Playing an instrument is an athletic endeavor. You employ your muscles and nervous system, and you improve your technique by repetition. For guitarists, this involves the tedium of scales, arpeggios and various finger exercises. As time goes on, your vibrato gets quicker, your bends become more precise, you gain speed and dexterity, and then... IT'S ERIC CLAPTON TIME!!!

Unfortunately, there are a million people who can do this... I know because I'm one of them. It wasn't always this way... there were only a few good guitar players back in the 50's and 60's, but now it's a saturated market. There are plenty of educational materials out there such as books and videos, and because of laser guided cutting tools and intense competition among manufacturers, great guitars can be purchased for relatively small amounts of cash. Cheap guitars really sucked when I was a kid, and probably discouraged many beginning players.

So does Ron Wood do finger exercises? Probably not... I suspect he thinks life is too short for that, and he'd rather draw, paint or have cocktails with his friends. However, he probably likes to jam with people and just play music for fun.

Ron can play most parts of Stones songs really well... he's had 30 years of practice... but when he plays some shitty, amateurish solo, I know what guitarists are thinking... "I could do better than that!!! I SHOULD BE ONSTAGE WITH THE STONES!!!" yeah right... keep dreamin', Huckleberry.

Of course, you could start your own Stones tribute band, and offer conclusive proof that you can play your instrument better than those clowns... but finding a frontman like Mick or a drummer like Charlie is going to be very VERY difficult... and most Keith clones probably died many years ago. But even if you did find all of that, you wouldn't be the REAL Stones, now would you?

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES! GET YOURSELF THE ORIGINAL ROLLING STONES!

Of course, if the Stones really wanted to, they could have the proverbial fat studio guy in a Hawaiian shirt backstage playing the solos, and Ron could pantomine... but if they got caught, it would ruin their reputation just as surely as it ruined Milli Vanilli.

Well put.

Is it not just possible that a guitarist's ability to play a blistering lead deminishes greatly by late 50's-early 60's?

Isn't playing 2 hours every few days the same as practicing?

How come none of the Stone's tribute bands are in there 60's?

Just some thoughts.

I don't think age matters that much, unless your health is failing. Clapton is getting old and he can still rip it up. I've got at least 10 dvds of Mstislav Rostropovich in his 60's, and he was still the finest cellist on the face of the Earth... probably the best musician of the 90's. This particular dvd of him playing the Bach cello suites blew me away.

[www.amazon.com]

I think Ron Wood is happy with the way he plays although I'm sure they all improve as the tour goes on... but I don't think playing concerts is the same as practicing because his parts on those songs aren't difficult to play... improvement in technique only occurs when you force yourself to play something that you can't already do.

You're right, of course, but in some ways it's disconcerting that because Ronnie is a "Stone", he's been allowed to show up drunk and/or stoned and botch solos left and right.

Of course he has the look, the hair, the style, the attitude, and the thin frame needed to be a Stone...is that REALLY all it's about? Just @#$%&-you attitude and a rock'n'roll style?

He still has the chops. He's just lacking the discipline (and sobriety?) to make it still click...either that or he's soured on just playing guitar and not being allowed to contribute artistically.

I think Ronnie just has a tendency to wing it, to see what comes out when playing live....as anyone who plays knows, you always make mistakes but its only the very few who get to make those mistakes in front of 60,000 people.

Ronnie is extremely talented. Some nights he is totally on and steals the show, some nights he is palying well and some nights don't go as well as others, same for Keith.....same for anyone in a band.

The difference is that when "Bob and The Smelly Socks" are the house band at the local pub and the guitar player prangsn a few notes it's in front of 20 people and there is no message board to rip him apart.

The 2 shows I saw so far.....Ronnie played like Ronnie but his playing reminded me more of the 81 tour, which I thought was great. Loud, slashing, raw and dirty. He sounded just right.

Milo, NYC
The wind blows rain into my face

> Ron can play most parts of Stones songs really
> well... he's had 30 years of practice... but when
> he plays some shitty, amateurish solo, I know
> what guitarists are thinking... "I could do
> better than that!!! I SHOULD BE ONSTAGE WITH THE
> STONES!!!" yeah right... keep dreamin',
> Huckleberry.

Well put indeed. The most popular and most successful musicians aren't necessarily the ones who have the most technical ability. Like you said, some of the best players in the world are probably playing in cover bands to 50 people on the weekends.

Technical ability is important, but so are heart and soul, style and charisma, etc. Most of the bubblegum pop crap by Britney Spears and her like is technically perfect (because someone fixed all the mistakes with a computer in the studio), but it sucks because it lacks feeling and soul. There is a fine line between loose and rockin' and just plain sloppy, and sometimes Ronnie crosses it, but he gets it right most of the time.

Technical ability is definitely not the gold standard for judging musical greatness in my book, but playing with feel doesn't mean that competence isn't an issue.

Whenever Ronnie plays some tuneless, meandering, out-of-key solo, he's NOT playing with "emotion" or expressing "the depths of his tortured soul"...he simply @#$%& UP! lol

Angus is the perfect example. Everyone can play AC/DC songs, but no one can play them like AC/DC.

Josh

RedLight Wrote:
> Ron can play most parts of Stones songs really
> well... he's had 30 years of practice... but when
> he plays some shitty, amateurish solo, I know
> what guitarists are thinking...

I play guitar, and I learned alot from Ronnie and MT.
I've been through the whole phase you described ("Clapton
time!"). I've been listening to Ronnie's solos with
a good ear since '89. Lately, when he bends his B string up
a step, he doesn't quite make it, and if he does, it's still
not clean. If you've ever tried to play one of his solos,
like "Whip" on an acoustic guitar, it strains the fingers
a bit. To me, that's what his solos on the electric sound
like--he's straining. Sometimes, instead of the bend, he'll opt for
the easy way out of sliding the third finger up two frets,
which probably accounts for him losing his spot.

That said, I still love his shitty, ameteurish solos.

I'm getting a little bored by the childish "Ronnie's good!!"-"Ronnie sucks!!".

Who said in the first place what a correct solo is? Why is it correct to play the in tune and in blistering speed?

Does this get tedious or what!
I aint read one bad concert review yet but people on this board continue to groan on and on about the same boring subjects. If you aint happy......

Their reputation is allready ruined. Because of Ronnie´s playing. Wake up!!!

There are definitaly not a million good guitarplayers. It has nothing to do with the way a player chooses his notes.

It's the sound these notes have. This is an 'chemical'or 'natural'reaction between the player and the instrument that produces the soundwaves. You cannot get this soundquality through practice,not even the material can change this, you are born with it.

It is truly magical, and so are the stones

For people interested, I got some links for more information on this

mudbone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> It's the sound these notes have. This is an
> 'chemical'or 'natural'reaction between the player
> and the instrument that produces the soundwaves.
> You cannot get this soundquality through
> practice,not even the material can change this,
> you are born with it.
>
> It is truly magical, and so are the stones
>
> For people interested, I got some links for more
> information on this

OMG... mudbone! Are you playing with a mojo??

I fear you're dealing with dark forces you don't truly understand. If they offer you a deal at the Crossroads... DON'T TAKE IT! It's nothing but lies and wicked deceit!!

But above all, remember this: When you get ready to smoke another one, give me a holler.

It's true red light.

It is a inborn quality wich you need if you want to make as a musician. They don't have to make an effort at all, just noodle around and it'll sound great. That's exactely what they do for a living.

What a blessing eh?

It has to do with energy you project unto the instrument wich will result in a certain order and range of harmonics. real musicians have a certain energy that will result in very rich and harmonious soundwaves,that are immediately attractive and pleasing to the ear. That said, the creative part of it is a different story all together.

don't think Ron and Keith make super efforts to play the guitar, it comes naturally to them.

Also, every legend has somekind of truth hidden in it. People implicitaly feel there's more to something than what is the general concesus. That doesn't mean I believe in the crossroads or whatever.

btw I quit smoking a year ago but I'll have a drink with you..

The Ron Wood Guitar Method - Mix a strong drink, light a gigarette, tossle hair, grin goofily, spill drink, botch solo, smile at Charlie, hide from Mick, offer Keith a line, dance around at intro time like everyone came to see you. Repeat nightly.


keefriff99 said:


Is that REALLY all it's about? Just @#$%&-you attitude and a rock'n'roll style?

If it is then I want the gig! I'll work cheaper than Ronnie and even have the hair, attitude, style, etc. Hell, I can even play a little!

P. S. Just kidding! I love Ronnie.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-11-04 20:39 by Elmo Lewis.