Comments on: SuperDork Guitar Techniques

SuperDork Guitar Techniques

spock — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:14:16 -0800

Learn to Play Guitar like a SuperDork . Can't. . . not. . . look. Don't miss the links in the comments.

By: Decani

Decani — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:35:13 -0800

Now, see, the tapping is sooo boring. It's the sweeping which rocks. And the haircut, obviously. Come on, is there anyone still prepared to admit to liking this sad-boy-who-spent-too-long-in-the-bedroom wankery? Back in 1984 I actually learned to play the intro to "Hot For Teacher" just so I could do it in front of the absurd metal geeks I knew and then say "That's how bozos play guitar. This is how people who know what real rock music is play guitar". And then I'd give 'em a blast of James Williamson style electroshock. Needless to say, they didn't get it. Those people are all successful businessmen now. Ironically, so is James Williamson. I love how weird life is.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:39:45 -0800

He looks like Robert Carradine with a really bad bowl cut. The person who made this comment obviously never saw this post.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 10:05:24 -0800

*holds up flaming cigarette lighter*

By: quonsar

quonsar — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 10:40:37 -0800

this michael angelo dork was just on metafilter a few weeks ago.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:10:39 -0800

"This is how people who know what real rock music is play guitar". OH great knowledgeable one, please bestow upon us your wisdom and authority and let us stop bowing to false idols and embrace your one true and only rock. I hate that attitude. It's like saying anyone who uses watercolors isn't a real artist. It's the execution, not the materials. Alex Leifson used plenty of tapping, and anyone who thinks Rush isn't 'real rock', whatever the hell that means, can bite me. And Hot For Teacher isn't exactly where this technique was pioneered. Van Halen I is a great album. Anyway, this link is hilarious, as are the comments. My fave: "The synth equivalent would be to slap your dick across the keyboard, bouncing it on the keys at high velocity - i would send you a video except i've only just finished cleaning it after last time!" Also a great slap down of Edgar Winter: he's a scientologist!

By: driveler

driveler — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:15:34 -0800

Hater: A person who feels anger and/or jealousy for someone who has succeeded in something they have worked hard for. I wonder why links like this inspire so much invective. I think it's because of the popularity of the guitar as an instrument and the relatively low skill level required to play most rock / pop / blues. Whereas a beginning guitar player would need a few months of practice to be able to play through lots of popular rock songs, a beginning piano or violin player would need years of dedicated practice to be able to adequately play a standard classical or jazz repertoire. So a lot of people pick up a guitar, learn the rudimentary skills required to play the songs they like, and stop there. Then they resent people with more well-rounded technical abilities. Techniques like string skipping, arpeggios, and two-hand tapping are perfectly valid and required for certain songs and any guitar player that considers himself technically competent should be able to perform them without any problems.

By: hellbient

hellbient — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:17:32 -0800

RE - U -NITRO!!!!!

By: Decani

Decani — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:51:03 -0800

anyone who thinks Rush isn't 'real rock', whatever the hell that means, can bite me. *chomp*. Eww. Did you shower today? And Hot For Teacher isn't exactly where this technique was pioneered. And nowhere did I say that it was. Van Halen I is a great album And nowhere did I say that it isn't. I guess you really rate old bowl cut and his flying fingers, eh spicynuts? Well, you go, son. Meanwhile those of us with a bit of taste will take Bo Diddley over Bo Diddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydiddly. Rock AWN!

By: Simon!

Simon! — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:51:36 -0800

Driveler: It seems far more likely that the hate comes from people who spend years of dedicated practice learning how to play technically complex heavy metal pieces, only to be ignored in favor of the floppy haired guy who can play the opening bit to "Everybody Hurts." I'm not saying your chops aren't fresh, I'm just saying I don't think your average dabbler looks up at you with seething envy and jealousy.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 11:59:53 -0800

Decani : "[I'd] say 'That's how bozos play guitar. This is how people who know what real rock music is play guitar'" Wow...I can't decide if that line is more or less dorky than the guy tapping in the link. They're pretty close.

By: fungible

fungible — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:06:51 -0800

We've had the guitar dork links on here before, but this guy -- he's actually not that bad. Yes, his music sucks, but he's good at it, he doesn't go overboard with the fretboard bullshit, he actually knows how to play notes. So, not worth the snarkery.

By: snoktruix

snoktruix — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:12:51 -0800

Ooh, i just tried this tapping tutorial on my cheapo electric guitar. Turns out you need some kind of super strong elastic fingers to generate enough force especially for the pinky. However I wasn't using distortion. Maybe it's time to re-install Garageband for those guitar amp effects...

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:22:49 -0800

Meanwhile those of us with a bit of taste will take Bo Diddley over Bo Diddlydiddlydiddlydiddlydiddly. Rock AWN! Oh, so real rock starts and ends with Bo, Muddy Waters, Lightnin Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and oh, let me guess, Captain Beefheart? It's your holier than thou guardian of real taste attitude that I object to, not your characterization of this guy as cheesy. Such a narrow spectrum of stuff you allow yourself to enjoy. I'm happy I'm not bound by such a restrictive definition of what good music is. So now do we argue who has the more extensive record collection or do you want to just whip our cocks out and see who wins that way?

By: speicus

speicus — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:25:53 -0800

Pretty much all guitar playing is wankery. That's why it's shaped like a big dick.

By: knave

knave — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:27:12 -0800

I don't get all the mocking, he's actually pretty good. OK he looks kinda doofy but we've all seen much worse. Anyway, the only redeeming part of this thread is that it led me to this disturbing video.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:32:51 -0800

Wow! If I could only team him up with Buddy Rich, Victor Wooten, Rick Wakeman, and Bob Dylan it would truly be Teh Bestest Band Evar!

By: kanewai

kanewai — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:39:18 -0800

I'm with fungible - this guy wasn't that bad. The link promised that he would "spaz out." I didn't really see that. I just saw a guy with a bad haircut who knew some good guitar tricks.

By: Jack Karaoke

Jack Karaoke — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:51:59 -0800

This is Michael Angelo, as noted in some of the comments. A friend of mine who had the self-professed goal of being "the cheesiest guitarist in the world" owned everything he ever played on, including his 4-necked guitar stuff. The singer for his band Nitro had a 5-octave vocal range, or so the bio said. You really don't get the full dose without knowing the debut album was called O.F.R. (Out Fucking-Rageous), the lead singer was Jim Gillette with mane of fantastically bleached fluff, and oh.. here's a much longer, better video of Mr. Angelo playing on the Dean guitars site. Do you think the hate on tapping comes from crappy speed obsessed soul sucking banal guitar wanking? Tapping happens to be useful for that. Useful for other stuff? Without a doubt, but still great for a shot of pure theatrics. I had a germinating theory about musicianship going in and out of style, but by the mid 90s it seemed as though mainstream music was splintering in too many layers and directions to be so easily charted. Roughly, mid-60s had a share of garage-rock bands, technical guitar was important towards '69 through mid 70s, punk had a lot of rough edges, new wave and all varieties of metal emphasized technique, 90s rock was notable for an appreciation of crappy guitar playing. Roughly, very roughly. There are contradictions and overlaps, but I was intrigued by the idea of alternating general trends, as though people got sick of one thing long enough to embrace it's alternate. Perhaps someone with a degree in Rush studies could opine on how their style changed from 76-84, but not me.

By: spock

spock — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:15:23 -0800

Damn. That Dean guitars video is great. How does he make the guitar change colors like that?

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:31:57 -0800

Knave, that's just about the single scariest thing I've ever seen or heard.

By: Jack Karaoke

Jack Karaoke — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:33:51 -0800

My snarkometer is broken. Better video = more shredding, more close-ups of said blazing hot shredding action, but there are no bone crunching lows. If you watch long enough, the guitar changes shape too, neat trick.

By: faux ami

faux ami — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:36:04 -0800

Here's what awesome tapping looks and sounds like.

By: foot

foot — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 13:42:20 -0800

More soul on rhythm guitar. Deep like whoa!

By: carsonb

carsonb — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:16 -0800

ready boys? guitar wanking from a woman (!) on the a/v page check out any of the videos [warning: flash w/ music.....good music.]

By: Decani

Decani — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:02:43 -0800

Wow...I can't decide if that line is more or less dorky than the guy tapping in the link. They're pretty close. Well, I can see how you'd think that if you were entirely incapable of detecting irony. Say... you're not American by any chance, are you? Just askin'.

By: Decani

Decani — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:06:19 -0800

Oh, so real rock starts and ends with Bo, Muddy Waters, Lightnin Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and oh, let me guess, Captain Beefheart? I don't think I said that, did I? No... I didn't. I checked. So who did say that? Oh... I see. You did. Enjoy your straw men, dearie. They're always comforting when you need something to beat on because some nasty person expressed a negative opinion about something you like, aren't they? Especially if you play guitar like a humungous anus, I imagine. That's pure conjecture on my part, though, I admit.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 18:10:46 -0800

Decani : "Say... you're not American by any chance, are you? Just askin'." You're not going to catch me with that one again, I know what you're up to: that was an ironic way of saying I'm not American, wasn't it. I know all about y'all and your irony.

By: bardic

bardic — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 18:43:58 -0800

Didn't realize there were so many frustrated musicians around here.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:14:30 -0800

The wankery was actually him hitting the back of the neck--it's not "spazzing". The guy's arpeggios were really clean. I don't see what the fuss is all about. I mean, it's not terribly inspiring, musically, but it's an instructional video for chrissake.