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How do Johnny Marr's solo guitar techniques compare to his work with The Smiths and Electronic?
Executive summary
Johnny Marr’s core techniques — arpeggiated chords, open-string licks, layered rhythm-melody playing, and use of chorus/delay/reverb — persist across The Smiths, Electronic and his solo work, but his solo era shows heavier use of effects, more rock-oriented riffs and fuller band arrangements (see GuitarPlayer, Guitar World, FarOut) [1][2][3]. Sources describe Marr’s hallmark substitution of layered arpeggios and partial-chord slides for traditional blues solos as central to The Smiths’ sound and as a through-line into later projects, while lessons and gear writeups say he expands textures and techniques in solo records and collaborations [4][1][5].
1. The Smiths: jangly arpeggios, partial chords and counter-melody
Contemporary writeups and lessons single out Marr’s Smiths era as defined by shimmering arpeggiated chords, unusual chord voicings and “sliding partial chords” that create countermelodies rather than conventional solos; GuitarPlayer and GuitarWorld note he replaced blues‑based licks with layered, rippling motifs and rich slash‑chord textures that became the band’s signature [1][4][2]. That approach emphasized rhythmic precision and interlocking parts: Marr’s guitar often functions as both lead and rhythm simultaneously, producing the “jangly, melodic” sound critics associate with The Smiths [2][4].
2. Electronic: pop polish, tone choices, and collaboration shaping sound
Coverage of Marr’s broader career indicates he adapted his style when collaborating — notably with Bernard Sumner in Electronic — by applying his melodic, arpeggio-based language within more synth-pop and electronic-leaning arrangements. Grounded summaries and career overviews show Marr’s appetite for varied gear and textures (delays, harmonizers, synth units noted in interviews), suggesting that in Electronic he leaned into cleaner, effect‑driven tones to fit pop and dance contexts rather than garage-rock grit [5][6]. Available sources do not provide a detailed, track‑by‑track technical comparison of Marr’s exact playing choices in Electronic versus The Smiths; reporting instead highlights his adaptability across projects [5][6].
3. Solo work: fuller textures, more effects, and occasional harder riffs
Recent lessons and profiles of his solo albums describe continuity with the Smiths’ melodic sensibility but a broader palette — “Easy Money” and other solo tracks are called out for driving riffs and classic‑rock influences alongside modern production, and writers note fuller band arrangements and greater use of effects like chorus, delay and reverb in later years [7][3]. GuitarWorld’s lesson content frames his solo output as an extension of the same techniques (rich slash chords, arpeggios) applied in different contexts, sometimes with more distortion or punch to serve songs where Marr fronts the band rather than supports a singer like Morrissey [2][7].
4. Technique specifics that tie the three phases together
Instructional sources emphasize recurring technical elements: arpeggiated chords, open‑string licks, hammer‑ons and pull‑offs for flowing legato lines, alternate picking for precision, plus string‑skipping and fingerstyle‑inspired patterns executed with a pick — traits present in lessons covering Marr’s Smiths-era and solo material [1][8][9]. GuitarPlayer and LickLibrary both teach these as hallmarks of Marr’s “lead‑rhythm” hybrid, showing continuity even as arrangements and tone change across projects [1][8].
5. Gear and tone: why his sound shifts between projects
Profiles of Marr’s gear note a consistent reliance on guitars like Jaguars/Rickenbackers and on effects units (chorus, delay, reverb, rack delays, harmonizers) that he reconfigures per project; interviews cited by gear sites explain that when joining other bands he expanded rigs (TC 2290, H3000, synth units) to match preexisting material, which changes texture more than his basic playing vocabulary [5][3]. Thus tonal differences between The Smiths’, Electronic’s and his solo records often reflect production and effects choices as much as different picking or voicing habits [5][3].
6. Competing perspectives and limitations in available reporting
Writers agree Marr’s arpeggio-driven, countermelodic approach is constant [4][1], and instructional sites assert technical practices (hammer‑ons, alternate picking) are essential [8]. What’s less documented in the available sources is a granular, song‑by‑song transcription comparing exact note choices or phrasing differences across The Smiths, Electronic and solo tracks; current reporting focuses on broad technique and gear rather than exhaustive comparative tabulation (not found in current reporting) [1][2][5]. Readers wanting precise transcriptions should consult dedicated tab books or multi-track analyses beyond these overviews.
Conclusion: Johnny Marr’s identity as a guitarist is constant — arpeggio-centric, textural and rhythmically intricate — but the sonic dressing (effects, production, band role) shifts between The Smiths’ jangly countermelodies, Electronic’s pop-polish collaborations, and his solo records’ thicker textures and occasional harder edge; the sources collectively support this narrative while stopping short of exhaustive, note‑level comparisons [4][7][5].