Santana - Europa - Guitar Lesson

Ultimate Santana

2007 5:06

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About Europa

Few guitar pieces demand as much expressive control as "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)," the slow-burning instrumental written by Carlos Santana and Tom Coster. The whole piece lives or dies on your ability to sustain long, singing notes and shape them with wide, controlled vibrato. Playing it in A minor on a standard-tuned guitar, you will spend most of your time in the upper positions of the neck, coaxing a vocal quality out of every phrase rather than showing off speed. At 120 BPM the tempo is unhurried, but that space between notes is exactly what makes it unforgiving: every bend, every release, every volume swell is fully exposed. Santana has always pushed Latin Rock toward a melodic warmth that owes as much to soul as to rock, and this piece is a clear example of that. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate the opening melody slowed down, and focus on matching the vibrato width and speed before worrying about anything else.

• The lead melody relies almost entirely on sustain and vibrato technique rather than fast runs, making tone control the primary challenge.
• Playing in A minor in E Standard tuning, the main melody sits comfortably in the upper positions of the neck around the 12th fret area.
• A smooth, creamy overdrive tone with plenty of sustain is essential for replicating the vocal, singing quality of the lead guitar part.