Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Melody and Guitar

I often tell students that the guitar is a rhythm instrument and not a melody instrument. The tremolo picking demonstrated here clearly shows the error of my ways! It's different than the developing, expressive vibrato of the cello for instance, but what lovely sustain and persistent attention it provides. Wow.

"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC."
-Kurt Vonnegut, as quoted in "Vonnegut's Blues For America" Sunday Herald (7 January 2006)

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  1. MikeJune 30, 2010 at 4:08 PM

    Amazing! I've never heard of a ten-string guitar before. Maybe it's a more direct descendant of the lute or something?

    Guitar as melody or rhythm instrument-- an interesting question. The performer on this video makes it similar to the piano. So whatever a piano is, that's what the guitar is...:-P

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