Members elsongs Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 I think the next evolution of guitar playing in popular music is towards a more international flavor, with references to ethnic styles as far as harmony, melody and rhythm, and moving beyond glorified three chord shuffles. But...if you go to other countries and listen to the rock musicians there, they're all playing glorified three chord shuffles - seriously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philbo Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 I think I'd be a better player today if I hadn't spent my first 5 years on the guitar playing the same two chords... but... seriously... who gets tired of the middle part to "Down by the River"? Errr... that's 3 chords. (unless they did it wrong on the record...) I had a friend who was playing a Doors cover in a bar in Sarasota, and she had a drunk insist they weren't playing the song right. Finally she said "Didn't you know that they did it wrong when they made the record? I thought everyone knew that by now!" He says "Wowww! Really? I glad you told me!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Frantag Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Guitar Players will play so many notes so quickly that the ear will only perceive them as ambient noise. Human arpeggiators on steroids. I think that somewhere in the heart of the Midwest, a child has been born who won't have listened to Hendrix, Clapton, Vaughan, Satriani, Vai, Johnson, etc...He'll actually experiment with the instrument and create styles, genres and emulators of his own. Or perhaps it's a She. Just keep your ears toward Indianapolis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brew Posted October 13, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 And remember April Lawton http://www.reesho.com/htm/april.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevilRaysFan Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 I'd be more worried about actual instruments being phased out in favor of software based emulations. Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The more 'unreal' (for lack of better terms) a lot of popular music gets, the more of a demand there will be for 'real' music........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EnemyofSilence Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Just seems like the normal ebb and flow of music evolution to me. Same thing happened with Jazz - bebop to cool. Hell, Miles Davis covered both ends of that spectrum himself. And I think an element of his development is relevant here too - not just concentration on tone, but on note choice. Belew's work on Remain in Light is stunning, much for its simplicity. The Great Curve solos alway strike me as less playing, and more guiding the guitar and amp into their own filthy encounter. He was brilliant in that technique. His style these days has lost that. He's lost that tone by imposing his will, imo, both by technology and technique. Gerry Leonard's the guy who cropped up on my radar in recent years. Where Belew's lost his tone to technology, Leonard has let it take on an organic nature. Teasing tones into lives of their own. He's got the chops that would make Fripp blush, but he tends to give the instrument its say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bbach Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Commercially and professionally I would have no idea as to what the future trends will be with the old 6 string. However, I can't imagine a time where there won't those of us who would rather sit down with a guitar and play something, anything, good or bad, just to create or recreate music with our favorite instrument and our own fingers. How would that ever stop? All the technology in the world won't stop it. I don't want to play guitar on my computer keyboard. I want to feel the strings, slide my fingers up and down, let my ears feast on each note ringing out, listen to all the perfection and imperfection all at the same time. There will be no end to guitar playing. Electricity? Who needs it. I'm stuck living with my inlaws while my house is being built so I play my PRS unplugged every night. I love the sound. It isn't loud enough, but I love it just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Gronk not beat mastodon-skin drum way Ugg used to. Gronk too technical. Use TWO sabre-tooth bones. Gronk push envelope. Gronk god. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Especially Satriani. In fact, it's rare to ever see a guitarist (or vocalist...or bass player...or drummer...or anyone...) play with as much feeling as I've seen Satriani play with live. I felt like he was channeling monstrous waves of emotion and energy through his playing, and that he was really really into it. An amazing player. I say this, and you might be able to tell by my posts that I usually don't even listen to much of this sort of music. Hey, ref, I'm being double-teamed here... All right, all right. If Gus AND Ken say the guy can convey feeling to them -- maybe I've been missing something. But so far he's yet to move me... Maybe I'll have to give him another listen soon and see what gives... But next someone will be trying to get me to try to listen to Eric Johnson again (yawn). [uPDATE: I notice someone mentioned Johnson in passing above. I guess I'm already in trouble already again before I've even got out of this one... sigh. OK... I'll set up a Pandora station with Johnson, Satriania, and Vai and see how it hits me. Let it not be said my tastes are etched in granite. Concrete... yes. Granite takes a volcano.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 That's just because keyboard players aren't dependent on bands, they can make their music all by themselves! Yeah... no one's ever got up with a solo guitar in front of an audience and held them spellbound... I mean, when I saw that Joe Pass guy do a solo opening set (from about 6 feet away)... booooorrriiinnngggg... why it was all he could do to keep up a bass and a couple of melodic counterpoints... He needed a good MIDI assist. And that Hendrix guy... when I saw him it was OK when he had the band in back of him slamming out the hits -- but, you know, all that spacey, solo stuff... I mean... he was playing chords 'n' stuff... how square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Charles Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Blogs/CraigAnderton/CraigAndertonOfEV2/ Scroll down about halfway and click on the video. Make sure you're listening on something with good low-end response so you can hear the bass lines coming from the guitar! Craig, that clip was completely cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EnemyofSilence Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Yeah... no one's ever got up with a solo guitar in front of an audience and held them spellbound... I've been a big Richard Thompson fan for many years, but had blown off many opportunities to see him solo. I really wanted to see him with a band, and I have a thing for electricity. I finally broke down and went to see him solo, and took some friends who I'd recently introduced to his talents. I was then kicking myself for having missed so many opportunities! Midway through the show, my friend summed it up perfectly - "Who needs a band when the guy sounds like 5 musicians all by himself?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 A few years ago I read that DJ rigs were outselling guitars. Since then it seems that guitars have made a big come back. My impression is that the super fast, showy playing of Satriani et al pretty much appeals only to males 15-25 years old, and not all of them either. Even before those players came around, John McLaughlin and others were playing faster than most people can listen. For me and apparently most people, guitar synths have been a big disapointment. I have never heard anything special from them, even from some of my favorite players such as Fripp and Belew. I'm starting to doubt that guitars and synthesis will ever come together. It seems that synthesis causes too much of the guitars coolest attributes, such as the details of note articulation, to be lost. Many young people seem to still have a lot of interest in the Beatles, Led Zep etc. and bands like the White Stripes have brought a lot of traditional rock characteristics back into vogue. The future of guitar: As always, the pendulum will continue to swing back and forth-from grage band simplicity to technocratic complexity, natural tone to processed tone, guitars front and center to no guitars, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 Ah, yeah... I've seen Thompson play solo or with a band (sometimes both on the same evening) about five times. He's a totally compelling performer for me. I love his playing. I love much of his songwriting. I like what he's managed to do with a voice only a mother could love... Another couple of his contemporaries who could really hold an audience (I mostly saw these guys at the tiny McCabe's Guitar shop in Santa Monica in the 80s and 90s) are John Renbourn and Bert Jansch (from Pentangle)... I saw Jansch, Renbourn, Pentangle singer Jaqui McShee, and probably the jazziest, sexiest rhythm section EVER in anything like folk music, Terry Cox (drums and percussion) and Danny Thompson (bass) -- all the former Pentanglers -- in various combinations but never [sigh] all at once. Renbourn is an incredible guitarist and a really funny guy. He can hold a stage with just a guitar as well as anyone I think. __________ BTW -- FWIW -- I've been listening to my Satriania/Vai/Johnson Pandora station for a few tracks now: Raspberry Jam (Satriania) -- my favorite so far but not my thing... guy can play though. I wouldn't have left it on if I wasn't trying to broaden my horizons, though. Still -- I have to say some of the playing did seem emotive and I can see why folks inclined to this sort of modern rock guitar instrumental would like this. Sidwinder (Ronny Montrose) -- I'd forgotten what a 'good' shredder Montrose is/was. But pretty fatiguing. The next one was interesting -- it came on and after about 45 seconds of annoyance I found myself saying out loud "What horrible {censored}"... when I went to see who it was it was Eric Johnson doing a live version of "Righteous." Let the Computer Decide -- Paul Gilbert. Annoying wankery with some really dumb 80s style vocal drop in silliness. Heigtened Awareness -- Steve Morse. Yuck. Rosie -- Richie Sambora... good gawd this is REALLY bad. So far, I have to say, the only thing I could really tolerate (though I've dutifully kept my mouse away from the skip button) was Satriani and maybe Ronnie Montrose -- and under normal circumstances I wouldn't have made it through a half minute of eithers' solos. I'm still listening but I gotta tell you -- so far all this stuff is really irritating -- in fact I HAVE to skip the horrific crap that's on right now -- let's see who it is: Ah... Eric Johnson. PS... We seem to have drifted into some gutter metal... things are getting a little riffier and interesting in a seconal-and-beer kinda way: Cherry Red by some band called Earthless and something by a band called the Muggs... in both the guitar playing is pretty lame (the Muggs especially bad) but I sort of like the low life grunginess. PPS... WHERE O WHERE are the Paul Kossoff's of today? PPPS... something came on I LIKED!!! Well... a little anyhow... I don't like the droopy synthesizers but the playing is nice. I was hoping it was, like, Satriani or something, so I could look fair and open minded -- but it's "Passion" by the Hellecasters. The playing is -- for me (YMMV) -- the best I've heard yet, although there's still some annoying wankery, some by the numbers box runs and whatnot. And -- full disclosure -- I saw these guys and enjoyed them for the first 45 minutes or an hour or so... unfortunatley they played for TWO hours and then came back and backed up the headliner (incongrously, Mike Nesmith!). OK... here comes a Satriania track with motorcycle sound FX and distorted vocals ("I Like the Rain")... at least he's stretching... let's see how the solos work out. Erp... no. A couple of unexpected moves almost saved the first solo. I like his little Rory Gallagherism with the chop time rhythm motif that pops up in the chorus... wow... no more solo? Nope. I dunno guys... I'm kind of running out of steam on this stuff. "Redemption" by Andy Timmons... speaking of Rory Gallagher, sounds like his old rhythm section -- those guys knew how to stay out of the way. I think this guy may have listened to The Great One -- but I'm not sure all the lessons stuck... OK -- this experiment is OVER -- for now, anyhow. I'm not signing on to any of this as the future of guitar... But I'll try to give it another chance later. As I'm closng this out another Eric Johnson track came on -- this time he's pulling out his Hendrixisms... I'm reminded of Lloyd Benson addressing Dan Quayle's invocation of Jack Kennedy. That said, it's by far the only of his tracks so far I had much tolerance for... Wait! ... the hits just keep coming... here's some heavy grinding by Vinnie Moore ("Defying Gravity")... it's like Spinal Tap, kinda... at LEAST it's funny! Um... make that hilarious... the harmony parts... the chromaticisms... gawd, this is a freakin' riot. I'm entertained! PPPPS -- Seems like I have to say this at regular intervals: I firmly believe that -- personal taste aside -- ultimately, there's no such thing as "bad music" -- if YOU enjoy something, it seems to me that that is GOOD ENOUGH... Yes, I have opinions and, yes, I'm not afraid to express them -- but I do NOT want to stop others from enjoying the music they like -- whether it's Beethoven or Kenny G [involuntary shudder]. That would be sad. But at the same time, if one LETS his enjoyment be curtailed simply by the opinions of others -- that, it seems to me, is sadder still. In the words of the rumpled old guy looking for cans in the alley in back of my old house -- when I stumbled on him and, trying to be friendly, asked him how it was going: It's all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DVaz Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 I'd be more worried about actual instruments being phased out in favor of software based emulations. Actual musicians phased out, as well. The future of guitar playing is you don't need a guitar player. Drum machines already did it once. And they did it, in spite of sucking balls. And these days, computer software is doing some amazing things in terms of producing some beats. So, the drum machine story will just play out the same for guitar. I would just go ahead and sell me me your gear at a loss, while it has any value left at all. I dont think so. You cant take the human element out of playing, until you have computers that behave essentially like humans (strong AI, basically). For example, I have DFH. Drums struck by Tomas Harke. But programmed by me, and I cant do what he can do, not on a kit and not in my head. And my PC, near top of the line, certainly cant do it for me either. I'd like to hear a soulfull bend or sweet vibrato or savage rhythm thats programmed. You need that human, analogue centre to it. If we can get that then fair enough. Or rather, WHEN we can get that, it will gain popularity. Until then, the complexity of sound of strings attached to bits of wood amplified by valves controlled by the un-digitisable basyl ganglia and good old fingers will always win out. As far as the future goes...the immediate future will probably take a similar course: I see 2 viens of advancment: one striving for the 'perfect' tone (handmade guitars and boutique amps), with old technology and one using new advancments to make a wide variety of acceptable sounds more accesible and convenient (modellers and VSTs). The former cant take over the latter as its too expensive, and the latter cant wipe out the former because it doesnt sound good enough. When it does, then who cares anyway? As for the future of playing...theres no point trying to predict that. I prefer to wait see. I've been suprised many times before by musical innovation with these 6 strings and 20-odd frets, and expect to be suprised again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted October 13, 2007 Members Share Posted October 13, 2007 I'd like to hear a soulfull bend or sweet vibrato or savage rhythm thats programmed. You need that human, analogue centre to it. ROTFL!!!! Uhh, hate to break this to ya, pal, but even though "analog" is the opposite of "digital," it's still electronic. Ooh, look at those pretty analog flowers! I can just smell the fresh, analog air of the countryside! And those birds and wildlife roaming around...so...so...ANALOG! Perhaps "organic" was the word you're looking for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DVaz Posted October 14, 2007 Members Share Posted October 14, 2007 No. Definately analogue. The human brain is an analogue electrical system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockViolin Posted October 14, 2007 Members Share Posted October 14, 2007 Freed from a life behind bars...yes indeed, freed from bondage. Achievement guitarists of the future will play fretless guitars. I seem to have come full circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fendercaster Posted October 14, 2007 Members Share Posted October 14, 2007 I'm not much impressed with the current crop of rock guitarists, but guitar playing is definitely not going away in country music. Listen to Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and a thousand others and they absolutely tear it up. And for the most part, they do it without sixteen effects running at the same time. There are some monster players in country music and I expect they'll be around for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted October 15, 2007 Members Share Posted October 15, 2007 But...if you go to other countries and listen to the rock musicians there, they're all playing glorified three chord shuffles - seriously! Well, that's the rock musicians. What I'm interested in is rock musicians who use more than the rock vernacular to get across. Rock & Roll sprung from the blues, and then we went through the classical influences (everything from Yes to Yngwie), the Beatles had their Indian phase... So I think rock music influenced and showcasing various ethnic musics could be big in the U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ray Moodswing Posted October 15, 2007 Members Share Posted October 15, 2007 Just seems like the normal ebb and flow of music evolution to me. Same thing happened with Jazz - bebop to cool. Hell, Miles Davis covered both ends of that spectrum himself. And I think an element of his development is relevant here too - not just concentration on tone, but on note choice. Belew's work on Remain in Light is stunning, much for its simplicity. The Great Curve solos alway strike me as less playing, and more guiding the guitar and amp into their own filthy encounter. He was brilliant in that technique. His style these days has lost that. He's lost that tone by imposing his will, imo, both by technology and technique. Gerry Leonard's the guy who cropped up on my radar in recent years. Where Belew's lost his tone to technology, Leonard has let it take on an organic nature. Teasing tones into lives of their own. He's got the chops that would make Fripp blush, but he tends to give the instrument its say. Yes, it's a shame about Adrian, but he seems to be having fun doing what he does these days. Also I like what you say about note choice, I have been totally submerged in "future tone" lately. It's time to move forwards in harmony and melody again. (Somehow "move forwards in harmony" sounds like a new-agey mission statement but, well... I guess you get my point ) Thanks for the Gerry Leonard hint! If anyone has more recommendations I would really like to hear them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottso Posted October 15, 2007 Members Share Posted October 15, 2007 I think a lot of people on this thread touched on the truth. If you look at what the "youngins" listen to today, its all Britney Spears and High School Musical. What will happen to guitarists is what happened to vocalists with the introduction of Autotune and Melodyne. You will get a bunch of popular, good looking people that can't perform without the help of technology. No longer do you even have to sing in tune, you can have the computer fix it for you -- on the fly. Thats where the guitar will be going next. The same reason people flock to Guitar Hero. Strings? What the heck do you need them for? I have a button that plays the right notes! And I can hit this button to do a perfect bend! The future is the people that can do new things with the technology. Good or bad thats where I see it going. Damn I'm such a pessimist. Just the same for me, even if I'm a hack, there is nothing better than nailing a tune on a real six string. My kids would probably tell me I'm quaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.