Some lead guitar players....

Sage97 · #1 06-27-2009, 07:57 AM

.....are so talented but just don't get it.

This guy that we called in to help us out on lead work has fantastic chops but can't seem to realize that he can't play lead througout the whole song in all of the songs.

We started by giving him hints. That didn't work so I started by explaining that we needed lead guitar to complete the songs, not to take over them. That still didn't work and the rest of the band kinda looked at each other in disbelief.

We finally pointed out that he needed to turn down because the rest of us couldn't hear anything other than his lead guitar throughout the songs. I also pointed out certain parts of the songs focused on mellow acoustics and really do not need electric lead work. So we start playing the intro to "Silent Lucidity" and there he goes wailing away. Same thing on Mayers' "Daughters" Wow!

The guy is in his mid to late fifties and inspite of his outstanding blues and rock licks, none of the local bands want to keep him.

Too bad.

yardism · #2 06-27-2009, 08:09 AM

As part of his severance package, you should get him a full length mirror...

mtnByker · #3 06-27-2009, 08:33 AM

Q: How does a lead guitarist screw in a lightbulb?
A: He just holds onto it while the whole world revolves around him.

Malcolm · #4 06-27-2009, 08:48 AM

Takes a really good lead guitar to play echo melody through out the entire song and augment - not compete. Most can not pull it off. This guy is not going to fit in, best to have "the talk". I'm sure he has heard it before.

Brackett Instruments · #5 06-27-2009, 08:49 AM

I'd be looking for another guitar player. The only thing worse than that is a............. "lead" drummer.

Sage97 · #6 06-27-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody b

I'd be looking for another guitar player. The only thing worse than that is a............. "lead" drummer.

I guess the worst is to have both lead drummer and lead guitar player in the same band.

shawlie · #7 06-27-2009, 11:03 AM

That is an annoying habit of some guitar players, and it's a tough situation sometimes. Tough because they might play pretty great, yet don't know how to actually use it in the context of a song.

I played one open-mic with a guy on mandoline, and he was very much the same. He'd start every song with simple back-up chords (which I liked), and I'd sing a verse. He'd go into a solo, then it'd be time to sing again and.... no back-up, just more solo. And more and more.

Practice would be the same, just endless solos. The thing that got to me most, is that he'd never even try to put any melody into, just licks and riffs put together, so each tune was more or less the same.

Another thing I've noticed, with a couple of guitar players I've played with (on electric). We'd jam with our band, I'd come up with some simple progression and the other guy would start to solo. Which is fine and fun when jamming, of course.

Then he'd figure out the progression, and start doing the chords with me. So I'd think, "ok, I'll try a solo." As soon as I'd start soloing, he's jump right back into his solo. So I'd switch back to rhythm, and there he was again, doing the chords with me. Never knew why, and it was always just a big mess.

Brackett Instruments · #8 06-27-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawlie

.................................................. ............................
I played one open-mic with a guy on mandoline, and he was very much the same. He'd start every song with simple back-up chords (which I liked), and I'd sing a verse. He'd go into a solo, then it'd be time to sing again and.... no back-up, just more solo. And more and more.............................................. .........................................

And after the song was over he'd keep playing and playing and playing and playing. I was in a jazz band once with a Sax player like that.

shawlie · #9 06-27-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody b

And after the song was over he'd keep playing and playing and playing and playing. I was in a jazz band once with a Sax player like that.

He wasn't that bad, but that sounds pretty bad!

Kind of the same, but on the subject of drummers, the drummer in our punk/rock band is exactly like that.

We got to do three songs live on the radio last February. We chose our best ones (well, they're all pretty bad, but these ones we could do tighter than the others and were a little more "pop") an we agreed on them. And they really only wanted three songs.

But we have another song (very fast, short punk thing, lasts about a minute or so), and the drummer thought it'd be funny to go straight into that after our third song was over. We all said it was a bad idea - they want three songs, they're giving us a chance to actually play on the radio, let's just do what they want.

But come the day, after our last tune, he just started drumming that song... when we didn't join in, he just kind of messed around for a little bit more. Very uncomfortable 30 seconds (and that 30 seconds seemed like an eternity - the dj didn't think it was too funny either...). I don't know, 30 seconds is a long time in radio minutes, it seems.