Guitar competition

"I don't believe you, I don't believe you..." The young man before me was like a poised leopard, with his black curly hair casually falling down. His face carried an expression of utmost seriousness, as if facing a matter of life and death, vigorously shaking his head.

"Julio..." Hugo's voice was just beginning when the young man cut him off, "Call me Pepe." Hugo followed suit and said, "Pepe, why don't you believe me? I'm just saying that I can compose a rock song without a guitar, but there's no guarantee that the song will be of high quality."

"Charlatan!" The young man in front of me, named Pepe, was none other than the guy who handed out flyers to Hugo in front of the car dealership in the morning. He knew Neil, although they weren't close friends, they had encountered each other to some extent in this circle. This young man's full name was Julio Pedro Cesar Casa, and just by hearing his name, one could tell he was Latinos. The combination of his first name, baptismal name, mother's surname, and father's surname was dazzling.

Pepe had seen Neil earlier and went to greet him, only to discover the transformed Hugo. He quickly recognized him as the "Wall Street guy" from the morning and quipped, "Seems like the Wall Street life is treating you well." In fact, just two blocks north was Wall Street in Los Angeles, where many financial centers were located. However, just one street away was like two different worlds, a stark contrast that made people marvel.

Unexpectedly, Neil told Pepe that Hugo was an exceptionally skilled guitarist, which sparked strong doubt in Pepe. A thousand words couldn't compare to a real showdown. As a result, Hugo started playing on the street, which triggered Neil's itch to join in. The two of them stood on the roadside and began a guitar battle. Although the showdown between acoustic guitars lacked the auditory stimulation of electric guitars, their skills were dazzling, attracting many onlookers.

Hugo was responsible for melodic guitar in his former band, and his understanding lay more in melody and composition. If we were to focus solely on speed, it was not Hugo's strong suit. Compared to those world-famous guitar virtuosos, the difference was more than just a street away. However, Hugo's finger techniques were extremely proficient, with sweeping, fingerpicking, and arpeggios executed brilliantly. His left hand pressed down chords while his right hand flew across the five guitar strings, creating a whirlwind of ever-changing music that brought forth a stunning tornado on the eardrums, accelerating the heartbeat and blood flow with the flickering of his fingertips.

If Hugo's performance was filled with endless variety, then Neil's guitar skills could be described as controlled and precise. He had reached a level of mastery in rhythm and speed, and Neil's string picking was at least twice as fast as Hugo's. The resulting halo of light almost obscured the contours of Neil's fingers, leaving only a sense of phantom sweeping through one's field of vision. The smooth melodies transformed from a murmuring brook into a rushing river, thundering down with a spectacle that left people wide-eyed. More importantly, Neil wasn't just fast; he had complete control over rhythm, like a river rushing towards the sea, with torrents and calms, twists and pauses. The entire experience of listening was like riding a roller coaster or rafting, thrilling and exhilarating.

In reality, it was nearly impossible to determine a winner between them because Hugo leaned more towards melodic guitar while Neil excelled in rhythmic guitar. Even with the same instrument, they belonged to different specialties, making it impossible to declare victory. However, it was certain that both of them were outstanding guitarists. Although performing on stage was a different matter altogether, involving coordination with other band members, the ability to control the atmosphere, and the adjustment of on-the-spot performance, both of them were undeniably excellent.

Hugo and Neil played three rounds of guitar battle, and their equally impressive skills pushed the atmosphere on the street to a climax. Tonight, many music enthusiasts who were going to the Rock Night event on the impoverished street could tell the difference, even if they weren't band members. The two highly skilled guitarists, Hugo and Neil, quickly earned applause and enthusiastic praise from everyone around, with discussions and admiration filling the air, accompanied by whistles.

Pepe was amazed, unable to believe that Hugo had hidden such talent, and even Neil, whom he knew, seemed to have become even more skillful. This instantly changed Pepe's perception of Hugo, and he didn't hesitate to express his admiration.

In reality, these young people, including Pepe, were like this. They might be rebellious, difficult, or troublesome in front of others, but in the realm of music, they were pure and simple. Just because of the shared love for music, they could become friends and openly express their appreciation for each other's musical abilities.

This purity was also the reason why many classic rock bands eventually fell apart: conflicts in musical ideologies. While there were bands that ended due to internal conflicts among members, and other factors couldn't be ruled out, it was undeniable that differences in musical ideologies were a significant cause for the decline of most bands.

Soon, many young people around felt the itch and took out their guitars to join in the impromptu performances, engaging in discussions and learning from each other. The atmosphere became lively and vibrant. With Hugo and Neil at the center, a small circle of more than twenty people formed around them, truly embracing Hugo as a part of this circle. That was the charm of music, where even meeting for the first time didn't matter because music could become the bridge of communication between them.

However, the cheerful atmosphere quickly changed as disagreements emerged due to different views on music. Pepe lamented the indispensable position of the guitar in rock music to the extent that the importance of other instruments was overshadowed. Pepe was speaking up for himself because he played the bass, and what he stated was indeed a fact. Until the year 2000, the guitar held an elevated status in rock bands, and many famous bands had guitarists with popularity on par with the lead singers.

For example, Slash from Guns N' Roses, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield from Metallica, and Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen. These were legendary guitarists with unimaginable popularity.

During this era, many classic rock songs would have dedicated guitar solos, which further demonstrated the absolute position of the guitar.

Faced with Pepe's complaint, Hugo didn't share the same opinion because he knew that after entering the 21st century, bands emphasized more on the overall sound and the rich diversity of music. Bands like Linkin Park, U2, Coldplay, One Republic, My Chemical Romance, and Simple Plan exemplified this approach.

This is mainly a problem of the development of a music trend. Most metal rock bands in the 1980s were obsessed with technological innovation. Complex playing techniques and intricate composition methods were the trend, pushing rock music to its peak. During this period, metal bands took rock music to a new pinnacle. Intricate technical skills were essential for every band, which is why the guitar duel between Hugo and Neil attracted so many spectators. People's emphasis on technology reached a new height, and rock enthusiasts were enthusiastic about technical competitions and improvements. The challenging lead guitar became the core of metal bands. The excellence of technology was also reflected in the composition style. Most music during this period revolved around the guitar and featured intricate and complex arrangements. Distorted silver tones and extreme volumes were infused with a lot of emotional release, taking metal rock to the extreme. In this period, the importance of the guitar for metal rock bands was unparalleled.

However, in the 1990s, this obsession with technological innovation gradually reached a dead end. Rock bands fell into a monotonous predicament, and the emergence of numerous imitating bands made it difficult for metal rock to be innovative. Therefore, in the first half of this decade, a new metal with an open and concise structure gradually emerged and became mainstream in the second half of the 1990s, reshaping the landscape of rock music. In the context of new metal bands, the emphasis shifted more towards the feeling. Although there were bands with strong technical skills, the majority simplified their approach and occupied the mainstream. Their playing skills may not have been outstanding, but they were able to present music in the simplest way through diverse composition. The absolute position of the guitar was replaced during this period.

Moving forward to the 21st century, the development of new metal bands declined once again, while musical diversity and fusion reached a new height. Rock bands at this time emphasized the coordination between instruments and the overall cohesion of the band. Technical excellence was indispensable, but rigidly honing techniques was also undesirable. The new challenge became how to use technology to serve the feeling, and how to integrate musical ideas into melodies, which became a new topic. At this time, no instrument was irreplaceable, and bands also valued a wider range of top-notch techniques. It can be said that the development of rock music entered another stage.

Now it was 1992, and new metal music had not yet taken shape. Hugo proposed the proposition that a rock song could be created without using a guitar at this time. In the era when metal rock was still dominant in the 1980s, Hugo immediately faced attacks from everyone around him. This allowed Hugo to experience firsthand what it meant for a "new thing to backlash". Currently, mobile phones occupy a better position in social culture than Hugo's situation.

Pepe exclaimed angrily, "Charlatan! You clearly said just now that you can create an excellent rock song without using a guitar, didn't you?" After speaking, Pepe looked at the people around him, seeking allies. This was obviously not difficult because everyone around, including Neil, was on Pepe's side.

Hugo smiled helplessly and said, "Fine, even if I said that, tell me, why do you think it's impossible?" In Hugo's view, whether it was technical skills or emotions, they were all in the service of music. The music ideas he embraced included solid technical skills, outstanding performance techniques, rich interpretation methods, and diverse element fusion, expressing the colorful aspects of rock music in his own way.

"Because..." Pepe wanted to give a reason, but for a moment, he couldn't come up with a coherent one. Mainly because music creation itself does not have a fixed pattern, and if a fixed pattern appears, it would be considered plagiarism. Therefore, it was really difficult to come up with a set of rules and regulations.

This was the situation in the early 1990s. At this time, what was popular was popular, what was rock was rock, what was hip-hop was hip-hop. However, after entering the 21st century, jazz fused with soul and pop, rhythm blended with rock and hip-hop, and the mixing of various styles made it increasingly difficult to accurately describe a specific music genre.

Hugo directly interrupted Pepe's words and said, "Just because the mainstream is like this now, because Nirvana, AC/DC, metal bands, The Stone Roses, and The Smiths are like this, does it mean that we must follow these so-called mainstream styles to be authentic rock?"

This series of questions left everyone speechless. Neil, who was sitting next to Hugo, began to ponder deeply. This discourse seemed astonishing and unconventional, but it was based on solid reasoning.

"Aren't we supposed to break free and create our own style? If not, why were we so happy when Nirvana succeeded?" Hugo's words were not deliberately forceful, but they quietly penetrated into the hearts of everyone present, resonating profoundly.

"But...however..." Pepe was like an undefeated child who still wanted to argue, but he found that he couldn't come up with a reason. On the other hand, Neil, who had been sitting beside him, spoke up, "Since you think that way and claim that you can do it, then show us the evidence!"

Neil's words immediately gave Pedro a lifeline. "Yes, prove it! Can you prove it?" Pepe said.

Hugo looked at everyone's gaze focused on him—those passionate, expectant, and provocative eyes. He felt a slight warmth in his skin, but he was not afraid. Instead, a sense of indomitable spirit emerged within him. Hugo nodded confidently and flashed a bright smile. "Why not?"

The mic dropped!