Old guitarist term

[GGJaguar]

From 1942, when guitarists were called "wire pounders".

 

[walrus]

Cool! I've never heard that phrase, "pounding the wires". Although it does accurately describe my rather ramshackle playing!

walrus

 

[lungimsam]

For piano, I have heard:
Tickling the ivories.
Grabbing a fistful of ivory.
For guitar:
Working that pic

 

[wileypickett]

Trivia question: what's the connection between Teddy Bunn and Bob Dylan?

 

[lungimsam]

They were both good at “guitaring” and were “Jazzites”?

 

[adorshki]

Cool! I've never heard that phrase, "pounding the wires". Although it does accurately describe my rather ramshackle playing!

walrus

Yeah and me especially too until I finally consummated the marriage with Blondie one night. The night I discovered she prefers a very delicate touch.....

Still get some of that old "honeymoon moment" every time I open the case though...

 

[Guildedagain]

Chord comping behind a big band, definitely pounding the wires.

 

[wileypickett]

Though he played with countless jazz combos in a long career, Bunn was more a lead melody style player than a sock rhythm type “comper.”

 

[davismanLV]

Though he played with countless jazz combos in a long career, Bunn was more a lead melody style player than a sock rhythm type “comper.”

And that's the connection with Bob Dylan??

 

[davismanLV]

I've pounded a lot of things in my time, but I never thought of that in terms of guitar playing, BUT I LIKE IT!!! Wow.... pounding the wires. So cool!!

 

[twocorgis]

Trivia question: what's the connection between Teddy Bunn and Bob Dylan?

The only connection I can think of was Dylan dropping his name in a recent interview about his book, that's next up in the queue here.

 

[fronobulax]

pounding the wires

Makes sense but I spent too much time around telecommunications professionals to think of guitars first.

 

[Guildedagain]

My Google Fu turns up several things at the same time.

"I listen to Brenda Lee a lot. No matter how many times I hear her, it’s like I just discovered her. She’s such an old soul. Lately, I discovered a fantastic guitar player, Teddy Bunn. I heard him on a Meade Lux Lewis – Sid Catlett record."

A whole lotta pounding going on here.

The Boogie Woogie Trio: Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Meade Lux Lewis - The Syncopated Times

Boogie-woogie, which has been said to have originated in Texas in the 1870s, started out as a piano music characterized by an “eight-to-the-bar” left-hand

syncopatedtimes.com

 

[fronobulax]

Upon further reflection I seem to recall "key pounder" used as slang for a telegraph operator during the American Civil War. I am recalling from reading and not from being present

 

[wileypickett]

TRIVIA QUESTION / ANSWER

Interesting (and “interesting”) answers!

I liked the quote from Dylan, which suggests his Bob-ness may not even be aware of the connection himself, namely:

Bunn and Dylan both backed up classic blues singer Victoria Spivey in recording sessions, Bunn in June, 1930 (on guitar); Dylan in March, 1962 (on harmonica).

A photo from Dylan’s session with Spivey appears on the back cover of the LP version of *New Morning*.

 

[GGJaguar]

BUT I LIKE IT!

Of course you do, because you're a hep cat!

 

[Default]

I got that sock rhythm comping going on.
Kinda muffles the tone, but whatever.

 

[lungimsam]

Staccato Chords on the downbeat only.

 

[kitniyatran]

I got that sock rhythm comping going on.
Kinda muffles the tone, but whatever keep my shocks on my feet my neck play

I keep my socks on my feet when I play

 

[Default]

I keep my socks on my feet when I play

New insult:
"You play like you're barefoot!"