- Keith Richards & Mick Taylor
I had a chance this weekend to spend some quality headphone time with some of my favorite dual guitar bands: The Strokes, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones to name a few. I have always loved two guitars players that together can create a sonic landscape that extends way beyond what either player can do on their own. Add that in the context of a great song and you have what I consider to be the best of both worlds and the music I love most. The craft of each player creating a sound space that neither overpowers the other or gets lost in the mix is no easy task. This craft usually requires many years of live performance and studio sessions with an “ears wide open” mind set towards guitar, amp and FX choices that work well together. Weather it’s the soulful dance of Richards and Taylor on “Exile on main street”, The piston revved attack of Valensi and Hammond Jr on “Is this it?”, or the shimmering industrial guitar wasteland created on “OK Computer” you can easily see there is so much more to playing guitar than just playing guitar.
- Radiohead
A challenge to all you players out there that reside in bands with two or more guitar players: the next time you have the urge to turn your guitar amp up because you feel you should be “heard more” or “want to be louder”, try altering your tone, playing style and attitude to meld in with what the song is asking for rather than just turning up the volume. In the end if you can master this craft, your band will be better, your songs will be better, and your fans with hear you loud and clear.
- The Strokes (live)
Other recommended listening:
- Radiohead: The Bends
- The Stokes: Room on Fire
- The RollingStones: Goats Head Soup
- Tom Petty: Wildflowers
- The Black Crowes: Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
Television and Built to spill, two radical dual guitar bands.
Hi David,
Nice…I agree…thanks for stopping in to the blog!
Cheers,
Benjamin
Question –
(annoying general …almost baffoonish)
Top three things that come to mind when you intend to alter your tone in such a situatiion, with no other informatiion than you are competing for sonic space with other six strings?
1. Choosing a guitar-amp-fx combination that is sonically very different from the other guitarist in your group
2. Playing in between and around the other guitar parts
3. Knowing when to play and when to not play
:>)
Thx
Benjamin
1st- Congrats on the new site! Very nice!
When I read the blog, first come to mind was Lynyrd Skynyrd. Old and new Skynyrd. Songs like “That Smell” Steve Gaines playing clean strat licks in the background of Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. T for Texas of course(something was in the air that day when that was recorded). Even the newer Skynyrd, no song is ever just plain ole 1 4 5. Every song has it’s on twist, hot guitar, complimented with a clean and crunchy guitar overlapping each other smoothly. Also Hughie Thomasson and Billy Jones of Outlaws. and Hughie with Skynyrd as well teaming up with Gary and Allen.
Recommended Listening:
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Searching (from One More From Road)
That Smell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8mOC08SNYc (last 45sec)
End of the Road
Never Too Late
Outlaws:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK1XhIsua4c&feature=related
(gets better whole way through)
Alman Brothers: Dickey Betts and Warren Haynes
End of the Line http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FCQwv82FV8
In ref to Ben “1. Choosing a guitar-amp-fx combination that is sonically very different from the other guitarist in your group”
Lynyrd Skynyrd line up:
Steve Gaines: Usually clean, strait in Peavey amp.
Gary Rossington: Usually Hot, strait in Peavey Mace
Allen Collins: Clean to Overdriven Marshall
Steve Gaines is proof that you can play guitar clean successfully with 2 other overdriven amps.
Eagles
I just remembered, Joe Walsh and Don Felden. This was amazing, a Telecaster and SG. This is a “must see” in ref to this blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBOKcJUPYcQ
Take Care,
Jamie
Thus Keith’s inability to get along with Taylor long term.
“Oi, Taylor! You’re playin’ too f***in’ loud, man. You’re great live, man, but you’re f***in’ useless for recordin’!”
I still think it’s the Stones’ best era in terms of new stuff, but Keith and Ronnie have co-existed for 35 years because they both understand that the interplay between the two guitars is the foundation of their sound, not “I’m rhythm and you’re lead”.
Someone has already mentioned the glory that was Television. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd amazing as they are solo, definitely reached the ultimate in the Sum is Greater than the Parts archetype.
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Lee Reynaldo are as unique as they are brilliant weaving soundscapes heretofore unimagined and they know how to ROCK
No discussion of dual guitar bands is complete without mentioning The Velvet Underground. Solid State Sears Amplifiers have never sounded so menacing, hypnotic and insane. Besides the edgy abandon Reed and Morrison could also sound sweet and folky at times too as they did on the the 3rd album.