John Williams talks about the Classical Guitar Part 1

[hevster501]

please upload the rest!! where can i find this??

[Batchicken12125]

No disrespect to John Williams, he is the man, and a phenomenal musician and conductor, but this video is ridiculous. "A rock guitarist can be turned out in 12 hours flat." Bullshit.

Typical classical pig-headedness, thinking their genre is the only one that requires discipline. I've studied rock guitar as well as classical, they are very very different styles but both require the same amount of study and discipline. All the high and mighty classical guitarists can suck my genitalia.

[Blanchefort1]

@bloodshot111

It is Prelude in D by J.S. Bach. (Originally for cello.)

[bloodshot111]

What piece is John playing at 1:00?

[ComradeMorshu]

Early guitar was anything but "limited". Many beautiful pieces currently adapted to modern classical guitar -- such as "Canarios" or "Españoletas", by Gaspar Sanz -- were originally composed for the baroque guitar, which had five courses (10 paired strings).

[rawrgDX]

hasn't he played Smallman guitars for years? Just wondering cuz i know people have huge disputes over them. XD

[sbliss554]

What video is this taken from?

[key2kingdom]

@sbliss554 'the story of the guitar', narrated by Alan Yentob.

[Chuichupachichi]

John Williams spoke of the guitar as existing during the 14th & 15th centuries. Its one of those neither wrong nor right things, but simply a matter of how one wishes to interpret the word "guitar"

However, it can be said that since the modern guitar does possess the form such as the one in his hands, that the 14th & 15th century Lutes were not exactly guitars. Of course, one can also say the 14th & 15th century guitar evolved into its current form

[Chuichupachichi]

Nevertheless, today we distinguish between Lute, Mandolin & Guitar, indicating that they're uniquely different instruments. My personal view is that the Guitar, or "la Guitarra" is a relatively young instrument, having been born within 19th century Spain

"a Rock n Roll guitarist can be turned out in12 hours flat & a Classical player must devote at least 12 solid years to patient study"

Yea, but at least a Rock guitarist can effectively disguise the fact that musicians are geeks

[jaxmikey59]

After seeing Ana Vidovic --I no longer play rock guitar! I have gone headlong into studying classical!

[NO11YOU]

0:02 should be replaced with some Death Metal, now that would give an example lol.

[ReeceNTI]

Does anybody know what guitar he plays ? the brand or maker would be good :)

[Chuichupachichi]

@ReeceNTI

{Does anybody know what guitar he plays ?}

Yes, its without a doubt, made by the Master Luthier whom makes the best classical guitars. This can be easily determined by the fact that its played by John Williams

Don't mean to be a smart ass, but I was wondering the same thing right after he played the arpeggio. Doesn't it sound beautiful? It almost sounds like a grand piano during that arpeggio...especially the deep, rich lows

Sorry, but I'm also curious of the make

[cihad2003]

from wich song is the strumming at 2:27

[melkor6666666]

Sounds like Gordon Ramsay narrating!

[rawrgDX]

Just by limited experience, I realize not everybody likes the idea of solo classical guitar. Some prefer to hear strummed chords or blazing friggin solos. Plus not all of the best guitarists are classical. Jazz, country, and contemp. fingerstyle guitarists are respectable too.

[spats19711]

Well I am sure both disciplines take exactly that - discipline! However please keep Yngwie out of it!!! His ability to pervert his 'classical' influence (not actually 'classical' more baroque so the term neoclassical is wrong!), is incredibly insulting. I teach students at the age of 12 and 13 who play the Bach Bouree (grade 5) with much more poise and sensitivity. Yngwie kills it!

But both styles of guitar playing are as different as soccer and American Football. Comparison is futile!

[guitarmbar]

What is the guitar's "bad reputation". The fact that it has roots and tradition in popular styles is a bad thing? I like John Williams as a player and person but it is disappointing to hear him say such narrow minded things. This is the sort of attitude Segovia implanted in people.

[zatarregaza]

@guitarmbar Keep in mind Williams had stints with popular styles. Look at his involvement with Sky. He's not knocking popular styles, rather he seems to mention the guitar's early limitations were due in part to how it was played. You could probably add to this the fact that polyphony as a little established discipline in the 14th and 15th centuries would not have necessitated the development of the instrument beyond what it was practically used for.

[ditman333]

1:20 Guy wont stop staring at the camera

[THClypse]

@ditman333 I went back to look at that guy, that made lol so bad

[ftryew]

julian bream is the kid

[MITCHWILD]

I remember watching an interview with Mr Williams recently where he says that he wishes he could play electric guitar, but he simply can't do it. He was referring to Jazz i think, but the point is made.

Very different instruments call for different skills.

[fretgut]

Wow, for someone who has spent a life playing the instrument, his ignorance about it's "origins" is astounding.The 4 course guitar didn't have 4 strings, it was plucked rather than strummed and had wonderful polyphony written for it. The 5 course baroque guitar began life as a strum only instrument but rapidly added plucking, polyphony and wonderful chaconnes over a century before Bach wrote his.

[LutenistDeMari]

@fretgut - I thought this too at first, but he does say 14th and 15th century.... this means 1300 -1400 .... so I don't think much polyphony was being played then - certainly not published yet!

[utooberblooper]

you have to also remember the rock n roll guitarist he is referring to is a 50's style 3 chord guitarist,not a yngwie malmsteen ,tony mcalpine,joe satriani ,steve vai ,vanhalen.these guitarists are obviously more schooled than many classical guitarists and have attended years of m.i.t and know many classical pieces on the guitar but transposed 4 or 5 separate parts and play the entire thing at 10 times the original speed while still maintaining beautiful tone and insane clarity and control.

[iamJROD]

@utooberblooper ...You are correct, but classical and flamenco guitar is still more advanced then the aforementioned guitar styles of the guitarist you mentioned. The right hand fingerstyle techniques of the classical and flamenco guitar requires a lot more to develop then playing with a pick.

[meeetthh]

@utooberblooper Haha yeah right, sure they are more schooled and have more training then classical guitarist. pffft, no way. Classical guitar is THE most hard to learn style of guitar that exists, period. You cant even compare the two, if you think so, you have no idea of what your talking about. Thats a fact.

[AsylumSeaker]

@meeetthh You're comparing and claiming they can't be compared simultaneously.

[meeetthh]

@AsylumSeaker yeah yeah mr wiseguy, dont take things so litteral and wordly and you might get what im saying instead of marking words..

[johnathandk42134]

a rock guitarist can be churned out in 12 hours MY ASS!! classical guitarists have a lot of technique unique to their style but rock and metal does too

[gonja3000]

@johnathandk42134 your right there both take practice but he trying to say that mastering the classical guitar is harder because you must learn to read music and play with a beautyfull tone and techniqe takes years to get good at. especially good tone it takes two years just to develop an ok tone. not to mention the dufficulty of many classical songs like gran jota and bachs chaconne trans. by andres sogovia you cant learn those songs by ear like you can with rock songs

[johnathandk42134]

@gonja3000 yeah but there are techniques like sweep picking, alternate picking, economy picking, inside and outside picking that classical guitarists don't do and it takes years to develop good technique with those things, and classical guitarists always say id like to see a rock guitarist play some bach or beethoven but us rock guitarists would like to see a classical guitarist play something by rusty cooley, michael angelo batio, or yngwie malmsteen, fact of the matter is both take practice

[VUandChips]

What is the name of the song that begins at 0:55? Thanks.

[psychopathtoine]

@VUandChips cello suite n° 1 prelude, Bach

[VUandChips]

@psychopathtoine Thankyou psycho.

[fashionablesss]

Guitare Jazz - Trio - Paco de Lucia - John McLaughlin & larry Coryell - Morning Of The Carnival  compere

[fashionablesss]

i dont need to wach i cal play both .. if acoustic played well needed much work i much pain in the frinders..when you do in the acoitic then is classis is easier.

[fashionablesss]

acoustic guitar is harder to play than cllasic

[greywrath]

@fashionablesss

then you don't know what classical guitar is.

Go check stuff John Williams and Bream play and then compare it with the acoustic, witch is played with a pick(mostly)

[Iaokanan29]

Hahaha! So funny.... "if he can do it, I can do it too" ... and the mother is thinking something like: Oh, I love my son, but poor boy... and the goldfish suffering into its fishbowl... hahaha! Master Aaron Shearer said: "playing a musical instrument such as the classic guitar is one of the most remarkable of human achievements"

[skint0n0minted]

12 years is a bit strong, i mainly play blues and rock 'n' roll. but i play classical as well and its an easy style i just learnt everything by ear

[Iaokanan29]

This interview has encouraged me to go on with my studies of classical guitar.

[oknarbtal]

lol...you can't become a rock guitarist in 12 hours,do not underestimate. I am both rock/blues and classical guitarist and it's just different..

[MisanthropicCherub]

Yea man. I play blues/rock/heavy metal and classical guitar as well, and I practise everyday to get better. It takes years to master the electric guitar.

[cropmack]

does anyone know what piece is being played at 1:00 i think its john williams playing

[carefreemusic]

Bach prelude 1007

[natbrain]

That's Bach BWV 1007 Prelude.

[Rowanb1234]

Love the comment at 0:40. "a rock guitarist can be turned out in12 hours flat"

[o0MeTube0o]

Brilliant!  Mr. John William showing off his skillz... anyone know the title of those pieces? (2:00)

[broggi007]

Hey there o0MeTube0o... These pieces he was dabbling with were the Bach Fugue as mentioned, which is BWV 1001 Fugue... he also played a little bit of Villa-Lobos Etude No. 1, the rest was essentially just messing around with chordal changes... I hope this helps

[meeetthh]

Do you know what song it is that he plays at 0.59? :)

[Joelcct]

That's Bach's Prelude from  Cello Suite #1

[xorxe10]

1:00 Bach' Prelude from s Cello Suite 1,

2:07 Bach's Fuga from Violin Sonata 2

2:12 Villa-lobos' Etude 1

2:29 Antonio Lauro's Alma Llanera

[DreamPiano]

wonderful !!

Serena

[ricointx]

Is this from a DVD?

[blinddog99]

This was taken from a documentary that was on UK television called Story of the Guitar and I think it was presented by Alan Yentob. It wasn't just about classical guitar though, it had interviews with Pete Townsend, The Edge from U2, I can even remember Jack Black was on it, though God knows why. I can't tell you if you can get it on DVD.