Thread by @pnamblat

#ARRahman and Guitars Based Songs (🧵) - ARR is known for using synth and keyboards but occasionally he shows his magic with guitar driven songs. Illayaraja was a guitarist himself while I assume ARR probably gave a free hand to his guitarists to "jam" over his melody (1/n)

Spanish Masala - This is what I think of probably his first guitar driven Song - July Matham ( from his 3rd movie ) . Since Prasanna played guitar he nicely mixed "western" and carnatic elements to it . See Prasanna playing it himself in this video (2/n)

The second song that I remember guitar elements is Athangara Marame ; The initial guitar leads and a strong Guitar humming drives this song (3/n)

Uyirum Neeye - This song got National Award for Unnikrishnan . The guitar ( and maybe another string instrument) plays to a carnatic khamas ragam and the arrangement of this song I feel is like John Lennons "Imagine" without explaining it technically (4/n

Mustafa- Probably the first time I heard a rock guitar sound from ARR; the reggae style guitar is what I associated to UB40 sounds during those days. (5/n)

Mil Gayi - The saxophone based Anjali in Tamil became a Guitar Driven Song in Hindi ; although the film flopped this song is popular because its referenced as Kumar Sanu's only song with ARR (6/n)

Jumbalika - This song is called the same both in Tamil and Hindi :) .. Its classic spanish guitar style without any fusion ..(7/n)

Vellai Pookal - ARR sounded like the rock bands playing a ballad for a cause ( Scorpions- Wind of Change) ; This song imo is Part 1 of Lukka Chuppi ;This movie also has a Guitar based song called Sundari ...(8/n)

Yun Hi Chala : This is a guitar strumming and bass guitar driven song with very interesting interludes in guitar and contrasting styles of Kailash Kher, Udit Narayan and Hariharan (9/n)

Lukka Chuppi - This song introduced me to a style of open chords based sounds that we saw many other MD's ( mitwa SEL) started using. THis movie had another great Guitar strumming based song "Roobaroo". (10/n)

New York Nagaram: Looks like ARR was using guitars this year; He also had this song where he used a similar style of roobaroo ( 4 revolving chords) and the whole song melody revolves around them(11/n)

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi : This song just uses the initial guitar riff throughout and the first interlude has interesting guitar melody ( 12/n)

Aaj Dil Gustakh : ARR goes back to his "New York Nagaram" revolving guitar Chords at the start; the guitar strumming is not very prominent after but is key to drive the rythm of this song . Shame #ShreyaGhoshal doesnt get such songs (13/n)

Rockstar- Naadan Parindey : When you get an album like Rockstar You cant avoid Guitar and most songs in this album ARR uses Rock style ; personally I am not a fan of the melodies (14/n)

CHalla : ARR maximizes Guitar based "Challa" when he gets Rabbi who is a guitar based solo artist having a hit which was guitar based ....I love the first guitar based interlude (15/n)

Nenjukulle : This guitar melody that is used throughtout is not easy to play :) . This album also has another guitar based melody called moongil thottam. Both have iconic acoustic guitar melodies ..(16/n)

Patakha Guddi( Male Version) - ARR goes back to his Rockstar type sound in this song . Starting 3:10 the sound goes hard rock/metal :) (17/n)

Azhagiye : ARR goes back to Roobaroo type guitar strumming arrangement for this song ..(18/n)

Tumhein Mohabbat : ARR goes back to "open chord" based arrangement like Lukka Chuppi for this song , The whole song is just the same set of open chords that make us feel empty

Yenga Pona Raasa : This song is constructed with a pure acoustic guitar arpreggio which beautfully transitions to strumming via a humming that is heavenily by Shakthashree ... (20/n)

Maloom: Lekar hum deewana dil song was part of a movie that had beautiful guitars by RDB ;This movie name now has 2 songs on guitar , this song starts with cool guitar licks and transitions to a reggae beat style song.

You will instantly say that the guitar strumming style is like roobaroo and azhagiye :)...

Keba's guitar and its cousin instrument charango drives this amazing melody from ARR . One of my favourites of 2022..