# Guitar pet peeve...



## ampdude (Mar 17, 2011)

People who say "Lez Paul"!?! It's Les as in "less" dammit!!!!! Are you too lazzzzzy to form an 'ess' sound with your tongue???


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Lesbian


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

What part of pet peeves has something to do with theory and technique?


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

What I don't get is folks called it an Les Paul. Shouldn't an only be used preceding a vowel? It's A Les Paul dammit!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Swervin55 said:


> What I don't get is folks called it an Les Paul. Shouldn't an only be used preceding a vowel? It's A Les Paul dammit!


An LP?


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## ampdude (Mar 17, 2011)

amagras said:


> What part of pet peeves has something to do with theory and technique?


Proper pronunciation is technique!


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

ampdude said:


> Proper pronunciation is technique!


That's just a theory...


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

A friend of mine always pronounced in a pseudo French fashion, like 'Lay' Paul.... drove me insane lol


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

ampdude said:


> People who say "Lez Paul"!?! It's Les as in "less" dammit!!!!! Are you too lazzzzzy to form an 'ess' sound with your tongue???


I worked with a guy for years who pronounced D'Addario as "Dee-A-Dario". Even after correcting him hundreds of times. Drove me nuts!!



zontar said:


> An LP?


Technically it would still be "a LP". Though that sounds weird to say and weird to read, it's technically proper.


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2016)

like reading 'an hour' as apposed to 'a hour'.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I hang with some Brits. One of them is named Les and the rest of the English guys call him Lez. His own wife calls him Lez. It seems to be just how they pronounce it. And they all refer to a Les Paul as a Lez Paul too.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Swervin55 said:


> Shouldn't an only be used preceding a vowel?





laristotle said:


> like reading 'an hour' as apposed to 'a hour'.


Just to clarify, the rule is that "an" should be used when preceding a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel as the first character of the word. An hombre, an hour, and an honour are all correct.

The fact that we abbreviate everything and read the letters instead of the words is why we have an LP, an SG, an RMT (el-pee, ess-jee, arr-em-tee). They all sound right because they have vowel sounds, but in writing they are all technically wrong because the abbreviation is supposed to represent the full word (and is supposed to be read as such). In speech, it would be correct to say "an LP" because of how it (el-pee) is pronounced.


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

I still say "Lehh Pol"


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

jbealsmusic said:


> Just to clarify, the rule is that "an" should be used when preceding a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel as the first character of the word. An hombre, an hour, and an honour are all correct.
> 
> The fact that we abbreviate everything and read the letters instead of the words is why we have an LP, an SG, an RMT (el-pee, ess-jee, arr-em-tee). They all sound right because they have vowel sounds, but in writing they are all technically wrong because the abbreviation is supposed to represent the full word (and is supposed to be read as such). In speech, it would be correct to say "an LP" because of how it (el-pee) is pronounced.


I could be wrong about this but I seem to recall that vowels are "A-E-I-O-U and sometimes H" which would support your statement above regarding "an hombre, hour, honour etc. Even in speech, calling it AN Les Paul just sounds wrong (to me).


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Swervin55 said:


> I could be wrong about this but I seem to recall that vowels are "A-E-I-O-U and sometimes H" which would support your statement above regarding "an hombre, hour, honour etc. Even in speech, calling it AN Les Paul just sounds wrong (to me).


H is always a consonant. Vowels are A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y.

In speech, it is "a Les Paul" or "an L.P." In writing, it is "a Les Paul" and "a LP" because you're supposed to read "LP" as "Les Paul". The problem is that most of us don't do that. Most of us read it as the letters "LP". That's why writing "a LP" seems weird.

You would never call it "an Les Paul".


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Shouldn't it be Les Pauls?


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

jbealsmusic said:


> H is always a consonant. Vowels are A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y.


Doh! I stand corrected. Been a long time since grade school.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

jbealsmusic said:


> Just to clarify, the rule is that "an" should be used when preceding a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel as the first character of the word. An hombre, an hour, and an honour are all correct.
> 
> The fact that we abbreviate everything and read the letters instead of the words is why we have an LP, an SG, an RMT (el-pee, ess-jee, arr-em-tee). They all sound right because they have vowel sounds, but in writing they are all technically wrong because the abbreviation is supposed to represent the full word (and is supposed to be read as such). In speech, it would be correct to say "an LP" because of how it (el-pee) is pronounced.





jbealsmusic said:


> H is always a consonant. Vowels are A-E-I-O-U and sometimes Y.
> 
> In speech, it is "a Les Paul" or "an L.P." In writing, it is "a Les Paul" and "a LP" because you're supposed to read "LP" as "Les Paul". The problem is that most of us don't do that. Most of us read it as the letters "LP". That's why writing "a LP" seems weird.
> 
> You would never call it "an Les Paul".


"Check out the big brain on Brad."


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

JBFairthorne said:


> "Check out the big brain on Brad."


"What?"


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

jbealsmusic said:


> I worked with a guy for years who pronounced D'Addario as "Dee-A-Dario". Even after correcting him hundreds of times. Drove me nuts!!
> 
> Technically it would still be "a LP". Though that sounds weird to say and weird to read, it's technically proper.


Yeah, it can change between written & spoken--but just trying to figure out why "an Les Paul"

I've heard D'Addario pronounced 5 or 6 ways--how are you pronouncing it?


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

zontar said:


> I've heard D'Addario pronounced 5 or 6 ways--how are you pronouncing it?


D'Addario = Da-Dairy-O
That was the way they answered their phones and how all their reps pronounced it, so I always assumed that was right. Turns out it was:
D'Addario Strings : FAQ


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

jbealsmusic said:


> D'Addario = Da-Dairy-O
> That was the way they answered their phones and how all their reps pronounced it, so I always assumed that was right. Turns out it was:
> D'Addario Strings : FAQ


I've pronounced it that way & the Dee-A-dario way.
Most people I hear pronounce it Dee-A-dario 
I also hear Duh-a-dario & duh-darr-ee-o


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## mrfiftyfour (Jun 29, 2008)

I hate it when people say guit-fiddle. Makes me go postal. 
I should up my dosage of Ritalin


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Years ago, my g/f and I were taking the elevator in my condo, carrying our 'guit-fiddle'  cases, when a little kid, probably 5 years old, got on the elevator with his dad. He looked up at us with his big round eyes and said, "Is that a bit-taar?" It was cute and we still laugh about it.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

mrfiftyfour said:


> I hate it when people say guit-fiddle.


I've never actually heard that term before. What does it mean?


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

jbealsmusic said:


> I've never actually heard that term before. What does it mean?


I tought it was my speaking French and not understanding English that caused my not knowing what this term is all about. 

I don't get it either.


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## mrfiftyfour (Jun 29, 2008)

Jamdog said:


> I tought it was my speaking French and not understanding English that caused my not knowing what this term is all about.
> 
> I don't get it either.


It's just another word for guitar.


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

AFAIK fiddle is commonly used as violin, guit-fiddle must be an equivalent of the Spanish "prima" to designate the "lead" role of the guitar. Prima" can be translated "premium" or "cousin" yet I don't know which one has something to do with lead guitars.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

amagras said:


> AFAIK fiddle is commonly used as violin, guit-fiddle must be an equivalent of the Spanish "prima" to designate the "lead" role of the guitar. Prima" can be translated "premium" or "cousin" yet I don't know which one has something to do with lead guitars.


Coming from a hillbilly family, I would say it is not wise to play with your cousins. Makes for an awkward Christmas.


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

jbealsmusic said:


> I worked with a guy for years who pronounced D'Addario as "Dee-A-Dario". Even after correcting him hundreds of times. Drove me nuts!!


Oops! So what is correct pronunciation?



jbealsmusic said:


> Technically it would still be "a LP". Though that sounds weird to say and weird to read, it's technically proper.


A and AN is used based on the sound - not based on the letter.
(the same like The (d and The (Theee))
So if a words starts wit a sound that "sounds" vocal it is An and The (Theee).
So based on that:
LP should be AN LP because sound wise it starts with Eeeel P
the same like other example an Hour - Hour sounds like Our
So grammatically proper is - if it sounds like vocal, it is an AN instead of A.

Les Paul sounds like Lllles Paul, so should be A Les Paul
I hope I make sense?

And I see that all this has been answered already 
Sorry


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