Re: Tone control

["Kris Hartung" <khartung@q.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 

> BTW why is it that many trad jazz players don't bend strings much? 
>Seeing 
> as there is a direct line between blues and jazz , is it because the 
> strings of choice are too hard to bend?

There are probably lots of explanations for this. One is that many jazz 
guitar players have sought to emulate horn or piano players, which doesn't 
lend to well to the bendy tone. :   Though a good horn player can mouth up 
tones to create a relatively smooth transition between half steps....but 
you 
get the gist.  I think this sets somewhat of an unlrealistic expectation 
for 
guitar playres, to be constantly trying to emulate horn players.

But you know, many of the modern jazzers to bend strings...Abercombine, 
Scofield, Mike Stern, McLaughlin, etc. It's those hold farts playing the 
big 
boxes that aren't bending.  I never bend when I play jazz on my archtop.  
I 
just don't have a need for it, mainly because I have enought to worry 
about 
trying to be creative and play improvised melodies, than bending my 
strings 
for effect.

Kris