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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Hey... GWB put you on that list.... not me. |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I don't feel my voice is great enough to be up front, but I believe I do a good job on back-up vocals, as I can harmonize well and stay in key. My guitar playing is mediocre in my opinion, but I love playing and others seem to enjoy it also, so I press on. I HAVE decided that the most important thing to me in a song where the vocals are emphasized, is that the words are clear and understandable. Regardless of whether it is vocals or instrumentation, I like to apply the words of Wynton Marsalis, (as he spoke to a group of elementary school children during a music clinic in Chicago)when he said... "Every note in a song should be clearly intentional and for a purpose". I have heard some performances where the vocals and/or instrumentation were not all that great, but a clear message within the song overshadowed any imperfection of the performer. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | The human voice is the original musical instrument. Everyone owns one and can relate in some way. A lot of what people try do with guitars and other instruments is to emulate the human voice.
I believe the average member of the general public responds more to vocals. A lot of people don't like instrumental music and are bored by it. But I don't think anyone says, I hate music with vocals! But music is more successful when they work together. Take the great guitar hook out of Daytripper and I'm not sure we'd all remember the song.
Personally I listen more to the guitar and instrumentation than to vocals/lyrics and I listen to a lot of instrumental music. There are songs I have listened to for 20 years that I couldn't tell you what the words were, but I can play or at least whistle the guitar part.
As a guitar player it's the guitar, to most non-musicians it's all about the vocals. I think a great singer can get by being a mediocre guitar player far more than a great guitar player can being a mediocre singer.
My two cents... |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | This may not be a popular thing to say on this forum but I think good guitar players are a dime a dozen. You can hardly fling a cat without hitting a good guitar player. Where as a great vocalist is a little less common and stands out more.
And when you think of the very best bands, they usually have several great vocalists, think The Beatles, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills Nash, etc.
I appreciate a great guitar player as much as anyone. But especially in the singer/songwriter/acoustic guitar genre I think the public pays much more attention to vocals. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Originally posted by Brian T:
...I think good guitar players are a dime a dozen. You can hardly fling a cat without hitting a good guitar player. Too true, too true.
Saw a bum on the corner,
Guitar on his knee.
Said he’d sing for his supper,
But, I’ll be damned, he played better than me.
Too many guitars – too many for me
All those guitars baby, why can’t they leave me be.
from "Too Many Guitars" by Scott Henderson |
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Joined:
November 2009
| Originally posted by Brian T:
a great vocalist is a little less common and stands out more.
I think the public pays much more attention to vocals. No question about this. I'd much rather lose ground on my guitar playing ability than my vocal ability. I happen to be a very good vocalist, and that's what makes me stand out among the singer/guitarists in my area. |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | ...Wish I could say that.
But on the other hand, I remember reviewing a video of an armless guitar player on YouTube, and asking God to forgive me for complaining. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Vocals.
I'm a better-than-average singer, IMHO, a pretty accomplished finger picker, and a solid rhythm strummer - but I can only play minor leads and fills without a lot of practice.
And what would be the point? If I learn a hot solo and I'm playing alone, the bottom drops out when I play the lead. I wish I could play like Stephen Stills on "Treetop Flyer" or "Black Queen." THAT'S how to play solo acoustic.
At any rate, I try to fashion myself after James Taylor and Lightfoot when I play solo - keep the guitar part fancy enough to make it interesting without walking all over the vocals. When I play in my band, I do basically the same thing - except now I have keyboards, a drum machine, and two awesome female vocalists for support. Like stephent28 said, we look for all the killer vocal stuff to play, because we have excellent harmonies. We have sort of a Fleetwood Mac vibe and cover everything from Mac and Eagles to Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. Laura's a better pianist than I am a guitarist, but even at that, we both still support the vocals first. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | As a single, your vocal has to be at least good enough to keep the audience listening and entertained.
your guitar playing needs to be as good as you can make it and not overpower your vocal, unless your mouth is closed for that part.
When you're backing someone up your job is to make them look and sound great. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7236
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by nikon4004:
You can fake the guitar parts a fills, but you can;t fake the vocals. LOL... Have you not heard "Louie Louie??"
I'm just say'n... :) |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Careful, you're talking about Oregon boys there. Just sayin... |
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guitar vs. vocals
