The best example that comes to mind at the moment is Derek Trucks' solo at the end of "Midnight in Harlem". Experiencing the emotions that Susan Tedeschi puts into her vocal parts and then hearing Derek's solo made my eyes leak.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CY6-jrQpsvQ.htmlsi=BknbNsICIbPbp5rA This is a Mr Zimmer project, Derek Trucks was one of a handful of talented musicians on this production, his playing was full of simple phrasing that had more textured architecture that shows his talent of playing with “feel”.
Thanks for bringing that song to my attention. I've heard many people say what a great slide guitarist Dereck Trucks is, but I've never really bothered to check him out. Listening to that solo at the end, I can hear a lot of Chris's playing in there, especially when he bends a note up a whole and then takes it a semitone higher. I wonder if that's where Chris got the inspiration from?
@@ianbarnes1406 Good question. Although, the up a whole step, then add a half step comes from way back. Dave Gilmour is a good example. One thing that hit me when I heard that song played live is that when Susan sang the last note Derek came in on the same note and then continued singing on his SG with all the nuances of Susan's voice... which is exactly what Chris has said that he does.
"us mere mortals" then proceeds to play with an incredible amount of feel, personally i think that feel comes from the soul, what the musician puts in the music, I think yngwie can make an emotion solo even if it goes through three octaves in 2 seconds the same way gilmour can play one note and make everyone feel it. feel comes from being yourself on the instrument and talking with it. just my two cents. Incredible playing as always chris!! hope you're well!
Well said sir!. I normally don't love Yngwie Malmsteen but I recently heard the solo of "Cross the Lİne" from album Magnum Opus. And I thought wow, emotional..
I LOVE THAT YOU NAME DROPPED KEITH SCOTT!!! I've been saying for years that he doesn't get enough kudos, but it seems like recently that may be changing. Love your playing and thanks for the vids!
Absolutely truth. As impressive as great legato players are, less is more in a lot of situations. Witness BB King - a master who could say volumes with single phrases
For me, David Gilmour puts an incredible amount of feel and mystery in each phrase. Chris’ ability to build to a climax is the best in the world. He builds and builds and builds. No one else is close
That gradually-introduced vibrato that Chris demonstrates with the Whitney Houston song is certainly integral to Gilmour's playing. I think that's why he had the whammy bar cut short on his strats as it can be very easy to overdo it. A shorter whammy makes it harder to shake and so I think it forces him to keep it subtle. Just a theory of course.
Nah, man. Everyone is mere mortal. There are just some people out there who put very big time, soul, and feel into something that makes themselves and others happy.
For years people asked me who my favourite guitarist are and I struggled to answer until it occu6to me that in almost every case I could bring to mind I could imagine someone singing their lead lines. I now explain that by comparing Comfortably Numb to The Great Gig In The Sky. The guitar and vocal parts could almost be interchanged. From the iconic guests such as Gilmour Clapton Knopfler Beck Page and Blackmore through Slash to my modern lesser known heroes such as Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Chantel McGregor they all, to me, have that vocal quality. And of course that applies to Mr Buck.
Nice to hear ‘Couldn’t Love You More’ mentioned. I saw him a couple of times live at Colston Hall towards the end of his career and the atmosphere in the room was incredible
I've been playing for 50 years and it's great to still be learning things from folks like you who take the time. Your vibrato suggestions are fantastic!
Thanks for reminding us of the enormous expressive potential of the almighty electric guitar. By example. I also cite Whitney as a solo line influence, as well as k.d. lang and Oleta Adams. That delayed vibrato - the painful longing to hear it, and then it subtly blooms. Absolutely dripping with nuance.
I know that tone at the outro cost a lot of money (like most I’ve followed the whole history of chris’s amps and pedal board journey).. but it was worth every penny.. right up there with the best sounds I’ve heard, astonishing tone. BTW classic case of tone is in the fingers but the Amps and board sound amazing on top.
You've been outstandingly successful at embracing the inflections and articulations of many great singers into your lead playing. This is something I really admire and enjoy in your playing. It sounds like you're having a heart to heart with someone you love dearly.
You are among the greatest ever at this my dude, not to gush, but the ability to convey emotion is the thing that puts you, David Gilmore, Neil Young, Derek Trucks and Dave Simpson at my top 5. Keep on keepin on.
I wasn't expecting Whitney Houston but I can entirely see your point! That last playout piece reminded me very much of Eric Johnson. I'd love to see you tackle Cliffs of Dover sometime; I reckon you're one of the very few players who could possibly even add something new to it.
I bet if you asked many current players and musicians the question about who currently plays with feel and touch and a particularly vocal style and who really 'serves' each song, many would pick you Chris. Your style and sound is what's making you such a huge star now. Mere mortal? Not a bloody chance!!
There is an episode of MASH, with a pianist who loses his hand and laments that he can't continue his art, Winchester presents him with one handed pieces, and says(I paraphrase) 'i can play the notes, but i can't play the music....'. *that* is feel.
Right on the money Chris with this. And exceptional playing as always. I had forgotten how beautiful Whitney Houston’s vocals were. Derek Trucks and Jeff Beck have this quality in spades. Thanks for the video.
Your feel is up at the top of the stratosphere. Our approach is so similar (except you’re miles beyond me) down to the heavy touch and being clumsy at home /having to move things away from edges of tables etc. wish I could go to your USA gigs. Can’t swing it this year.
You my young friend are the embodiment of what I define as playing with feel. My definition may be different than the next person. But that doesn’t matter. Because my opinion is only important to me, as it should be. Keep up the great work.
The thing a lot of shredders do is bury the tone and feel in speed and distortion. Chris's tone is always just enough, often played at edge of breakup rather than outright distortion, pushing it into the red when necessary but keeping it clean when it isn't, and despite his phenomenal grasp of technique and scales and melody and harmony, equally capable of just playing tunes where it's what's needed. If I could make one ridiculously carping and small criticism, it's that Chris always gives us everything. There's no denial by just playing eight or sixteen bars of genius then stopping, he will squeeze out every ounce of a solo at a length that isn't traditionally radio-friendly or for the uncommitted.
This comment isn’t meant to be ego inflating…..but your playing is an example of a guitarist who does play with feel. It’s exactly what made me start following your RU-vid channel years ago. I could also tell back then, that your solo phrasing was definitely vocal inspired. One of my favorite all time guitar solos is from the Boston song “Hitch A Ride.” There’s so much vocal inspired phrasing in that solo, and I still get goosebumps every time I hear it. Thank you so much for making this video. I think other guitarists may find it very valuable.
@@BeefNEggs057 You’re right…it is weird, so I changed it to what it’s supposed to mean. Thank you though. After reading it again….it is a weird way to say what I meant.
It comes down to really knowing the instrument- you rather bend to a note than just simply to play it… even not playing at all in the right moment can be key 🎉
You have said it all my friend , in a nutshell. Knowing your woman / ( guitar) is knowing how to get her to respond --- in sound. ......squeal , cry , laugh, beg, scream....----! ( maybe a bad metaphor used....lol....oh well...) Everyone communicates differently with their OWN feel....... Right ?
Great video! Youre one of the few individuals I enjoy hearing guitar-centric musical commentary from. Your video style is unique as well, super nicely paced.
I think you're onto something here. I do believe great feel can be summed up as how singable and vocal-like a part is especially when talking about lead guitar, which is why shredders get dismissed as soulless so often because realistically nobody sings like that. I do believe that emulating singers is one of the healthiest things one can do for one's playing, not only in terms of letting your playing breathe, but the shocking realisation that vocal lines typically use surprisingly small clusters of notes all quite close to each other. Stuff like playing a note literally 4 times in a row might seem like a copout to a guitarist, but is very normal for a vocalist, and has been a revelation to me in making my lines sound more 'vocal-like'.
Great video. Love the demonstration of vibrato with Whitney Houston. One of my problems is playing with feel in a fast tempo song. That seems much more difficult.
11:00 Every saxophone tutorial book I have says...." Let the note get established before starting your vibrato" exactly what Whitney is doing here. Tony Bennett when asked said "I got my phrasing and vibrato from listening to horn players" Works for guitar players too ;)
Even before I started playing guitar, as a very young kid, I was mesmerized by the "magic vibrato" switch on the electric organ at my grandmother's house. It didn't start shaking the note until you'd held the note for a second or so, and it sounded very natural. And it never occurred to me until many years later that this wasn't just what everyone knew. 😅
Excellent exposition - thanks. The other element for us lesser mortals is to have all the other plates spinning nicely first: happy with my tone and volume, happy with the band's overall sound mix (we don't have a crew and mixer!), audience looking receptive (I worry about that...), ok in my head as to where I am in the song, and a few brain cells thinking ahead as to what comes next, etc, etc! I always liken it to spinning about thirteen plates simultaneously, number thirteen being the 'wow, I'm really expressing myself!" epiphany!
I think what "playing with feel" characterizes, and especially the solos, is that you can listen to the seperated solo tracks and it would still sound great. Listening to a David Gilmour solo without a band is still a moment to treasure.
Dude, I think the werd that applies to you would be “inspiring” because 9x outta 10 I gotta pick up the plank and see if there’s something I can “borrow” that might fit into my schtick. As always solid data and good advice!
Yeah, as soon as you played the Whitney clip, I got chills. Great singers are a great place to look for feel, and phrasing. I think it is the emotional connection and intention?
I have a friend, Hog Farm family, who worked with Jerry Garcia to compile his performances, all pirate tapes and videos. Upon reviewing her efforts, Jerry said that he was quite taken aback because the nights that he felt inspired, when compared with the nights he felt like he was calling it in, were not that different. In fact, he said, many of the nights that he felt he had played downright badly were, to his retrospective ears, often better than when he recalled being inspired. this changed him he said, forever.
One of my favorite guitar solos that, for me, highlights “feel”, is by Todd Nichols of the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. The song is “Chicken” off their collection of unreleased tracks called “In Light Syrup”. Most of the solo sounds like just feedback to me, but it is so emotionally perfect for the song, and it gives me goosebumps every time!!!
My mate growing up, Kris, used to say that to play with feel you have to be making weird faces when you're playing. He was a far better guitarist then than I will ever be, so I trust him 😂
You've said the whole "emulate vocals" many times. I agree completely. Also very true for slide. Singers don't usually sing in a pentatonic box. Nor should great guitar solos. It strikes me as funny how often you see posts in Reddit guitar forums with subjects like "how do I break out of the box" when the answer is staring them in the face. Don't play in the box.
I was thinking, "Ah, he's not going to mention Keith Scott, one of my favourite guitarists, though it would be a great example for what he's talking about." Then he mentioned Keith Scott!
Mr. Buck - Loved the play out. You and the rest of the group playing with one another, subtle call and response, especially with the piano, but with the bass and kit as well. That subtle high cycle pad - are you generating that, or is that a synth? Thanks.
I'm working on this now. I play looking at the fretboard and I'm trying hard to break that habit. The first rule to playing with "feel" is to focus on the music and not the notes!!
You still need to hit the right notes. Don't worry about looking at the fretboard, focus on playing what feels right in the song. The confidence to look away will come with time
with vocal vs guitar and vibrato: a vocalist can add strength to the note, pushing a bit more air. A guitar player can swell volume but hard to get extra "strength" to the note that one might associate with vibrato on the guitar, without using vibrato.
That is exectly why David Gilmour is my favorite guitar player of all time. That man discovered feel 🙂. Also Slash has a great feel and one other that i dont often see in the mix John Frusciante…great feel and solos
Seem to recall Jeff Beck saying something similar about emulating singing. Any way you have a great touch with loads of expression and feeling. - in my opinion. Thanks for everything.
1 Start with a 'good' voice, simply a tone you like....repeat, you like. 2 Learn some skills.... and never stop 3 Play from within yourself. Make faces bounce around, whatever floats your boat.
Speaking of Meatloaf, everyone should take lessons from Meatloaf on how to entertain sing with passion.... Strange I had my Electromatic in my lap, when I tuned on the video, Thanks Chris, you certainly do this too, and I see big things for Cardinal Black. Thanks Guys
Masterclass. Something I've always hated (but again, placement is all!) is that instant mega-vibrato (Madonna, I'm looking at you...) lean into it, let the note be the note....
