Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message

Thoughts on the plethora of instrumental guitarists: Plini, Tim Henson, Corey Wong …

Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:11 pm
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
30937 posts
Posted on 1/13/25 at 8:11 pm

And many more. I guess YouTube and Tik Tok give them an audience they may not have had long ago.

I actually watch a fair amount of their videos and appreciate the talent, but I don’t actually enjoy the music.

I need lyrics to a song, normally. I can handle the occasional instrumental. But an entire concert of it sounds brutal.

Even the guitar guys from years ago that did mostly instrumental work: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, even Buckethead - I respected, but couldn’t enjoy outside of some exceptions.

Posted by Jmcc64
alabama
Member since Apr 2021
1155 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 8:29 am to
I assume you separate those you listed above from say.....the great jazz guitarists? or no?

I'm with you though. Buckethead is incredible, but I'd rather listen to Grant Green or Tony Rice play JUST guitar for 10 minutes.
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
30937 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 8:50 am to
quote:

I assume you separate those you listed above from say.....the great jazz guitarists? or no?


Not really. I'm not a big jazz guitarist fan. I certainly respect their talent and this has nothing to do with skill or ability.

Just a personal listening preference.

I actually watch a lot of the videos, but it's more to watch them play for their skill level, than it is an appreciation of the actual music.

I would love to go see a Buckethead show, just for the spectacle of it, but it would probably be a one-time thing and I probably would be tired of it after a short while.

Although he does have singers at some of his shows and does some covers, so that's a bit different than some of the pure instrumental guitarists.
This post was edited on 1/14/25 at 8:51 am
Posted by metallica81788
NO
Member since Sep 2008
9421 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 9:53 am to
It does seem that instrumental guitar is the most popular it's been since Vai, Satriani, Johnson days. I'm amazed at the popularity of Polyphia, but they are trending into different territory now.

I love those guys and I listen to that music very often, however I realize it's not for everyone. The best guitarists will write musical hooks that are like a vocal melody.

My favorite is Aaron Marshall of Intervals, his playing and melodies just hit me differently. Completely amazing.
Other awesome players are Plini (more of a prog style so his music takes longer to get into), Yvette Young & Covet (fingerstyle tapping, incredible musician but more low key), Arch Echo (almost instrumental Dream Theater), Polyphia, CHON (IMO the influence of Polyphia's more current style), Jack Gardiner and Owane, Portraits (Josh Delavictoria), Sithu Aye, Ichika Nito, Wes Thrailkill

My problem with the more modern guitar virtuosos is that they are often victims of the social media algorithm - it takes forever for them to write songs and albums or even EPs. They just put out little short form videos and rarely fully explore the ideas.

Posted by A12 Oxcart
On the float out in the Belt
Member since Dec 2022
689 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 11:50 am to
That's the one thing I liked about Yngwie back in the day. Even though everyone was there to see him, he had some solid singers for awhile.
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
30937 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 11:54 am to
Yea, I’ve listened to most of those. Lots of talent.

Some of them play so fast and do a lot of strange things, that much of it doesn’t even sound like music.

There’s a big difference in technical ability and musical ability, and many of these guys seem to think guitar prowess equals great music.

Of course that’s just my personal opinion. Obviously people like it.


Posted by el Gaucho
He/They
Member since Dec 2010
56163 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 12:41 pm to
Anybody can write good music and when you get right down to it there’s like 100 different progressions that just get remixed over and over. Writing good words is more a sign of talent
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram