Re: another survey (wasRe: OT, but getting close to not-OT: guitar/sax improv sessions)

[Paul Mimlitsch <pmimlitsch@mac.com>]

On Oct 6, 2007, at 8:44 AM, Travis Hartnett wrote:

> On 10/6/07, Paul Mimlitsch <pmimlitsch@mac.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Which brings me to a topic I've been wondering about lately:
>>
>> 1) how many people on the list do solo non looping gigs?
>
>  Never.
>>
>> 2) "the beauty of the single not line" - how many guitar players/
>> players of multitimbral instruments can do an improv. gig using only
>> single note lines and hold an audiences attention? for how long?
>
> Never tried it.  It certainly get dull for me pretty quickly (as a  
> player).

Maybe a new approach/ something to explore?

>
>>
>> 3) if you're not comfortable doing this, is that because of
>> preference (ie: vertical vs. linear hearing)?  Being raised on a
>> particular instrument?  Or did you gravitate towards your preferred
>> instrument due to how you hear things?
>
> Personally, the percussive note envelope of the guitar (the sound is
> dying off almost as soon as its sounded) does not lend itself well to
> unaccompanied single lines.  I so envy the bowed instruments or horns
> that can make a note get louder after the initial attack, and for
> years used a compressor, volume pedal and reverb/delay to cop some of
> that ability.

Not sure I agree with the "does not lend itself to unaccompanied  
single lines".

>
>>
>> 4) if you play a mono timbral instrument (horns etc) is the desire to
>> "loop" a means of filling up vertical space to compliment your single
>> note line play?
>
> Yep.  I like harmony, and the amount of effort required to learn how
> to do it all at once via advanced fingerpicking (a la Kottke or
> Bensusan) is beyond me at this point in life.  There's only so much
> time in the day and so many days left on my calendar.