Bob Weir's Unique Rhythm Guitar Style

Check out the next Big interview with Bob Weir. Premieres Tuesday, August 11th on AXS TV at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

[finarollerz]

Weir is bad ass because was one of the first "rhythm guitarist" to actually play in a diverse rhythmic way with unique cords that was his and his only, unlike common blues, soul or jazz he kind of invented his own thing, deep respect as a musician.

[cungar]

Wow Dan Rather actually asks more insightful questions than a lot of rock journalists

[baronsnobolla]

Weir is a rhythm guitar genius and criminally unappreciated as such. He was the perfect player for Jerry and like any great musician can make everyone else even better. People of course associate anyone who "just" plays rhythm as someone who is not good enough to play lead. Sorry to burst your bubbles but Bobby is a master Impressionist of improvisation.

[Tyler_]

Bob Weir and Keef. Two of my favorite rhythm players and both part of incredible guitar tandems. Duane and Dickey was a whole other animal

[AFaceintheCrowd]

Even as early as the Live/Dead album in 69, Weir’s pretty tone on the 335 and his advanced chording and sensitive rhythm work was remarkable to me.

[robsgirl]

Filling in the holes without stepping on anyone's toes. That's the job of a rhythm guitarist. Here's something you guys might not know. Les Paul said lead guitarists are a dime a dozen but a good rhythm guitarist is hard to find. Pretty cool, eh?

[jamesgordon]

Really cool to hear Bobby talk about the influence of Coltrane because I’ve always heard a lot of Coltrane in their jams.

[allagoon]

I love finding a live Dead recording that is mixed so you can really hear what Bob was doing.His work is amazing.

[electrickrain]

Genius. I'd pay extra after a show just to hear this guy talk for an hour.

[arlenmargolin]

I can understand how McCoy Tyner had such a wide effect on Bob's style of music because I can really sit down and really absorb a lot of what McCoy did musically definitely one of my favorite piano players besides Keith Jarrett

[musicandcoffee]

Based off of my seeing MANY shows, Weir and Garcia were two different masterminds on their guitars and as they both played together, they created a magic that could not be duplicated by anyone else; or ever will be. ⚡️💀🌹

[billbeliakoff]

It wasn't until Jerry and Phil wanted to replace Bobby and Pig Pen that he decided to study Coltrane and others to develop his style. And when Kieth and later Brent joined he realized that what you don't play can be, at times, more important than what you do play.

[jackielitten]

Weir could be considered more of a "second guitarist" than a rhythm player. His playing includes a lot of tasteful fills and single-note runs that underpin and complement what the lead player is doing. When heard with the entire band, the harmonic structure is more melodic and complex than what might be expected from having a competent but run-of-the -mill rhythm player on board.

[baronsnobolla]

And like Jerry and Phil invented a completely original style-the absolute pinnacle of true Artistry

[clancykobane]

dude really held on to his hair, impressive.

[gsxerwhite]

Bob pretty much wrote his own chapter in the history of rhythm guitar. Great musician 👍🏻

ETA: the Dead invented their own style and will never be replicated therefore Weir is a pioneer as well as musician.

[MrBrungers]

Rhythm is the most important and Weir plays incredibly inventive, soulful with a great feel for sonic soundscapes

[RichardTetta]

On the one hand, I'll give Rather some credit for at least recognizing that Weir has a unique rhythm guitar style. On the other hand, that dog joke was more than a little bit insulting, and it was good-natured of Weir to just laugh it off, basically ignore it, and move on to his point.

[stillaliveandwell]

I named my first cat Weir back in 1974. She lived up to the name, too many stories including hitchhiking, my friend saw her snort____ on top of my Technics turntable. She even escaped while hitchhiking in rural NC.( I got picked up by a guy in new white Cadillac. There was fur everywhere, but the guy didn't care) I about gave up and she came walking out of a barn ready to anyway, Bobby counterpoint to the point, re-pointed. Weir has always been the first line I follow in the band, then Phil and then Jerry who being the loudest you always had a channel for that but then sync in the others to fullify (don't look it up) your ears (calliopes and clowns).

[billbeliakoff]

There are times I find myself listening to Bobby more than Jerry, and thinking that he is buried to low in the mix.