Henry Mars
New member
Years ago I used to play in concerts on the bill with some very fast and famous guitarists I won't name drop becaue it is pointless but you all have heard of them. I drove myself nuts practicing 18 hours a day between gigs, rehersals and personal study, getting as fast as they were (and are) and I did achieve that goal. ( Along with the nervous breakdown and resulting therapy ....not a joke.) One day I realized that the people I was playing for were more about the technical end of it than the music. So I started jerking chains. I started playing avant garde music, free form... and most of it was real crap, pointlessly fast, on purpose, to prove a point. Most of the people that are impressed with this wouldn't know good music if it walked up and bit them on the ass. As a result I picked up over 40 students who all wanted to learn to play that crap ..... in the process I was actually able to teach some of them what music really is beyond the chromatic and whole tone, and whole tone diminished scales.
I am not anti speed when it has a purpose beyond the wow factor and it has artistic and musical purpose.
These days I can't play that fast, but I am aware of the potential of the instrument beyond the noise factor and a hell of a lot more musical.
Music, like life must have ballance or it breaks down like I did.
Most of the music I listen to isn't even guitar music ..... but...
check out Kenny Burrel anyway.
I am not anti speed when it has a purpose beyond the wow factor and it has artistic and musical purpose.
These days I can't play that fast, but I am aware of the potential of the instrument beyond the noise factor and a hell of a lot more musical.
Music, like life must have ballance or it breaks down like I did.
Most of the music I listen to isn't even guitar music ..... but...
check out Kenny Burrel anyway.