Today I thought I'd name a few of the guitarists I listened to when I started playing.
This is by no means a complete list.
Doc Watson. I discovered Doc on a trip to our local library's record collection. It was a 33rpm album simply titled "Doc Watson". Back then the albums described the artist as well as the songs on the record. I read that he played fiddle tunes on guitar, with a pick, and when I heard him do that I was amazed! There were very few bluegrass guitar players doing that in the 1960s. He also plays country blues using his fingers instead of a pick, and it was my first introduction to open tunings. I had no idea as a beginning guitar player that anyone tuned to a chord. If you're not familiar with Doc, check him out. Even though he's in his 80s now, he's still an awesome guitar player!
Chet Atkins. I heard his name time and again, and finally checked him out. I was under the impression that he was mostly a country guitar player, so was quite surprised at the many types of songs he had on his albums. He was a fingerstyle player, with a solid, alternating bass line going while the fingers played the melody and some harmony to the songs. You would swear that you were hearing more than one guitar. In fact, John Fahey, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, said in a Guitar Player Magazine interview that he was sure there was "no way that's just one guitar." Chet made albums with a diverse group of his contemporaries including Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and others. Again, if you're not familiar with Chet or his music, there's still plenty of it available.
Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Paul Simon.
Peter and Paul are the ones from the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. I was absolutely a fanatic about fingerpicked, acoustic guitar and these guys were my favorites. I'd say I learned most of what I played by listening to these 3. Paul Simon got me hooked when he recorded Anji, a guitar instrumental that I still play. All of these guys demonstrate the 3 Ts of music: Timing, Tone and Taste.
Still crazy about guitar after all these years.
While that hardly scratches the surface, I think it demonstrates how other players can shape your playing. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I can honestly say that I still love it. So if you're just beginning guitar, find a good teacher, immerse yourself in the kind of music you enjoy, and open your eyes and ears to as many types of music as you can. I've always felt that I could learn something from everyone, even those that play music that's not necessarily what I like. I've learned and added songs, licks and tricks from all kinds of artists, guitarist or not.
This is by no means a complete list.
Doc Watson. I discovered Doc on a trip to our local library's record collection. It was a 33rpm album simply titled "Doc Watson". Back then the albums described the artist as well as the songs on the record. I read that he played fiddle tunes on guitar, with a pick, and when I heard him do that I was amazed! There were very few bluegrass guitar players doing that in the 1960s. He also plays country blues using his fingers instead of a pick, and it was my first introduction to open tunings. I had no idea as a beginning guitar player that anyone tuned to a chord. If you're not familiar with Doc, check him out. Even though he's in his 80s now, he's still an awesome guitar player!
Chet Atkins. I heard his name time and again, and finally checked him out. I was under the impression that he was mostly a country guitar player, so was quite surprised at the many types of songs he had on his albums. He was a fingerstyle player, with a solid, alternating bass line going while the fingers played the melody and some harmony to the songs. You would swear that you were hearing more than one guitar. In fact, John Fahey, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, said in a Guitar Player Magazine interview that he was sure there was "no way that's just one guitar." Chet made albums with a diverse group of his contemporaries including Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and others. Again, if you're not familiar with Chet or his music, there's still plenty of it available.
Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Paul Simon.
Peter and Paul are the ones from the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. I was absolutely a fanatic about fingerpicked, acoustic guitar and these guys were my favorites. I'd say I learned most of what I played by listening to these 3. Paul Simon got me hooked when he recorded Anji, a guitar instrumental that I still play. All of these guys demonstrate the 3 Ts of music: Timing, Tone and Taste.
Still crazy about guitar after all these years.
While that hardly scratches the surface, I think it demonstrates how other players can shape your playing. I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I can honestly say that I still love it. So if you're just beginning guitar, find a good teacher, immerse yourself in the kind of music you enjoy, and open your eyes and ears to as many types of music as you can. I've always felt that I could learn something from everyone, even those that play music that's not necessarily what I like. I've learned and added songs, licks and tricks from all kinds of artists, guitarist or not.
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