Was George technically proficient as a Guitar player or not?

Absolutely he was proficient! I can't make my fingers do the things his did, or so cleanly.

I think people tend to rag on George because he wasn't 1) a virtuoso player, which is completely different from being "technically proficient" and 2) a fast composer of original tunes. I get particularly irritated at the latter. I too rely upon creativity for my livelihood, and I'm not fast. But when I release something, people only get to see the finished product. They don't say, "Nice work, too bad it took you 2 weeks to get it done, otherwise I might have liked it." No, what they actually say is, "Wow, awesome! Do more!"

Everyone's creative process is unique. I fully respect George's creative process because he left me so many tunes that I continue to enjoy... well, daily! So I'm very grateful I "met" him. Cheers.

I dont think he was technically proficient but at the time of the beatles there wasnt really many techniques around yet as distortion was just only starting to come in to play and it was far less heavier than the sound that guitarists have got now a days to play with.

I never really saw him as lead guitarist but more as a rhythm player, playing only what the song needed when it was needed he played basically what lennon was playing in most songs but at a higher or lower part on the guitar, with a slight difference in the rhythm and then when there was no singing would then perform a little riff here and there where it was needed .

None of the beatles with the exception of paul who was doing things with the bass that no other bass players where doing at the time where technically great, they just had a great understanding for what makes a song good and knowing how to build a song to give the highs and lows.

Usually when i listen all my other favourite bands the one thing that stands out for me with them apart from the music being great is that i wanna learn the guitar parts but with the beatles i think apart from the  amazing songwriting is the 3 way harmonies and the bass playing.

imo ive never been blown away by his playing or even got the urge to learn his parts like when i listen to other guitarists they inspire me to learn there bits, i would put george slightly ahead of guys like noel gallagher in the guitar stakes and are both great for if youve been playing guitar for a year and wanna get a little better.

But he is an awesome songwriter which is basically how i sum up george hes a musician and songwriter before he is guitarist even when he was playing lead on lennon/mccartney compositions he was always wrting for the better of the song and sometimes that meant maybe doing very little and sometimes just playing tambourine.

Yes all the way! Of course he was technically proficient, couldn't ask for a better guitarist for the Beatles. He got better and better throughout the Beatle years, just listen to that guitar on Something! Wow, he's a genius when it comes to that, I think he's one of the best ever.  ;D

Yes- I don't think George receives enough credit for his guitar playing.

Y-e-s.

I voted 'yes' even though I still dont consider him one of the greatest.

I voted "yes" because I think George was technically proficient and he became better as the years went by.  I think George is one of the most melodic guitarrists around and has his distinctive sound as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page.

Quoted from Beatlemaniac64

Yes all the way! Of course he was technically proficient, couldn't ask for a better guitarist for the Beatles. He got better and better throughout the Beatle years, just listen to that guitar on Something! Wow, he's a genius when it comes to that, I think he's one of the best ever.  ;D

You said it beautifully, Beatlemaniac64.  I can add nothing more.

I think he was technically proficent as a guitar player, without a doubt, but he wasn't in the same leagues as his buddy Clapton.

George was a brilliant 'underated' guitarist with his own tone!
He wasen't that particully amazing when he first started but he could
probley play most better than some guitarist, his nice work on the
early songs like Till There Was You, And I Love Her, & those terrific
BBC recordings alone show what a great guitar player he was.
I think he was bettering himself as time went on & certainly by his
solo career he played amazing stuff. I don't think anyone could copy the
style he had, & i don't think anyone sounded like him before.
he played simply & beautifully  which is what i prefer, he wasn't interested in being
a Hendrix or Clapton for that matter. He was George!  :)
Technically Proficient? yes & no. Yes in the fact that almost everybody can
hum the guitar solo's to the Beatles songs & no in the fact that .. well, he wasen't
technically great. But that was a great thing because he wasen't a show-off or
a labellad 'Guitar-God'. That kinda thing just bores's me!
:)

I like George's guitar playing and i think he did get much better as time went on , i really like his playing on Thirty Three & 1/3 , i like how he keeps his playing in sync with his voice on this album it's lovely.

DaveRam :)

It's no secret that I don't rate George highly as a guitarist, though I do think he had certain qualities that single him out. His sense of melody, in league with McCartney's was essential to some songs. And I enjoy his later slide work. It would have been interesting to see how The Beatles would have turned out had he developed that earlier.

There is a thread here 'The Beatles minus George', where I, amongst some others suggested that The Beatles could have withstood the loss of George. It was hypothetical only, and seemed to single me out as a George hater, which is far from the truth. In fact he is my favourite ex-Beatle, as a solo artist.

Yeah i agree with blue meanie i too also looked as if i was coming down on george hard but i only meant it in the guitar sense, he contributed a lot more than just playing the guitar to the beatles.

He in my opinion was a craftsman and songwriter before he was a guitarist, and he was also very versatile and could play anythign when he was called upon to do so, for the good of the song.

He's great. When I hear one of the other Beatles' solo albums, like "Imagine" or "Ringo" for example, I hear a guitar riff. Then I'm like, hey, is that George? He has such a distinct sound, I can tell it's him. That's a pretty big gift on George's part if someone can tell who someone else is just by hearing a guitar riff.

And thanks Hello Goodbye for the compliment!

Quoted from 679

i really like his playing on Thirty Three & 1/3 , i like how he keeps his playing in sync with his voice on this album it's lovely.

DaveRam :)

Yes DaveRam, just listen to his wonderful playing on 'Pure Smokey' &
'Beautiful Girl'! He was magic!  ;)

Thanks, BlueMeanie and Fendertele. You guys are warming my heart. :)

You know, the Beatles were all very good. *wonders if I should start a thread about this news flash*

Quoted from harihead

Thanks, BlueMeanie and Fendertele. You guys are warming my heart. :)

You know, the Beatles were all very good. *wonders if I should start a thread about this news flash*

Don't you mean revelation?

^ Well, the thought was accompanied by an angelic choir singing, but I thought that happened to everyone.

He's a classic and his sound as well.I vote:yes!

Yes, very much so.

Yeah, he's proficient!

OK, he's not Herman Li, but I don't think that is bad. To me his greatest strength was knowing exactly what to play, and what NOT to play. The ultimate band member IMO - plays a fill in an empty spot, helps with the rhythm, does a beautiful solo where appropriate. I don't think the Beatles would have done nearly as well with another guitarist - I don't know that Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, Richards, etc. knew how to support a song, rather than highlight themselves, well enough. Well, maybe Keith Richards, of all people!

Rockabilly and Slide ... George's signature sounds - great  :)

Of course!  Is he the best guitar player there ever was? No.  But he was the best guitar player for The Beatles and he did a damn good job.  He was a great guitar player  8)

he wasn't terrible, i see better guitar players every week playing in small clubs, the question is would they have fitted into the Beatles as George did.

I think that what George lacked in guitar playing made him a better band member, A dont think the band could have handled another Ego to add to the power struggle.

I don't Guys like Jimi, Clapton, page could have took a back seat as often as George did, they would have had songs they would want to be played.

Quoted from fendertele

he wasn't terrible, i see better guitar players every week playing in small clubs, the question is would they have fitted into the Beatles as George did.

I think that what George lacked in guitar playing made him a better band member, A dont think the band could have handled another Ego to add to the power struggle.

I don't Guys like Jimi, Clapton, page could have took a back seat as often as George did, they would have had songs they would want to be played.

^^^  What I said  ;)  in a previous post, pretty much. So, Fendertele, I think you must be a very wise man  :)

George was a great guitar player, I still haven't heard someone play slide guitar like he has. I think he had the capability to play a lot of different styles, but he stuck true to one and mastered it, but that doesn't mean he was efficent in other areas.

Sure, he was "technically proficient:" and that slide guitar style of his is one of the most recognizable sounds of the late 60s and early 70s. George wasn't flashy, but he had style and soul, which to my mind is better.  :)

He recorded the solo on "Something" live with an orchestra (no dubs) for crissakes.  I think that qualifies as "technically proficient."  Not to mention the intro to "Octopus' Garden"--that's a tricky little lick that alot of bar band types would have trouble getting their fingers around.  

And then there's the slide playing.  George almost never falls into the typical lines--he's brilliant at counterpoint and harmony (Just listen to "I'd Have You Anytime").  

George was easily the best guitar player in the Beatles, Paulie included.  Paul could come up with nice solo ideas, but his execution ain't always that clean ("Taxman" and "Sgt Pepper").  Remember too how young George was--he was just coming into his own as a player and songwriter near the latter years of the Beatles.  

How many memorable Paul guitar solos can you think of (particularly from his solo years?)  "Maybe I'm Amazed" is well constructed but Jimmy McCulloch plays it with a lot more soul (and precision) on the live version.  

Solo to Till There Was You? Genius.

Yes i think so .

By the way, in Plastic Ono Band Eric remained downstage. But it is also true that the band didn`t last long...

I don't think "Clapper" did much stellar playing backing John.  Even on the Dirty Mac's "Yer Blues" Eric's playing is pretty perfunctory.  I've never been much impressed by Live Peace (even beyond Yoko's caterwauling)--John's music wasn't really Eric's.  Don't ya step on my Blue Suede Shoes?  

Quoted from Geoff

Sure, he was "technically proficient:" and that slide guitar style of his is one of the most recognizable sounds of the late 60s and early 70s. George wasn't flashy, but he had style and soul, which to my mind is better.  :)

if your talking about the slide on for you blue that was john....john usually played the slide on beatle tunes...

Quoted from adamzero

I don't think "Clapper" did much stellar playing backing John.  Even on the Dirty Mac's "Yer Blues" Eric's playing is pretty perfunctory.  I've never been much impressed by Live Peace (even beyond Yoko's caterwauling)--John's music wasn't really Eric's.  Don't ya step on my Blue Suede Shoes?  

POB was just made up of whoever Lennon could cobble together quickly enough. A vehicle for his non-Beatles work in 1969/70, and a name to hide behind.

Quoted from pc31

if your talking about the slide on for you blue that was john.

Quite true; and John's repertoire as a guitar player is more varied than people give it credit for: he played the solo in "Honey Pie" as well, I think.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

POB was just made up of whoever Lennon could cobble together quickly enough. A vehicle for his non-Beatles work in 1969/70, and a name to hide behind.

Were there any other well-known rockers in the POB?

Quoted from Jane

Were there any other well-known rockers in the POB?

Alan White and Klaus Voorman

Quoted from tkitna

Alan White and Klaus Voorman

And don't forget Yoko (she who sounds like cats mating while being skinned alive when she sings).

knob gobbler was there too.....

Quoted from pc31

knob gobbler was there too.....

;D

Dig that Floyd Pepper, pc.  

Is that the muppets doing George?

yes ma'am dr teeths magic band........

Feckin'a arse'ome emotion rending performance every time. The most pure, which, for me, equals the best. Dana ; )

Hi, Dana! Lovely description. If I missed welcoming you before, allow me to say, Welcome to DM's!

Thanks Harihead! I listen to George's music all the time, usually with a lump in my throat and tears behind my eyes because of the pure emotion of his performance...even "The Sheik of Araby" when his voice cracks on the last 'yeah' and his excited guitar intro get me every time. George is something else! Dana ; )

Did George play guitar on some of the first songs of Badfinger?I know he produced some of their songs/albums but I was wondering.The other day I was listening to one that sounded very close to George style.

Quoted from sewi

Did George play guitar on some of the first songs of Badfinger?I know he produced some of their songs/albums but I was wondering.The other day I was listening to one that sounded very close to George style.

George and Pete Ham both played slide guitar on "Day After Day" from Straight Up.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Up_(album)

(Copy and paste the link)

Thanks a lot,Geoff.That is the song!I did not know it was George but it did sound a lot like him so I thought it was coincidence but why?George produced some of their songs so maybe he played too and so it was!!! :)

How cool, I really like that song I had no idea George was part of it.

George Harrison was absolutely essential for the Beatles!  He was brilliant in the studio when he had time to sit down and compose his parts.  

I've looked at tons of footage of Harrison and playing live was a whole different story, he played some parts very well, but overall live,  Harrison wasn't that good!

The videos reveal that as the Beatles, except Ringo, none of them were consistent live. There are lots of missed and fumbled notes, missed cues, out of tune and flat singing, straining voices, bad harmonies, forgotten lyrics, lackluster performances. But I doubt that they would have been the toast of Liverpool and Hamburg if they had only played some parts very well and overall weren't that good.  Peace, Dana ; )

This is about Harrison's guitar playing, and live it just wasn't that good.

That's your opinion. As I said, their live performances (that are available to hear and/or watch) were inconsistent, sprinkled with mistakes, and occasionally lackluster and rote. To single out one person's performance when none were "that good" isn't an impartial measure. But to me taken in whole, his guitar playing live is exciting and delivers the right impact. Dana ; )

And that's your opinion.

Quoted from maccafan

And that's your opinion.

And that's what this place is all about. ;)

Agreed though Dana, they are mostly a shambles live. Though I think the reason for this is just that they were unable to hear anything they played due to the continual screaming of the fans. And remember that they had no monitor speakers in those days either. Of course, in '66 they couldn't be bothered. But pre screaming days they were a very good live band, and you can hear how good they were on the BBC album, and bootlegs.

Re George, I think he was a very important part of forming the early Beatles sound. Post '66 I think he was just adequate.

After '66 he was adequate in forming the Beatles sound? As what: song writer, guitarist, musical innovator. I just don't get it, what did he lack that makes him only adequate? His talent is just as great as McCartney and Lennon, heck John even said that without each other none would have made it, "None of us would've made it alone, because Paul wasn't quite strong enough, I didn't have enough girl-appeal, George was too quiet, and Ringo was the drummer. But we thought that everyone would be able to dig at least one of us, and that's how it turned out." Dana ; )

Quoted from DoBotherMe

"None of us would've made it alone, because Paul wasn't quite strong enough, I didn't have enough girl-appeal, George was too quiet, and Ringo was the drummer. But we thought that everyone would be able to dig at least one of us, and that's how it turned out." Dana ; )

Great quote. :)

Quoted from DoBotherMe

After '66 he was adequate in forming the Beatles sound? As what: song writer, guitarist, musical innovator. I just don't get it, what did he lack that makes him only adequate? His talent is just as great as McCartney and Lennon, heck John even said that without each other none would have made it, "None of us would've made it alone, because Paul wasn't quite strong enough, I didn't have enough girl-appeal, George was too quiet, and Ringo was the drummer. But we thought that everyone would be able to dig at least one of us, and that's how it turned out." Dana ; )

Wow, what a quotation! I agree with the above statement that it`s a great quote. Thank you very much for it!

I absolutely agree with DoBotherMe that George`s talent was unique and he was a perfect guitar player.

He wasn't the best guitar player ever but he was perfect for The Beatles.