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sondriven
New member
What are the traditional roles for a Lead Guitarist?
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Guest
Guest
The easy answer is to play the lead guitar parts, and show off a lot, dominate the music, and play louder than everybody else. 
but really it's to support the music and other musicians in the band the best way possible, while driving the melody of the music possibly more than the other instruments. In some instances the guy doing the lead role is the better musician then say the "traditional rhythm guy" but really they better both be equally good to really make the music work. Like stated in recent thread the good lead guys are also great rhythm players.
This question also has many aspects, if your talking about a guitar driven band the above applies more than say a larger ensemble, where the guy playing a lead guitar solo may not have much to do with the writing aspects.
That's some points. not all.
but really it's to support the music and other musicians in the band the best way possible, while driving the melody of the music possibly more than the other instruments. In some instances the guy doing the lead role is the better musician then say the "traditional rhythm guy" but really they better both be equally good to really make the music work. Like stated in recent thread the good lead guys are also great rhythm players.
This question also has many aspects, if your talking about a guitar driven band the above applies more than say a larger ensemble, where the guy playing a lead guitar solo may not have much to do with the writing aspects.
That's some points. not all.
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robert jaybird
New member
Hmmm,
The problem with rock lead guitar is you take this 3 chord punk songs and have this guy doin' the pagganini over it and its just awful. Music is about balance. Another way to look at speed is not showing off, but another way of subdividing time to give your lines additional rhythmic and harmonic dimension.
Each note that a group plays is an axis point thats connected by harmony. In certain musical structures and shapes the "lead" is just a head voice, but is really interacting with a series of dynamic parts. In most rock songs the band just sits there, the basist sludges out root notes while the rhytm guitar is doing power chords. In this context less is definately more.
There are different contexts though, from jazz to classical, blues to reggae. bluegrass to country where the balance is different. The type of lines that are obscene(in the bad way) over E5,A5,G5 can take one a different air when instead the chords are E min7+5, Asus2,Gmaj/min7.
The problem with rock lead guitar is you take this 3 chord punk songs and have this guy doin' the pagganini over it and its just awful. Music is about balance. Another way to look at speed is not showing off, but another way of subdividing time to give your lines additional rhythmic and harmonic dimension.
Each note that a group plays is an axis point thats connected by harmony. In certain musical structures and shapes the "lead" is just a head voice, but is really interacting with a series of dynamic parts. In most rock songs the band just sits there, the basist sludges out root notes while the rhytm guitar is doing power chords. In this context less is definately more.
There are different contexts though, from jazz to classical, blues to reggae. bluegrass to country where the balance is different. The type of lines that are obscene(in the bad way) over E5,A5,G5 can take one a different air when instead the chords are E min7+5, Asus2,Gmaj/min7.
dragonworks
Banned
The lead guitarist has to learn when not to play, that
is the hardest part.
is the hardest part.
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
a lead guitarist is usually the guy who thinks he's the best... note the "thinks"... be careful when someone in a rockband calls himself lead guitarist...
guhlenn
guhlenn
Jon X
New member
I tend to agree with that...
Even when there's more than one guitarist in the band, they both should just be "guitarist". Separating it out like that a lot of times is a function of ego more than anything that actually helps the band.
Even when there's more than one guitarist in the band, they both should just be "guitarist". Separating it out like that a lot of times is a function of ego more than anything that actually helps the band.
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
How do you stop a lead guitarist from playing?
Put some sheet music in front of him...
As the other fellows have noted,what a good lead guitarist ISN'T is a wanker and a poser.The vocal is always #1 in popluar music so even the mighty guitar is a supporting player.If you are a good team player in other areas, you can be a good lead man too.
Study your favorites and model them (for me it was Clapton and Hendrix).Know your parts cold and then learn the other guys' parts as well.Keep your equipment in top shape and be prepared when stuff goes wrong.
The very last thing after all the musical stuff is taken care of is stagecraft and stage presence,putting on a show for the audience.
Tom
Put some sheet music in front of him...
As the other fellows have noted,what a good lead guitarist ISN'T is a wanker and a poser.The vocal is always #1 in popluar music so even the mighty guitar is a supporting player.If you are a good team player in other areas, you can be a good lead man too.
Study your favorites and model them (for me it was Clapton and Hendrix).Know your parts cold and then learn the other guys' parts as well.Keep your equipment in top shape and be prepared when stuff goes wrong.
The very last thing after all the musical stuff is taken care of is stagecraft and stage presence,putting on a show for the audience.
Tom
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robert jaybird
New member
If the lead is part of the song it can be good. Then its like a variation on a theme. If its some guy is just sitting on top and not getting within' it its different. I think guitar based music is dead within the world of popular music. THANK GOD! Maybe now guitarists can get back to mastering their instruments. Somebody like hendrix understood the simple idea of triads. Therefore working from the chords he was able to be meaningful. Most punk and metal songs dont have any more chords than a power chord, and thats not even a triad.It makes me laugh when I hear an 80's shred solo over 3 power chords, its just kind of gaudy. Id much rather hear the sonic youth or dead kennedies than that.
There are sound artists and musical conceptualists that can take very busy phrases, played very fast and it works.Why?, because its part of the expression, theyre creating shapes. Its like saying an artist draws his lines too close together, to say a guy is playing to fast. Maybe in certain *context's* its wrong, but that *individual element* isnt necessarily.
In some so called "avant garde" music values of taste as seen by the pop world are turned on their head. Imho, its these artists on the fringe that are makinging the most rewarding work.
Some people can find *feedom* in 3 chords, some are brilliant and can be just as free in wild flurries. Its bad only when the guy tries to break out into the wider expression, but cant. Then maybe that person should stick to 3 notes. Generally its easier to master simple ideas, fewer can go towards more complex ones. But, even beehtoven built his musical structures off of fairly simple ideas as a nucleus. So complex and simple can go together if done right.
There are no rules, but musical theory is nothing more than observations on the effects sound has.
You dont need to siteread well, or shred to understand these ideas, but when you do youll be breaking much more compelling rules than if you never did know them.
There are sound artists and musical conceptualists that can take very busy phrases, played very fast and it works.Why?, because its part of the expression, theyre creating shapes. Its like saying an artist draws his lines too close together, to say a guy is playing to fast. Maybe in certain *context's* its wrong, but that *individual element* isnt necessarily.
In some so called "avant garde" music values of taste as seen by the pop world are turned on their head. Imho, its these artists on the fringe that are makinging the most rewarding work.
Some people can find *feedom* in 3 chords, some are brilliant and can be just as free in wild flurries. Its bad only when the guy tries to break out into the wider expression, but cant. Then maybe that person should stick to 3 notes. Generally its easier to master simple ideas, fewer can go towards more complex ones. But, even beehtoven built his musical structures off of fairly simple ideas as a nucleus. So complex and simple can go together if done right.
There are no rules, but musical theory is nothing more than observations on the effects sound has.
You dont need to siteread well, or shred to understand these ideas, but when you do youll be breaking much more compelling rules than if you never did know them.
T
taZman
New member
Lead guitarist is there such a thing in modern music anymore? In the 70's and 80's they played the part of the over dubbs solo and extra fills that make music exciting. Basically show off! That is why I learned guitar and played lead for years.
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Elco
New member
Lead guitar
I have a whole different take on lead guitar playing. When it's done well, there is nothing more exciting or interesting in music to me. From the beginnning , it was always that lead guitar break that got my attention, then I figured out , that's what really makes a song for me. Now I've discovered guitarists who play instrumental 'lead' (actually, long , melodic instrumental phrases from start to finish) ie- Greg Howe, Blues Saraceno, Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth et al. . That stuff, was exactly what I wanted to hear. The whole tune driven by world class , melodic phrase after phrase. Now, regular pop/rock music is just an afterthought. I like alot of it too and the classic rock stuff , but high caliber instrumental guitar based music is IT for me.
I have a whole different take on lead guitar playing. When it's done well, there is nothing more exciting or interesting in music to me. From the beginnning , it was always that lead guitar break that got my attention, then I figured out , that's what really makes a song for me. Now I've discovered guitarists who play instrumental 'lead' (actually, long , melodic instrumental phrases from start to finish) ie- Greg Howe, Blues Saraceno, Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth et al. . That stuff, was exactly what I wanted to hear. The whole tune driven by world class , melodic phrase after phrase. Now, regular pop/rock music is just an afterthought. I like alot of it too and the classic rock stuff , but high caliber instrumental guitar based music is IT for me.
guhlenn
Oh REALLY????
Re: Lead guitar
that's what i mean. while your preference is as good as any don't start playing in a pop/rock/punk band or you'll be annoying.
Elco said:
that's what i mean. while your preference is as good as any don't start playing in a pop/rock/punk band or you'll be annoying.