Why Guitarists CAN'T Play Melodies...

[@beneunson]

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[@ShinMadero]

Wearing a jean jacket over a jean shirt is a powerful maneuver

[@bobjanetmart506]

Nice haircut m8...! 😎 And great video. Melody is just so important

[@beneunson]

Haha thanks!

[@rigelloar7474]

A lot of guitarists don't want to hear this, but SINGING is by far the most important experience a musician can have to develop melodic qualities in their instrumental performances. Guitarists who don't sing, just don't get it. . . . . . . . . . .

[@beneunson]

Great advice! I usually keep my singing behind closed doors 😂 but in all seriousness, I think this is a great suggestion. Thanks for watching!

[@andy4717]

For sure! Or even humming / whistling if you can’t sing 😂

[@rodolpheponthus2948]

So true. That's what Benson does for instance.. but alot of great guitarists say they sing a melody in their mind when improvising

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

If you don't play melodically, your solos will be boring, no matter how fast you can play. For this reason, I'd rather listen to Hank Marvin than Yngwie Malmsteen.

[@beneunson]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mattb4494]

Personally i don't find guitar a very naturally melodic instrument. With a voice or violin or sax you can play long held notes which start and swell and decay (or not) in very specific ways to create phrases. The guitar is very limited in this way, especially if you don't use distortion, which i don't really like for melodies. The guitar is a far more harmonic and rhythmic instrument for me. If you want to hear a beautiful melody, write it for the cello or clarinet or something..😊

[@beneunson]

That's a fair observation, thanks so much for sharing!

[@plantagenant]

I think this is true, but guitar Surf bands and similar like The Shadows in the UK back in the early 50s played melody tunes...usually using reverb or judicious use of delay effects to thicken up the sounds. Quite a challenge to play those tunes without fluffing it..absolutely nowhere to hide if you make a mistake!

[@royswan]

I have been playing a solo act that is entirely me playing melody lines over backing trax in iRealPro. Like Ben, I mainly use a 335, (switched from 175 about 5 years ago) and have a full bodied but not fuzzy (PodGo thru a stick PA. I have learned so much by playing the melody lines to music by non-guitarists … and SINGERS, I play, e.g., like Chick Corea (Windows or Light As A Feather, on Flora’s lines,). I’m no virtuoso but I can pick the basic melody & let the backing trax do the heavy lifting. I also do Steely Dan, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Sade, Ed Sheeran, Cold Play. Doesn’t matter too much what genre as long as there’s a strong melody. I discovered years ago that non drunk audiences get annoyed by too fast playing, let alone shredding. I play about as fast someone sings, and occasionally scat.

[@beneunson]

Great insight Roy, thanks so much for sharing!

[@gitarmats]

I really love Shawn Lane's melodicism, although to many he's known more as a shredder. His melodic sense along with "blazing amazing" phrasing is a wonderful combo. Gray Pianos Flying, Not Again, The Hurt The Joy, One Note At a Time, Get You Back, The Way It Has To Be. Also Jeff Beck playing A Day In The Life is a favorite example of melodic guitar. The phrasing really is a vital component too. Paul Gilbert may also be underappreciated for melodies. Norwegian Cowbell and Fuzz Universe are my favorites from him. Steve Morse is another one with a lot of cool melodies that I think have his unique fingerprint to them.

[@beneunson]

Thanks so much for watching, Mats - and yes, these are all fantastic examples! Especially Paul Gilbert - extremely underrated in this department, and one of my favorites.

[@guitarlots]

Melody is so beautiful when chords are involved, of course, the piano can smash notes closer together, but even that limitation on guitar can be overcome by studying Ben's approach, great work my friend, all the best ... Lawson

[@beneunson]

Thank you so much, Lawson! I really appreciate it!

[@Robowx]

It's been 50/50 in trying to play more melodically. I have come up with my own melodies and guitar lines on already established songs.

[@annunacky4463]

I’ve had decent success learning to solo on backing tracks and inventing my own stuff. Makes it interesting.

[@beneunson]

Thanks for sharing, Robert!

[@melarrow6202]

Thank you for always doing demos with great tone. Too many people online play with absolutely abysmal tone, really scratchy and with questionable intonation.

[@beneunson]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

[@jackcarrolton12]

I think one of the huge problems is that guitarists are so obsessed with shredding that they simply don't have a concept of melody. Maybe it's Pat Metheny, or maybe it's even one of Satriani's famous melodies like "Always with me, always with you" or "Cryin"...could be anything. If guitarists don't pay attention to melody regardless of the genre, then it runs the risk of becoming a dying art... Great video, thanks.

[@beneunson]

Thanks Jack, this is such a great point - it's worth identifying melody regardless of genre!

[@matthiasscheffler548]

If I want to listen to superb guitar melody I turn right to this channel... One of my favorites is your Frank Brothers solo Can't get over it lol

[@beneunson]

Thanks Matthias, I really appreciate it!

[@OscarWILD-mq1jv]

Absolutely great points Ben. And I've followed your playing right since you put out "Autumn" (nearly 10 years ago! time flies when you're having fun🤗), you have a very deep understanding of melody.

[@beneunson]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you so much!

[@andreasjonsson5823]

Great discussion Ben. Problem 1 is huge for guitarists. Fast playing is fun but sound is everything

[@beneunson]

Sound is so important, thanks Andreas!

[@VirtualGuitarAndBass]

Tienes toda la razón, la mayoria de guitarristas(yo entre ellos) están obsesionados con la velocidad y es más importante la melodía

[@beneunson]

I think melody is really important! Thanks so much for watching!

[@josdurkstraful]

Want great melody? Listen to Andy Latimer (not jazz).

[@beneunson]

Great suggestion! Thanks for watching!

[@timelwell7002]

Speaking for myself, although I do play jazz and jazz-influenced guitar (always using clean tones) I NEVER use a plectrum - because I started off as a fingerstyle guitarist. And I don't like thin strings (10 -46 for example). Why is that it is ASSUMED that EVERY guitarist in the WORLD uses a plectrum? WHY..? SOME of us started off using classical techniques. This seems to be ENTIRELY outside Ben's frame of reference...

[@beneunson]

It's a stretch to say that I assume all guitarists in the world use a pick, I simply make reference to striking the string with a pick at 04:31, and there is no subsequent reference to picking in the entire video. Consistency/clear sound are not dependent on whether or not you use a pick - in fact, I learned these principles from studying/performing classical guitar for 3 years, shortly after I first began playing. My right-hand approaches demonstrated at 00:00 and 01:06 are still informed by my classical training.

[@timelwell7002]

@@beneunson Sorry, Ben I was having a rant - mainly because the ASSUMPTION by pretty much EVERY You Tube guitar channel is that every single player of electric guitar in world only EVER uses a plectrum, and is only EVER interested in overdriven sounds. The idea that anyone would: a) Play jazz b) Only use clean tones c) Not use a plectrum - let alone all 3 - is entirely outside the experience - or even the imagination - of any of these guys.

[@Mauro-bh6bt]

Hi Ben, I'm focusing on my playing in picking with adeguate touch (I pick too heavy) and while listening that you use 10-46 string gauge, I was wandering at which kind of pick are you using (I mean how thick). I use 2mm and I fear it's the reason of my "heavy" approach on strings. I play jazz and funk...what pick thickness you could suggest to try. Thank you very much

[@beneunson]

Thanks so much for asking Mauro, I use 1.14 mm dunlop picks with this guitar - this one in particular: www.jimdunlop.com/tortex-pitch-black-standard-pick-1-14mm/

[@Mauro-bh6bt]

​@@beneunsonthank you so much Ben for explanation and link :-;

[@TreenighetMaranata]

Lari Basilio! 😊 ❤ 👋

[@triguna7692]

your explanation is very good thanks🙏

[@beneunson]

Thanks for watching!

[@rodneyadams9153]

I'm terrible.I nerd to practice more.

[@beneunson]

Just keep on playing and it'll be great!

[@tdang9528]

Shredding = bromaxxing.

[@beneunson]

Sounds about right! 😂

[@justinsabaj6349]

Did you say… shredding?

[@beneunson]

Yes indeed!

[@carloswhomusic]

Today's new chugging/riffing syles have converted the guitar into ... A DRUM. It's ALL RHYTHM. But there's NO MELODY. I went briefly to Berklee. They taught "no melody, no music." By that standard, today's popular guitar often doesn't qualify as MUSIC. Can you HUM a Polyphia song? How about Animals as Leaders? No melody = no music? Tell that to the record labels and stars. Thanks, Ben!😋

[@beneunson]

Thanks for watching, Carlos!

[@tjames6427]

Good advice Ben! and my advice to beginner guitarists is they make sure they have their guitar intonated correctly so the notes higher on the neck are in tune. When I first started playing guitar my notes were all wrong and thought I just sucked lol.

[@beneunson]

Absolutely! Great suggestion! Thanks so much for watching

[@erictripton]

Good topic. As I deal with writing rock tunes, mainly, I hear melodies, but just as important are the rhythms underneath. Alot can be actually having fun inspiring chord progressions with some motifs, yet in my case... a melody comes later. Pivoting what I have offered up. A lot of friends has asked me to sing...not a strong area, and ask why it is just music I record. They have even accused me of no melody, LOL. So this vid is confirmation to all of that, as being a rock player, great music must come first. Often, but not so much, the vocal melody isn't the basis. Though I can build around it. Thanks, Ben. Good confirmation for me to hear. 🎶🎵🎼

[@beneunson]

Thanks so much for sharing this Eric, fantastic observations here. Glad to hear you enjoyed the discussion!

[@clayvalarezo8647]

I thought I had subscribed to your channel! I have now! Liked as well! Great lesson as per the usual!

[@clayvalarezo8647]

Also, I really like the guitar solo to a tune called "Table for One" by Frank Gambale.

[@beneunson]

Thanks so much for watching and subscribing!