Nonguitarists need not reply



What makes Prince a great guitar player? I know the majority of Prince's music.

Lets say that Hendrix scores an A in the rock genre. Going on that standard, I would give Prince solid C.
Please don't refer me to the RRHOF performance. I have watched that in slow-motion and still can't find anything in that performance difficult, beyond falling backwards into his bodyguards arms. I see lots of bends and simple fast picking up the register. With that much distortion, I think an amature could just about pull it off with practice. And honestly, the 1st guitarist pulled off much better riffs.
I have seen Prince live 3 times. Each time when he goes into long solos, he starts out with very long, repetitious single notes with an occasion bend. Then after around the 5 minute point, he starts into some blues. This shit isn't hard. Going on the Hendrix standard, its laughable. But if any guitarist here wants to prove me wrong, I'm listening.
[Edited 10/17/07 10:23am]

I'd love for a lot of imput on this topic, being a guitarist I think we should have a whole sub-forum based on P's guitar playing so we dont have to go rumbling through all the other threads on here. It's a shame you're probably going to have like 5 replies here, but then the picture thread above you will have like 200....

Prince's ability as a guitarist was best showcased (IMHO) on the Tamar tour. He played riffs, scales and solos that were just mind-bending. When all he had to do was stand there and play - wow! His fingers were on fire. Every riff was spot-on. Multitudes of notes, scales and runs cascaded into fantastic sound.

If you can find a Tamar show, I'd be interested to hear what you think of it. Personally, I saw him in Houston.

Prince is a master, or at least, up until 1998, was a master at getting the perfect guitar sounds on whatever song he was doing. It's the same thing, with Jimi Hendrix(although, if you listened to one or two Jimi Hendrix songs, there would be some "notes" that he played in one song that would be repeated, in another song).

Examples: Alexa De Paris, Sign O' The Times, Batdance, Let's Go Crazy, Clockin' the Jizz.

Now, Prince can play the guitar, this note and that note.

He may not be the fastest, with his fingers, up and down the fretboard. Most Jazz guitar, where most guitarists try to play, up and down the fretboard, with very few guitar effects isn't interesting, to me, anyway. Neither is Satriani(rock guitarist).

I mean, there's only so much shit that you can do, on a guitar. All guitarists do the same thing.

It's all, in the effects, guitarists use, like "flanger" or "reverb" that makes them interesting.

Prince is a king, at that.
[Edited 10/17/07 12:00pm]

Yeah, and let's say that Wes Montgomery scores an A in guitar playing. Going on that standard, I would give Jimi Hendrix a solid C....

Why compare Prince to Jimi Hendrix? Why compare Hendrix to Wes Montgomery? All these people are (were) great musical personalities and great players in their own right. With that sort of musicians, technique isn't an issue anymore, it's all about individual musical expression.
Does it make sense to compare John Coltrane to Charlie Parker? Or Bud Powell to Herbie Hancock?

Stop thinking technique, start thinking music!

Jazzz

Rockability said:

For me it's not down to how complex the riffs he's playing are...sure, 90% of the riffs prince plays could be played by any intermediate guitar player...they'd be playing exactly the same notes at the same tempo...but when they play it, it will sound shit.

for some reason there are some people who can play a simple pentatonic/blues riff, and when they play it, it sounds amazing...prince is one of those people.

Sadly, for the majority of other people in the world when they play those same riffs, it sounds cliched, repetetive, boring and uninspired.

I've seen countless world class guitar players live: satriani, vai, adrian legg, john mclaughlin, john williams, vernon reid,Antonio forcionni, neil young, the guy from the ozrics, whoever it is in aerosmith...and that's just off the top of my head

i love many of them, but prince is my favourite guitar player to see live...he never fails to give me goosebumps with his guitar playing...i know what he's playing, i know it's simple...but for some reason it strikes a chord in me...that's music i guess

those few notes in purple rain, how does he do it?...anyone can play them...i can...but when i do it just sounds wank!...and i'm fucking shit hot on the guitar!

jazzz said:

i probably should have read this reply before i typed mine...this say what i was trying to in 6 words!

simple, but beautiful...like princes guitar playing!

if prince practised 10 hours a day as other guitar players...

hes too busy writing producing playing other instruments dancing etc

lets say prince is an A on the guitar. going by that standard, i'd give bb king a solid C



dumb thread

To me, his strength is more as a rhythm/compositional player than as a lead wailer.

On the Musicology tour, the acoustic segment was amazing, and esp when he played Alphabet Street at nearly double time.

I,C,P,& C at the end, playing harmonies with himself.

Most of the Truth album

Cool soulful stuff, like the middle part of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man.

Nearly hidden stuff like in Sex in the Summer

are just a few examples. And his lead playing isn't bad, I find it a bit overrated by some, underrated by others. I mostly like if he does some melodic touch to his solo like in Dolphin or odd trick like in Peach.

cloudguitar said:

I agree with this guy. You can be proficient as hell technically speaking, but if your playing is cold and robotic, then, I'd argue that guitarist isn't that great. Satriani, for instance. its cool to see him play, but after two songs I'm bored out of my head. Prince, on the other hand, puts so much into what he does know that it's like a voice...some people have that singing voice that's technically flawless, but it makes you feel nothing. Others have less talent, but give you chills when they blow. When I hear Prince play its like he's singing through his guitar, not just playing it. Therein, I think, likes the huge difference. I'v ealways wondered about why people tend to compare grat guitarists and who's better. I mean, how do you compare them?

So far all I'm hearing is that the guy can play ok. Like I originally said, give him a C.
His technique is okay. He has a natural sense for every instrument, and the guitar is no exception.

Still, if you are to compare him to Jimi Hendrix, and that is not a bad comparison, he comes up real short (no pun intended). A couple of you said its a dumb comparison. Why? They both played in the same genre, neither had any formal schooling and Prince has mimicked Hendrix for his whole career.

For instance, John Mayer copies many players and as much as I hate his music, his playing stands up to the comparisons. If I put this question to guitarists on his forum, there might actually be an argument for Mayer being an A in comparison with Hendrix.

I'm keeping the comparison with Hendrix because its rock. Im not going to throw in a classical or jazz player that could mop the floor with any rocker.

But the comparison to jimi only makes sense if you're comparing their lead playing.

But the leads are only one aspect of their playing.

I've never heard Jimi playing funky rhythm like Kiss, and I've never heard Prince playing rhythm stuff like Little Wing. I've heard Prince play more traditional jazzy stuff like on Strollin, but not Jimi. And I've never heard extended guitar based compositions from Prince like 1983 A Merman...

I'm not saying Prince is as great as Jimi on guitar, I don't believe he is. But I think the only real question is, do YOU think Prince is great on guitar? That's all that makes someone great, a bunch of people believing it's so.

Rockability said:

If you're a guitar player, and the RRHOF performance didn't move you, quit playing right now, because you'll never get it....

"But the comparison to jimi only makes sense if you're comparing their lead playing." -quote



Well.., yeah. Of course that's the comparison.


On a side note, Prince is a great rhythm guitar player. If they had a top 100 for that, I would place him pretty high up the ladder.

"If you're a guitar player, and the RRHOF performance didn't move you, quit playing right now, because you'll never get it...." -quote


Someone had to mention the RRHOF. A bunch of nothing.

Rockability said:

that's fine, it's like saying "who has the best vibrato?" It's a valid question I guess.

And to answer your question I'd say Jimi's better.

But Prince has never really been known as strictly a guitar player, and that's what make any comparisons to Jimi at all a huge complement.

IMO he doesn't win any individual competitions, but he competes in more than anyone.

"But Prince has never really been known as strictly a guitar player, and that's what make any comparisons to Jimi at all a huge compliment." quote


You aren't wearing those rosey-shaded glasses for Prince??? Nothing to disagree with you there.


Back in the day he told Rolling Stone that there was really nothing left for him to do on the guitar, as he had done everything. Now that wasn't verbatum, but you get the picture. And..., many of his fans think Prince is in the top 10 in lead playing. I guess my argument is directed toward those who think in those terms.

Rockability said:

they mentioned it because they were quoting you talking about it, dumbshit
[Edited 10/17/07 16:57pm]

"they mentioned it because they were quoting you talking about it, dumbshit" -quote

Oh, is that why they mentioned it? So, they weren't saying the RRHOF performance was a great display of lead guitar playing? You're right, i must be a dumbshit.
[Edited 10/17/07 17:06pm]

Look. Prince can play his ass off.
I personally didn't think that what he did at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was what people made it out to be.
It was still good.
It was impressive to see what he's able to execute with so much ease.
A lot of people just didn't know that Prince was capable of playing the guitar in such true rock fashion.
Because Prince does so many things as an artist, his guitar playing is not gonna always be as inspired as it could be.
But check out the the guitar solo that he does on "The Ride" from "The Sacrifice of Victor". He's totally dead on and his playing is magnificent.
Stay away from anything around the "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" period - his most uninspired moments on guitar - that just my opinion.
To me - Prince was really blazing on the guitar during the 94 - 95 period.
Also look at his performance of "Fury" on Saturday Night Live - INSANITY!!!
I nearly lost my mind when I saw that performance. He played the hell out of that axe!!!!
And lastly - Stop comparing Jimi to Prince!
Jimi started it all.
It's all a waste of time...
[Edited 10/17/07 17:14pm]
[Edited 10/17/07 17:16pm]
[Edited 10/17/07 17:50pm]

He's a better guitar player than he is a rapper. That's cool.

Rockability said:

You were saying how much it sucked. If that's nothing to you, quit playing guitar, because you'll never understand what kind of emotion, thought, and feeling making music takes.

Listen to Purple Rain from the Nude Tour in Tokyo and tell me Prince isn't the greatest guitarist alive

all i can state emphatically is that his solos always leave me wanting more.

i love his new solo on PE title track, more than any i've heard in a long while.

i'm speaking to composition more than performance, i suppose.
but let me reiterate, i never "get off" the way i WANT TO w/his solos.
they're always seem cut short, truncated, or 'coitus interruptus,' if U will . . .

Coitus interruptus, also known as withdrawal or the pull out method,
is a method of contraception in which, during sexual intercourse,
the penis is removed from the vagina prior to ejaculation, primarily to avoid
introducing semen into the vagina. Coitus interruptus may also more generally refer to
any extraction of the penis prior to ejaculation during intercourse.

oh well, maybe he's just a natural-born tease and it shows.

Rockability said:

they were saying it was good IN RESPONSE to you saying it wasnt. they didnt just bring it up randomly. so yeah, you are

jazzz said:

Took the words out of my mouth! Well said jazzz

I dont think Prince is a great soloist on the guitar. Although I like the mood he creates with his solos (the sustained first note with a little bend, and then throw in a pentatonic riff) I think he's quite average.
His rhythm playing is what makes him stand out from the crowd. I think even Jimi would have problems keeping up with Princes rhythm chops. Its not just the way Prince plays the chops, its WHAT he plays. Even songs with very little guitar (Like SOTT) sparkle when he knocks out the riff.

The man is a master of Rhythm and a student of lead

Solo
Jimi gets B+
Prince gets C-

Rhythm
Jimi gets C
Prince gets A-

I should add that Matt Bellamy from Muse beats both of these guys hands down!

[Edited 10/18/07 3:36am]
[Edited 10/18/07 3:52am]

NDRU said:

Oh, that's an easy one. David Gilmour.

Technically Prince never dazzles me. Let me point out that although not great I have been playing for 20 years (with the odd lapse) so I guess that makes me an intermediate guitarist. Lots of guitarists that I really like to listen to don't dazzle me with their technical ability. Their techinque often does though.

Prince is primarily a funk player. He occasionally steps into rock and, to a lesser extent, blues. As we all know, a player can get by with the major and minor pentatonic in those three styles without really needing to delve into anything else. For some of his pieces it would seem that an understanding of modes would be required but he's hardly John Squire (much underrated guitarist from the Stone Roses) in that respect.

Having seen him for the first time this year, at both main shows and aftershows, I have to say that his rhythm and riffs are cracking but his soloing is a little lacking. He plays with a lot of passion but then so do an awful number of other musicians both accomplished and not.

Brian May stated that Prince was a world class guitarist and that's one hell of a compliment when you think about it. Santana said that Prince was one of the most underrated guitarist he'd heard (wonder if he voted on the Rolling Stone list?). Either way that's two appraisals of his playing that can't be ignored. They are both class A players that have inlfuenced and inspired a vast amount of musicians both young and old and so I think they have a more than valid opinion.

Comparing guitarist to one another at the highest levels is rather pathetic really. At that point a guitarist will have discovered his 'voice' and it is that that sets him/her apart from others. It then becomes purely a matter of personal choice.

And if you'd like to know who inspired me to play the guitar and how subsequently it got me into Prince then the answer is Brian May. Every single time I listen to his playing it sounds fresh and exciting. Every note I hear him play is considered and perfect. But that's just for me

Just like to add that Purple Rain played this year in London must have been the radio edit. I went hoping to be moved to tears. That didn't happen.

Now when I listen to (or watch) Purple Rain I do get that feeling in my stomach. Oh, ok, maybe a little when watching the Superbowl performance

The only guy to have me crying during a live performance was David Gilmour at Live 8. Comfortably Numb played with such grace and execution. It soared so high that I think God may have touched it with his finger tips. Pure mastery of his own style. Utter perfection.
[Edited 10/18/07 4:29am]
[Edited 10/18/07 4:30am]

motherless child - septimo TV performance
Alexa de' paris
The truth
Fury - SNL
The whole Undertaker DVD
God instrumental
1999 [perfect rythm playing]
etc, etc, etc. [oh and the last aftershow in London!]

Sometimes it's just not worth questioning genius. True genius is not in just playing the song, it's also in writing the words / music etc. That's why P and JH will always be at the top of the tree. The sheer variety of his playing and actually creating the riffs, rythms and lead lines is aweinspiring.