Ambient guitars and drones echo an old Irish tune (Slane), often married with lyrics based on a poem by Saint Dallán Forgaill. “Be Thou my vision, o ruler of all”
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
TC Electronic Ditto Looper X2
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
Perhaps best known as the Christmas carol (What Child is This), this tune and its traditional lyrics are attributed by some to Henry VIII, composed for his lover and consort, Anne Boleyn. This ambient arrangement focuses on the melancholy and deadly aspect of their relationship.
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
Thaxted is a hymn written by Gustav Holst, based on the main theme of the Jupiter movement of The Planets, his quintessential orchestral suite. Here is a humble Ambient Guitar arrangement of this classic.
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
Video footage used courtesy of NASA/JPL: https://archive.org/details/Jupiter_The_Largest_Planet_NASA_
Ambient-“esque” instrumental arrangement of a traditional Napoleonic folk song. Battle of Waterloo. Lost lovers reunited. War drums. Echoes and indistinct images…
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
This ambient re-imaging of the classic Stephen Foster song paints a tale of love and longing. Plaintive, haunting, loneliness, anomie…
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
A haunting ambient guitar meditation of a traditional English carol. Also known as “Seven Virgins”.
This song was recorded in one take on one track using the Ditto X2 looper for the bass drone with the main guitar part playing over top.
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Signal path — Carvin to Eleven Rack to Effect send to Volume Pedal to Ditto to Strymon Timeline to Effects return back to Eleven Rack.
An instrumental ambient guitar meditation. Arrangement of an old traditional hymn tune called “Lasst Uns Erfreuen”, commonly paired with “All Creatures of Our God and King”, written by Francis of Assisi.
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
Heet Sound Ebow
TC Electronic Ditto Looper
A melancholy ambient guitar meditation of a traditional Irish ballad. The tune name is “Kingsfold” and it used in many hymns and other songs.
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
Second in a series of ambient guitar meditational music, Divinum Mysterium is a medieval planchant tune. It’s amazing how well some of these ancient melodies lend themselves to ambient guitar arrangements.
Equipment used:
Lowden O35 guitar
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
tc electronic Ditto
Watch the video here:
A dreamy ambient guitar-based meditation of the traditional tune, Shenandoah. Conceived on the banks of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River near Strasburg, VA USA.
Get the peace of the river in your head…
Equipment used:
Carvin Holdsworth signature model HF2
Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator Volume Pedal
Avid Eleven Rack
Strymon Timeline
tc electronic Ditto