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electric guitars have been experimental since their invention, but it took a bit of time for electric pickups on acoustic guitars to herald a new style of acoustic playing. fingerstyle can be something like chet atkins or leo kottke, but the modern style combines fingerpicking with tapping and percussion on the wood body. a lot of harmonics techniques are used, and i know some of these musicians are influenced by metal. theres a paradox of technology: the style demands electric pickups to make the guitar more sensitive to oddball forces, but theres also avoidance of pedals and other effects that would reduce the awe at seeing someone do it all with their body and a guitar.
on the other hand, a lot of aesthetic comes from new age music. and a lot of the song titles sound like magic cards.
is it a cold gimmick thats all about showing skill, or do these techniques add to the expressive ability of a guitar?
the guy who introduced me has an almost religious appreciation for this stuff. you can see a lot of hyperbole in the youtube comments, where musicians are called life-saving gods, etc etc.
michael hedges aerial boundaries ~~~ this is the initiation video, because you have to put up with some bad sound at the beginning. if you dont like it, try the one at the top of the related list. i chose it anyway because this usually cerebral artist is at his most dynamic. hedges was a key innovator in tapping and percussive techniques.
preston reed rainmaker ''' reed is a little hard to pin down. he has sounds and styles in his repertoire that nobody cam match, but he is so focused on percussion that hes not as accessible as the more melodic players. this is one of his more percussive pieces. its impressive, but i think a band of three or four people shooting for the same mood could do it better.
don ross the first ride ... my personal favorite. what can i say?
andy mckee with don ross and michael manring rylynn --- mckees impressive youtube video kicked off a wave of popularity* for anyone smart enough to attach themselves to him (his mentor don ross and the label candyrat, who have made good use of youtube) or cover his song. mckee has gone on to write songs about warcraft using an instrument only a gnome could love. i chose this other one because i prefer the piece and the interplay is unique.
antoine dufour trilogie /// signed to candyrat, the latest youtube fave, and well-deserved.
justin king knock on wood ((( this guy makes me unfortunately wonder how long it will be until yngvie is tapping scales up and down both sides of his neck.
thomas leeb grooveyard ;;; hes one of the most restrained and one of the most inventive, but he lacks focus or something. i cant get into it the way i do with some of the others. maybe its just production. but im gonna keep listening.
kaki king doing the wrong thing ::: you can find this song with a backup band and a bit more polish, but this one is so passionate, like she wasnt sick of playing it yet (unfortunately the recording ends prematurely). kaki king is a bit more punk rock, or at least post rock, but with a fair amount of classical influence too. maybe im infatuated, but maybe shes appropriating this style for cool people. if you want more of her, check out the tower records performance.
*this may not be the video that started it all, as there is a cover posted with an earlier date. i suspect that once he was signed, they made a lisenced version and demanded youtube remove the indie one. |
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