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Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Just a topic starter.
I read a comment that Kaki King made in the recent interview "most great guitar players also know how to sing" and thought it would make for interesting discussion.
I don't agree with the comment, but that isn't important.
The guitar players I think of as great, usually do not sing, although some can. I know from my personal experience in any band, I either sang, or played guitar, usually not both if I could help it.
thoughts?? |
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Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Personally, I don't think I'm good enough on guitar to even be called a "guitarist". I play well enough to accompany my singing. I don't think that there are too many people who do both really well. |
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Location: Jet City | my favorite guitarists don't sing, but some of my favorite performers do.
Some guitarists should have remained guitarists.... Clapton comes to mind. |
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Location: NJ | Now, I've always felt that Clapton's singing ability improved as his career progressed . . . |
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Location: big island | +1 what cliff said |
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Location: enid, ok | Her list of great players must be far different than mine, I'm with Miles on this. I even have Steve Morse on record saying, "I refuse to sing" during a song. I think most of my favorite players feel that way. I either do one or the other. I have mucho respect for guys like Jack Bruce; I don't even pretend to do that, because I can't. |
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Location: Jet City | Originally posted by lanaki:
+1 what cliff said I do agree to a point too, but the early stuff was a bit harsh on the ears, especially if you paid $ for the album |
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Location: NJ | It's hard for your voice t'sound good when you've got a melting glacier sliding down the back of your throat and your septum is non-existant . . . |
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Posts: 3411
Location: GA USA | Maybe the best guitarists aren't singers. I saw Queen twice and Brian May didn't sing either time, even though he sang lots on the albums.
But maybe... the best singers can play guitar. James Taylor, Kenny Loggins... |
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Location: big island | ... eva cassidy... |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I disagree with Kaki's comment, too. Many great guitar players sing, but only some really know how to sing well. Many great singers play a guitar, but only some really know how to play well. The number of people who can do both really well is far less, and many of those have never been in the right place at the right time to exploit their talent to a professional level. |
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Location: Jet City | I think Taylor does a great job at both, Campbell and Croce do too, but I think these folks are exceptions to the rule. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I think Damon's comments point out something. There aren't many rock guitar players/singers that come to mind that are good at both. If you've got to shout to be heard over the guitar, you won't sound good. If you're into hard rock, you probably won't find a "good" guitar player who is also a good singer. And they might be able to play a decent lick while drunk or stoned, but couldn't sing in that condition.
If the guitar is played to accompany the voice, a good singer could also play well and vice versa.
On the other end of the spectrum, I'm trying to think of any classical or Spanish guitar players, or something similar, who also sing. It just doesn't go together. Maybe the only type of music where the two seem to meld is the pop/folk/country stuff. |
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Location: Feeding Hills, MA | Does this qualify?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzW3rb57Ks0&feature=related |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I Cannot Sing... Sometimes I get distracted if I try to sing out loud while play... But that does not really matter... CUZ I CANNOT SING! |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Mark has a point, but again there are exceptions. Dave Meniketti has a killer voice and is one of my all time favorite guitar players. Rik Emmett comes to mind, as well as his fellow Canadian Geddy Lee (OK< I know it's a bass, but what he does on it is freekin impossible).
I don't think country music has more excellent guitar players that sing, I do think they have more singers that play guitar though. Again, there are exceptions.
But the real question.... Where are all the Rap guitarists? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | There you go, Damon. Talking about people I never heard of. I suspect you're into the 80s and younger era again. |
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Location: Feeding Hills, MA | So I take it that nobody likes Kenny Loggins...but I at least expected a comment on his choice of guitar! |
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Location: Scotland | She's absolutely right but it's not really about the ability to "sing" well, it's about the ability to create melody on your chosen instrument, be it strings, keys, voice or whatever. There are a ton of great guitar players who cannot sing, and those that don't understand the concept and importance of melody, dynamics, phrasing and how they relate to harmony just as a great vocalist does. That's the difference.
I'm paraphrasing a little here, but those who were at Amelia should think back to what Matt was saying about singing while improvising.
I can't sing to save my life, but I to "think" like a vocalist when I'm playing. |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by 2stix:
So I take it that nobody likes Kenny Loggins...but I at least expected a comment on his choice of guitar! Ok, I'll comment on his choice of guitars. I hate Taylors.
Satisfied? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Bob Dylan - a hundred years ago at Newport Folk Festival
That would be July 25 1965... just seems like a hundred years ago... :cool: |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Thinking about Kaki's statement... I know of alot of singers who Can play guitar, but don't do it on stage.
Why? (they might say) "I can sing, I can write songs, I can play guitar, I even play guitar while I write songs...
But this guy is So Much Better!"
And there are alot of guitarist/songwriters who really shouldn't sing! :eek: |
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Posts: 143
Location: Feeding Hills, MA | Ok, I'll comment on his choice of guitars. I hate Taylors.
Satisfied? [/QB]
No, cuz it looks like an ovation to me, but then, I'm not a professional... |
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Location: SoCal | He played Ovations 30 years ago. Now he plays Taylors. |
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Location: Feeding Hills, MA | The clip was from '72 when he was doing his best work...makes sense to me that he was playing an "O" at the time! |
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Opinions on Singing and Playing
