Sign me up too but I wouldn't listen to my own music. Not talking about their lives but the people that actually listen to their music.
- Cptmjl

They were cool as hell when I was 6.

They were cool as hell when I was 6.
- Charlie21

Working on some Muddy Waters stuff now. Love the Blues

Sign me up too but I wouldn't listen to my own music. Not talking about their lives but the people that actually listen to their music.
- Cptmjl

They must have a lot of fans given their success. I don't know any - or at least no one I know will admit to being a fan.

They were cool as hell when I was 6.
- Charlie21

Did you join the "Kiss Army"?

They must have a lot of fans given their success. I don't know any - or at least no one I know will admit to being a fan.
- JimmyP

A lot of people liked Britney Spears too

Working on some Muddy Waters stuff now. Love the Blues
- bixll

Blues really is the foundation of rock and jazz. You can't go wrong learning from the great blues players.

Blues really is the foundation of rock and jazz. You can't go wrong learning from the great blues players.
- Charlie21

The more I got into this new hobby. The more the greats say, without knowing the blues, they would not be the players they were today. The foundation on music.

The more I got into this new hobby. The more the greats say, without knowing the blues, they would not be the players they were today. The foundation on music.
- bixll

It's an "easy" style to play from the technical side. So it allows you to connect to the music...all the subtle things like vibrato, note choice, timing, etc. without having to pay too much attention to the physical side of playing. It takes a different kind of skill to make something sound good on a simpler technical level. Keep at it, and start applying more technical playing as you progress if that's the direction you want to go.

It's an "easy" style to play from the technical side. So it allows you to connect to the music...all the subtle things like vibrato, note choice, timing, etc. without having to pay too much attention to the physical side of playing. It takes a different kind of skill to make something sound good on a simpler technical level. Keep at it, and start applying more technical playing as you progress if that's the direction you want to go.
- Charlie21

I play almost every night for an hour or two while I am watchin the tube. Wife likes the music I can play now, so practice time is easy. I will keep at it. Tks for the tips, really appreciate it.

It's an "easy" style to play from the technical side. So it allows you to connect to the music...all the subtle things like vibrato, note choice, timing, etc. without having to pay too much attention to the physical side of playing. It takes a different kind of skill to make something sound good on a simpler technical level. Keep at it, and start applying more technical playing as you progress if that's the direction you want to go.
- Charlie21

Amen...it's also why I'll take a bluesy solo over any shred solo. It's all based on feel, which is what music as a whole is. My favorite solo to this day (although I have many), remains Page's solo in "Tea For One". Nothing impressive played, but he doesn't just make his guitar sing..he makes it cry.


Xxkeaner17xX

Amen...it's also why I'll take a bluesy solo over any shred solo. It's all based on feel, which is what music as a whole is. My favorite solo to this day (although I have many), remains Page's solo in "Tea For One". Nothing impressive played, but he doesn't just make his guitar sing..he makes it cry.


Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

My favorite players have both. They have ability to play from the heart, but also have the technical ability to play whatever is in their head. If you happen to be "feeling" a phrase that's difficult to play, it would be horrible to not have the technique to pull it off. Shred on it's own is boring, but shred combined with good note choices, phrasing, melody and vibrato to me is where it's at. Very few have that combination....Eddie (cough, cough) Eddie.

My favorite players have both. They have ability to play from the heart, but also have the technical ability to play whatever is in their head. If you happen to be "feeling" a phrase that's difficult to play, it would be horrible to not have the technique to pull it off. Shred on it's own is boring, but shred combined with good note choices, phrasing, melody and vibrato to me is where it's at. Very few have that combination....Eddie (cough, cough) Eddie.
- Charlie21

See, I've always felt that was an area that Eddie was severely lacking. While the guy has a flat out awesome technique and is an absolute pioneer of the instrument, I never felt he could squeeze every drop from a note like say Vaughn, Page, Clapton, Beck, Gilmour and a few others.

I love a lot of his stuff and think that he's shown flashes of great feel in some solos but too many of them felt like he was going through the motions, falling back on the same runs with the same tempo etc. He remains one of my favorites, but I don't think he has near the amount of soul in his playing that some of those guys I mentioned do.


Xxkeaner17xX

See, I've always felt that was an area that Eddie was severely lacking. While the guy has a flat out awesome technique and is an absolute pioneer of the instrument, I never felt he could squeeze every drop from a note like say Vaughn, Page, Clapton, Beck, Gilmour and a few others.

I love a lot of his stuff and think that he's shown flashes of great feel in some solos but too many of them felt like he was going through the motions, falling back on the same runs with the same tempo etc. He remains one of my favorites, but I don't think he has near the amount of soul in his playing that some of those guys I mentioned do.


Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

I don't play so forgive me if I'm way off base ... but isn't what you're describing the difference between playing and composing? Many fantastic players aren't able to create new good music. That doesn't take away from their ability. I'm sure Eddie could play any of Clapton or Page's stuff. I knew a guy that could pretty much listen to a song on the radio and be able to play it in a few hours. He tried writing new songs and they were horrible.

See, I've always felt that was an area that Eddie was severely lacking. While the guy has a flat out awesome technique and is an absolute pioneer of the instrument, I never felt he could squeeze every drop from a note like say Vaughn, Page, Clapton, Beck, Gilmour and a few others.

I love a lot of his stuff and think that he's shown flashes of great feel in some solos but too many of them felt like he was going through the motions, falling back on the same runs with the same tempo etc. He remains one of my favorites, but I don't think he has near the amount of soul in his playing that some of those guys I mentioned do.


Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

Blasphemy Keaner, Blasphemy!! I can agree with you to an extent as those you have mentioned are "blues" players. I will say that EVH is WAY more innovative than all that you mentioned, and is more like a blues player on juice. Personally though, I'd take Page out of that group up there. To me, he is great for his songwriting abilities, not his solos.

I don't play so forgive me if I'm way off base ... but isn't what you're describing the difference between playing and composing? Many fantastic players aren't able to create new good music. That doesn't take away from their ability. I'm sure Eddie could play any of Clapton or Page's stuff. I knew a guy that could pretty much listen to a song on the radio and be able to play it in a few hours. He tried writing new songs and they were horrible.
- JimmyP

I think there's a fine line between the two but overall, no it's not. Of course this is why I typically shy away from having too many of these type of debates with people but they end up being inevitable when discussing things like "best runningback, best hockey player, best guitarist etc...".

Still, too me, the ability to express mood throught the instrument is the most important facet of being a great player. Lots of kids can do lightning fast runs, faster than Eddie, Yngwie, Nuno or anyone, but they don't ultimately become recognized as legends because they miss deciphering factors like playing with feel.

Blasphemy Keaner, Blasphemy!! I can agree with you to an extent as those you have mentioned are "blues" players. I will say that EVH is WAY more innovative than all that you mentioned, and is more like a blues player on juice. Personally though, I'd take Page out of that group up there. To me, he is great for his songwriting abilities, not his solos.
- Charlie21

Totally disagree with that line. While EVH is innovative in finger tapping (though apparently there were some guys who did it before him), most musical historians will roundly agree that Page is arguably the most innovative guitarist in rock history. He was the first guitarist to use backward echo, one of the first on fuzztone and true distortion. He innovated tons of micing techniques, guitar effects and playing techniques, alternate tunings etc.
Remember, it was EVH who said Page's solo on heartbreaker is what made him figure out a two hand technique.
As for not being known for his solos, Guitar World has consistently named Stairway's solo the greatest of all time not to mention calling him the most capitivating soloist of all time. Not many people could pull off a 28 minute guitar solo as he did during 1973's TSRTS version of Dazed and Confused. While admittingly his playing post 1973 became very sloppy due to a change in technique, his pre 1973 stuff was as fluid as anyone in that day and time.

Ultimately it has always been Page's versatility that makes me say he's arguably the greatest rock guitarist ever. No other player to date has transcended more genere's of music than he.

I think there's a fine line between the two but overall, no it's not. Of course this is why I typically shy away from having too many of these type of debates with people but they end up being inevitable when discussing things like "best runningback, best hockey player, best guitarist etc...".

Still, too me, the ability to express mood throught the instrument is the most important facet of being a great player. Lots of kids can do lightning fast runs, faster than Eddie, Yngwie, Nuno or anyone, but they don't ultimately become recognized as legends because they miss deciphering factors like playing with feel.
- keaner17

Like playing music that people actually like to listen to. It is the biggest factor of all.

Totally disagree with that line. While EVH is innovative in finger tapping (though apparently there were some guys who did it before him), most musical historians will roundly agree that Page is arguably the most innovative guitarist in rock history. He was the first guitarist to use backward echo, one of the first on fuzztone and true distortion. He innovated tons of micing techniques, guitar effects and playing techniques, alternate tunings etc.
Remember, it was EVH who said Page's solo on heartbreaker is what made him figure out a two hand technique.
As for not being known for his solos, Guitar World has consistently named Stairway's solo the greatest of all time not to mention calling him the most capitivating soloist of all time. Not many people could pull off a 28 minute guitar solo as he did during 1973's TSRTS version of Dazed and Confused. While admittingly his playing post 1973 became very sloppy due to a change in technique, his pre 1973 stuff was as fluid as anyone in that day and time.

Ultimately it has always been Page's versatility that makes me say he's arguably the greatest rock guitarist ever. No other player to date has transcended more genere's of music than he.
- keaner17

2 handed tapping was only one of his many innovations. The guy wrote the rock guitar playing bible. I love Page, but I think his song wrtiting abilities, his riff-making abilites, far surpass his soloing. That's not a bad thing, a solo is nothing without a good song. I think what most people overlook with EVH is his feel and rhythm playing. He plays rock guitar with a swing/shuffle feel typically only heard in jazz. Page wrote in many styles and many tunings, etc, and to me is more of a jack of all trades, whereas Eddie mastered rock guitar. Both are amazingly talented, but in the rock arena, there will only be one Eddie....in my opinion of course.

2 handed tapping was only one of his many innovations. The guy wrote the rock guitar playing bible. I love Page, but I think his song wrtiting abilities, his riff-making abilites, far surpass his soloing. That's not a bad thing, a solo is nothing without a good song. I think what most people overlook with EVH is his feel and rhythm playing. He plays rock guitar with a swing/shuffle feel typically only heard in jazz. Page wrote in many styles and many tunings, etc, and to me is more of a jack of all trades, whereas Eddie mastered rock guitar. Both are amazingly talented, but in the rock arena, there will only be one Eddie....in my opinion of course.
- Charlie21

Yeah, there's simply no right or wrong here. It's my opinion that Page's ability to construct melodies make his solo's of a stronger structure than Eddie's. As for writing the book, remember, without Page, there was likely no Eddie. He's was Eddie's biggest influence and likely influenced more guitarists to date than any other guitar player, including Eddie. As I said, it's that 'whole picture' to me that makes a guitarist the 'best' of his craft and no one finishes as strong in all categories as Page. That said, his playing over the last 20 years has been very subpar. If he had maintaiined his level of playing since say 1973, I think he'd be looked at in a far more positive light by those who refer to him as sloppy.

If I'm looking for a guy that had complete control of the instrument from a playing perspective, my money is probably on Hendrix. I've spent years and years telling people that I felt he was overrated, but truth be told, there was something otherworldly about a guy who could play with that with virtually no effects whatsoever.
Pete Townsend and Clapton once remarked that they were so awestruck watching Hendrix play live that they both grabbed eachothers hand and stood their mouths wide open. (sounds wrong I know). Clapton said to this day, no one could play like that.

2 handed tapping was only one of his many innovations. .
- Charlie21

In regards to this...it's been proven that EVH did NOT invent this technique. He may have been the first to bring it to mainstream rock, but there have been plenty of guitarists that were seen doing this more than a decade before Eddie. Take this guy:

In regards to this...it's been proven that EVH did NOT invent this technique. He may have been the first to bring it to mainstream rock, but there have been plenty of guitarists that were seen doing this more than a decade before Eddie. Take this guy:


- keaner17

Yes, I've seen this guy...totally amazing. As for Ed's tapping "innovation", I don't see it as something he invented, but something he expanded on...see "mean street" intro, "Women in Love intro" or "dance the night away" solo. As for the typical tapping that we're accustomed to hearing, while he didn't invent it, he took it to a different level. The musicality of the tapping section of Eruption is something never heard before 1978. I agree with everything you said about Hendrix, and I do believe that Eddie is the only other guitar player that has earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as him. 2 players that reinvented the instrument, and I'm not sure there's a 3rd yet. Some say Tom Morello , but that's just ridiculous.

Yeah, there's simply no right or wrong here. It's my opinion that Page's ability to construct melodies make his solo's of a stronger structure than Eddie's. As for writing the book, remember, without Page, there was likely no Eddie. He's was Eddie's biggest influence and likely influenced more guitarists to date than any other guitar player, including Eddie. As I said, it's that 'whole picture' to me that makes a guitarist the 'best' of his craft and no one finishes as strong in all categories as Page. That said, his playing over the last 20 years has been very subpar. If he had maintaiined his level of playing since say 1973, I think he'd be looked at in a far more positive light by those who refer to him as sloppy.

If I'm looking for a guy that had complete control of the instrument from a playing perspective, my money is probably on Hendrix. I've spent years and years telling people that I felt he was overrated, but truth be told, there was something otherworldly about a guy who could play with that with virtually no effects whatsoever.
Pete Townsend and Clapton once remarked that they were so awestruck watching Hendrix play live that they both grabbed eachothers hand and stood their mouths wide open. (sounds wrong I know). Clapton said to this day, no one could play like that.
- keaner17

Here's a quote from producer Ted Templemen:

“I’ve worked with such legendary guitar players as Allan Holdsworth, Ronnie Montrose, Eric Clapton, Lowell George and Steve Vai, but none of them come close to having Ed’s [Eddie Van Halen's] fantastic combination of chops and musicianship. I rank him along with Charlie Parker and Art Tatum as one of the three greatest musicians of my lifetime. Unfortunately, I don’t think Ed puts himself in that class.”

Here's a quote from producer Ted Templemen:

“I’ve worked with such legendary guitar players as Allan Holdsworth, Ronnie Montrose, Eric Clapton, Lowell George and Steve Vai, but none of them come close to having Ed’s
- Charlie21[Eddie Van Halen's] fantastic combination of chops and musicianship. I rank him along with Charlie Parker and Art Tatum as one of the three greatest musicians of my lifetime. Unfortunately, I don’t think Ed puts himself in that class.”

Right, of course we can cherry pick comments all day long to support our guy

There are a lot of guys like Slash, Vai, Dean Deleo, Alex Lifeson to name a few who will testify that Page is the man. It's why these are little more than endless conversations, which means this forum may continue longer than the site!

Right, of course we can cherry pick comments all day long to support our guy

There are a lot of guys like Slash, Vai, Dean Deleo, Alex Lifeson to name a few who will testify that Page is the man. It's why these are little more than endless conversations, which means this forum may continue longer than the site!
- keaner17

They both made a hell of a lot more money that I did playing the intrument, so they both did something right! It's a subjective topic, like arguing politics, sports and religion, there's never a "winner". There's no better or worse (well, Mick Mars sucks!), just who you prefer.

They both made a hell of a lot more money that I did playing the intrument, so they both did something right! It's a subjective topic, like arguing politics, sports and religion, there's never a "winner". There's no better or worse (well, Mick Mars sucks!), just who you prefer.
- Charlie21

Of course then there's Jeff Beck.....