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Greatest melodic guitarists


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Brian May

Jimmy Page (just thinking of solo's like "The Rover" or "Achilles Last Stand", beautifully melodic)

Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)..very melodic player, killer vibrato

 

Upping the bpm's a bit..hard to beat Michael Schenker for the perfect mix of flash/melody imo.

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Who are your favourite melodic players? Not shredders, slow hand type stuff. Clapton and Gilmour jump immediately to mind.... Who are some others?

 

 

For me:

Carlos Santana

Larry Carlton

Neal Schon

David Gilmour

Duane Allman

Jeff Beck

way too many others!

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Slash is pretty melodic, IMO. I didn't realize it at the time, but that sort of stuff is what really drew me to the guitar in the first place. Gilmour is a pretty obvious choice, but how could anyone not like his playing?

 

 

I agree with Mosiddiqi on Schenker. Although I'm not a huge UFO or MSG fan, the first time I heard Schenker I had the thought he was the perfect mix of flash and melody.

 

I alot of blues guys are pretty melodic... you can pretty much sing their lead lines.

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Dude... There are quite a few I can think of off the top... Even if they ARE shredders as well, they have a great sense of melody... Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, Keith Scott (Bryan Adams' guitarist, who is freaking GREAT, eventhough I don't particularly love Bryan Adams' music), Mike Campbell (Tom Petty), Brian May, Ry Cooder, Gilmour of course, Hendrix (underrated on a "melodic" level, but the intricacy and melodic sense of his comping was unheard of before he did his thing...)

 

There are so many.. That is essenially off the top of my head in a rock type genre (except Ry Cooder)...

 

Jazz-wise, it's basically EVERYBODY....

 

;)

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I'll add one who is not that famous, but an inspiration to many of us who knew him; Jose Iglesias (RIP)

[video=youtube;l7Aq_Mw6fTw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Aq_Mw6fTw

 

The solo at 2:32 is improvised. This is one of 2 official live recordings the band has. The singer/songwriter/guitarist/harmonica player and a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with MS a few years ago. Last time I saw him some musicians did a concert in his honor, and he went onstage on a wheelchair and needed oxygen a few times. :(

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I have been on an Ozzy kick and Zakk and RR have some melodic bits in their playing. Even when Rhoads is playing fast it still sounds melodic to me, although more classically influenced than blues influenced. Zakk plays some pretty melodic stuff on "Road to Nowhere" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

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OK, part two of the list.. Scott Henderson, Oz Noy, Wayne Krants, Pat Metheny, Scofield, Mike Stern, Joe Diorio, McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Wes Montgomery, Django, Andreas Oberg, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Robben Ford, Tony MacAlpine, Joe Pass, Tuck Andress, Charlie Hunter, Martin Taylor.... Charlie Christian, Robert Johnson, Trey Anastasio (I am not a huge Phish fan, generally, but he is very melodic...), Jimmy Herring, Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa... I mean, the list could really go on forever.

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Hank Marvin.

 

Oh wait: he plays melodies... but doesn't improvise much, which I guess is what you're asking. Still, I learned a lot of what I know about melody from listening to (and playing) early Shadows tunes.

 

For melodic improvisers in rock, I'd go for Gilmour, Slash (I never liked G'n'R's music, but I was usually pleasantly surprised by Slash's melodic sense); probably Brian May and Jeff Beck. Mark Knopfler perhaps.

 

In jazz, the list is endless. Django for sure; Charlie Christian, Wes M... just about every jazz guitarist before fusion was essentially melodic. For contemporary players, Bill Frisell is one of the more melodic. John Parricelli is another personal favourite.

 

I'm a big Bert Jansch fan, but I'm not sure I'd characterise him as a melodic improviser. He has written some nice tunes, mind, so I'm happy to second andy's vote.

 

Anyone for Richard Thompson? (not just as a great guitarist - no question - but as a particularly melodic improviser?)

 

(It's a good question, but a difficult one to answer: what does "melodic" mean? Does it just mean "guitarists I like"? ;))

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LOL! Some great answers thanks guys. Let me funnel the question down a little then. I asked specifically "slow hand" style players. Many of these players are DEFINITELY melodic ... but I am talking about the guys who make wonderful melodies out of simple pieces. For people of limited speed who would you suggest.

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Who are your favourite melodic players? Not shredders, slow hand type stuff. Clapton and Gilmour jump immediately to mind.... Who are some others?

 

 

Would you say most players make an active decision to be one or the other?

 

I can

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