Did ya ever wonder.....

[MikeVt]

Ok...so Keith has posted some pretty entertaining side threads. So I thought I'd give it a shot.

Did you ever wonder why as guitarists we strive to learn how to squeak, squeal, and whammy, but it's considered poor playing with other instruments?

When was the last time you heard a sax, clarinet, or violin player squeak/squeal and have the audience think it was cool?

Just something to think about...

MikeVt

[Norrin Radd]

Maybe it's because it takes some skill to perform those sounds on a guitar whereas, the opposite is true of other instruments, it's a lack of skill that causes them. For example, even I could make a clarinet squeal, but it's not a very pretty tone!

[savannah_sean]

I think there are "nonstandard" sounds that are made on other instruments that sound good when done by somebody with skill on that instrument. Don't some jazz players actually make their horns "squeal" on purpose?

[kbaim]

The sax player I was in a band with, a very good player, used to squeal and honk, and it kinda used to bug me. But when he wasn't doing that he was playing really inspired melodies that sounded so great, I never said anything.

And my playing is probably the opposite. Not a lot of tricks. Guilty of probably sounding a little bland.

Truth be told, if I wasn't playing it, not sure I'd choose to listen to it. This dawned on me about a year ago.

[OrangeChannel]

I've gotta second Keith about the sax players...dude if you ain't heard Skerik you need to go and find some stuff he's played on like Critters Buggin' records....because he squeeks and skronks thru stuff and it sounds INSANE.

Violin players and other string quartet cats....screw 'em hehehe...too stuffy....I have yet to meet an improvisational violinist...or cellist, or double bassist, or viola'st...I went thru a music progam that was primarily geared for classicists...and talk about pretention...they'd find I was a guitarist and almost be offended that I wasn't 100% classically based...they hated it when I'd ask...Can you improv?

Chumps.

[MikeVt]

Hehe...I can see that fizzled. I was trying to be mildly funny, but at the same time asking what I thought was a valid question.

I was really looking at it from the listener's point of view. We LIKE to hear guitarists squeal and sqeak, but as a general rule, we don't like to hear other instruments do it.

Oh well....I guess I'll keep my day job!
MikeVt