"How to be a session player 101" with your instructor Dann Huff. There may have been other guitarists who did videos like this (rather than the typical Hot Licks/REH videos), but he explains things in a way that guitarists can easily understand. This is how you get consistent work for 40 years. Dann is the best.
What many don't know is this man recorded some of the most well-known and mind-blowing COUNTRY guitar ever. In the '90s he and Brent Mason ruled Nashville. Yeah, this rocker can set a telecaster on fire!
during the '80s he was a worthy competitor to Steve Lukather who can easily play smooth jazz, soul, r&b and hard rock. I think their only difference is Dann Huff also has a career in Contemporary Christian Music.
Todays music scene is unrecognizable ! Dann Huff and his contemporaries Luke and 51:57 Landau etc were the main players in the 80s session scene and you can see why this level of talent is incredible and so enjoyable to witness!
I called up Dann when I was a young teenager and he was super cool. Gave me a lot of great encouragement & advice as a guitar player who was interested in session work. He was getting into producing country then maybe right before he did the first big Faith Hill record. They were really crafting a new sound then so he was trying to find a session he could bring me on that wasn't high profile like that but he was so busy doing those. I ended up sitting in on other sessions with colleagues of his who were other leading session players and it was a huge eye opener to see how it all comes together, how quickly they work, and the need to know your tools and be creative.
I think Dann Huff might be the reason I play guitar. This sound is burned into my subconscious, and is my favorite type of playing. my earliest memories of guitar sound like this, and it's the style that represents "guitar playing" in my mind
How come I jave only come across this wonderful guitarist only yesterday, on Yiu Tube. Didn't know sb like him existed, only heard Satriani, Vai, Bettencourt and such staff. He is definitely not worse, if not better than those guys. Definitely plays with more pure melody and a lot of sense in his music, making his 'virtuosic' sounds purposeful, they've got aim, not just technique!Thumbs up!Definitely!
Great playing and awesome lessons about recording approach for guitar (considering it's like 1989). Remember this video is from around 1989-90. The technology for shooting video and doing this was very primitive from what's available today. Of course that didn't mean the gear to shoot stuff like this was cheap. Quite the contrary, cameras and studio gear were $1,000's and $10,000's and even $100,000's at that point. Back when a local band making $100/night was doing well. I know, I was there in that world. Way beyond anything an average musician, videographer, or photographer would have just sittin' around at home. Dann is the real deal!! Grant it, some of the pop music by this time was going down-hill production and writing wise. It is what it is.. Dann can hold his own!
I got the GIANT debut when it came out, and as a guitar player, was completely blown away. Still am. Apart from the playing, of course the songs rock big time.
Wow I really enjoyed that. I can’t believe I have never heard of giant before. what a powerhouse band. I looked up Dann Huff because a lot of guitarist on RU-vid have been talking about him and his legendary status. Really glad I came across this. Thank you for posting it
He's must be well known as a studio musician. Someone who is known, and respected by the artist themselves, just unheard of by the masses and crowd participants.
By far the most underrated guitarist but man he’s one helluva studio producer. Giant started to late but their first album is a banger. Just the intro alone with Dan ripping before the band jumps in is insane. This is a great video.
So much great info in this video from a true legend Dan Huff. Best part to me were the "Jangle" elements Dan used so brilliantly in Giant. 16:50 is pure audio bliss.
That's awesome! I just only knew he was in Giant and taught at MIT with Jennifer Batton. I thought I heard that he did a lot of side projects for TV shows theme songs as well. But, he has some of the best guitar tones out there.
I agree but the first album came out late 1989 and 2 years later Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam killed off the 2 solo glam rock bands. This band shouldn’t be included in the glam rock scene but power chords with lots of chorus died late 1991. Dan went on to make records for lots of bands. He’s one helluva producer today.
Sure wish I knew this existed when I was first recording in the early 90’s. Wasn’t playing music anything like this but all the ideas presented are great for any genre.
Although I had heard of him, didn’t realize how many people he’s played with and how many sessions he’s done. Truly an amazing artist. Didn’t even realize he was the guitar player for White Heart who’s album I purchased eons ago.
More players need to watch this and listen to how he crafts his tone. So much fizzy, buzzsaw vibe with no groove/feel out there these days. As Dann says, a major part of a good heavy rock tone comes from the "attitude" and the way it's played.
Follow him for more than 4 decades, even liked the stuff he did with Faith Hill. Watch ‚when the lights go down‘ there is also michael thompson, another string master
There is a gold mine here if you're ready for it. Practice those wide ranging dynamics in his rhythm playing. He plays real soft then POW! He smacks the strings real hard -- then back to soft again. Gives it life! Also, everything he's saying about layering clean and dirty guitars still applies to today. And, although he doesn't mention it, notice how he switches pickups when layering the different parts. And, lastly notice he's doing a shuffle rhythm on those clean R&B parts in the middle of the video. He doesn't mention "shuffle" either but that is what it is. Practice those, too, mixing the chords with the single lines all with a shuffle rhythm.
I love GIANT and I'm so sad about Dann and Alan leaved the band... but dream to listening another "Last Of The Runaways" or "Time To Burn"... Hope this come true (soon or later). Thanks Dann for your beautiful and powerful music
Thee absolute best guitarist in the world, insane country picker, Western swing, Rock, you name it....producer, hit maker, it’s beyond words I can describe.
Dann Huff, his brother David Huff along with Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Simms, Chris McHugh, Gary Lunn, Mike Brignardello, Shane Keister, Robby Buchanan, Keith Thomas & a few other fellas, were indeed, "THE WRECKING CREW" of the 1980's/early 90's...hands down! TOTALLY...hands down! BCRadio
The Wrecking Crew of Contemporary Christian Music. Add Jimmie Lee Sloas, Mark Douthit, John Goin, Hadley Hockensmith, Jerry McPherson, Mark Hammond, Tom Hemby and Michael Omartian...
@@williamwalsh6282 Indeed again; Thompson's name slipped my mind; a truly great guitarist...Michael and still a host of others, should be included in this version of "The Wrecking Crew". BCRadio
@@BolsaChicaRadio no prob… Dan is fantastic, believe it or not I’m just learning about him. Another guy who was in Boston when MT was Jeff Golub, really great. He passed away a couple of years ago. He did a lot of stuff with different people but wasn’t a real session guy like Michael and Dan. He was Rod Stewart guitar player for 7 or 8 years. When he left he did the smooth jazz thing but funky, rocky, soulful stuff. Thank you for the video
@@somethingserious3683 yes i will, and thank you sir for exhibiting good manners. ok here goes = some guys plug their guitar straight into their amplifier, like the AC/DC guys and the Van Halen guy. it is just a guitar and an amplifier. other guys, like this guy on this video, and most guitars on the pop radio guys will plug their guitar into a reverb, a compressor, sometimes an echo, any number of electronic pedals that manipulate the sound of the guitar. neither is better and neither is worse. it's all good.
I never cared to even PLAY electric guitar,UNTIL I heard Dann Huff!I became an INSTANT Air guitar player cuz of DH!Whiteheart's first album,Wow!WH Vital Signs,Wow Wow!!And then SO many great session recordings!Countless.Legend!Thank you Dann Huff.
If I had to pick only one guitar play that can absolutely do it all....Dann Huff! His compositional skills and his ability to play whatever comes at him is incredible!
