Guitar Lovers

One of my friends was around the other day and said that even when I was playing his guitar, I still sounded like me. It’s true: no matter what guitar or amp I plug into, I always sound like me. After playing for so long, it would be hard for me not to. For a long time this bothered me. I guess because I was so used to my sound, I started to think it was pretty ordinary, and over the years I’ve made the attempt to change it. I can’t anymore.
There are only twelve notes to play with, but an infinite number of combinations.
There are many fine guitarists out there, but if you think about it, the ones that stand out are the ones with their own sound. Ry Cooder, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Marc Knopfler,  JJ Cale,  Robbie Robertson, Keith Richards and many more. What do they all have in common apart from being great players? They’ve all got their own distinctive sound. You can recognize them instantly.

In the long run, I think having your own sound and being recognizable is the way to go if you aspire to being a professional.

How to go about getting your own sound? Play, play, play and play some more, never learn someone else’s licks and explore the fret board as much as you can. When you practice, concentrate on making the sounds you like and trust your ears. There are only twelve notes to play with, but an infinite number of combinations. All those great guitarists I mentioned before had confidence that the direction they were choosing was the right one for them. It obviously paid off for them. They’re all household names.

Naturally, your fingers and your gear will contribute to your sound, but I think it’s more note choice and phrasing that distinguishes each player from the other, a way of thinking about music that comes out in the playing.

Until next time, Keep on Twangin’.