Well this is interesting...

[Cecil6243]

The guitar is mounted to posts on either side, I'm guessing for the screen illumination to line one up with the guitar face? It would interesting to see what it's like to play like that free of holding the guitar.

Kaki King of the United States playing. From the Youtube video Best Fingerstyle Guitarists in the World Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McnvhGMKWSQ

[srick]

I’ve seen this setup used for recording instructional videos. That way the camera can easily be fixed in place to show right and left hands during a recording.

Rick

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by srick

I’ve seen this setup used for recording instructional videos. That way the camera can easily be fixed in place to show right and left hands during a recording.

Rick

Makes sense.

[Denny B]

There was very little in that clip that I actually enjoyed...they're all talented, of course, but as I say, when all the whappy, tappy, slappy stuff kicks into high gear, I'm done...not a big fan of Kaki King's razzle dazzle style, either...

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Denny B

There was very little in that clip that I actually enjoyed...they're all talented, of course, but as I say, when all the whappy, tappy, slappy stuff kicks into high gear, I'm done...not a big fan of Kaki King's razzle dazzle style, either...

I agree!

[rick-slo]

Some good for the sake of music. Some good mainly for the sake of guitar centricity.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Denny B

There was very little in that clip that I actually enjoyed...they're all talented, of course, but as I say, when all the whappy, tappy, slappy stuff kicks into high gear, I'm done...not a big fan of Kaki King's razzle dazzle style, either...

The problem is seeing it all lumped together one after the other like that - with the implication that all you need to make good music is to be technically impressive. That's a really tedious notion, and this video is promoting it.

But the best players do actually make good music with their skills. I htink Kaki King is one of those. I don't choose to listen to her very often, but I usually like what I hear when I do.

But this guy still does it for me - astonishing skill, but (after 0:49 anyway) in the service of a great piece of music (an actual song, that he sings):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GnAq6Znw

Here's another guy who puts astonishing technical skill to proper musical use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNGPs7F3AyI

[erhino41]

My problem with the tapping is that the string produces two notes one from either side of the string. The side attached to the soundboard is louder but you can hear the nut side of the string pretty clear in even the best examples of this technique.

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by JonPR

The problem is seeing it all lumped together one after the other like that - with the implication that all you need to make good music is to be technically impressive. That's a really tedious notion, and this video is promoting it.

But the best players do actually make good music with their skills. I htink Kaki King is one of those. I don't choose to listen to her very often, but I usually like what I hear when I do.

But this guy still does it for me - astonishing skill, but (after 0:49 anyway) in the service of a great piece of music (an actual song, that he sings):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GnAq6Znw

Here's another guy who puts astonishing technical skill to proper musical use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNGPs7F3AyI

Jon Gomm is probably the guy I hear most referenced for this style, and I have to say, he's extremely talented...still, I find the style interesting for about a minute, then the tedium sets in and I have to move on...I also wonder if people would find this as interesting if they weren't watching the theatrics of it? Especially an artist like Kaki King, who relies so heavily on the visual?

[madhat]

Originally Posted by Denny B

There was very little in that clip that I actually enjoyed...they're all talented, of course, but as I say, when all the whappy, tappy, slappy stuff kicks into high gear, I'm done...not a big fan of Kaki King's razzle dazzle style, either...

Agree. She is a talented player- I can appreciate her as an artist.
But I don't really enjoy it as music...

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Denny B

Jon Gomm is probably the guy I hear most referenced for this style, and I have to say, he's extremely talented...still, I find the style interesting for about a minute, then the tedium sets in and I have to move on...I also wonder if people would find this as interesting if they weren't watching the theatrics of it?

Well in the case of Passion Flower, the song is good too. I could certainly listen to it without seeing how he's doing it.
It could easily be done using various overdubs, after all, it will still be a good song, with attractive melodic and rhythmic content.

I.e., I agree that the technical skill is kind of beside the point. One can be impressed or bored by the theatrics - they're not relevant to the music.

I mean, stagecraft (visual manner of delivery) is an important element of live performance - in all musical genres - but it should (arguably) only serve to enhance and support the sounds themselves. It's no good if a performer looks amazing but produces crap music!

And of course, when it's a video (with no audience other than a virtual one), the "live" issue hardly applies at all. The visuals become an accompaniment to the sounds, which may or may not be attractive in themselves. We don't even need to see the artist performing at all!

Originally Posted by Denny B

Especially an artist like Kaki King, who relies so heavily on the visual?

I just checked out a few of her videos, and I tend to agree - bearing in mind this is all just personal taste! - the music is a lot less interesting than the technique and how the videos are shot. The best one I found is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ec2Th8sm5w - in terms of the straightforward presentation, and the foregrounding of the music itself. But it's still not a very interesting composition. IMHO.

I.e., if people want to go wow at the technical skill, that's up to them. Music serves all kinds of purposes for different people. Some like it as wallpaper, barely listening at all, some like to dance (caring about nothing except the groove), others like to sit and stroke their chins at various levels of harmonic complexity. And others like to treat music as if it's all circus or magic tricks ("wow, how does he/she do that???") And some of us like to do all those (and more) at different times or in different moods.

Like you, I want something more (or even something less!) than pure technique from a piece of music. I'm certainly frequently unimpressed (and often bored and irritated) by video accompaniments to music, whether it shows the person playing or not.