Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?

Subject: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Ian Stephenson
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 04:21 AM

I reckon being a guitarist is great for joining in with sessions, but learning new tunes for a melody player is a very satisfying experience -so how are guitarists like me supposed to get their kicks?

By learning new chord progressions? -Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it!! Cheers, Ian

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Herge
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 02:44 PM

Get your kicks by learning a new instrument! I started on guitar but found it restrictive in sessions. I maybe spent all week perfecting a tune but in the noise of a session it could not be heard. So I adopted the old saying 'if you can't beat them join them' I started on the banjo (but could'nt take the slagging) and moved onto the fiddle and bouzouki. I still enjoy the guitar but tune it DADGAD for the better tone it gives.

Herge

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Sam Pirt
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 04:42 PM

You could always learn to play the tunes on the guitar as well!!. Dave MacIsaac has brought a good CD out of cape breton tunes played on guitar.

Cheers

Bye, Sam

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Colin The Whistler (inactive)
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 05:18 PM

Many a player has been drawn to distraction by the three chord wander sitting in a corner banging away like a headless chicken. As a whistle player its is very satisfying to be backed up by a good guitar player , drummer, or stringed instrument. Not only does it enhance the overall tune but selective playing on a guitar, for exapmle, can turn a dull tune into a cracker !! .contempment is wealth...stick at it brother !!!!!

If you find your getting bored, try openning your gullet for an oul song. Good or bad its a welcome addition to any session (provided it's not Danny Boy!)

Colin Ballygally

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 05:24 PM

Well I think it is a definite advantage.... I have only fairly recently joined the ranks of the melody players and that is great and I love it. My background though is that of a guitar player for all of my adult life. I think guitar players have a different approach to sessions.

Playing the guitar enables you contribute something to a song or tune, even if you do not know the melody enough to play it, something that the majority of melody players don't fully understand.... Although the best guitar players (and best musicians) know when not to play at all.

Guitar players do get a lot of stick, mostly undeserved in my opinion, but they and the poor old bodhran players are pretty easy targets, as all the melody players (who would argue amongst themselves otherwise), can all agree that they are the problem. I think it is just that they just have to sit there and can't really contribute, if they don't know the tune and they get a little jealous of those that can.

I have largely switched to the bouzouki now and reluctantly to the tenor banjo, for volume at sessions. As playing the melody on the bouzouki will not be heard, I take both instruments and play chords on the bouzouki on the quiet tunes and the melodies I don't know well enough to play on the banjo. So it's the best of both worlds really.

Something you could try, it does get you to understand and appreciate the tunes (and the melody players) better and will improve your rhythm playing too.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Chet W.
Date: 19 Apr 99 - 06:05 PM

FWIW, I always recommend that anyone who wants to play a stringed instrument learn to play guitar first, regardless of the destination instrument. Helps the rythm. Speaking of which, there is not much that can make a band or a casual jam sound better more than a really perfect rythm player. Just for two examples, check any Norman Blake record or that Doyle guy that plays with Solas. It's the little subtleties of rythm that give any kind of music its character, and the perfect execution of it can make all but the feeblest melody players sound better. I play mandolin, fiddle and the rest but in a session there's nothing I like better than playing rythm guitar. (Have to know the chords, though.)

Chet

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Lucius
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 01:14 PM

I play mandolin and banjo as well as guitar, I guess that I would suggest the same--that is to play rhythm guitar and learn one of the melody instruments. What I really enjoy doing is flatpicking, but except for wonders like Dave MacIssac, sesson players want the guitar to play rhythm. I'm not ready (yet) to challenge their expectations. One of these days though, I want to show up with my electric guitar and my pignose amp.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Bert
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 01:49 PM

Problem is in our area - If you don't have a guitar you don't get to sing. So if you're a singer then you don't have a choice. But it doesn't always sound too good trying to play the melody AND sing.

So I'll stick with my three chords and if you don't like it you can blame it onto the singalog snobs who won't let anyone perform a capella. I've tried it and they join in with their guitars but get the timing all wrong.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Mudjack
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 04:19 PM

I have discovered over the years that the those tiring same old chords can be broke down into some basic melodies. I don't read an ounce of music but the melody of songs keep haunting me and I find that there is real notes structured around the chord. Experiment by placing your fingers on a C chord and let those fingers pull, drop, hammer notes to the scale. In your mind you can think do re mi fa sol la ti do. Playing at other instruments offer a great deal as a change of pace like taking an old junker guitar, raising the nut with an add on nut, tune that baby to d a d f# a d and barring with a bottle neck or metal pipe and wow! A cheap imitation of a dobro/hawiian slack key. Playing chords is not always limited to just playing chords, you just have to keep applying new and different techniques. Those out there that hav'nt found the capo as an alternative playing method should try it and expand the possibilities.When those chords start sounding boring, then its time to go forward or work them over to improve on them, example, don't just play the chord, make the guitar "voice" the chord.Sh...t there I go again on a rant.Sorry catters.... Jack the mostly folk guy.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 05:57 PM

If I only had one instrument to play it would definitely be the guitar. It sounds great with or without a band and goes well with a wide variety of music

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Apr 99 - 08:54 PM

I view the guitar as the most versatile instrument around, but I must admit to searching for the Holy Grail when it comes to playing chords for (some) traditional tunes. Just a few points:

- Heard Lunhasa play live about 12 months ago. The guitar and bass work transformed 'ordinary' tunes into absolute dynamite. I haven't had the chance to hear their work since to begin to understand why their accompaniment is so powerful.

- There are some tunes where a change in chords alone can fundamentally change the tenor of the tune. The one that springs to mind is the Irish version of Soldiers Joy. Try playing it modally, predominantly D and C chords.

- And yet again there are some tunes where the chords changes are far from intuitive, like the Wonder Hornpipe or fairly subtle, like King Of The Fairies where my ear is just not good enough, and I have to resort to a printed memory jogger.

- I occasionally use ABCMUS to generate chords to familiar tunes. Because you can tweak the program you can end up with quite different arrangements for the same tune (some of which are quite bizarre). I guess it depends on your own sense of harmony, but sometimes I end up with scraps of chord patterns that I would not have invented intuitively.

- And on the subject of computers a number of celtic MIDI sites have tunes with very good chords behind them. If you need more info on how to decode this info please let me know.

- I had some jazz lessons a few years ago. That revolutionised the way I now approach the instrument, particularly for playing melody and lead lines and playing in odd keys and wandering all over the fretboard. That's (almost) second nature now.

Pardon my ramblings
John

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: hank
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 09:13 AM

I have only one probelm with the guitar: nearly everyone plays it, and never moves on.

Not that it is bad to play the guitar, it is a versitil insterment, but I know many people who play it. Probably as many guitar players as all other stringed insterments compined (excepting the piano) So yes, learn the guitar, I won't hold it against you. Do everyone a favor though, and learn something for varity

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Ian Stephenson
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 10:20 AM

Cheers everyone, but theres no use advising that I should play the guitar, as I've already been playing it 9 years!

Try out Jazz chords for accompanying Northumbrian tunes for an interesting combination. It sounds wierd but it definately works!

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Herge
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 10:57 AM

The guitar has the deepest bass at most sessions so I concentrate on those low strings to add bass runs to the tunes and it works well.

Herge

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Alice
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 11:28 AM

Bert... that is amazing that a capella singing is taboo in your group! Shame on them. I always sing a capella at our session, whether I'm singing something that people join in on or a solo.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: Max
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 11:40 AM

Alice,
It's not so much that it's taboo. It's just that if you don't have a guitar they think that you're just a listener and you don't get included for a turn.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Being a guitarist -Advantage or Disadvantage?
From: steve in ottawa
Date: 21 Apr 99 - 08:55 PM

How do guitar players get their kicks? Do they need kicks? I remember reading about a guy learning karate who claimed most time spent learning one seemed to be on a plateau -- that the noticeable jumps in ability happened, but were few and far between. I think you've either got to take pleasure in routine playing, rather than expecting to get kicks. If you need kicks, you might try constantly learning new instruments, but most people never get as good at several instruments as they would be if they were emotionally able to specialize in playing a single instrument.

I learned guitar mostly to help me understand how to sing better while guitars were playing in the background. Being able to play an instrument really does help your singing. And as Bert suggests, it's MUCH easier to lead a song in a group when you play the rhythm yourself. And to everyone who tries to sing a capella but finds instrumentalists joining him, be strong: tell them that you're not singing in 440 and they're ALL off key :-) Odd thing is, it's usually TRUE.