Squonk
Was in Ballito for the week of the Pro Ballito Surfing event.
I saw lots of guitarists either performing on their own or in duos
The one thing I noticed is that most of them could not strum and sounded awful at best, Even Elvis Blue had some kind of technique that at least sounded reasonable.
I found it quite jarring even if the Vocals were good.
I think strumming is not as easy as it's made out to be. I remember when I first started playing, and the advice I was given at the time, that anyone can strum but only the good ones can pick! Not quite true.
If you listen to Darrell Scott(Plays with Robert Plant) he has a great strumming technique.
Even listening to many strummers and pickers at TJ's, there is only a few that can really strum well.
Jack-Flash-Jr
Not only strumming but rhythm guitar in general... weird that so many people spend hours and hours on soloing but quite obviously not nearly enough on playing something interesting on tempo...
vic
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
Not only strumming but rhythm guitar in general... weird that so many people spend hours and hours on soloing but quite obviously not nearly enough on playing something interesting on tempo...
If a guitarist can't strum properly, he/she should be banned from any playing in public...! ?
Jack-Flash-Jr
vic wrote:
Jack Flash Jr wrote:
Not only strumming but rhythm guitar in general... weird that so many people spend hours and hours on soloing but quite obviously not nearly enough on playing something interesting on tempo...
If a guitarist can't strum properly, he/she should be banned from any playing in public...! ?
A bit extreme but hell... why not? ?
Thing is, great songs are built on great rhythms (a lot of the time strumming), listenable songs the same...
Warren
Actually, I've noticed this too. When I started playing, it was all strummed chords, really. I did a bit of fingerpicking too, arpeggiated chords and stuff, but I thought acoustic guitar playing was mostly about strumming.
Many years later I started running into guys who could play the most amazing lead runs: fast and fluid and clear. But they couldn't hold a chord, much less strum it.
I was reminded of the importance of simple strummed rhythms when listening to the Hinds Brothers the last time I was at TJ's. Pretty much all of their stuff is strummed and the grooves they create sound excellent.
AlanRatcliffe
It's always tickled me that while we play rhythm 90% of the time, most players only practice playing it 10% of the time. Most of my favourite players live as much in the rhythm section as they do being flashy.
Solo singer/guitarists tend to be the worst - they often tend to follow the rhythm of the voice. Even if they have good, solid internal timing, they will often drop notes without realising it during instrumental sections or when changing between verse and chorus.
vic
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
It's always tickled me that while we play rhythm 90% of the time, most players only practice playing it 10% of the time. Most of my favourite players live as much in the rhythm section as they do being flashy.
Solo singer/guitarists tend to be the worst - they often tend to follow the rhythm of the voice. Even if they have good, solid internal timing, they will often drop notes without realising it during instrumental sections or when changing between verse and chorus.
Very true.
But think of it this way...a player who has not got a variety of strumming options would not be able to play any of (or in the styles of)....Stones, CCR, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Shadows, country,waltzes,bosa-nova,rockabilly,classic rock'n roll, ...and the very difficult ,but always overlooked...boeremusiek ?
vic
Squonk wrote:
Was in Ballito for the week of the Pro Ballito Surfing event.
I saw lots of guitarists either performing on their own or in duos
The one thing I noticed is that most of them could not strum and sounded awful at best, Even Elvis Blue had some kind of technique that at least sounded reasonable.
I found it quite jarring even if the Vocals were good.
I think strumming is not as easy as it's made out to be. I remember when I first started playing, and the advice I was given at the time, that anyone can strum but only the good ones can pick! Not quite true.
If you listen to Darrell Scott(Plays with Robert Plant) he has a great strumming technique.
Even listening to many strummers and pickers at TJ's, there is only a few that can really strum well.
Very bad advice....maybe it's the other way around....or maybe "only the good ones can do both" ?
Riaan-Combrink
+1 Vic - I was going to mention Keith Richards as a good example of a 'complete' guitarist. Great rhythm player - and knows how to hold a guitar whilst strumming for maximum Keefness!
For most of my 20+ years of playing I have played rhythm exclusively. I used to be quite embarrassed about this, until I noticed exactly what Squonk posted about - how many 'more impressive shredders' shounded absolutely mediocre whenever the song called for anything but a solo.
Jack-Flash-Jr
Riaan C wrote:
+1 Vic - I was going to mention Keith Richards as a good example of a 'complete' guitarist. Great rhythm player - and knows how to hold a guitar whilst strumming for maximum Keefness!
For most of my 20+ years of playing I have played rhythm exclusively. I used to be quite embarrassed about this, until I noticed exactly what Squonk posted about - how many 'more impressive shredders' shounded absolutely mediocre whenever the song called for anything but a solo.
There's another angle, Squonk's set covers an amazing rhythmic spectrum bolstered by rhythmic lead lines as well... Rhythm = strumming and/or riffing and/or rhythmic lead...
Seventhson
Yeah my rhythm is way better than my lead.
Warren
Seventhson wrote:
Yeah my rhythm is way better than my lead.
How it should be, I reckon, if one absolutely has to lag behind in one area.
You're much, much more useful to a band (unless you're employed
specifically as a lead player) being a solid rhythm player.
domhatch
strumming. comes down to rhythm, don't it? and technique, of course. but then everything that comes with playing guitar has its own particular technique, innit? not too long ago, someone posted a vid interview with (i might be wrong here, but i'm getting used to being wrong often, now that my kids are getting older) al di meola. i picked up a few great tips from it, but the best was in terms of practicing for rhythm. simple really, but damned effective.
when practicing, set your metronome (what? you don't practice with a metronome?) to click on the two and the four, rather than on on all four beats. this means you have a little more freedom to add a bit of swing to your playing, but still have to be accurate in your timing. works just as well if you're playing rhythm, lead, doesn't really matter. faster you get, more accurate you need to be, essentially. the idea is that doing this long enough means you've gone a long way towards getting your timing sorted out.
if i had to pick one area in which i lag behind, i'd have to say it'd be guitar... ?
Banditman
if i had to pick one area in which i lag behind, i'd have to say it'd be guitar...
Amen Dom, I think most of us are never satisfied with our playing. Good thing too, within reason.
I'd have to say that I'm another rhythm player who does some lead when required. Always have felt a bit bad that I couldn't do blisteringly-fast runs (which is my own fault, easily rectified if I spent more time on scales & arpeggios, and all the other veggies we avoid eating).
As soulful or stunning as good soloes are, they're really just the garnish on the sundae & not the scoops of icecream. Rhythm, bass & drums aren't given nearly enough regard. Think of the work done by guys like Edge or Malcolm Young.
It's only when you listen that you realise just how limited a lot of players are in strumming technique & variety.
Now I don't feel so bad about not being able to play Cliffs of Dover anymore. Thanks, gang.
Bob-Dubery
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
It's always tickled me that while we play rhythm 90% of the time, most players only practice playing it 10% of the time. Most of my favourite players live as much in the rhythm section as they do being flashy.
Solo singer/guitarists tend to be the worst - they often tend to follow the rhythm of the voice. Even if they have good, solid internal timing, they will often drop notes without realising it during instrumental sections or when changing between verse and chorus.
I think that's where it shows the most - and pays off the most. You don't need chops to play solo and to do so convincingly, if you have good rhythm, good timing you're most of the way there. Mrs X-rated and I saw Loudon Wainwright III in London last year. With all due respect he's not in the top echelon of guitar players, but he can deliver a full length, convincing solo show (about 75 minutes when we saw him) without getting stuck in a rut.
PS: I spelled it right.
Strumming and good rhythm helps you deliver up tempo songs, to put a bit of momentum and oomph into the proceedings. It doesn't HAVE to be strummed, the key things are timing and rhythm.
Aleks
I don't think that a guitarist should slack on any aspect of their playing, whether it be arpeggios, tapping, bending, strumming, chord-changes, soloing or anything related to the playing of a guitar.
That's like having a drummer that can play a 4/4 but doesn't know their rudiments, or a pianist that can play their chords but not play simultaneously with the left and right hand.
One must seek to grow as a musician, and become a master of their instrument. Especially if they know that somewhere in the crowd, somebody will notice the sloppiness.
We must not be content with mediocrity!
Practice makes perfect. ?
Or so they say. ?
vic
Listen to John Lennon's excellent rhythm playing here...it makes this song imho
Valie
A lot of people rave about Hendrix's lead work but don't realize what an awesome rhythm player he was. I suppose a lot of session work helped a lot. When he was in England he said Clapton was good, pity he could not play rhythm. Another player that comes to mind is Pete Townshend of the Who.
Squonk
Valie wrote:
A lot of people rave about Hendrix's lead work but don't realize what an awesome rhythm player he was. I suppose a lot of session work helped a lot. When he was in England he said Clapton was good, pity he could not play rhythm. Another player that comes to mind is Pete Townshend of the Who.
Tommy has some exceptional acoustic work by Townshend.
zohn
Martin Barre (Jethro Tull) is another great player - Heavy Horses, Moths, Songs from the woods, jump start are but a few - acoustic of course....
