I'd like to hear some opinions from anyone about what they think a good guitarist is, tell me also if you play the guitar when you respond.
What makes a good guitarist?
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anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
No.
A good guitarist is one with basic technical skill, good feel, wide range of riffs/melodies/solos/squeals/effects, and open-mindedness as well as humility.
UNLIKE John Petrucci or the guys in Slipknot.
A good guitarist is one with basic technical skill, good feel, wide range of riffs/melodies/solos/squeals/effects, and open-mindedness as well as humility.
UNLIKE John Petrucci or the guys in Slipknot.
Yonder
Member
I think it's sort of stupid to say that Petrucci isn't a good guitarist. But it's most likely that anonymousnick2001 just wants to challenge us.
A good guitarist is able to transcend the notes/tabulatures and create something new. Well, we have of course call someone like Yngwie Malmsteen a good guitarist although his music will soon be forgotton. But we will remember Ritchie Blackmore, not because he was such a good guitar player, but because he created the "smoke on the water"-riff.
If you point your question to OPETH, I have to admit that I don't know if Mikael or Peter are great guitarists. IMHO the question dissappears before their music.
A good guitarist is able to transcend the notes/tabulatures and create something new. Well, we have of course call someone like Yngwie Malmsteen a good guitarist although his music will soon be forgotton. But we will remember Ritchie Blackmore, not because he was such a good guitar player, but because he created the "smoke on the water"-riff.
If you point your question to OPETH, I have to admit that I don't know if Mikael or Peter are great guitarists. IMHO the question dissappears before their music.
Staffan
Soelen gaaer bag aase ned
It's all about the tone... if you really have a great push in your tones, really bite in your notes... without making it sound bad of course...
Smitty
Prick
Donnie Darko
Destroyer of False Metal
A good guitarist has technical skill, emotion, creativity and a good variety of riffs and solos. Petrucci has all of that
I play guitar
And Mikael and Peter are super guitareros
jsut saw them today in vienna ( harvest as encore)
and you know that you are good when you can play without thinking of any notes, when the right tones come out of your hands in the same moment you play them
dont need to understand notes or a Cmayor7+sus4
i know some very good musicians who can barrely read notes
so
but anyway you cant really say when a guitarrist is good their all good
And Mikael and Peter are super guitareros
jsut saw them today in vienna ( harvest as encore)
and you know that you are good when you can play without thinking of any notes, when the right tones come out of your hands in the same moment you play them
dont need to understand notes or a Cmayor7+sus4
i know some very good musicians who can barrely read notes
so
but anyway you cant really say when a guitarrist is good their all good
fadingessence
All is Lost
yes
and Opeth has two amazing guitarists in mike and peter. It really depends what you value more, as in musicality or technical ability, but myself I consider them two of the best if not the best guitar players around. Some people really love the malmsteen and petrucci stuff but when you get down to it it's just stupid shredding without a shred of musical taste. So I guess the distinction could be made between great guitar players and great musicians that are guitar players. Creativity has a lot to do with it, which is why Hendrix is still considered so amazing. Feeling is huge too...thats why BB King is well...God. Lots of people can play his songs, no one can play it like him. The technical part isn't that hard...but putting all that emotion and feeling into it is. Petrucci is an amazing technical guitarist, he's even pretty good at feeling, but dream theater bores me to death and he recycles a lot of ideas. the songwriting aspect just isn't there. The fact that they can actually play what they write though is damn impressive, and live Dream Theater is....damn.
but to be fair Opeth strike me as more of a natural musicians in that they don't know theory or all the technical stuff and yet make better music then 99% of other guitarists and still have some bloody brilliant solos.
It really depends if you want a great musician as well as guitarist though...and what you want from the music I guess too. I love children of bodom...I think alexi is amazing...but I don't hold them nearly as high as Opeth, or even Katatonia (with pretty simple playing), or Porcupine Tree, Dark Tranquillity ect.
and Opeth has two amazing guitarists in mike and peter. It really depends what you value more, as in musicality or technical ability, but myself I consider them two of the best if not the best guitar players around. Some people really love the malmsteen and petrucci stuff but when you get down to it it's just stupid shredding without a shred of musical taste. So I guess the distinction could be made between great guitar players and great musicians that are guitar players. Creativity has a lot to do with it, which is why Hendrix is still considered so amazing. Feeling is huge too...thats why BB King is well...God. Lots of people can play his songs, no one can play it like him. The technical part isn't that hard...but putting all that emotion and feeling into it is. Petrucci is an amazing technical guitarist, he's even pretty good at feeling, but dream theater bores me to death and he recycles a lot of ideas. the songwriting aspect just isn't there. The fact that they can actually play what they write though is damn impressive, and live Dream Theater is....damn.
but to be fair Opeth strike me as more of a natural musicians in that they don't know theory or all the technical stuff and yet make better music then 99% of other guitarists and still have some bloody brilliant solos.
It really depends if you want a great musician as well as guitarist though...and what you want from the music I guess too. I love children of bodom...I think alexi is amazing...but I don't hold them nearly as high as Opeth, or even Katatonia (with pretty simple playing), or Porcupine Tree, Dark Tranquillity ect.
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
The question is beckoning for very relative answers. There's no universal definition that characterizes a 'good guitarist'. However, there are a number of criteria.
There's the guitarists that are good at 'composing' music, and they generally have a good 'feel' for the instrument, being able to say use a pleasant line of notes when improvising as opposed to running up and down harmonic minor arpeggios all over the various octaves of the key they're in. I think Mikael falls under this category, as he doesn't seem to be a technical player, he goes for feel, and that is very much expressed in his music.
There is the technical guitarists, who pride themselves on their ability to shred very fast using quite simple ideas, and usually lack alot of feeling and their playing is thusly reflected as largely formulaic. I would say Alexi Laiho and John Petrucci are guitarists that fit under this category, as this style is very much reflected in the music they write.
Now here is where we really start getting opinionated. When you talk about the average 'ameteur' or 'experienced' guitarist I suppose there's a number of things one judges them on. One would be their knowledge of musical theory, for which I don't have a very big fondness of myself, although I do understand that it is necessary to a degree in helping me write music and improvise (although im too afraid to touch it out of fear for turning into a boring scale-run player). There is the ability to read sheet music, which I believe would be completely unecessary for the average metal player. Going by ear or tablature suits fine enough when playing this realm of music. There is the ability to play 'fast' which usually coincides with knowledge of scales, usually consisiting of someone being able to run up and down them, using certain notes, changing key and whatnot which gives you improvisation. This ability is only necessary based on the guitarist's own prefference. If said guitarist is not a lead player, or doesn't wish to be, there's really no point. There is the ability to accent notes correctly, one thing new guitarists have a large problem with doing and make a song that they play, sound in fact, like the song that they're trying to play. I feel this is a very important aspect of guitaring... for its not an instrument where one just frets and plucks, there is a certain degree of 'feel' and precision that needs to go into it.
I'm quite sure there's more but I've lost my train of thought, and I hope that gives you an outline of what I believe is a good guitarist.
There's the guitarists that are good at 'composing' music, and they generally have a good 'feel' for the instrument, being able to say use a pleasant line of notes when improvising as opposed to running up and down harmonic minor arpeggios all over the various octaves of the key they're in. I think Mikael falls under this category, as he doesn't seem to be a technical player, he goes for feel, and that is very much expressed in his music.
There is the technical guitarists, who pride themselves on their ability to shred very fast using quite simple ideas, and usually lack alot of feeling and their playing is thusly reflected as largely formulaic. I would say Alexi Laiho and John Petrucci are guitarists that fit under this category, as this style is very much reflected in the music they write.
Now here is where we really start getting opinionated. When you talk about the average 'ameteur' or 'experienced' guitarist I suppose there's a number of things one judges them on. One would be their knowledge of musical theory, for which I don't have a very big fondness of myself, although I do understand that it is necessary to a degree in helping me write music and improvise (although im too afraid to touch it out of fear for turning into a boring scale-run player). There is the ability to read sheet music, which I believe would be completely unecessary for the average metal player. Going by ear or tablature suits fine enough when playing this realm of music. There is the ability to play 'fast' which usually coincides with knowledge of scales, usually consisiting of someone being able to run up and down them, using certain notes, changing key and whatnot which gives you improvisation. This ability is only necessary based on the guitarist's own prefference. If said guitarist is not a lead player, or doesn't wish to be, there's really no point. There is the ability to accent notes correctly, one thing new guitarists have a large problem with doing and make a song that they play, sound in fact, like the song that they're trying to play. I feel this is a very important aspect of guitaring... for its not an instrument where one just frets and plucks, there is a certain degree of 'feel' and precision that needs to go into it.
I'm quite sure there's more but I've lost my train of thought, and I hope that gives you an outline of what I believe is a good guitarist.
yourdeadgroom
Black Stone Wielder
I would define a good guitarist as someone with good technique.
I would define a good musician as someone who is able to convey their emotions effectively, or effect others emotions, on their chosen instrument.
I make the distinction, because there are people that can blaze away on guitar, and are quite obviously good guitar players, but that have no 'soul' to their playing, they don't say anything with their music. Conversely, there are people that technically aren't that flash on guitar, or atleast don't show off everything they can do, that can blow people away.
I've played guitar 15 years.
I would define a good musician as someone who is able to convey their emotions effectively, or effect others emotions, on their chosen instrument.
I make the distinction, because there are people that can blaze away on guitar, and are quite obviously good guitar players, but that have no 'soul' to their playing, they don't say anything with their music. Conversely, there are people that technically aren't that flash on guitar, or atleast don't show off everything they can do, that can blow people away.
I've played guitar 15 years.
Ive been playing nearly a year and i think if u play guitar you are a musician. Technique is important but If you dont have good technique arn't playing the guitar properly.
a good guitarist imo can relays there feelings through their guitar.
They should be able to know there scales not by a pattern or memorising as such but they should know what notes are in the scale then they can choose what notes to play and how to phrase giving it a feeling.
A good guitarist can be judged on what notes they choose and how they phrase them.
Mike and peter are very good guitarists/musicians as they demonstrate through their vision of creating good riffs and playing good solos.
Steve Vai can do some amazing things with the guitar and is very good at relaying his emoitins through the guitar but he cant consistently relate to me like opeth do. This emphasises mike and petes visionary and emotive playing.
a good guitarist imo can relays there feelings through their guitar.
They should be able to know there scales not by a pattern or memorising as such but they should know what notes are in the scale then they can choose what notes to play and how to phrase giving it a feeling.
A good guitarist can be judged on what notes they choose and how they phrase them.
Mike and peter are very good guitarists/musicians as they demonstrate through their vision of creating good riffs and playing good solos.
Steve Vai can do some amazing things with the guitar and is very good at relaying his emoitins through the guitar but he cant consistently relate to me like opeth do. This emphasises mike and petes visionary and emotive playing.
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
You need to draw a distinction between Steve Vai's improvising and Opeth's taking months to come up with good melodies. Given of course not all of Steve's stuff is improvised obviously, but being one of the big shredders he does improvise alot and since Opeth hardly ever do, ground has to be given to Steve Vai in terms of 'emotive playing'. Improvising just doesnt compare to taking time in composing a piece.
Also being a 'good guitarist' and being able to choose great notes while improvising or composing dont have to be mutually inclusive. There's very solid guitarists that can play other people's songs very well and very solidly, yet they may not be as good creatively, when it comes to writing music. Hence, why not everyone is a lead guitarist that writes melodies and whatnot.
Also being a 'good guitarist' and being able to choose great notes while improvising or composing dont have to be mutually inclusive. There's very solid guitarists that can play other people's songs very well and very solidly, yet they may not be as good creatively, when it comes to writing music. Hence, why not everyone is a lead guitarist that writes melodies and whatnot.
The_Children_of_Decadence
The Silent Crazy
Windom Pearl
HUGGY!!!!
Mr. Shred-ididle
Its Chinese-Tilt ya' head
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I like it when a genius guitarist combinds both. Just listen to Greg Howe, Allan Holdsworth and Shawn Lane. Then you'd know what a good guitarist is, period.
Howe = the funk and and goovey melodies + scarey technical skill and everything
Holdsworth = so complex and advance chordal and lead playing but still still sounds pretty in most cases + master legato player
Lane (RIP) = knows when to not shred, creates beautiful compositions and melodies and playes a wide range of music from classical indian to funk to jazz to prog fusion plus some uber fast but creative shred. He will be missed.
Howe = the funk and and goovey melodies + scarey technical skill and everything
Holdsworth = so complex and advance chordal and lead playing but still still sounds pretty in most cases + master legato player
Lane (RIP) = knows when to not shred, creates beautiful compositions and melodies and playes a wide range of music from classical indian to funk to jazz to prog fusion plus some uber fast but creative shred. He will be missed.
Katabasis
Member
I think a big part of it is being tasteful. Like, you can hear a lot of the times when Opeth play that there's the possibility of them going into some big solo or shred-fest...but they don't. They play to the song, and not the other way around. Alot of it is knowing what NOT to do, rather than when to shred.
And definantly emotion/feeling over technicality. If you can't play guitar for shit, but can make someone FEEL something - then you've done your job. I play guitar, and if I just impress someone technically, of course I'm disappointed. I want to move them. But then, I guess it depends where you come from.
And your definitions.
Are you a good guitar player, or are you a good musician?
And definantly emotion/feeling over technicality. If you can't play guitar for shit, but can make someone FEEL something - then you've done your job. I play guitar, and if I just impress someone technically, of course I'm disappointed. I want to move them. But then, I guess it depends where you come from.
And your definitions.
Are you a good guitar player, or are you a good musician?
nevershine
Hengität. Et hengitä enää
Kate Bush Rules!
Kali Yuga
I play the guitar.
I like guitarists who have emotion, creativity, taste, skill and diversity. I like it when guitarists aren't afraid to push the boundaries of their genres.
I don't like guitarists who play the same thing over and over again, , those who are really sloppy, and also the ones who shred constantly and only seek to show off their skill.
I like guitarists who have emotion, creativity, taste, skill and diversity. I like it when guitarists aren't afraid to push the boundaries of their genres.
I don't like guitarists who play the same thing over and over again, , those who are really sloppy, and also the ones who shred constantly and only seek to show off their skill.
Korlich
So Judah fucked it up
Lots of things.
I used to prefere guitarist who could make some spectaculary solos, but as in the case with Opeth, it´s more of an all around judgement now. Like how good/original the riffs and fills are, how the solo match the song and how it is timed etc.
And really just how unique a sound the guitarist can create.
My all time fav. is still Randy Rhoades, most unique sounding IMO.
I used to prefere guitarist who could make some spectaculary solos, but as in the case with Opeth, it´s more of an all around judgement now. Like how good/original the riffs and fills are, how the solo match the song and how it is timed etc.
And really just how unique a sound the guitarist can create.
My all time fav. is still Randy Rhoades, most unique sounding IMO.
Chris Brooks
www.chrisbrooks.com
A good guitarist to me is a good musician - someone expressive, technically capable, musical and who has good control of their instrument, as well as the ability to phrase well. A good guitarist is speaking a language they are completely fluent in, and whether or not you like it as a listener depends on whether or not he's speaking in your language.
