How, and to what extent, do you accept feedback on your guitar parts, in your bands?

willo

Previously I've been in bands where I was given little critique on my guitar parts, or they were jammed out collaboratively and dynamically over multiple practice sessions.

Now I'm half of a duo and I'm writing guitar parts to a songwriter's songs; typically, as we are both busy, recording into a DAW, sharing digitally, and then catching up when time allows.

Our working relationship has been mostly good to date but there are times when I feel he views me as his session musician, rather than co-partner. His feedback can at times be casually (and I believe, unwittingly) dismissive, or really loose and non-descript. Often it's delivered over long Whatsapp messages, which I think is a bad place to give and discuss feedback.

It has however been working relatively well to date. But now we're at a point where he's offering 'critique' of parts of a solo in a way that I don't consider to be constructive or helpful.

I suppose I am mulling over the way in which feedback is given and the extent to which I take it on board. It's not to say that everything I have written is perfect, but in prior bands these things were mostly left to me, or they evolved in live environments. Or an external voice, like a producer, would be the one offering direct critique.

Do you amend your solos, or do you consider them yours only? Do you try to play guitar parts that non-guitarists vocalise to you? Do you have a line in the sand? Keen to hear how guys approach it.

spark240

I think the issue is that no one else hears what you hear, ..and this leads to a difference of opinion, I realise this the I did some colabs and the other party was asking me change things, and alter the mix etc....in the end I did compromise a bit and that worked, you just have to accept that any point venture will have these things happen 

merlin

I used to play in a band where the "singer" said I needed to play each specific solo the same. Every. Fucking. Time. 

I thought he was a massive dildo. 

LionAquaLooper

Silly me thinking this was a thread about how much feedback (high pitched squealing) you'd tolerate on your guitar parts (pickups, amps etc) 

Lestratcaster

One band I played in the writing progress was horrible, we only ever saw each other in the band room and we mostly tried writing with random jams with no real direction on where the song would be going. Then the idea would be pulled in different directions as we all are writers in a way. Heads clashed and we never got anything done as we were over critical about everything. One member never seemed to like anything I came up with and suggested "to play this instead" which I wasn't overly fond of. I ended up leaving that band pretty quickly. I'm willing to compromise but if I'm not going to have any input I might as well not be there.

In another band it was slightly better where songs were written and worked on outside the practice room so it wasn't paid time, and it was alot more relaxed. Everyone was accepting of other people's input and we always tried stuff out, even if there was a possibility it'd sound rubbish, we always gave it a go.

There was me and the other 2 other guitar players, so the other two kinda had the song idea then I'd come in and sort of arrange or tidy parts up. It worked well as I was mainly there to listen to what they had so far and then try to shape it better. The main goal was focusing on serving the song, and not who could play the fanciest licks or whatever. The song always came first so if something didn't serve it we took it out. 1 of them was a bit touchy about his parts, and at some times dismissive of other people's suggestions (shrugging his shoulders and going 'maybe..' but he slowly learnt to compromise and accept its a team effort.

We got a lot more done in the latter band as it was a better dynamic.

digitalscream

Well, for my part, I always looked at it as three possibilities:

1 - They're right, or they have a good idea, so I change it.

2 - They're wrong, so I don't.

3 - It's a coin-flip, and it's my part, so I play the one I'm most comfortable with (aka "see #2").

Supportact

All singers are mental. Just humour him. Smile and nod and if necessary say you admire their stage presence and then do whatever you like.  

Rocker

Always listen to your singer in the band - he/she is your band’s connection with the audience. Your job is to support your singer.  If you write a solo for a song and it works, it is only fair to other band members and the audience, to play it as the band rehearsed it every time.

You as the guitar player could suggest variations on the solo and how the singer adapts to those variations but successful bands are the product of many compromises.  If that approach does not sit well with you, join a different band.

stickyfiddle

I’m very open to feedback provided that feedback is given in good faith and in a form that I can do something with (I.e. “its too scrunkly” doesn’t cut it…) 

Generally speaking in the one giving the most feedback to everyone else, but I’m well aware that my job is to make the band sound good and that includes keeping my own parts and sounds in step with whatever works best to deliver the song

Bezzer

I would rather have feedback and a discussion to find a compromise than find out after the fact a part had been changed / replaced.

I will take on any feedback I'm given, especially as a lot of the time at the moment I'm doing things for other people and not my / my bands. But it's valuable all the time, sometimes you get stuck in your own little loop and can't hear problems.

sev112

Singers never know what a guitarist needs to achieve sonically

Unfortunately, from the audience’s poimt of view, neither does the guitarist

so the guitarist needs to have some feedback / comments from others, but it doesn’t mean you have to take it on.  Fmho half of the time they talked sense and the rest of the time they didn’t.

too many bands broke up cos of musical differences (I think we were the only ones who ever did because if irreconcilable geographical differences), try not to let yours do so

Lebarque

Nod along to keep the peace while smugly knowing they're wrong.