Tone vs. Playing Skill?

[THTH]

Things that impress me:

1.Innate ability to write original music.
2.Excellent controlled finger vibrato.
3.Melodic phrasing.

Speed isn't that difficult and comes naturally with repetition. Tone can be more elusive. Knowledge of theory makes it easier to "communicate" with other musicians. The musicians that impress me the most are those that we would call "naturals". Their brains are wired for music, people call that "talent".

 

[YellowJacket]

Things that impress me:

1.Innate ability to write original music.
2.Excellent controlled finger vibrato.
3.Melodic phrasing.

Speed isn't that difficult and comes naturally with repetition. Tone can be more elusive. Knowledge of theory makes it easier to "communicate" with other musicians. The musicians that impress me the most are those that we would call "naturals". Their brains are wired for music, people call that "talent".

I think colour, vibrato, and phrasing are also an outcome of practice but they do take a lot of work. Vibrato is not so hard on guitar but phrasing is particularly problematic on guitar. I find that most of my practice time these days is working on trying to have as sustained a musical line as possible, especially without ridiculous gain settings. I really admire players like Clapton and Hendrix who will play 'dry' through an amp with low gain settings and yet can have as thick and continuous of a sounds as most violin players get. Trying to hide behind delay and reverb might sound great in performance but it does not make it necessary to refine one's technique.

I think when I think of theory, I also think of the piles of composition / songwriting instruction I have had at the university level. Yes, I wrote music without any help at all so I am innate, but my craft has been greatly refined through years of work. It was definitely worth it, even if I am in the 'unlearning' process right now.

 

[THTH]

Interesting how you mention the 'unlearning' process. I remember when I had to be on my toes and constantly recall information consciously while playing. Then after some years the information became 'subconsciously' available. This is similar to the process of learning a new language. A point is reached when active translation is no longer occurring, only passive translation. Not having to think about what or why you're doing something while doing it is a great achievement and leads to enhanced creativity. Usually I only notice this when someone asks "What was that you just played?", or "How did you connect that?". The real beauty is knowing what you're doing without dwelling on it or being constrained by it.

 

[YellowJacket]

Well, all the talk of phrasing, texture, form, development, etc. All these 'rules' first of all provide parameters and tools which allow a composer to write cogent music. It helps organize thoughts which results in a unified piece of music that people can follow.
While these boundaries help organize the creative thoughts of beginners, they become a cage as an artist outgrows them. To progress beyond this point, these psychological structures need to be removed. Craft is important but the craft is just the means that allows the artist to express art clearly. I think for me, I had to stop thinking about everything as absolutes. i.e. I needed to stop thinking about harmony, melody, motives, forms, development, and proportions. When I removed all that stuff from my creative consciousness, all I was left with was 'this sounds good' and 'this doesn't sound good'.
Rather than writing music by coming up with a great melody or a great idea, I try to think about the mood / vibe I am wanting to communicate and I go from there. I wait for material to 'pop' into my head rather than trying to pull it from thin air.

 

[ozboy]

I hate playing in guitar stores. So I compensate by not playing in them. Unfortunately I had to try out a new PRS in shop, mostly just did it unplugged, to get a feel for the neck.

 

[Heritage Softail]

I think The Stone Temple Pilots have a great bunch of songs. Killer tone and a cool take on playing.

All from a self taught non techie player.

I would say to bring your iPod and jam to a jam track when at a music store. I stRted doing that to make playing demo time more realistic. And you never know what people like. Probably more are annoyed at super ******s than impressed.

One day while I was messing with a Strat, playing some Dire Straits, a guy came over and asked me to turn it up to drown out the other ******y.

Enjoy playing. It is a gift. If you are any good at all you are blessed with a skill that others may never have. Making music is a cool and intangible thing. Develop your own gift.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

I always feel under the microscope when playing in a guitar store. I usually compensate for it by playing solid yet non-flashy material (Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, etc) and/or playing songs the average radio listener has probably never heard (Melvin's, Kyuss, etc).

I find a lot of the dudes that noodle in stores have really poor senses of rhythm and timing, so playing solid songs with lots of groove is my way of feeling better about myself.

Yes, guitar stores are huge dick waving contests ALL the time. I compensate by playing super phat clean chords with lots of extensions, as well as extremely modal / chromatic quasi fusion style playing. I do something like that because it isn't the same hackneyed blues or metal triplet sequences that everyone likes to play.

I used to enjoy playing in guitar stores. As a teenager and in my early 20s, I would sometimes even participate in the unspoken "head cutting" battles, but I really became tired of that. I'd much rather play in private when I'm trying gear than be concerned about impressing someone. The closest Guitar Center to me used to have a sealed off listening room with all of their expensive gear, but for some reason or another, no longer even have a door to that room, so there is no privacy anywhere on the sales floor. :x I usually play unpredictable/obscure clean passages or some very solid, tasty improvs if I use distortion. I never, ever play well known teen angst metal riffs at GC because I would feel like either Beavis & Butthead or Wayne & Garth. Oh well, at least Wayne & Garth's first movie sent out the much needed message about Stairway.

One of the few times I lost control and cranked an amp way up at GC without caring was when I was trying out my MkIII and it was slaying the room, what tone!! A small group came over to the listening room to watch, but I didn't mind that time. 8)