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I was thinking to myself the other day: I don't think I could have chosen a better instrument to learn how to play.
I mean: a violin is great, and so is a saxophone. They are both easy to carry around to gigs or friends' houses, but they are MONOPHONIC.
A piano is AWESOME, and I would LOVE to learn how to play it (simply because I feel it would help me understand music theory better, plus the classical repertoire is amazing). But who can lug a piano around with him?
Drums are superb, but too loud and too big to move. Plus they are not melodic.
An accordion probably is what comes closest to the guitar in terms of competition, I would say. But I think it's too loud as well, and not such a "cool" instrument, and less "hip."
What do you all think about this line of thinking?
I believe it was Segovia that said the guitar is so special because it's like a small orchestra...
Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
rombsix--you are preaching to the choir here. go to a violin forum and post the same comments and i would bet the comments would not be the same as you will find here. i might even wager that some posters at a violin forum, or a piano forum, might have less than positive comments about the guitar--especially the classical guitar trying to be an orchestra instrument or playing violin music on a guitar.
and i bet the polka forum folks would not appreciate their instrument being called "uncool".
it might be an interesting to go to those forums, i am sure they exist, and post your comments and see the reactions.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to Ron.M)
quote:
So you think an accordion is "uncool" and not "hip".. eh??
I have no clue if you're being serious here or not.
Those blokes were AWESOME though. I'd hate to diss their accordion player or else I'd get one hell of a beating with those stubby sticks!
I find bagpipes to be WAY cooler than accordions. I don't really know why. I guess it's something cultural, or related to the media (like how it makes thin women the more "attractive" women these days, when it was not so in the past) and how it can brainwash folk. I've always had the image of bagpipes being played in whiskey commercials and such, with sort of a "cool" sense about the way they were portrayed. As for accordions, I've always had the impression that they were mainly used to play "merry, jolly" melodies that are not that "duende-ish" or "cool."
That's probably just a load of crap, but the whole point of this discussion was to get people's views on things, as I know mine are certainly NOT representative.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
Those sticks are for keeping the "groupies" off!
Seriously though, it's good fun to watch at a village fair, on a pleasant summer's day with a pint of local real ale. A real picture postcard of old England and cheers everyone up. (Some of the tunes can actually be quite "spooky" and ancient sounding and you can sometimes get the feeling you could be in "The Wicker Man" country!)
Yeah, the pipes are real moody and evocative when played solo in the right setting... like a light misty day in Glencoe, (with a wee dram in your hand)!
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
quote:
could you have chosen a better instrument to learn how to play.
no never as a main instrument, but I would like to learn how to play another instrument beside the guitar . I think that one of the most important characteristics of the guitar is that it can accompany any other instrument or play side by side as a duet and it will sound wonderful for ex. a piano, violin, drums, violon, cello, flute, Contrabass or any other instrument even the eastern instruments , I have a very nice album called " Flamenco Arabe " by Hossam Ramzy & Rafa Tachuela and it presents the guitar playing beside oud , nai , daf & Qanoun also " Musica Alhambra " by Juan Martin is all about the guitar and oud with some Nai and arab cantors . so I'm a guitar player and I'm proud of that and nothin suits me more than the guitarra
Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to Ron.M)
I enjoy the guitar for what it is and because much of the music that I like is played on or can be played on a guitar. I might be mistaken but I don't think a thundering rasgueo can be done or sustained on a piano.
Visit other instrument foros and you'll sometimes see posts attesting to the absolute superiority of their instrument (banjos, mandolins, violins, ukuleles, you name it).
quote:
ORIGINAL: Ron.M Those sticks are for keeping the "groupies" off!
Really Ron. It's obvious that we're witnessing combat training that is being masked as a mere folk dance. Notice the many stealth maneuvers to swing around or elude an enemy.
Just wait and see what happens when the revolution starts.
Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
i was just thinking about this to myself the other day.
i think in a lot of ways, the guitar is inferior. it cant hold out one note and add dynamics to it like a violin or a voice can. but at the same time, you can get multiple voicings with a guitar. but not as much as a piano. i think for classical, the piano is king.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
quote:
I was thinking to myself the other day: I don't think I could have chosen a better instrument to learn how to play.
Hee Rombsix, personally I think it all comes down if you feel connected and become one with the instrument to express your feelings. One uses a guitar, another one just plays a half calabas with a stick.
No mather what instrument you play, if you can play it with your whole body than every instrument is a small orchestra.
I like playing flute and shakuhachi because you feel the air resonating in your body.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
I like the fact that fingers are in direct contact with the vibrating strings. Also, there's the idea of balance, with melody/harmony in the left hand and rhythm in the right. A guitar can be a beautiful thing to look at, too.
Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
Hi guys :D ! Would agree there is nothing like flamenco guitar. Can't get that raw feeling on a piano. But I do like the cleanness (is that a word ? ) of a piano.
Anyway, good posts Deniz...something goes through my spine when I listen the chaconne on guitar.
As for me, started to play a little bit of electric guitar. Wanted to fit in a little. Flamenco is still for the initiated.
Still dont know what to do with the pick ...but hanging on there. But I will always love my flamenco and my classical part of me.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to orsonw)
Well, i mean i thought it was clear from the videos that the guitar completely sucks in regards to tone, expression and most of all dynamics. But certain styles just fit on the guitar, like flamenco or blues guitar, because maybe the guitar was historically the leading instrument? But if we equal out the style of music, it does not stand any comparison to say piano or violin. The advantages of the guitar are more in non-musical fields, like you can transport it, its cheap, or you can do "a lot" on it, as opposed to "how well" you can do music on it. Guitar is good for playing chords, very easy to do that IMO and add rhythm to it, more so it is impressive that guitarrists have shown to be able to use it as solo instrument.
"I don't think a thundering rasgueo can be done or sustained on a piano" Diego Amador is probably the best at it, i think he does a good job.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to GuitarVlog)
yeah, its just something i could find right now quickly, first youtube hit. There might be better examples. The "strummings" start at 0:18, its the same chords/strums as on the guitar. If you like this there are some others doing "Piano flamenco", but in any case, i wouldnt want to miss Diegos CD.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
Guitar isn't my main instrument, so I feel differently. I suppose that is how everyone feels about the instrument that they feel a pull from, I feel the same way about fretless bass for instance. As for tone and expressiveness in second would be a tie between classical guitar and oud.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to Hobble)
Didn’t Segovia say that he had rescued the Guitar from the hands of the noisy flamencos? And by the way are those guys dancing a hey diddle day bulerias – and we get criticised for Irish dancing. ronzy
Posts: 1025
Joined: Oct. 14 2009
From: New York City
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
quote:
i read that it was Chopin....
I wouldn't doubt one bit that Chopin also said it. Given that the guitar IS in fact like a small orchestra, the thought has probably come to many musicians.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to kovachian)
quote:
A violin is not monophonic. I don't know how you came up with that.
It's not as polyphonic as a guitar, now is it? I mean, technically, you can play two strings at once, but my definition of polyphonic was more like the ability to play "full-fledged" chords or 3 or more notes. I am not a violinist though...
Posts: 1025
Joined: Oct. 14 2009
From: New York City
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
Polyphonic music actually means the simultaneous playing of two or more instrumental lines contrapuntally, as opposed to homophonic music, in which one musical line is the melodic line, while the other line is accompaniment. A violin can occasionally play homophonic music, but never polyphonic music. The guitar, on the other hand, can play both.
RE: The guitar as an instrument (in reply to rombsix)
This homo poly mono hooey offers some good jokes, but I can resist I think.
I could tell you a funny story about homo and hetero in genetics and the confusion about that.. But it would go completely off topic and it would be too much typing work for me... Im too lazy to hack that story in the foro... So..not this time.
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I'd hate to diss their accordion player or else I'd get one hell of a beating with those stubby sticks! 
Still more like trills and arpeggiated chords to my ears but that's the closest I've seen to date. Thanks for posting that. 
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