Cliffs of Dover (song)
Encyclopedia
"Cliffs of Dover" is an instrumental composition by guitarist Eric Johnson
which appeared on his 1990 Ah Via Musicom
album. The album version of the song is composed in the key of G major
, the song was played with a Gibson ES-335
(as well as a Fender Stratocaster
) through a B.K. Butler Tube Driver and an Echoplex
plugged into a 100-watt Marshall
amplifier. The song takes its name from the White Cliffs of Dover
along the British shoreline. It is also featured on the video game Guitar Hero III.
and hybrid picking
. In the solo intro
, Johnson does not adhere to any distinct time signature
. Drums are then added as the song settles into a 4/4 rhythmic shuffle verse accompanied by a very accessible set of melodies
that, throughout the song intro, feature variations (octavations for example) on the main chorus. The outro or coda
then recalls the freestyle mood and timing of the ad-libbed intro
.
While he did indeed compose "Cliffs of Dover", Johnson does not take full credit, saying "I don't even know if I can take credit for writing 'Cliffs of Dover' ... it was just there for me one day ... literally wrote in five minutes ... kind of a gift from a higher place that all of us are eligible for. We just have to listen for it and be available to receive it."
list of 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, placing it between 16, "Heartbreaker" (by Led Zeppelin
) and 18 "Little Wing" (by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
).
("Elmira Street Boogie"), Rush
("Where's My Thing?"), and Yes
("Masquerade").
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
(released October 28, 2007) on the final tier (solo).
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
which appeared on his 1990 Ah Via Musicom
Ah Via Musicom
Ah Via Musicom is Eric Johnson's platinum-selling third solo album, released in February 1990 .Several of the songs on the album are dedicated to fellow guitarists. Johnson revealed in an interview with Guitar Player magazine in March 1990 that the song "Steve's Boogie" is dedicated to Austin pedal...
album. The album version of the song is composed in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, the song was played with a Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
(as well as a Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
) through a B.K. Butler Tube Driver and an Echoplex
Echoplex
The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s and was used by some of the most notable guitar players of the era; original Echoplexes are highly sought after....
plugged into a 100-watt Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
amplifier. The song takes its name from the White Cliffs of Dover
White cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
along the British shoreline. It is also featured on the video game Guitar Hero III.
Song structure
"Cliffs of Dover" begins with an ad-libbed electric guitar solo, using techniques such as string skippingString skipping
String skipping is a guitar-playing technique that is used mainly for solos and complex riffs in rock and heavy metal songs.- Explanation of technique :...
and hybrid picking
Hybrid picking
Hybrid picking is a guitar-playing technique that involves picking with a pick and one or more fingers alternately or simultaneously. Hybrid picking allows guitar players who use a pick to perform music which would normally require fingerstyle playing. It also facilitates wide string leaps Hybrid...
. In the solo intro
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
, Johnson does not adhere to any distinct time signature
Free time (music)
Free time is a type of musical meter free from musical time and time signature. It is used when a piece of music has no discernible beat. Instead, the rhythm is intuitive and free-flowing. There are five ways in which a piece is indicated to be in free time:...
. Drums are then added as the song settles into a 4/4 rhythmic shuffle verse accompanied by a very accessible set of melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
that, throughout the song intro, feature variations (octavations for example) on the main chorus. The outro or coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
then recalls the freestyle mood and timing of the ad-libbed intro
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
.
While he did indeed compose "Cliffs of Dover", Johnson does not take full credit, saying "I don't even know if I can take credit for writing 'Cliffs of Dover' ... it was just there for me one day ... literally wrote in five minutes ... kind of a gift from a higher place that all of us are eligible for. We just have to listen for it and be available to receive it."
Guitar World
"Cliffs of Dover" was voted number 17 in Guitar World magazine'sGuitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
list of 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, placing it between 16, "Heartbreaker" (by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
) and 18 "Little Wing" (by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
).
Grammy Award
In 1991, "Cliffs of Dover" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, beating the Allman Brothers Band ("Kind of Bird"), Danny GattonDanny Gatton
Danny Gatton was an American guitarist who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki, was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography...
("Elmira Street Boogie"), Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
("Where's My Thing?"), and Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
("Masquerade").
Guitar Hero III
"Cliffs of Dover" is featured as a playable track in the music video gameMusic video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
(released October 28, 2007) on the final tier (solo).