Wait… I’m a musician. I love to play music.’ And that’s what it comes down to: If you love something enough, you’re going to find a way to continue.
“The process of making music can also be hard. Sometimes I’ll be working on something and I’ll get stuck or depressed. I’ll be like, ‘Shit, I don’t know if I can make something out of this.’ It can get maddening.
“There are times when you can push through it and break down the wall, but you also have to know when to take a break from it all. Chill out, walk around the block. Unravel your thoughts and unburden yourself.
“Another thing: Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Talk it out. Find people who can give you good advice. I’ve played stuff for people and said, ‘How’s this sounding? Is it okay?’ Maybe they’ll say, ‘You’ve done better,’ or they might say, ‘Are you kidding? It’s really great.’ Your perception can be off. The point is, just find a way to keep going.”
4. Think About Your Touch
“The way you touch the guitar when you play is very important, and it’s something you need to work on. Tone doesn’t just come from what kinds of pickups you use or where your controls are set — much of your sound is right there in your fingers.
Tone doesn’t just come from what kinds of pickups you use or where your controls are set — much of your sound is right there in your fingers.”
— Mike Stern
“When I was a kid just starting to play electric guitar, I learned ‘House of the Rising Sun.’ Every day after school I practiced that song for an hour, and one of my goals was to play it cleanly with a great tone. I experimented with different dynamics until I got it just right. Certain parts were soft, other parts were louder and tougher, but I tried to play each line clearly and cleanly. That’s when I started to understand how your touch affects a song. Drummers understand this, and that’s why they use brushes on some songs.
“Of course, there’s other factors that play into your touch: the strings, the amp and even the guitar itself. All of those elements determine how you’re going to play the instrument. Touch is such a unique thing, and it’s different from person to person. But when you’re in the zone, you’re able to channel your emotions though the strings and into the guitar.”
5. Spend Five Minutes a Day on Songwriting
“If you want to develop your own style on the guitar, spend some time on songwriting. It focuses you in a highly personal way because you’re creating something that’s all your own, and that’s bound to affect how you play. Songwriting kind of works as a gel. Miles Davis used to say that. He didn’t write many songs, but he always used to talk about how it made him a better musician.
“Songwriting feels like this big concept to people, but it doesn’t have to be. Break it down into smaller bites. I used to take lessons from a guy who had gone to Julliard. He would play me some classical stuff and say, ‘Okay, those first few bars, do something with them.’ It was an exercise to spark your writing — you do a few bars, then a few more and then a few more.
Songwriting feels like this big concept to people, but it doesn’t have to be. Break it down into smaller bites.”
— Mike Stern
“Pat Metheny writes a song a day. He doesn’t use all of it — he doesn’t use most of it — but it keeps his creativity and songwriting muscles in good shape. Somebody once told me, ‘Try to write for five minutes a day,’ and it was the greatest advice in the world. Five minutes — I mean, who can’t manage that? If you work on writing for five minutes a day, you’re doing something. You’re involved and you’re being creative, and one day something is going to happen in those five minutes that will surprise you.”
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