Playing Dynamics

My motabolism for learning guitar goes in quick cycles, about every 2 months or so (whereas most guitarists totally change their sound every 2 years or so), and right now i have some awesome habits going on, i use my pinky just as much as any other finger, i can access the entire board, i can hear alot of what i play before i play it (only if somebody else is playing a rhythm though, which is odd), i can sing while playing guitar, etc.

But...one thing that totally knocks me out is Jerry Garcia's playing dynamics. Now, i can play a melody very well, and i can solo very well also, but theres that level of playing dynamics that i believe he is among the elite in, and i am just wondering what you guys think of different playing dynamics? is there a way to get 'better' playing dynamics, or anything like that?

The average response to this will be like " Uh...learn some of jerry's solos" but i have learned alot of jerry's solos, which probably contributes to my non-flashyness as a guitarplayer, but overall my tone is more singular than jerry's was (meaning that when i'm really on fire its not cluttered at all, you can hear each note pierce in a certain way that i like), okay back on subject.

My playing dynamics are alright as they are, but i want them to be distinguishable as "Excellent", you know a little less repitition in there...any advice?

maybe it would be easier to answer if i changed "Playing Dynamics" to "Phrasing"...

why not tell that to every person who cops Steve Vai licks?
See, from my standpoint, you can't specialize in the dead, and any person who listens to the dead would agree, since they take pretty much every genre (from Blues to Bluegrass to Country to free from improvisation...etc). I listen to other stuff too, alot of Wes Montgomery, Bill Monroe, Trey Anastasio Band, String Cheese Incident, etc, but i just don't think any of them have that same thing the dead had...

see, you wouldn't have even answered my post if it wasn't for the one time i mentioned "Jerry Garcia", if i took that part out it could be 'any guitar player', i just used him as an example of somebody with great phrasing.

Originally posted by PonyOne
Actually, if someone here was an obsessive Vai fan, or obsessive fan of anybody for that matter, I'd say the same thing.

And if all you do is try to be like them, then yes, you can specialize. That's like saying "i can't be an internet specialist, because the internet is everything." The Dead played their own interpretations of blues, bluegrass and country, so if you go off what they played, you're playing a third-generation rendition, why do that when you can just go straight to the source?

And you mentioned him 3 times... and i would have probably been like "wow" if you said that you were obsessing about trying to be as great a guitarist as The Reverend Horton Heat (now that man can play), but, no, it was Jerry...

there are alot of people who are obsessive about one band, until they get their fix and move onto another band. i think thats perfectly natural. there are alot of Vai/Satch/Yngwie fans on here, who listen to mostly those 3 'artists'.

no, but i think your misunderstanding me. I get my inspiration from the dead, but i don't sound like them that much at all, or try to.

What i merely meant to say in my post was "How can I improve my playing dynamics within what im playing now?" As in, "Are there any phrasing-type excersizes, example- play this lick really fast, then play it really slow, then play it this way, etc" It was regardless of any great guitarist i would have mentioned.

Well, I think that "phrasing" and "playing dynamics" are probably 2 different things. Phrasing is developed over time; it really can be described as "your voice" (and I don't mean how you sing ). As you gain experience and knowledge, you'll incorporate them with your creativity and your phrasing will reflect this. Listen to some good horn players; their phrasing techniques are adaptable to guitar playing and should open new horizons for you. And don't forget that rests (i.e. silence) are also a part of effective phrasing.

Playing dynamics, on the other hand, I would describe as how the guitarist(s) plays off the other musicians in the group. The lineup of the band mostly determines this. For example, in a 3 piece group (guitar, bass, drums) the guitarist has to fill the space not occupied by drums / bass in the rhythym parts ( whether it be chords, chord fragments, double stops, riffs etc.), and when/if he solos he better be on the money (there's no place to hide) and the rhythym section has to be tight. My current band is essentially this, though our female singer does add some keyboard work on some tunes.
In a 4 piece group (d/b/g/g/), the 2 guitar players need to live in their own space and not trample on the other guy (easier said than done). Whether it be lead/rhytym (e.g. Beatles, Dead) or lead/lead (Allman Bros) this interaction is critical to sonic excellence. I've been in both of these situations ( lead/lead and I was lead to a rhythym player) - essentially the same but different. Two guitars playing the same thing for the most part becomes just noise IMHO.
As more musicians are added to the mix (piano, organ, harp, slide etc.) the dynamics of all these parts fitting together becomes more complex.

So, the next step for you would seem to be to start playing in a full band situation. This is the only way you can work on your "playing dynamics". And by all means get out there playing in front of people. Nothing is more satisfying than nailing a song (or songs) with an appreciative crowd on hand. EXPERIENCE - there ain't nothing like it, but it comes with time. You're young yet - you'll get there with a little patience.

Thanks for the advice! I've only been in the "Guitar/Guitar" situation, never been in a full band situation before, never really had the option either...At my former Junior High School (im going into 9th grade), there were no Drummers or Bassists, only guitarists/piano players, but at my new high school there should be plenty.

do you think how heavy guage strings you have on affects your phrasing much? I use 12-52's on my electric (long lasting, and the tone is a little better), do you think it affects it much?

im past that, i just use 12-52's because when i bend the sound is more 'full'.

Originally posted by PonyOne
I've never had problems bending w/them.

gaaaah your not hearing me. i said "The sound is more 'full' when you have heavy strings, in my opinion, i don't have problems bending with them. sheesh!