Re: 14 year-olds and guitar virtuosity

["Kevin Winn" <kwinn@chrome.com>]

Anthony Rzepela wrote:

>"Kevin Winn" <kwinn@chrome.com> writes:

first of all, the comments attributed to me (KLW) were written by Hugh in
response to my comments...  there are many things from Hugh that I disagree
with!!  Please allow me to right things and rebut:


from Hugh:
>> But the interesting thing is this - PT certainly is a
>> famous guitar player, and I think has contributed to rock guitar playing and
>> had an influence. But how come when a 14 y.o. with his first electric guitar
>> decides who he "wants to be", it ends up being Page et al. Those are the
>> guys who seem to be the fantasy models.

Because 14 yr olds are (generally) responding to the fact that a Page or a Van
Halen are megastars with dream lives.  But, personally, when I was 14 (in 1975)
and picking up guitar for the first time, I had a lot of heroes: Page was one,
so was PT, so was Leo Kottke.  I loved different things about each: Page for
his speed and (my perception) virtuosity, PT for his raw power and lyrical
insight into things that I was feeling, Leo Kottke because I had just never
heard anything like that on the planet.  14 yr olds are diverse and fickle
people, but they can have a lot of heart!

from Hugh:
>> Now the fact that Page et al is a model that is jumped to, and that young
>> kids manage to grasp what is happening and imitate it to a fashion, is an
>> indicator to me of the lack of style in the playing that they are copying.
>> It's too accessible, because there's not much really there.

Again, it's because kids admire success (or are taught to, anyway), whether
there's substance there or not.  Look at the bands currently reigning on MTV.

from Hugh:
>> Why does PT get left out? 

from Tony:
> He's not a speed demon, which is what 14 year olds think of
> as virtuosity. It is, IMHO, a totally separate issue from whether
> the music which is accessible lacks style, or that something
> must be useless or juvenile because young people happen to like it.

Agree.  When I was 15, the Who were probably the most important thing in my
life.  I loved Zep and Floyd and Yes, but PT ~spoke~ to me.


from Tony:
> ObWho: Where did the name "Led Zeppelin" come from anyway?

Oh, God, let's not start this again!!!


OK,
KLW