FRANK GAMBALE
VIDEO & AUDIO https://bit.ly/3BvSmVy
GT: What is it about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you?
FG: The great thing about instrumental music is that it stimulates the listener’s imagination. When there’s a lyric, then the focus is on the meaning of the words and, to some degree, the music becomes secondary. With instrumental music it’s front and centre. When I hear songs on a movie soundtrack with singers under dialogue I find it very distracting. Most times instrumental music works better in movies unless of course there is no dialogue. From a guitar perspective, I love instrumental music because it allows my guitar to become the singer. I approach melody as if I was a singer, to portray the emotion and sentiment purely from the guitar.
GT: What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can't?
FG: It’s scientifically proven that music reaches into the brain further and deeper than any other medium, more the visual images or words and poetry etc. So, an instrumental piece of music with a strong melody and sentiment can move people to tears. Movie scenes that are romantic or sad use music to amplify the emotion. Without the music the scenes don’t have the same impact, so if the desire is to present work for maximum impact, they’d be smart to choose the right music to accompany the presentation.
GT: What do you embrace or avoid when writing or performing an instrumental?
FG: Harmony is an open universe of possibilities. I’m always searching for progressions, harmonic changes that I haven’t heard before. It’s hard to do! For example, there’s a song on my latest album Salve, music!
