Question about more than 2 guitarists in live setting

[RVA]

I was watching the "Dear Jerry" Tribute to Jerry Garcia yesterday and it appeared to me that the dynamic between the guitarists is quite different when there is more than your simple rhythm and lead guitarist playing together. For those of you who perform live or record simultaneously, I would love to hear your thoughts on what it is like to have 3 or more guitarists playing at once.

 

[DonP]

I was watching the "Dear Jerry" Tribute to Jerry Garcia yesterday and it appeared to me that the dynamic between the guitarists is quite different when there is more than your simple rhythm and lead guitarist playing together. For those of you who perform live or record simultaneously, I would love to hear your thoughts on what it is like to have 3 or more guitarists playing at once.

I've done this, and it wasn't good. The music usually descends into a very dull and unimaginative 12-bar blues. With just two of you it's easy to swap the lead back and forth, following each other's cues. But once you put another guitarist in there that all falls apart. There's plenty of "all star lineup" videos on YouTube that will attest to this.

 

[syscokid]

The one with the biggest amp wins!

 

[gball]

It worked for Lynyrd Skynyrd. And that's it, end of list.

I really don't like the 3-guitar lineup for Iron Maiden, the whole thing just sounds "messy" to me.

 

[Tony M.]

I have been and currently play in a 3 guitar lineup.
It works well if all 3 of you listen to what all 3 of you are doing.
It also helps for the 3 of you to have different sounding rigs.
3 Les Pauls and 3 Marshalls will turn into a mess because
you are all occupying the same sonic space.

The ensemble I play with now sometimes has 3 guitars,
sometimes 2 guitars and a keyboard. We have an interesting
and unusual thing going on because 1 is a lefty and plays lefty,
1 is a lefty that plays righty and one is a righty that plays righty
(This leads to the whole left/right brain thing). Because of this we
each seem to approach any given song from 3 different angles.
The guitars kind of automatically arrange themselves.

It never works at a bar jam though.
Bar jams seem to be more like gunfights and
are all about who has the biggest "guitar balls".
Screw that. I don't need to prove anything
to anyone at this point in my "career".

 

[RVA]

I have been and currently play in a 3 guitar lineup.
It works well if all 3 of you listen to what all 3 of you are doing.
It also helps for the 3 of you to have different sounding rigs.
3 Les Pauls and 3 Marshalls will turn into a mess because
you are all occupying the same sonic space.

The ensemble I play with now sometimes has 3 guitars,
sometimes 2 guitars and a keyboard. We have an interesting
and unusual thing going on because 1 is a lefty and plays lefty,
1 is a lefty that plays righty and one is a righty that plays righty
(This leads to the whole left/right brain thing). Because of this we
each seem to approach any given song from 3 different angles.
The guitars kind of automatically arrange themselves.

It never works at a bar jam though.
Bar jams seem to be more like gunfights and
are all about who has the biggest "guitar balls".
Screw that. I don't need to prove anything
to anyone at this point in my "career".

Where do you play with this ensemble?

 

[Kerry Brown]

I've played in many jams with up to four guitars, five if you include the bass. It can work well if no one is selfish. Personally I just listen to what everyone else is doing and try to find a spot in the background that doesn't interfere with anyone else. Sometimes I just play partial chords. Sometimes I'll just play a bass part depending on what the bass player is doing. Sometimes I turn up the distortion, turn down the volume, and strum full chords on the one beat. Lately I'm usually playing acoustic so I find a place on the fretboard where no one else is playing and strum chords there. i.e. If someone is playing open chords I'll play barrre chords or partial chords farther up the neck. If no one is playing open chords I'll play open chords. The other key thing is to keep your volume down until it's your turn.

 

[ChasFred]

It worked for Lynyrd Skynyrd. And that's it, end of list.

I really don't like the 3-guitar lineup for Iron Maiden, the whole thing just sounds "messy" to me.

38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot were also 3 guitar bands at different times.

 

[syscokid]

It works well if all 3 of you listen to what all 3 of you are doing.
It also helps for the 3 of you to have different sounding rigs.
3 Les Pauls and 3 Marshalls will turn into a mess because
you are all occupying the same sonic space.

^^^This!^^^

I've played in many jams with up to four guitars, five if you include the bass. It can work well if no one is selfish. Personally I just listen to what everyone else is doing and try to find a spot in the background that doesn't interfere with anyone else. Sometimes I just play partial chords. Sometimes I'll just play a bass part depending on what the bass player is doing. Sometimes I turn up the distortion, turn down the volume, and strum full chords on the one beat. Lately I'm usually playing acoustic so I find a place on the fretboard where no one else is playing and strum chords there. i.e. If someone is playing open chords I'll play bar chords or partial chords farther up the neck. If no one is playing open chords I'll play open chords. The other key thing is to keep your volume down until it's your turn.

^^^And, definitely this!^^^

Therefore, it comes down to the players personalities (maturity and respect) and also their skill level, too. But the bass player and drummer are just as much as responsible in finding a nice balance when there's an onslaught of noise-making mayhem.

38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot were also 3 guitar bands at different times.

And one of my favorites... OUTLAWS... :dood:

 

[gball]

38 Special, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot were also 3 guitar bands at different times.

Correct, and at one time or another I saw all those bands live with a 3-guitar lineup (Molly Hatchet at least 3 times). Which is why I made the original remark; just too much, too messy sounding in a live situation IMO.

 

[smitty_p]

I’ve done the three guitar thing before. I don’t like it. Like gball said, it can get messy.

The Doobie Brothers do it well. Many others don’t.

As more guitars are added, each one has to do less, so as not to clutter things up. And the sound engineer has to really be on top of things to get a good blend.

In a recording, it's not unusual for there to be several guitar parts. However, each track is often recorded by the same guitarist and then the audio engineer masters it to the final product. However, when those songs are played live, those extra guitar parts are either simply not played or they are provided via a backing track.

 

[ChasFred]

Correct, and at one time or another I saw all those bands live with a 3-guitar lineup (Molly Hatchet at least 3 times). Which is why I made the original remark; just too much, too messy sounding in a live situation IMO.

Well to me I heard them all live and there were good and bad nights, on the good nights it was like magic. I had the advantage of living in the hometown and working on some of their gear.

Here are 4 guitar and it WORKS

 

[Tony M.]

Where do you play with this ensemble?

Mostly church functions, youth conferences, an occasional
revival, healing masses (organized religion weirdness) etc.

I am at present considering joining a straight
ahead rock band and going back to the bars.
It's hard work but I like it.

 

[Inspector #20]

I was watching the "Dear Jerry" Tribute to Jerry Garcia yesterday and it appeared to me that the dynamic between the guitarists is quite different when there is more than your simple rhythm and lead guitarist playing together. For those of you who perform live or record simultaneously, I would love to hear your thoughts on what it is like to have 3 or more guitarists playing at once.

We've had two drummers in one band, but I have never played with 3 guitarists. Most times it's dedicated rhythm and lead and interchanging...

 

[gball]

Well to me I heard them all live and there were good and bad nights, on the good nights it was like magic. I had the advantage of living in the hometown and working on some of their gear.

Here are 4 guitar and it WORKS

I'm likely a lunatic, but it sounds claustrophobic to me. They aren't leaving any sonic space at all, everything is filled right up. I think it could have sounded better with just 2 guitars personally.

 

[kevinpaul]

I am used to the situation of first guitar, a second guitar and the bass player. Most of my life I was lucky enough to have a good friend playing one of those key positions. Now I work with Tia who runs things. Her band and there are too many people, horn and string as in violins and cellos. Several singers, tech people and keyboards. I could never control this. I have always worked well with Tia, we know each other's thinking and playing style. If I was in this same situation with anyone else I would fail badly. The old mix of two guitar players or just one is all my simple mind can handle before it blows up.

 

[Tony M.]

While we're talking about this,
IMHO, based on a fair amount of experience,
playing guitar in a band with another guitar player is a
different skill set than playing in a band with let's say a
keyboard player. I have seen many people who could
do one well but not the other. The 2 things require a
different approach.

 

[smitty_p]

While we're talking about this,
IMHO, based on a fair amount of experience,
playing guitar in a band with another guitar player is a
different skill set than playing in a band with let's say a
keyboard player. I have seen many people who could
do one well but not the other. The 2 things require a
different approach.

Agree fully.

 

[Inspector #20]

Agree fully.

Our keyboard player was so musically educated that it was like going to school every rehearsal. I enjoyed his input...