John Williams, guitarist, talks tone production on the guitar.

John Williams, guitarist, talks about tone production on the guitar.

Australian Guitar Journal 1990 - John Williams cover

From the "Australian Guitar Journal" interview by Austin Prichard-Levy
(early 1990's).

AP-L: What do you think about the problems of tone production for guitarists?

JW: I think it's an extension of what we've just been talking about because one of the effects of having a tradition of solo repertoire, which is often music which is difficult to play, is that more emphasis is often put by a teacher on getting through the notes rather than playing the real substance of each note, and that's a reason why we don't concentrate continually from the beginning on tone production. By Grade 4, 5 and 6, for example, you've got Villa Lobos Preludes, which are much too difficult for those levels, but we're lumbered with that problem.

Take a major third on the top strings with a bass accompaniment, the type of thing you'll find in any simple guitar piece by Giuliani. If you hear a guitarist play it, it will sound fairly dull by comparison with how a string trio would play the same set of notes, where there would be much consideration of the phrasing and tone variation by each player.

But because the guitarist finds such a thing superficially very easy to play, very often their approach to tone production is also superficial, with little or no consideration given to voice matching and tonal contrasts, even though the guitar has special difficulties because each of the three top strings has a quite distinct sound, so it's both a blessing and a curse.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

AP-L: You have an enviable reputation as a very powerful player, one capable of getting the maximum volume from an instrument - what are your thoughts on volume as opposed to tone?

JW: Yes, it's understandable that guitarists generally have an obsession with volume, because the guitar is a quiet instrument, but I think that many guitarists confuse loudness with fullness; they should seek a focus in their sound rather than simply trying to fill a room - the thing about fullness of sound is that it also louder because of the extra body on the note. It's the range of dynamics and tone in music that make it interesting to the ear, not volume per se. One thing that I loved about one of my two old Fleta guitars, was the ability it gave one to express that wide range of sound. I've always had strong nails, so that has helped too, but the reality is that the dynamic range that the guitar has is much less than the range, which actually carries in a concert hall.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

AP-L: Does this explain your use of amplification, despite your obvious ability to produce a full, strong sound?

JW: I feel that subtle amplification overcomes most of these problems, but it seems ironic that many makers are now aiming directly at producing much louder instruments. I feel that the wide range of options available today for amplifying the guitar means that you can focus on the warm, intimate sounds of the guitar even in a large auditorium. The end result will be musically much more satisfying than trying just to produce a large, possibly unmusical, sound output, even if it is totally natural.

I know that to some critics any form of amplification is musical heresy, but I think that we have to go one step further. The guitar played in a large hall is not heard at its loveliest for most people in that hall; ideally, the guitar should not be played in a large hall if we want to experience the full range of its tone, because it doesn't sound the same at a distance of 20 meters or more. This is because it's a partly percussive instrument, and the percussive aspects carry more than its other dynamic and tonal qualities, so what we're hearing is not really a true guitar sound.

So it's not whether you can hear a guitar at the back of the Sydney Opera House, but what you hear that counts. I find that amplification helps in that regard, but obviously it has to be well done.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

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