While my guitar gently weeps...

As most of you know by now, I'm not a musician. I don't deny that, at some time in my life, I would have liked to learn how to play an instrument. However, I never did, and that of course has influenced the way I listen to music. I've been a music lover for most of my life, but the fact of not having any musical ability or training prevents me from appreciating the finer technical points of a band or musician's performance. While I can understand if someone is singing out of tune or is just bashing away at their instrument instead of actually playing it, I wouldn't be able to recognize, for instance, if a tune is played in 5/4, 7/8 or whatever.

What I mean by this long preamble is, non-musicians like me listen with their ears, but especially and chiefly with their heart. This is why we may have a distinct preference for those musicians who can express real emotion through their instruments, and tend to dismiss gratuitous displays of soulless technical proficiency.

Although prog is characterised by the fundamental role of keyboards, it is nonetheless an aspect of rock music - and the archetypal rock instrument is the guitar. Guitarists are very often the rock heroes by definition, and rock fans do not like anything better than to argue about the respective merits of their favourite six-stringers. For years I've witnessed a raging debate between the supporters of the shredding school of guitar players and those who instead prefer a bit more feeling with their technique. Since I've been a forum member I've seen quite a number of polls about "emotional guitarists", with people who didn't even know what that "emotional" meant.

As for myself, I couldn't care less whether - as I have recently read on a magazine - the younger generation of shredders far outstrips the likes of Page and Blackmore in the technical stakes. To me, listening to Jimmy's solo in "Stairway to Heaven" or to Ritchie's magnificent, crystal-clear sound - or even to Iommi's harsh, monstrous wall-of-sound riffing - gives me much more than an entire album of Petrucci pyrotechnics would ever do.

So, what's your take on that, my dearest fellow forum members?

crucify_the_ego wrote: I agree completely - soul should come first, then virtuousity. That's why I like David Gilmour's guitar playing so much - he's not the most technical guy in the world, but when he plays, every note matters. Steve Hackett does that for me, too.

couldn't agree more... every note should matter.. just as every brush stroke matters to a painter...

ivansfr0st wrote:   I agree that music is about perception by heart, rather than by mind. And in spite of "maturing" in my tastes over the years, I still would rather prefer something commercial over something over the top, and extremely technical, although that does not mean I can not appreciate both.    -- Ivan

hey Ivan... the difference could be is the 'over the top' 'extremely technical' a gimmick or a mean to an end.  One of the best complements I've seen written about Yes was that it is highly complex technical music but that was not done for the meer sake of doing so... it was a tool so to speak. A argument Ive seen writen in the reverse about VdGG.. it was all about the complex,  the wierd... but never really had a point to it.

micky:

MuzikLuva wrote: As a musician who was born into a very muiscal family, I couldn't agree more.  The only music I don't enjoy is noise, of which there is a lot of out there.  As a composer, I try to paint a picture with my music.  Every note is a feeling, an expression.

a clappie for you..  and no surprise to me, that as a  musician that thinks that way.. that you are a prog fan.  I should put this in my signature for as many times as I've said it but prog rock IS art.. sonic art. 

Well said Ghost Rider!

Hmm, the music of VdGG is anything but simplistic. Sure, there are no real outstanding difficult-to-play instrumental parts, but the arrangements are very complex. Just try and analyse some VdGG riffs, and you will see the complexity there. One of the band's specialties is to play several different riffs simultaneously. That's hardly simplistic.

That is why Blackmore is my favourite guitarist of all time. If you take into account all the factors, emotion, unpredictability(that really is a good word to describe his style) and his clean style of playing, he was head and shoulders above all the rest in the 70`s.

RycheMan wrote: That is why Blackmore is my favourite guitarist of all time. If you take into account all the factors, emotion, unpredictability(that really is a good word to describe his style) and his clean style of playing, he was head and shoulders above all the rest in the 70`s.

even Jeff Beck?

I think Beck more than anyone even Blackmore deserves the unpredictable tag hahahah. 

micky wrote: BaldFriede wrote: Hmm, the music of VdGG is anything but simplistic. Sure, there are no real outstanding difficult-to-play instrumental parts, but the arrangements are very complex. Just try and analyse some VdGG riffs, and you will see the complexity there. One of the band's specialties is to play several different riffs simultaneously. That's hardly simplistic. hahah.. I could think of a few adjectives about VdGG...but simplistic is not one of them haha