Pedals vs Songwriting

[Bassus Sanguinis]

Mmm. Depends on the material.

I've done albums and shows with a pretty minimalistic set up myself years ago with my old bands but I don't think I'm going back there anytime soon. Noise bands and the fantastic freaky shit like that are very different in that sense. Today I considered leaving the bass guitars home and just take the pedals with me. Even my current band drummer wants delay, fuzz and phaser pedals now for his precussion stuff

If You're fine with a good basic dirt sound that You thrash the whole live set through and it works, well, there You go.

But why would anyboldy want to play the whole set through with the same sound? Unless he's playing unplugged. Or he has the TOANZ IN FINGERS and shit like that. But I might be biased here and think I wash my hands too much for the toanz to stick these days. So don't take my word for it.

[kaeth]

How am I supposed to mask my suck without pedals?

[npfrs]

How am I supposed to mask my suck without pedals?

Dance routine?

[npfrs]

Furthermore I would never give credence to a paradox of "pedals vs songwriting" because the 2 are anything but mutually exclusive.

But I will stop short of telling someone else what works best for them or what they *should* be doing.

I appreciate the thought and I should make it clear - I don't think they're mutually exclusive either but it's an internet forum so I just tossed a quick title on there and voila!

As for me, of course I love effects and textures, but I need to write something on an acoustic/uneffected electric or a piano, or else I get distracted by all the cool sounds I can make. Using all the effects I want comes in the arrangement stage.

Everyone works in a different way, and you should find the one that works best for you. That's just how I do it.

I agree so hard with this. That's the crux of what I'm getting at. I'll write something without pedals then start to add them in but, playing with just gtr -> amp, I've started to realize I can make the songs sound just as interesting, let them have space rather than fill a bridge or wordless verse with sonic textures.

It's a thought I wanted to have out loud on a forum to start discussion - I'm pretty pumped for all the responses thus far!

[Blackened Soul]

I just do whatever.

[tuffteef]

I just do whatever.

[GardenoftheDead]

My set-up is never complicated enough that I feel it gets in the way.

[bigchiefbc]

As for me, of course I love effects and textures, but I need to write something on an acoustic/uneffected electric or a piano, or else I get distracted by all the cool sounds I can make. Using all the effects I want comes in the arrangement stage.

Everyone works in a different way, and you should find the one that works best for you. That's just how I do it.

I agree so hard with this. That's the crux of what I'm getting at. I'll write something without pedals then start to add them in but, playing with just gtr -> amp, I've started to realize I can make the songs sound just as interesting, let them have space rather than fill a bridge or wordless verse with sonic textures.

It's a thought I wanted to have out loud on a forum to start discussion - I'm pretty pumped for all the responses thus far!

I'm the exact opposite of you guys. I generally find playing unplugged/clean to be really really uninspiring and, well, boring.

99% of the songs I've written were inspired by a cool sound I got with some pedals or a fucked up synth patch I made by turning a shitload of knobs.

My favorite quote on this subject is by The Edge, as lame as that is : "The biggest difference between me and other players is that I don’t use effects to color my parts. I create guitar parts using effects. They’re a crucial element of what I do so I don’t consider them a crutch... They’re a part of the art."

[rustywire]

As for me, of course I love effects and textures, but I need to write something on an acoustic/uneffected electric or a piano, or else I get distracted by all the cool sounds I can make. Using all the effects I want comes in the arrangement stage.

Everyone works in a different way, and you should find the one that works best for you. That's just how I do it.

I agree so hard with this. That's the crux of what I'm getting at. I'll write something without pedals then start to add them in but, playing with just gtr -> amp, I've started to realize I can make the songs sound just as interesting, let them have space rather than fill a bridge or wordless verse with sonic textures.

It's a thought I wanted to have out loud on a forum to start discussion - I'm pretty pumped for all the responses thus far!

I'm the exact opposite of you guys. I generally find playing unplugged/clean to be really really uninspiring and, well, boring.

99% of the songs I've written were inspired by a cool sound I got with some pedals or a fucked up synth patch I made by turning a shitload of knobs.

My favorite quote on this subject is by The Edge, as lame as that is : "The biggest difference between me and other players is that I don’t use effects to color my parts. I create guitar parts using effects. They’re a crucial element of what I do so I don’t consider them a crutch... They’re a part of the art."

Inclined to agree, personally. Effects can be like alternate brushes or even pigments to an artist.
Surely it's possible to paint a spectacular scene using 1 brush and 1 color, but how many variations on that theme can one muster before the experience grows stale?

Not everyone draws inspiration from the same location...

Great quote/philosophy @Edge

[npfrs]

As for me, of course I love effects and textures, but I need to write something on an acoustic/uneffected electric or a piano, or else I get distracted by all the cool sounds I can make. Using all the effects I want comes in the arrangement stage.

Everyone works in a different way, and you should find the one that works best for you. That's just how I do it.

I agree so hard with this. That's the crux of what I'm getting at. I'll write something without pedals then start to add them in but, playing with just gtr -> amp, I've started to realize I can make the songs sound just as interesting, let them have space rather than fill a bridge or wordless verse with sonic textures.

It's a thought I wanted to have out loud on a forum to start discussion - I'm pretty pumped for all the responses thus far!

I'm the exact opposite of you guys. I generally find playing unplugged/clean to be really really uninspiring and, well, boring.

99% of the songs I've written were inspired by a cool sound I got with some pedals or a fucked up synth patch I made by turning a shitload of knobs.

My favorite quote on this subject is by The Edge, as lame as that is : "The biggest difference between me and other players is that I don’t use effects to color my parts. I create guitar parts using effects. They’re a crucial element of what I do so I don’t consider them a crutch... They’re a part of the art."

Inclined to agree, personally. Effects can be like alternate brushes or even pigments to an artist.
Surely it's possible to paint a spectacular scene using 1 brush and 1 color, but how many variations on that theme can one muster before the experience grows stale?

Not everyone draws inspiration from the same location...

Great quote/philosophy @Edge

I'm going to watch It Might Get Loud again... for the 82nd time.

The one thing about Edge though is that he's well aware of how simple some of the things he's playing are and how effects can change the sound of that; that's also why I love effects! What I'm finding interesting is taking a song I normally loop and add several layers to to create different verse/chorus build-ups, etc, and playing it gtr -> amp and realizing it's still a good song. Instead of laying down Whammy bass and POG organ, etc, etc, just letting certain parts breath/act as space between lyrics - it's enjoyable and I don't think the songs are losing anything... mind you, maybe I'm biased as it would mean not having to lug a backpedal around :P

[D.o.S.]

Pedals + Songwriting.

My personal favorite blip on this comes from Roger Waters via the Director's cut of Live in Pompeii.

"It's like saying 'Give a man a Les Paul guitar and he becomes Eric Clapton,' you know. It's not true. And give a man an amplifier and a synthesizer, and he doesn't become whoever, you know. He doesn't become us."

[Doctor X]

variety

when i play clean i think, that sounds great clean
then i switch to phaser and i think, that sound great with the phaser
then with dirty fuzz
then with chorus
then back to clean

it sounds fresh each time because its new

[ryan summit]

I'm the exact opposite of you guys. I generally find playing unplugged/clean to be really really uninspiring and, well, boring.

not opposite of me chief
im totally with you on this
and it doesnt apply to listening to other people
i dont question often what someones using
sounds good sounds good
unfortunately i dont sound good to my ear
without something whackin it out a bit
if im trying to learn a specific riff or song
i got the accoustic to work it out now
i used to do it on an unplugged guitar
but my ears suck so i couldnt hear it
but when it comes to any kind of creativity for me
i need somethin to set the mood
im not sayin amp distortion wouldnt do it
im sayin by next year id need to buy another amp
fuck it by next month

[behndy]

moop.

[skullservant]

I honestly find and think of my pedals as an extension of my playing, they do things I can't normally do or make without them for the most part. I've been playing clean a lot lately, but then I always throw pedals on after I figure something out clean to see how it sounds