Guthrie Govan Discussion

[alexkhan]

Call it groove, pocket, time, swing and all these other musical slangs related to musical rhythm, but one of the most impressive and overlooked aspects of Guthrie's playing is his mastery over time. Be it a funk groove, jazzy swing, odd-meter convolution, or straight-ahead rock, Guthrie's sense of time is impeccable enough for him to also get "slippery" at will, playing ahead, behind and on top of the beat without blinking an eye.

I think that's what really blew people away (including myself) at the clinic here in January. I had seen him at the shop a few times before, but watching him play in a musical context (even if it was just backing tracks) made all the difference. As mentioned before, when I first saw Guthrie a year earlier at the shop just noodling around the shop, it was amazing but I kind of figured that there are more than a few chopsmeisters out there. It was the clinic that convinced me once and for all that he was a true all-around musician and his mastery over time and rhythm was probably the clincher.

He could groove and play in the pocket like very few other monster players I had ever seen or heard (Greg Howe being the standout example). Some people told me after the clinic that his sense of time was even more impressive than the staggering display of chops and/or the mastery over so many musical styles. At times, he seems to think and play more from the perspective of a drummer than a guitarist. His right hand can practically do snare rolls on the strings. Listening to Guthrie playing rhythm and comping is at times just as enjoyable as watching him play lines.
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Ed Yoon
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BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.

[frankus]

Saw Guthrie do a solo at the Bassment early this year which was basically percussive use of the guitar and the wah-pedal.. it lasted minutes and had everyone captivated. In fact it might have been a warm up I can't recall it was a stark contrast from the previous solos I've seen him play.. just a tone envelope and percussive rhythm.. made my Ross Bolton Funk Rhythm Video look like Children's Hour.

Yeah, that is strange, man. Ratso Rizzo</Howard Kaylan>
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[alexkhan]

[stratoskier]

Yeah, I agree that Guthrie's sense of timing is among his major strengths. I've been working on several of his lessons and one of the most challenging aspects is nailing the timing. Many of the phrases start somewhere mid-beat, and are sprinkled with quirky, mid-phrase pauses and "stutters." The cool part of it is that it sounds completely natural when you listen to him play, and the oddities only become apparent when trying to reproduce his lines. I continue to be amazed.
Bert