Why "copy" someone elses tone/sound?

[Chito]

I'm just curious, what is one's purpose in trying to "imitate" someone elses guitar tone/sound? Isn't it more preferable having your own? I have been playing in cover bands for a while now but all through the years I've never tried to "copy" someone elses sound/tone. My thinking is, since I am already playing someone elses music,  I should always try to put my own "stamp" to it, play it in some way that I am able to say "that is my own interpretation of the song" even if the differences are very subtle. And one of the ways I try to accomplish this is to make my guitar sound unique. I can understand it if you are playing in a "tribute" band, then being able to play every thing note for note or having the same tone/sound is a must. But other than that, specially if you are looking at doing your own music, why bother trying to sound like your guitar idol?

[Letour]

I'm just curious, what is one's purpose in trying to "imitate" someone elses guitar tone/sound? Isn't it more preferable having your own? I have been playing in cover bands for a while now but all through the years I've never tried to "copy" someone elses sound/tone. My thinking is, since I am already playing someone elses music,  I should always try to put my own "stamp" to it, play it in some way that I am able to say "that is my own interpretation of the song" even if the differences are very subtle. And one of the ways I try to accomplish this is to make my guitar sound unique. I can understand it if you are playing in a "tribute" band, then being able to play every thing note for note or having the same tone/sound is a must. But other than that, specially if you are looking at doing your own music, why bother trying to sound like your guitar idol?

Dude,

The tone or sound is not being copied "verbatim". Guitar idols are admired and revered. Trying to sound like them is a way to honor them. Of course, once there is a gig, no one but guitar players would know if a tone is an exact copy of their idol.

Once a guitar player like me is able to mimic a tone, I make my stamp on it by giving it my style.

[Al_Librero]

finding one's own tone (i.e. voice) in the guitar is part of one's growth as a player and a musician. but he or she has to begin somewhere. and i think going for someone else's tone is a pretty good starting point. i also think just about everyone starts that way.

some may think it's just too bad if a player never takes that next step. but hey, if he's happy where he is, who are we to judge?

[namida]

Like what Sir Al said, a place to start, something to compare with

[Deacon Blues]

Part reverence or hero worship, part curiosity, part snobbery ...

Like most of the earlier posters mentioned, getting a fix on someone's tone is a good starting point for most fledgling guitarists. I don't think there ever was an 'accomplished' guitarist out there who didn't start out by copying his idol's licks

It's pretty instinctive, I guess. It's like learning a language. Growing up as kids, we not only listen to the articulation/enunciation of the words but by the tonal properties of the words or the language as a whole

And for most beginners, for the most part, I think a lot of it has to do with the hero worship thing, more than anything else. Whether we admit it or not, we derive some sort of internal gratification when we realize (or when other people say) that we sound like so and so, don't we?

Beyond that, or as we mature enough and realize that the tone is indeed just a superficial tip of the artist's musical iceberg, then we can at least be discriminating enough to look at it for what it is - which is basically the tonal musical imprint of the player at hand (as opposed to the technique itself). So, you can say, yes, I can sound like Hendrix, but I can be playing something else, like jazz maybe ...

Now, as our gear learning curve goes further up, the tone quest focuses not so much on just 'zeroing in' on a particular person's tone, but this time, at least we know how to nail other artist's sounds. This gives us a more well-rounded and objective view as to how individual tones are nailed per se.

So, it's like ... at the flick of a switch, or a few stomps on some boxes, you can actually sound like five different guitarists.

I'm just not sure how other guitarists feel about that ...

To some, the imitation actually takes on near-fanatic levels - where someone actually duplicates his hero's rig to the letter. Not only that, he cops his style as well.

Bill Connors did this at some point, when he copied Holdsworth's technique - much to the disdain of the latter. Wayne Krantz confessed to having been a Metheny clone for most of his formative years. Good thing he was able to snap out of it and forge his own style

Well, this is the point where you can start to question your motives ...

I don't think there's anything unhealthy with copying someone's tone per se if you're just noodling at home or jamming with friends. I'm sure a lot of the guitar forums out there are crammed with posts from obsessive gearheads spending countless nights trying to figure out how to get their idols' tones. Robben Ford, Carlton, SRV, Brett Garsed, Holdsworth ... name the artist, I'm sure he's bound to have his own set of followers.

It would be a different story though if you were to come out in the open and have the gall to 'live under someone else's shadow'

[Deacon Blues]

Chito,

If I may add ...

It's good that you've actually transcended that 'imitation stage.' To a large extent, it does take a lot of courage and conviction to stand alone with your own tone, rather than to bask under a false sense of security pretending to sound like someone you're not

Kudos to you, my friend ...  

[Chito]

Chito,

If I may add ...

It's good that you've actually transcended that 'imitation stage.' To a large extent, it does take a lot of courage and conviction to stand alone with your own tone, rather than to bask under a false sense of security pretending to sound like someone you're not

Kudos to you, my friend ...  

Thanks man! Honestly, the main reason I posted this topic is because I'm sure we are all aware that Pinoys are notorious for being copycats and I thought that maybe after all these years that I have been away, this attitude has changed. But I can still see traces of it. Not that I think there's anything wrong with it. I just think that by being just mere "copycats"  we are selling ourselves short specially considering there are a lot of really good Pinoy musicians out there, just listen to the recordings of people here in this forum alone as an example. I can still remember 30+ years ago, pretty much everyone was doing covers in the rock scene. Obviously, things have changed since then but like I said I can still see traces of it and thus the topic.

[deltaslim]

I'm just curious, what is one's purpose in trying to "imitate" someone elses guitar tone/sound? Isn't it more preferable having your own? I have been playing in cover bands for a while now but all through the years I've never tried to "copy" someone elses sound/tone. My thinking is, since I am already playing someone elses music,  I should always try to put my own "stamp" to it, play it in some way that I am able to say "that is my own interpretation of the song" even if the differences are very subtle. And one of the ways I try to accomplish this is to make my guitar sound unique. I can understand it if you are playing in a "tribute" band, then being able to play every thing note for note or having the same tone/sound is a must. But other than that, specially if you are looking at doing your own music, why bother trying to sound like your guitar idol?

i'm living this dichotomy right now w/ my 2 bands: Soul Benders is a tribute band to classic blues, 70s folk-rock, and pinoy rock. here the band tries to cop the tone and music of the original because the audience is most satisfied when they're expectations about all spects of the song are met, especially the vox and gtrs.  heck, sometimes we even pull out a mandolin if the song calls for it.

Firebottle--altho heavily blues influenced--intends to branch out into all its other tributaries, ie rock, jazz, soul, funk, etc.  in the beginning, we'll probably sound like our heroes, or a mixture of them, but i'm sure we'll end up having our own sound.

personally i am happy and comfortable with sounding like my idols, especially if the song needs it.  but i never really exactly sound like them.  maybe that's because even if i play the same notes, it's still me talking and expressing my own emotions but just quoting their words.

[pallas]

at these day and age...its hard to be original

[nathanmanansala]

But other than that, specially if you are looking at doing your own music, why bother trying to sound like your guitar idol?

because its fun aping them. :biggrin:

i'd have to admit though, when i'm playing, i do try to sound like the ones i've listened to the most. all of them at the same time nga lang.

[deltaslim]

But other than that, specially if you are looking at doing your own music, why bother trying to sound like your guitar idol?

because its fun aping them. :biggrin:

i'd have to admit though, when i'm playing, i do try to sound like the ones i've listened to the most. all of them at the same time nga lang.

+1   enjoy naman e.

[v00doochi1d]

at these day and age...its hard to be original

oo nga naman..kahit sa tone man lang eh macopy mo idol mo oks na,tuwa na ko!!kahit hindi na yung playing style ng mga idol naten.... pero sa part ko...either way eh hindi ko makopya!!hehehehhe!!peace man!!!

[Phil]

I don't sound nothing like my idols...still my tone is generic.

[sweeplikevai]

copy, originals, kahit ano pa jan, ang important love mo ginagawa mo and happy ka sa ginagawa mo.... sarap mag experiment ng gears,.. minsan nga pinilit ko pang dikitan ang tunog ng WARM REGADS by S.Vai, inadjust ko na lahat ng pihitan ng gadgets ko, nilagyan ko pa ng car stereo equalizer ang gadgets ko, ikinabit ko pa sa sub-woofer, bumuli pako ng dean markley strings,,,,,, di ko pa rin nakuha ang tone ng WARM REGARDS,,,,,,,,,, i sit a li'l while,,,,,,, when i look at my back,,, i fin'lly found out!!!!!,, i saw my trusted old karaoke....

happy nako dun, buong araw na experiment ko sa WARM REgards, hanggang ngayon Wonder pa rin ako panu nya pinatunog na tila
BUTIKI (lizardtone) ung gtara nya... tuwing pinapatugtug ko WARM REGARDS naalala ko tansan kiniskis sa yero...   ngiiiii...

[polarized06]

im trying to copy but is simply dont have the skills to copy anyones sound waaah!  

[psychic_sushi]

at these day and age...its hard to be original

these days, its an uphill battle to sound original. i've always felt that our main goal as musicians is to develope character. i'm sure that there are plenty of "sound-alikes" and "play-alikes", some intentional, some coincidental.

art is an imitation of life, and life tends to imitate art. a reading of a communication theory/model called "the cone effect" displays this. (please google this subject, i don't wanna sound like a doctor explaining this at length)

since art is a form of imitation filtered by personal interpretation, this, such as guitar tone and playing, cannot flourish in a vacuum. there has to be an impetus to take up, continue and develope with all factors involved with the instrument, such as tone. such is a "template" for the style.

we always have a "template" for tone, regardless of genre. be its van halen's punchy and clear DLR era rhythm tone for rock, or Montgomery's warm thumb brushed, tone knob rolled down neck pick up tone for jazz. As standard templates, i guess some guys prefer to stay true to their roots, others learn midway to flick the switch from "default" to "custom", thus finding their own voice.

as for the guys staying close to the "template", they're doing us a great favor by reminding us of the roots of the fantastic tonal forest.

as for the others, may we all find the extra courage to reach for the "custom" setting...

[progressive_pilipinas]

i do listen to guitar players to add different styles to my playing, more ideas.

i dont copy the licks EXACTLY, i just listen to how they do it, say on a jazz or rock type of music, then i incorporate a line that i came up.

i listen, but not try to be like them.

Music has its standards, but every musician is unique.

[enricodedios]

I wanna sound like SRV and JDLC... I dig the classic tone!

[deltaslim]

im trying to copy but is simply dont have the skills to copy anyones sound waaah!  

don't worry, pag dating sa porma sa performance, copy-ing copy mo na, ms. "lauren beck-all"

[renz_sui]

im trying to copy but is simply dont have the skills to copy anyones sound waaah!  

We share the same sentiment kaya gawa nalang ako sarili kong tunog.

[hamsterjamster]

i admire a lot of prime guitarists' 'tone' but kung anu man ang solb na sa tenga on different amps, oks na yun hehehe..tone tone tone..hmm..

[haey2]

technically...its not really trying to "copy" someone else's sound...its just you admire the person's sound/setup....but that person may have somehow "copied" his sound from someone else as well...hehehe!!!
but due to difference with the guitar / effects / amps....and most of all "playing"....we may not be able to completely copy someone else's sound...we might just sound alike....but still different in a way...

you may ask 2 guitarists to play a certain song...they will never sound the same even if they will use the same equipment...because their playing style/technicque is different from anyone else....just a thought by the way....hehehe!!! pislabenrakenrol....    

[gutz_3110]

i i guess we are all inspired about a particular guitarist's tone.  some sweet sound that we are drawn into and also serves as a blueprint of our own tone.

[pallas]

yung mga sabit ko at mga weird interaction ng fx tapos yung limitasyon ko na gitarista....mix it all up....thats MY sound

[Poundcake]

well that "copying" thing is more for guitarists who are still finding their musical identity. staying in that state for a long time after copying a popular musician's tone is the real problem. one should diversify and not just mimic and mimic all the time. but, everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? not all the guys here in the forum are already guitar masters