Which guitarists have great rhythmic nous or grace ?

[Rob Hall]

Of course we should. I love his lead playing so much that I sometimes overlook how wonderful his rhythm playing was/ is.

Well, I just thought of what a rhythmic guitar might sound like, and "Memphis Tennessee" popped into my head.

[Rob Hall]

What about Prince? Is that a silly idea?

Absolutely not Dayna. Prince is a great guitarist, and his sense of rhythm is second to none. Another good call.

[Dayna]

I deleted that ! LOL But Thanks

I don't know the difference between a Rhythm & lead guitar. But was also thinking of Ali Farka Toure & Vieux.

[NormanD]

Yeah, who DID play that intro?

Skip Pitts played the wah-wah guitar part. I saw him a couple of years ago as part of the Memphis Music events at The Barbican, heading a band called The Bo-Keys, part of the Stax Studio evening.

He played "Theme from....", of course. He preceded it with the story that Isaac Hayes got the hit "....and I got the shaft". He then admitted that he did get a house out of it.

Norman

[Adam Blake]

Thank you Norman, I always wondered who played that part. Even though it was so obviously inspired by him, I honestly don't think Hendrix himself coulda played it any better.

Dayna - the difference between lead and rhythm guitar is basically this:
Lead guitar plays runs of single notes over the top of the music. Rhythm guitar plays chords in a rhythm that complements what the bass and drums are doing. Of course, it's not quite that simple as the parts often overlap, but that's the theory!

[Charlie]

Lead guitar plays runs of single notes over the top of the music. Rhythm guitar plays chords in a rhythm that complements what the bass and drums are doing. Of course, it's not quite that simple as the parts often overlap, but that's the theory!

And the guy who did both at the same time was Buddy Holly - amazing

Maybe he shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath, but Andy Summers in the Police was a great rhythm-oriented guitarist, under-rated because he was in what is deemed a pop group

Who played guitar on those Desmond Dekker & Maytals records? Probably the same guy who played on Johnny Nash's 'Hold Me Tight'. His name should be in lights.

[Chris P]

Adam :

I'd like to mention Mary Restrepo of the Detroit Cobras for reviving many of those punk rhythm guitarist's traditions that Johnny Ramone's bludgeon-like barred E and A shapes had all but obliterated.

interesting...do you mean like the 2 or 3 string shapes someone like Mick Jones would play as opposed to Steve Jones type bar chords ?
My new wave trinity would be Viv Albertine, Green Gartside on those early Scritti EPs, and Gareth Sager (the Pop Group)

[kevin]

Wilko Johnson played great rhythm and lead with Dr Feelgood and later The Blockheads. Nice little mover too. Check him out here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo2HIUE404M

[Adam Blake]

Adam :

I'd like to mention Mary Restrepo of the Detroit Cobras for reviving many of those punk rhythm guitarist's traditions that Johnny Ramone's bludgeon-like barred E and A shapes had all but obliterated.

interesting...do you mean like the 2 or 3 string shapes someone like Mick Jones would play as opposed to Steve Jones type bar chords ?

It's a whole way of playing that was pretty much pioneered by us Brits in the early 60s. It consists of what happens when you listen to some killer r'n'b record from New Orleans or Motown and think, shit, I really wanna play that but it's all horns and pianos. What're you going to do? First of all you figure out what key it's in and find that it's probably in Bb or Eb or something equally unfriendly to guitars. So you move it to B or A or E and work out the shape of it in root chords. Then if you're really a punk that'll do you but if you're a MUSICAL punk you'll want to adapt those root chords to give an impression of the subtleties of the original. That's where those inside shapes and little leading riffs between chords come in. A really perfect example of this would be a comparison between Smokey Robinson's original version of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and the Beatles cover version which came out only a matter of months later. Listen to the way Lennon and Harrison voice their chords. It's ingenious. The Stones were very good at it too. Their version of Don Covay's "Mercy Mercy" is a classic punk guitar arrangement. I call them punks because they were not trained and experienced professional musicians like the black Americans who played the originals. Also because they were young and white and spotty and British and wore tight pants and shouted and swore a lot whilst taking drugs and drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.

This kind of guitar playing is very close to my heart as it's basically what I attempted to emulate when I was learning to play myself. After I got over the initial excitement of The Ramones and The Sex Pistols (and they WERE exciting) I realised that the guitar playing had sacrificed knowledge of the fretboard for the immediate impact of barred power chords. This is all very well as far as it goes but it doesn't go very far if you're interested in the subtleties of good black American music - as I was and am.

I hope that clarifies what I meant.

[Chris P]

I know Wilko's 'hard' but the skin on the right hand's fingertips must shred at some point, or did he have callouses like rock hard pebbles ? Is he human ?

Edit: insert interview quote:
" I understand you never use a plectrum, that must be hard on your fingers?

Wilko Johnson – They used to bleed a lot, but they are all right now."



If this forum ever goes quiet in the future I'll try to launch a thread on the greatness of guitarists who play without a pick (but I'm posting too much at mo'). There should be some good African entries in that one

[Jamie Renton]

Who played guitar on those Desmond Dekker & Maytals records? Probably the same guy who played on Johnny Nash's 'Hold Me Tight'. His name should be in lights.

Hux Brown created the distinctive rhythm guitar sound on a lot of the Maytals songs. His guitar always sounded like it was repeating the word "reggae, reggae, reggae" over & over again.

As far as I can tell, he isn't listed as playing with Desmond Dekker or Johnny Nash. But (if you'll pardon the double negative) that doesn't mean that he didn't!

Cheers

Jamie

[Chris P]

Theme from Shaft:
normand :

Skip Pitts played the wah-wah guitar part

Adam :

I honestly don't think Hendrix himself coulda played it any better.

Interestingly he had a little help from Isaac:

"guitarist Charles “Skipâ€

[Des]

1. What about Jack White?

2. Was it Bruce Foxton or Paul Weller who played rhythm in the Jam? (just looked it up on Wikipedia - trick question).

[Dayna]

There's an oldies guitar instrumental called Rebel Rouser. Not sure who it's by but I like those old tunes like that.I'm also still fascinated by Apache, how it it like a picture painted from just a guitar.

[Dayna]

I have liked the guitar playing in some of the Beatles songs. Sorry, as far as which one is which as far as lead & rhythm, without hearing the difference it's hard for me.
I was at my Mom's & they had a Rock radio station. While My Guitar Gently Weeps came on. I love the way it sounds. Isn't that one or any of their other songs good examples?