Guitar And Beyond

Sharing the guitarists who set me Free.

The first person I was drawn to as a guitarist was Jimi Hendrix. There were many aspects of his playing that I connected with, but what really struck me was something I hadn’t heard used before—guitar feedback. Up until I’d heard that aspect of Hendrix’s playing, I thought that there was only one way to be a guitarist—by pressing your fingers down in the “right” spots on the guitar neck in the “right” way. After hearing Hendrix, I also became aware of another realm, which was to be a sculptor of sound—pure sound. As time went on, I continued to be electrified by hearing anything that was new and unusual, connecting me to those feelings I had when I first heard the magic of guitar feedback.

Eventually, I discovered the world of pure improvisation. I was excited to find how there were so many guitarists that were playing conceptually, pushing the boundaries of what had been accepted as being musical and a valid way to express your emotions. Finding a recording of one improvisor would lead me to another. I wrote a lesson for paid subscribers with practice tips to help you grow if you are new to free improvisation. Once I began to listen again to some of the albums that changed my view on the possibilities of guitar and music, I felt like it was necessary to share their work with everyone here.

Just like how you may go to an art museum with someone and they’ll look around at the paintings on the wall and say, “These artists have no talent!”, some people might have the same response to free improvisation—it’s not for everyone. Even if this music doesn’t resonate with you, I’ve always thought it was mind-expanding to see how different the results can be when you place the same instrument into the hands of various people.

I hope you enjoy this music! In the comments, please feel free to share any free improvisational guitar albums or players that have opened up your mind on what the guitar can do!