• JBSRV
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
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Topic: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBinQrM2kkc

This shows some great blues chops.


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  • Registered: 2009-03-12
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Love his voice, his compositions, his feeling.
He's a good guitar player. The great disadvantage in him is the lack of stlye while soloing.

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Well i also just found this..... it's pretty amazing... at least to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKWyHe5wY5Q

-Eric

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry
  • Curby
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

There's no question Mayer's an accomplished guitarist/vocalist/song-writer.  To say he has no style is ridiculous.  Everyone who's ever picked up any instrument has been influenced by someone else.  What makes the great separate from the average is a desire to develop those influences into something unique.  Maybe Mayer's not completely there, but I think he'll get there sooner than about 90% of his peers.

  • Registered: 2009-03-12
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Curby wrote:

There's no question Mayer's an accomplished guitarist/vocalist/song-writer.  To say he has no style is ridiculous.  Everyone who's ever picked up any instrument has been influenced by someone else.  What makes the great separate from the average is a desire to develop those influences into something unique.  Maybe Mayer's not completely there, but I think he'll get there sooner than about 90% of his peers.


Mayer's not there at all. Pitty because he's got great potential. I hope he achieves that someday

  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Look at Mayer's songwriting and tell me he's not doing something unique. To look at him as just a guitar player is to do a disservice to songwriting abilities, which in my opinion are far superior to his guitar abilities. And that's why I listen to John Mayer, is because he writes some incredible songs, has a very unique voice, and has some cool productions on his albums. Also, the genius in his playing comes not from his licks, but from the rhythm stuff he does. Some of that stuff is just amazing. Especially on his acoustic playing, listen to the live version of Neon off of his Where The Light Is dvd and you'll see what I mean.

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  • From: Edgewater, FL
  • Registered: 2007-12-08
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Agreed Chris!  To ME, he's a lot funkier than he is bluesier.  IMO

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

here is neon live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzsEzD2f … p;index=11  lovely stuff smile

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Deezer wrote:

Look at Mayer's songwriting and tell me he's not doing something unique. To look at him as just a guitar player is to do a disservice to songwriting abilities, which in my opinion are far superior to his guitar abilities. And that's why I listen to John Mayer, is because he writes some incredible songs, has a very unique voice, and has some cool productions on his albums. Also, the genius in his playing comes not from his licks, but from the rhythm stuff he does. Some of that stuff is just amazing. Especially on his acoustic playing, listen to the live version of Neon off of his Where The Light Is dvd and you'll see what I mean.


i'm just talking about his lack of style WHILE SOLOING in blues. nothing else.

  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Why limit ourselves to that? To just guitar playing? That to me is limits the scope of greatness.

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  • From: Missoula, Montana
  • Registered: 2008-08-18
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Buddy Guy is a John Mayer fan. That is good enough for me!!!!

I do like the kid. At least he is trying. So much of today's music is crap.

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Tripod wrote 'The great disadvantage in him is the lack of stlye while soloing'. What you perceive to be his lack of style may well be his style. It isn't necessarily a disadvantage because it's a bit different.

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

bigjeffjones wrote:

Agreed Chris!  To ME, he's a lot funkier than he is bluesier.  IMO

He is a far cry from Johnny Lang... sorry - not seeing 'soul' or 'funk' really at all. I was thinking poppier? Which I think is good.

I see what people are saying about style in blues soloing... but I think that's cause he's still in emulation mode. I can hear some Guy or King in some of the slow stuff. I don't mind it or see it as a bad thing. And to say that playing will not improve is ridiculous. He's a really great finger-picker too which might help develop his blues soloing.

Mayer's saving grace is that he is not a one-trick pony. His songwriting ability lends itself to different genres that allows him to cross over in the same way that Clapton's music did/does. I describe his musical range from a modern Paul Simon to Jimi Hendrix.

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  • From: Edgewater, FL
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:
bigjeffjones wrote:

Agreed Chris!  To ME, he's a lot funkier than he is bluesier.  IMO

He is a far cry from Johnny Lang... sorry - not seeing 'soul' or 'funk' really at all. I was thinking poppier? Which I think is good.

I see what people are saying about style in blues soloing... but I think that's cause he's still in emulation mode. I can hear some Guy or King in some of the slow stuff. I don't mind it or see it as a bad thing. And to say that playing will not improve is ridiculous. He's a really great finger-picker too which might help develop his blues soloing.

Mayer's saving grace is that he is not a one-trick pony. His songwriting ability lends itself to different genres that allows him to cross over in the same way that Clapton's music did/does. I describe his musical range from a modern Paul Simon to Jimi Hendrix.

Yeah it's good.  Soulful Johnny Lang is not...well It's apples to oranges.  When I first moved Mayer in my mind from brilliant "purty boy" marketer to something approaching adult, was when I watched him in the first Crossroads DVD.  He were Funky.

Trust Me.  I am the Funky Dr of Love.  wink
and I have soul...just ask me.  They are not the same; Funk & Soul.

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

bigjeffjones's Website

  • Registered: 2009-03-12
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

BBJ wrote:

Tripod wrote 'The great disadvantage in him is the lack of stlye while soloing'. What you perceive to be his lack of style may well be his style. It isn't necessarily a disadvantage because it's a bit different.


Definitely no. One thing is to take licks from someone else and modify them and make something of your own (for example: Joe). Other thing is to take licks and play them exactly the same as your infuences did (and to sound exactly the same).
I don't know what can happen in the future. Maybe he will finally develop that, i really hope he does it because he's really a great artist.
It's true that this task isn't easy at all.

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

One thing that there is never a shortage of on this forum are people willing to go round and round in circles about John Mayer roll lol cool

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Tripod wrote:
BBJ wrote:

Tripod wrote 'The great disadvantage in him is the lack of stlye while soloing'. What you perceive to be his lack of style may well be his style. It isn't necessarily a disadvantage because it's a bit different.


Definitely no. One thing is to take licks from someone else and modify them and make something of your own (for example: Joe). Other thing is to take licks and play them exactly the same as your infuences did (and to sound exactly the same).
I don't know what can happen in the future. Maybe he will finally develop that, i really hope he does it because he's really a great artist.
It's true that this task isn't easy at all.

Sorry Tripod, but I'm not buying your arguement and I don't think I'm alone.  Mayer's not where he is today because he's a pretty boy or because he dates Hollywood starlets.  Nor has he cookie-cut from his early pop days like most of the semi-talented.  Just his song-writing alone towers over most artists of his generation.  I don't hate to say it, but I'm smelling sour grapes from yet another person that wants to puff his chest out and scream listen to my brilliance.

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Re: Who says Mayer can't play the blues?

Curby wrote:
Tripod wrote:
BBJ wrote:

Tripod wrote 'The great disadvantage in him is the lack of stlye while soloing'. What you perceive to be his lack of style may well be his style. It isn't necessarily a disadvantage because it's a bit different.


Definitely no. One thing is to take licks from someone else and modify them and make something of your own (for example: Joe). Other thing is to take licks and play them exactly the same as your infuences did (and to sound exactly the same).
I don't know what can happen in the future. Maybe he will finally develop that, i really hope he does it because he's really a great artist.
It's true that this task isn't easy at all.

Sorry Tripod, but I'm not buying your arguement and I don't think I'm alone.  Mayer's not where he is today because he's a pretty boy or because he dates Hollywood starlets.  Nor has he cookie-cut from his early pop days like most of the semi-talented.  Just his song-writing alone towers over most artists of his generation.  I don't hate to say it, but I'm smelling sour grapes from yet another person that wants to puff his chest out and scream listen to my brilliance.


Sory Curby, but you will definitely have to start paying more attention to what i wrote. We are not talking about his success, his talent, or his song-writing skills.