It’s in the hands
My Grandmother’s Hand
I have seen, over the years, people always searching, talking, and asking about gear. I am sure it’s the same in any profession but in mine it is particularly prevalent. “What amp is that?, Is that a ______ bass/guitar? , That year is the year they wired it…”. If you insert these into a conversation with me and pay attention to my face, you will see a heavy glaze cover my eyes because in my mind I am having an “Ally McBeal moment”, where I am setting fire to all my gear while fishing with you and having any other conversation. It doesn’t bother me to talk about music and musical equipment. I don’t mean to sound pompous, it’s just that I don’t care most of the time and it is not remotely the most important thing to me. Honestly, the only reason I have the gear I own is because I heard it in my head first and have good friends to help me find the proper sound.
The question is usually(never) “How did you learn to play like that?” or “How did you develop your sound?”. It’s always about the “American” misconception: “You can have it if you can buy it” – which is not entirely true -even the same gear isn’t going to make you sound like Jaco, Victor Wooten, or even Duff McKagan; it’s in the heart and spirit that comes through the hands. You can’t buy that. So if you find yourself talking to multiple musicians about gear, ask them how they got to where they are, or what advice they can give to you about how they developed the playing style they wield. These things aren’t a quick fix but will benefit you in the long run if you take them into consideration and practice. You can’t beat experience. On the same token, I wouldn’t know anything if I didn’t have my trusted “gearheads” in my life!
— Never substitute gear for practice.
A friend and Professor of mine comments:
Spot on.
The rest of the story to consider, and which is another layer of separation from our gear, is understanding how much of our musicality exists in our minds. Our hands can learn licks and guide our physical selves to great moments if we learn how to effectively throw fingers into the right spots, and to deviate from the physical patterns in the right ways.
There is yet another layer. The music of Beethoven after he lost his hearing (particularly the late string quartets and piano sonatas) remain with little comparison in the Western canon. I do not think Ludwig fretted (ha) whether the 1st violin in the C# minor quartet played a 1695 or 1720 Stradivarius. But that is an example with little contemporary reference.
One of my closest friends, and one of the most gifted musicians I have ever known, started to lose his physical abilities to Parkinson’s in his 30s. But since his musicality existed in both his fingers AND his mind (and absolutely NOT linked to his gear), he has quickly transitioned to a career as the owner of a successful recording studio in a big city on the east coast.
You’re only as successful as where you invest your energies. Put it into equipment, and you’ll succeed to the limitations of the Instruments for Dummies. Invest your energies into your mind, both in playing and especially in listening, and there’s practically no limit.
LikeLike
Another friend of mine Chuck Taylor comments:
I have a couple of guitarist friend who sound exactly the same on any guitar they play, be it Fender, Gibson, or any flavor of custom made instrument. It really is in the hands.
LikeLike
Mr. Trevor Krieger gives his two cents after playing the Big Horn music festival with Jeff Troxel and Mark Bryan:
oooh. nice! do i get to be one of your trusted gear heads? 😉 good article. so true! this weekend i found myself checkin out gear. the one thing—you work very hard at perfecting your instrument—and to have solid gear that allows you to share that over 2000+ people is important. sometimes, yes sometimes, the sound crew just does not understand certain instruments –which can jeopardize how hard you have worked to perfect your instrument. kind of a nice back up plan right?
LikeLike
Good thoughts, Park. I’ve always thought that it really doesn’t matter how nice your gear is, you can still sound like crap no matter how much money you’ve spent on your rig. But the flip side is that you can make a really crappy rig sound like a million bucks if you’ve got million dollar hands. It’s the character, emotion, nuances, confidence and dynamics that comes out of your hands that makes it worth listening to. Still is nice to have nice gear, though 😉
Follow up question: can you have good hands without a good ear?
LikeLike
I agree mostly. Our music comes from what’s inside us; thoughts, ideas and emotions are conceived in the heart and mind and expressed through the hands. There’s no substitute for dedicated practice and listening. And if we practice hard enough, sometimes the moment of creation will lead to a magic musical moment where the mind and body converge.
That said, I don’t know anyone who makes music their passion and life goal who doesn’t eventually move in the direction of at least one fine instrument. Indeed, it’s the ability to discern musical nuances of tone, timbre, and feel that allow a good musician to appreciate the differences between an outstanding instrument and a marginal one.
If by “gearhead” you mean someone who spends most of their time shopping for equipment at the expense of actually participating in a real musical experience then I agree that person is out of balance. And we can all name someone like that; we’ve all probably taught someone like that. But it’s important not to come off as being judgemental because someone cares enough abut their sound to keep searching. Scott Henderson is the biggest gearhead I’ve ever met, and also one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. It’s just that music is all he thinks about, and his gear is one aspect of that. The other end of the spectrum is Bill Kanengiser who found one guitar he liked (a very expensive one mind you) and stayed with it for years. It’s hard to make either one of these people wrong.
LikeLike
Jeff, you hit it on the head. Actually, everyone who has commented has. I think it is a subjective opinion, there are too many variables – I thought about it all day yesterday and I am no closer to having a defined answer. A sm58 sounds great until you hear your voice through a beta58, then when you hear your voice through a Neumann KMS you want that as your sound. It’s the same as my Peavey “Predator”: I was playing it out of my bass rig(granted, it’s pretty dang nice) and I was sounding fine – I was playing music and interacting with my fellow musicians – I decided to plug in my Sadowsky and when I did, every body was surprised at how much better it sounded! It was more Everything! It’s interesting, it didn’t change my experience but only enhanced it, in the playability and the tonal quality. It’s food for thought – I definitely don’t want to come off judgmental, although I am not prone to being judgmental. Thanks for your input.
LikeLike
My “judgmental” comment was a general one and not directed at anyone in particular. I think your discussion thread is a good one; we’re all searching for a sound and to be as free from the constraints of our body as possible. That’s as true for athletes as for musicians. At the end of the day, a great musician will sound great on (almost) any instrument and a bad musician will sound bad on any instrument. Your point that musicianship should transcend the instrument is a good one, and well taken. I’ve always been a bit envious of someone who connected right away with an instrument and never had to think about it again. I feel that way about my Beringer guitar, but have yet to find that experience with a flat-top or electric. And amps? Well, don’t get me started.
But when it comes to studio mics I might have to plead a little bit guilty. I do love those little buggers…
And all this has made me aware that I’ve been on the computer for half the morning when I should have been practicing. Dang!
LikeLike