h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Fairly blatant post just to show one of Britians best acoustic guitarists, Gordon Giltrap, but not overly well-known but with Youtube he can finally get a bit more recognition.

A beautiful track:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0ERAittII

And everyone who watched TV in the 70's/80's will recognise this one:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7tx8J5nBRck

This one is for guitar geeks: Overlaid chord sequences building up into an amazing piece. He has only recently been doing this in his set so I have yet to see it live.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8aeQ8D_IW20

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=G_tXI4GyFZw

I had the pleasure of seeing Gordon Giltrap at a guitar exhibition in the late 80s. The chap makes one want to knock the guitar playing on the head! He's too bloody good.

I suggest you go and see him in one of his many concerts. The albums and video do not do justice to his playing and he is a thoroughly nice guy to boot - his playing has evolved and improved over the years.

Blimey, 'Appalachian Dreaming' really is beautiful!

Yup. Is it just me or would that be an ideal song to play on Christmas day?

Personally I'm more of a Black Sabbath man on Christmas Day!

*crikey, that's the sort of thing Azathoth would say!*

I'm now watching the third linked track, 'Dodo's Dream' and both looking at my Telecaster and wondering where the hell all those notes are coming from. Even before the sampling loopy pedal thing kicked in there were more things going on than a chap with the standard issue of eight fingers and a couple of thumbs can reasonably be expected to manage.

<'Appalachian Dreaming' really is beautiful!>

Yes, it's become my favourite. It's also played on quite a bastardised guitar. Tuning(and this works quite well for standard guitars for the piece) DADGAB.

On the Hi brid guitar..DADGAF sharp.When capo is at 5th fret and ****a screw at 10th fret****!!!! it is thus...GDGCDE.

The actual fingering isn't too bad as his live DVD at Huntingdon Hall shows the fretting very clearly.

On a related note, there's an instrument called a Chapman stick, which it seems is like two guitars welded together, and is played with two hands on the fretboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JjimMO2SdE

Meanwhile, a guy named Stanley Jordan uses a similar technique, but uses a more or less bog-standard electric guitar. Or two simultaneously.

This is quite simply indescribable - he takes what is surely THE electric guitar song, and makes it... well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjXN3OLgoqs

I had the pleasure of seeing the coolest man on the planet (Tony Levin) at WOMAD this year. It was the first time I've seen a Chapman Stick being played in the flesh. It's a smashing instrument.

One Cloud. Jeepers, that really is rather special.

Re: Stanley Jordan's 'Stairway'. Firstly, thanks SoRB for pointing us in that direction. Secondly, I am now absolutely giving up guitar playing.I wonder how Stairway would sound on a kazoo?*


*That's a lie: I know exactly how Stairway sounds on a kazoo. You don't want to know. Trust me.

OK, ok. The man's brilliant but a Strat neck on a Tele body? Oh come on. Too distracting.

And this man really is the king of guitar. He plays TWO at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gACsPcbU1tg



PP

But seriously, I've always thought that the guitar is a great accompaniment to voice.

For reasons of my own this is currently going round and round in my car CD player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3DS6xglAfQ

And this isn't the best version but I can't find the difinitive one at the moment.

He also plays "Oops I Did It Again" and makes the middle 8 sound medieval on a standard acoustic guitar.

PP

Marcus Brigstock's micky take of the Abrahamic faiths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY-ZrwFwLQg

Ah, yes absolutely superb. I remember tuning into Feeback to listen to the disgusted letters and there weren't any(maybe one?). Everyone agreed with him...it REALLY p1ssed him off!

This is a bit sinister:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8W4nBAFXBk

Councillor Alan Craig is very much alive, but he is annoying some people by voicing his constituents opposition to the building of a "Mega Mosque".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywqti9zZS14&feature=bz301

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0EJXT2UJSQ&NR=1

The tune's cool!

Any drivers out there? Don't try this at the filling station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8WoLZC8GTo

TRiG.

Armstrong & Miller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwNQf08Kxsw