Vocalist.org archive


From:  Tako Oda <toda@m...>
Tako Oda <toda@m...>
Date:  Mon Oct 2, 2000  5:48 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] malmsteen vs clapton


On Sun, 1 Oct 2000, Caio Rossi wrote:
> The important to me is that you recognized the technical superiority
> of the technically superior. The rest is personal preferences only,
> and then each and everybody is going to have his/her list, and so
> shall it be, although some may agree more than others.

I think you're confusing an ability to show off with actual technical
ability. To bring up Andy Summers (Police) again. He has a much broader
range of techniques than Malmsteen. If you listen carefully, you can
occasionally hear Summers play very fast passages. Unfortunately with
Malmsteen, fast notes are his ONLY trick, and never in the advanced
harmonic language Summers considers second nature. Summers can do
everything Malmsteen can and more, but feels no need to overshadow his
bandmates (who are also outstanding musicians, by the way). He chooses
instead to serve the music in an incredibly innovative, subtle, and
skilled way.

Most people prefer not to notice how hard something is, unless for a
specifc dramatic reason. I have no reason to believe Clapton couldn't have
mastered Malmsteen's simple, diatonic scales and arpeggios. Even if he
couldn't, Clapton is an original and paved the way for rock guitarists.
Malmsteen probably wouldn't exist without Clapton.

Tako


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