Electric guitar in classical music

[Mirror Image]

Ah,... listen to his Live to Tell!

As I've been trying to blindly duplicate Frisell, I've got it to the volume control, and a delay,... I don't think it's an e-bow, but rather the volume control (foot or hand). I like his sound.

Having been obsessed with Frisell for many, many years, I can tell you that apart of the essence of his sound is that gorgeous hall reverb setting in conjunction with a delay pedal. He hasn't used a volume pedal since '95 or '96. But when he did use the volume pedal, he used a compression pedal with it. The compression pedal, which was a TC Electronics I believe, squeezed the volume and Frisell had to use the volume pedal to raise the level of the volume. Frisell also bends the guitar's neck after he's sustaining a chord voicing and he pushes the neck forwards and backwards and this creates a chorusing like effect. But there's a good of it, that simply comes from his touch on the guitar and the way he attacks the strings.

I don't care for the music he plays now, but there was a trio of recordings he made in the early '90s ("Where In The World?" "Have A Little Faith" and "This Land") which, for me, remain the pentacle of his work as a leader.

[snyprrr]

the... electric... guitar??

[Popov]

http://www.youtube.com/v/hIRAxzc3amI

[ibanezmonster]

That was... wild. 

btw... is your avatar Dr.Slump?

[Grazioso]

Frisell also bends the guitar's neck after he's sustaining a chord voicing and he pushes the neck forwards and backwards and this creates a chorusing like effect.

I cringed reading that. Does he use rubber truss rods? 

[Mirror Image]

I cringed reading that. Does he use rubber truss rods? 

I don't think he bends the neck that hard. He did mention in an interview that he actually broke a guitar neck one time. I think it was when he was playing Gibson SGs a lot.

[Grazioso]

I don't think he bends the neck that hard. He did mention in an interview that he actually broke a guitar neck one time. I think it was when he was playing Gibson SGs a lot.

Randy Rhoads famously bent the neck in the classic Ozzy tune "Crazy Train," but it's a good way to ruin a good guitar. Proceed at your own risk.

[Mirror Image]

Randy Rhoads famously bent the neck in the classic Ozzy tune "Crazy Train," but it's a good way to ruin a good guitar. Proceed at your own risk.

Frisell never encouraged other players to do this. In fact, he advised against it.

[bhodges]

For some reason missed this thread, and wanted to mention two more Fausto Romitelli pieces that have electric guitar: Professor Bad Trip (1998) and An Index of Metals (2003). Both are sensational, but coincidentally yesterday I heard a live performance of the latter - his last piece - at the Bang on a Can Marathon. The electric guitar part is almost frighteningly effective. One friend yesterday called the piece "a look into the abyss" - not a bad description.

Here is Part I (of four) on YouTube, by the Ictus Ensemble.

http://www.youtube.com/v/5n0_cctMleU

--Bruce

[ibanezmonster]

Randy Rhoads famously bent the neck in the classic Ozzy tune "Crazy Train," but it's a good way to ruin a good guitar. Proceed at your own risk.

Wow... I think that was the same song where he bends an open string at the headstock, which I thought was so weird (obviously can't do that with mine- and the whammy bar eliminates that need, anyways).

[snyprrr]

Having been obsessed with Frisell for many, many years, I can tell you that apart of the essence of his sound is that gorgeous hall reverb setting in conjunction with a delay pedal. He hasn't used a volume pedal since '95 or '96. But when he did use the volume pedal, he used a compression pedal with it. The compression pedal, which was a TC Electronics I believe, squeezed the volume and Frisell had to use the volume pedal to raise the level of the volume. Frisell also bends the guitar's neck after he's sustaining a chord voicing and he pushes the neck forwards and backwards and this creates a chorusing like effect. But there's a good of it, that simply comes from his touch on the guitar and the way he attacks the strings.

I don't care for the music he plays now, but there was a trio of recordings he made in the early '90s ("Where In The World?" "Have A Little Faith" and "This Land") which, for me, remain the pentacle of his work as a leader.

ahhh,...interesting,... I'll have to try to figure that out.


btw-NEVER do that on an SG!!!

I've been known to bend the neck a little,... but, ....   mm,....nevermind....

[snyprrr]

For some reason missed this thread, and wanted to mention two more Fausto Romitelli pieces that have electric guitar: Professor Bad Trip (1998) and An Index of Metals (2003). Both are sensational, but coincidentally yesterday I heard a live performance of the latter - his last piece - at the Bang on a Can Marathon. The electric guitar part is almost frighteningly effective. One friend yesterday called the piece "a look into the abyss" - not a bad description.

Here is Part I (of four) on YouTube, by the Ictus Ensemble.

http://www.youtube.com/v/5n0_cctMleU

--Bruce

I was sampling some Amazon Aperghis,...I forget the piece,... one of his cd length pieces with lots going on,... on the first or second sample I heard some distorted wailing. hmm...

[Mirror Image]

ahhh,...interesting,... I'll have to try to figure that out.


btw-NEVER do that on an SG!!!

I've been known to bend the neck a little,... but, ....   mm,....nevermind....

No and I think Frisell used Gibson SG that had a set neck so it's just one piece so once he broke that neck and might as well throw the guitar in the garbage. I think this may be the only guitar Frisell said that he broke because of doing that neck bending thing.

[Grazioso]

Wow... I think that was the same song where he bends an open string at the headstock, which I thought was so weird (obviously can't do that with mine- and the whammy bar eliminates that need, anyways).

Iirc, you're right. I had forgotten about that trick of pushing the string down above the nut. But like you say, a good floating bridge system eliminates the need for any of that stuff.

[torut]

Keeril Makan - Dream Lightly
Seth Josel (electric guitar), the American Composers Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky
https://www.youtube.com/v/ZtAKKvEzoJk

I think this is one example of "good use of electric guitar."

[torut]

Chaya Czernowin - Sahaf (2008) for saxophone, electric guitar, percussion and piano
https://www.youtube.com/v/AjIiJo5Gzo0
Included in Shifting Gravity (2011) Wergo WER-67262.

Branca, Chatham, Romitelli mentioned in this thread are all nice. I think their usages of electric guitar are innovative and effective. I heard short samples of Steven Mackey's electric guitar concerto, but it was not so interesting.