Playing the guitar, the difference between being good and being a genius....

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the differences between skilled and exceptional guitarists, exploring various performances, styles, and personal opinions on notable guitarists across genres. Participants share their admiration for both famous and lesser-known guitarists, discussing techniques, sound quality, and the emotional impact of their music.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express their personal experiences and feelings about their own guitar skills, with one considering themselves moderately good.
  • Several exceptional guitarists are mentioned, including Chet Atkins, George Harrison, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, with participants sharing their admiration for specific performances.
  • One participant highlights the importance of tone in guitar playing, suggesting that achieving a great tone is more about skill than equipment.
  • There is a discussion about the role of electronics in achieving sound quality, with differing opinions on whether this diminishes the artistry of guitar playing.
  • Participants mention various guitarists who are not as widely recognized but are considered talented, such as Gabriella Quevedo and Michael Hedges.
  • Some express a preference for guitarists who excel in backing roles, citing Eddie Van Halen as an example of a guitarist whose subtlety is often overlooked.
  • There is a mention of the emotional struggles faced by some musicians, with references to personal challenges of famous guitarists.
  • Participants share their favorite guitarists and performances, contributing to a growing list of notable names in the guitar community.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the existence of many exceptional guitarists, but there is no consensus on who should be considered the best or what qualities define a "genius" guitarist. Multiple competing views on the role of technique versus emotional expression in guitar playing remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the complexity of guitar techniques and the challenges of achieving a clean sound, indicating that personal experiences and preferences heavily influence opinions on guitarists.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in guitar playing, music performance, and the nuances of musical expression may find this discussion engaging and insightful.

  • #91
Genius? How about this.

 
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  • #92
Hornbein said:
Genius? How about this.


Jazzy! He gets a lot of blue notes and chromatic runs into it. He certainly knows what he's doing! :smile:

EDIT: Not my favorite genre though. If all his tracks are like that I'd imagine it'd get a little tiresome. A little like Yngwie Malmsteen.
 
  • #93
 
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  • #94
The track as such is a little boring but the solo he plays at around 2 minutes in is worth it I think.

 
  • #95
We haven't any Arabic pieces yet have we?

 
  • #96
The understated excellence of JJ Cale comes to my mind. Not blistering virtuosity (I do like those too) but somehow doing more with less, often seeming simple but he could give a depth of feel to just a few notes played slow and sweet that I find moving in ways far flashier playing doesn't.

The slide guitar with some wah on Crazy Mama as one example seems like a display of genius to me.

 
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  • #97
sbrothy said:
We haven't any Arabic pieces yet have we?

[...]

Which reminds me that I've had a lot of fun with improvising over the "egyptian" scale. People almost always turn their heads when they hear it. I'm nowhere as good OK, he wasn't *that* imperssive. At least you can hear what it's about:

 
  • #98
Ken Fabian said:
The understated excellence of JJ Cale comes to my mind. Not blistering virtuosity (I do like those too) but somehow doing more with less, often seeming simple but he could give a depth of feel to just a few notes played slow and sweet that I find moving in ways far flashier playing doesn't.

The slide guitar with some wah on Crazy Mama as one example seems like a display of genius to me.

[...]
Slide guitar always impressed me. I tried to play using a metal pipe on my pinky after tuning the guitar in a chord as it's done (at least one way) but I never got really good at it. It's not the same I know, but the sound is somewhere in the same neighbourhood.

Dire straits does it good too. I shudder to think of the discipline it takes to rehearse with a 12 man rock band!

Incidentally:



EDIT: Nice contraption he put togethere there!
 
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  • #99
If there is ever a greatest guitar genius contest I believe Jimi Hendrix would win. So original.
 
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  • #100
Hornbein said:
If there is ever a greatest guitar genius contest I believe Jimi Hendrix would win. So original.
Yeah, he's almost a myth. I wrote elsewhere in this thread though (and I realize this is almost heresy) that there's a couple of tracks (mostly instrumental ones) where I think Stevie Ray Vaughan does it better. Then again: who can account for personal taste! :woot:
 
  • #101
sbrothy said:
Dire straits does it good too. I shudder to think of the discipline it takes to rehearse with a 12 man rock band
I thought there were only 4 of them?
 
  • #102
pinball1970 said:
I thought there were only 4 of them?
In the early days yeah. The concert I attended I counted 12 musicians. Not fully active at the same time of couse. That would have been be a mess.
 
  • #103
sbrothy said:
Yeah, he's almost a myth. I wrote elsewhere in this thread though (and I realize this is almost heresy) that there's a couple of tracks (mostly instrumental ones) where I think Stevie Ray Vaughan does it better. Then again: who can account for personal taste! :woot:
 
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  • #104
sbrothy said:
Slide guitar always impressed me. I tried to play using a metal pipe on my pinky after tuning the guitar in a chord as it's done (at least one way) but I never got really good at it. It's not the same I know, but the sound is somewhere in the same neighbourhood.

Dire straits does it good too. I shudder to think of the discipline it takes to rehearse with a 12 man rock band!

Incidentally:



EDIT: Nice contraption he put togethere there!

Now I've seen everything.
 
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  • #105
Hornbein said:
Now I've seen everything.
Holy moly
 
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  • #106
pinball1970 said:
Holy moly
I've just used that expression and I can't shake the feeling that you're somehow yanking my chain. But what exactly is a moly and why is it holy?!
 
  • #107
(2022) Al Di Meola & Matteo Mancuso - live @ Eddie Lang Jazz Festival 2022 - Monterodu



(2026) Are There Any Guitarists Better Than Matteo Mancuso? - Rick Beato



More Mancuso from the covers thread
 
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  • #108
This guy was next level, bear in mind this was 1970. Jimi mentioned him but I'm not sure that was tongue in cheek/ sarcastic.
He told a reporter Kath was the best or, "Ask Terry Kath," when he told Hendrix he was considered the best guitarist.

 
  • #109
robphy said:
(2022) Al Di Meola & Matteo Mancuso - live @ Eddie Lang Jazz Festival 2022 - Monterodu



(2026) Are There Any Guitarists Better Than Matteo Mancuso? - Rick Beato



More Mancuso from the covers thread

Literally wow! So young and such an endorsement from Al Di Meola. I'd take it at face value but luckily I don't have to! :woot:
 
  • #110

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