josephandrews.edu Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Ok, at my church, we have a song service team that does the praise songs and stuff. My church is located next to a university that are affiliated with each other. So we have an decent supply of "guitarists" that can help out with the song service. Most of the guys, and one girl, are pretty decent. HOWEVER,... the "lead" guitarist has probably the goofiest playing posture ever. His acoustic dreadnought is positioned so high that the headstock of the guitar is right next (mbe 5 inches) to his head. hmm. Obviously he does that to have easy access for his left hand. But it looks so GOOFY. He's pretty good at guitar, but his posture just makes me want to vomit. Ok, mbe not THAT bad, but still. So what im asking is: does any of that matter? Am i just overly aesthetic and shallow or do i have a legitimate claim? When performing for others, should you take into consideration your overall image upon your audience? let's hear it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Interesting post... it immediately makes me think of the opposite of your friend... the 70's and 80's Les Paul slingers who wear them "down low". I know in my early bar-band days, the way I looked was important, but I always wondered how Jimmy Page "did it" because I could never play as fluently or easily with my guitar at below waist level... As I've grown as a person and a player, I've decided to go for comfort over pose, and so I base the "looks" on what's easiest to play. guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 quote: orriginally posted by Guitarplayer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I've grown as a person and a player, I've decided to go for comfort over pose, and so I base the "looks" on what's easiest to play. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- fwiw I totally agree with you. When I was young( i'm not sure i can remember that long ago) pose was everything in fact the first band that i played in that actually got a record deal, had a thing about low slung guitars....(weird or what) nowadays to play the kinda thing i want to play it's a serious no go area. Gotta have it where it feels comfortable and sod what I look like.. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Besides when you hit my age nobody cares anyway you either play well or not!! ( You know granny bras are just not cool to collect, if ya know what I mean) http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 LOL! Too funny! Well, I think the answer is it depends on the gig and it depends why the person looks goofy. If you're trying to put on an arena rock show or something, where people are paying for the "show" as much as the music, I'd say image starts to matter a bit more. Playing a church gig, well, I dunno. I don't think it should matter too much. Also, if a player can play better in some strange position, like being able to reach the neck better, then function should always take precedence over form. You should do whatever makes you comfortable. All that said, no matter how much we tell ourselves that aethestics "shouldn't" matter, they do. I don't necessarily think that's shallow, I just think it makes it hard to deal with if you're one of those people who doesn't fit the aesthetic "standard". I'm not ugly by any means, but I don't have big tits or blond hair and I don't like to wear miniskirts and fishnet stockings, so I just plain am going to get fewer dates than someone who has these things. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif It does piss me off sometimes, but at the same time if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that I have certain aesthetic preferences and prejudices too, so that's just the way it is... I guess if someone is really talented/compatible/whatever that ultimately that should and does override any other concerns, but it doesn't always. I do think audiences prefer to see somebody who looks good and presents themselves well on stage, and that will make you more "marketable" as far as gigs go. But there are plenty of session players who are butt ugly. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I guess if you play blues, being ugly is an advantage, and if you play jazz, people will really dig it if you're some total freak! So really it just depends what you're looking for! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fet Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 "...His acoustic dreadnought is positioned so high that the headstock of the guitar is right next (mbe 5 inches) to his head..." I have it on good authority that this is the hippest, coolest way to play guitar there is. You are lucky to have this guy, and if you can copy his posture, do so. Check out www.paulgalbraith.com for an interesting guitar grip. And should "image" be a major concern if your music is dedicated to the glory of God? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 quote: orriginally posted by Lee Flier ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I guess if you play blues, being ugly is an advantage, and if you play jazz, people will really dig it if you're some total freak! So really it just depends what you're looking for! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now Lee just hold on a bit here! You can't go around saying that us peeps who play blues can be butt ugly and what's more it's an advantage!! For your information some of us are incredibly handsome http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif and I won't have it any other way!!!! As for those peeps who play Jazz.... Well i guess your right! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK_dup2 Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Yeah I used to worry about this. Now I am forced to. If you are a day player or contract player. You have to comform to what Sit. you are in. I got more clothes I never wear again. I have been lucky though - I have never had to play parties or casuals. I have many friends that have to wear the Tux to every gig. With Gypsy Soul they like me to wear earth tones and dress with a little class - and as we all know I have none !!! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif As far as how I wear my guitar. I don't like it too high (acoutic or electric.) I just can't get past feeling like Jazz nerd. God I'll catch Hell for that one... Later gators BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Lee said... >>I'm not ugly by any means, but I don't have big tits or blond hair and I don't like to wear miniskirts and fishnet stockings, so I just plain am going to get fewer dates than someone who has these things Yeah, but Lee, I'd bet your dates are more high quality guys with good taste in music and taste for nice, talented young ladies than those girls get... Hey, go back and look at some of the Brit Invasion bands at how high they wore their guitars! Even Lennon, when he strapped on his J-160 (right model number?) had the dadburn thing almost right under his chin! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I don't wear my acoustic guitars too high, or so I thought, until my son joked the other night that I looked like a Mariachi player...he told me he wanted to get me a Sombrero...geez... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Tedster What an absolute sweetheart you are!!!! Gallant or what? And yeah do the sombrero thang!!!! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Ted Wrote: >>>I don't wear my acoustic guitars too high, or so I thought, until my son joked the other night that I looked like a Mariachi player...he told me he wanted to get me a Sombrero...geez... HAHAHA http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Wear it high , and let 'er fly ! ! ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Hey Kahn I'm beginning to seriously worry about you!!!! Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 So who gets this weeks star prize for spelling? yep you guessed it me!!!!! Khan appologies my old china http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK_dup2 Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Fet- Thats some trippy Sh%4T man. He sounds great too. Tedster you are the goods. I haven't heard dadburn in ages. Thats like other good southernisms: pretnear = almost Fixin = I am about to consarnit = damn it Y'all = you all Coke = Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc. hankerin' = to want or need. Hey Simon give us some good Britisms. Hasta BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 >>>Hey Kahn I'm beginning to seriously worry about you!!!! Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif ------------------------------------------------------------ Hey Smion, Don't worry, be happy http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif K---H---A---N http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/tongue.gif So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2001 Share Posted February 9, 2001 Now listen here chaps. Gotta go bye byes now busy day tomorrow going for a spot of the old accupuncture...... should be tickety boo.... gawd I hope she's attractive if she's gonna stick needles in my ass!!!!! Take care everyone Toodle Pip (bye bye) Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jef5f Posted February 10, 2001 Share Posted February 10, 2001 I agree with most of the posts already. In college, I had a professor tell us to be sure to our message across. The trend was to preach without notes. But he believed that sometimes, the message suffered because the message wasn't getting across, so he emphasized that if you had read your sermon notes, word for word, to insure that the message got across to the hearers, it was more important then being impressive and preaching without notes. The same with the guitar. I play in church also. I am not vain in the least, ask my unfortunate wife about that. I have the guitar in the most comfortable position I can. I tried playing like the guy origianlly described, and though it was easier on my hands, it was hard on my shoulders, back and neck. I have lowered it to a position which compromises all the way around. Easy enough on my hands, but easy on the rest of my body. Remember, we want to play good, sound the best, and the whole idea of worship, is to focus upon the Lord God we worship, not the playing position of someone giving his talent to the Lord to lead us in our worhship. God bless and remember the scripture which says, "love covers a multitude of sins." Let it apply here. Psalm 33:3 The best instrument you have, is your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trick fall Posted February 10, 2001 Share Posted February 10, 2001 The two guitar players in my band use shoe laces to extend the lengths of their straps cause they just don't make long enough guitar straps! Seriously though, when I see someone playing with their chin resting on the guitar I walk out. It's just a sign that it wont be my kinda thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Quote: trickfall@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seriously though, when I see someone playing with their chin resting on the guitar I walk out. It's just a sign that it wont be my kinda thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey Trickfall Aint that just a bit narrow minded? Ya can't judge a book by its cover can you? Simon ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trick fall Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 I'm actually a pretty broad minded person, but for me the high guitar thing is a bad sign. I even had a guy in my band for awhile and things started going south with him as his guitar got higher and higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Hey Trickfall To quote an oldie........ ' Your love keeps liftin me, keeps on liftin me, liftin me ? Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott from MA Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 As long as I have my pants on when I walk on stage, I don't care about how else I look. In fact, some days I don't even care about the pants! Scott (just another cantankerous bastard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Hey Scott Amen!!!! Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kabrijjhotmail.com Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 I dunno man, Jimmy Page, James Hetfield, and probably a crap load of other guys wear their guitar low... i tried that once, it hurt my wrist too bad... now i wear it fairly low, a little lower than my waist, but its comfortable... i actually have a strap i extended all the way, and the guitar was so low that my pick couldnt even reach the strings... my other guitarist may want that, he plays really low... but i think its different for lead/rhythm its a little different, because in my experience, its easier to play only rhythms when its low, but when you have to do i lead it helps to raise the guitar a bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanner Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 to me guitar playin is a physical thang-your body *needs* to get into it! it seems the higher the guitar gets on one's bod the less of somethin happens(not too sure what,tho-less strokin,spankin the plank...?) i see and and then i see play and he's got one of those rubberband straps that he lengthens and shortens while he's playin! so maybe those are good examples... musically, both are wonderful players-just different imho AMPSSOUNDBETTERLOUDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fet Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 This thread takes me back to my teens and early twenties, when how I looked, how other people looked, how cool I appeared, the clothes I wore, etc. were of an incredible importance that older folks could never understand, not in a million years. Ah, the follies of youth... so poignant... and in retrospect, so laughable... Trickfall, someday you too will be wearing that guitar higher than the kids do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Originally posted by joseph@andrews.edu: Ok, at my church, we have a song service team that does the praise songs and stuff. HOWEVER,... the "lead" guitarist has probably the goofiest playing posture ever. A) You're playing at CHURCH; B) Does God care? Am i just overly aesthetic and shallow or do i have a legitimate claim I think worrying about how one looks while playing guitar at church is something of a dichotomy. If you were a metal band playing B&D night at the local club maybe I would worry about looking goofy with an acoustic guitar held high, but really.... church??? http://www.mp3.com/chipmcdonald Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Originally posted by trickfall@yahoo.com: I'm actually a pretty broad minded person, but for me the high guitar thing is a bad sign. I even had a guy in my band for awhile and things started going south with him as his guitar got higher and higher. Yeah, but this guy is talking about a church band; or has things gotten that vain even in those circles these days? Ben Shepard of Soundgarden was the coolest... He wore a strap so low he had to crouch over just to reach his bass, and then he'd sort of stalk around while the bottom of the bass dragged on the stage. Totally hilarious, but of course totally cool at the same time. Hats off to Vernon Reid of _Living Color_: he used to wear his guitar up by his chin as well, it didn't seem to hurt their popularity back when they hit. FOR THAT MATTER..... Does anyone dispute Rage Against the Machine isn't one of the "coolest" bands out now, in the Beavis and Butthead sense of the term? Morello has his guitar strapped on wayyyy up high. Again - doesn't seem to bother their message *or* coolness. No, I didn't want to see Page with his guitar under his chin - but I doubt the singer in this guy's band is going to be singing about squeezing lemons, either... Context. http://www.mp3.com/chipmcdonald Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 Hey guys..."Cool" stage looks aside, anatomically speaking, we might need to position the neck so that the wrist and elbow are in a more "normal" position as well, if not for comfort, to minimize eventual carpal tunnel, "player's elbow, etc. Those of us with very small hands find the higher position helpful; we hardly ever roll our thumbs over the low E-string (just can't get there), so we work almost exclusively from the "high" side for chords. To avoid keeping the wrist bent at almost a right angle (i.e. for a barre B-minor), the higher position is very helpful. Other factors: ever had a broken wrist? Our church player may have limited range of motion. Also, having played some churches recently, maybe playing space was limited...don't want to send those burning candles flying with the stroke of a headstock, eh? CU later, Regards, Bob Wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephandrews.edu Posted February 12, 2001 Author Share Posted February 12, 2001 The post i made was just a funny observation. Chip, it't not like im taking the context church-wise. Im just asking in general for ALL guitarists. When i mean goofy, i mean GOOFY. You'd have to see it. Peace out Home SKillEt!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 >>Hey Smion, Don't worry, be happy K---H---A---N The Wrath of Khan...hehehehe... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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