Guitarists who write songs vs Songwriters who are good guitarists

RandallFlagg

What do you prefer? A vituoso guitarist who also writes songs and sings as a vehicle for his guitar playing or a singer/songwriter who happens to be a good guitarist?

Or so you prefer a guitarist to be just that and not sing?

guitarfishbay

I only really care if I like the song to be honest.

randella

For the next three months, I only like guitarists who use Katana amps.

After that, not so much.

LuttiS

Songwriter all the way. Vocal melodies can completely change the dynamics of a song. A simple guitar riff, or even basic open chords can be transformed by a vocal melody that compliments it. 

Went to a metal festival recently and most of the bands it seemed tried to play as fast as they could with as many notes as they could as heavily as they could. Some of it was pretty impressive tbf, but it was so boring as vocals all seemed to be an afterthought and was often just some bloke retching into the mic. I'm not necessarily against this, i just like a melody to be involved.

RandallFlagg

LuttiS said:

Songwriter all the way. Vocal melodies can completely change the dynamics of a song. A simple guitar riff, or even basic open chords can be transformed by a vocal melody that compliments it. 

Went to a metal festival recently and most of the bands it seemed tried to play as fast as they could with as many notes as they could as heavily as they could. Some of it was pretty impressive tbf, but it was so boring as vocals all seemed to be an afterthought and was often just some bloke retching into the mic. I'm not necessarily against this, i just like a melody to be involved.

LOL!

p90fool

The answer is always Glen Campbell. 

stickyfiddle

My first reaction was "how is this even a question?" and then I remembered that people like prog music, so it must actually be an issue. 

Songs all the way.

Axe_meister

What if you have people who  can do Both? Robben Ford, Robin Trower, Dave Gilmour 

thumpingrug

I think Steve Vai has clearly shown that a songwriter who is good on guitar, is much better than a shit hot guitarist who tries to sing.  

randella

Axe_meister said:

Dave Gilmour 

I love his guitar playing, his vocals and, from the interviews I've seen, I like him as a person very much.

At the risk of getting a well-used black Stratocaster upside the head from an enraged fan, I'm going to go out on a limb here: his post-Floyd material has become increasingly weak.  I couldn't make it all the way through Rattle that Lock.

There.  I said it.

*runs and hides in bunker*

Phil_aka_Pip

Musician. Not just a poet who can sing a bit, not just a good singer who can handle a guitar, not even just a fine guitarist (although there are quite a few of those who I enjoy hearing), but above all, a MUSICIAN.

AlexO

Songwriters who can play for me. Always think Of Noel Gallagher when these sort of topics come up, he's not the most technical or flashy player but I think his solo's always have the nice vocal melody style about them which seems to connect with more people than a 1000mph shred solo.

randella

AlexO said:

Songwriters who can play for me. Always think Of Noel Gallagher when these sort of topics come up, he's not the most technical or flashy player but I think his solo's always have the nice vocal melody style about them which seems to connect with more people than a 1000mph shred solo.

Right enough.  Given a decent melody, solos you can sing are *always* a winner.

Bezzer

Um, I don't really understand the distinction ... unless you mean "focus of the track" being guitar or vocals, and if that's the case it seems pretty damning of guitarists who write songs.  Where would Ritchie Kotzen sit on that scale?

Fretwired

thumpingrug said:

I think Steve Vai has clearly shown that a songwriter who is good on guitar, is much better that a shit hot guitarist who tries to sing.  

Steve Vai writes songs ...... scratches chin ...

not_the_dj

Fretwired said:

thumpingrug said:

I think Steve Vai has clearly shown that a songwriter who is good on guitar, is much better that a shit hot guitarist who tries to sing.  

Steve Vai writes songs ...... scratches chin ...

Half of "Fire Garden" had him singing....and the album with Devin of course, but he took most of the vocals...

Here's Mr Vai as vocalist and guitarist....

https://youtu.be/ddnhfobteSA

digitalscream

LuttiS said:

Went to a metal festival recently and most of the bands it seemed tried to play as fast as they could with as many notes as they could as heavily as they could. Some of it was pretty impressive tbf, but it was so boring as vocals all seemed to be an afterthought and was often just some bloke retching into the mic. I'm not necessarily against this, i just like a melody to be involved.

I can understand fast = technically good (assuming it's played cleanly), but I really don't get the current fad which says fast = heavy. To my mind, "heavy" is "plenty of distortion, but an overall bottom-heavy sound with the entire rhythm section in lock-step". Too much speed simply obscures what's happening in the bass and low mids, and robs the sound of all of its heaviness.

thecolourbox

digitalscream said:

LuttiS said:

Went to a metal festival recently and most of the bands it seemed tried to play as fast as they could with as many notes as they could as heavily as they could. Some of it was pretty impressive tbf, but it was so boring as vocals all seemed to be an afterthought and was often just some bloke retching into the mic. I'm not necessarily against this, i just like a melody to be involved.

I can understand fast = technically good (assuming it's played cleanly), but I really don't get the current fad which says fast = heavy. To my mind, "heavy" is "plenty of distortion, but an overall bottom-heavy sound with the entire rhythm section in lock-step". Too much speed simply obscures what's happening in the bass and low mids, and robs the sound of all of its heaviness.

I think it's because I'm from a piano background, but I've always felt that fast playing showed a lack of real technique, playing slowly is much harder (like riding a bike as slowly as you possibly can) but that might be a piano thing

Grumpyrocker

Adrian Smith - brilliant at both. 

Zoolooter

randella said:

Axe_meister said:

Dave Gilmour 

I love his guitar playing, his vocals and, from the interviews I've seen, I like him as a person very much.

At the risk of getting a well-used black Stratocaster upside the head from an enraged fan, I'm going to go out on a limb here: his post-Floyd material has become increasingly weak.  I couldn't make it all the way through Rattle that Lock.

There.  I said it.

*runs and hides in bunker*

+1 Total agree. His solo stuff is abysmal and really hard work to listen to.

digitalscream

thecolourbox said:

digitalscream said:

LuttiS said:

Went to a metal festival recently and most of the bands it seemed tried to play as fast as they could with as many notes as they could as heavily as they could. Some of it was pretty impressive tbf, but it was so boring as vocals all seemed to be an afterthought and was often just some bloke retching into the mic. I'm not necessarily against this, i just like a melody to be involved.

I can understand fast = technically good (assuming it's played cleanly), but I really don't get the current fad which says fast = heavy. To my mind, "heavy" is "plenty of distortion, but an overall bottom-heavy sound with the entire rhythm section in lock-step". Too much speed simply obscures what's happening in the bass and low mids, and robs the sound of all of its heaviness.

I think it's because I'm from a piano background, but I've always felt that fast playing showed a lack of real technique, playing slowly is much harder (like riding a bike as slowly as you possibly can) but that might be a piano thing

I've always felt that playing fast should be an accent on the music or an effect, rather than the focus of the music itself. Modern metal seems to be mostly the drummer showing his mad endurance skillz by playing double-kick from beginning to end (punctuated far too often with the snare), taking a short break while the singer proves that he can actually talk like a human (instead of barking at the mic like an angry Chihuahua), then back at it again.

I have no idea what the guitars and bass are doing, because I can never hear them.