playing with feel

[innerspace]

hello ppl,

is it tougher to play with feel than to go all out shred? i would say it is tougher to play with feel as you really have to feel the emotions of the song and use your guitar to elevate the song to a higher level...too often guitarists forget that and just show off. Also, can you guys recommend bands whose guitarists play with a lot of feel...like slash or david gilmour.

[garageband]

too often guitarists forget that and just show off

This is why there are producers and bandleaders - to limit the diluting influence of one overactive part/player. Hey, somebody's got to be in charge.

play with feel as you really have to feel the emotions of the song and use your guitar to elevate the song

This would be called "making music". I think it's a good thing.

[crooked09]

What the hell does feel mean, really. Blues scales and bends?

[Cailyn]

Originally Posted by crooked09

What the hell does feel mean, really. Blues scales and bends?

Pretty subjective issue but it is certainly much more than blues scales and bends. A solo should capture the emotional heart of the song and that is the bigger issue. I think you can get there with many techniques and styles. Sometimes blues pentatonic and bending notes is right. Sometimes you may not bend at all but slide into notes--the shading in a finger slide can say a great deal. Minor scale isn't the only "feel" scale. Major scales on the guitar can lend great feeling to a piece of music. Sometimes, you just rip it up, angry or exuberant, whatever the song calls for. Too often, players get up and rattle off riffs or shred to look bad but when it doesn't speak to the music, it's just wanking.

I'm not sure it can be taught but spending time playing some blues won't hurt. Most of the great players are considered great because they always seem to find the emotional center of a song and play to that.

[cakewalkgg]

very subjective for sure.. to some people its the excuse they use to explain why they never learned technique or theory.. to others its certain scales etc..

To me its the delivery of the music.. great singers have a great delivery.. its a certain confidence, consistancy, and convincingness that clearly separates singers to me.
With guitar its the same.. some players just always come up with really meaningful phrases.. always play them like they mean something. Technically im sure this also includes great pitch control, vibrato, and a high degree of comfort on the fretboard. To me these are feel players.

To answer the OP question whats harder..feel or shred.
Generally speaking I would say feel.
However, I personally dont think that someone playing fast without any feel is actually shredding.. their just playing fast..

[garww]

One tack is to play without a amp. You have to coax sound that way. Record it and think of ways to make it alive.

Blues is good, though : ) You want to project an emotion tempered with experience.