Play Loud

Steve Ouimette

Play loud, both in volume and in attitude.
Premier Guitar June 2010
There’s a little sticker on Yngwie’s famous “Duck” Strat that says “Play Loud.” Way back in the ‘80s when I first saw him play I got a close look at the guitar and noticed the sticker. My first impression was that those two words were a little cheesy, if not obvious, but over the years they have taken on a stronger meaning to me. Not necessarily in reference to Yngwie, but what they stand for. In Yngwie’s case it’s as much a signature of his attitude and lifestyle as it is about the volume of his wall of Marshalls. Let me speak to the point…

There are players who play like they mean it, and players who fall under the radar. If you take players like Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Hendrix, SRV—these guys attacked their guitars with fearless abandon. They play loud! Just the other day I heard an acoustic performance of Pete Townshend playing and singing “Tommy,” Just him and his guitar. It was powerful, in your face, intimate. Loud. The way his pick attacked the strings and punctuated the rhythm of the song was engrossing and all-enveloping. He played every note like it was his last and the end result was a feeling that you walk away remembering.

Another player who has a similar approach is Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day. Both he and Townshend tend to favor an explosive right hand, and both play it like they mean it. This style of playing (for me) lights up a room and projects that authority and attitude that we all love about rock and roll. And like many of these players, they are known for their loud volume…Pete’s even been open about his tinnitus as a result of many years of doing it. I don’t necessarily recommend standing next to your stack for the next 30 years (or letting your drummer detonate a small bomb at the end of your show directly into your ear!), but volume has its place.

Consider this. When you are first learning something new, be it guitar, woodworking, or drawing, your tendency is to be somewhat tentative. Because you don’t have solid footing yet there is a feeling of insecurity of blasting out the wrong note or cutting away more wood than you can put back if you make a mistake. It isn’t until you have some confidence that you begin to play louder. The better you get, the more confidence you have, and as a result you can project yourself at a higher level. The benefit of this is enjoyed by everyone, performer and audience.

Moving on to the actual volume part of playing loud, I honestly feel that we’ve lost something from the good old days with advances in technology. Back when P.A. systems were inefficient and couldn’t produce enough volume for the size of the venue they relied on high-powered amplifiers to get the job done. You can’t buy that kind of vibe no matter how hard you try with pushing a small amp through an efficient P.A. The impact created from sheer volume is something we all should behold at some point in our life. Sure, I use small amps all the time, but I’ve never captured the feeling of a Marshall stack with a Fender Champ no matter how hard I’ve tried. Aside from the fact that the volume is vastly different, the way you feel when you can barely control the guitar from going over the edge is a tremendously cool experience, and it makes you play very differently.

The point I’m trying to get across here is twofold. First, if you really want to be heard, playing loud in an attitude sort of way will definitely grab listeners by the ears and make them pay attention. Second, there’s nothing wrong with cranking it up every once in a while to bathe in that rock and roll spirit we came to know, love and appreciate, and most likely turned us onto guitar in the first place. And if you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend checking out the fantastic movie It Might Get Loud with Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page.

Life is short, PLAY LOUD!

     

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Comments

 (7 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Peter
on 06/13/2010 		I second the earplugs comment!!! A musicians' hearing is the most important and precious asset that he/she has. The very last thing you want to do is damage it. The damage is irreparable. AND, it's not just hearing loss, it's tinnitus, pain and sensitivity to loud noise that comes along with hearing loss. I say turn it down, not up! But, play with attitude, no that matter what you're playing. Another benefit of playing at a lower volume is that you can hear every player in the band so much more easily when the volume is not blaring.
Don Griffin
on 06/13/2010 		Play IT Loud
Ed
on 06/13/2010 		The most important thing about playing loud is that it's harder , it's more difficult, because it can be intimidating, you can take a single run that you are so good at playing in your room or rehearsal space, but take that same run and turn your amp way up in a show or studio , it's a different ball game.
Ken
on 06/12/2010 		When you push a tube amp, the singing tone is what we all crave, the compression, harmonics, dynamics. But hey! do it with a smaller amp so no one's ears bleed. Sometimes though, extreme volume seems appropo, like seeing Robin Trower in the 70's (3 Marshall half stacks) Chris whitley in the 90's playing his National through a Marshall half stack in a club. Volume can equate drama, but not a constant onslaught. Dynamics are all important!
Schematic
on 06/12/2010 		"If it's to Loud your to Old" I'm 59 and still rocking although like Pete my ears have suffered.
Tommy Hatcher
on 06/11/2010 		AMEN brutha Steve! I've lived by that mantra all my life and still do! I'll be doing the 100wt vintage Marshall demo again at the Nashville amp Expo in August if anybody wants a taste of what they sound like on "11" without attenuators! www.Nashvilleampexpo.com
Stephen
on 06/11/2010 		As an audiologist AND a player, I recommend wearing musician's earplugs if you want to play loud and still enjoy your tone for years to come! It also helps one avoid the post-gig, tinnitus blues.



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