Tap-Tap-Tap-a-roo!!

I don't play the guitar, i barely play the Bass. I wish i had more patience for it like my friend Steven, he good and has a desire. I wish i could wake up one day and just be awesome at guitar. And by awesome, i don't mean boring technical guitar playing. I mean innovative, being able to create complex, thick, unique, diverse and epic music. That is extremely rare to see music anymore. Most mainstream, use boring power chords and call it a day. Power chords are good, don't get me wrong. Too much gets lame and boring. Too twangy so-called "complex" songs that "guitar gods" are playing are ELEVATOR music. That is not good guitar playing, thats boring guitar playing.

with that disclaimer....

One of the only few bands that i find flawless (by my definition) with regards to guitar playing is AFI. Diverse, epic, bulletproof. Jade knows how to create, new innovative power chords, while switching back and forth from that to ripping complex guitar segments. Some bands have 2 (or more) guitarist, which allows for one playing rythm and the other playing the power chords. AFI has 1, and he does both, Jade said that he rarely (if ever), records anything that he cannot recreate live. I've noticed how he has progressed throughout the years.

I have been thinking about the guitar technique of lately. I technique that is rarely or never used in mainstream music. which is lame, cause its way cool to hear and watch.

In 2003 AFI had a single from their album Sing the Sorrow called The Leaving Song pt. 2. Which is opened by jade tapping. I love the song for 1 million reasons and that is definatly one of them. It was a unused technique at the time, and Jade made it his own.

Since Decemberunderground came out in 2006, whenever he plays The Leaving Song pt. 2, he slows the tapping down and it becomes distorted. I have the audio from about 15 live shows from 2003 to now of AFI, and its something i have noticed. Only a nerd like me would have noticed this. Its funny when i see lamers on the message boards say that he can pull it off in the studio but not live, which is an ignorant statement. You cant just slow tapping down on an electric guitar without it being distorted.

Examples...
Here is the studio recording from the Music video where you can see Jade playing it in 2003..


The Leaving Song Pt. 2 live at the Hard Rock in Orlando, FL in 2003, sounds just like the studio recording...


Here it is from the I Heard A Voice DVD in 2006...



i am aware that probably no one cares about any of this, so don't feel bad. I don't expect you to :)