Guitar playing in general is so subjective - what sounds great and interesting to one musician seems overboard to another. I personally think that guitar solos are an integral part to any guitar-based band (a quote from Rivers Cuomo of Weezer says it best..."you play two versus and then a solo. That's how rock n' roll works."), but I know I've heard a ton of songs that had solos plugged in "just because" but it didn't make sense within the context of the song.
When it comes to metal, I am SOOOO on-board with another comment made earlier in this thread. Metal and solos go hand-in-hand. I find it really strange that new metal songs, with all the great licks and driving beats, don't have a solo. Of course, I also find it strange that a song can sound SOOO good musically until the "singer" starts in with the gutteral shouting...
Anyway... another tangent, but I find the Metallica comment earlier in this thread insteresting as well. The reason? Because some bands find it absolutely impossible to progress in style. Metallica moved forward slightly and then fell into a rut. One of my favorite all-time bands is Iron Maiden, but they have stagnated so much. It is a little depressing when I buy a new album from them (yes, had one 2004) and it sounds like a re-hash of 1988.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
One of my favorite all-time bands is Iron Maiden, but they have stagnated so much. It is a little depressing when I buy a new album from them (yes, had one 2004) and it sounds like a re-hash of 1988.
The one major thing I admire Iron Maiden for and many of their fans do as well is that they have stuck to their guns. Steve Harris does not care about the trends, metal is metal and Iron Maiden plays it as they did from day one.
Eddie Lives!!
Bah! why do certain people always seem to forget to ad IMO? :roll:
#4491....
" Solos are for ego maniacs, my music I write comes from the heart and no with no frills" =
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY LEAD GUITAR
Period. You've got to know how to read between the lines. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I would call myself a half decent guitar player, and definitely more of a "beginner" lead player (well, compared to the likes of SRV, Eddie Van Halen and Zack Wylde), but I love guitar solos.
One of these days I'll be able to tackle a Metallica, Stevie Ray Vaughan or Led Zeppelin solo :lol:
Steve-0
" Solos are for ego maniacs, my music I write comes from the heart and no with no frills" =
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY LEAD GUITAR
Period. You've got to know how to read between the lines. :D
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *dies* :D
At this time I would like to tell you that NO MATTER WHAT...IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS WAY IS IN LOVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ALL ARE. IT IS TRULY -- A LOVE SUPREME --. John Coltrane
I agree with the "Can't play Lead" . IMO Powerchords are not a very good way of expressing yourself. As a guitarist melody is pretty much the basis for expressing yourself. Power chords are a very limited way to play a melody. When you get good rythm players(also tend to be pretty good lead players) they turn simple rythm guitar into rythm + melody. But when you are playing both rythm and melody the limitations of the guitar make it hard to do really complex melodies while playing rythm(On the other hand piano is pretty good for doing both). SOO in comes the solo, it is the time when a more complex melody is played, sometimes an insanley fast and complex melody. So as it isn't needed for every song, and some songs are made worse by solos, music would be pretty stale if it is a faux pas to play a melody inside a song. ...Oh right music is pretty stale right now.
Of course, I also find it strange that a song can sound SOOO good musically until the "singer" starts in with the gutteral shouting...
I totally agree. Some songs have such a rockin riff, then this weirdo comes in and just starts shoutin crap all over it. Annoys the hell outta me.
Well, I've had some requests, but I'm going to play anyway.
After reading many of the threads to this rather interesting post I have to ask why everyone seems to be screaming the word EGOTISTICAL like it's a cardinal sin for guitar players to have egos. Why the hell did any of us sit down with a metronome for hours a day practicing alternate picking till we could shred in our sleep if it wasn't to show off!!!!???
The whole music business is run and performed by egotists, wether they play guitar or harp, strum a drop D or play solo's. There is no doubt in my mind that the 'new wave of crap guitar players' that came along in the 90's spawned the demise of the guitar solo, but some of it is still damn good to listen to, and Mick from Slipknot has more than his fair share of chops~ when the guy behind the desk says it's ok to put them on the record.
It's damned hard work and time consuming to play technically, and I guess that was all too much for the likes of Kurt Cobain and his contemporaries. Why bother to learn legato sweeps and diminished arepeggios when you can be a guitar hero playing 3 chords!!
For those of us who grew up on Van Halen/Vai/RacerX/Winger etc we had to put in a lot more effort and suffer tendonitis to be like our heroes and if you couldnt play the solos you called yourself a 'rhythm guitarist'. I have never understood that term, as far as im aware no guitar shop has ever sold a 'rhythm guitar'. It simply means they were too darn lazy to learn lead and be any good at it.
I like solo's, wether they have a place in any given song is an entirely pointless argument, you didn't write it, so what the hell gives you the right to say it doesn't fit? Gratuitous widdling or subtle melodic lines, there will always be someone who says that doesn't work, or if only he'd have bent that note not fretted it, Zzzzzzz, get a life. Not all Clapton's solos were legend, Jimi 'the greatest player of all time' could be quite repetitive and downright WHINY, oooh but he was 'so ahead of his time', yeah but it still sounds crap, and I bet im not the only one (you know who you are all you Hendrix Heretics :lol: ) Then again Stevie Vai playing Bulgarian wedding music isn't everyones cup of tea either.
Enjoy music, if you like it, play it, if you hate it, dont buy the record !!!
Matt
It's damned hard work and time consuming to play technically, and I guess that was all too much for the likes of Kurt Cobain and his contemporaries. Why bother to learn legato sweeps and diminished arepeggios when you can be a guitar hero playing 3 chords!!
= God I wish I could be Kurt Cobain. Seriously, if anyone same something similar about me if I was huge, I'd take it the same way. It just seems that it stems from a "I can do more technical stuff on a guitar than he can, so why is he so famous instead of me?" Maybe Kurt Cobain was only concerned with what music COULD be as opposed to what it SHOULD be.
It simply means they were too darn lazy to learn lead and be any good at it.
I've heard playing lead guitar mean two different things. The first being is that you are playing something, whether it be chords or scales, that is the focus of the audience's attention. Or playing a scale over a chord progression. Assuming you mean the latter, some people play rhythms because they enjoy it. I started out wanting to play leads but played rhythms and enjoyed them more.
But I guess you're right, I hearby punish Cobain, and other grunge guitarists and punk rock guitarists. I also hearby find myself guilty of same crimes as these guitarists of playing what I want, saying what I want, expressing myself and enjoying it along the way. Wow, we're all just terrible, terrible people.
= God I wish I could be Kurt Cobain. Seriously, if anyone same something similar about me if I was huge, I'd take it the same way. It just seems that it stems from a "I can do more technical stuff on a guitar than he can, so why is he so famous instead of me?" Maybe Kurt Cobain was only concerned with what music COULD be as opposed to what it SHOULD be.
And just what was the music that Kurt pioneered? "Grunge"... rock played badly, of course music can be anything you want it to be, but here lies the difference. Any player worth his salt COULD play a Cobain riff, but how many leads COULD Kurt play? It's not like he chose to NOT play lead, he was technically incapable.
I started out wanting to play leads but played rhythms and enjoyed them more.
And that's fine, you enjoy playing your instrument in a certain way, but my point was someone saying they are a rhythm player, as a label is much like saying I'm a racing driver but only at Monza, I don't drive any of the other circuits. You are either a race car driver or not, you can either play or you can't, and it's one thing to CHOOSE to not play certain things, and entirely another to be limited in your capability.
Matt
but how many leads COULD Kurt play? It's not like he chose to NOT play lead, he was technically incapable.
Sources? Proof?
I now see that one of your greatest musical aspirations is to 'learn Smells like Teen Spirit even if it kills you.'
Well that certainly explains both your motivation in replying and the level of your proficiency. Good luck with those ever so tricky power chords. Lol
Matt
but how many leads COULD Kurt play? It's not like he chose to NOT play lead, he was technically incapable.
Sources? Proof?
Surely the proof lies in the records he put out, the legacy of a drug addict who did the world a favor and shot himself. Just a pity he didnt take Courtney Love with him too, would have been sweet.
Matt
For those of us who grew up on Van Halen/Vai/RacerX/Winger etc
At least OneWingedAngel didn't listen to Winger. haha!
