Essay about The Guitar Solo - 1576 Words

If someone mentions guitar solo to you, what comes to mind? A musical god commanding a stage? A puffy haired, spandex clad dude making silly faces? Do you see a duck walk? A burning guitar? The guitar as an instrument evokes so many feelings, even for those not musically inclined. The guitar solo, is also a topic of heated debates. What makes a good solo? Is it the ability to compliment a song, or to be a showcase for self-indulgence? And while the guitar solo seems synonymous with rock and roll music, its roots are embedded in jazz and blues. Jazz is not only responsible for the birth of cool, but it also gave birth to the guitar solo. Guitars were originally acoustic. Because of their lack of volume they were rarely seen on a†¦show more content†¦This design was originally rejected by Gibson. However in 1951 Gibson decided to collaborate with Les Paul. 1952 brought the world the Gibson Les Paul, and ushered in the rock/pop sound. Leading into the 1950s there are many who contributed to the formation of what became know as rock and roll. It is Chuck Berry, however, who many believe personifies rock and roll. His 1955 recording Maybellene is considered the start of rock and roll guitar, and Johnny B. Goode has one best solos in rock history. Meanwhile over in Britain there was a band called The Shadows. They preceded the Beatles by five years, being active from 1958-1968. They were mainly an instrumental band and hand a distinct sound. Hank Marvin, lead guitarist had a very clean sound, also used vibrato and echo. The Shadows were one of the first to be labeled with the surf rock tag. They have influenced the likes of Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, and Carlos Santana. The sixties may be rock and rolls golden age. With new solid guitars, huge amplifiers, a new breed of musicians took to experimenting with different styles, sounds, and effects. Bands such as the Yardbirds combined blues guitar techniques and pop sensibility that laid the foundation for much of the 60s guitar sound. The popularity of rock music had one unexpected effect on the guitar. With the large amount of volume needed, so more and more fans could hear what was being played. Overdriving the amps would causeShow MoreRelatedMusic Is An Important Part Of Life1008 Words   |  5 Pagesdon’t know much about but the second song was sung as if they wanted everyone to come together and feel loved and at peace. For most of the songs played, there were solos from the lead electric guitar all the way to the drummer. The last song is Fijian Blues. As we sat and listened to this song, one of my friends went up to play a solo with the band. He usually plays downtown and had his Alto sax with him. His name is Antwon Washington. He also played in some of their other songs, but I don’t knowRead MoreAnalysis Assignment- Stairway to Heaven1401 Words   |  6 Pagesrock band Led Zeppelin, and composer of Stairway to Heaven, once said with reference to the album this piece was released on, â€Å"My vocation is more in composition really than anything else - building up harmonies using the guitar, orchestrating the guitar like an army, a guitar army†. Victor Lopez’s variation of Stairway to Heaven unsuccessfully attempts to capture the same style and mood, given its complete change in genre and lack of sensitivity towards the original structure, timbre and melodyRead MoreMusical Analysis - Jimi Hendrix1704 Words   |  7 PagesChorus, Verse, Chorus, Solo, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chor us, Outro. Fig.1A shows the guitar riff in the intro to the song which is four bars in length. The Intro is then followed by Verse 1 which is six bars, then the first Chorus being five bars in length. Fig.1A [pic] After the first Chorus there is Verse 2 consisting of 6 bars followed by a Chorus of 5 bars (Fig. 1B) and then the guitar solo which has an 11 bar duration. Fig. 1B [pic] Verse 3 follows the solo which is 6 bars longRead MoreMusic Class: A Report on Concerts Attended During the Class701 Words   |  3 Pagesthe sound of the Jazz music. The music told the audience about the story of music by the tempo and pattens. My favorite performer in this concert is Veno Bender. He played the electric bass guitar in this concert, and he appeared most of the solo in part 1. Although I was impressed by the bass and the guitar solo in the first part, part 2 made a more lasting impression on me. The ambiance of the performance was very professional yet casual. The concert started with Fisrt Rain and Jean Marie. TheyRead More3 OClock Blues Analysis Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"3 O’Clock Blues†, as performed by BB King An analysis BB King is undoubtedly one of the greatest blues musicians, and an equally unparalleled pioneer of guitar music. Brought up in the midst of poverty, strife, and struggle of the rural Mississippi Delta, King experienced great hardships from a young age, and used this as a source of inspiration for much of his later music (King Ritz, 1996). King’s celebrated music career emerged from very modest beginnings. At the age of 18, King startedRead MoreThe Court Of The Crimson King1576 Words   |  7 PagesMagazine as the best progressive rock album of all time, other than Pink Floyd’s fabled The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Featuring Greg Lake (later of Emerson, Lake Palmer) on vocals and bass guitar, Robert Fripp (who later played for David Bowie, Brian Eno, and with Andy Summer from The Police) on guitars, Ian McDonald (who later joined Foreigner) on wind, keys and vibraphone, and Michael Giles on drums and percussion, the album was released in 1969 with a now-famous painting (by Barry Godber) ofRead MoreI Naturally And Instantly Chose `` Bohemian Rhapsody `` By Queen1067 Words   |  5 Pagesapproach. In the studio, the band embraced the psychedelic and progressive elements (which were initiating throughout this era) and took them to another level. Bohemian Rhapsody was nothing more than their simple their simple instrumental line-up of Guitar, Bass, Piano and Drums. However, they played them like they were something completely new and in doing so; Queen delivered a new revolution of rock music. Thrown into the period of glam, it was no surprise when Queen’s elegance earned them a glamRead MoreEssay on The Success of Bon Jovis Album Slippery When Wet912 Words   |  4 PagesBon Jovi. This song is up tempo and, like most songs on this record, has interesting sound that comes from the use of the keyboard. The song starts out with a keyboard solo, and then the other instruments join in harmony establishing the beat and tempo. Electric guitar makes use of distortion to add some interest to the riffs and solos. The song is a verse/chorus organization and is also an endless loop with the music fading out in the end of the five minutes. The second song is â€Å"You Give Love A BadRead MoreThe New Orleans Jazz And Music919 Words   |  4 PagesLemon City Trio has three bands members that go by the names Brian Robertson, Nick Tannura, and Aaron Glueckauf. The jazz concert consisted of two sets of ten songs that lasted for about two hours. Brian Robertson played the organ, Nick Tannura played guitar, and Aaron Glueckauf played drums. This was the first live concert of any genre that I got to attend. The Lemon City Trio sound consists of funk, jazz, RB, and hip-hop meshed together. I could connect to their music because their music included genreRead MoreThe 19th Century Virtuoso910 Words   |  4 Pagesmusician that comes to mind when it comes to one who fits the description of a virtuoso. Van Halen is a Dutch instrumentalist widely known for his exemplary skills on the guitar. He began his career as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and one of the founders of the band Van Halen. With the use of his hands and an electric guitar, the Dutch-American musician completely redefined the tapping technique and gave it an original and legendary style. The guitarist gained a tremendous recognition for his