How do you recognize someone as a GOOD guitarist?

[gordonzz]

Just wondering how do you guys rate someone to be a GOOD guitarist? :roll:

Do u have to shred to be good?
Do you have to know all the theories to be good?
Do you have be able to compose music to be good?
Or simply you could be good if you could play some 4chords-throughout-the-song punkrock song? :wink:

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For me i'm simple, anyone that could play smoothing music to the ear is good :wink:

 

[dreampolice]

melody ,versatility, diversity( ability to experiment with different styles) and speed matters the least.
to some extent, theory isnt necessary too.

mike einziger of incubus is an excellent example.

 

[The-Warlord]

Not playing something to fast and hard for himself for the sake of saying thathe played that, and a accurate, fluent guitarist is always nice.

 

[shinobi]

mike einziger from incubus is a great guitarist as well as a great all-round musician. i reckon music theory would be quite important to him

you only need to hear his work with time-lapse consortium to know

 

[guitar_phreak]

Music theory is under-rated.

imho, all musicians should pick up some music theory.

Music theory isn't just the "tow-gay", algebra or physics...Its really how to convey emotions into sounds...(plus u dun have to play trial and error all the time). How each note fits with each other to make consonant and dissonant sounds/emotions..etc

Plus, it helps u understand ur instrument much better, and hence, you can emote/adlib and even shred better.

Billy Sheehan claims he doesn't know music theory....on the contrary though, his knowledge is immense... Although he did pick it up on his own (thru countless hours of performance..etc). Steve Vai reads tow-gay, and so does Satch and Gilbert.

Music theory--- not a necessity, but definitely a bonus to being a good guitarist.

 

[headwan]

hmmm gd comment...for me a good guitarist must have simplicity.....i mean simplicity and understanding on his own stage rig,the technique his playing and he know his equipment....i mean every guitarist must control his equipment...kirk hammet(metallica) and dimebag darrell former band pantera doesnt quite know or control his own set-up...their guitar tech who mostly do it for them....but on the other hand their technique and riff is superb but a bit complicated at times.

for mike einziger from incubus,dave grohl of foo fighter and head from korn, their rig are simple and they control their own rig.their technique and riff are superb yet not complicated...

so is up to ppl to judge which is a gd guitarist...most will go for the superb and complicated ones...but for me simple yet not complicated.

 

[iansoh]

to be able to play those weird ass chords and inversions that seem manageable only on a keyboard.

and to be able to work those chords and rhythm in with the bass player. i.e, not playing the root note/full barre chord all the time but freeing up more strings to play more harmonising notes for the chord.

 

[Hideo]

Able to play solos that goes with the background music, on the spot given a background music and then u play the solo along with it? well thats mine defination

 

[Enigma]

Essentials

Sense of Timing, Sense of Rhythm, Good Tone and Sensitivity.

Sense of Timing - Better be able to keep time or else........... No sense of timing, might as well don't play.

Sense of Rhythm - Be able to play various different rhythms and 'feel' the song and the beat. This is how you make the song interesting. You cannot feel the song, don't play.

Good Tone - No tone equals no sound equals might as well don't play. So what if you have all the technique in the world? If people cannot hear or feel what you are playing, might as well don't play.

Knows when to play and when to stop playing - Knows when to play fast and when to play slow. Knows when to play a lot of notes and knows when to play only one note.

These are the basic things which make up a good guitarist.

 

[fowler]

true..and on top of that, charisma on stage

 

[Vaiyen]

In my view, before jumping into this topic, we must first differentiate between being a good MUSICIAN and a good GUITARIST.

The difference might not be apparent at first glance, but the 2 terms actually have totally different connotations.

When evaluating musicians, we consider aspects like compositional ability, creativity, and overall quality of their pieces. Since we all know that individual tastes differ and that there is no hard and fast rule as to what constitutes 'good music' and 'bad music', it is a purely subjective topic which no one can pass judgment on. I loathe pop-punk bands like Good Charlotte, but that does not make them bad, because many others enjoy that kind of music. The music moves and gratifies them, and that is all that matters.


However, evaluating of 'good guitarists' is a different thing altogether. It is a purely quantitative process which can be reduced to an indisputable conclusion, with the aid of relevant evidence. The term 'good guitarist', essentially means a good instrumentalist. And by that, we are referring to a person who is proficient in his instrument. In guitar terms, we are talking about someone who has total command over his axe, and who has the technical ability to fully express his emotions into the music he writes. Good technique broadens horizons, whereas the lack of it will set constraints. Someone with the phenomenal technique of Rusty Cooley can express whatever he wants to say in his music, without being restricted by technical limitations. This is a catalyst for creativity, for he can do whatever he wants.


Kurt Cobain is revered as a great musician, but he was indubitably an under-developed guitarist. Michael Angelo is trashed for his crappy songs, but he is doubtless a very good guitarist.

To me, Steve Vai strikes the perfect balance between musicianship and technique.

 

[Vaiyen]

I think I just killed the thread

 

[ChanMin]

haha i guess the topic just lost its appeal after awhile.
good post btw

 

[HaMLeT]

Able to play solos that goes with the background music, on the spot given a background music and then u play the solo along with it? well thats mine defination

Well...I agree to tht...futhermore a good guitarist shld able to express oneself by playing its music / solo..noe his technique n control and able to adapt all kinds of music wil b a bonus :wink:

 

[The-Warlord]

hmmm gd comment...for me a good guitarist must have simplicity.....i mean simplicity and understanding on his own stage rig,the technique his playing and he know his equipment....i mean every guitarist must control his equipment...kirk hammet(metallica) and dimebag darrell former band pantera doesnt quite know or control his own set-up...their guitar tech who mostly do it for them....but on the other hand their technique and riff is superb but a bit complicated at times.

for mike einziger from incubus,dave grohl of foo fighter and head from korn, their rig are simple and they control their own rig.their technique and riff are superb yet not complicated...

so is up to ppl to judge which is a gd guitarist...most will go for the superb and complicated ones...but for me simple yet not complicated.

Since when can Kirk not control his own equipment? He chooses everything he uses..

 

[satch]

he choosese his stuff. but the only thing he controls on stage is his wah. the rest are done by a tech who is usually under the stage.

 

[Stillborn]

Do you have to know all the theories to be good?
Do you have be able to compose music to be good?

someone who knows the above two will hv me in awe... n must hv the "tone"

 

[dhalif]

talk so much for what? just play the goddam guitar..

 

[mulyadi]

haha...nice one dhalif...=)

well...my 5 cents worth, i think that a guitarist who's comfortable in whatever he's playing, and confident about it, no matter how trashy he looks/sound, how beat up his guitar/band is... that's the whole spirit of rock.

and to each his own, we've got different styles, and as they say..one man's meat may be another's poison. so long as you like whatever you're doing, you're good. if you don't like someone who plays the way they do, then simply...don't listen to theM! hehe...

one doesn't have to be musically very inclined to be a good guitarist, just have the passion for it, and having passion means willing to sacrifice time from just about everything else in your life.

yupz...and sometimes, you look at the great guitarists of all time... i personally like people who's got great techniques and who're 'purists', artists who makes scale playing enjoyable and hell...no one does it better than Joe Sat....

Jimi Hendrix
Yngwie
vai
.
.
.
hopefully...one day... hehe... my own name? =)

 

[headwan]

gez the interview i read from guitarworld magazine of him saying that his guitar tech,justin,do all the switching stuff from clean(mesa triaxis) to crunch(mesa dual rectifier) to lead(both) and kirk do all the wah stuff....hmmm gez it was a hoax although it show all the diagram of kirk set-up...???