# What does 'wanking' mean? (BRITS DON'T ANSWER!)



## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

What does 'wanking' mean?

********Any other Brits please do not answer*******


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Think of it as noodling on the guitar with a lot more testosterone and no chords.

(My mum was a Brit - so I had to give it some thought)


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Its what teenage boys do in private with a porno magazine.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)




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## Guest (Dec 4, 2015)




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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Lead playing that lacks any sense of melody or expression. AKA, aimlessly playing technically difficult and fast licks with no care as to how it relates to the song it is being played over.

Most of us are wankers and don't even realize it.


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

Sizing up one's catch of cod.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

"Wanking", in the context of guitars, generally implies an attempt to play impressively fast, without really going anywhere or saying anything with that playing. You will never hear someone referred to as "wanking" on the guitar if they are playing and holding notes in a soulful manner.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

given this is in the non-related section, I'd say the .GIF seems to have the answer...


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

sorbz62 said:


> What does 'wanking' mean?
> 
> ********Any other Brits please do not answer*******


The title ...Refine Wank..... no kidding .......

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=10182602&q=hi


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Guitar masturbation - the player is the only one getting off.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

+1 to allthumbs



laristotle said:


>


What does shooting dice have anything to do with?

I agree with the Yngwie link though. First thing I thought of.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

Actually guys, this was a rhetorical question as I just overheard a conversation in the local guitar with a guy who just walked in and asked "hey buddy, can I have a wank on this guitar?" I nearly laughed my head off at him. I then asked him what wank meant and he said "oh, to shred on guitar" to which I nearly punched him right in the face for being an idiot!!

In the UK, where the word originated it only means one thing - to masturbate, to toss off, to blow your jaffas on the sheets ....... it is never used to describe someond playing a guitar.

Wankers, all of you!


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

sorbz62 said:


> Actually guys, this was a rhetorical question as I just overheard a conversation in the local guitar with a guy who just walked in and asked "hey buddy, can I have a wank on this guitar?" I nearly laughed my head off at him. I then asked him what wank meant and he said "oh, to shred on guitar" to which I nearly punched him right in the face for being an idiot!! In the UK, where the word originated it only means one thing - to masturbate, to toss off, to blow your jaffas on the sheets ....... it is never used to describe someond playing a guitar. Wankers, all of you!


Believe me, people can "wank" on their guitars.


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## jcon (Apr 28, 2006)




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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

1:00 -1:16


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Beats me.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2015)

sorbz62 said:


> .. it is never used to describe someone playing a guitar.
> 
> Wankers, all of you!


Yeah? Tell that to Jimi.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

bzrkrage said:


> 1:00 -1:16


Plus 1
I vote Vai as the ultimate wanker. What a clown. He played himself


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

sorbz62 said:


> Actually guys, this was a rhetorical question as I just overheard a conversation in the local guitar with a guy who just walked in and asked "hey buddy, can I have a wank on this guitar?" I nearly laughed my head off at him. I then asked him what wank meant and he said "oh, to shred on guitar" to which I nearly punched him right in the face for being an idiot!!
> 
> In the UK, where the word originated it only means one thing - to masturbate, to toss off, to blow your jaffas on the sheets ....... it is never used to describe someond playing a guitar.
> 
> Wankers, all of you!


 What are you talking about I had the answer third post. So did Laristotle. It has nothing to do with guitars.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2015)

Yeah! What he said.
The guy's such a wanker, eh!? wot!?


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

I see no one is offering to lend a hand.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)




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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Frowned upon or not, "wanking" on a guitar won't ruin the finish - unless someone walks in on you. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm certain that most wouldn't turn down the ability to shred/wank. You'd have to be mad for a few reasons. If you have a love of the instrument, you'll want to know all aspects of it as best as possible, imo.

Our expression can be bound by our playing ability (or inability) - think of it as try to speak in another language: the more words we know, the better. The better we can express those words, the better (very wittgenstein-esque, I suppose). 

Once you're capable of soulless wanking, you can add soul and build from there. Guthrie govan is a great example of what you can do with that ability. Harness it and unleash it to get the message across when you want. 

Most of us are essentially wankers any way, doing our best at what we can play - thinking it's pretty damn good, when in most instances it's average at best. My point is you can wank a blues scale. Whenever you're showing off, you're wanking to the best of your ability - I find it sadder that we wank a blues scale with no feeling versus a mixolydian one. 

If you are strictly into campfire-style player with no desire to get better at the instrument, you're going to have a differing opinion - I get that. But, I'll take yngwie's skills any day - 'cause then I'd be one step closer to pulling off some Govan stuff.

Now I'm spent...


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

joke.
Dad busts into the bathroom, points at his son and said " Stop playing with it, or you'll go blind!"
Son says, "Dad, I'm over here."


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

bzrkrage said:


> joke.
> Dad busts into the bathroom, points at his son and said " Stop playing with it, or you'll go blind!"
> Son says, "Dad, I'm over here."


Shave your palms after telling a joke like that.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

adcandour said:


> Frowned upon or not, "wanking" on a guitar won't ruin the finish - unless someone walks in on you.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I'm certain that most wouldn't turn down the ability to shred/wank. You'd have to be mad for a few reasons. If you have a love of the instrument, you'll want to know all aspects of it as best as possible, imo.
> 
> ...


I play, same as I wank. for my own enjoyment. I have no desire in learning how to shred, same as I have no real desire in learning another language other than English. If I was in qubec I'd have trouble, not because I can't parlez vous but I am English Canadian so I won't and don't. If you want to play like someone else, fine. I play like myself. Now go clean off your guitar and keyboard.


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2015)




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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

*In defense of wanking.*

I think "soul", "feeling" "emotion" etc is in the ear of the listener.
I hear more "soul" in the playing of Vai or Sykes than I do in Beck or Clapton, because their music doesn't move me. at all. I think too many people mistake Slow for Soul.
if that's the case, its really easy to fake soul. I can vibrato an e-string on the 12th fret for hours, if you'll pay to hear my soul bleed.
some of the most "soulful" players are so drunk they can barely stand up, not to mention play anything challenging. I don't think booze is a window into the soul of a person, its usually the window to the asshole within a person.
Who cares about soul anyways? I listen for melody, harmony, rhythm, song writing quality and technical virtuosity. I don't need to sense from a guitarist doing a solo that hes a tortured person in pain because he was molested as a child, or whatever.
a great painting is a great painting, whether the artist was angry when they did it or happy because they just got the best bj of their life that morning. yet it seems some, feel a greater connection to the piece if the former was true not the latter. are we so emotionally dead that we need to feel angst vicariously through others?
This soul stuff reeks of artsy bullshit to me.
Wank away, boys. and wank proudly! God bless you all in your wanking endeavours!


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

Spirit and sou are typically two different things. I get the sense that Yngwie has more a desire for spirit than soul but I often find him lacking in getting into the spirit. He's got the speed down on the fingering, but doesn't have the wink and nod that gets the spirit flowing with his bandmates. His bandmates sound like they are instructed to not keep up and it is odd.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Xelebes said:


> Spirit and sou are typically two different things. I get the sense that Yngwie has more a desire for spirit than soul but I often find him lacking in getting into the spirit. He's got the speed down on the fingering, but doesn't have the wink and nod that gets the spirit flowing with his bandmates. His bandmates sound like they are instructed to not keep up and it is odd.


please define "spirit" and "soul". because to me its like the semantics of the differences between leprechauns and elves, in the sense that I don't think they exist as entities.

IMO, a song doesn't have "soul" or "spirit' or any other intangible.
when I hear a rapper shouting yet another song about cops or how hard it is to be a pimp, I don't think he has any more soul or spirit than when Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan when they mumble in another monotone in their music. AND vice versa. I am sure they were all equally passionate when they created their music, it just doesn't CONNECT with me. That connection to a person is what may be soul, but because its so subjective and individual, you cant say its something intrinsic to the song or the musician. its something YOU or I hear (or don't).


"soul"= I like that song
"...doesn't have soul..." = I don't like that song.
its that simple.


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

Haha yeah.

To me, soul refers to the African-American musical tradition where the music is indeed slower but also has the deep, rending bends and slurs. Spirit, in comparison, is the lively musical tradition of European music with feet instead of the torso is sent into movement. The music of Franz Liszt can be full of spirit if played right. The music of Frankie Yankovic or Nathalie McMaster, likewise. But I would be hardpressed to say that their music has soul though.


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