Philosophy on Effects

[keb]

A big +1

Music is not what another thinks it should be, but what you think it should be to yourself.

If using effects inspire you then you should use them. Nobody can say its right or wrong because its all personal opinion.

Agreed 10000000%.

 

[silent method]

i think it is more a poetic statement then one of actual validity

music is the art of self expression and one should feel free to express themself however they see fit. it isnt about language and accents it is about playing what is inside of you. and if you feel most comfortible playing through some crazy $10 000 multi effects board then so be it.

"i may not agree with what you have to say, but i will fight to the death for your right to say it"

no one is going to tell me not to use effects untill i know everything about music because that is simple impossible. it is a personal choice and should be made by the musician

 

[dino_jr_]

Okay well what a first thread! I have a few things to say, firstly I have to say at no point did i say i agree with it, but at the time i was quite captivated by it, i think being blown away with his playing may have blurred my logic somewhat! But I just wanted to share it with you all all the same.
Obviously there is no right/wrong answer at the end of the day, it is down to personal opinion.
I'd much rather have come into this forum sharing something rather than asking an annoying question or something, anyway, cheers.

 

[Josh Ryan]

I don't know if you guys have heard this before, but a session player i had a talk with yesterday came out with this after a friend asked him about effects.

"get rid of them all, sit with your instrument, and when you feel you can play absolutely anything you like, when you feel that you can speak any given phrase in the language of music, then you'll be ready to give it an accent!".

I know some may disagree with this, for example when a song needs something, then there's sometimes no easier option but to stomp on your muff, but it's thought provoking nothenless.

Jay

I bet he felt really cool after he said that. It sounds like the kind of thing someone says to make themselves feel good. -Otherwise it's basically nonsense.

 

[43% burnt]

I disagree with that philosophy. I think its important to get to know your instrument, no question. Effects will not make you a better player. But they might make you wanna play more. I find great pleasure in them. They inspire me to play more. Which in turn makes me improve. I also feel they make me more versatile when it comes to writing.

Not to mention I have a raging addiction for effect pedals right now.

 

[DanGouge]

To a certain extent, a lazy player can hide behind fancy effects (I'm speaking from experience). That said, an effect is just a tool and if it's the right tool, then use it.

 

[Bob Rogers]

The way I read the original statement it was refering more to getting rid of effects as a practice tool rather than a performance goal. In that sense, I agree with the suggestion. During practice, it's often good to restrict your playing to concentrate on a particular aspect. Case in point - I had a student who was overplaying during a certain song. I had him go through the song using only root notes. It forced him to concentrate on the rhythm and and leave space. Next time through was much better.

 

[Nick man]

Last night was our first show and there was a problem with my pedal board which forced me to go from up to 5 effects at a time to just one, my synth.

If you cant adapt then there is a problem.

 

[Jazz Ad]

The way I read the original statement it was refering more to getting rid of effects as a practice tool rather than a performance goal. In that sense, I agree with the suggestion. During practice, it's often good to restrict your playing to concentrate on a particular aspect. Case in point - I had a student who was overplaying during a certain song. I had him go through the song using only root notes. It forced him to concentrate on the rhythm and and leave space. Next time through was much better.

Effects can be nice practise tools.
Nothing's better than a long delay to work on timing. Any mistake will be heard 4-5 times.
A heavy trebly distortion forces you to play very cleanly.