Will They Be Limiting Instrument Usage Again This Season? Options

[aps90]

Do you think? I hope so. Cause if I have to sit through a hundred acoustic Dave Matthews arrangements by Phillip Phillips I will propably shoot myself in the face.

[NatesHeadbander]

I hope not....I wanna see Reed break the drums out again!

[druth8x]

I hope they limit it but not so only 1 gets the privilege each week.

However, I don't want 4 guitar performances week in and week out.

[Belle Book]

I hope they limit it but not so only 1 gets the privilege each week.

However, I don't want 4 guitar performances week in and week out.

Nor do I want to see 4 guitar performances week in and week out! Maybe 1 guitar performance, 1 piano performance and 1 drum performance, at most.

This post has been edited by Belle Book: Feb 18th 2012, 7:18 PM

[smilefountain]

It depends on who the producers want to win. If the ones they want to win play instruments (Reed, Phil) they will probably allow them when they can- if the ones they don't want to win play an instrument, they will say "no instruments!"

[Israelian2006]

I hope so. If Phiilip gets to play his guitar every week he will win. I want some suspense in this show

[kclarkson1323]

We can only hope.

[crash2007]

And now it's time for the annual silly "instruments are a crutch" arguments.

[chessguy99]

IDT the use of instruments matters all that much, especially if the season has a good number of top vocalists. The ability to sing well and work the stage, trumps being able to strum a guitar.

[jork]

Beatboxing isn't an instrument, right?

[druth8x]

And now it's time for the annual silly "instruments are a crutch" arguments.

How about "Instruments are an added advantage"

Would that go over better with you?

[crash2007]

How about "Instruments are an added advantage"

Would that go over better with you?

It's not the terminology so much as the concept. It's like saying, "Hitting high notes is a crutch" or "being pretty is an added advantage." Of course being able to play an instrument is an added advantage, but no more so than appearance, range, genre, etc. can be. Each contestant has a different set of strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Why single one of those out as unfair, but not the rest? Furthermore, why single out one that the contestants actually have to work to achieve, as opposed to one that contestants have handed to them, such as appearance or range?

[druth8x]

Good point.

Work with what you've got.


The problem comes from plucking vs playing. If they pluck it's felt as a crutch but if they play it's felt as yeah that's a good thing.

Also the misconception that guitars is the #1 advantage.

[crash2007]

Good point.

Work with what you've got.
The problem comes from plucking vs playing. If they pluck it's felt as a crutch but if they play it's felt as yeah that's a good thing.

Also the misconception that guitars is the #1 advantage.

Oh, I agree about the plucking vs. playing, but of the 4 winners who played instruments during their run, Scotty rarely ever played, and seemed decent enough when he did; Cook and Kris could both play pretty well, and did so during their runs. I block out most of Lee's performances, so I can't remember if he was a legitimately good player or not, but even if he wasn't, I think the vast majority of viewers agree at this point that he had no business winning for a variety of reasons.

So it seems that sooner or later the ones who merely pluck around fall by the wayside anyway, which as it should be.

[druth8x]

Well, in that case:

Bring them on!


Though, I would much rather have Amanda Overmyer bring out her guitar.


Or, Matt Giraud play the keys.

[ygen]

And now it's time for the annual silly "instruments are a crutch" arguments.

yup i really don't like that phrase. people who use that argument imo are ignorant

and i'm NOT even a fan of any of the WGWG winners that AI put out.

[LucyLondon]

I actually love to see the contestants show off other talents besides just their voice, I'm not sure what everyone's deal is every season. I'm as sick as anyone else with the "WGWG" winners but I don't see how it makes sense to tell these people they're not allowed to show the judges and audience the full extent of their artistry because they might do something crazy like... improve their chances of winning, or something.

This post has been edited by LucyLondon: Feb 19th 2012, 12:07 AM

[siliconesaline]

It depends on who the producers want to win. If the ones they want to win play instruments (Reed, Phil) they will probably allow them when they can- if the ones they don't want to win play an instrument, they will say "no instruments!"

Basically lol.

And now it's time for the annual silly "instruments are a crutch" arguments.

Lol, right? It's so ignorant. I can't take anyone who says that seriously cause they obviously know nothing about music.

It's not the terminology so much as the concept. It's like saying, "Hitting high notes is a crutch" or "being pretty is an added advantage." Of course being able to play an instrument is an added advantage, but no more so than appearance, range, genre, etc. can be. Each contestant has a different set of strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Why single one of those out as unfair, but not the rest? Furthermore, why single out one that the contestants actually have to work to achieve, as opposed to one that contestants have handed to them, such as appearance or range?

Well said.

[ygen]

Lol, right? It's so ignorant. I can't take anyone who says that seriously cause they obviously know nothing about music.

IKR? anyway i've read one poster who said that and then i read his other opinions and they are

he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. i can't take someone seriously when they are also tone-deaf.

[jork]

What's funny is that the WGWGs they put through are guys who appear to need their instruments as security blankets. In a bigger stage, look at Colton's random jerking motions and twitches from :28 to :33 of this video, when he's not holding a guitar. And of course, Phillip Phillips has massive jazz hands, sounds like he's swallowing a bunch of rocks when he sings, and has some of the most manic faces this side of Aiden Grimshaw. Just a whole bunch of awkward.

I noticed they didn't get put in a James Durbin-type WGWG into this cast--although that WGWG quartet who sang that Elvis Presley song--I think it was Clayton Farhat, Scott Dangerfield, Adam Lee Decker and that guy who was cut--seemed like they had a lot of charisma for WGWG standards. Spoilers revealed Clayton Farhat to be a poor man's Durbin type, and perhaps TPTB thought that he could accumulate votes with the showboating. Same as Johnny Keyser, who sounded decent without an instrument and looked comfortable without it as well. And they cut all four of those WGWGs+ Keyser...

So perhaps TPTB think that awkward stage presence would stop the votes from pouring into WGWGs? That sort of worked for Paul McDonald, but he coupled that with a IDGAF attitude which might have turned off some voters. Reed Grimm is cut from the same cloth. Lee DeWyze looked absolutely lost without an instrument, but that season was so piss-poor that even with his limitations he came out the winner. I mean a girl can win of course, with this sort of WGWG representation, but Nigel will have to carefully manipulate each week, create backlash voting against the WGWGs, and perhaps carve out another Haley-type angry voting situation for another of the girls. We'll see how it goes.