Lyrical Soloing

[Wedgebill]

Soberly looking out at this page from my porch, waiting for the aging Pooter to turn up with the beer, I'm wondering if my tired old eyes are deceiving me as, rather than beautiful, Shred's head, on his avatar, looks like a well thumbed plectrum to me !!!

Ah well, as has been discussed, at great length (particularly great length in Ed's case !!) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So I'm undecided if I hate you or not Shred, can you take a rain check until Pooter arrives ?

Gator's creepiness is to do with being posh, I hear. Did you get him that season ticket for the Buckeyes yet ?




Uncle Bill

[strychninekid]

The one finger chord is exactly what I am talking about!!! Shred I am on your side on that one! I am the exact same way. I see that and think come on you show me more than that please. I know there are lots of bands that drop the e string for some songs thats cool. What I don't like is all the 1 finger powerchord tunings and unfortunately my favorite band went for it on their last cd(Metallica) And it totally bombed for them.(IMO) Yea it sounds mean and crunchy but it isn't anywhere near as technically sound as 440 style tuning. I have looked thru many tab books and find it funny that some of these bands have made it using 1 finger and looking at the tabs you think. Why even waiste my time emulating this. Take Godsmack's Faceless tab and then compare it to Metallica's Master of Puppets tab. There is no comparison whatsoever who the better guitarist is. Kirk kills whoever that guy from Godsmack is..

And yea obviously I am a big fan of Eddie! and others who use it as a tool and changeup from their standard. They don't rely on it. Like most new bands do. I think that is the difference..

[epauley]

And yea obviously I am a big fan of Eddie! and others who use it as a tool and changeup from their standard. They don't rely on it. Like most new bands do. I think that is the difference..

Exactly!

[epauley]

Gator's creepiness is to do with being posh, I hear. Did you get him that season ticket for the Buckeyes yet ?

Bill, I’ll have to offer gator season tickets to see the fighting “Bobcats” instead. I recently accepted a position at Ohio University and start there February 1 (note the change in my profile location).

By the way, I believe the term "gosh" rather than "posh" is more commonly associated with gators in the south.

[Muddhole]

I'm neither for nor against drop tuning as long as you can come up with something creative and mind blowing. I know of a guy who does alternate tuning and he comes up with some beautiful stuff on his harp guitar. Music is something you don't try and conform to one way or the other, it has always been creative, inventive, and artistic whether you play guitar or drums or what ever. You have to be a little more open minded than that or you'll find your self stuck in a one dimensional type of sound for lack or a better term. Music changes through time and it will always change because of artist/people not afraid to try something different and not worrying about being laughed at.

There are probalby aliens who will blow us all away with their fart bag concerts. Yeah it will smell funny after the show, but it will leave you with your mouth hanging open. YUCK!

[gatorjj]

I'm just wondering, who the heck came up with standard tuning anyway...and why is it standard? A posh question from a gosh Gator

[Muddhole]

Probalbly the guy who can't play any other way other than standard tuning. He could never figure it out so he stood up and said, THIS IS THE STANDARD WAY TO PLAY THE HARP, DO THIS IN THE NAME OF MUSIC!

He was found headless a day later by the castle gates.

Joking aside...I dunno know.

Interesting, after searching on Google for "Who invented Standard Tuning?" This is what came up.

For Guitarists: New Standard Tuning (Invented by Robert Fripp)
I was reading up on Robert Fripp and I came across this tuning he invented. The tuning is (from low to high) C - G - D - A - E - G. So I tried it out and at first its very akward and strange but then I started getting the hang of it and actually got some very cool sounding stuff out of it. Theres even a school founded by Fripp that teaches you how to play guitar in this tuning and there is also some spirituality involved. (I'm thinking cult.) I was wondering if anyone has ever used this tuning or know more about it. Interesting video of Robert Fripp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LivZtancfJg

This is why standard tuning is used:

http://www.uk-piano.org/history/pitch.html

[ShredRex]

On the flip side of all this, I would worry people would not want to come see me play live cause all I would do is solo

As much as I love Joe, Paul and the like, even I get sick of it after 3 instrumentals in a row max....

I guess if it was mixed in a good set of tunes and I could let loose during the solo parts, and maybe noodle it up at the end a bit that might be tolerable. I still love going to a local music store and grabbing a guitar of the wall and just letting er rip just to see the look on the youngins faces.....lol

They all look down the aisle at me and go "dude look at the old guy tearing her up" it really is priceless.

[epauley]

Music changes through time and it will always change because of artist/people not afraid to try something different and not worrying about being laughed at.

Agree! However, there is often an assumption that a weak guitarist is actually making choices when, in reality, they don’t have enough knowledge or ability to make anything but limited choices. They are not creative...just poor musicians.

Of course, everyone knows that bending the rules is required to discover something new. By definition, that’s creativity. However, if you don’t know you’re bending the rules are you really exhibiting courage?

Awareness of the principles can produce greater and more meaningful creative expression. In fact, certain principles (i.e., singing in key) are universal and help artists express themselves successfully. The more a musician understands the principles, the more tools s/he can utilize. Knowledge is a good thing which, more often than not, inspires new ideas.

The problem (if there is a problem ) isn’t a lack of unexpressed creativity. Rather, its guitarists being declared by critics, or even worse, declaring themselves creative based on ignorance. Some believe their own press and don’t know enough to know they should be laughed at. :rolleyes:

[Muddhole]

Agree! However, there is often an assumption that a weak guitarist is actually making choices when, in reality, they don’t have enough knowledge or ability to make anything but limited choices. They are not creative...just poor musicians..

Hmmm, I guess I don't look at making music that way. I see it as an art and not some type of a contest. To call someone weak is the same as saying you are better than. It's the same as if I were to say "Eddie Van Halen is the best guitarist in the world." and you would come out with your own Joe Blow as being the best guitarist. We can go back and forth forever. Someone here posted "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and I beleive that. I only see the way I play my instrument(s) my way and how someone else would play his/her way. I was in this band and the drummer wanted to quit because he didn't feel he was at the same level as the rest of us. I told him that he played drums the way he does and that's his style. He was fine after that.

Of course, everyone knows that bending the rules is required to discover something new. By definition, that’s creativity. However, if you don’t know you’re bending the rules are you really exhibiting courage?

Wow, do you have ESP? I think you think you know what everyone else is thinking. The people that go out and discover new things not always know that they are bending the rules or even trying new things. They only seem to feel what their heart compells them to do and say. End results in courage, creativity, and discovery. It's a beautiful thing. It's the people that seem to think that you have to do it their way that try and keep other down because they are breaking rules they chose to follow and be confined to. FREE YOUR MIND!

Awareness of the principles can produce greater and more meaningful creative expression. In fact, certain principles (i.e., singing in key) are universal and help artists express themselves successfully. The more a musician understands the principles, the more tools s/he can utilize. Knowledge is a good thing which, more often than not, inspires new ideas.

Again, beauty and eye of the beholder thing. I have never taken a lesson and I may never will, I would feel it would taint my input into my music. I don't want to sound like everybody else.

The problem (if there is a problem ) isn’t a lack of unexpressed creativity. Rather, its guitarists being declared by critics, or even worse, declaring themselves creative based on ignorance. Some believe their own press and don’t know enough to know they should be laughed at. :rolleyes:

You can make some people happy some of the time...

See my first answer...

[epauley]

Hmmm, I guess I don't look at making music that way. I see it as an art and not some type of a contest. To call someone weak is the same as saying you are better than. It's the same as if I were to say "Eddie Van Halen is the best guitarist in the world." and you would come out with your own Joe Blow as being the best guitarist. We can go back and forth forever. Someone here posted "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and I beleive that. I only see the way I play my instrument(s) my way and how someone else would play his/her way. I was in this band and the drummer wanted to quit because he didn't feel he was at the same level as the rest of us. I told him that he played drums the way he does and that's his style. He was fine after that.

First, I know a little about art but won't go there - others here know. No one is calling a particular individual weak but the term is used to illustrate the point. Nonetheless, I don’t think all guitarists are created equal when it comes to potential. Nature supplies of us all with various skill sets which somehow allow us to function as a social group – like band members, each contributing a part for the good of the whole.

Wow, do you have ESP? I think you think you know what everyone else is thinking. The people that go out and discover new things not always know that they are bending the rules or even trying new things. They only seem to feel what their heart compells them to do and say. End results in courage, creativity, and discovery. It's a beautiful thing. It's the people that seem to think that you have to do it their way that try and keep other down because they are breaking rules they chose to follow and be confined to. FREE YOUR MIND!

Sorry to say, absolutely no ESP ability here and admittedly, the word “everyone” is an over statement. That being said, your statements regarding creativity are “relatively” common knowledge. I don’t discount the inner voice or emotional inspiration (what I believe you call heart) but then again, it is but one part of the whole person. For me, courage is associated with will and conviction. Yes, we can and do stumble onto new concepts but we can also choose to be self-directed. Principles are merely a point of departure – a way of acknowledging the discoveries of others and then, with some luck, building upon that knowledge base.

Again, beauty and eye of the beholder thing. I have never taken a lesson and I may never will, I would feel it would taint my input into my music. I don't want to sound like everybody else.

Like you, I am self-taught – no formal lessons but I enthusiastically consume any available resource (books, magazines, other guitarists, forums, etc.). There is no need to worry about being tainted by the experience of others – your style will shine through regardless. It is part of your being. Picasso was formally trained and became one of the most celebrated “individuals” of the twentieth century.

You can make some people happy some of the time...

We can’t make others feel anything. Each person must accept responsibility for they own feelings. Now, that’s a free mind!

[pooterpatty]

Circular arguments RULE.

[epauley]

I concur. Time to get out of the loop pooterpatty.

By the way, I used to live very close to those "Northeast Georgia mountains" in North Carolina. Are you familar with Black Mountain?

[fooks]

and we'll be back after a word from our sponser...


ever wonder why guitar gods don't come over YOUR house to play?
don't you think even THEY are self concious playing outside their own box?
even need encouragement and are sometimes questioned about technique?
don't be like joe, take DR. JOHNS PRACTICE PILLS.!
AND FEEL THE CONFIDENCE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9v5e1TTwts

dam! i gotta get faster at posting!

[Muddhole]

Yeah, I was just about to say the same thing.

HEY, JUST BECAUSE THE POLITICIANS ARE DOING IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO JUMP ON THE DEBATE TRAIN. LOL