“One day, when I was learning to play guitar, I was stomping around the house because my playing was in a rut. My dad, who’s a great guitarist, said something I’ve always remembered”: Dimebag Darrell on the priceless playing advice he got from his f

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Late metal guitar legend Dimebag Darrell and Guitar World go way back, with the Pantera shredder once contributing 42 “Riffer Madness” columns to the magazine. In one of these now-iconic columns, Darrell harked back to his roots – and reflected on how his dad, country music producer Jerry “LD” Abbott, was instrumental in his guitar (and Pantera’s) journey

“One day, when I was learning to play guitar, I was stomping around the house all pissed off because my playing was in a bit of a rut,” he wrote. “My dad, who’s a great guitarist, said something that I’ve always remembered.

“He asked me, ‘Can you learn a new lick today?’ I said, ‘Of course I can.’ Then he said, ‘Well son, if you decided to learn just one new lick a day, how many would you have at the end of the year?’

“The possibilities are staggering. Shit! If I knew a lick for every beer or Black Tooth I’ve had, I can’t even imagine how much extra knowledge I’d have!”

The importance of consistency and improving your skills every day wasn’t the only thing that Abbott taught him. Indeed, in a 2010 interview, the legendary axeman’s dad recalled Darrell was “pretty doggoned serious [about guitar] right out of the gate.”

“I still remember him at a talent show they had at his school when he was about 12 years old,” he remembered. “They opened the curtain, and there he was – him, his guitar, and a little amplifier, wearing Ace Frehley makeup and the Kiss costume that he and his brother had come up with. I think he played Rock and Roll All Nite, and the kids just loved it. Yeah, he was hardcore into it quick.”

As for the first song that he showed him, it was Runnin’ with the Devil by Van Halen, although Dime and his brother Vinnie [Paul, Pantera’s drummer] had already jammed on Smoke on the Water for “three hours straight” by then.

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Elsewhere in Guitar World’s heartfelt interview with Jerry Abbott, he talked about producing all four of Pantera’s albums released on the band’s own label, as well as the songs he considers Darrell’s best work.

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.