Alright, I gotta talk music genres. After working on a metal song recently, I'm absolutely in love with my alternative picking technique.
Different genres work like technique enhancement courses for guitar players. Shedding light on respective skills with varying intensity.
Although the 180-degree view is when you think about an accomplished guitar player (or musician), they have their own sound.
But then again, to find your sound, you gotta go through several territories and soundscapes.
I suppose I'll ride this tangent super quick.
Your sound is equivalent to the soul of your music. Now that AI can simply make up songs, the implication is clear — artists who own their personality are the only ones going to cut through.
From the perspective of someone learning guitar, music genres, beyond a point are non-negotiable. Otherwise, you're going to hit the infamous guitar plateau.
For me, it occurred right after completing beginner/intermediate stuff — eight open chords, two kinds of bar chords, major scale shapes, minor pentatonic shapes, basic power chord shenanigans, eight-note, somewhat sixteen-note rhythms, etc.
Here's a case study to highlight why genre exploration is non-negotiable.
I was heavily bombarded with Bollywood music while growing up but that didn't play to my advantage when I started with guitar.
Why?
Bollywood is equivalent to pop music and the term pop is simply shorthand for popular. Pop encapsulates whatever songs are being well received by the audience.
Other genres of music (Rock, Blues, Metal, etc) are rather defined by sonic characteristics, which, translates to guitar playing a particular role or having a role in the first place.
Granted, on the very first day, playing out a one-string melody out of a nauseatingly catchy pop song may get the student hooked on guitar.
Beyond that, I don't see the approach sustainable.
My students who refuse to expand their music taste often find themselves stuck by relying on Bollywood.
Either their favorite songs don't have guitar parts. When they do, they need to cope with groovy Indian rhythms, making it difficult for beginners.
Bollywood does have an obsession with 16th-note guitar strumming patterns, to be honest.
Fortunately for me, the internet revolution took place a little after I started with guitar, and well... I turned out to be a Google Ninja and utilized my expertise to explore the Rock and related genres.
The good thing about 'guitar music genres' is there are ample songs available in various difficulty levels. Everything from Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol to Technical Difficulties by Racer X.
Speaking of 'ample', as a musician, either the music consumption grows exponentially, or you don't grow. Consumption as in listening and playing both.
One of my prerequisites in the demo session is where I ask students if they are open to listening to music from undiscovered genres. So that at least I'll be able to help them out with stepping stones of incremental difficulty.
I do balance it out with the songs they love as that's equally essential.
This case study I'm sure translates worldwide in one way or another. Every country has its own 'pop' music, likely using less guitar than Rock.
What's the best genre to start with?
I'd say find a balance between songs you love and the ones you can justify.
Rock is a guitarist's best friend as it comprises essentially guitar, bass, vocals, bass, and keys. Some of the very iconic sounds can be played using power chords and that makes it quite accessible.
Riffs are refreshing for someone sick of strumming chords.
Rock started somewhere in the mid-1950s and was heavily inherited from Blues, Country, and other genres. It dissipates into countess subgenres but there are a few top categories.
1. Classic Rock
Often considered the "golden age" of rock, spanning from the 1960s to the early 1980s. It features guitar-driven songs, often with memorable riffs, strong vocals, and a focus on melody.
Notable Bands: Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles.
2. Hard Rock
Known for its heavier guitar riffs, aggressive vocals, and powerful drumming. Hard rock emphasizes a strong backbeat and amplified sound.
Notable Bands: AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Deep Purple.
3. Punk Rock
Fast tempos, short song lengths, and a raw, stripped-down sound. Punk rock often carries rebellious and anti-establishment themes.
Notable Bands: The Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols.
4. Heavy Metal
Evolved from hard rock, heavy metal features loud, distorted guitars, aggressive drumming, and often dark or fantastical lyrics.
Notable Bands: Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden.
5. Alternative Rock
Encompasses a wide range of sounds, often featuring unconventional song structures, experimental sounds, and lyrics that address personal and societal issues.
Notable Bands: Radiohead, Incubus, R.E.M.
6. Progressive Rock (Prog Rock)
Known for its complex song structures, extended compositions, and use of unconventional time signatures. Prog rock often incorporates elements from classical and jazz music.
Notable Bands: Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis.
7. Indie Rock
Originally used to describe independent artists not signed to major labels. Indie rock is characterized by its eclectic sound, often blending rock with elements of pop, folk, and electronic music.
Notable Bands: Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend.
8. Grunge
Originating from the Seattle music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, grunge combines elements of punk and heavy metal, with a focus on themes of disillusionment and angst.
Notable Bands: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden.
Rock is a great segue into blues for guitar players.
We don't hear blues around much in the vintage form but licks are literally everywhere, licks seem to have infiltrated Gen Z mainly as fillers in pop music.
Licks are little music words and as a guitar player, you need a humungous library of licks to burst out whatever is the need of the moment, this right here — exploration and consumption of licks — is an example of something you wouldn't get into without exploring music genres.
Minor Pentatonic Scale and string bending techniques are enforced into playing after going through the 'Blues phase'.
It also brings in a perspective on one-fourth, fifth degree of the scale, helping you digest and absorb the sound.
You learn to break some rules and utilize chromaticism heavily. Although there's so much more, I'm gonna be going through the genres broadly.
Metal makes you all kinds of daring and brings in that flair. Being not afraid to go across the fretboard at a blazing pace.
Intervals such as minor second, minor sixth, and all the diminished shapes definitely do not get utilized anywhere as often.
Jazz brings in the idea of improvisation over absolutely weird chords, which are, not covered within major scale harmony. Based on my journey, well, it allowed me to look at chords somewhat as their distinct little vibes.
It brought in this perspective of navigating through intervals on the fretboard instead of shapes.
Ambient genres such as post-rock are my personal favorite. My music is somewhat ambient.
There's a whole big, big undiscovered plethora of genres buried under 'ambient music'. For instance genres like shoegaze, space rock, bedroom pop, etc.
In all the ambient genres, sonic space is dominated by reverb and delay. Making it a somewhat unfavorable condition for 16th notes and beyond.
Unless again, it's a Slowdive kind of situation where you are trying to create a beam of sound. Listen to 'when the sun hits' for reference.
The rule still stands though with some refinement.
In ambient genres riffs, melody, or basically any movement on the fretboard side of the guitar is often 8th notes or under.
You're not likely to blaze through a scale at 16 notes.
So melodically and harmonically, it teaches you to be more contained.
Lastly, funk. RHCP (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is the best reference and introduction. Covering RHCP songs enabled me to look at the fretboard (thanks to John Frusciante), to use the mini chords and insanely syncopated 16-note rhythms.
Needless to say, I haven't gone into every single genre, and one song can qualify for various genres. If you look up the genre for any band, you'll find more than one.
But the defining terms are pretty much repetitive and repurposed, and soon enough recognizing genres is instinctive.
For instance, 21 Pilots (the band) combines elements of hip-hop and rock and is referred to as Rap-Rock, since their sound is somewhat mainstream another genre associated with them is Pop-Rock.
If you've heard their songs (Heathens being one of the most known), there are definitely 'computer sounds' used, qualifying them for Electropop, alt-rock, etc.
You'll know what to expect from a genre name with some experience — unless you come across bizarre music playlists on Spotify, such as 'asymmetrical'.
That stuff is unpredictable, experimental genres are endless. Can't really put them in a box.
I suppose there isn't anything wrong with musicians sticking and standing by their one single genre, probably requires some amount of inner peace.
This conversation was all about walking past the stagnation — if you feel it.
A short survey will demonstrate that almost every guitar player hits the plateau. My answer to it is a deep dive. Either into a genre or an artist.
Certainly starting a band or making music induces the same naturally.
I suppose the conclusive thought is to get more involved with the guitar, in one way or the other.
Say Bye!
Anubhav Kulshreshtha
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