Jump to content

Why is Jimi always ranked first in every poll?


missytootsweet

Recommended Posts

I've noticed guitars much more as I listen to music these days. I'm not a musician or in any way musically gifted. But I'm so curious as to why all the polls I've seen place Jimi Hendrix at the top for best lead guitarist. I really want to understand why he is rated higher than say Jimmy Page?

I'm 49 years old and Jimi Hendrix was a little before my time, so maybe you just have to hear his playing? Let's agree that he should remain in the number one spot. I have a follow-up question.

Why don't I ever see Steve Howe ranked higher? I know I'm biased as a Yes fan and I do think that Jimmy Page bumps him down on any list but..... he can play a lot of different guitars with what seems to me to be fantastic expertise. So please, other guitarists or even anybody in the know, why do you think Howe is not ranked in every Top 5 list*? *(but below Jimi and Jimmy)

Thanks for your answers on this. :) missy

PS This is my first Topic Post. If I've not done something right (sorry) would the moderator please delete..thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've noticed guitars much more as I listen to music these days. I'm not a musician or in any way musically gifted. But I'm so curious as to why all the polls I've seen place Jimi Hendrix at the top for best lead guitarist. I really want to understand why he is rated higher than say Jimmy Page?

I'm 49 years old and Jimi Hendrix was a little before my time, so maybe you just have to hear his playing? Let's agree that he should remain in the number one spot. I have a follow-up question.

Why don't I ever see Steve Howe ranked higher? I know I'm biased as a Yes fan and I do think that Jimmy Page bumps him down on any list but..... he can play a lot of different guitars with what seems to me to be fantastic expertise. So please, other guitarists or even anybody in the know, why do you think Howe is not ranked in every Top 5 list*? *(but below Jimi and Jimmy)

Thanks for your answers on this. :) missy

PS This is my first Topic Post. If I've not done something right (sorry) would the moderator please delete..thanks!

Its because he was an innovator, you have to imagine before him it was Hank marvin twanging or some jazzers but by the mid late 60's jazz was in a bad place. Hendrix came along and made everyone realise the possibility of the electric guitar with whammy bar techniques, feedback, his soloing and rhythm playing was beyond anything before. Its easier to come along after and better what he did but to be an innovator in music is just the coolest. That's why he is voted number one alot because he influenced just about everybody playing electric guitar.

Eddie Van Halen ten years later was also prob the most influential guitarist after Hendrix as he again innovated more whammy bar stuff and he popularised a technique called tapping on the guitar, again people came along after and bettered it but again they were not innovators.

Howe is a great guitarist, he can play any style and thats very cool, but he wasn't an innovator, he plays the guitar in a conventional way ( thats not bad), but hendrix and halen were not conventional thus making them to inovate. Pagey is also an unconventional player but his innovation was in the studio with producing and recording techniques, he was more than just a guitarist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, so many people have taken Jimi's style on board that it sounds conventional today, but at the time he started the Experience - although he was obviously influenced by a lot of other musicians (Buddy Guy for example) - nobody sounded like Hendrix.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, so many people have taken Jimi's style on board that it sounds conventional today, but at the time he started the Experience - although he was obviously influenced by a lot of other musicians (Buddy Guy for example) - nobody sounded like Hendrix.

Hi Lee how are you ?? I have been back on the board for about 3 weeks after a layoff.

Thats it nbody sounded like Hendrix untill after and the same with Halen, nobody sounded like him untill after and now tapping,dive bombs are now part of it all but when he did it it was like WTF just like Hendrix.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I never realized Jimi was the first to do so much with the guitar. But, there were still a lot of other good guitarists out there playing before Jimi went to England. I'm thinking of Page/Clapton/Beck/Townsend/K. Richards. What you're saying (I think) is despite these early players skill/creativity, Jimi Hendrix still rose above what was going on at that time to innovate a whole lot of new stuff. That makes sense. I never realized that and was always curious because I've NEVER seen a poll he is not #1 on lead guitarists.

leddy,

You have me curious about Eddie Van Halen. I'm going to have to head over to you tube and check his playing out. His band was not one I ever listened to, but of course I have heard of him and do remember "Jump"---his song right? If there is one epic Eddie Van Halen piece I should sample his playing style would you please post back what it is?

Thanks everyone for the input. :) missy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I never realized Jimi was the first to do so much with the guitar. But, there were still a lot of other good guitarists out there playing before Jimi went to England. I'm thinking of Page/Clapton/Beck/Townsend/K. Richards. What you're saying (I think) is despite these early players skill/creativity, Jimi Hendrix still rose above what was going on at that time to innovate a whole lot of new stuff. That makes sense. I never realized that and was always curious because I've NEVER seen a poll he is not #1 on lead guitarists.

leddy,

You have me curious about Eddie Van Halen. I'm going to have to head over to you tube and check his playing out. His band was not one I ever listened to, but of course I have heard of him and do remember "Jump"---his song right? If there is one epic Eddie Van Halen piece I should sample his playing style would you please post back what it is?

Thanks everyone for the input. :) missy

Hi Missy, no probs, Van Halen, well listen to Mean Streets, Eruption, Hot For Teacher and Yes Jump was theirs too :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here ya go missy. Pretty much all there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G0M94yYWsc

Bizarre as you post wasn't here when i did mine :)....Great stuff, whether anyone likes his music or not he is almost as important han hendrix and in someways is. ( for Missy)Should also like to mention Frank Gambale an Australian fusion guitarist who invented a technique on the guitar known as sweep picking, we take it as normal like tapping (Eddie) and everything else we do but in the 70's he invented this now standard technique. Not really as unconventional as Hendrix or Halen But Gambale was a pioneer for this.

The late 60's and 70's was a very important time with Hendrix showing us what to do, halen and tapping with Gambale and sweeps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I never realized Jimi was the first to do so much with the guitar. But, there were still a lot of other good guitarists out there playing before Jimi went to England. I'm thinking of Page/Clapton/Beck/Townsend/K. Richards. What you're saying (I think) is despite these early players skill/creativity, Jimi Hendrix still rose above what was going on at that time to innovate a whole lot of new stuff. That makes sense. I never realized that and was always curious because I've NEVER seen a poll he is not #1 on lead guitarists.

And I would say that all of those players would agree that Jimi should be ranked #1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bizarre as you post wasn't here when i did mine :)....Great stuff, whether anyone likes his music or not he is almost as important han hendrix and in someways is. ( for Missy)Should also like to mention Frank Gambale an Australian fusion guitarist who invented a technique on the guitar known as sweep picking, we take it as normal like tapping (Eddie) and everything else we do but in the 70's he invented this now standard technique. Not really as unconventional as Hendrix or Halen But Gambale was a pioneer for this.

The late 60's and 70's was a very important time with Hendrix showing us what to do, halen and tapping with Gambale and sweeps.

There's no doubt that EVH was / is important. I admit that I get a little tired of the dive bombs and tapping as such ( I prefer his riffs, fills and tone ) ) but, he definately set a standard . It could be said that many have successfully matched or surpassed his technique but IMHO ,very much like Jimmy Page, they have not matched the heart and soul that's within his playing.

Frank Gambale...what a player !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no doubt that EVH was / is important. I admit that I get a little tired of the dive bombs and tapping as such ( I prefer his riffs, fills and tone ) ) but, he definately set a standard . It could be said that many have successfully matched or surpassed his technique but IMHO ,very much like Jimmy Page, they have not matched the heart and soul that's within his playing.

Frank Gambale...what a player !

Yes as I say its easier to take whats been done and better it, but inovation and to be an inovator, that only comes to a select few,

I know what you mean getting tired of the stuff, but I think if you take a little of each othe players we have mentioned in thiswhole thread, then your on your way to becoming that all round musician.

Now back to trying to inovate....how about tapping with my feet, nah look silly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes as I say its easier to take whats been done and better it, but inovation and to be an inovator, that only comes to a select few,

I know what you mean getting tired of the stuff, but I think if you take a little of each othe players we have mentioned in thiswhole thread, then your on your way to becoming that all round musician.

Now back to trying to inovate....how about tapping with my feet, nah look silly.

Agreed Leddy....:beer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For my money, another great example of his playing...it's all there

Maybe we should start a thread, what things other than pick,fingers have people played guitar with.

EVH and Paul Gilbert - Drill

Jimmy Page - Violin Bow

Jimi Hendrix - Teeth

Wes Montgomery - Thumb ( ok we use thumb and fingers but he just used his thumb which was unusual)

Just wanted to mention a guitar hero of mine, in Ritchie Blackmore, although he never invented anything etc he did open the doorway to Neo Classical guitar, listen to alot of his solo's and lots are classical inspired, Child in Time solo was ahead of its time. A showman and a pioneer in the neo classical movement. In a time where rock players weere playing the Pentatonic and blues scale, he came along and started using harmonic minors, melodic minors,Phyrgian Dominant modlal scales way before others in this field. (classical guys were obviously using them) but not rock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I'm sorry friends. Based on those video clips I can't support your opinions about Eddie Van Halen (at least not completely). I'm not a guitarist but all Eddie seems to know is one style of play,-- FAST and HARD. Fine if that's what you like, but not very melodic or stylistic at all. You mean he invented playing with 2 hands on the neck of the guitar (that's tapping)? I think his early work is much more impressive, to my ears anyway. missy

Here's the only Eddie Van Halen solo I found so far that I liked somewhat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EiKtb0oYmY

Now check out this solo and tell me if Eddie didn't get some innovation from one Jimmy Page.

Feel free to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about (and maybe I don't) because like I said, I'm not a musician. But, I genuinely like learning these things about the guitar. :)

To keep this on topic, I'm guessing that even if Eddie Van Halen was an innovator, he would still likely rank Jimi Hendrix #1 as lead guitarists go, agreed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I'm sorry friends. Based on those video clips I can't support your opinions about Eddie Van Halen (at least not completely). I'm not a guitarist but all Eddie seems to know is one style of play,-- FAST and HARD. Fine if that's what you like, but not very melodic or stylistic at all. You mean he invented playing with 2 hands on the neck of the guitar (that's tapping)? I think his early work is much more impressive, to my ears anyway. missy

Here's the only Eddie Van Halen solo I found so far that I liked somewhat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EiKtb0oYmY

Now check out this solo and tell me if Eddie didn't get some innovation from one Jimmy Page.

Feel free to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about (and maybe I don't) because like I said, I'm not a musician. But, I genuinely like learning these things about the guitar. :)

To keep this on topic, I'm guessing that even if Eddie Van Halen was an innovator, he would still likely rank Jimi Hendrix #1 as lead guitarists go, agreed?

All valid points, good points and agree with alot of what you say. Eddie himself says that he was inpired by Page's Guitar solo in Heartbreaker, he saw pagge play some of it with one hand, so he put the otherhand on the neck, not to use his plectrum put his digit to tap more notes...

So your right missy, Page is a master at mood soloing, Since I been Loving You is a good example of melodic phrasing, using different tones from the guitar and also the pressure he uses with his fingers and pick.

Yes Hendrix was as Plant said "GOD" when his son asked him who he was :)

PS your Halen clip is a version of Eruption.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EVH liked Clapton ??

During the Cream years but I'm just going by past interviews that I've read. Something to the effect that it was Clapton more than Hendrix, Page and Beck .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During the Cream years but I'm just going by past interviews that I've read. Something to the effect that it was Clapton more than Hendrix, Page and Beck .

Gee didn't know that, I rate those 3 above Clapton, but each to their own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After listening to several Jimi Hendrix videos, This is the one I decided is the best representation of his greatness. And yes, I see now why he is ranked #1.

I based this on a criteria of style, substance, and that elusive guitar trait l call "warmth".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-_AaWq-f5w&playnext=1&list=PLAF56DF5CAE215DF6&index=18

**His vocals are pretty fine here too.

So, what do you guitarists/musicians think of my choice? Good or is there something even better than this?!.....missy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hendrix had it all and for my money, the best and most influencial guitar player ever. Thing is, he played in an era that spawned so many great ones so to me his influence is best described as a player who motivated people to pick up a guitar and give it a go as opposed to copying his style. EVH on the other hand had every up and coming guitar player trying to copy and sound just like him and for the better part of 20 yrs, most of them did sound just like him. I consider him a great rock player and there is no question that he pioneered a sound and technique but I tire of him easily. Hendrix on the other hand,I never tire of. He could play anything and make it sound good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...