I personally don't think it's his technical abillities that puts him as one of many great guitar players. But it's his way of producing and composing it. How he makes it fit into a mix, how it sounds like an important part of a composition as a whole. It's not how many notes he is hitting in 5 seconds, but tasty choices he makes.I guess this thread is as old as the oldest threads on the org... but what the heck...

I personally think he is showing alot of this on Private Joy, Computer Blue, When Doves Cry, Just My Imagination and Down Home BLues etc...

What do you think?

I'm not a big guitar player so I can't really speak to the technical side of his playing, but it is irrelevant to me anyway. Prince's guitar playing is second to none in my book. His guitar playing seems to sonically embody whatever I'm feeling while listening to the song.

For instance, the guitar playing on "She Loves Me 4 Me" or something smooth and just complimentary is really touching. He's very good at feeling his solos out. I really like his creative use of guitar fills and I think he is really smart about where to put what and when. Few examples of mismanagement in this area, but one that does stand out is "Crucial" where the solo is cut woefully short from the released version.

Even if he is a great soloist, I especially like Prince as a funk rhythm guitar player.

"its got a good beat and its easy to dance to"

i have only been learning the guitar for a month so i dont know much about technical ability

I think because his guitar work is so versatile, whether he is doing funk, rock, blues or anything, he pulls it off convincingly.

Is there a rating higher than the BEST?

... the solo for FURY comes to mind when I think of P's guitar solo work. Ah ... Just got a 'chill' thinkin' about it ... LoL

I don't think he's the best guitarist ever. Most of the people who play guitar better can't do all that crap Prince does along with playing guitar great.

Spinlight said:

I'm not a big guitar player so I can't really speak to the technical side of his playing, but it is irrelevant to me anyway. Prince's guitar playing is second to none in my book. His guitar playing seems to sonically embody whatever I'm feeling while listening to the song.

For instance, the guitar playing on "She Loves Me 4 Me" or something smooth and just complimentary is really touching. He's very good at feeling his solos out. I really like his creative use of guitar fills and I think he is really smart about where to put what and when. Few examples of mismanagement in this area, but one that does stand out is "Crucial" where the solo is cut woefully short from the released version.

Right on 100 %!!!!

vitriol said:

Even if he is a great soloist, I especially like Prince as a funk rhythm guitar player.

Certainly the best of both worlds.. especially for a guitar player like me.

BobGeorge909 said:

I don't think he's the best guitarist ever. Most of the people who play guitar better can't do all that crap Prince does along with playing guitar great.

Does he have 2 be?

Yes, it is a much-discussed topic!

I like to read through most of those threads, but noone ever seems to mention anything but fairly mainstream "Prince guitar moments" (ie. RnR Hall of Fame, Trojan Horse, The Undertaker, SNL w/ "Fury", etc.)

I'd like to give an honorable mention to some studio obscurities that I (and maybe only I) think are quite delicious!!!

"Vavoom"

-the doubled-up, sliding and hormonizing riffs-

"Get It Up"

-fast, furious and young purple fingers-

"The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Adam & Eve Remix)"

-I'd like to know which guitar he used for that, cuz he just burned it to dust and the evening janitors had to mop it up-

"77 Beverly Park"

-a pile of purple guitars-

"Erotic City" / "1+1+1=3" / "Hello(Ext.Ver.)" / "A Love Bizarre"

-six strings on speed (or was some of it on bass?!)-

I have some "why not" answers, but that's no fun on a Friday evening!

Prost!

Prince wasn't always a guitar virtuoso

but he

always was a great guitar player.

Now sdays Prince is more into guitar and he plays

like guitar players guitar player

he is a virtuoso guitarist equally good

on rhythm and lead guitar.

What sets him apart from most of the shredders is that

he would rather play 3 notes then billion if that is what a song needs but if he is in the shread mood then watch out

Graycap23 said:

BobGeorge909 said:

I don't think he's the best guitarist ever. Most of the people who play guitar better can't do all that crap Prince does along with playing guitar great.

Does he have 2 be?

no...that was the point.

A big part of what makes Prince’s guitar playing so great is that he manages to keep his ego in check. The rhythm is just as much about the space between the notes as the notes themselves and the solos are mostly short and sweet. So many guitar virtuosos can’t resist extended solos of high-tempo arpeggio noodling up and down the neck with both hands; Prince goes slow and keeps his bends in tune. It’s classy.

One of the things that I always loved about P's playing is that he knows how to shift gears. And his versatility is always on point.

Without making comparisons P (like Jeff Beck) has always done something cool on the guitar to keep me interested.

What sets Prince apart from most other guitarists for me is his diversity, he can play rock, funk, blues, flamenco, shred and jazzy acoustic stuff and pretty much everything in between. Listening to songs like Why You Wanna Treat Me So bad, Lady Cab Driver, Dreamer, Joy in Repitition, Thunder, 77 Beverley Park and The Truth in sequence really shows just how unbelievable it is that its the same guy playing the guitar in every one of those songs!

Sure he may not be the best at each genra but he's definitley at a top level. Most people can learn to play guitar but few people have the natural rhythm to play the intricate rhythms of his funk guitar playing and even fewer have the natural soul to play the solo on songs like Joy in Repitition, Crucial, Extra Lovable & I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and nobody else has the ability to do both so well in my opinion!

I think he really deserves to be on every "Top 10" guitar player list but unfortunatley he never is, and I long to see him utilize other guitar tricks that he hasn't yet learned like fret tapping, sweep picking, pinch harmonics etc.

TheScouser said:

What sets Prince apart from most other guitarists for me is his diversity, he can play rock, funk, blues, flamenco, shred and jazzy acoustic stuff and pretty much everything in between. Listening to songs like Why You Wanna Treat Me So bad, Lady Cab Driver, Dreamer, Joy in Repitition, Thunder, 77 Beverley Park and The Truth in sequence really shows just how unbelievable it is that its the same guy playing the guitar in every one of those songs!

Sure he may not be the best at each genra but he's definitley at a top level. Most people can learn to play guitar but few people have the natural rhythm to play the intricate rhythms of his funk guitar playing and even fewer have the natural soul to play the solo on songs like Joy in Repitition, Crucial, Extra Lovable & I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and nobody else has the ability to do both so well in my opinion!

I think he really deserves to be on every "Top 10" guitar player list but unfortunatley he never is, and I long to see him utilize other guitar tricks that he hasn't yet learned like fret tapping, sweep picking, pinch harmonics etc.

What IS "sweep picking"? If it's what I think it is, didn't he do a bit of that on Purple House? I thought I saw that on the video from NewYear'sEve performance. Just wondering. Thanks.

It almost sounds like he's doing some weird quick sweeps in the long live version of "J.I.R" 2002.

..he also does real fast lightning legato licks in "I'm Yours" (the studio version).

I would love to hear P make an attempt at a neo-classical type guitar jam. He might be able to pull it off.

Listening to 1985/Syracuse, I hear sweep playing. The "tribute" video showed him doing some a bit on the "acoustic" Purple Rain bit. Also on Eric Leed's "Once Upon a Time."

As for his style, I think it's fairly symbolic of Prince's appeal, particularly in the 1980s: It carries a mix of Hendrix, Santana, JB rhythm style, George Benson, Hazel, SRV, other blues & rhythm giants. His playing's encyclopedic. And, he has a sick rhythm clock for good measure.

rubymoon53 said:

What IS "sweep picking"?

Sweet picking is sweeping across a series of notes, sometimes a chord, faster than they could be picked individually but slower than just strumming them.

He is the best when it comes to rhythm guitar playing - there is none better than him at that!

Like others have said, his diversity is incredible and whilst he may not be the absolute best when it comes to soloing (he's still fantastic mind), its his intonation that does it! There aren't many guitarists that can convey the amount of emotion that Prince does and it's really difficult to pull off. Its almost impossible to teach, because its all about feel and understanding how what you play fits in the overall context. Its why his playing has such an emotional impact on Spinlight, for example.

With a lot of guitarists, you can hear at least one or two of their influences. With Prince, you don't have enough fingers to count how many influences he has!

His mastery of the instrument is completely evident and he just gets better and better. He can play dirty, he can play clean, he can wig out, he can keep it beautifully simple. There are few that are as well-rounded and comprehensive as Prince and, of course, this is just ONE of the instruments on which he is so capable. As a musician myself, his talent is both awe-inspiring and sickening at the same time!

I wonder why the "Rave solo" on Small Club is never mentioned in threads like these.

That solo is tecnically advanced, and to me very cool at the same time!

Agree?

He's a great rhythm player, but there are A LOT more better soloists out there (just choose one from the Jazz world alone!).

HOWEVER, what makes Prince's solo's great is what he does with them re. his sound.

Since day one he has embraced technology and he uses this to his advantage, I remember seeing sign of the times and wondering "did he just switch a flanger on with his pick up"?

His profile alone made this groundbreaking for me and his use of effects are generally so palatable that I guess it doesn't matter what he plays because he's not making working with the technology - he's making the technology work for him.

'dre

nayroo2002 said:

Yes, it is a much-discussed topic!

I like to read through most of those threads, but noone ever seems to mention anything but fairly mainstream "Prince guitar moments" (ie. RnR Hall of Fame, Trojan Horse, The Undertaker, SNL w/ "Fury", etc.)

I'd like to give an honorable mention to some studio obscurities that I (and maybe only I) think are quite delicious!!!

"Vavoom"

-the doubled-up, sliding and hormonizing riffs-

HELL YEAH!

I think he's easily one of the best guitarists in any pop genre, his style is pure soul. He can shred (3 Chains') but he doesn't in favor of the music. Most with his ability would just go nuts on the frets, but his screaming style is pure soul. It has more impact than any old tweedlideedlideedeedlideedeedlideedeedlidee... shit, and this is coming from a power metal fan.

jpnyc said:

rubymoon53 said:

What IS "sweep picking"?

Sweet picking is sweeping across a series of notes, sometimes a chord, faster than they could be picked individually but slower than just strumming them.

And my attempts to get good at it are frustrating.

I like his playing from the 1980-1982 era the most. He wasn't really showing off too much at that point and his rhythm guitar licks were quite original.

When he started playing "anthemic" solos later on he could make them work in the context of his music unlike many others. He had developed an overall style that allowed him to pull off cheesy stuff in a classy manner.

The term that always strikes me is "organic" - prince makes the guitar look like a natural extension of his body while he's playing, like the solo or groove is coming directly through him. This is what I find most reminiscent of Hendrix in his playing. It also comes across in the way he can stop and start playing interspersed with doing other things on stage - playing incredible licks somethimes almost as an afterthought.

Basically, the most amazing thing is that he makes it look easy...