Frank Gambale is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Allan Holdsworth IS the greatest guitarist of all time. (just my opinion hahaha) I just turned 21, and spent most of my teenage years listening to players like John Petrucci, Marty Friedman, Alex Lifeson, and some modern players like Jason Richardson and other shredders. But eventually, I felt like there was more out there. I started getting into jazz and fusion players like Shawn Lane, Guthrie Govan, and of course Frank Gambale. But I kept seeing one name pop up over and over again; Allan Holdsworth. I had tried listening to some of his music earlier in my teen years, but I didn’t get it. I decided that I’d try giving him a listen again, as it had been a few years. This time I couldn’t believe my ears. Now, about two years later, Holdsworth is easily the musician that I listen to the most. Not only is he my favorite guitarist of all time, but my favorite musician of all time. Every Holdsworth studio recording, every Holdsworth live recording and bootleg, each one is an absolute gem, and proof for people like me (and others who didn’t get to experience him while he was still with us) that Allan was just on another level in every conceivable way. I know he didn’t like this title for himself, but Allan truly was the man that changed guitar forever.
Gambale is a fantastic player and an essential fusion guitarist. My favourite thing about Frank is his compositional and melodic sense. He may be my favourite melodic fusion player. Holdsworth is not just the best electric guitarist of all time, he is in my opinion the most important harmoniser of the 20th century.
both have scary chops but holdsworth is a musical genius, had his own language and bursts like coltrane. gambale is a guitar master who can play "outside" if he wants, allan was never inside.
Well, that all depends on what you consider "inside" and "outside" to be. I listen to Allan's albums pretty frequently and I think he was playing inside much more frequently than playing outside. By that I mean he was playing inside of the unconventional chords he chose for his compositions. It's more identifiable when he had a keyboard player laying out Allan's chords and progressions, which were very much his own thing. He would play outside of his own changes too, but not as often. Minding his own scales and progressions enabled him to play as lyrically and melodically as he often did. Even when he was playing at blinding speed, you can hear gorgeous melodies if you slowed it down. And that's the difference between him and everybody else, Gambale included. Frank is obviously a great guitar player, but as with all of "the greats," you can hear their influences. Allan existed in a vacuum; you never hear him play anything anybody else did, it was all pure Holdsy!
Allan’s choice of chord voicings often use both wide stretches and close cluster intervals, sometimes simultaneously. He plucks guitar chords like Alan Pasqua on keys, especially when there is nobody on keys. His solos sound „saxy“ Coltrane to me but taken even further. He went over a lot of boundaries.
@@paulsimon6544They are guitarists so different technically that they cannot be compared, they are both unique in their way of playing. No way can Frank Gambale be called a pathetic guitarist. That means you have no idea.
This is a really nice way you presented these two legends. They are both humbling at any level or style of playing. We are richer because of them. Thank you for sharing.
Gambale has amazing innovative technique but is essentially a conventional jazz player, following the changes with a great sense of melodic development. Holdsworth was utterly unique in so many ways, technique, tone, whammy bar innovation, utterly unique and deep harmonic concept, unique chordal approach, stunning compositions, synth pioneer, etc. Love them both, but Allan was truly the Coltrane of guitar and as the years go on will be increasingly understood and revered. Indeed, if you look at a lot of the young upcoming guitarists, many are quoting Holdsworth. He truly is the GOAT.
Holdsworth was so utterly unique. I always wondered if he was trying to communicate alien physics through his music. From the first time I heard his solo on “In The Dead Of Night”, he was one of my favorites.
People often mistake Holdsworth for being a guitar player (understandable, seeing as he'd commonly be seen holding a guitar). However in reality, Allan was a saxophone player.
Love what you're doing here... great playing by Brett Stine too who pretty much shows you how to play like Holdsworth better than any other guitarist I've seen or heard too, so thanks for that!
Thanks for this. Many people focus on technique but forget Alan's incredible musical mind. He's pushed the limits of what's possible. Just one of a kind. It'll be a long long time, if ever there is another musician forging as Alan has.
I have seen and heard Frank Gambale live with Vital Information. In the concert he switched his playing between sounding like Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen and Allan Holdsworth!
Holdsworth always…such a sweet, humble and kind man. His skills were just breathtaking and he never for a second made a pretentious move. All from the heart. Every single note. The man didn’t even have to look at the fretboard. He was so at one with his instrument
I'm a Holdsworth person too, and I really appreciate the depth you've gone into in this video to honor him as a composer-player. I love Gambale too, but here's why I prefer Holdsworth: 1) His composing. 2) The fluidness of his playing 3) the beauty of his chords and scales 4) the unbounded improvisational nature of what he does 5) his sense of humor and humility. I have loved his music since I heard Nostalgic Lady in 1977/8 but over the decades since, I've fallen more in love with his music as my understanding of music has developed. It's a bottomless well of possibility! I would like Frank Gambale even more if he did less sweeping, because even though, as you said, he oughtn't be defined by that, one can't really think of him without it; whereas with Holdsworth, every kind of technique is available to him (except fast alternate picking?) and all of those techniques are utilized in service to the compositions. Holdsworth's playing is SO expressive! ❤
They're both great !!! From there it's just personal taste .. I prefer the fluidity of Holdsworth's legato style but both are devastating when they're in the zone ... Then there's Matteo Mancuso, Josh Meader and Guthrie Govan all phenoms in their own right ! A great time for lovers of guitar music ! 🙂
If we really want to put up a contest/some sort of comparison, Allan wins this one, at least in my book. And that is not supposed to take away anything from how incredibly great Frank is. He can play over any set of changes you put in front of him, target any tone he wants to land on effortlessly on the fretboard, can play incredible lines with dazzling speed using his own idiosyncratic technique, which is particularly aimed at picking out majestic Arpeggio- figures and movements, and make it all sound very musical. But still I would have to give my vote to Allan, and I think in the end it comes down to the compositions. As great as Frank is, he sounds more „conventional“ to my ears, whereas Allan created more of his own kind of tonal universe. And within this universe, he created compositions which are so beautiful it is hard to believe (check out e.g.: Above and Below, Looking Glass, Zarabeth, among others …).
The video is a real pearl, thanks a lot! I listen now to Holdsworth. I also tried to listen to Gambale. I even listened to the "Truth in Shredding" when both of them play. But!!! My biggest problem now is that after discovering Holdsworth almost 99% of music seems not as much interesting, inventive and surprising as his. As if I visited a different universe with 5 or 8 dimensions and a wider spectrum of color, scent, everything. Now the "usual" universe seems too predictable and flat. And I cannot compose - that's the problem. Why should I compose music that is not as interesting as Allan's? What for? What can it be about, what message it can bring? And composing at least a 10% as interesting music I just can: not enough talent)).
Everything, sound design, the harmony, composition, smooth execution, vibrato, slight bends, whammy...of Holdsworth sound stunningly beautiful. He wraps us in sonic beauty. Frank is a great player, but Im never swept away by beauty as when hearing Allan. Frank even called AH " The Grand Master". He knows.
Brett Stine's analysis confirms Allan's own tips about using families of scales and chords (we call this harmony generally, in Allan's case more complex scales and complex derivative chords and harmonies). Allan's love of horn lines is also well documented, if you imagine Coltranes sax when listening to Allan's solos you'll hear that color too. It's about time I found a sax player doing Allan's music, that would be an interesting listen for no-brainers like me 😅. In comparison, Gambale seems to be coming from blues and rock, using the more traditional scales, modes and harmonies, sweeping up/down, forward and backward at blinding speeds. See his excellent fusion work with Chick Corea where Gambales chops come into some challenging discipline at a fusion level.
I'm more of a Holdsworth guy but their collaboration on Wayne Shorter's Ana Maria is very inspired. Allan's Synthaxe solo contains some of the most beautiful playing I've ever heard. And Gambale follows with a brilliant ride out tour de force.
@@ChananHanspal Hi man- just read your bio, I’m also a massive fan of Frank Zappa (my theory teacher at college put me on to him) his orchestral works (….”years ago…,in Germany…) and even his recording of 4’33” (I did my dissertation on the role of the listener in the music of John Cage). Anyway… another Frank brought me here… I was fortunate enough to attend a weekend masterclass with Frank Gambale and Alex Hutchings in London a few weeks ago. I was really privileged to get to chat with Frank, learn about his approach and glean what I could from his decades long experience at the top tier of electric guitar playing. I was extremely impressed by his music, his warmth, generosity and humility- an absolute treasure of a human being that deserves much more recognition than he gets. I absolutely agree that he gets totally short changed by the “Gambale is just sweep picking” shorthand, there’s so much to be gained from digging a little deeper- thanks so much Frank, you are massively appreciated!! And thanks again to you Chanan for celebrating these two masters of the instrument, (I love Alan Holdsworth too!) 🎸💥👍😘
I generally prefer Gambale's compositions, but the cliches in his soloing bother me, much like with Al DiMeola. I think both sound better when they're not "shredding". I'm sure Holldsworth has his own cliches, but they never bother me 😊 Also, Holldsworth's eletric tone was incredible!
@@sagetmaster4Yes! Perfectly said. Holdsworth may play phrases/lines with the same “idea” to them, but every single time he plays it in an entirely unique way/context. One example I’ve seen is a lick from the Montreal 1993 version of Pud Wud. There is this insane string skipping part where Allan travels the entire neck. A few other shows from that 1990’s era have Allan playing with that same idea during Pud Wud’s solo, but every single time he is slightly altering the notes, the timing, and the context to create something entirely new (as you said, “jumbling the notes”). I can’t think of any instance where he improvised something that was exactly the same as something else he had played before. Allan was so creative that even his “musical cliches” aren’t cliche hahaha.
@@lex.cordis same here! allans music makes me cry. it‘s that packed with emotions. so does the music of ravel and stravinsky. and that‘s the league allan is playing in.
@@lex.cordis adore this one. i know…just 😭🤩. and even sometimes when allan went into beast mode during his impros i was just tearing up out of sheer disbelieve and the joy that life exposed me to some of the best work a human ever done. he‘s up there with da vinci, einstein, ghandi….geee i am such a fan…hard to believe it but i think thus way abou AH! btw: frank gambale is an absolute genius. but allan is in his own galaxy.
I had the same response to exposure to both of them and from the same albums. Road Games was my intro AH and I was floored. I couldn't really adopt his idiosyncratic technique and writing, but his method of voicing harmonic progressions greatly influenced me. I was likewise first exposed to FG in FG Live, and he's the guitar player who most influenced my playing style but more in terms of articulating the guitar (economy picking). It would be years later before I'd be forced to work on the primary weakness of my alternate picking that was inside picking. I've also since added hybrid picking upon being exposed to country guys like Brent Mason and Brad Paisley, and the amazing melodicist Brett Garsed who uses it in a rock/fusion context.
I love Allan more, but Frank Gambale has a very unique & sometimes gnarly style! I love how crazy his stuff sounds at the slower tempos, on his instructional videos. One of his licks had crazy trills sprinkled throughout, that I noticed & appreciated much more at the slower tempo. Ever since then, I've been mimicking his use of unexpected trills, but I'm doing it at that slower speed that I love. Nobody would ever expect that I got that from Frank G.
I don't personally care for comparisons between two musicians and choosing which one has a better "insert whatever attribute(s)." To me, this is highly subjective. Holdsworth was, for me, never one to compare anyone/thing to. He was on his own universe in so many respects. Gambale is a monster player in his own right. I learned from both both many things. With Gambale, it was the sweep picking and his incredible phrasing. For Holdsworth - legato, phrasing, compositions (such as tokyo dream), synthAxe, volume sweeping control, on and on... simply other-world-like.
Very informative video. I don't think of it in terms of making some sort of choice between either Gambale or Holdsworth, but it's interesting to compare their styles and techniques.
Holdsworth, without a doubt. With all due respect to Frank, it's only comparatively recently that Allen's playing has been decoded to the point where we understand some of his language.......and it's unbelievably deep. Both have frighteningly precise technique, but I hear far fewer individuals play Holdsworth at tempo, Frank's is comparatively accessible. Both are still great, regardless of subjective taste.
I actually like Gambale guitar tone better than Holdsworth's synth styled tone. However Allan was a complete Alien from another word with his Legato hammer-on technique. His fingers were so long I doubt I could play his solos comfortably. There is a logic to Gambale's modal style playing that I can grasp. I have no clue what Holdsworh is up to with his chord inversions, his intervals or his guitar solo concepts.. RIP Allan "THE ALIEN" Holdsworth
My two favorites . As a metal guitarist in the 80s I was listening to both while the other guys were listening to Malmsteen and EVH. When I heard these guys, I stopped listening to metal players and started playing like this. I was tha man! 😁 Now everyone knows!😩
Frank is a one of a kind, amazingly talented, pioneering virtuoso, certainly one of the most nimble players ever, but when he plays high speed lines, for my ears the sound is a bit harsh and frantic sounding. Allan always wanted to eliminate the extremely percussive sound of the pick, and for my ears, his fast lines are far more beautiful for the horn like flow of the lines thanks to both his legato technique, and also his great ears and constant tinkering with his gear to get it to sound so smooth. Even at ridiculously high speeds, his playing sounded so refined and relaxed, like no matter how hard the lines, he always seemed to have more headroom; he didn't sound like he was nearing the edge of his abilities even while exceeding all other players by a mile.
Thank you so much for this post! Learned a lot. I think they are both incredible. But if I have to tell how I feel about them: Allan Holdsworth; incredible, otherwordly technique and a deep, soul. I feel his music as much as I hear it. Gambale: incredible technique. I hear a lot, feel a little. But again, he is an incredible player. Allan is just more from the heart to me. But thanks again!😊
clearly they BOTH define the truth in shredding, soaring like two eagles above everest (while the peak is packed with copycats).* *Excellent feature by Master Stine. Get his book „in the mistery“! It’s as difficult, secretive and effective as a nuke building plan. Highly recommended!
As a guitarist, I'm nowhere near good enough to emulate either of these 2 magnificent musicians. As a listener, I adore listening to both. I can not pick a favourite. I have an overall favourite guitar solo (by anyone), which is in Holdsworth's 4:15 Bradford Executive. Yet there are moments, especially on Chic Corea's stuff, where Gambale leaves me utterly captivated.
Frank Gambale doesn’t just sweep pic. Funny enough just seen Troy Grady analysis of Frank Gambale picking technique. Which according to this analysis, Frank Gambale technique has a very strong integrating component of sweep picking into alternate picking. Now, to the more standard approaches the guitar allows, Add this to chord scale (broad type range as jazz education goes) mechanics in connection to respects of the picking mechanics and you get a lot to choose from. Frank Gambale has a large amount of those possibilities solved under his fingers. Does anyone agrees with me that prefer listening to Gambale more on the clean channel then overdrive runs? Although it always impressed me I never seem to enjoy his musical choices so much until I heard him playing clean. His blues is amazing. Holdsworth explored the limits beyond the current common plane of his time. Both in guitar studying, composition and parternships. He’s obviously is more appealing to the gawking ramble because of his exploration outside the horizons of his generation, to this day still. But used well what was handed out by the broader musical tradition without frontiers on style or source. Technologically went all electric and used that, to explore beyond the stratosphere of musical landscape of common musical library, which more often musicians tend to be, either restricted by education they receive, instead a wider deep dive on styles, or instead just using it to see through and beyond what is already made. But there aren’t many people in history like that, you have to be a real knucklehead to cruise that far. We could say many musicians just repeat and, less often if possible add/improve that music library. Holdsworth has gone outside those scholar parameters by far, BUT using as much as what music tradition had for him to necessary for his impulse. I do get why people respect pioneers more like Holdsworth then giants like Gambale, that doesn’t seem as much adventurous, but more like an artisan of the “same heard parameters”, but saying one is more then the other, or even dissing one to convey a comparison and set a distance (like in this comment section) is just outright missing out the whole point about human art and stating your own narrow capacity and understanding of reality you’re trying to express ideas for. Or another way of saying that’s just sad. I know that very well because I’m at times also guilty of that great fault.
You can't choose to craft your patterns after something like an Allan Holdsworth. Allan is a unique force of boundless nature. .. and I absolutely adore Gambale. Ask the other guitarists, they will tell you the same thing. Btw I love all you guys, we chose music over mutant cyclopsian myopic money making. Much respect to you -whappocosta
Frank Gambale. He is the whole package: innovator, songwriter, composer. He even has his own Gambale Tuning, and he played with the greatest musician ever in Chick Corea. There is a reason Chick chose him. He tells a story like Pat Metheny does. Listen to a composition entitled "Spending Sunday Afternoon with You and his version of Europa both live version on youtube.
Cool video Chanan 4:54 I got exposed to Holdsworth way back when because EVH had said Allan was his favorite and I loved Edward so I figured I had to check it out -- but the first time I listened to Road Games I was like OMG WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!?! A month later I was all about it
saw alan back in 83 or 84,with chad wackerman on the skins.he played what i call machine gun guitar. after a while you were shell shocked.the same for vernon reid, from living colors.
No one.....and I mean no one......was close to AH. FG was the best conventional fusion player of his generation, no argument. Allan Holdsworth....created his own tonal language and spoke this language with fluency. He was from an alternative universe. GOAT. Period
Never ever tire of Holdsworth. Gambale is impressive but never even close to Holdsworth's phenomenal chops and unique musical vision. IMHO as a music reviewer and musician.
There is no need to pick, as both guitarists are equally unique and bring their love for music to another level. There is no such thing as best. This is a subjective matter. My question is : Why choose? Can we not enjoy both?
Thank you for shining light on AH's creations (Goethe didn't like the word "compositions" -- "As if Mozart mixed eggs and flour together"! I think the world is still not ready to fully grasp/accept AH's writing, even if so many are ready to study his playing. To me it's hard to compare these two, but in general, I feel AH is unlimited in his playing, not restricted at all by any particular technique (other than to say he is a legato player), whereas FG is very much bound by sweeping as a signature component of his playing. I'm not saying he is limited: he is a fabulous player and improviser. I'm just saying that AH's playing is truly (uniquely) unbound, and this goes hand in hand with his unbound writing.
Excellent vid. Both guys great on guitar. Holdso,though, bends the very fabric of the music, introducing his own indelible wrinkle... want to learn some things from that...
Both brilliant players that set the bar way up there.... I've seen both artists live many times over the years. I do prefer Allan as a composer as my ears continue to develop. "Tokyo Dreams" rates very highly with myself.
Economy picking is the quickest way to each string, I think it misrepresents to say its 3 note per string only, and to say its limited. Very true however that it can make players very pattern based. Tonally it can be a bit limited, Marshall Harrison mixes the techniques up well. Economy, hybrid, legato etc
I think Gambale's approach make things a little bit easier than Holdsworth's: the size of the hands. Despite of many interesting things to study in Allan's music (chords, scales, etc.), some things are in the threshold of impossible, due to hand stretching needed to play it. On the other hand, Gambale's playing made some of these "impressive" approach that both have more accessible. At least for someone that had kinda small average hands like me.
Music is not a footrace..but everyone has his preference . I've heard Holdsworth live and Gambale..Holdsworth sounded like someone ripped a hole in reality. Gambale was Amazing..2 Giants. AH He sound unearthly exactly..live RIDICULOUS DEEP..Love both
![Jack Harlow - Hello Miss Johnson [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q86_nlRoIGw/mqdefault.jpg)
The answer seems to be take something from both these guys and add them to your regular alternate picking lines. Great Video
Ah you're one of the few that actually got it! Thank you for watching. Best wishes
True...no point in copying what's already been done it's better to take it and integrated to your own playing
Frank Gambale is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Allan Holdsworth IS the greatest guitarist of all time. (just my opinion hahaha)
I just turned 21, and spent most of my teenage years listening to players like John Petrucci, Marty Friedman, Alex Lifeson, and some modern players like Jason Richardson and other shredders. But eventually, I felt like there was more out there. I started getting into jazz and fusion players like Shawn Lane, Guthrie Govan, and of course Frank Gambale. But I kept seeing one name pop up over and over again; Allan Holdsworth. I had tried listening to some of his music earlier in my teen years, but I didn’t get it. I decided that I’d try giving him a listen again, as it had been a few years. This time I couldn’t believe my ears.
Now, about two years later, Holdsworth is easily the musician that I listen to the most. Not only is he my favorite guitarist of all time, but my favorite musician of all time. Every Holdsworth studio recording, every Holdsworth live recording and bootleg, each one is an absolute gem, and proof for people like me (and others who didn’t get to experience him while he was still with us) that Allan was just on another level in every conceivable way.
I know he didn’t like this title for himself, but Allan truly was the man that changed guitar forever.
Gambale is a fantastic player and an essential fusion guitarist. My favourite thing about Frank is his compositional and melodic sense.
He may be my favourite melodic fusion player.
Holdsworth is not just the best electric guitarist of all time, he is in my opinion the most important harmoniser of the 20th century.
both have scary chops but holdsworth is a musical genius, had his own language and bursts like coltrane. gambale is a guitar master who can play "outside" if he wants, allan was never inside.
Well, that all depends on what you consider "inside" and "outside" to be. I listen to Allan's albums pretty frequently and I think he was playing inside much more frequently than playing outside. By that I mean he was playing inside of the unconventional chords he chose for his compositions. It's more identifiable when he had a keyboard player laying out Allan's chords and progressions, which were very much his own thing. He would play outside of his own changes too, but not as often. Minding his own scales and progressions enabled him to play as lyrically and melodically as he often did. Even when he was playing at blinding speed, you can hear gorgeous melodies if you slowed it down. And that's the difference between him and everybody else, Gambale included. Frank is obviously a great guitar player, but as with all of "the greats," you can hear their influences. Allan existed in a vacuum; you never hear him play anything anybody else did, it was all pure Holdsy!
Allan’s choice of chord voicings often use both wide stretches and close cluster intervals, sometimes simultaneously. He plucks guitar chords like Alan Pasqua on keys, especially when there is nobody on keys. His solos sound „saxy“ Coltrane to me but taken even further. He went over a lot of boundaries.
Seriously? Holdsworth all day.
Agree
No contest!
Gambale for me 😏
Absolutely. Frank G is pathetic compared to Holdsworth. What a joke.
@@paulsimon6544They are guitarists so different technically that they cannot be compared, they are both unique in their way of playing. No way can Frank Gambale be called a pathetic guitarist. That means you have no idea.
This is a really nice way you presented these two legends. They are both humbling at any level or style of playing. We are richer because of them. Thank you for sharing.
Holdsworth is the overlord.
There is no comparing him with ANYONE.
Ahh yeah ok
That is absolutely correct!!!!
Gambale has amazing innovative technique but is essentially a conventional jazz player, following the changes with a great sense of melodic development. Holdsworth was utterly unique in so many ways, technique, tone, whammy bar innovation, utterly unique and deep harmonic concept, unique chordal approach, stunning compositions, synth pioneer, etc. Love them both, but Allan was truly the Coltrane of guitar and as the years go on will be increasingly understood and revered. Indeed, if you look at a lot of the young upcoming guitarists, many are quoting Holdsworth. He truly is the GOAT.
Holdsworth for me. His music changed my life.
Holdsworth was so utterly unique. I always wondered if he was trying to communicate alien physics through his music. From the first time I heard his solo on “In The Dead Of Night”, he was one of my favorites.
😅
Cosmic spirituality.
By that measure, Holdsworth’s jazz harmonies are the true and correct ones.
People often mistake Holdsworth for being a guitar player (understandable, seeing as he'd commonly be seen holding a guitar). However in reality, Allan was a saxophone player.
Dude you get it, 🎉
Allan holdsworth is among other things my favourite sax player :-)
Love what you're doing here... great playing by Brett Stine too who pretty much shows you how to play like Holdsworth better than any other guitarist I've seen or heard too, so thanks for that!
Many thanks.
Thanks for this. Many people focus on technique but forget Alan's incredible musical mind. He's pushed the limits of what's possible. Just one of a kind. It'll be a long long time, if ever there is another musician forging as Alan has.
I have seen and heard Frank Gambale live with Vital Information.
In the concert he switched his playing between sounding like Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen and Allan Holdsworth!
Holdsworth always…such a sweet, humble and kind man. His skills were just breathtaking and he never for a second made a pretentious move. All from the heart. Every single note. The man didn’t even have to look at the fretboard. He was so at one with his instrument
I'm a Holdsworth person too, and I really appreciate the depth you've gone into in this video to honor him as a composer-player. I love Gambale too, but here's why I prefer Holdsworth: 1) His composing. 2) The fluidness of his playing 3) the beauty of his chords and scales 4) the unbounded improvisational nature of what he does 5) his sense of humor and humility. I have loved his music since I heard Nostalgic Lady in 1977/8 but over the decades since, I've fallen more in love with his music as my understanding of music has developed. It's a bottomless well of possibility! I would like Frank Gambale even more if he did less sweeping, because even though, as you said, he oughtn't be defined by that, one can't really think of him without it; whereas with Holdsworth, every kind of technique is available to him (except fast alternate picking?) and all of those techniques are utilized in service to the compositions. Holdsworth's playing is SO expressive! ❤
I love this video, it doesnt put either legend above each other but admires their skills both
Excellent video and mindblowing playing from you Chanan
Thank you Andy!
Favorite guitar channel confirmed on every video
10:31 is hauntingly beautiful
They're both great !!! From there it's just personal taste .. I prefer the fluidity of Holdsworth's legato style but both are devastating when they're in the zone ... Then there's Matteo Mancuso, Josh Meader and Guthrie Govan all phenoms in their own right ! A great time for lovers of guitar music ! 🙂
They are guitarists so different technically that they cannot be compared, they are both unique in their way of playing.
Holdsworth is an artist, Gambale a virtuoso. For me, I'll take the artist every time.
If we really want to put up a contest/some sort of comparison,
Allan wins this one, at least in my book.
And that is not supposed to take away anything from how incredibly
great Frank is. He can play over any set of changes you put in front
of him, target any tone he wants to land on effortlessly on the fretboard,
can play incredible lines with dazzling speed using his own idiosyncratic
technique, which is particularly aimed at picking out majestic Arpeggio-
figures and movements, and make it all sound very musical.
But still I would have to give my vote to Allan, and I think in the end it
comes down to the compositions. As great as Frank is, he sounds more
„conventional“ to my ears, whereas Allan created more of his own kind
of tonal universe. And within this universe, he created compositions which
are so beautiful it is hard to believe (check out e.g.: Above and Below,
Looking Glass, Zarabeth, among others …).
Allan is a Master of masters and Frank is a Master
Just started this video and can safely say
HOLDSWORTH .
Thank you
The video is a real pearl, thanks a lot! I listen now to Holdsworth. I also tried to listen to Gambale. I even listened to the "Truth in Shredding" when both of them play.
But!!!
My biggest problem now is that after discovering Holdsworth almost 99% of music seems not as much interesting, inventive and surprising as his. As if I visited a different universe with 5 or 8 dimensions and a wider spectrum of color, scent, everything. Now the "usual" universe seems too predictable and flat. And I cannot compose - that's the problem.
Why should I compose music that is not as interesting as Allan's? What for? What can it be about, what message it can bring? And composing at least a 10% as interesting music I just can: not enough talent)).
Everything, sound design, the harmony, composition, smooth execution, vibrato, slight bends, whammy...of Holdsworth sound stunningly beautiful. He wraps us in sonic beauty.
Frank is a great player, but Im never swept away by beauty as when hearing Allan.
Frank even called AH " The Grand Master". He knows.
Brett Stine's analysis confirms Allan's own tips about using families of scales and chords (we call this harmony generally, in Allan's case more complex scales and complex derivative chords and harmonies). Allan's love of horn lines is also well documented, if you imagine Coltranes sax when listening to Allan's solos you'll hear that color too. It's about time I found a sax player doing Allan's music, that would be an
interesting listen for no-brainers like me 😅.
In comparison, Gambale seems to be coming from blues and rock, using the more traditional scales, modes and harmonies, sweeping up/down, forward and backward at blinding speeds. See his excellent fusion work with Chick Corea where Gambales chops come into some challenging discipline at a fusion level.
Love them both.. Hopefully someday someone does an analysis of Shawn Lane's incredible musicianship!!!
I'm more of a Holdsworth guy but their collaboration on Wayne Shorter's Ana Maria is very inspired. Allan's Synthaxe solo contains some of the most beautiful playing I've ever heard. And Gambale follows with a brilliant ride out tour de force.
I’ve seen both of these men live. You not only explained.the differences so well, your brilliant playing was astounding.
Unbelievable.
First video I’ve found of yours, incredible playing first off and your passion really comes through in a way that’s genuine and rare.
Thank you very much. Best wishes.
Awesome video man! Really well put together overview of two all time greats 🎸💥👍😘
Thank you very much!
@@ChananHanspal
Hi man- just read your bio, I’m also a massive fan of Frank Zappa (my theory teacher at college put me on to him) his orchestral works (….”years ago…,in Germany…) and even his recording of 4’33” (I did my dissertation on the role of the listener in the music of John Cage). Anyway… another Frank brought me here… I was fortunate enough to attend a weekend masterclass with Frank Gambale and Alex Hutchings in London a few weeks ago. I was really privileged to get to chat with Frank, learn about his approach and glean what I could from his decades long experience at the top tier of electric guitar playing. I was extremely impressed by his music, his warmth, generosity and humility- an absolute treasure of a human being that deserves much more recognition than he gets. I absolutely agree that he gets totally short changed by the “Gambale is just sweep picking” shorthand, there’s so much to be gained from digging a little deeper- thanks so much Frank, you are massively appreciated!! And thanks again to you Chanan for celebrating these two masters of the instrument, (I love Alan Holdsworth too!) 🎸💥👍😘
I generally prefer Gambale's compositions, but the cliches in his soloing bother me, much like with Al DiMeola. I think both sound better when they're not "shredding". I'm sure Holldsworth has his own cliches, but they never bother me 😊 Also, Holldsworth's eletric tone was incredible!
Agree 100% if you listen to a ton of Allan's stuff the fragments that he likes to use start to emerge, but he still jumbles them up like crazy
@@sagetmaster4Yes! Perfectly said. Holdsworth may play phrases/lines with the same “idea” to them, but every single time he plays it in an entirely unique way/context.
One example I’ve seen is a lick from the Montreal 1993 version of Pud Wud. There is this insane string skipping part where Allan travels the entire neck. A few other shows from that 1990’s era have Allan playing with that same idea during Pud Wud’s solo, but every single time he is slightly altering the notes, the timing, and the context to create something entirely new (as you said, “jumbling the notes”). I can’t think of any instance where he improvised something that was exactly the same as something else he had played before. Allan was so creative that even his “musical cliches” aren’t cliche hahaha.
Stunning break down by Brett Stine on aspects of Holdsworth, best I’ve ever seen.
Holdsworth's music usually goes light years over and past people's ears, minds and hearts, I am very lucky not to be one of them.
so true man.
Allan made music for the eternity.
I've always felt the same. Fortunate. I _genuinely_ feel bad for people who can't hear and feel the otherworldy beauty of his music.
@@lex.cordis same here! allans music makes me cry. it‘s that packed with emotions. so does the music of ravel and stravinsky. and that‘s the league allan is playing in.
@@NeilRaouf Yep. He's brought me to tears numerous times. _Low Levels_ being a potent example for me. No one else hits that part of my heart.
@@lex.cordis adore this one. i know…just 😭🤩. and even sometimes when allan went into beast mode during his impros i was just tearing up out of sheer disbelieve and the joy that life exposed me to some of the best work a human ever done. he‘s up there with da vinci, einstein, ghandi….geee i am such a fan…hard to believe it but i think thus way abou AH!
btw: frank gambale is an absolute genius. but allan is in his own galaxy.
Allan Holdsworth was asked how one could play like him.
He responded “play like you”.
Thank you Brett and Chanan!!! Best, Daniel
Excellent video! Great analysis, guys!
Holdsworth is the most gifted guitarist ever. Gambale is just a great guitarist.
I think Gambale is one of the greatest in fusion music
Holdsworth is an innovator. Gambale is a more versatile guitarist. Have you heard him play bebop?
I saw Holdsworth once, in a small bar called Tigers Pub, in Clifton Park NY.
I had the same response to exposure to both of them and from the same albums. Road Games was my intro AH and I was floored. I couldn't really adopt his idiosyncratic technique and writing, but his method of voicing harmonic progressions greatly influenced me. I was likewise first exposed to FG in FG Live, and he's the guitar player who most influenced my playing style but more in terms of articulating the guitar (economy picking). It would be years later before I'd be forced to work on the primary weakness of my alternate picking that was inside picking. I've also since added hybrid picking upon being exposed to country guys like Brent Mason and Brad Paisley, and the amazing melodicist Brett Garsed who uses it in a rock/fusion context.
I love Allan more, but Frank Gambale has a very unique & sometimes gnarly style! I love how crazy his stuff sounds at the slower tempos, on his instructional videos. One of his licks had crazy trills sprinkled throughout, that I noticed & appreciated much more at the slower tempo. Ever since then, I've been mimicking his use of unexpected trills, but I'm doing it at that slower speed that I love. Nobody would ever expect that I got that from Frank G.
I don't personally care for comparisons between two musicians and choosing which one has a better "insert whatever attribute(s)." To me, this is highly subjective. Holdsworth was, for me, never one to compare anyone/thing to. He was on his own universe in so many respects. Gambale is a monster player in his own right. I learned from both both many things. With Gambale, it was the sweep picking and his incredible phrasing. For Holdsworth - legato, phrasing, compositions (such as tokyo dream), synthAxe, volume sweeping control, on and on... simply other-world-like.
Very informative video. I don't think of it in terms of making some sort of choice between either Gambale or Holdsworth, but it's interesting to compare their styles and techniques.
Absolutely brilliant video that shines a light on some of Allan Holdsworth's secret codes.
It's Allan by miles (maybe light years)
Excellent video guys!
Thanks Derryl.
Fascinating analysis, much appreciated. Holdsworth all day for me, till the end of time. Pasquale Grasso deserves a video
Allan just plays so clear, no fluffing or fuzzed notes, frank is a different fish both as good in their own field, but allan has the edge
Literally no comparison between the two. Both are Musical icons. I just enjoy Allan"s playing and music more.
Holdsworth, without a doubt. With all due respect to Frank, it's only comparatively recently that Allen's playing has been decoded to the point where we understand some of his language.......and it's unbelievably deep. Both have frighteningly precise technique, but I hear far fewer individuals play Holdsworth at tempo, Frank's is comparatively accessible.
Both are still great, regardless of subjective taste.
👍
I actually like Gambale guitar tone better than Holdsworth's synth styled tone. However Allan was a complete Alien from another word with his Legato hammer-on technique. His fingers were so long I doubt I could play his solos comfortably. There is a logic to Gambale's modal style playing that I can grasp. I have no clue what Holdsworh is up to with his chord inversions, his intervals or his guitar solo concepts.. RIP Allan "THE ALIEN" Holdsworth
Great information, great insights - as always.
Pristine playing.
But, man, even your sweater is happening. You just ooze cool and style in all things.
Many thanks!
Both are equally masters of the guitar. Frank's sweeping is smoother than butter and Holdsworth's intervals and string skipping are out of this world
My two favorites . As a metal guitarist in the 80s I was listening to both while the other guys were listening to Malmsteen and EVH. When I heard these guys, I stopped listening to metal players and started playing like this.
I was tha man! 😁 Now everyone knows!😩
Frank is a one of a kind, amazingly talented, pioneering virtuoso, certainly one of the most nimble players ever, but when he plays high speed lines, for my ears the sound is a bit harsh and frantic sounding.
Allan always wanted to eliminate the extremely percussive sound of the pick, and for my ears, his fast lines are far more beautiful for the horn like flow of the lines thanks to both his legato technique, and also his great ears and constant tinkering with his gear to get it to sound so smooth. Even at ridiculously high speeds, his playing sounded so refined and relaxed, like no matter how hard the lines, he always seemed to have more headroom; he didn't sound like he was nearing the edge of his abilities even while exceeding all other players by a mile.
Could you cover the late Great Shawn Lane? many thanks
Fantastic to hear your perspective, thanks friend
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
Your Allan tribute solo is absolutely lovely, here!
Thank you so much for this post! Learned a lot. I think they are both incredible. But if I have to tell how I feel about them: Allan Holdsworth; incredible, otherwordly technique and a deep, soul. I feel his music as much as I hear it. Gambale: incredible technique. I hear a lot, feel a little. But again, he is an incredible player. Allan is just more from the heart to me. But thanks again!😊
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
You made a rational decision. Your channel is going to be huge.
clearly they BOTH define the truth in shredding, soaring like two eagles above everest (while the peak is packed with copycats).*
*Excellent feature by Master Stine. Get his book „in the mistery“! It’s as difficult, secretive and effective as a nuke building plan. Highly recommended!
Holdsworth. Hands down.
As a guitarist, I'm nowhere near good enough to emulate either of these 2 magnificent musicians. As a listener, I adore listening to both. I can not pick a favourite. I have an overall favourite guitar solo (by anyone), which is in Holdsworth's 4:15 Bradford Executive. Yet there are moments, especially on Chic Corea's stuff, where Gambale leaves me utterly captivated.
👍
Frank Gambale doesn’t just sweep pic. Funny enough just seen Troy Grady analysis of Frank Gambale picking technique. Which according to this analysis, Frank Gambale technique has a very strong integrating component of sweep picking into alternate picking.
Now, to the more standard approaches the guitar allows, Add this to chord scale (broad type range as jazz education goes) mechanics in connection to respects of the picking mechanics and you get a lot to choose from. Frank Gambale has a large amount of those possibilities solved under his fingers.
Does anyone agrees with me that prefer listening to Gambale more on the clean channel then overdrive runs? Although it always impressed me I never seem to enjoy his musical choices so much until I heard him playing clean. His blues is amazing.
Holdsworth explored the limits beyond the current common plane of his time.
Both in guitar studying, composition and parternships. He’s obviously is more appealing to the gawking ramble because of his exploration outside the horizons of his generation, to this day still. But used well what was handed out by the broader musical tradition without frontiers on style or source. Technologically went all electric and used that, to explore beyond the stratosphere of musical landscape of common musical library, which more often musicians tend to be, either restricted by education they receive, instead a wider deep dive on styles, or instead just using it to see through and beyond what is already made. But there aren’t many people in history like that, you have to be a real knucklehead to cruise that far.
We could say many musicians just repeat and, less often if possible add/improve that music library.
Holdsworth has gone outside those scholar parameters by far, BUT using as much as what music tradition had for him to necessary for his impulse.
I do get why people respect pioneers more like Holdsworth then giants like Gambale, that doesn’t seem as much adventurous, but more like an artisan of the “same heard parameters”,
but saying one is more then the other, or even dissing one to convey a comparison and set a distance (like in this comment section) is just outright missing out the whole point about human art and stating your own narrow capacity and understanding of reality you’re trying to express ideas for. Or another way of saying that’s just sad.
I know that very well because I’m at times also guilty of that great fault.
You can't choose to craft your patterns after something like an Allan Holdsworth.
Allan is a unique force of boundless nature.
.. and I absolutely adore Gambale.
Ask the other guitarists, they will tell you the same thing.
Btw I love all you guys, we chose music over mutant cyclopsian myopic money making.
Much respect to you
-whappocosta
Frank Gambale. He is the whole package: innovator, songwriter, composer. He even has his own Gambale Tuning, and he played with the greatest musician ever in Chick Corea. There is a reason Chick chose him. He tells a story like Pat Metheny does. Listen to a composition entitled "Spending Sunday Afternoon with You and his version of Europa both live version on youtube.
Cool video Chanan 4:54 I got exposed to Holdsworth way back when because EVH had said Allan was his favorite and I loved Edward so I figured I had to check it out -- but the first time I listened to Road Games I was like OMG WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!?! A month later I was all about it
Did a masterclass with Frank … he is utterly amazing , coolest cat you could meet and his playing is bloody ridiculous….
your sweeps are somerhin’ else! damn!
I live in the same town as Alan did and ran into him a couple times. Cool guy. Liked to be recognized and was happy to chat.
And this is why it's important to bend strings and work on playing slower. Slow is a tempo just like warp speed is a tempo. It's all about phrasing.
Holdsworth is the greatest modern guitarplayer ever. 😊
Great job guys!
Many thanks.
Why compare or choose one genius with another? Both are fantastic.
Brett Stine kicks ass! 🤘
You’re a pretty amazing guitar player, yourself!
Brett certainly does! Thank you.
saw alan back in 83 or 84,with chad wackerman on the skins.he played what i call machine gun guitar. after a while you were shell shocked.the same for vernon reid, from living colors.
Holdsworth..even Gambale will agree
I love them both! I always tried to sound like both of them! But I don’t!!
Holdsworth all-day everyday.
No one.....and I mean no one......was close to AH. FG was the best conventional fusion player of his generation, no argument. Allan Holdsworth....created his own tonal language and spoke this language with fluency. He was from an alternative universe. GOAT. Period
Dude, your song is GNNNAAAARRRRLLLYYYY
I started listening to Holdsworth in the 1970s, I prefer Gambale's playing. I think Gambale has a better sense of time than Alan.
Never ever tire of Holdsworth. Gambale is impressive but never even close to Holdsworth's phenomenal chops and unique musical vision. IMHO as a music reviewer and musician.
There is no need to pick, as both guitarists are equally unique and bring their love for music to another level. There is no such thing as best. This is a subjective matter. My question is : Why choose? Can we not enjoy both?
Fantastic!\Do u have the tabs or sheet music,for the economy picking from-2:08 to 2:17?
Amazing video, many thanks
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
Thank you for shining light on AH's creations (Goethe didn't like the word "compositions" -- "As if Mozart mixed eggs and flour together"! I think the world is still not ready to fully grasp/accept AH's writing, even if so many are ready to study his playing. To me it's hard to compare these two, but in general, I feel AH is unlimited in his playing, not restricted at all by any particular technique (other than to say he is a legato player), whereas FG is very much bound by sweeping as a signature component of his playing. I'm not saying he is limited: he is a fabulous player and improviser. I'm just saying that AH's playing is truly (uniquely) unbound, and this goes hand in hand with his unbound writing.
Excellent vid. Both guys great on guitar. Holdso,though, bends the very fabric of the music, introducing his own indelible wrinkle... want to learn some things from that...
Both brilliant players that set the bar way up there.... I've seen both artists live many times over the years. I do prefer Allan as a composer as my ears continue to develop. "Tokyo Dreams" rates very highly with myself.
Economy picking is the quickest way to each string, I think it misrepresents to say its 3 note per string only, and to say its limited. Very true however that it can make players very pattern based. Tonally it can be a bit limited, Marshall Harrison mixes the techniques up well. Economy, hybrid, legato etc
Oh my, the rock n play! What a gem
I think Gambale's approach make things a little bit easier than Holdsworth's: the size of the hands. Despite of many interesting things to study in Allan's music (chords, scales, etc.), some things are in the threshold of impossible, due to hand stretching needed to play it. On the other hand, Gambale's playing made some of these "impressive" approach that both have more accessible. At least for someone that had kinda small average hands like me.
Holdsworth is the master I love Gambale but it has to be Holdsworth
Music is not a footrace..but everyone has his preference . I've heard Holdsworth live and Gambale..Holdsworth sounded like someone ripped a hole in reality. Gambale was Amazing..2 Giants. AH He sound unearthly exactly..live RIDICULOUS DEEP..Love both
Very enjoyable video.
Holdsworth was a genious... EVH saw him in Europe and stayed a week to hang out and learn
Well, I select both! I've listened Holdsworth more, but I stick to my answer!
Dude how tf have I never come across your channel