Playing guitar with your teeth- bad side effects?

Most of my front teeth are porcelin crowns or bridges, it would be like using a porcelin pic.

In response to the possible reasons why Hendrix (or anyone) would do such a thing (I saw Ted Nugent plays with his teeth once), Mark Farner said that his manager requested that he come up with extravagant motions while playing guitar as a crowd pleaser.

If the crowd digs it, do it. If they laugh at you, it's a bad idea.

"We'll try anything once." Roger Waters

i saw someone at a blues jam, this fat white kid who thought he was hendrix, playing with his teeth. the only thing i heard was a 3 letter word in my head that starts with f and rhymes with douchebag.

Too bad there's not a utube shot of that one.

I honestly don't see how you guys have a problem with it. If you're still playing note for note, then it's fine. But if you're ruining the entire song, then it's completely idiotic.

Kevin:

I think most people think of it as a cliche now. Jimi did it close to 40 years ago! It was amazingly new and different to an audience then, but now?

I remember thinking the same thing about EVH and two handed tapping. When he first did it, everyone's mouth dropped open - UNBELIEVEABLE! But now, not so unbelievable, and actually not all that hard! Even EVH would say so, if he were sober! :shock:

Kevin,

I challenge you to be an innovator...Play with your toes or something, the teeth have already been done.

All the shots I've seen Jimi play with his teeth he was mostly tapping. He might lick the strings if he feels like it but that's not really the audible part. Anyway, I tried it and it sucks. the sounds is nasty, it playes like crap, and your mouth bleeds like hell if you cut yourself. It just ain't worth it.

There's one school of thought that reckons Hendrix didn't play his guitar with his teeth - he pretended to, just turned the volume up and did lots of hammering-on and pulling off.

When I was first learning guitar there was a local "guitar god" my
friend and I use to worship named Phil.

One performance we were standing by the stage (good little guitar
minions that we were) and Phil did the teeth thing.

He would glance down at us and laugh as to say "These fools think
I'm playing with my teeth when it's all done with hammer ons and
pull offs"

Save Your Smile

John

I've never seen hate like this on the message board. Oh well.

Celt- lol slick...just as long as it makes the crowd happy, ya know?
Sleutelbos- yea doesnt sound like it is.
astonefox- Maybe if my toe didnt cover all six strings, lol. ;) Maybe it could work as a slide, perhaps?
CFB- Oh, no doubt. I know what you mean. I don't think playing with your teeth is as cliche, as not as many people do it. But playing behind your back, that's prob a bit more cliche.

It's not hate, just dissapointment. When I tried it I didn't know about the hammers/pulls, so I tried to run (or crawl, actually) some scales. Just a suggestion: if you do don't eat anything salty like chips for 24 hours afterwards...

Kevin:

I stand corrected. "Cliche" was probably not the best word to use. I meant that that trick is SO defined by and identified with Jimi. Anyone else who tries it, looks like an imitator.

Kind of like if a guitar player does the duck walk thing - I immediately think the guy is doing an imitation of Chuck Berry.

It's not hate, just dissapointment. When I tried it I didn't know about the hammers/pulls, so I tried to run (or crawl, actually) some scales. Just a suggestion: if you do don't eat anything salty like chips for 24 hours afterwards...
Not you. I'm refering to NEZTOK. His replies have been nothing but negative in the topic. Reminds me of some boards I used to go to with a bunch of kids.

And I know what you mean, CFB. That's a good example, with Chuck Berry.

Kevin:

I stand corrected. "Cliche" was probably not the best word to use. I meant that that trick is SO defined by and identified with Jimi. Anyone else who tries it, looks like an imitator.

Kind of like if a guitar player does the duck walk thing - I immediately think the guy is doing an imitation of Chuck Berry.
All imitation is not trite, IMO. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And just as certain licks give a nod to one of the greats, so do certain techniques, gimmicks or cliches.

That is not to say that just anyone can pull off every gimmick, but when done well, they can be real crowd-pleasers.

Margaret

Hi,

I've read that the best musicians can play by ear.... :wink:

So that's my personal goal. I'm still having trouble building up the callus on my ear lobe, but I guess it's just practice like everything else.... :roll:

If you've got fillings, braces, gold teeth or grilles, you might get a jolt from the galvanic effect.

Unless you're teething on a nylon stringer, of course.

Let's see you do that, Esteban!