What does your playing LOOK like?

[aleclee]

As some of you know, I spent the past week at National Guitar Workshop actually working on playing better. :cool2: Last Monday, we spent a couple hours with Steve Vai sharing his experiences and doing Q&A.

One thing from his talk that stood out in my mind was his discussion of how he always visualized himself looking elegant when playing and how that influenced his practice. In contrast with Herman Li (who spoke to us the next day), Vai is exceptionally elegant in his movements. When I was practicing this morning, I realized just how butt-ugly my hand movements look when I'm playing. With a little bit of work, I did manage to make things a bit more elegant but it's definitely something that I need to work on.

Has anyone else taken a hard look at how they move while playing? Do you like what you see?

 

[Diocletian]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Ha ha! Elegant "in contrast with Herman Li"! Was he drunk again? I hate that crappy band of his.

Back to the topic though! I'm pretty sure every one of us has looked at themselves while playing - it's hard not to if you've got a mirror in front of you. I might not play as good, but I can get the Slash stance pretty well.
Seriously though, this is an interesting topic. Vai really does seem like an "elegant" player to me, yeah, the way he moves and plays is certainly that. He was the ideal guy to play the dapper devil in Crossroads.
He has such long fingers too, makes things look very easy.

I'm gonna have a look at how I play but I'm 100% certain I'm not elegant. More of a mess really.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Ironically, the way Vai looks when playing is one of the things that turns me off. While it fits perfectly to the "I never miss a note" mystique he emanates, it unfortunately serves to underline his absolute lack of faults while playing. To me the whole thing just starts to become mechanical at that point.

Vai is an outstanding guitarist, but I´d personally rather listen to EVH or Satch or some other guy that sounds like he´s about to lose control

I unfortunately have no real idea of what I look like when playing, probably because I generally don´t stand still long enough for photographers.... :laugh2:

 

[Tor]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Ironically, the way Vai looks when playing is one of the things that turns me off.

Same here. Honestly, I think his act is a bit effeminate. But it's a show, so I can see why he appeals. Personally, I think Frusciante is one of my favorite acts on the stage, he really lives into the music.

I've seen myself on video quite a few times the last few years, so I have a vague idea. I'm more static up there (as is the rest of the band backing our choir).. I guess I'm more like The Edge in that respect (when he's not fooling around with Bono). One thing I have to eliminate, is my habit of really making some faces when I hit wrong notes or something. Now, one thing is that I really point out my own faults that way, but if the choir isn't singing very well on a song, I get those face expressions here and there too. Not good. Not good at all.

 

[RealDeadOne]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

elegant?
angus young is what guitar playing should look like as far as i care

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Like Tor, I have seen video where my facial expression and even body language telegraphed an error that certainly would have been otherwise less noticable.

I think my hand and finger motions are relatively fluid, but ear plugs for the listener are required to seal the illusion.

 

[Ascension]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Sorta like this

 

[everdrone]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

elegant? Id like to see what ugly would look like on steve vai, some serious theatrics ahahahaha

 

[gilles27]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

I've never really valued looking or sounding like i'm in control when playing. Satch and EVH sound far too controlled for me. I'm more in to the primal Neil Young type thing, i want people to be a bit weirded out lol. I'm sure guys like John Lee Hooker and Albert King never really cared about what their playing technique actually looked like. I'm sure they were more interested in communicating the song and living in the moment

 

[aleclee]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Ha ha! Elegant "in contrast with Herman Li"! Was he drunk again? I hate that crappy band of his.

Li was sober as far as I could tell. He has his stuff together and played great.

I'm no great fan of Dragonforce (they sound to me like some 80s band long since forgotten) but the guy's chops are for real and he came across as a modest and likable guy who was genuinely flattered to be speaking at Guitar Workshop. Let's face it, there are a lot of egotistical guitarists out there with less to be proud of than Li.

I'd rather listen to a Vai CD than a Dragonforce CD but, after Vai ran out of stories about Zappa and Roth, I'd rather hang out with Li.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

I rock back and forth endlessly and make the audience very nausious.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

I am boring unless I play bass, then I am pretty aggressive and rock the house

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

My playing looks like a hot mess.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

my playing looks like the second guitarist in reel big fish, who actually is usually playing trumpet and singing rather than playing guitar. my vibrato and pick attack look very much like his; i should know i saw them play a couple days ago and was right at the front

 

[louthunder]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Elegant? Most weekend warriors look like a bunch of monkeys trying to #u(k a football.

 

[rashayritto]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

i dont really care what my playing looks like. i move however the music makes me want to move, its fun as ****

 

[LesStrat]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Vai is an outstanding guitarist, but I´d personally rather listen to EVH or Satch or some other guy that sounds like he´s about to lose control

Then you should LOVE my music!

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Hmmm....I can put this a couple different ways.

One is, it all comes from LISTENING. You listen to the music as you play it, and you suddenly find it's not just your hands and fingers moving anymore. With me it's so unconscious. It just happens. Okay, I admit it, I have a couple "stage moves" but for the most part, it feels like either my guitar comes alive or I do, and the guitar comes along for the ride.

The other way to put it is how my girlfriend so eloquently described from an outsider's point of view...

"I like it when you **** your guitar". :naughty:

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

Showmanship in a live band is definitely an asset. If you're an orchestra in a pit and you're just providing atmosphere or the soundtrack to what's going on onstage, then it doesn't matter.

If you're on the stage, it matters. People should be there to see you, not just hear you, and you should give them something to see. You don't need to set your pants on fire or climb your amp, but play the music like it means something to you. Rock out like you did when you used to play air guitar to everything.

Otherwise you're a human jukebox, just with fewer songs and less flash.

 

[FrankyBoy]

Re: What does your playing LOOK like?

I always try to play like my favorite guitarists. That way I feel very cool and it make me smile to think I could be playing in front of thousands of people. I'm more in to this kind of music and guitar playing I think is cool looks like this:

For me, it's more in the attitude than anything else.