Guitarists, how do they do it?

Dave Gilmour for instance. How does he make something sound sooo good look so flippin easy??…………

Ever seen anyone who is at the top of any activity who didn’t make it look incredibly easy?

Mr Gilmour is a big time user of delay and a ‘few’ other effects. All in one compact unit 😯

The old joke is true: practice.

10,000 hours to be expert at something.

That’s to play it, expertly.

Being able to create the stuff, who knows where that comes from.

You know when a guitarist is really good, when you can tell who it is from the first few notes, despite having never heard a particular song before.
The same is occasionally true of bass players as well, like Danny Thompson, Jaco Pastorius, and Pino Palladino.
No amount of practice gives you that, that’s creative genius, and comes from within.
Guitarists who have it; Mark Knopfler, Richard Thompson, Adrian Legg, Nils Lofgren, The Edge…

Talent plus practice.

“It might get loud” is worth the time and money

Guitarists who have it; Mark Knopfler, Richard Thompson, Adrian Legg, Nils Lofgren, The Edge…

It’s not about the guitar

Ever seen anyone who is at the top of any activity who didn’t make it look incredibly easy?

Chris Froome

when you can tell who it is from the first few notes, despite having never heard a particular song before.

dont forget hank marvin or status Quo
just because you can tell it is them it does not mean they are good.

Mr Gilmour is a big time user of delay and a ‘few’ other effects. All in one compact unit

Yup, there is an element of that, but the acoustic riff in ‘Wish You Were Here’ is a very honest, unpolished, open sound and also bloody brilliant.

+1 it’s all about effort and guitar-hours.

You know when a guitarist is really good, when you can tell who it is from the first few notes

A lot of that is in the tone though – gilmour is good example actually, his tone is identifiable in most of his stuff just from the setup he uses.

I was just about to mention Froome.

John Mayers new albums just been released and he’s playing the O2 in Oct.

Aaaah, Status Quo. I have one LP of theirs, and the first time I played it I started it on 45 by mistake.

It took a couple of minutes to notice [perhaps when the vocals came in] and, after the adjustment I discovered it sounded much better at 45. Mostly because it was over sooner.

I bet if you asked any of the above how they do it they couldn’t give an answer, and if they started to think about it, it would all go wrong.

Aaaah, Status Quo. I have one LP of theirs, and the first time I played it I started it on 45 by mistake.

It took a couple of minutes to notice [perhaps when the vocals came in] and, after the adjustment I discovered it sounded much better at 45. Mostly because it was over sooner.

Coles (Australia’s answer to Tesco), have irritatingly enlisted them to do their jingles. Not content with polluting the airways with their adverts, they appear to be taking up psychological warfare with their staff and customers in-store also.

You know when a guitarist is really good, when you can tell who it is from the first few notes, despite having never heard a particular song before.

Don’t forget tone, Rory Gallagher and Dave Gilmour play Strat’s but achieved completely different sound.

Hendrix – you get the feeling he could play like that the first time he picked up the instrument. All appears so natural.

Fell asleep watching that Dave Gilmour video. Self indulgent twaddle.

10pmix – Member

Fell asleep watching that Dave Gilmour video. Self indulgent twaddle.
Are you worth millions from doing what you do for a living?
If not STFU, you don’t have to like it to realise that he’s pretty skilled and creative at what he does.

Is there anything more sickeningly pukeworthy than a self indulgent guitar solo? How folks can listen to a whole album full of the stuff is beyond me. Still, different strokes and all that…

Are you worth millions from doing what you do for a living?
If not STFU, you don’t have to like it to realise that he’s pretty skilled and creative at what he does.

Only millionaire musicians are allowed to criticise other millionaire musicians? I don’t think it works like that… Personally, I saw this as a positive thread about the genius skill of guitarists, so did not deem it necessary to inflict my own tastes upon it.
Talking of the genius skill of guitarists, flamenco reduces me to tears
(skip the first 30secs)

Fretboard **** has its place for sure, but its a technical skill rather than musical artistry or feeling for a good tune. Gilmore is a good example, the 4 note intro to Shine On resonates more in the memory than any of the instantly forgettable endless scales and arpeggios.

You know when a guitarist is really good, when you can tell who it is from the first few notes, despite having never heard a particular song before.

I get what you’re saying, but as others have said, that description also covers guitarists of limited talent and imagination, i.e. those always basically playing the same thing, or variations thereof.

Fwiw, I know I’m far from alone among guitarists in really not rating t’edge as a guitar player. Not too say him and his band haven’t accomplished great things as sonic constructionists, but as a player of the instrument? Not seeing (hearing) it.

As for instantly identifiable, imo both due to tone and playing style, and certainly not because everything he does sounds the same, I’m surprised Brian May hasn’t been mentioned yet.

That Bill Bailey thing is brilliant 🙂
Still, The Edge made that sound his own, so deserves a bit of credit.

(eg. Just because a painter doesn’t use a great amount of skill to produce a painting doesn’t mean they are a bad artist – it’s originality that counts.)

(I am not a U2 fan)

DezB – Member

Are you worth millions from doing what you do for a living?
If not STFU, you don’t have to like it to realise that he’s pretty skilled and creative at what he does.

Only millionaire musicians are allowed to criticise other millionaire musicians? I don’t think it works like that… Personally, I saw this as a positive thread about the genius skill of guitarists, so did not deem it necessary to inflict my own tastes upon it.
I’ve climbed down from my high horse now.
My point was meant to suggest that because a person doesnt like something doesnt mean its rubbish. It really gets my goat when you get these sneering dismissals of something, just because someone doesnt like it. Would it not be better to not comment or, if they insist on saying something, to say “its not my cup of tea”?

I worked with a minor celeb who was a fantastic technical guitarist, for him playing was a technical exercise and he played with no soul what so ever, contrast that with someone like Slash who has ideas coming out of his head but is “sloppy”

Much rather my second example.

Froome made it look easy compared to the riders he was racing against.

Ive just started learning Piano. I have a book that states “Learn Piano in 24Hrs”

All this 10000hr talk is utter tripe.

The Edge made that sound his own, so deserves a bit of credit.

Well, it’s not just the same sound in most of their songs, it’s the same actual music mostly. That’s what annoys me about them.

One thing I appreciate in a band is variety – not necessarily in sound but in musical patterns and form.

piemonster – Member
Ive just started learning Piano. I have a book that states “Learn Piano in 24Hrs”

Maybe you should start a piano thread. First video Bobby Crush?

More likely to be Green Sleeves tbh, I’m sure a cat is dying horribly in my Piano.

Is there anything more sickeningly pukeworthy than a self indulgent Maria Carey et al caterwalling? How folks can listen to a whole album full of the stuff is beyond me. Still, different strokes and all that…

Fixed that for you

As a guitarist capable of producing all the usual guitar solos tricks. I find it fun to play but cannot stand to listen to that sort of thing by me or any others these days

In the same way that sax went through its era in the late 80s early nineties (and earlier in jazz) and vocal gymnastics currently doing my nut in.

Everything in moderation and to serve the song rather than a highlight in and of itself. Tim Pierce is a prime example of this

Paco isn’t always on form 😀

That’s not Paco, that’s a spaniel impersonating him 🙂

My point was meant to suggest that because a person doesnt like something doesnt mean its rubbish.

The opposite can also be true: just because you like something doesn’t mean that it’s ‘genius’. It’s sympathy, I believe, which defines an exceptional player. Lots and lots of practice (playing), of course, to ingrain the technical abilities and provide opportunity for learning; but sympathy for the instrument, accompaniment and audience and the self are present in all of those who have ‘it’.

There are some seriously hard pieces to play that sound awful in the classical world and some fairly simple pieces that sound beautiful.

In essence it is a merger between technique,ability and taste

In the rock/pop world plenty of three chord stuff sounds good enough when mixed with good lyrics and a certain vibe. Nirvana for example. Plenty is just pointless fret ****

Finds new found respect for Dez …yours classical/flamenco player [ no not that well]

The flamenco is amazing. Thanks for posting it up.

Guitarists – that Bill Bailey thing – is it really that easy to create that sound or was he miming?