Stevie Ray Vaughan Discussion

[bluz_playa85]

Stevie was a huge influence on me. He's the reason i started playing guitar. Granted, i realized eventually that it was time to improve on what i learned from him. There are alot of great players (my personal favorite is Chris Duarte who i know really well) who take that style and expand upon it. Its important to grow. Rather than learning Stevie's songs note for note, go out and get a metronome and learn good time and phrasing.

Just to show im not blowing hot air, check out my website at www.vinceesquire.com i've played with some heavy cats who have all told me the same thing... "find your own voice". Los Lonely Boys, Coco Montoya, Willie Nelson, Little Feat...all these guys.

Stevie's style and tone was great, but it's like dipping your little toe into a sea of knowlage...there's so much more out there. Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Bach, Beethoven, Paganini....its endless.

[Vaughanabe13]

So basically you have come to this forum to be a "know-it-all" and advise us on what we should "really" do with our guitar playing? Sounds pretty damn pompous to me. Who said all we do is try to copy SRV and play exactly like him?

Maybe you should stay at this forum for more than just a couple days before you pass judgements on all of us. If you've got it figured out for yourself, great...but who says WE don't have it figured out?

[TTrahan]

::Cough Cough::

[bluz_playa85]

[bluz_playa85]

oh by the way i heard your soundclips...not bad. keep on playin!

[TTrahan]

[Vaughanabe13]

[TTrahan]

Vince,

How can you call Vaughanabe a little one? lol...you're 20 years old.

I listened to your clips, they sound great, just like Stevie.

wait.....That's weird....

[62strat]

Who in the Hell would make there stage name Vince Esquire?

What a D#%&@! Bag....

Yeah I check'd out the site too nice tunes Stevie Duarte...

[TTrahan]

Jay,

Check you're PM box bro.

[UncleSalty]

I was discussing the topic of being original with my drummer the other day. He plays in a jazz band and the sax-playing leader of that group has a theory he calls the 'only one' theory ie you should only play like yourself and never use other people's licks. Apparently he and the drummer got into a big argument because the drummer believes it's more important to play the appropriate idea for the musical moment, even if it's something of a cliche. I thought it was interesting. I remember there was a period when I played in a funk band and refused to play pentatonic ideas because I thought it was cliche. Man, my solos sucked! Eventually, I broke down and admitted to myself that, more than anything, I love to hear and play the blues.

[Adam H]

I was 12 years old when SRV died, and was listening to Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani and trying to play a zillion notes at once. When SRV died, it showed thousands of kids like me that there were other styles out there. And yeah, thousands of people like me became pale, watered-down SRV "wannabes" because his influence was so strong. I decided several years ago to try to break out of that and look for my own sound. Not an easy task, but it happens to every musician that takes music even half-seriously. I'd like to think that I've succeeded, but even SRV himself held on to his influences VERY strongly. This isn't a bad thing; he was paying tribute, and was the first to admit that. But I don't think I've ever met anyone that thought SRV wasn't an original. So Vince, chill. Just play, don't pontificate. I've played for almost as long as you've been alive, and still wouldn't dare to tell an entire group of players I don't even know to "be themselves" and to experience other players & sounds. I've told that to some of my students over the years, but then again, they're asking for and paying for that advice.

By the way, I've heard Chris Duarte's stuff, and the guy's got a huge amount of talent, but to say that he's taken the SRV thing and built on it is an overstatement. He's ripping SRV off as much as SRV (admittedly) ripped off Hendrix, but at least SRV also ripped off Albert King, Freddie King, BB King, Albert Collins, Hubert Sumlin & Howlin' Wolf, Kenny Burrell, and Lenny Breau too. Duarte sounds like SRV, The Sequel. Just my opinion.

[Blind Melon Chitlin]

Holy drama Batman! Without pointing any fingers, your time could be better spent actually playing your guitar rather than bickering. Just a thought.

Don't be too down on Vince. His heart seems to be in the right place. And like it or not he does make some very valid points.

There are times when hero worship becomes absurd, and the diciples of SRV are a perfect example of this. There was a time in Austin, Texas when you couldn't walk down 6th Street without hearing some flunky butchering Stevie's songs. If you play that stuff now, people just groan and shake their heads.

Stevie is--without question--one of the greats. However, there's been such a proliferation of starry-eyed hopefuls who have put him on a mantle as 'the end all, be all' and shamelessly aped every lick he ever played (both to good and bad effect) that I never want to hear anyone attempt to play his music ever again. I'm surprised there aren't tee-shirts availabe that say "What Would Stevie Do?" on them. Many of these kids concentrait so hard on trying to play and sound exactly like SRV that they miss the point completely.

SRV listened to--and learned from--every great blues musician who was ever recorded, and that's how he developed his style. He also knew a thing or two about jazz, where as 99% of the clones & wannabes couldn't comp a jazz standard (much less solo over the changes) if their lives depended on it. We've all heard about pre-pubecent kids who can wail the blues just like Stevie Wayne Hendrix, but when do you ever hear about a kid who can do Wes Montgomery tunes note for note?

The only way to be truely original is to broaden one's horizons as much as possible. Tunnel vision never helped anyone. As an audience member I'd much rather hear you play first rate you than third rate someone else. Doing your own thing may be a lot harder, but it's also a lot more rewarding. If you really wanted to take the easy way out, you wouldn't have stuck with the guitar long enough to even develop calouses on your finger tips. If you want to keep getting better it pays to remember that it never really gets any easier. Music isn't about instant gratification. Anyone seeking it would do better to look else where.

Just my opinion. Feel free to dismiss it and tell me I'm full of shit if you like.
_________________
The stars at night are big and bright....

[TTrahan]

Anybody ever think of starting an Anti-SRV forum?

Why is it so hard for people to understand the fact that some people just plain LIKE Stevie Ray Vaughan. I haven't elevated him to GOD status in any way, I just like his style alot. He's not the only one I listen to by any means, nor is he the only one I STEAL licks from, lol. I just really like him. I don't think its my fault that they're are 50,000 other guitarists out there that really like him too, so I don't think its fair to lump every SRV fan into the SRV wannabe crowd.

There's lots of guys/gals who like Strats, and there's tons of people who like hats, and there's even a few who to wear a hat while playing a strat. LOL. I'm not going to dog on anyone that likes strats or hats, just because SRV liked Strats and hats. See what I'm saying? Well, I don't really even understand what I just typed, but there is a point in there somewhere.

The time frames are so different. I have only been listening to SRV for about 4 years, while lots of you have been listening to him for 20. I'll probably be where you guys are one day, and want to get away from the SRV thing, but why can't I enjoy it now? It seems that the guys that have been through it have to ruin it for us that haven't yet. Should I rip on the next kid that picks up a guitar for the first time just because his favorite uncle played when he was little? Should I call him unoriginal? That's not fair to him.

Blah blah, YMMV, IMO, yada yada. This is just a ramble. But I think will give some of the anti-SRV dudes out there a different perspective. Maybe let them understand that not all of us WORSHIP SRV, some of us just like him.

[Vaughanabe13]

Well said, Troy. I feel the exactly same way. Why should I be punished because I like listening to someone? And sure, I try to play like SRV but that's not the only thing I can do... if that was the case I would only be able to play my guitar, my amp, my gear, etc. to get that tone. Instead I just go over to friends' houses and play on completely different gear in different styles. In the end I prefer the sound of SRV's playing but BIG FREAKIN DEAL! Everybody likes iPods but I don't go around saying anyone with an iPod is an asshole because they're just following everyone else and there are plenty of MP3 players out there. Give me a break! This is a free country, so I should be able to listen to whatever music makes me happy! Sheesh.

-Edit- And for the record, I also play saxophone (tenor primarily, but also alto, bari, and soprano), the piano, the violin, the trumpet and even the dulcimer (my grandpa builds them). Besides the blues I listen to a ton of jazz. I'm playing first jazz tenor in the wisconsin state honors jazz project next year, and I sure as hell know how to solo over a jazz tune. You guys may have seen quite a few wannabes in your lifetime but that doesn't mean everyone who plays an SRV tune once in awhile are all the same! GAH! If you guys hate SRV so much, why the hell do you even come here? After all, it's called "STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN DISCUSSION"