Dickey Betts - Part 1 - 'Blue Sky'

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After many requests, I’ve finally decided to launch a series of videos spotlighting the guitar playing of Dickey Betts. Each video in the series will feature a note-for-note recreation of Dickey's solo, with an emphasis on not only the correct notes and fingerings, but also on the subtle nuances like vibrato, string bending, attack and intonation, all of which combine to give Dickey his unique sound.

I'm kicking off the series with my favorite Dickey Betts composition of all time, the indispensable “Blue Sky” from the 1972 album Eat A Peach. This recording is a landmark not only for the Allman Brothers Band but also for rock n’ roll in general, as it was the first time a 60s era Southern band had paired a major key melody with idyllic, evocative lyrics. This formula of course would become a hallmark of the sub-genre known as Southern Rock. Moreover, it was the first time the band was afforded the opportunity to perform extended jams exclusively over diatonic major chords. (“Dreams” and “Mountain Jam” had major elements but were technically modal in their structure.) If Dreams was the crucible in which Southern Rock was conceived, then Blue Sky was the conduit through which it would come to maturity. The formula laid out in this song became a cornerstone of the Allman Brothers’ sound which was copied by nearly every Southern band from that point forward. It’s an essential track not only for its cultural impact, but also because it provides a fleeting glimpse of what the band might have evolved into had the original lineup survived. Poignant indeed.

Many will argue that Duane Allman was a superior guitarist when compared to Dickey Betts. But after spending a lifetime studying both players, I can flatly opine that this is simply not true. Duane certainly took an unconventional approach to the instrument, but that shouldn’t diminish Dickey’s remarkable abilities. Where Duane’s playing was angular, aggressive and unrestrained, Dickey was linear, sweet and measured. More importantly, Betts was perhaps the most melodic guitarist in rock history with nearly every solo sounding as if he had composed it beforehand. Dickey had clearly spent a great deal of time studying not only the early rockers like Chuck Berry, but also the note-perfect jazz improvisers Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, alongside brilliant Western Swing guitarists like Eldon Shamblin and Junior Barnard. That infectious swing found its way into Dickey’s playing and proved to be the perfect counterpoint to Duane’s hell-for-leather approach. While at first glance both players seem to be very similar, a more careful examination reveals that they were actually on completely different wavelengths in terms of their approach to soloing. And this is the reason these two legends worked so well together and had so much mutual respect.

The Blue Sky solo epitomizes many of the techniques for which Dickey Betts is best known. Opening with an inverted major 6 arpeggio, the solo leans heavy on chord tones and features such a strong melody that one could almost write lyrics for it. Listen carefully for Dickey’s trademark hammer-ons, pull offs, and glissandos, coupled with major scale runs that are beautifully accented with ghost notes. Dickey also gives a strong nod to his swing roots by prominently featuring a “shuffle” rhythm reminiscent of the great Texas fiddlers of the past. The solo is perfectly crafted from start to finish and is quite literally a master class on Southern Rock lead guitar. This is groundbreaking guitar playing that is nothing short of genius.

From an equipment standpoint, Dickey favored 100w Marshalls which yielded a sweet tone with plenty of headroom; again the perfect counterpoint to the overdriven buzz-saw tone Duane coaxed from his 50w bass heads. Like Duane, Dickey also preferred open back cabinets loaded with very efficient JBL D120F speakers. With their tight bottom end and (dare I say?) “Fendery” clarity, these American speakers were a fantastic but unlikely match for the British heads. What resulted was a powerful and unmistakable tone that is often imitated but rarely duplicated.

For this recording I used a stock 2018 R9 Les Paul plugged directly into a ’73 Marshall 50w head. The cabinet is a Marshall 1960ax loaded with Celestion Heritage G12M’s; not the exact Dickey recipe, but close enough for government work. The cab was mic’ed with a single SM-57. For comparison purposes Dickey is on the right and I am on the left.

As an aside, I recently connected with Sandy Wabegijig, Dickey’s inspiration for this song. It was an honor to be able to communicate with her and I’m thankful she was there to inspire such a great work! This one's for you, Sandy.

Thanks for checking out the video and be on the lookout for a lot more. Like, subscribe and comment if you enjoyed. Eat a peach folks! ~VW