Althouse: What if you could play like this...

September 6, 2008

What if you could play like this...

... but only while doing this with your face:

AND: Then there's this:

25 comments:

George M. Spencer said...: Those guys can't hold a candle to Clapton.
Best solo ever...; 9/6/08, 3:07 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Yeah, but you have to play 2 guitars at the same time to compete in this event.; 9/6/08, 3:15 PM
Gordon Freece said...: The first guy seems to be playing all the notes in the right order (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, anyhow), but he's no musician.

The second guy is a musician, but he's playing crap.

George's link to the Clapton video above is worth following. Sort of a litmus test for listeners.; 9/6/08, 3:16 PM
Mrs. Helga Appleworth said...: Hey everyone, we're all going over to Gin Skinner's to make fudge !

You're all invited.; 9/6/08, 3:20 PM
Stupe said...: Will Maxine be there?; 9/6/08, 3:21 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Yeah, man, it's the elektric koolaid tangerine acid litmus test, baby.

And, hey now, superelectromagneticmidget, consider these wise words from Bill Clinton, speaking in eulogy upon the death of a great guitarist. Priceless.

I bet Bill luved sitting across from Tabitha Soren what with her hemline 'n' all....; 9/6/08, 3:23 PM
rhhardin said...: Glenn Gould does the faces. here for example. He also hums.

I'm unfamiliar with the instrument. Evidently you finger the note and the electronics excite any string that's not damped (newspaper in the top end of the string kills off vibration of anything not fingered).

Similar to a clavichord except the electronics takes care of exciting the string.

A guitarist would have to educate his right hand from scratch to chord rather than pluck, but there's no theoretical difficulty.; 9/6/08, 3:28 PM
chickelit said...: Ah, but there is still only one master. Jimi Hendrix didn’t need two guitars and still outplays your examples. For the impatient, just watch the last two minutes or so as Hendrix demonstrates how to drive a riff with two hands while inhaling down nearly an entire cigarette handsfree, all while giving some impassioned facial expression.; 9/6/08, 3:38 PM
bleeper said...: Interesting. First, Bach's music can be played on a variety of instruments, in a variety of ways, and still be good music.

Second, it might have been simpler to play that on a keyboard than to scrounch your face up and play it on a guitar with two necks.

Third, dude, Mary Tyler Moore called, she wants her hair style back.

I like the way Glenn Gould played Bach. Sure the humming was distracting, but he had a deep understanding of that music.

I like the playing of Marcus Roberts, not to get too far off the topic - he is worth a listen or two.; 9/6/08, 3:46 PM
TMink said...: In deep concentration I guess the creative process kinda takes over other motor centers of the brain. It is kinda cool when you think about it that way.

Joe Cocker is not the only person to get into it with the full body gel. I saw an Alanis Morisette concert video in which she was so twitchy, they would routinely cut to girls in the audience singing along! I guess they worried that the twitching would ruin her image or hurt her sales.

Silly thinking about a perfectly normal little neurological event.

Trey; 9/6/08, 4:10 PM
Bissage said...: My second girlfriend used to make those exact same facial expressions.

Even during the best of times, it was something of a distraction.; 9/6/08, 4:35 PM
cardeblu said...: Bleeper: "First, Bach's music can be played on a variety of instruments, in a variety of ways, and still be good music."

Exactly, even on the accordion (or more accurately, the bayan): Toccata in D minor, followed by the Fugue in D minor.

He makes wonderful faces and even sings the solfage. Based on hearing and seeing others play these 2 pieces (before and since), I do consider his performance to be the absolute "gold standard," no matter the instrument(s) used.

Of course, YMMV.; 9/6/08, 5:08 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Hendrix at Woodstock...

Whatever it is, that girl Sarah put a spell on me!

Nuff said, chickenlittle.; 9/6/08, 6:33 PM
Ron said...: That first dude wants to be Chris Squire for Yes!:The Next Generation for the Yes! We Can! tour...or is that taken?; 9/6/08, 6:38 PM
Robert G. said...: Nothing can match the facial expressions and the plain ol' insanity of the drummer in this video.; 9/6/08, 6:41 PM
rhhardin said...: Gould has the same chair here, apparently dog-eaten on one of the corners.

It must be a favorite.; 9/6/08, 8:58 PM
Methadras said...: Yngwie Malmsteen destroys them all. Andrea Segovia would make them weep.; 9/6/08, 9:04 PM
Anonymous said...: cardeblu --

Yes. The greats translate.

So, to put Mozart on a banjo.

Small glitch in middle, but still.; 9/6/08, 9:11 PM
XWL said...: Sorry, greatest guitarist of all time discussions really should begin and end with Glen Campbell.

(and I know that sounds like a joke, but it isn't, technical virtuosity is impressive, but frivolous compared to versatility, professionalism, and meshing seamlessly with other musicians is where real art lies)

And by the way, new album!; 9/6/08, 9:24 PM
chickelit said...: Glen Campbell is vastly underrated, especially since most people can’t see past his “’Galveston country phase. Campbell was part of the infamous “Wrecking Crew”, an ensemble of the best LA studio musicians. My favorite of that bunch was Carol Kaye, shown here looking hot in a short skirt and knee high boots. Kaye played the decending base line on Nancy Sinatra’s “Boots”. She also played the studio bass on all the Beach Boys hits. And she and Hal Blaine made oodles of money off Capitol Records because Brian Wilson was such a perfectionist.; 9/6/08, 9:56 PM
zeek said...: I don't know about the faces and how silly someone looks playing two guitars no matter how impressive the technical ability is but I'd be willing to be overweight if I could play like this dude.
BTW, that Clapton solo sucked.; 9/6/08, 9:58 PM
Jason said...: That's not music, Martelli! That's masturbation!; 9/6/08, 10:03 PM
chickelit said...: Eric was a pussy compared with Beck and Page.
A racist too; 9/6/08, 10:13 PM
chickelit said...: Robert, you rock for most obscure link!; 9/7/08, 12:07 AM
Bryan Townsend said...: Ann, thanks for the music links.

Yes, you can turn a double neck electric guitar into a quasi-keyboard, I'm just not sure why you would want to. Looks like a quick way to tendonitis to me. And if you dig right down, you will notice that the phrasing is pretty bad. Go to Gould and a lot of other pianists for a benchmark.

All those 'shred' solos are pretty much unlistenable. Even the Clapton one and I'm a huge fan. Incoherent virtuosity at the service of no musical purpose?

As for facial expressions, reminds me of the old joke: "How can you tell if the stage is level? The guitarist is drooling out of both sides of his mouth."

zeek, I'm pretty sure that guitarist is "finger-synching".; 9/7/08, 11:50 AM