Two questions

I have been a member here for a couple of months now, and I have 2 questions.
1) Do you feel you have to learn stuff note-for-note exactly as per the record? When I was learning guitar (many years ago) it was a matter of pride NOT to play exactly the same as the record, but to put your own interpretation on a piece.

2) Who ARE you people? Every time I read a post on the site, I track the writer's profile, only to find no information! I don't want you to write "War and Peace", but please let us have some clues as to where you are and what you do when you're not playing guitar - just out of interest!

i first started playing guitar because of people like hendrix and page. so when i first started it was very important to me to play the song perfectly. however now, through this site and other guitarists like malmsteen, i've developed my own style and change songs so they fit me.

as for question number two, i've been playing for a number of years now. i'm entirely self taught. i use use a telecaster and a peavey RAGE amp. i learned many styles and have become a pretty good tapper, but i want to improve my speed.

anyways, when i'm not playing, i play lacrosse and i use this site a lot to learn more. i'm not in a band yet because no one i know either has the right equipment or cares about forming one. so i just continue on my own.

Originally posted by Alan Moorhouse
I have been a member here for a couple of months now, and I have 2 questions.
1) Do you feel you have to learn stuff note-for-note exactly as per the record? When I was learning guitar (many years ago) it was a matter of pride NOT to play exactly the same as the record, but to put your own interpretation on a piece.

2) Who ARE you people? Every time I read a post on the site, I track the writer's profile, only to find no information! I don't want you to write "War and Peace", but please let us have some clues as to where you are and what you do when you're not playing guitar - just out of interest!

Alan
I don't think you need to learn things note for note,
but i can.
Being i'm a lead guitarest in a band i have to workout,
the intro's plus hooks ect plus the riffs and endings in the music we play.
We play for the people were entertaing they come first,
thier what its all about.
What ever they want thats what we play if we know the tune.
If we don't sometimes we will fake it plus adlib on the,
song they want we have payed our dues and played alot of,
years so some times one of the band members will know,
the tune and have to hum it to rest of us then we will go,
for it.What makes us feel good is when someone in the,
crowd says yea thats it.
When we do outside Shows we do use a program to go by.
But in clubs we do alot of requests.
After we play the new stuff for awhile we do start doing,
more adlibing with the song plus jamming because of our blues backgrounds.I'm alwasy changeing the riff's licks,
in our songs because they get boring after playing them,
a few times.We play Rock,old Rock,Blues,Jazz,Southern Rock,
Country Rock,Surf,Rockabilly,Blue-grass,Pop,and belive it,
or not a few Metal tunes every now and then.
Ok in answer to your #2 question i started playing guitar,
in 1961 cut a record in 1962.
I was born in Lafayette ind. in 1940 that should give you,
my age i feel great practice every day,plus i teach guitar,
2 days aweek.I am a computer tec so i do build and work,
on computers plus right now i'm learning web page stuff.
My Band plays about 3 or four times aweek.
Plus i'm in the process of makeing a video for beginners,
plus one on advanced styles.
I have a son thats 23 which i'm trying to work him into,
our band.He can really shredd with best of them.
He keeps me up on all the new metal stuff ect.
I like playing computer games.Traveling with the band in,
the summer plus takeing our wives with us plus our 3 dogs.
If i told you all my music history it would take days.
Anyway hope this is enough info.

Mark Toman Lafayette ind. Home of Axel Rose
plus others like Shannon Hoon,Karen Black
Bango player Larry Mcnealy who played on the,
the glen camble good time hour.
Also Brian Lamb Anchor for Cspan2 plus Brian filled,
in on drums in 62 then he got us spot on our local Tv
station which he was the host of a band-stand,
type show to push our record.

[Edited by skee1 on 07-28-2001 at 02:13 AM]

Alan, there are many answers to this as music is universal and so to this question. Maybe it is true or not, this is my oppinion. To copy songs, note by note depends on the purpose of use, who is your target listener/audiences as mentioned by skee1, and depends on time changes and mood. This all may come together or maybe not. If you feel like it is a must for you to copy absolutely the same a the record, just do it (NIKE). If you feel you want to make some modifications on songs eventhough you can copy or not, still depends on how you like the crowd to listen it or what the audiences wanted to hear. Some crowds expect you to be as same as the records and some are not. Some will like your own modifications and some will not. If playing in a pub, I agree with what skee1 said. This all depends on what are you doing now and maybe this questions will arise all the time especially when you are a performer. If a person takes it as a hobby, well, this question maybe it is not a big deal at least he/she can play songs. But I believe, mostly guitarist are more to impress, to surprise, to show what can you play. Correct me if I am wrong. Oh, this also means Pride(Alan, you are right!!!) but when it comes to your own original stuff, you nedd to do something with the records/songs you are trying to copy as mentioned by skee1. Or the best, compose your own songs/music and arrangement of music which is you have to create your own tempo/timing, chords progression, lead scale and lead creativity, or ,maybe speed, lyrics, etc etc etc...

For question #2
Well, Realname is Emmanuel, 22 years old and been holding guitar since 12 years old. Working in an educational company dealing with graphic design and multimedia design school, as a Computer Lab Admin. Mostly, i live with the guitar and also the football(soccer). I watch, I play. OK, favourite team is Germany and France, but not my own country.(Traitor!!!) Go to church "almost" every Sunday. Hekekeke... listen to 60s(Beatles especially), blues(eric clapton, santana, gary moore), black metal(deicide,), rapcore(Linkin Park, Limbizkit), classical(Jimmy Van Heusen), vai, satriani, , metallica, guns & roses, dream theatre, white snake, ozzy osbourne, skid row, even latest pop & R&B music and more weird - religious music. Hell!!! This is musician!!!

[Edited by emmanuel79 on 07-27-2001 at 11:35 AM]

Hi Alan, how's Manchester? (Yes, another Brit!)
Regarding Q1, I feel that the profusion of Tab has created a generation (on the whole) of youngsters trying to re-create music that was originally imaginative and freely improvised. In my opinion, Tab is really only useful in examining technique, because simply reproducing the music is hardly 'creative' is it?
As a musician for over 30 years,(see my profile, Q2), I can confirm that having played with or seen virtually all of the guitar giants since the late 60's, the degree of variation and improvisation that they have delivered in live performances is what keeps rock fresh, alive and driving forward.
It has just occurred to me, has the straitjacket of notation and discipline created the current hiatus in classical music? After all, there aren't any new Beethovens or Wagners on the horizon, are there?
Finally on Q2, this site seems to attract quite a few students whose enthusiasm is evident. Perhaps if I was 15 and been playing for a very short while I would keep that quiet, although in reality they are the very guitarists that we should be encouraging!

I think when you're coving a song their's certain key parts that you have to "get" so that people know what you're doing, but other than that it should be adlibbed or done in an original manner. I think it should be easy to tell one band from another playing the same tune. Look at it this way, Jimmy Vaughan said about his brother "Stevie never played a song the same way once." Constant variation is the only way to keep things fresh, and what happens is that if your band gets a reputation for doing really intersting covers/parodies people will show up just to see what you do next.

As for me: I'm a 21 year old bassist from the hills of Vermont (as it sais to my left). By day I work in a basement cutting paper in a small print shop (I actually get to do everything from sweeping floors and cutting paper to IT, customer tech support, and high end pre press, but I get paid as a paper cutter). I have my band The Bocce Wagon and I usually play some open mics for spare cash, free drinks, and so I can come to work Fridays looking like a zombie. I also scuba dive, play paintball (when I have enough money for paint and the weather is nice) and write poetry/lyrics/music when I'm feeling paticuarly inspired. Oh, and I can also be found playing guitar from time to time.

Many thanx guys for your replies - I've read 'em all with great interest. Seems like the consensus is that some things MUST be played "as written" but other stuff can be played around with to suit your own style. I like this site - I learn a lot!

I'm beginning to get the feeling that this site's really taking off with us Brits. There's even an advert for British Gas or something!!!!
But, back to the point. I think it's important to learn what was being played when you're playing a cover, but I don't think you need to play exactly what anyone else did. Often covers are done as a sort of tribute to an artist/song/etc. The best way, usually, to pay your respects is to show them how you see things. It's a more honest performance I think.
I'm not actually sure if I'd ever learn anything note-for-note...I think I might do on certain things, but most of the time I'd just get the fondations of something and work off that. Riffs are possibly the only usual exception. Most riffs need to be kept in tack. Having said all this, there's no real right or wrong way. Just a take on things.
I think my only real exception to all this is a tribute band type situation. In that case the audience don't care what you think of the songs, they want to hear what they remember. Note-for-note.
Everything has a place...it a case of chosing what's right, when. Hmmm...another intriguing question. This forum really gets y'think, dunnit?!

Just updated my profile, check it out if you care to know more about me.

U asked

1) Do you feel you have to learn stuff note-for-note exactly as per the record? When I was learning guitar (many years ago) it was a matter of pride NOT to play exactly the same as the record, but to put your own interpretation on a piece.

I totally agree with u. The person who wrote the song was trying to express a certain emotion or feeling. As each person reacts differently to situations it is your right, no your duty, to interpret the song to make it tell a story that is relevent to u!

P.S. I have 2 questions myself
1) How do u get those little footnotes, they are sooooo cool
2) How do u do a quote

to quote somebody you use the "quote" button under a post, the forum fills in the VB code for you. You can use VB code to make bold, italic, or underlined text, insert links to web pages, make ordered lists, etc. It's pretty straightforward, and doesn't take a lot of time to figure out.

As for the "signature" at the bottom of a post, you control that in your profile.