Guitar fasting

[Xpensive Wino]

On this week’s Dipped In Tone, Rhett and Zack are joined by Adam Levy, the thoughtful, soft-spoken accompanist known for his work with Norah Jones.

“I need it to sound like Solomon Burke is singing,” Levy says of his style and philosophy, centered on leads and mid-register tones.

His formative playing experiences were on a Gibson ES-335, and Zack and Rhett wonder why the semi-hollow remains Levy’s go-to over, say, a Les Paul or T-style guitar.

“[We] kind of put guitars in buckets: ‘This guitar does this, this guitar does that,’” says Levy. “But a lot of it is just what you do with your hands anyway. I feel like the instrument itself is maybe just a third of all that stuff.”

Levy says that as the years go on, he gets “more like myself” when playing.

A piece of that, he says, is stepping back from guitar music altogether. “Go on a guitar fast for a month,” he says. Levy says that removing the distractions of analyzing for specific tones and gear can create a clearer relationship to music. “All you can really notice is, ‘What’s the mood? How does it make me feel?’”

Similarly, Levy warns of the dangers of over-analyzing your playing: “A little bit of reflection can go a long way,” he says, but “you don’t want to get so reflective that you shut yourself down.”

 

[ppgf]

i rarely listen to gtr music. bad brains, sabbath, mahavishnu, kings x, trower.

i write everything on keyboards then learn parts later.

squarepusher, mark bell and portishead changed everything for me. it took forever for me to actually use gtr in the music i want to do w/o shoehorning it in.

 

[bursty]

I have have been going on these so called guitar fast for the past 40 years.
It all started forty years ago when I nearly cut off the fourth (pinky) finger on my fretting hand in June, 1983 in a table saw incident.
Twenty years later I experienced a complete break of the index metacarpal on my fretting hand by a dog bite from a 120 lb. German Shepherd.

I 'learned' not to play guitar for multiple months at a time and on more than one occasion but this wasn't by choice.
Over a protracted period of multiple years I understood what it was like to experience being unable to enjoy one of my most favorite hobbies; playing guitar.
I eventually learned to incorporate not playing for a few days here and a few days here and I learned how refreshing that was as far as how the experience of ceasing to play lent itself to a refreshed and blank canvas of thought; a newer approach if you will to viewing the guitar in a bit of a different context.

I'm a firm believer in the whole concept of 'guitar fasting' and for me the entire process started as a terrible experience but it eventually morphed into something quite unexpected and inspiring.

Those silver linings in life .......

 

[Xpensive Wino]

I have have been going on these so called guitar fast for the past 40 years.
It all started forty years ago when I nearly cut off the fourth (pinky) finger on my fretting hand in June, 1983 in a table saw incident.
Twenty years later I experienced a complete break of the index metacarpal on my fretting hand by a dog bite from a 120 lb. German Shepherd.

I 'learned' not to play guitar for multiple months at a time and on more than one occasion but this wasn't by choice.
Over a protracted period of multiple years I understood what it was like to experience being unable to enjoy one of my most favorite hobbies; playing guitar.
I eventually learned to incorporate not playing for a few days here and a few days here and I learned how refreshing that was as far as how the experience of ceasing to play lent itself to a refreshed and blank canvas of thought; a newer approach if you will to viewing the guitar in a bit of a different context.

I'm a firm believer in the whole concept of 'guitar fasting' and for me the entire process started as a terrible experience but it eventually morphed into something quite unexpected and inspiring.

Those silver linings in life .......

Indeed. Were you ever tempted to try playing "bottleneck" guitar during your forced convalescence?

 

[SpencerD]

I'm dealing with like 20 years of arthritis already progressing rapidly.

Made my own peace with it a long time ago. No issues here! ---- I'm actually playing more often. Wasn't expecting that either. Testing out the new capabilities of the old digits and going from there.

Straight up confession time! --- I'm using the Bigsby on my oldass P90 fitted Les Paul Deluxe! It was pretty much there because I thought it looked cool. It does! I'm not wrong! Now the stick gets wiggled

It's all about perspective man -- Guitars = Good

 

[bursty]

Indeed. Were you ever tempted to try playing "bottleneck" guitar during your forced convalescence?

actually no, I did not consider that.
the first occasion was in June, 1983 at which time I was in a sort of transition between the end stage of my Van Halen interest and the early stages of my SRV interest. Playing slide at that time never entered my train of thought.
After the June, 1983 table saw accident it was a good four months before I could even get my fingers around a guitar neck to attempt to fret a single note.
My hand had been immobilized for so long that it was pretty much useless from muscle atrophy.
I had two more surgeries after the day of the accident; it was a two year process just getting to a point where I could 'fake' playing my favorite chord.
I was at a point in late 1983 to early 1984 where I was set in my mind to sale anything guitar related; guitars, amps, everything. I didn't follow through with that idea though.

 

[Cliff Gress]

I am developing dupuytren's contracture in my fretting hand. So far it keeps my pinky close to the board. As time progresses though...

 

[jokerpoker]

Adam Levy's insights on guitar playing are thought-provoking. His emphasis on the relationship between the player and the instrument resonates with me. It's easy to get caught up in gear and tone, but ultimately, it's how you connect with the music that matters most. Taking breaks from the guitar to focus on the mood and feeling of music sounds like a valuable practice. It's a reminder to keep things balanced and not to over-analyze our playing. For guitar enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding, I recommend checking out this comprehensive guide https://guitarsrepublic.com/guide.

 

[mcjef1976]

Nice Guitar.

 

[Greywolf]

I quit playing electric for a month to justify the purchase of 2 high end acoustics. It was really a great break on all fronts. Playing 13-56 bluegrass strings builds up your chops and calluses, and it allowed me to compose a few new tunes in DADGAD . Going back to electric was like WHOA I can't feel these tiny strings and man o man can I bend !

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Without making a conscious decision to do so, I haven't plugged in for months, I moved my amps and board this morning to another room, and they were covered in dust. Can't remember that ever happening before.

My recent acoustic acquisition however is another thing, I'm playing the grain of the bugger.

 

[corpse]

I have been playing at home unplugged due to our new puppy. It's funny- I pull out a guitar and the cat comes running- maybe just to get away from the dog?? But she sits on the warm laptop and purrs...
That never happened when I plugged in.

 

[J T]

Hmm.
Not exactly guitar fasting, but for me, lately, amp fasting.
I've been just pulling out the Tech 21 Sans Amp.
I don't have to mic it, I don't have to mute the monitors, pull out the headphones, all the other trappings of amps. Easy set up. I just go straight in or add a delay and reverb behind. It puts out what I want to hear. No deafening volume but sure sounds like it came out like that.
Takes up way less room. Less fuss. Way cheaper too.
Works for me.

 

[Dave P]

Instead of listening to the guitarist, pay more attention to the vocal melody. Sometimes that is far more interesting than the typical stuff the guitarist is playing.

My left hand has been fucked since 2013, I had surgery on it in 2016. The surgery didn't work as planned. I've been forced to change things up in the way I play. I haven't posted anything I've played in the last 10 years as it's not at the level that I expect out of myself. Trying to find my way, the journey continues...

 

[Cliff Gress]

Hmm.
Not exactly guitar fasting, but for me, lately, amp fasting.
I've been just pulling out the Tech 21 Sans Amp.
I don't have to mic it, I don't have to mute the monitors, pull out the headphones, all the other trappings of amps. Easy set up. I just go straight in or add a delay and reverb behind. It puts out what I want to hear. No deafening volume but sure sounds like it came out like that.
Takes up way less room. Less fuss. Way cheaper too.
Works for me.

I prefer the weed setting.