Accepting Tonal Defeat

[grampa]

Surrender is victory. You surrender to your own sound within you. Surrender and accept and you will attain happiness with your own sound.

Who wants to be an almost like a star. Be your own star.

[surfpup]

.... how many variables are there?

I just don't see how fingers have much of an impact on sound or tone. ...

 

When someone says it's in the fingers they are speaking metaphorically. You know, like saying

something comes from the heart, when we all know the heart just pumps blood. It's in the fingers

really means it's in the player's ability to express himself musically. Some of that is mental,

but some of it is physical as well.

 

How many variables you ask... quite a few I'd say...

vibrato obviously, the pressure a player exerts with his or her hands (fretting and picking) matters,

attack, legato vs staccato, the speed at which the player bends into or out of notes, the little slurs

that become a part of our personality over the years. All of these interact with the wires and wood (and

with an amp as well) to help a player develop his or her own, unique tone. Once players have that, they

will sound like themselves on nearly any gear.

[Californiaman]

Yeah... just like that, see?

[Andy R]

When someone says it's in the fingers they are speaking metaphorically. You know, like saying

something comes from the heart, when we all know the heart just pumps blood. It's in the fingers

really means it's in the player's ability to express himself musically. Some of that is mental,

but some of it is physical as well.

 

How many variables you ask... quite a few I'd say...

vibrato obviously, the pressure a player exerts with his or her hands (fretting and picking) matters,

attack, legato vs staccato, the speed at which the player bends into or out of notes, the little slurs

that become a part of our personality over the years. All of these interact with the wires and wood (and

with an amp as well) to help a player develop his or her own, unique tone. Once players have that, they

will sound like themselves on nearly any gear.

 

I know it's a metaphor but I'm not sure everyone knows that....

 

 

 

[jnastynebr]

When someone says it's in the fingers they are speaking metaphorically. You know, like saying

something comes from the heart, when we all know the heart just pumps blood. It's in the fingers

really means it's in the player's ability to express himself musically. Some of that is mental,

but some of it is physical as well.

 

How many variables you ask... quite a few I'd say...

vibrato obviously, the pressure a player exerts with his or her hands (fretting and picking) matters,

attack, legato vs staccato, the speed at which the player bends into or out of notes, the little slurs

that become a part of our personality over the years. All of these interact with the wires and wood (and

with an amp as well) to help a player develop his or her own, unique tone. Once players have that, they

will sound like themselves on nearly any gear.

Okay, now your talking about SOUND (technique and style), not TONE. I agree with most of the points made on this thread about individual style influencing SOUND, but TONE is something completely different. The metaphor of "TONE is in the fingers", or heart, or brain, bla bla..... would be better stated, "your SOUND (or mojo, or whatever) is in your fingers" If you want good TONE, you better walk your magic fingers over to your amp's EQ and dial it in, because even the most talented digits on the planet aren't going to be able that filthy crunch if your gain is on 2 and your volume is at 35%. That comes from you knowing how to utilize your tools (gear) properly.