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

Topic: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

Isn't it a little bit confusing and difficult to pin point a guitar player in a certain category.
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A RHYTHM GUITARIST?
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A SOLO GUITARIST?
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A LEAD GUITARIST?

In a lot of bands, you can hear (sometimes really on the background) a rhythm guitarist, just strumming chords. CCR is a good example. I have two live albums, one with TOM, and another without:
- THE CONCERT: the 4 members with Tom on Rhythm guitar
- LIVE IN EUROPE: 3 members, so NO TOM
The point is, if you listen to "THE CONCERT" you hear Tom, "strumming" NO riff, NO lick, he's just a part of the rhythm section, providing an almost silent extra sound.
- LEAD GUITAR: What is in fact the difference with Solo guitar?
In which category do you belong? When I play, I play probably rhythm guitar, but using licks and riffs, and "mini solos" IS THIS STILL RHYTHM? or "LEAD" playing this style, trying to play in a MELODIC way, so people recognise the song.
- SOLO GUITAR? my opinion, or image is a guitar player like HENDRIX, CLAPTON, LED ZEPPELIN (JIMMY PAGE) Paul Jones had maybe more talent, he could play a lot of instruments, and his share is UNDERESTIMATED.
AMAZING TOO: The sound produced by a band with only 3 members, like CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX.
WHAT CAN WE UNDERSTAND STARTING FROM RHYTHM GUITAR TO SOLO?

[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: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

gitaardocphil wrote:

Isn't it a little bit confusing and difficult to pin point a guitar player in a certain category.
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A RHYTHM GUITARIST?
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A SOLO GUITARIST?
- WHAT DO WE MEAN, TALKING ABOUT A LEAD GUITARIST?

In a lot of bands, you can hear (sometimes really on the background) a rhythm guitarist, just strumming chords. CCR is a good example. I have two live albums, one with TOM, and another without:
- THE CONCERT: the 4 members with Tom on Rhythm guitar
- LIVE IN EUROPE: 3 members, so NO TOM
The point is, if you listen to "THE CONCERT" you hear Tom, "strumming" NO riff, NO lick, he's just a part of the rhythm section, providing an almost silent extra sound.
- LEAD GUITAR: What is in fact the difference with Solo guitar?
In which category do you belong? When I play, I play probably rhythm guitar, but using licks and riffs, and "mini solos" IS THIS STILL RHYTHM? or "LEAD" playing this style, trying to play in a MELODIC way, so people recognise the song.
- SOLO GUITAR? my opinion, or image is a guitar player like HENDRIX, CLAPTON, LED ZEPPELIN (JIMMY PAGE) Paul Jones had maybe more talent, he could play a lot of instruments, and his share is UNDERESTIMATED.
AMAZING TOO: The sound produced by a band with only 3 members, like CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX.
WHAT CAN WE UNDERSTAND STARTING FROM RHYTHM GUITAR TO SOLO?

Phil,

Here is what my understanding of what you've posted.

1. A rythem guitarst is just that he is part of the rythem section and hold down the structure (if you will) of the song along with the drummer and the bassist.

2. A solo guitarist is a single guitar player in the band who handles both rythem and lead parts.

3. A lead guitarist plays the lead parts and fills of the song.

4. I play all three depending on who I am playing with.

5. You can learn structure of songs and the importance of the rythem section in a band and how to solo (what key and changes)
.

Bootlegger.

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

i agree with bootlegger you have to learn the structure and then you can solo there are those who can solo and not know squat about rhythem and theory but they are very few in number the tried and true way of musical education in the long run will stay with you always.

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

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

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

I think of it more like how people who don't play guitar, classify guitarists.   Most "lead" guitarists play "rhythm" parts when they are not playing fills,  or solos.

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

mixter its true you cant garbage up a song with just solo work it takes away from the identity of the song and without a foundation built on solid theory you dont really play "with the band" but yourself and thats a small group

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

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

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

I agree with you friends, for me, as I told a 100% rhythm guitarist is more difficult to spot, listening to a band. Like CCR in particular, SUSIE Q. I was told by a PROFESSIONAL that I was more a kind of "lead guitar" player.
This after recording (and correcting + arrangements) a CD with 2 songs I played. He also pointed and talked about my bad things and habits.
My style: trying to play the melody on a few strings, using some riffs and licks + mini-solo's.
One of the 2 songs was NORWEGIAN WOOD, the other a "bluesy song"
All this happened in CANADA visiting a woman, who staid with another Canadian girl 1 year in our family now 30 years ago.
She is  married with a YUGOSLAVIAN guy, a PROFESSIONAL, CLASSIC SCHOOLED Musician. Please do me a favour and GOOGLE Miki PETKOVSKI, he was member (leader in fact) of a Band named SMAK or use this link: www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2822
She is a lawyer, they both live in a huge house in MISSISAUGA Canada, where her husband has a real big RECORDING STUDIO. More information on http://davorius.com/songland/
He has quit a reputation, writing songs for ads, style: more Jazz/Fusion, but he can play everything.
Like one night: he plaid, a few songs from the Beatles, like "Something", "Yesterday" in any style you wanted: example: YESTERDAY ==> Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, in BLUES style, Jazz.. INCREDIBLE TALENTED GUY.
I really hope that you find him.
Thanks a lot for your help and information, it is "again" a think-topic.

[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: Zanesville Ohio
  • Registered: 2007-11-29
  • Posts: 74

Re: ABOUT GUITAR PLAYERS

I've played in 3 bands, In 2 of em, we had 2 guitarists,  and one had just 1.

In the first , although I played the solos and did the lead work, I played a lot of rhythm. The other guitarist played rhythm, even though he had played a lot longer than I have. He just prefered to lay back and let other people do their thing...

In the second band, the one I'm in currently, we have two guitarists, but we both share rhythm and lead, as we do a lot of harmonizing solos (Iron Maiden anyone?) and play different parts of the rhythm section at the same time to give us a fuller, more distinct sound (another metal band).

In the third band (a rock/blues/pop band), I was the ONLY guitarist, and that gave me an extreme appreciation for rhythm guitarists, as well as made me learn to play a tighter rhythm guitar. Being the only guitarist was fun, but it was also very demanding, as I had to focus on a ton of things at once (staying in time, singing backup, soloing, switching pedals on and off, playing rhythm, etc....)

So I say that no decent guitarist should study one style, such as just playing solos, or just playing rhythm, as a great guitarist should be able to hold his own, no matter what a band needs him to play...