• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

I believe you can have 3 different categories here.
1) Rhythm guitar
2) Lead guitar
3) Solo guitar.
Is this correct or not, and which style you think you play?
If you go back to the early 50ties you still had "big bands" but now with the guitarplayer more in the picture.
My opinion is:
RHYTHM GUITAR is just strumming, ADDING AN EXTRA VALUE TO THE BAND. The most important members in a band are "the rhytmsection" = bass, drum, rhythm guitar.
Take Creedence Clearwater Revival and listen to the songs, you will hear, in this case more on the background, a guitar player who is just strumming without extras.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ERA FOR RHYTHM GUITARISTS IS THE DISCO ERA.
LEAD GUITAR is strumming with a few extras, like riffs and licks. Best example is Keith Richards, he is a gifted and high ranked guitar player, but do you know songs with real big solos?
I "THINK" I belong in that category, from the very first chords you play, the audience recognises the song. STRUM + LICKS + RIFFS and MINI SOLOS.
SOLO GUITAR is like you see and hear in bands or artists like SATRIANI, VAI. Other great solo guitarists are JIMI HENDRIX, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, JIMMY PAGE, ALVIN LEE (with that incredible song on WOODSTOCK: I'm Going Home) and a lot more others.
THE REAL CHAMPIONS ARE people like Hendrix playing everything rhythm, lead, solo BUT DRIVEN by a fabulous RHYTHM DUO = BASS+DRUMS.

IS THIS THEORY CORRECT? I can't find an answer. IS THIS ANSWER CLOSE ENOUGH?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Stockton Ca
  • Registered: 2007-10-19
  • Posts: 192

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

I think about my guitar playing not in terms of rythm, or lead, but what best fits the song.   If a song is best served by strumming thats all I'm going to do.  if it needs more, an intro, outro, fills, or a solo it gets them.

I always think of Keith richards as a rythm guitarist,  that is what is most outstanding in his playing,  those repeated catchy riffs.

many times Solo guitarists have more than one guitar part on a recording,  and often use additional guitarists, when on tour.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

Thanks mixtern the problem is that I've played very rare in a band. I can tell you that playing with others IMPROVES your skills with 50%.
I am not a real skilled player, I also prefer, when playing an existing song, to play it my way.
One of the reasons of this topic is KEITH RICHARDS. I was reading an article about him, he is a great guitar player but does he play a lot of big or long solos? I can't remember. FOR ME THE MAN IS "THE PROTOTYPE" of a LEAD GUITARIST. And if he is a rhythm guitarist well he is a genius.
Yes it's difficult to tell.
THE RHYTHM GUITARIST "PROTOTYPE" is David Knopfler in Dire Straits, or Tom Fogerty in CCR
If you see Yngwie Malmsteen or Steve Vai, they are the "prototype" of solo players.
That's why I divided the guitar players in 3 categories.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Utrecht Holland
  • Registered: 2007-08-07
  • Posts: 2

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

Keith Richards is a great guitar player and I don't care what name you'll give to his style of playing.
That man is an example of someone who really knows what he can do,  with a guitar  !!
He's one of my favourite guitar players !!
I'm playing rhythm guitar in a band,  I cant play solo's.(a little)
If you're having fun, WHO CARE'S !!
Sorry for my bad English
greetz willem

  • From: San Antonio, Texas
  • Registered: 2007-06-12
  • Posts: 353

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

The majority of what I play is Rhythm due to the fact I've been playing less than 2 years ... a few songs I can do lead but they're pretty simple ... I'm sure once I finish learning my scales, etc I'll be able to do solos big_smile

Electric:  Gibson Les Paul Studio, Schecter Omen 6, PRS SE Custom
Acoustic:  Fender Talman, Yamaha
Amp:  Fender Super Champ XD/Line6 Spider III 75

Tim0473's Website

  • From: Lincoln
  • Registered: 2007-05-16
  • Posts: 36

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

Personally, I'm more of a rhythm guitarist, although I am focusing on learning to shred at the minute, so I am heading into the realm of intricate solos

Ben

It's not how well you play... It's how much effort you put into the playing
  • tonydr
  • tonydr
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: New Jersey
  • Registered: 2008-03-06
  • Posts: 144

Re: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUITAR PLAYERS?

Keith plays some lead, especially on Let IT Bleed album in between  Brian Jones & Mick Taylor. Some pretty good work. And he is the king of the open G tuning, so much so his telly had no e string so he wouldn't have to mute it.
Much of the lead guitar was Mick through the early 70's exile, sticky fingers, only rock and roll, goat's head but Keith kicks back in and shares a lot of lead work with woods later on.

I think the Rhythm guitar era is not so much disco as 60's and 70's R&B. Check out backing tracks from the likes of Bobby Womack and Steve Cropper and Curtis Mayfield and Carlos Alomar with Bowie through the 70's.

That's alright, I got my guitar
-Jimi Hendrix