John Mayer has played a large role in my pursuit of music and the guitar. Before a string of failed high-profile relationships and self-destructing interviews, John was simply another guitar player who stumbled upon a recording of SRV and never looked back. His first real foray into song writing took place during a short stint at The Berklee College Of Music in 1998, which is right about the time my older brother pulled up a tab one day on the computer for me try out. It was called No Such Thing.
I had never heard the song before, and it immediately felt different from anything else I had attempted to learn:
I gotta play this near the 12th fret? Where are the G-C-D root position progressions?
Learning John’s first few tunes was my gateway drug into all things guitar. The opening riff of Why Georgia dressed up a pretty standard I-V progression in G, forcing my right hand to develop a more percussive feel, while Neon became the precursor to my venture into alternate tunings. That tune in particular was a challenge to play and sing at the same time; a great exercise in multitasking. While comparisons to Dave Matthews were being made early on, John seemed to incorporate melody, harmony and rhythm more effectively than Dave.
Then came John’s first Grammy for Your Body Is A Wonderland, which immediately boxed him in as a light and fluffy pretty boy who had charm and could sing love songs. I, on the other hand, knew he had skill set worthy of even the toughest critic’s praise, and as he heads out in the coming days to stand on stage with members of The Grateful Dead, I hope that listeners and critics can embrace the musician that lies beneath all the bullshit that comes with living and failing in the public eye.
I’m not here to defend his personal life by any means. What I would like to do, however, is share with you an insightful lecture John gave at The Berklee College Of Music in 2008. It speaks to the John Mayer that I first encountered, and who has always been around. Entitled Inspiration/Information, John uses his own story to shed light on the art of song writing. I’ve attached the link to Part 1…try it on and if you feel inclined, keep going.
Part 1