“I was 15 when we met – I was recording demos for my first record, and he was working with his brother, Jimmie Vaughan”: Eric Gales on the riffs that changed his life – and meeting Stevie Ray Vaughan as a teenager

Watching leftie master Eric Gales play – in all his idiosyncratic glory – is a thing of breathtaking beauty. And we got to see it firsthand when he dropped by Guitar World HQ in NYC a few months back.

He came here to share, explain and play some of the famous riffs that have informed his playing – everything from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Robin Trower. Not surprisingly, every riff he played had a goodly supply of “total Eric Gales” thrown into the mix.

“Every song I do is left up to interpretation,” he says. “There’s no reason to play something exactly like someone already has – or where you can go to the record store and buy something by someone who did it already. You should put your twist on it. That’s what evolution is all about! I’m a huge aficionado of tossing your own spice and throwing your own little ingredients into the recipe.”

With that, here are the five riffs Gales played for us that day.

1. Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix

“So, you have the man, Jimi Hendrix. I mean, he’s the man! Nothing else needs to be said. He had so many songs and riffs that are so iconic and influenced so many people, me being one of them.

“I think you’ll recognize this the moment I start playing it [Plays opening riff to Purple Haze]. That definitely was very impactful for me. It’s kinda hard to get away from Hendrix, man. You know, I’m sorry… but no, I’m not really sorry!” [Laughs]

2. Little Wing – Jimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Little Wing (Official Audio) - YouTube

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“Here’s one on the more mellow side that kinda leads off into the chordal area, the chordal world that had a huge impact on me [Plays opening chords to Little Wing].

“Of course, we all know Little Wing. It’s such a beautiful piece of music – and very iconic. The chords and song structure that’s there – I’m sure I’m not by myself when I tell you that it was very influential to me [in terms of] my playing, chords and things of that nature.”

3. Testify – Stevie Ray Vaughan (via Jimi Hendrix)

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Testify (from Live at the El Mocambo) - YouTube

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“I was so honored to have met this guy before he passed away – Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughan. I was 15 when we met; I was recording demos for my first record, and he was working on 1990’s Family Style with his brother, Jimmie Vaughan.

“But one SRV song that kind of hit me – you know, ‘Man, I’ve got to learn that!’ – goes a little like this.” [Plays Testify]

4. Bridge of Sighs – Robin Trower

“Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower is just – wow… I don’t know what more to say other than it’s amazing. [Plays Bridge of Sighs]

“I’ll never forget having the opportunity to open for Robin Trower. It was amazing. We created a bond with each other. I’ve been so fortunate to meet all the influences that have been predominant in my life – the ones that hadn’t passed away before I had a chance to meet them – and Robin Trower is definitely one of those.

“Bridge of Sighs is a very powerful song to me, and it’s definitely in the arsenal. Hope y’all dig that.”

5. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult

Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Audio) - YouTube

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“Here’s one that may be an oddball, but if you look on YouTube, there’s quite a few renditions of me doing this, especially in the last couple of years. Reaper is just a beautiful melody. Once I learned the riff, it was off to the races.

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper – man. It’s such a morbid title for such a beautiful song! But it’s one of the songs that has stuck with me to this day. I love it. Shout out to Blue Öyster Cult, Buck [Dharma] and all the cats over there. They’re good friends of mine. Keep doing what y’all are doing. I’m listening!”