Despite never getting KISS, I’ve always appreciated the public face of Paul Stanley...a total pro. Other than for musicians that also sing and play, most people probably didn’t remember that Paul even played an instrument! When I saw the new Ernie Ball video with Paul, I paused for a second thought, “is Paul Stanley giving a guitar lesson??!! What would he have to offer?” In a genuine way, not a snarky, he sucks too bad to offer anything interesting kind of vibe. So I clicked the video.
At first, all I heard was a slightly out of tune Les Paul thru a Marshall JCM-something with the same boring 80s rock sound that dominated the radio in that era. But as I listened to what he said and how he appreciated bigger strings and the excursion caused from a heavy attack and the resulting overtones and rock vibe, I no longer heard out of tune...I heard ROCK! And actually, I heard me, in a way, for the first time.
The key is to not bang so hard that it’s noticeably out of tune, so if it sounds a little rough by yourself, it’s probably cool in the context of the band.
Who else do you guys/gals consider well-rounded rhythm players? To me, a bad-a$$ed rhythm player that can bash out a tasteful lead is more valuable than a killer lead guitarist that’s weak on the rest.
At first, all I heard was a slightly out of tune Les Paul thru a Marshall JCM-something with the same boring 80s rock sound that dominated the radio in that era. But as I listened to what he said and how he appreciated bigger strings and the excursion caused from a heavy attack and the resulting overtones and rock vibe, I no longer heard out of tune...I heard ROCK! And actually, I heard me, in a way, for the first time.
Who else do you guys/gals consider well-rounded rhythm players? To me, a bad-a$$ed rhythm player that can bash out a tasteful lead is more valuable than a killer lead guitarist that’s weak on the rest.
