Paul Gilbert is a guitard too O.o

[jmattbassplaya]

About a week ago I was browsing through vids on youtube, as you would, and I came across Paul Gilbert explaining a picking technique which I decided to watch.

I was enjoying it enough... until he decided to say that guitar is harder to play than piano and that he often takes techniques from easier instruments and applies them guitar

The whole time I was thinking, "WHAT?!"

I then browsed through the comments to see what others had to say in regards to that comment; most who spoke out were given thumbs down with no explanation and it honestly shocked me.

Paul Gilbert has always been one of my favorite guitarists, but that comment left a really sour taste in my mouth. I`ll give him that some instruments are easier to pick up than others, but to staight out say his instrument somehow required more skill to master at a virtuoso level bothered me for many reasons as a musician, and it honestly brought my opinion of him down quite a bit.

Your thoughts?

p.s I`ll post the vid as soon as I can find it.

[rezin]

if that's his opinion, why do you care?

[The modifier]

What a douche bag.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by rezin

if that's his opinion, why do you care?

I just find it shocking that a guy at his skill level would say something like that. Usually you only get people who`d say things like that in high school, but here`s Paul Gilbert(kind of a hero of mine) saying it like other guitarists I`ve known. I thought as people progressed through music they often gained insight into how much time and effort needs to be put into any instrument in order to play it well.

I guess I just feel a little let down.

[artistanbul]

in some regards piano is easier, in some guitar is easier. glissando for example is outright impossible in guitar. and most of the dynamics in guitar are unavailable to the piano.

I wonder why he said that.

[Correlli]

Rather a provoking comment. Paul ain't no guitard.

What a screwed up name for a guitarist!!

[SirCanealot]

Paul is a hero and a nutcase. (eg, my type of guy :P)

His email is up on his site, why don't you send him a message and ask him to expand on his comment? I'm sure he didn't just SAY it -- I'm sure he has some theory behind his comment and Paul comes off as a very smart guy (when he wants to be, lol), and he might just explain it if you ask

[Gard]

Actually, having played both classical guitar and piano at the college level (my piano instructor spent an entire semester trying to convince me to change my major to piano!), I can see where Paul is coming from.

He isn't denigrating piano at all!

However, the act of playing ONE note on a piano requires you to use one finger and press a key. The act of playing ONE note on a guitar (or bass for that matter, it applies equally!) requires you to press on a string at a specific spot behind a specific fret (or how about fretless bass! ), then with the other hand strike (finger, thumb, pick, whatever) the string to start it vibrating. Further, there is only ONE place to play the note E1 on a piano, which is the open high E on a guitar. On a guitar, there are at least 5, and on a 24 fret guitar 6, places to play the same pitch, so guitar has a higher "option anxiety factor" by a factor of at least 5 when compared to a piano. Middle C will be a sufficient note for bass to have the same comparison, on a 24 fret 6 string bass, there are 6 places to play the exact same pitch, middle C!

Each of these notes on piano only have one location...think about that, if you're reading music!

That said, once we get into actually PLAYING MUSIC, piano, guitar, and bass are equally challenging, once you have the basic technique down and know your correct fingerings for a piece of music.

[Correlli]

Originally Posted by Gard

Each of these notes on piano only have one location...think about that, if you're reading music!

that's why tab makes more sense to me for guitar.

but you're right, it takes less steps to produce a note on piano. also, you don't have to find C major scale, it's right there in front of you. there's only one pattern for 1-3-5 too.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Correlli

that's why tab makes more sense to me for guitar.

but you're right, it takes less steps to produce a note on piano. also, you don't have to find C major scale, it's right there in front of you. there's only one pattern for 1-3-5 too.

Well that`s like playing any major scale on guitar. It`s always the same pattern!(cept for when that dang B string jumps in) On piano though, you only have one 'gimme' scale, while the rest you have to be aware of the whole 'whole step, whole step, half...' thing.

My whole bit is that you can argue each side all day and night, and to me at least I`d think any musician at his level would know well enough not to say that. But hey, that`s just my opinion and that`s why I posted this to hear all of yours!

[Gard]

Originally Posted by Correlli

that's why tab makes more sense to me for guitar.

but you're right, it takes less steps to produce a note on piano. also, you don't have to find C major scale, it's right there in front of you. there's only one pattern for 1-3-5 too.

Well, let's not go TOO FAR here!

Tab is useless unless you've heard the song, so it's utility is extremely limited. Once you've been playing a while and are comfortable with reading, the patterns reveal themselves to you with standard notation, and have the added benefit of giving you the ability to play music you don't already know. Tab cannot do this.

Also, there is an aspect of guitar and bass that once you get past the initial "getting a note" part make piano much more difficult - scales, chords, and arpeggios on a stringed instrument are transposable shapes/patterns, on piano, each key has a different set of fingerings, so the pattern you learn for C is only useful for C, D has a totally different set of fingerings to deal with.

I agree with jmatt, in the end, each is equally challenging, just in different ways!

[mvw356]

i think he was referring to classical pieces that he rearranges to be played on guitar. things that are easy in guitar can be very hard on the piano and vice versa. Gilbert likes bach, who did not write anything for the guitar, and playing something that was written for the violin on guitar will make it harder. i don't think he was trying to point out his awesomeness at playing incredibly difficult stuff, but more of a general observation about music and instruments.

[IanStephenson]

try walking up to a piano and playing a C.
Does it sound any different to when a proffesional piano player does it? (of course it does)
now pick up a guitar and play a C.
Now see if you can get it to sound like it does when Gilbert does it!

Our singer is dabbling on guitar, and while he's doing a good job of getting the notes, it's going to be a long time before he can fool anyone into thinking he's a guitarist. He could bluff his way on keys far more quickly.

On the other hand while all instruments are different - some are easier to get started on, but ultimatly you have to learn to play MUSIC, and that's the same on any instrument.

PG can say what he wants (and I'm happy to listen) - he's earned it. I don't see any point in getting upset about it.

[Mikio]

Originally Posted by artistanbul

in some regards piano is easier, in some guitar is easier. glissando for example is outright impossible in guitar. and most of the dynamics in guitar are unavailable to the piano.

I wonder why he said that.

glis = slide


but legato, in the ways the piano does, it's hard on guitar or bass to acomplish


anyway, Piano is easy to learn, but not to play, bass is easy to learn as well, but not to play, guitar is hard to learn, but easier to play than a bass. It requieres less strength and stretch, so... yeah, it's easier, lol

BUT, at the same time, the particularities of the instruments made them go in different directions, since you need less stretch for regular stuff on guitar, and do a big enough stretch you can get an open chord with great intervals

but so in the piano, and the pedal, and blabla


yeah, I guess he's a guitard XD [this statement is the only thing that counts in my post, don't bother with the rest of it]

[Arpeggiator]

i debated this with a pianist/guitarist and even he said guitar was harder to learn, i think there balanced, for all the reasons stated above.

reading is hard on piano purly because your reading chords and melody in two seperate clefs simultaniously

[smeet]

In general it's easier to play the same passage on piano than guitar. That's why classical piano repertoire is so much harder than guitar repertoire. Try playing a 4-voice Bach fugue, or a Chopin etude on guitar. Not going to happen without severe simplification of the piece.

Gilbert was right technically, but it came out sounding inflammatory. I don't think he was denigrating the instrument at all.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

now pick up a guitar and play a C.
Now see if you can get it to sound like it does when Gilbert does it!

PG can say what he wants (and I'm happy to listen) - he's earned it. I don't see any point in getting upset about it.

Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqoVQ-IBOug

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

...until he decided to say that guitar is harder to play than piano...

...I`ll give him that some instruments are easier to pick up than others, but to staight out say his instrument somehow required more skill to master at a virtuoso level bothered me for many reasons as a musician, and it honestly brought my opinion of him down quite a bit.

which one did he say? it appears to me that he said one thing, and you heard something different. to say that guitar is harder to play than piano is one thing, but then to talk about mastering the instrument is something different. And what was his context in that statement? i guess thats the beauty of the internet tubez is that somebody can say something and then assign your own meaning to it and somehow its his fault

[narud]

paul can say what he wants....hes the man

[Implosion]

All hail Paul Gilbert! The man has got some serious skills in the guitar trick department.