Does Technique Limit Expression?, what does everybody think? |
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Does Technique Limit Expression?, what does everybody think? |
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Nov 30 2008, 04:28 PM |
In general I think that there is way too much emphasis put on technique at the expense of expression. All the techniques out there are tools to get your ideas across, but we become slaves to them and they obscure the meaning of the music. I'd far rather listen to some soulful but dirty blues playing than a bunch of perfectly executed 16th triplet scalar runs.
Having said that however, the true master is one that has all the technique available, but uses it sparingly when it is appropriate and doesn't grandstand with it. He should be able to make his point with 2 or 3 notes played perfectly for the song, yet be able to play those 16th triplets at 170bpm if its right for the mood he is trying to portray. This is one reason I admire Muris - he has technique in spades but is often happy to play simpler things and concentrate on one of the hardest techniques of all - phrasing, which I would describe as the art of making stuff sound good. The right phrasing can transform a lick and a performance into something amazing and for me, it is the hardest technique of all to master, the technique of expression! -------------------- Check out my Instructor profile
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Nov 30 2008, 06:25 PM |
All of these players don't seem to have problems expressing themselves but they all seem to be "technically limited" in some respects. What do you guys think? Monte They are not technically limited, they are masters of the instrument. They can play whatever they want flawlessly, and this enables them to forget about the technique and just express themselves on the instrument. -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE
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Nov 30 2008, 11:28 PM |
I think you can still keep a good feel with a difficult technical stuff. In order to go for that you should be 100% confident that you can execute it like any other simple thing without too much thinking. Only that way your feel won't struggle but it's a more difficult aproach for sure.
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Nov 30 2008, 11:58 PM |
I think you can still keep a good feel with a difficult technical stuff. In order to go for that you should be 100% confident that you can execute it like any other simple thing without too much thinking. Only that way your feel won't struggle but it's a more difficult aproach for sure. That is true, no matter if it is 2 or 200 notes, player should play it effortlessly in order to keep a feel. But playing effortlessly is not the only thing that is needed of course. The feel is the "feel". -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE
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Dec 1 2008, 01:23 AM |
They are not technically limited, they are masters of the instrument. They can play whatever they want flawlessly, and this enables them to forget about the technique and just express themselves on the instrument. I am with Ivan. These guys you mentioned can't be called limited at all. The point is that once you reach good level you can focus in whatsoever technique is needed to express yourself the way you want. Getting from your example, it doesn't mean Joe Satriani can not speed pick. It means he prefers to use legato. If he does not do ultra fast speed picking, I am quite sure he would if he focus his practicing on that. I think techniques are like tools in your toolbox. The more tools you have the more you are prepared for any situation. But you should not expect to use all tools in one song(style) only. There are tools you may rarely use actually. This post has been edited by Gus: Dec 1 2008, 01:24 AM -------------------- my "Thank you GMC!" video
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Dec 1 2008, 02:04 AM |
I agree with you Ivan that they are Masters of their instruments. Do yo think that Holdsworth just never hears alternate picked lines in his head or why do you think he never uses this technique? I guess it is just a conscious decision. Holdsworth is an interestng example - he has very deliberately set out to get the sound he has, not least because he never liked the sound of guitar, the story is that he always wanted to be a trumpeter (or so I heard, maybe I got the instrument wrong!). Holdsworth has a vision of the sound he wants to make and bends all of his technique to get there - that is a good lesson to learn, he is workimg from the sound back, not from the technique forward. -------------------- Check out my Instructor profile
Live long and prosper ... My Stuff: Electric Guitars : Ibanez Jem7v, Line6 Variax 700, Fender Plus Strat with 57/62 Pickups, Line6 Variax 705 Bass Acoustic Guitars : Taylor 816ce, Martin D-15, Line6 Variax Acoustic 300 Nylon Effects : Line6 Helix, Keeley Modded Boss DS1, Keeley Modded Boss BD2, Keeley 4 knob compressor, Keeley OxBlood Amps : Epiphone Valve Jnr & Head, Cockburn A.C.1, Cockburn A.C.2, Blackstar Club 50 Head & 4x12 Cab |
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Dec 1 2008, 02:11 AM |
I agree with you Ivan that they are Masters of their instruments. Do yo think that Holdsworth just never hears alternate picked lines in his head or why do you think he never uses this technique? I guess it is just a conscious decision. Well I certainly don't know what he hears in his head mate, let alone what alternate picked lines sound for him anyway. I don't even know if I ever think about alternate picking runs in that way. Technique is just something that doesn't cross my mind a lot when playing. The reason Allan doesn't uses alternate is unknown to me, it could be anything really. Maybe he can alternate pick but he doesn't or maybe he didn't practiced and played with this technique a lot, so he doesn't use it while playing, you know what I mean? About a conscious decision, my guess is that he doesn't really think what techniques he will use, he just use whatever he finds most suitable to expresses himself. This post has been edited by Ivan Milenkovic: Dec 1 2008, 02:12 AM -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE
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