G
uitar players are an interesting
bunch. We laud trailblazing pioneers of music—people who do
things their own way—then sometimes
turn right around and mock the guy playing at the local club because he’s playing
in a manner different than us. A strange
duality seems to have emerged, one where
players both respect innovation (if at the
same time distancing themselves from it)
and remain rooted in some kind of unspoken tradition, where those who break the
rules are cast out like lepers.
Of course, I’m painting in broad strokes
here; not everyone abhors creativity or
looks down upon those who do things differently. Make no mistake, some guitarists are prone to a mob mentality when
it comes to gear preferences and playing
style. But, my guitar-loving brothers and
sisters, let us remember, innovation requires boldness. It requires taking risks.
New sounds are discovered by doing
things even just a little bit different than
we did the night before. In some of Fender’s original tube amp manuals, users
were instructed not to turn the amplifier
up to the point of distortion. Can you imagine what music would be like if nobody
ever broke that rule? Electric guitars are
an amazing instrument because of all of
the variables that surround them. Various
amps, effects, and speakers all shape the
sonic landscape we create with our hands.
And with those hands, we often use picks.
In my experience, one of the simplest
ways to craft a new sound is how I touch
the instrument. So put down that pick for
a minute—let’s take a look at some ways
we can change how we finesse, caress, and
attack our beloved instruments.
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