Easy Speed
Jun 26, 2017 15:46:42 GMT -5
Post by mirth on Jun 26, 2017 15:46:42 GMT -5
Easy speed. The guys who play very fast and technical, but don’t necessarily sound like they’re digging in with all their might to play fast, it just is fast. For instance, Holdsworth kind plays stupidly fast, but it almost doesn’t sound like some dude shredding. Unlike for instance Shawn Lane who sounds like he’s really “going for it”. But Shawn also has sort of a relaxed way he plays. Malmsteen sounds like he’s “shredding”.
I’m trying to think of other players who almost don’t sound like they’re blazing in a way, other than Holdsworth. Maybe it’s a legato thing. But someone like Brett Garsed doesn’t sound as mature of a technician as Holdsworth. I hear sax players doing it though, Liebman, Brecker, and also pianists all seem to have this “easy” speed. On guitar, I think it’s just harder to sound like you’re not blazing.
I wonder if it’s a dynamic thing? Like pianists and sax players play extremely fast, but their lines have dynamics in them, but so many guitarists have that over compressed ever note is always equal volume sound, which is sort of an unnatural musical phrase. This might be what I’m hearing, as I think about someone like McLaughlin, where I would say his acoustic playing, particularly in Shakti, is so perfect but sounds so effortless, where his electric playing sounds much more “mechanical” or something.
I hear it in my playing too, when I play really fast, it sounds like I’m playing fast, it’s not as fluid as other parts of my playing, but when I hear Holdsworth play really fast, it sounds as fluid as his slow playing. Or if I hear Chris Potter or Coltrane, it just sounds like music when they play fast not like “Shredding” or something. Actually, Rhames fits this category for me too. But I don’t think Lane, Buckethead, Bumblefoot, Govan, and many others do. Just another reason I suck at guitar, haha. At least I’m in good company since it seems to me just about every guitarist sounds this way.
Thoughts? Any other players have that “easy” speed sound?
I’m trying to think of other players who almost don’t sound like they’re blazing in a way, other than Holdsworth. Maybe it’s a legato thing. But someone like Brett Garsed doesn’t sound as mature of a technician as Holdsworth. I hear sax players doing it though, Liebman, Brecker, and also pianists all seem to have this “easy” speed. On guitar, I think it’s just harder to sound like you’re not blazing.
I wonder if it’s a dynamic thing? Like pianists and sax players play extremely fast, but their lines have dynamics in them, but so many guitarists have that over compressed ever note is always equal volume sound, which is sort of an unnatural musical phrase. This might be what I’m hearing, as I think about someone like McLaughlin, where I would say his acoustic playing, particularly in Shakti, is so perfect but sounds so effortless, where his electric playing sounds much more “mechanical” or something.
I hear it in my playing too, when I play really fast, it sounds like I’m playing fast, it’s not as fluid as other parts of my playing, but when I hear Holdsworth play really fast, it sounds as fluid as his slow playing. Or if I hear Chris Potter or Coltrane, it just sounds like music when they play fast not like “Shredding” or something. Actually, Rhames fits this category for me too. But I don’t think Lane, Buckethead, Bumblefoot, Govan, and many others do. Just another reason I suck at guitar, haha. At least I’m in good company since it seems to me just about every guitarist sounds this way.
Thoughts? Any other players have that “easy” speed sound?
