As the title says. I know it's them miming to the songs and all that, but half the time he's flopping his hand around like he dropped his pick or he's not playing at all even though the camera is on him during a guitar part.

Just curious what you guys think about all this, lol. Was he just having a laugh or did he just suck at miming?

Never really thought the guitar miming was out, now the lip synching to Purple Rain seemed a bit out.

Noticed that when I was very young watching the movie back when I first became a fan... Always wanted to discuss a thread about it...

Computer Blue is one of the best examples of the guitar miming in the movie

Some scenes he was just holding the guitar while there was his guitar solo going on

Bloopers:

http://prince.org/msg/7/9951

http://prince.org/msg/7/19296

http://prince.org/msg/7/166972

luv4u said:

Bloopers:

http://prince.org/msg/7/9951

http://prince.org/msg/7/19296

http://prince.org/msg/7/166972

Those threads don't say anything about the guitar miming...

hmmm... need to watch Computer Blue again to see what you all are talking about.

oh shut up.. (op)

feeluupp said:

luv4u said:

Bloopers:

http://prince.org/msg/7/9951

http://prince.org/msg/7/19296

http://prince.org/msg/7/166972

Those threads don't say anything about the guitar miming...

I know

Just thought those links would be a good addition

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

bonatoc said:

warewolf95 said:

bonatoc said:

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

You can do the same with your left hand too, can't you? The one working the frets?
I never noticed anything off with the dubs in the PR movie and I've seen it probably 20 times. OP, can you post specific clips you're talking about?

herb4 said:

bonatoc said:

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

You can do the same with your left hand too, can't you? The one working the frets?
I never noticed anything off with the dubs in the PR movie and I've seen it probably 20 times. OP, can you post specific clips you're talking about?

Sure can. Yup.

Man, I wouldn't watch Prince's hands too much.

Next thing you know you go back to triangle class.

bonatoc said:

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

That's what I rememebr, he starts tapping the frets Van Halen style.

Anywayz, go back to the original mascara-bleeding, gospel-pleading, telecaster-screaming,
God-coming-like-a-dog-in-heat version for more information about Prince's fantastic air guitar playing.

Punk.

[Edited 12/25/17 18:50pm]

feeluupp said:

Noticed that when I was very young watching the movie back when I first became a fan... Always wanted to discuss a thread about it...

Computer Blue is one of the best examples of the guitar miming in the movie

Some scenes he was just holding the guitar while there was his guitar solo going on

Computer Blue was actually the performance that inspired me to make this thread. I was like "come on, surely he knows we're smarter than that"

crimesofparis said:

bonatoc said:

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

seconded. I'm a guitarist and I think the miming is totally fine.

I'll be honest, it was my first serious playthrough of the film outside of catching occasional segments on TV airings so perhaps I just mis-saw some stuff.

As a guitarist myself, mind explaining the distortion/compressor bit further? Maybe it's just your wording but I don't understand what you mean. The one-hand bit I don't understand either. The only way to play with just your right hand is doing open strings or tapping with it, no? I'm confused, lol.

Also, are you implying that those are live performances we are seeing in the film? Because they surely look/sound mimed to me (unless I flat out don't know what I'm talking about).

crimesofparis said:

warewolf95 said:

As the title says. I know it's them miming to the songs and all that, but half the time he's flopping his hand around like he dropped his pick or he's not playing at all even though the camera is on him during a guitar part.

Just curious what you guys think about all this, lol. Was he just having a laugh or did he just suck at miming?

Didn't Wendy recently say something about his playing in an interview where he would keep the pick between the knuckles on his index and middle fingers and use his thumb to pluck? I haven't watched his right hand much but that sounds like it could be what you're describing.

Didn't know that - I've seen a lot of "modern" Prince footage but admittedly not so much of the Purple Rain era and before, and I've never noticed what you mention but that sounds like what it looks like.

herb4 said:

bonatoc said:

Beware the right hand. When your guitar is hooked on the proper distorsion and compressor,

you can play lines with your right hand only.
This happens a lot in the case of Prince. You'll notice it in short phrases,
and you may be tempted to think it's playback. But the strings are just super-sensible because of the settings.
So he's not "flopping around his hands", he's actually playing with one hand.
Ask your guitarist friends.

Of course in the case of Purple Rain, it was playback.
I would say it's a pretty decent playback.
But of course if you watch the movie a more than once, flaws start to appear.

You can do the same with your left hand too, can't you? The one working the frets?
I never noticed anything off with the dubs in the PR movie and I've seen it probably 20 times. OP, can you post specific clips you're talking about?

Specifically Computer Blue but also parts of Let's Go Crazy, IIRC.

bonatoc said:

Anywayz, go back to the original mascara-bleeding, gospel-pleading, telecaster-screaming,
God-coming-like-a-dog-in-heat version for more information about Prince's fantastic air guitar playing.

Punk.

[Edited 12/25/17 18:50pm]

warewolf95 said:

warewolf95 said:

crimesofparis said:

warewolf95 said:

I'll be honest, it was my first serious playthrough of the film outside of catching occasional segments on TV airings so perhaps I just mis-saw some stuff.

As a guitarist myself, mind explaining the distortion/compressor bit further? Maybe it's just your wording but I don't understand what you mean. The one-hand bit I don't understand either. The only way to play with just your right hand is doing open strings or tapping with it, no? I'm confused, lol.

Also, are you implying that those are live performances we are seeing in the film? Because they surely look/sound mimed to me (unless I flat out don't know what I'm talking about).

I misread. You can totally play a lot of these solo licks with your LEFT hand alone. Especially if it's cranked and your pickups have a ton of output and your compressor is cranked. The compressor will make even soft notes sound as loud as the others. So things like pull offs, hammer ons, slides, will sound just as loud as a plucked note. The movie performances are mimed. Definitely.

GOTCHA! I know exactly what you are talking about. My brain wasn't functioning right.

You gotta love the way he bended like, 3 chords at once, downwards.
I was so "right on, man", when I read in an interview,
when asked about his guitar chops, he replied he tried his best through the years to go after an original playing style.

Listening by pure chance to "She Gave Her Angels" and coming near the end,
a whole book has to be written about Prince the Guitarist only.




Going back to the left, pay attention to how fast he can switch his guitar pick-ups
or adjust his frequency knobs. He's damn fast, it's like magic.
Hours after hours after hours on the axe, workin'it.

SKipper is a God on the Telecaster. And the Telecaster is the meanest guitar of the pack,
it forces you to play right. Can't lie to a Tele.
"Controversy" is a fine... Aww, don't start me on it.
Here comes "The Ride".

By the way, discovering years after that Purple Rain originated
in such a pool of sweat and Mascara and unabashed passion, was such an experience.

To realize this was one vocal take was crazy.

But to see that he was actually playing his Honer,
not the cloud (not that the cloud is bad for "Purple Rain", Syracuse is a testament),
is another typical Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory moment Prince can give to the fan.

I don't know - when you're only looking at that face and dat azz it's a little hard to pay attention to something as insignificant as whether he's miming on film or not.

warewolf95 said:

As the title says. I know it's them miming to the songs and all that, but half the time he's flopping his hand around like he dropped his pick or he's not playing at all even though the camera is on him during a guitar part.

Just curious what you guys think about all this, lol. Was he just having a laugh or did he just suck at miming?

I know exactly what you're talking about, and I'm convinced he was having a laugh. Check the up/down part of Let's Go Crazy: he's strumming the strings with just his index finger!