Playing Fast

MichaelHorowitz

This discussion was created from comments split from: Just Put A Deposit On A....

Jazzaferri

It's not the speed that leaves one cold it's technique without emotional content.

DragonPL

Jazzaferri wrote: »

It's not the speed that leaves one cold it's technique without emotional content.

True, but that's so subjective though. A lot of people say Jimmy Rosenberg, Josho Stephan etc.. over shred, to me they're great.....I for example can't listen to too much Gonzalo though, to me he overdoes it a different way...

Rob MacKillop

Of course. I never said that I thought speed players were cold, it's more a case of me switching off if it is the primary focus. But I love it in small doses. Django is the perfect example. Some of his lines are so beautiful, slinking around the changes, just hinting at possibilities. And then he zaps you right beteween the ears with a ripping scale at incredible speed...and then seduces you again with beautiful phrasing, leaving you wondering if that fast scale really happened. Minor Swing is the classic example.

rgrice

@Jazzaferri exactly! Lots of that technical wizardry is cold and clinical. Still wish I could do it tho!
@DragonPL same price I paid with nice hardshell case and half a dozen sets of strings( D'Addarrios tho). I do think the long scale initially caused me trouble and gave the impression that the guitar wasn't as playable as it really is. I have several Dupont bridges and I think I'll put one on it. Ringing aftertones were awful, till I put a large piece of belt leather under tailpiece. It's a lot drier now. I thought I'd sell it, but have decided for price, it's a keeper.

pickitjohn

I'm lucky if I can HEAR FAST maybe the space adds to the Music.

Slow and Steady at this point works for me.

Jazzaferri

Absolutely nothing wrong with playing slowly or quickly or amazingly quickly but as Mr Beethoven said "to play music without passion is inexcusable".

Everyone has days when we are on and days when we are off. Even Django and Stochelo.

If ones improv is sounding like the musical equivalent of agitated chickens gobbling, well, some people are going to be turned off by that.

Some admire facile technique for its own sake. Some admire the emotionally sterile aspects of atonalism or serialism. Nothing wrong with that but don't be surprised if in the long run ones audience diminishes. When was the last time YOU went to a sold out serialist concert of new music. Last time I went there were like 25 people in a hall that holds 500. I left at the first discreet opportunity. Interesting for a little while but in the end....nothing could hold me.

some of Josho's stuff appeals to me but much of what I have heard doesn't YET. He is still young and asmy guitar mentor told me........."There are 3 stages in a great guitarists development. First seeing how many notes they can put into a piece Second ..the awakening transition......and finally seeing how many notes they can take out"

Vic Wooten told me that he thought there was way too much emphasis on notes.....they are only one of 10 key parts of music....Vic can play bass as fast as any of the GJ shredders and every once and a while he will let one rip.....but the art of creating a solo is to tell a story....not try and overwhelm people with your prowess....

Anyway, I have morphed this thead way off topic. My apologies for being passionate about music.

Rob MacKillop

You are forgiven :-)

I have loved quite a few serial composition performances - quite a few good ones of the Berg violin concerto come to mind, or Glen Gould playing Schoenberg. Closer to home, Bream playing Smith-Brindle. A bad performance is a bad performance, no matter what style of music.

DragonPL

Jazzaferri wrote: »

Vic Wooten told me that he thought there was way too much emphasis on notes.....

Hmmm was he high than LOL, if you're not playing "notes" than is it still music ?!?!?! LoL
Players like Sochello, RIP Paco deLucia, etc still rip in their older years, classical pianists, violinist don't "slow down" playing Liszt, Rachmaninoff.....in their older years...the whole "speed debate" is just funny to me, but from my experience it was mainly from players ( some were heads of jazz guitar college departments) that couldn't play...
Musical expression comes in all forms, if one can do it better than other, sometimes jealousy kicks in. Having finished a music performance degree, I can say there was more "politics" there than on CNN....

rgrice

Interesting points and the debate will rage on. I still want to be able to play faster!

Rob MacKillop

This thread has wandered somewhat. LOL. We all know the arguments about speed playing. I just gave a personal view about not enjoying speed for the sake of it, but love it when it is musically just what the doctor ordered. And, of course I wish I could play faster.
Anyway, that aside, I'm looking forward to my new guitar at Easter time! :-)