Is there a name for this style of guitar?
Published on Feb 12, 2021
Just a simple question for today. This has been poking at the back of my brain for a while now. Some time ago, I don't remember when, I started to recognize a certain type of guitar in music I like. So far I think I've only come across it in video game soundtracks. And I have no idea what it's called, or if it even has a name.
I only realized this when I first had the realization that, "hey, I like this stuff," and tried to think of how I would go about finding more of it. I have absolutely no idea how to classify it.
Let's get to the examples. First, "City Day," from the Pid soundtrack:
Hear that? Feel those vibes? It's nice, right?
This is off topic, but Pid is a really cool little action platformer from a developer called Might & Delight. Everybody should play Pid, Pid is really great.
Anyway. Next example. Maybe a little more universal: "Cyllage City" from the Pokemon X&Y soundtrack:
See? It's in there too. Nice chill beach vibes. I feel like it wants me to come hang out in this town for a weekend, eat at the same little diner/bar every day, and go antiquing.
Alright, last example I could find. This one's my earliest memory of this, I think: the menu music from Humongous Entertainment's Backyard Football:
God damn, that's good stuff. It really sounds like hanging out in a treehouse on a Saturday afternoon, writing up little binders of fake information for your kid world. I dunno. Maybe that's just me.
Those are all the examples I could rustle up at time of publication, unfortunately, but I think it's enough to create a profile. I just love that sound. It's so carefree. It's a summer breeze. It's a lazy day sitting in front of the old family computer. No responsibilities, no worries.
All I really concretely know about it, if I were to describe it to another person in words, is that it's electric guitar, it's kinda high-pitched, and it's very upbeat.
Does it conform to a specific genre? Is it a genre in itself? Is it just a certain style of playing? What is it called? What would I punch into Spotify? Or Google? Or AltaVista? How do I find this information? Am I being stupid?
Is there a name for this style of guitar?