Why guitarist?

[1964]

Playing lead guitar in a band is hardly for shy and retiring types

That in itself is a sweeping generalization .... Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Brian May are but a few shy, quiet people that immediately spring to mind ... What a loss it would be if they were told 'lead guitar' isn't really for 'their' type.

I don't think any of those guys is shy!

[1964]

And always beware of the quiet ones!

[crushing day]

Beware of the fury of the quiet man ... Eric Johnson by his own admission can't bear to be on stage sometimes ... Joe Satriani hardly ever used to talk on stage as he was so self conscious ... just goes to show you eh.

[Rog]

1964 does have a point, though - the style of lead guitar known as wanking is a perfect example...

[Capt. Black]

I just read some stuff about Eric Clapton when he joined the Yardbirds. He was so insecure about his soloing. Even though the fans were cheering for him he would often not play a solo at all or else hide behind his amp on stage. Apparently it took him a fair while to get over this and start to front up.
He hadn't got over his insecurity about his playing but he had started to like the adoration from the audience.
Who'd a thought eh?

[Capt. Black]

I don't think it matters how humble, nervous or modest you are, once you have had a bit of audience appreciation (however small the audience) you'll end up wanting more.

Then it is a matter of time before you get over the humble/nervous/modest phase.

May take decades but once you realiise you don't die or get hit by lightning or swallowed by the earth when you performing in front of people, you tend to stop pretending to avoid the attention and openly enjoy it.

[1964]

I don't think it matters how humble, nervous or modest you are, once you have had a bit of audience appreciation (however small the audience) you'll end up wanting more.

Then it is a matter of time before you get over the humble/nervous/modest phase.

May take decades but once you realiise you don't die or get hit by lightning or swallowed by the earth when you performing in front of people, you tend to stop pretending to avoid the attention and openly enjoy it.

It's only natural, and, in and of itself, is not negative.

It’s natural to be confident in doing something you’ve done everyday for years and apprehensive about doing something you haven’t done often enough to feel comfortable.

[1964]

> "Eric Johnson by his own admission can't bear to be on stage sometimes"

Sometimes isn't all the time. And while from what I've seen of him he is usually very collected, he doesn't come across as positively shy to me. YMOV.


> "Joe Satriani hardly ever used to talk on stage as he was so self conscious"

Being too self-conscious to talk doesn't translate to being too self-conscious to play or perform. And anyway, he appears to have overcome that particular fear.

[Capt. Black]

I don't think it matters how humble, nervous or modest you are, once you have had a bit of audience appreciation (however small the audience) you'll end up wanting more.

May take decades but once you realiise you don't die or get hit by lightning or swallowed by the earth when you performing in front of people, you tend to stop pretending to avoid the attention and openly enjoy it.

It's only natural, and, in and of itself, is not negative.

Yeah exactly. Absolutely.
It never ceases to amaze me the people I've seen who are almost violently ill with stage fright then go on and give a blistering performance.

The guy who fronts my band is a great performer while the music is playing but once it stops and the focus is on him again the nerves kick right back in. It takes a real force of will for him to speak between songs.
It's funny that even recording he sings better with his guitar on. It's like a shield we can hide behind.

[Optimus_prime]

It's probably to do with the feeling of being in company
with something, like a good friend you trust
you build up alot of time playing, so it becomes
second nature that it's there
although that's just plain obvious

so said I

[Capt. Black]

Yeah there is probably a bit of that. Like a security blanket. Hehehe.

I've been in photography for many years and it is a similar thing when you put on a camera. It gives you a certain purpose and license to go into a situation where you might otherwise hold back.
Not in an obnoxious paparazzi sense. More a sort of "I have a reason for being here" way.

On stage your instrument helps to give you something to concentrate on to take your mind off the fact there is an audience.
It can also take the audience attention away from you, the person, and focus them on what you are playing.

Although if I were in front of the esteemed forum members I would probably prefer they concentrated on anything but my playing.

I really admire singers that can really front up. They have nothing to hide behind either physically or metaphorically.

On a different tangent, have you ever watched Led Zep live videos?
The first thing you notice is how good Jimmy Page can be, he's so busy all the time. Then you get tired of his constant soloing. Then after the second or third solo in the second 35 minute extended version you start to admire him for the fact that he can just keep doing it. Like the energiser bunny of guitar.
Then you realise that Robert plant never loses his voice even though he sings like he does through a 2-1/2 to 3 hour concert.

He gets a 10-15 minute rest break at least once every song!
He probably never had to sing more than 15 minutes in an hour of music. Smart guy. If the guitarist wants to do all the work let him. I'll just dance around, maybe have drink and a fag. When Bonzo does a huge fill that's my cue.

[Mike_Hosking]

wot u just posted capt. black reminds me of wot ozzy said about iommi back in his sabbath days, iommi use to play long as solo's in some of the songs live, and ozzy would complain saying some thing like "i could go over the road have a full coarse meal, then a cigar, come back and still be waiting!".
id rather listen to fused over any ozzy album any day, so im taking iommis back

[B45-12]

Well, i'm back here again! Been playing hard on the bass, learning a few little things.
But now I have my old, typical, usual, problem.. I'm hooked back on the guitar. I bought the G3 Live In Tokyo DVD, and that got me addicted, and everytime I hear Zeppelin, The Darkness, or any band that have guitar solos, I wana play guitar again, but I duno if it's just because I wana play like them, because I actually like the guitar. I don't even know if I wana play ANY instrument..

So my question is, what made you wana be a guitarist?

Should I buy a cheap acoustic (Fender $200 from weirs) to see if I like guitar that much?

Me? the sound! - just could not get over that super sound!

But why agonise - I feel there are things worth agonising over (become an accountant, marry Martha Crudthorpe (A cup but loaded) or Hermione Gunge (E cup but poor), converting the wogs back to Infidels etc.) but Guitars simply are - and so are you! So go for it - terms like 'guitarist' are labels others apply in a frantic bid to fit you comfortably into their mental world and because they obey the 'cognitive imperative' beloved of the anthropologists.

Now a cheapo?? - yep but do go to the expensive section first and play a few to get the easy feel of what you want in the cheapo - accept you aint a neccessarily going to get 'that tone' BUT you can find nice playable and close to expensive sounding instruments in the bargain section!

For example I have some expensive instruments but will often use a Chinese Saehan blue cutaway dreadnaught with a pizeo pup for noodling/practising and at a pinch on stage - it's great for daily playing and sounds fine to me - bought it in Cash Convertors here a few years back solely on the sound for about $200.

Good luck and have fun with your new instrument if you go for it.

[HB]

Drummers, bassists, and rhythm guitarists aren't usually in the limelight and don’t crave it, but lead guitarists are like singers, they are in and crave the spotlight.

I think it’s all down to attitude and personality. Lead guitarists have a need to show-off and get noticed; bassists and rhythm guitarists are happy to be part of the band and serve the music.

I know what you mean, but I know for me that's not true. Even after 20 years of gigging in all sorts of situations, I still don't crave any spotlight. I have to do both lead and rhythm in most bands I play in, and even when I'm soloing I lock in and feed off the rhythm section more than any kind of audience reaction. I know players who do love the limelight and they usually bug the shit outta me. They're out there for their own interest and more often than not, it shows in their playing.
Hell, I go out of my way to have as little light on me as possible and even like it when the PA bin is near me so I can hide my face sometimes!
If I'm supposed to need to be the centre of attention, maybe I've just been in the wrong job most of my life!

[Rog]

I recall reading about my fav Aussie soul singer - Rene Geyer. In the early days she used to do just that - hide behind the PA stack, or the bassist. So you're in excellent company.