What separates good guitar players from truly exceptional ones?

[Astronuc]

Al Di Meola Demonstrates His Insane Skills​

Elegant Gypsy Suite - Live



Elegant Gypsy Suite - Studio version

Al Di Meola - Orlando, FL, Jan 18th, 2025​

 

[sbrothy]

Al Di Meola Demonstrates His Insane Skills​

Elegant Gypsy Suite - Live



Elegant Gypsy Suite - Studio version

Al Di Meola - Orlando, FL, Jan 18th, 2025​

Al de Meola is one of my absolute heros. Especially as he uses a plectre, like me! I'm trying to use my nails, but the regime you have go to through with glue, glass fiber bedding and glass-fiber powder is cumbersome to say the least. Particularly because you have to apply it with the left hand if you're right handed and vice versa...

I'm told there's some nail gel which can be hardened under a UV lamp. That may be the way forward. (Also the glass fiber powder costs ~US$ 2000,- per kilo!

 

[Astronuc]

See how Paco De Lucia plays guitar.

 

[sbrothy]

See how Paco De Lucia plays guitar.

Well yeah. The OP was Paco. :)

 

[sbrothy]

I realize this number is almost banal by now. It's like almost everyone can play at least some version of it. This guy does it pretty thoroughly though:



I like the first comment: "He played it like "Nothing else Matters".

 

[symbolipoint]

post #65
Example of how playing some of these "Heavy Metal" or whatever such type music arranged for either a solo piano or solo classical guitar, shows how great is the original piece of music. Do a Y.T. search and you can find other examples like this.

 

[sbrothy]

Agreed. Sometimes they go too far though. I mean when an entire orchestra is playing a track by Dimmu Borgir I think it's been taken too far.

 

[symbolipoint]

Agreed. Sometimes they go too far though. I mean when an entire orchestra is playing a track by Dimmu Borgir I think it's been taken too far.

Sure! That's why I specified "solo". Just one single instrument. No orchestra; no combo-band; no backup band.

 

[robphy]

From #1,611 in the Cover Songs thread

• (2016) Igor Paspalj - Legato Etude from Hell
  https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1h5411N7qx/?p=9
  (These links don’t seem to work on my phone…. On a phone, choose the desktop version….
  For this URL, it should point to the 9th entry on the playlist.)
  
• Igor Paspalj - Legato Etude from Hell (Slow Version)
  https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ku4y1X7xa/
  
  
  
• (2022) Legato Etude from Hell - Igor Paspalj - Cover by Evlee
  ( www.youtube.com/@Evlee. - the trailing period in this URL is important)
  

 

[Hornbein]

My she plays beautifully.

 

[sbrothy]

I'm so behind with this thread it's embarrassing. You people are full of good suggestions!

Thanks all.

 

[Pythagorean]

Мар Дяндя is a traditional Russian Romani song. Sergei Orekhov arranged it for guitar in the last century (you can find original recordings but the recording quality is poor due to age of records). Here's a modern performance for six-string in the same style Sergei played it:



And here's a helpful tabulated and classically notated guide to it for learning, but it´s MIDId so the Romani sense of timing and accents is lost

 

[sbrothy]

Мар Дяндя is a traditional Russian Romani song. Sergei Orekhov arranged it for guitar in the last century (you can find original recordings but the recording quality is poor due to age of records). Here's a modern performance for six-string in the same style Sergei played it:



And here's a helpful tabulated and classically notated guide to it for learning, but it´s MIDId so the Romani sense of timing and accents is lost

I'll take a good look when I find the time. I have a ton of projects going on right now...

Thanks though.

 

[symbolipoint]

Мар Дяндя

Thanks for showing that video find. A bit of YouTube search shows a small number of other arrangements being played on a suitable guitar. Interesting Music! Music like that were not meant to be published and done for profit, and certainly were not done with the intent to write into standard musical notation.

 

[Pythagorean]

Thanks for showing that video find. A bit of YouTube search shows a small number of other arrangements being played on a suitable guitar. Interesting Music! Music like that were not meant to be published and done for profit, and certainly were not done with the intent to write into standard musical notation.

Definitely, I don't think this song was composed by one person, I think it was passed down orally and by rote over generations before Romani music was notated and people added flairs and such along the way. Then Sergei Orekhov did his arrangement when recording mediums were available.

 

[gleem]

I am surprised no one has taken notice of Tim Henson, lead guitarist of the progressive band Polyphia.



Polyphia "Ego Death"



Polyphia "G.O.A.T."

 

[pinball1970]

Steve Howe, genius player and writer.

 

[pinball1970]

He would still be my favourite guitar player if it was just lead.

Like Steve Howe he is very versatile.

 

[pinball1970]

Steve Howe, genius player and writer.

More genius from Steve Howe

 

[pinball1970]

Steve Howe, genius player and writer.

@symbolipoint you down vote someone on music? Not impressed

 

[BWV]

 

[sbrothy]

@symbolipoint you down vote someone on music? Not impressed

Well, maybe he genuinely didn't like it! But OK, yeah come on.

EDIT: or pressed the wrong link. Happened to me before.

 

[symbolipoint]

Well, maybe he genuinely didn't like it! But OK, yeah come on.

EDIT: or pressed the wrong link. Happened to me before.

I took a couple of opportunities to listen again to that first video and rethink what my reaction or reactions are. Artistic sensibilities are too complicated; saying exactly what mine is to that video I am unable to express but a reaction is yet present. Whatever that reaction is, I direct to the video but not to the post's author.

I keep my registered reaction to the post unchanged.

 

[sbrothy]

As well you should. One's initial reaction is often the correct one.

Besides, noone dies from a single downvote.

EDIT: Also, keeping it non-personal is admirable.

 

[sbrothy]

Al Di Meola Demonstrates His Insane Skills​

Elegant Gypsy Suite - Live



Elegant Gypsy Suite - Studio version

Al Di Meola - Orlando, FL, Jan 18th, 2025​

Wow, I didn't notice on my first hearing that Meola says Paco (de Lucia I very strongly and needlessly assume) got death-threads for being too creative with traditional flamenco numbers! That's downright b...-s... insane!!!

 

[sbrothy]

@sbrothy,
Although your o.p. is focused on guitar playing, to be aware that a very very creative artist, Brian Wilson, has from formal education, only an associate degree in Music, might be interesting to know.

Even though this is an old thread by now I can still return to it and find something new. I know I wrote guitar but I didn't really intend to limit virtuosity to guitar specifically. Or even virtuosity at all. A good track is a good track. You don't have to be a genius to produce something good. It's just that because I play the guitar myself naturally I'm impressed with those that do that well.

 

[sbrothy]

I took a couple of opportunities to listen again to that first video and rethink what my reaction or reactions are. Artistic sensibilities are too complicated; saying exactly what mine is to that video I am unable to express but a reaction is yet present. Whatever that reaction is, I direct to the video but not to the post's author.

I keep my registered reaction to the post unchanged.

Also, I'm not really sure it's "down-voting" like on stackexchange per se, but I could be wrong. Maybe a moderator could clarify this?

I suspect that almost any reaction is a good thing. How would the forum software distinguish between an angry face directed at a poster you disagree with, or the actual content of his/her post?

 

[pinball1970]

Also, I'm not really sure it's "down-voting" like on stackexchange per se, but I could be wrong. Maybe a moderator could clarify this?

I suspect that almost any reaction is a good thing. How would the forum software distinguish between an angry face directed at a poster you disagree with, or the actual content of his/her post?

I am not a fan of down voting music. If someone posts something and I do not like it, I make a comment why that is.

 

[sbrothy]

I am not a fan of down voting music. If someone posts something and I do not like it, I make a comment why that is.

You may well be right. As I said I'm not sure.

 

[sbrothy]

I am not a fan of down voting music. If someone posts something and I do not like it, I make a comment why that is.

I must admit I think that is the nicer way, If you don't like something ignore it or post your opinion. Should you "down-vote" every post you disagree with you'd have your hands full!