Axel Rudi Pell, What Do You Think of This Playing? Options

[Victor Simion]

I have always wondered (not always but until I saw how someone should play guitar to reach a good grade )
I know that Axel Rudi Pell is a professional guitar player.
I liked him very much and this won't change the fact that he was a part of my life.
He is influenced by Ritchie Blackmore, I haven't seen lessons of him on this website.

But anyway, what do you think of his playing, if you didn't know it was a professional guitar player?
Some think he is a sloppy guitar player. I am in no position of judging his playing, but many of you are, especially the instructors on this website.

What do you think?
How would you rate the way he is playing?

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

I mostly see him like a German Blackmore.

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[Victor Simion]

I mostly see him like a German Blackmore.

Yes, like he said and also like I said he is influenced by Blackmore very much.

But I think that technically Blackmore is a better guitar player.
What do you think?

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

Yes, like he said and also like I said he is influenced by Blackmore very much.

But I think that technically Blackmore is a better guitar player.
What do you think?

When talking about art, it's impossible to say that one artist is better than the other. This means I can't say that any guitarist is better than other one. Each guitar player has its own voice, and even when we notice big influences, there may be differences based on personality, tastes, experiences, and so...

One thing that I can assure that Blackmore has been more influential because he was part of one the most popular hard rock bands ever.

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[Victor Simion]

When talking about art, it's impossible to say that one artist is better than the other. This means I can't say that any guitarist is better than other one. Each guitar player has its own voice, and even when we notice big influences, there may be differences based on personality, tastes, experiences, and so...

One thing that I can assure that Blackmore has been more influential because he was part of one the most popular hard rock bands ever.

Yes, art and music is subjective, that's why I said technically.

I like both guitar players very much, but still there are objective things that can be said about playing guitar, that's why it is possible to rate someone's play.

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

Yes, art and music is subjective, that's why I said technically.

I like both guitar players very much, but still there are objective things that can be said about playing guitar, that's why it is possible to rate someone's play.

Yes, but even rating is subjective. If we talk only about technique, there are so many elements to consider like alternate picking, legato, vibrato, dynamics, timing, groove, articulation, cleanness, hands sync, tone and I could continue...

I should go really deeper with the analysis between both them to define if any of them is better than there other "technically". In some sense they come from the same 70s standards (as klassaine said), so they may be very close (again) technically.

As I don't know Axel's stuff deeply, so I can't say too much, but I wonder if there is 1 solo by him that amazes me as much as Highway Star or Burn.

I suspect that your question is more related to shredding (fast passages). If you compare them to newer shredders, these standards have changed, since EVH appeared, then Malmsteen, and then guys like Gilbert and Petrucci. Their picking is more precise and cleaner, but this doesn't make them "better players"... they play a different style or represent a different guitar era.

By the way, I feel that comparing guitarists like Blackmore, Hendrix, Beck, Page and all those legends among them and with others doesn't take anywhere. Enjoy the guitarists that you love, learn from them.

This solo is a masterpiece by itself...

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[Todd Simpson]

That is impressive! it's the most technical thing I think I've heard from him. Then again, there is a LOT of his work that I have just never heard. You have a good point on the moving of the goal post. Standards and techniques, style, etc. are in constant change so comparing guitarists of different decades can never be apples to apples. More like apples to orange juice. Very tough to compare. I just based it on what I had heard from him in a general sense. I had no idea he was the PETRUCCI of his day to be honest. Which seems now more like what he was.

Now I see why Gabe was reluctant to generalize about it. I tried it was just flat out wrong. Live and learn

Todd

Yes, but even rating is subjective. If we talk only about technique, there are so many elements to consider like alternate picking, legato, vibrato, dynamics, timing, groove, articulation, cleanness, hands sync, tone and I could continue...

I should go really deeper with the analysis between both them to define if any of them is better than there other "technically". In some sense they come from the same 70s standards (as klassaine said), so they may be very close (again) technically.

As I don't know Axel's stuff deeply, so I can't say too much, but I wonder if there is 1 solo by him that amazes me as much as Highway Star or Burn.

I suspect that your question is more related to shredding (fast passages). If you compare them to newer shredders, these standards have changed, since EVH appeared, then Malmsteen, and then guys like Gilbert and Petrucci. Their picking is more precise and cleaner, but this doesn't make them "better players"... they play a different style or represent a different guitar era.

By the way, I feel that comparing guitarists like Blackmore, Hendrix, Beck, Page and all those legends among them and with others doesn't take anywhere. Enjoy the guitarists that you love, learn from them.





This solo is a masterpiece by itself...

Yeah, I watched it just now and I heard the pitch issues as well and he seems like he's just doing random shredding in spots. It's not tied to anything in the backing or the rythm, just detached sorta shreddy bits. Can't hear h is pick attack so even though he's playing fast in bits, it's really hard to hear. I think he would have a tough time in REC if he put this up as his take


Todd

I've watched that video carefully and I can say that I hear pitch issues here and there, and that many fast lines don't sound clean. It seems that his hands don't go totally synchronized during fast sections.

Personally I don't enjoy when guitarists play without considering the chord progression sounding in the background, and that's what I hear is happening here. Following the chords is not only a jazz approach, all my favorite blues/rock/metal guitarists do it (consciously or unconsciously) most of the time when soloing.

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[Victor Simion]

That is impressive! it's the most technical thing I think I've heard from him. Then again, there is a LOT of his work that I have just never heard. You have a good point on the moving of the goal post. Standards and techniques, style, etc. are in constant change so comparing guitarists of different decades can never be apples to apples. More like apples to orange juice. Very tough to compare. I just based it on what I had heard from him in a general sense. I had no idea he was the PETRUCCI of his day to be honest. Which seems now more like what he was.

Now I see why Gabe was reluctant to generalize about it. I tried it was just flat out wrong. Live and learn

Yes, Highway star is a great example, so it is Burn, played by Ritchie Blackmore and guitar isolated.

Yeah, I watched it just now and I heard the pitch issues as well and he seems like he's just doing random shredding in spots. It's not tied to anything in the backing or the rythm, just detached sorta shreddy bits. Can't hear h is pick attack so even though he's playing fast in bits, it's really hard to hear. I think he would have a tough time in REC if he put this up as his take

Yes, but maybe it was not fair to analize a live playing of Axel, it's different from studio song.

This is the studio version and contains 2 solos, one in the middle and an ending solo.
Middle Clean Solo: 4:17, this clean part remainds of the ending of the burn solo.
Middle Heavy Guitar Solo: 5:06
Ending Solo: 7:10




But I feel that even in the studio his hands are not in sync at fast speeds.

That is interesting for me, because when I first played guitar I did not pay attention to this details, this is how I thought it should sound.

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

Yes, but maybe it was not fair to analize a live playing of Axel, it's different from studio song.

This is the studio version and contains 2 solos, one in the middle and an ending solo.
Middle Clean Solo: 4:17, this clean part remainds of the ending of the burn solo.
Middle Heavy Guitar Solo: 5:06
Ending Solo: 7:10




But I feel that even in the studio his hands are not in sync at fast speeds.

That is interesting for me, because when I first played guitar I did not pay attention to this details, this is how I thought it should sound.

His playing is much more precise in this studio version. There are not pitch issues at all, the fast parts sound consistent, with his dirty style but without the hand sync issues that I noted in the live clip, and the parts sound good composed and more connected with the chords.

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