Do You Listen To Your Influences ? Options

[Ben Higgins]

Do You Listen to Your Influences ?

When we see a list of somebody's musical influences we assume that the person spent most of their time listening to the influences listed. However, I think sometimes we're influenced by players who have something that we like but we may not necessarily listen to their music.

How about this ? Can you think of any players that have influenced you even though you don't listen to their music ?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[PosterBoy]

At first I thought this was a really stupid question, but then I started thinking about some of the guitarists I like.

There are certain players that I get more out of the 'noodling' than actual recorded/composed music.

This can be that I appreciate their skills and ideas but I'm not completely into the genre of music they play, or that the lyrics in the songs are that cheesy or bad that they turn me off listening

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Kristofer Dahl]

I hate my influences, they sound too much like me..!

Actually, i dont listen much to my guitar influecs anymore. I check them out regularly - as technical reference points when working on my own chops. But when i listen to music i will go for for various other bands (which i guess then become new influences, but not necessarily guitar influences). So I am with Posterboy

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

There are certain players that I get more out of the 'noodling' than actual recorded/composed music.

This can be that I appreciate their skills and ideas but I'm not completely into the genre of music they play, or that the lyrics in the songs are that cheesy or bad that they turn me off listening

This was the kind of thing I was thinking... a lot of the time we can be influenced by someone's actual guitar playing.. but not so much their music.

Actually, i dont listen much to my guitar influecs anymore. I check them out regularly - as technical reference points when working on my own chops. But when i listen to music i will go for for various other bands (which i guess then become new influences, but not necessarily guitar influences).

Yes it's a similar situation with me. Do you think that we just mature out of 'shred guitar' ? I still like to listen to some Satriani because musically it still makes me feel good... but all the other instrumental guitar albums, I don't have any desire to listen to them.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Kristofer Dahl]

Yes it's a similar situation with me. Do you think that we just mature out of 'shred guitar' ? I still like to listen to some Satriani because musically it still makes me feel good... but all the other instrumental guitar albums, I don't have any desire to listen to them.

I hope so! I can't think of anything more enjoyable than shredding - but it's more of a sport to me and does not closely relate to music.

Satch amazes me since he manages to stay "fresh" (sound- and songwriting wise) album after album. And he mostly relies on the guitar to create memorable melodies. This is extremely difficult!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

Satch amazes me since he manages to stay "fresh" (sound- and songwriting wise) album after album. And he mostly relies on the guitar to create memorable melodies. This is extremely difficult!

Yes, I think it's harder to write instrumental guitar music than songs with lyrics. At least I have found this to be the case.

What about everyone else ?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Jeff S]

Do You Listen to Your Influences ?

When we see a list of somebody's musical influences we assume that the person spent most of their time listening to the influences listed. However, I think sometimes we're influenced by players who have something that we like but we may not necessarily listen to their music.

How about this ? Can you think of any players that have influenced you even though you don't listen to their music ?

I think it's a good question. I remember sitting down with a local guitarist who had quite a reputation when I was about 17 years old. The guy turned out to be much better than the rumors. He was a fast, accurate, tight, clean country player who had all the chops and fantastic phrasing. He was so far above my level, I felt like I was playing a tennis racquet. One hour, lots of influence, heard him play maybe one time after that.

I never learned to play country, which is irrelevant, because that little interaction made a big impression on me. More than giving me an appreciation for great players in every style, it made me feel like there is a personal responsibility to play as well you possibly can given your own level of talent. And it shaped the way I view guitar playing - I don't like sloppy playing, and occasionally I hear some slop in my own playing and I can get pretty irritated with myself.

Ummm, what was the question again? I'm rambling all over the place.

Cheers!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

I think it's a good question. I remember sitting down with a local guitarist who had quite a reputation when I was about 17 years old. The guy turned out to be much better than the rumors. He was a fast, accurate, tight, clean country player who had all the chops and fantastic phrasing. He was so far above my level, I felt like I was playing a tennis racquet. One hour, lots of influence, heard him play maybe one time after that.

Yeah, sometimes it only takes one brief moment to influence profoundly and that was obviously one of those occasions !

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[klasaine]

I definitely listen to my influences.
Equally if not more important is for me to find out who their influences are/were.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

Equally if not more important is for me to find out who their influences are/were.

Yes I think that is another part of the puzzle and just as valuable.

I think one thing that perhaps isn't happening (and I'm talking specifically about rock/metal/shred) as much is that players are trying to learn all the whizzy techniques but one of the many reasons they're just not sounding as tasteful as a lot of the guys from 80's is that they haven't had the same bed of influences that the 80's guys had. The 'shredders' (I hate using that term but people will know what I mean) learned to play by listening to the people from the 60's and 70's who knew how to bend, get good vibrato, write brilliant solos.


The later generations who learned from the 80's guitar heroes have taken a lot of the technique but not discovered the musicality.

In a lot of today's metal, I'm hearing a lot of technique but none of it is really saying anything.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[klasaine]

You're starting to sound like an old man. Welcome to the party
Ease of access is a double edged sword.
TABS, free youtube lessons (many of which have bad info in them), really crappy listening environments and the cheapening of the art form have had a negative affect to some degree.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Jeff S]

I definitely listen to my influences.
Equally if not more important is for me to find out who their influences are/were.

Good point. Lately, I've been listening to Freddie King a lot, for the first time ever (he was a little before my time). It's mind boggling how much stuff has been lifted from his playing (and rightly so), particularly by Clapton. Most of us like Clapton, don't we? Tip your hat to Freddie.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Ben Higgins]

You're starting to sound like an old man. Welcome to the party

I've got the slippers !

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!