Everything will be alright ....

Rock music, and guitar music in particular, is doomed. Guitar driven music used to be mainstream, then it became underground. And now its guitarists playing solo over backing tracks on youtube instead of playing in a band? That's so far beyond underground into fringe territory that it's basically game over. EDM won the war. *end rant*

The girl's got amazing chops. As in wow. *bows head in shame*
 
Yeah these kids are great, ripping it up in a completely non "guitar face" kinda way..
All music is doomed. Well, doomed is little theatrical.... But won't be long before you can go to Spotify (or whatever) push the e.g. Country and Western button, and the algorithm will generate a stream of C&W music for your listening pleasure, none of those pesky humans with their want to get paid and ownership issues and Etc involved. And it would probably be uniquely taylored to you based on your digital profile Etc.
So it'll still be music, kind of....
 
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Yeah these kids are great, ripping it up in a completely non "guitar face" kinda way..
All music is doomed. Well, doomed is little theatrical.... But won't be long before you can go to Spotify (or whatever) push the e.g. Country and Western button, and the algorithm will generate a stream of C&W music for your listening pleasure, none of those pesky humans with their want to get paid and ownership issues and Etc involved. And it would probably be uniquely taylored to you based on your digital profile Etc.
So it'll still be music, kind of....

I don't know if all music will be computer generated in the way that you say, we humans are a creative bunch, and we LOVE to make music. I don't think we will ever give that up. But the big labels going that route, eliminating the need for paying and dealing with musicians and writers, yeah, I see that happening. And the sad part will be that there will be plenty of scientist and undergraduates who will develop that software for them, if only to be creative themselves.
 
True. Artists aren't getting a fair share. I think there will be two music markets in the future. One dealing with industry generated mainstream and one with artists selling their own music to those who know the difference between well made music and mainstream trash.
 
True. Artists aren't getting a fair share. I think there will be two music markets in the future. One dealing with industry generated mainstream and one with artists selling their own music to those who know the difference between well made music and mainstream trash.
That's just catching up to the art world where anything that makes money is owned by advertising and everything else is pretty much differing levels of street art, like this dude:



The art world was co-opted by industry a long time ago, and using that as a yardstick, music got by for way longer than it should have.
 
Trev, you're killing me ;)
Yeah no sunshine suppositories or unicorn rides to be had. I just calls it like I sees it. The value of any art is contingent upon the culture and economy if its time. Its no surprise that the downturn in musician compensation can be tied directly to the global recession. The nice-to-have stuff suffers first. That's just how it is in this species.

The day of the rich rock star is gone. Guitar players are playing for their supper just like spray paint guy is hustling to make his rent.
 
Why is EDM?
  • Girls like to dance
    • Dance music is, by definition, trash
      • Guys want to have sex with the girl who like to dance
        • EDM exists

I know plenty of guys who like EDM and no longer care about rock music. Dance music existed long before EDM. Rock 'n roll started as dance music. I think its no coincidence that EDM rose to prominence when rock became stale in the 90's. Contrary to rock it at least had a fresh new sound.

In the end it doesn't matter why, EDM won, rock lost. And just because there are solo guitarists still on youtube doesn't mean its doing well, if anything its a sign that it doesn't.
 
I actually like some of the EDM.

EDM is not the death of rock. Rock is the death of rock. It's a defined genre which has had it's days.

Like rock - which is now a classic music genre - so will EDM be 20-30 years from now.

And something else will be the genre of the moment/younger generation.
 
I know plenty of guys who like EDM and no longer care about rock music. Dance music existed long before EDM. Rock 'n roll started as dance music. I think its no coincidence that EDM rose to prominence when rock became stale in the 90's. Contrary to rock it at least had a fresh new sound.

In the end it doesn't matter why, EDM won, rock lost. And just because there are solo guitarists still on youtube doesn't mean its doing well, if anything its a sign that it doesn't.
Well dudes I don't know what to tell you all. Write guitar music that makes girls want to wiggle around in skimpy clothing for hours on end and win the world back.
 
Well dudes I don't know what to tell you all. Write guitar music that makes girls want to wiggle around in skimpy clothing for hours on end and win the world back.

Ha!
Oh dude, if only it were that easy...if only we could...
OK..so dance music is not trash by definition..music and dance have been partners since they were invented, there are many traditional cultures where there is no concept of separation between the two..
EDM rose to prominence in the 90's because the technology allowed for it. The tech was new and exciting and a point of difference for the younger folk of the time etc.
Artists never got their fair share really. I see the artist as a primary producer with a whole industry built around them to take advantage/value add etc, but basically take the product and on-sell it, like say a farmers relationship to a supermarket.
Will there always be people actually playing music..possibly. Maybe in the same way you can find baroque music ensembles or other specialty niche interest groups, yea olde world blacksmiths for instance.... but i don't know if anyone will be able to make a living from it, (not that many do now really) at least not as part of a living culture, more as a museum piece.

But till then..ROCK ON!!!
 
Death of the American rocker. Writing is on the wall anyway. A few guitar instructors I know get very, very few millennials that want to learn, and if they do, it's acoustic or ukulele. He said even then, most of them bail on it quick because it's too hard.

Probably still fringe, but my tastes expanded to metal over the years, progressive, power, etc, and it still seems like a lot of music gets made. Of course they are all European bands. The massive festivals over there seem like a good indication that people still like it hard, but it's tough to get that support here. Nothing like watching a European metal band that plays for thousands across the pond, play a small club here for 100 people on a weeknight. Maybe they also play small clubs there as well. I don't know. A few Christmases ago I arranged to catch one of my bands in Germany while there, and it was a packed arena. I doubt they would fill a House of Blues here.
 
Aren't we all just a product of where we cut our teeth in music? Many of us grew up in GBR. Influences are Clapton's, Page, Dimebag, etc etc etc. Add to that we are on a GUITAR forum here, and both your polling pool is pretty restricted. EDM is a product of a younger generation, where it's about DJ's, and a show, and people dancing. It's what THEY cut their teeth on.

Guitar based rock is out there, and it's doing fine. No, it will not ever have the impact it did when it was all new, and so much room for innovation and creativity. It's pretty much all been done, and now we're in a state of variations on earlier themes...very little truly original guitar music. We do have our hero's still that are keeping it alive (not just the older ones...) It will ALWAYS be out there, and personally I like that it's not quite 'cool and trendy'...that it still has a bit of a 'rebel alliance' thing.

These things all come around anyway. 12 years ago, ELO (well, Jeff Lyne) cancelled a tour in the US because of flagging ticket sales. This year I saw them in a PACKED Pepsi Center in Denver...and it's the same way on all the concert dates.

Be patient, play yer guitar, keep a sharp eye for those who are bringing it in smaller venues, and love what you have...not what this *used* to be.
R
 
Aren't we all just a product of where we cut our teeth in music? Many of us grew up in GBR. Influences are Clapton's, Page, Dimebag, etc etc etc. Add to that we are on a GUITAR forum here, and both your polling pool is pretty restricted. EDM is a product of a younger generation, where it's about DJ's, and a show, and people dancing. It's what THEY cut their teeth on.

Guitar based rock is out there, and it's doing fine. No, it will not ever have the impact it did when it was all new, and so much room for innovation and creativity. It's pretty much all been done, and now we're in a state of variations on earlier themes...very little truly original guitar music.

So by your own words it will never have the impact it once had, it will never innovate, only regurgitate, with next to little new original guitar music. And your book that's a sign of doing fine? In my book its a sign of incredible stagnation. No wonder people are ditching rock in favor of EDM. As in literally as I know musicians who used to do rock and who now have switched over to EDM.

We do have our hero's still that are keeping it alive (not just the older ones...) It will ALWAYS be out there, and personally I like that it's not quite 'cool and trendy'...that it still has a bit of a 'rebel alliance' thing.

Wrong analogy, as the rebel alliance worked to bring down the empire and restore the Old Republic back to its original greatness. A small indie group who keeps a lifestyle alive that has become set in its way and forgotten by the rest of society is not the rebel alliance, it's the Amish.

These things all come around anyway. 12 years ago, ELO (well, Jeff Lyne) cancelled a tour in the US because of flagging ticket sales. This year I saw them in a PACKED Pepsi Center in Denver...and it's the same way on all the concert dates.

That means nothing. Just because some old farts weren't hip 12 years ago and sell out now is not a sign that rock can make a comeback. Exceptions to a trend don't make a rule. And the trend is dwindling sales and attendences, dwindling numbers of successful new bands and increasing numbers of guitarists playing by themselves on youtube instead of in bands. The trend is for rock to disappear from the charts completely in favor of rap and EDM. In the past when disco ruled the charts in the 70s and new age in the 80's there was still a strong showing of chart success for rock. Hell, it was still what we now call the golden age of rock.

The fact that its just the old farts of that age who are still doing well is troublesome, not something to laud.

Be patient, play yer guitar, keep a sharp eye for those who are bringing it in smaller venues, and love what you have...not what this *used* to be.
R

Maybe that is enough for you, but I did not sign up to play small bars and small clubs in the twilight era of rock. I didn't sign up to be in this for the money either, there are innumerable more ways to make money way more easily. But I did dream of becoming a rock god some day. At the very least see a progression that would take me out of small bars and clubs to a higher level. Because playing for 500 people is a lot more fun then playing to just 5, in which case I reckon playing to 5000, or even 50.000 has to be even better. I don't want to dream small, I want to dream big. And I find it extremely depressing that the genre I love more then anything is not enjoying popular success more, and has become stale and inward looking. Which I blame in no small part for its decline.
 
Todays rock music is Cirque du Soleil, Broadway Musicals and singing competitions. I don't see how anyone could be surprised that kids are turned off by their parents guitar music and are adapting music we hate (EDM) for their own voice. Seems like the circle of life to me. Rock music started as the underdog, and I think it's better suited returning to that role. The Ramones never had a studio album go platinum, and only 2 went gold. It never made them any less important.

EDIT: I should note that I am seeing more younger kids, like in the OP's video, that are swinging the pendulum back to rock and real instruments. My nephew is even writing songs on guitar, and no interest in EDM or the like. I think we'll see some good things in the years to come.
 
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