Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays as a solo artist or music groups in the acoustic or electric guitar amplified stringed instrument. Guitarist play in a variety of music genres. In a music group, the guitarist take over the rhythm accompaniment (rhythm guitarist ), or a melody ( lead guitarist ), or a mixture of both tasks. A guitarist also has the ability to accompany his own singing with the guitar.
Education and profession
As with other musical instruments, there are also different ways for guitarists to learn the instrument. The training range from self-taught, which the play by ear, sheet music and / or with the help of learning tools in the form of books, CDs or videos teach herself constantly, to the academically trained graduate musician, a subject-related studies at a conservatory or at a music school has completed. The disciplines covered range from classical guitar, jazz guitar to pop and rock music-oriented majors. Among the possible in Germany higher education for the subject guitar count the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music in Education ( for teaching ).
The scope of guitarists ranging from hobby or recreational musicians on semi-professional musicians who pursue yet another (main) occupation addition to her work as a guitarist, to professionally working full-time musicians. Professional guitarist can act both as a self-employed - for example, as a band member or as a freelance studio musician that are posted by music producer for recordings in recording studios or live performances as a service - but they can also have a permanent position, for example in large orchestras ( Radio Orchestra, ensembles concert halls ). The job of a guitar is one of the unprotected professions - that is, neither a proof nor a vocational qualification membership is required for its exercise of any organization.
The role of guitarist in musical groups
Until about the mid- 1930s the guitar was an exclusively acoustic instrument. The acoustic guitar is, compared to many other acoustic instruments played (for example, trumpet, piano, drums), a rather quiet instrument. That's why the sound of the acoustic guitar went very easily in larger ensembles ( such as at the time very popular big bands ). For this reason, guitarists have been used in big bands mainly to accompany ( in a rhythm section ). As a pioneer of this feature is Freddie Green, who played in the " All American Rhythm Section " of the Count Basie Big Band.
Since the mid- 1930s, when the first manufactured in series, using pickups and guitar amplifiers electrically amplifiable guitars ( electric guitars) came on the market ( such as the first time in 1936 sold Gibson ES -150), was the application range of guitarists in orchestras are extended by the thus enabled greater volume. As one of the first musicians of the young jazz guitarist Charlie Christian began the electrically amplified instrument from 1939 for melody lines and solos in ensembles and big bands of Benny Goodman. Further pioneers of the guitar, the jazz musician Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass are valid.
Since the 1960s the capabilities have been enhanced especially the electric guitar by numerous electrically generated sound effects (such as distortion, wah and chorus ). This guitar received additional opportunities for solo use their instrument. A revolutionary in this regard was Jimi Hendrix, who was the first in a distorted sound and the wah-wah made popular with his music. Reached a high point this development with the advent of guitar synthesizers in the 1970s. Famous guitarists that such effects are first used John McLaughlin, Steve Howe, John Scofield and Pat Metheny.