Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:03 am Post subject: sorry just thought of something
The other day i was thinking how many people say "im not much of an alternate picker" or much of a "tapper" etc, surely you would just go and work on it till you were good in these areas, appreciated that some find certain things harder. I was just wondering if anyone thinks the same or believes you should concentrate on your strengths? I think that this is what sets guys like guthrie apart form the rest, there diversity and strength in most areas. cheers
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:31 am Post subject: Re: sorry just thought of something
Yeah but guthrie wrote:
The other day i was thinking how many people say "im not much of an alternate picker" or much of a "tapper" etc, surely you would just go and work on it till you were good in these areas, appreciated that some find certain things harder. I was just wondering if anyone thinks the same or believes you should concentrate on your strengths? I think that this is what sets guys like guthrie apart form the rest, there diversity and strength in most areas. cheers
I guess there's no one rule. Guthrie is indeed special in that he's so proficient in many different styles and has mastered so many different techniques. BUT it only makes a difference since he's instantly recognizable, in the same way players that favours fewer types of expressions are. The thing with Guthrie is that he actually has a lot of signature ways of creating phrases and applying techniques. There are lot of things that he doesn't do, even though he obviously has the knowledge and chops to do it, and I guess that woud go for many other players that mostly utilize less colors from their palette than Guthrie. What Guthrie knows and is capable of is one thing (and that's scary to think of), but what he really does in a certain musical context is antother thing.
But back to your original question: a good one! Been thinking about it myself for many years. Personally I feel it's easier to work on a technique (if it's a technical thing) that you're not that at home with if you are really strong at something else. Gilbert's comment on lefthand vs righthand technique in the latest GT issue makes sense in that way.
I feel like a crappy player since there are so many genres and approaches to playing I suck at, but then again, many of my favourite musicians, guitarists and composers has (or at least utilize) less chops than me.
Weaknesses are just opportunities to improve. For every percieved "weakness" there are more waiting to show themselves to you. Weakness sounds negative so I think of it as an opportunity to improve. This can either be adoption of a technique or making up a technique.
There was a one legged monk who practiced Judo.. obviously foot sweeps were not going to be his forté so he focussed on hip and sacrificial throws. The only thing that should determine what not to do is real physical constraints. Time is one of those _________________ Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:08 pm Post subject:
a cool (but not very nice) guy once said: "a man has to know his limitations"
it seems like limitations often delineates a specific area within a certain "freedom" occurs or is made possible. does that sound too intellectual? (can't help that).
and one other thing: how come I know how it should be done, but don't know how to do it? I mean, some of you guys are obviously great players, but many of us are mediocre, but still know what it takes and how it should be done -- or do we? I don't think that musicians are the best music critics, but its cool that there's so much going on with playing that hasn't got to do with intellectual understanding of musical concepts or even chops, but more with timing, feel, the relation between sound and your body. I have a great ear, but lousy timing. I can really hear when I (or other people) sound bad, when I'm bending off pitch, when I'm out of the pocket etc, but it's still hard for me not to suck
I simply think from a musical perspective and if that music I want to make requires a certain technique, THEN I'll practise it, not the other way around.
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: sorry just thought of something
Yeah but guthrie wrote:
The other day i was thinking how many people say "im not much of an alternate picker" or much of a "tapper" etc, surely you would just go and work on it till you were good in these areas, appreciated that some find certain things harder. I was just wondering if anyone thinks the same or believes you should concentrate on your strengths? I think that this is what sets guys like guthrie apart form the rest, there diversity and strength in most areas. cheers
This is spooky. I've been thinking of this the last couple of weeks. I've decided to strengthen all my weak areas (there are quite a few). To help me do this I am learning songs and solos with a particular technique. For instance my alternate picking is a little sloppy so I am attemting to nail the solo for MR Big - 'Daddy, Lover, Brother, Little Boy'. I think the song is roughly 190BPM and I am at 140BPM. Also working on my String skipping and tapping so I'm attempting to learn the solo to 'Get the Funk out'. This seems to work for me in order to discipline myself as I have tried learning the techniques as exercises and such and this method kind of puts the fun element into playing. Any tips would be helpful. I really need to step up a gear concerning my playing. _________________ mmmmmmmmmmm
Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:14 am Post subject: Re: sorry just thought of something
sumis wrote:
Yeah but guthrie wrote:
The other day i was thinking how many people say "im not much of an alternate picker" or much of a "tapper" etc, surely you would just go and work on it till you were good in these areas, appreciated that some find certain things harder. I was just wondering if anyone thinks the same or believes you should concentrate on your strengths? I think that this is what sets guys like guthrie apart form the rest, there diversity and strength in most areas. cheers
I guess there's no one rule. Guthrie is indeed special in that he's so proficient in many different styles and has mastered so many different techniques. BUT it only makes a difference since he's instantly recognizable, in the same way players that favours fewer types of expressions are. The thing with Guthrie is that he actually has a lot of signature ways of creating phrases and applying techniques. There are lot of things that he doesn't do, even though he obviously has the knowledge and chops to do it, and I guess that woud go for many other players that mostly utilize less colors from their palette than Guthrie. What Guthrie knows and is capable of is one thing (and that's scary to think of), but what he really does in a certain musical context is antother thing.
But back to your original question: a good one! Been thinking about it myself for many years. Personally I feel it's easier to work on a technique (if it's a technical thing) that you're not that at home with if you are really strong at something else. Gilbert's comment on lefthand vs righthand technique in the latest GT issue makes sense in that way.
I feel like a crappy player since there are so many genres and approaches to playing I suck at, but then again, many of my favourite musicians, guitarists and composers has (or at least utilize) less chops than me.
.
Guthrie spent a lot of time absorbing all kinds of styles, genres, techniques, etc., but I think he's at a point now where he just wants to sound like himself. As you say, he purposely avoids using techniques, licks, and phrases that are trademarks of other great players. He's absorbed them and he does know how to execute virtually anything you can think of out there, but there's no doubt that he's going for his own thing and I believe he's getting there.
It's got to be really hard to have such amazing command over so many different styles and techniques but then try to synthesize all of that into something that's uniquely one's own. I've seen him do all kinds of stuff alone just noodling around that he wouldn't normally incorporate into his own music and style of playing. Finding one's own voice and recognizable style and sound is the Holy Grail as far as I'm concerned. Of course, not everyone is going for that either, but as an artist, expressing who you are and being recognized for it has got to be one of most worthwhile endeavors in life. _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
Even in this age when we can record people's performances and their playing, ultimately it comes down to how well you compose and/or improvise, and the originality of these two things...
Even in this age when we can record people's performances and their playing, ultimately it comes down to how well you compose and/or improvise, and the originality of these two things...
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:54 am Post subject: Re: sorry just thought of something
alexkhan wrote:
he purposely avoids using techniques, licks, and phrases that are trademarks of other great players. He's absorbed them and he does know how to execute virtually anything you can think of out there, but there's no doubt that he's going for his own thing and I believe he's getting there.
i agree. but it will be interesting to see where his career will go. James W is certainly right, but will GG be able to work on his own thing for a long and concentrated period of time? is that his goal? one could imagine GG getting all kinds of interesting sideman or collaboration offers in the future, but it would be great to see/hear him develop his own thing further and further.
but then again: i have the feeling i ain't seen nothing yet.
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I mean, some of you guys are obviously great players, but many of us are mediocre, but still know what it takes and how it should be done -- or do we? I don't think that musicians are the best music critics, but its cool that there's so much going on with playing that hasn't got to do with intellectual understanding of musical concepts or even chops, but more with timing, feel, the relation between sound and your body. I have a great ear, but lousy timing. I can really hear when I (or other people) sound bad, when I'm bending off pitch, when I'm out of the pocket etc, but it's still hard for me not to suck 
