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Johnny Roth



Last Updated: 11/17/2009

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Status: Single
City: Gulfport/St. Petersburg, FL
Country: US
Signup Date: 12/29/2005

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November 8, 2009 - Sunday 

Category: Music
Unique Guitar Playing - Freedom of Expression
by Johnny Roth

Whether you’ve been playing for one day or for forty years your guitar playing is all about expressing yourself. Think of your guitar as your voice. It’s already unique whether you realize it or not. Just like your speaking voice. Friends and family who know you can recognize your voice immediately. And if people hear you play enough times they come to recognize your playing also. Your playing style, your tone, your feeling, your sound and your influences all combine to be your own unique voice. A guitar player can be incredibly expressive and recognizable even by playing just one note. My proof. All you need to hear from B.B. King or Carlos Santana is one note and you know instantly who it is. There are other players you can recognize by their shear speed and technical prowess. That’s their way of speaking. It’s like getting to know someone’s voice. Whether it’s B.B or Jimi Hendrix or John Petrucci, if you’re familiar with them and hear them enough times you naturally come to recognize their playing.

Every guitar player wants to have his or her own unique identifiable style and sound. You can develop a more distinctive playing voice by injecting your own original and unique signature licks and techniques into your playing; like B.B.‘s strong vibrato or Santana‘s endless sustain. Creating and inventing your own licks and tricks is extremely fulfilling and exciting. Don’t be afraid to experiment on your axe and push the boundaries.  There are no rules of expression. A lot of beginning guitar players (and experienced players for that matter) focus on achieving speed and technical precision in their playing. Nothing wrong with that. But, remember that if you play only one single note for a whole song or tons of speed & technical licks it’s still you expressing  yourself. And that’s what it’s about.

Anyway, I guess my point in all this is; to pursue your musical goals no matter how lofty they are but never get discouraged or frustrated. Guitar playing is not a contest of speed or acrobatic fingering techniques. The idea is to speak and express your feelings through your guitar. And you can do that at any playing level.

As for me, I think I know my limits and try to learn and improve everyday. But, if I never play at the level of some of my guitar heroes I know that what I am playing now is my way of expressing my music; and it’s mine alone. Actually I prefer to live by the old cliché “less is more“. That works for me but whatever or however you play just remember that it comes from inside you and out through your fingers. Guitar playing gives you the freedom to say anything you want through your playing. And that voice is totally and uniquely yours.

Copyright 2004 Johnny Roth

12:17 AM 
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April 11, 2009 - Saturday 





Vu Jah De' Review by Peter Hund - goodnewmusic.com

Fans of Allman Brothers Band instrumentals are guaranteed
to love this tastefully executed instrumental electric guitar album
with plenty of slide. But besides the southern-rock vibe,
Pennsylvania-based Roth impressively channels jazz masters such as
Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour and, to a lesser extent but just as
effectively, funk greats like Steve Cropper and Leo Nocentelli.


Southern rock is foremost among Roth’s influences, as evidenced on
kick-off track “Lakota,” a blues-jazz number featuring interplay
between guitar and keyboards along the lines of Dickey Betts and Chuck
Leavell circa “Brothers and Sisters.”


On the jazzier side, the title track fuses smooth-jazz sounds with
reggae for an effect akin to Steely Dan’s “Haitian Divorce.” “Funki
Taki” is all the name implies, with more Leavell-sounding piano and
some nice Takamine EF261s acoustic/electric fretwork (Roth uses a 1956
Les Paul on the rest of the CD), recalling both Sea Level and SD.


The rocking “Machu Picchu” and bluesy “Slow Burn” contain that Hammond
B-3 sound Gregg Allman is so famous for. On the former, it’s paired
note for note with guitar, like on the classic ABB instrumental “In
Memory of Elizabeth Reed” but with a rolling bass line added. ”North
Delta Heat” also is a highlight, with nods to multiple ABB songs
including “Revival,” “Dreams” and “Jessica.”


For his sophomore effort, Roth again produces, engineers and mixes and
plays all the instruments — with the exception of drums on the title
track and “North Delta Heat,” which are provided by his brother Barry. Peter Hund - goodnewmusic.com (Apr 10, 2009)


by: Robert Silverstein

The CD cover of the new Johnny Roth CD Vu Jah De is some pretty hairy stuff, but the the music inside is easy as pie to dig into. Roth made instrumental rock guitar enthusiasts happy with his 2003 album, Still Not Talkin’ and five years later, Vu Jah De carries his guitar sound forward. Roth cites Carlton and Ritenour as big guitar influences yet one can also detect shades of Cropper and Betts amid the all instrumental fare on Vu Jah De. Once again producing, engineering, mixing and playing all the instruments, Roth does receive a bit of help on the title track and “North Delta Heat” from his brother, drummer Barry Roth. Even with his scaled down budget, Roth proves masterful with plenty of chompin’ at the bit guitar instros on the boards.

Robert Silverstein - MusicWeb Express 3000 (May 9, 2009)








7:30 PM 
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