The singer and the song are king (guitar doesn't mean much)

Ah yes, the old "play the recorded solo" quandary. Do I need the singer to sing the correct words and melody, the rhythm to play the correct chords, the drummer to play the correct beat, all so I can spread my glorious improvasational wings and soar on my wanker solo?

I agree that the song's recorded solo helps the song. I am as guilty as the next guy on not following my own advice.

 

I hated playing for drunks.

 

I don’t recall where I read or saw it but I remember a George Thorogood interview where has was asked how to succeed as a professional guitarist and answered with “Learn how to sing”.
Never forgot it. You, and he, are correct but here’s something about guitar played well that cannot be duplicated.

 

We have been frequenting some very, very special open jams. The coolest one is at The Keys Lounge in Ft Worth. It’s not a room full of wannabe musicians. It’s a room full of very good musicians of every instrument. Entire horn sections show up to this thing. Killer singers, keyboard players, sax, violins you name it. Show up at 6:00 on a Sunday and bring some food because it’s a pot luck dinner social. Band kicks it by 6:30 and it’s literally ‘anything goes’. Last week the bass player called out Birdland by Weather Report and they all killed it note for note, not one clam!! My jaw was on the floor. That said, the place is very supportive of musicians at any stage of developement. These jams are hosted by the likes of Buddy Whittington, Jerry Don Branch, Jim Schuler. Lately it’s been a real fun band Called the Fender Benders. The place is owned by a keyboardist named Danny Ross and has been around almost 40 years!
On rare occasion some guy will get up on stage to prove how he can play guitar over the top of everything else including the singer. It is usually a while before they are invited on stage again regardless of how technically good he is. If he is not musically good and musically aware then it doesn’t go over well. There seems to be little tolerance from the musician crowd for egos or wankers on stage. Such a great place!!
These jams lately have been funner than gigs.

 

It depends on what kind of music you are talking about.

If you are playing in a Led Zeppelin Tribute band the guitar playing counts for quite a lot.

 

While not reading all the answers here that´s exactly what I think when I read the title of this thread. Personally I love songs with good singing. Sometimes cool guitar riffs will make the song perfect but noodling and speeding races are not what I like or want to hear.

So that´s exactly my way to play with a band, always trying to make the song perfect.

 

I love the Dave Clark Five and I can’t think of a guitar driven song of there’s. And they could rock the s**t out of a song and you never missed it.

 

I think most people would rather hear an instrumental band than an acapella band.
Meaning guitar players are needed more than singers.

 

This is my view, too. The guitar as a part of the rhythm section builds and maintains the groove. Much of Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing is his distinctive rhythm playing, with his equally distinctive solos much later, sometimes at the ends of the songs.

Lead guitar is something else. For ordinary audiences, hearing signature licks is enough, as long as the groove and singing are good.

 

well for what its' worth, 2 x $20 Bills ( tips) for the Peaceful Easy Feeling solo last night . This is not uncommon for us, even as a duo.

Huge mistake, don't ever assume nobody is listening or that guitar players are not important, we don't know who's listening and pretending to NOT be listening.

The singer works hard to do his best, I work hard to do my best. Its a win win...for everyone.

We should practice, be prepared, be personally rehearsed, regardless of songs, solos. etc...we should not assume that mediocrity is an acceptable level of performance for anyone, ,even if only 1 or 2 people are in the audience.

We are not jukeboxes, we are supposed to be musicians. !

I read that on the internet so it must be true !

 

depends on the music.

if you go see at the gates or something like that, definitely not. or if you go see a bluegrass band. or shoegaze. or dbeat.

 

why is a cover band audience the target you're shooting for? wouldn't they have lower standards?

 

this thread is really getting bizarre. Too many assumptions of what people want to hear or what they don't want to hear. Fact of the matter is we don't actually know .

Maybe people have just become complacent with bands, duos, trios etc just going thru the motions, maybe thats why they don't listen or pay attention. Maybe they don't expect much , maybe the expectations are minimal.

How many times have YOU gone into a joint, listened for a few moments and walked out ?

 

A band is an ensemble, all the parts have a part in making the song work.
The vocal is a very important piece.

Our singer wouldn't be able to do 3hrs acapella. She's riding on the changes I am comping; likewise I would not be stringing single note lines together without bass and drums keeping the changes going.

It's nice when people clap or shout out after a solo, makes me think I am doing something right Many times on breaks I hear how good the bass or drums sound.
Together we try to create interest for the listeners.

 

People go to bars to drink, lighten up and hopefully get lucky, that last one is probably the biggest reason. The music gets people to lighten up , maybe dance a bit and go home with someone they find attractive, the getting lucky part was why a lot of us all picked up a guitar in the first place.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Good musicianship is key. The Beatles could do it all. The vocals were obviously great, but the guitars were half of the recipe. There are no hard fast rules. How about The Ventures.

 

Well, I don't play them note for note , I play around them, in and out. I don't even play them the same each time out. Its the theme thats recognizable.

If we decide to play TWO solos, the second is NOT like the first .

But , all this being said, being able to play it like the record or close, is actually not a bad thing, you gotta start somewhere .

Start at the beginning, work from there.

Singers indeed learn the written lyrics to songs, don't they ? I think they do ! I'm pretty sure that if someone requests a song the first thing we ask the singer is , do you know the words ? So why not the guitar parts ?

I'm just a simple guitar player, I just do what the songs call for, or more, sometimes less, if requested to do so. It only took me the last 15 or 20 years ( out of more than 40) to understand that this is not brain science !