I generally mean people you actually met and knew, of course Hendrix is my number one inspiration but I've never met him, i want to hear about people who you personally knew and gave you inspiration. I had a tutor at my first college who taught his music tech students in his lunch hour, he wasn't as amazing on guitar as the guitar tutor I had a few years later, but I liked him a lot more because he was such a lovely guy. Unfortunately hes not here now, he died in a car crash on the motorway.
I wrote this about him last night, it explains everything that went on and if he was here I'd probably even send it to him but it's not really any good now.
"Dear Bob
You were my music technology teacher at college but more importantly you were the first person to encourage me to play guitar. You taught me and your other students once a week in your dinner hour, you didn't charge us and no-one paid you – the love of music being the key.
The first time you discovered I played guitar you invited me to your lessons, the first half hour was for beginners and I did okay. Though you probably knew I wasn't there yet, you let me stick around for your advanced group.
You taught us all along the watchtower – which was way over my abilities then but it didn't matter because you showed me what Hendrix was doing was not magic but totally possible. Unfortunately your not here to receive this letter but I want to thank you again, you were a key inspiration in my life. Your death was a tragedy but your life was extraordinary and I'll never ever forget you."
So who played a big part in your life as a guitarist?
together we stand, divided we fall..........
Well, if it's not going to be an artist I'll have to say my mother actually. She has been the one encouraging my playing the most. When I still lived with my parents she never once told me to turn the volume down unlike the other family members. But most of all it was her taste in music that got me interested in music at all with all the 70's rock she listened to.
I have yet to meet a guitarplayer I'm really inspired by to be honest. I'm not very impressed by metal players, which there are a lot of here, but rather value melody and songwriting.
My second guitar teacher was great and deserves som credit. He wasn't probably the best guitar player ever, but he is one of the nicest people I've met and I learnt so much valueable stuff from him.
The people I've played with mean a lot too and their kind words. And people who asks about my playing and how I get my sound after a gig.
And thinking about it I would probably never had started off so good as I did without the help of the guitar lessons on Guitarnoise and especially David Hodge. If it wasn't for him I think I would still be struggling with basic strumming patterns.
"Talent is luck. The important thing in life is courage."
Thanks Niklas, Ive also had quite a supportive family for playing music....... my family dont acutally play any instruments anymore though my sister used to play about 4 (Piano, Vox, guitar, recorder) and when she gave up around that time I picked up her old guitar and carried it all on.
I would also say another big influence on me was that my best friend bought a guitar and started playing it and I thought well if he can do it, maybe I should try! We spent a lot of that early time showing each other things and I remember he even explained how tab was read to me, good times
together we stand, divided we fall..........
Cant realy say I have anyone that was. Im the first gen music person in my famley. Parents didnt discurege me.... but never realy supported me playing, or understude the love of music eather. I had a buddy growing up that was a very good drummer that I guess was the closest you can get. Other then that it was just the music I heard, and the fact that I wanted to play it. ....granted it did take me over 40 years to start to make any progress.....
Paul B
My father really inspired by way of giving me access to a huge vinyl collection as well as his instruments (most of which live with me now), he was a disc jockey and a semi-pro musician. I have had the opportunity to play with, talk with and jam with some fairly well known musicians over the years and the biggest thing I took away from those experiences is how unimportant a lot of the things we all get wrapped up in are. Getting your playing and writing to a point where you are comfortable and confident with it and believing in what you do (oh, that sounds so touchy feely) is the most important thing. I've played with some people who are icons in their genre and it would be easy to think "man I'm better than this dude" and I've played with some people who could play circles around me, but you can't think that way. You have to allow yourself to contribute to the music and not let your ego get involved. 99% of audiences wont perceive the difference between your ability and Jeff Beck's and the one percent are other guitar players who are more concerned with how you compare with him than what you are playing.
Now a days, musicians who really inspire me are good drummers. I could practice 10 hours a day (no I couldn't, but...) nothing in the world brings out the best of my abilities than a really good drummer. Not a flashy drummer, not a rock solid drummer, a drummer who really gets it. I've played with maybe 10 of them in all, other musicians come and go but I have every one of those drummers current phone numbers.
Edit: I played a show recently and the moment I walked off stage there's a guy I have never seen before standing there and he says to me. "I think I'm better than you." What a hello! All I could say was "Far out! I think I'm better than you too." I wasn't serious, I had no idea who he was all I wanted to do was avoid any further conversation with him. But while I'm standing there drinking a beer and watching this guys brow furrow I thought to myself, without playing a note you just convinced me otherwise.
