Re: Guitar good, keyboards bad

[Kim Corbet <kcorbet@post.cis.smu.edu>]

> Oh, yeah, in a previous incarnation I wanted to BE Jan Hammer, his stuff
> with Mahavishnu, and on Bolly Cobham's Spectrum record totally kills me.
................no doubt.  no chigging doubt.  Jan Hammer's keyboard work 
is THE thing that kept me in the keyboard game for the last 30 years.  
But even HE says the reason he prefered the mini-moog as his solo rig was 
because it sounded so much like a guitar...perhaps to blend with Mahajohn 
and violinist Jerry Goodman, who ALSO set up his sound w/wah-wah to sound 
like yet another guitar.  I remember seeing the Mahavishnu Orch in Memphis 
in '72 and was listening to J.M. play a seering solo and realized I was 
also 
hearing a rhythm guitar only to find Jerry over there chunking b9 chords 
in typical funky guitar style.

> Try sitting over McCoy Tyner's right shoulder, then tell me that "PLAYING
> the keyboard is boring", like all other things, it's the musician not
> instrument. Besides, maybe I'm just funny this way, but I *listen* to
> musicians, and could generally give a fuck about how they look when
> playing...
...........well, actually, I have sat close to the big man's shoulder at 
the Caravan, hoping to catch him breaking one of those huge low strings 
he's supposed to be capable of.  And that may explain why he generally 
plays with his back to the audience so you at least see Something 
happening....I congratulate you on being able to divorce yourself from 
how someone looks when they play.  I have trouble doing that.  When I 
watch myself play on tape, I always see some guy tweaking gear and not 
"reaching out" to the audience until I turn to more theatrical approach 
and start to move and work the crowd in an anarchistic way.  Maybe that's 
it...I think the guitar is so much more dramatic on stage than keyboard.
It's not a sound thing necessarily.  Perhaps another Live v. Recording 
issue.  But, come on, the nuance of string bending and pull offs and 
working the amp is so evocative compared to the stiffness of the typical 
keyboard.  I'm sorry, but mod wheels and pitch benders are totally lame.
Ribbon controlers.  When they get that more together, then, maybe.

> >I love my Nord keyboard, but for sheer playing pleasure, I'd much rather
> >PLAY my strat or P-bass or Modulus 5-string.  It just feeeels good, man.
> 
> But what is your main instrument? I mean, soloing, and doing it the level
> of Jan Hammer or Van Halen or whatever, takes a certain level of
> accomplishment on the instrument.  Could it be that the
> strat or modulus (I'm jealous, man, I love modulus basses) feels better
> because you play it better?
............................I grew up on accordion and trombone and the 
horn is definitely my main ax and though I've found a great set-up to 
fulfill my R&B soul, I've had the misfortune of growing up in the 
Rock and Roll era.  Although, frankly, I'm not a good guitarist (yet), 
my love for the instrument and it's expressive and technical potential
within the context of our culture and audience expectations gives guitar 
a significance and power beyond what would seem *normal*.  

I very much look forward to the day the Modulus feels as easy and 
natural as the horn does.  Hey, then maybe I'll change my mind about all 
this stuff.  No telling how much desire is affecting my attitude.

D   E      S       I          R            E         changes everything.