Music is language. It is said that it is an international language but like any language some times it is just not understood. A recorded song instantaneously transmits a multidimensional statement. Included in this statement are;
* The geographical area from which it originated such as Jamaican Reggae, American Rhythm and Blues, Country Western from the rural American South, English Invasion., etc.
* The time period in which it originated such as early 60s Surf Music or Protest Folk Music, mid-Sixties Motown and British Invasion, 70s Heavy Metal or Disco, 80’s punk or New Wave, Nineties Grunge and Alternative, etc.
* The ethnic origin such as American Southern white folk or mountain people, Black folks from the Delta, Mexican Mariachi, Japanese Pop, etc.
* The attitudes and beliefs of those who created it such as the Psychedelic Acid Rock of the Hippies, the roadhouse blues and country of the Southern Redneck, the Disco of the Urban Middle Class, etc.
Even the style of the guitar used on the record represents a particular genre or musical attitude. For instance;
* A Gibson Les Paul is the guitar of choice for Heavy Metal
* A Rickenbacher Twelve String is used for Folk Rock
* A Danelectro Baritone gives the classic “twang” sound to surf songs and Duane Eddy style instrumentals
* A Fender Stratocaster can go from a clean sound for Disco rhythms to the outer space ambiance of Jimi Hendrix
* A Gretch is primarily used as a Country guitar
* The Gibson 135 is a famous Jazz guitar
And of course we’re not even mentioning the radical departures such as acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitars, twelve string acoustics and dobros which are usually found on country and folk records.
There’s no reason you can’t create a new sound by playing a very specific genre of music, say Heavy Metal, using an “inappropriate” guitar such as a Rickenbacker Twelve String rather than a Gibson SG or Les Paul played through a Marshal amplifier, but you would be speaking in a dialect that may seem rather foreign to most Heavy Metal listeners.
In the days of the British Invasion each band had its own distinctive sound as the band members tended to play whatever instruments they could scrape together. They mixed and matched equipment so that a band like the Beatles might have a rhythm guitarist playing a Rickenbacker and the lead guitarist playing a Gretch. Now days most musicians play instruments from a very limited selection appropriate to their genre. Even the second string guitar brands synthesize the sound of the more expensive models and then add effects pedals and anyone can now sound like anyone else. This is why so much of today’s music, particularly the louder styles sound like a big wave of sludge rather than the sonic tapestry rock arrangements used to sound like. It’s like a recipe with too many of the ingredients being of the same texture and consistency. Without some crunch and saltiness added to the cream and sugar, all you get is a mouthful of mush.
* The geographical area from which it originated such as Jamaican Reggae, American Rhythm and Blues, Country Western from the rural American South, English Invasion., etc.
* The time period in which it originated such as early 60s Surf Music or Protest Folk Music, mid-Sixties Motown and British Invasion, 70s Heavy Metal or Disco, 80’s punk or New Wave, Nineties Grunge and Alternative, etc.
* The ethnic origin such as American Southern white folk or mountain people, Black folks from the Delta, Mexican Mariachi, Japanese Pop, etc.
* The attitudes and beliefs of those who created it such as the Psychedelic Acid Rock of the Hippies, the roadhouse blues and country of the Southern Redneck, the Disco of the Urban Middle Class, etc.
Even the style of the guitar used on the record represents a particular genre or musical attitude. For instance;
* A Gibson Les Paul is the guitar of choice for Heavy Metal
* A Rickenbacher Twelve String is used for Folk Rock
* A Danelectro Baritone gives the classic “twang” sound to surf songs and Duane Eddy style instrumentals
* A Fender Stratocaster can go from a clean sound for Disco rhythms to the outer space ambiance of Jimi Hendrix
* A Gretch is primarily used as a Country guitar
* The Gibson 135 is a famous Jazz guitar
And of course we’re not even mentioning the radical departures such as acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitars, twelve string acoustics and dobros which are usually found on country and folk records.
There’s no reason you can’t create a new sound by playing a very specific genre of music, say Heavy Metal, using an “inappropriate” guitar such as a Rickenbacker Twelve String rather than a Gibson SG or Les Paul played through a Marshal amplifier, but you would be speaking in a dialect that may seem rather foreign to most Heavy Metal listeners.
In the days of the British Invasion each band had its own distinctive sound as the band members tended to play whatever instruments they could scrape together. They mixed and matched equipment so that a band like the Beatles might have a rhythm guitarist playing a Rickenbacker and the lead guitarist playing a Gretch. Now days most musicians play instruments from a very limited selection appropriate to their genre. Even the second string guitar brands synthesize the sound of the more expensive models and then add effects pedals and anyone can now sound like anyone else. This is why so much of today’s music, particularly the louder styles sound like a big wave of sludge rather than the sonic tapestry rock arrangements used to sound like. It’s like a recipe with too many of the ingredients being of the same texture and consistency. Without some crunch and saltiness added to the cream and sugar, all you get is a mouthful of mush.
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