The Six String List
Pulling this out in honor of the Gin Blossoms concert tonight:
I've been asked so many times already who are my favorite guitarists. Asking me this is like asking if dogs bark and if the sun rises in the east.
For sure it's a difficult question. I remember when I was a 13 year old and watching Ptr. Glenn play the guitar, I was just awestruck at the beauty of it and the sound. The picture I saw of this - with my deer-in-the-headlights look - reinforced why I wanted at that moment to learn the guitar. Of course, I was two years removed from the piano and nowhere close to learning the violin and cello, but why argue?
Playing the guitar for more than 15 years has opened up so many possibilities for me, not least of which was being able to play in church (an accident actually, a long story in itself) as well as in bands, gigs and concerts. I never imagined where I'd be now considering that I still want to learn more scales and skills and balance it with the "feel" of playing. Just thankful to God for this gift and skill, because I couldn't imagine myself without it.
Okay, enough senti moments. Here's my list of favorite guitarists. This was done painstakingly and after a cup of mocha blends and banana choco muffin while listening in my iTunes. This reflects my tastes in music and my musical experiences, so please comment but no trashing, hehe. As always, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I've tried to copy my style to what these guys do to some extent. Those who know how I play would understand why less is more for me and why I value melody all the time.
10.) Marvin Dimal/David Asuncion - What you thought I wouldn't put locals here? Not with these two guys who I've played it and whose feel for the songs are on a different level. I've played with Dave since we were teens in church, and I was the rhythm behind his blues licks. His blues feel was something else and I've tried to copy it when I can. I played with Marv in Juana, and I didn't have a partner who complemented me as well him and vice-versa. Great guy to be with off the stage as well (too many Juana scandals to recall) though he did wreck my guitar before, hehe.
9.) The Edge - Master of the eternal guitar, and his delay work is awesome. My respect for him was basically because of Pride, New Year's Day and Where The Streets Have No Name.
8.) Kakoy Legaspi - The best guitarist I've seen live. Though I haven't been able to hear much of him now, what he did in Salindiwa was great especially on Zeroes and Ones. SRV's got nothing on this guy, hehe. I'll confess that when I watched his gigs, it would become a tutorial for me.
7.) Jesse Valenzuela/Scott Johnson - Who dey, you ask? They are the guitarists of the Gin Blossoms, only my favorite '90's band. Listen to their rhythm work and I stole from them as much as I can, especially on the plucking side. These guys more than anybody influenced my playing style.
6.) George Harrison - My favorite Beatle. I always thought he was underrated compared to Lennon and McCartney. His intros and guitar sound was legendary and ultimate classics for me. What I liked about him as well was his capability to layer the sound with his strumming, the lost art of rhythm guitar.
5.) John Mayer - Yeah, I can hear the snickers so shut up, hehe. I've liked his ability to mix up tunings and rely not too much on effects but on the melodic nature of his guitar. Listen to anything he did on Try! and you'll like how he's developed his lines and melodies.
4.) Paul Jackson, Jr. - What I've learned from him was his ability with octaves, which is absolutely a must for any jazz guitarist. I don't know for the life of me how he's been able to do it and at the same time come out with melodic and easy tunes. No wonder he's still doing what he does in such as diverse fields as playing for Ron Kenoly and in American Idol.
3.) Steve Lukather - Toto's sound was defined by his guitar style. For sure Toto was more than just him, but his melodic and sweeping style is definitely different than what I've heard from others. I can list all that he did in Toto, but it would be two whole blogs in itself.
2.) Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover, anyone? Because of him I've grown to love the Chorus sound; I just can't play without it. If you want to learn how to play fast and clean guitars, he's your man.
1.) Nick Webb/Greg Carmichael/Miles Gilderdale - When I first heard Oceans Apart back in '95, I appreciated the value of steel and nylon guitars playing together. What Webb and Carmichael did with Acoustic Alchemy was introduce the concept of smooth guitar jazz and bring it to a mainstream audience with their easy melodies and great stage presence. With the death of Webb, one my biggest regrets was not being able to watch them live when they played in Manila. Carmichael has reinvigorated AA with Gilderdale, and their music has definitely sounded better now. My guitar sensibilities was defined by this group.
For sure it's a difficult question. I remember when I was a 13 year old and watching Ptr. Glenn play the guitar, I was just awestruck at the beauty of it and the sound. The picture I saw of this - with my deer-in-the-headlights look - reinforced why I wanted at that moment to learn the guitar. Of course, I was two years removed from the piano and nowhere close to learning the violin and cello, but why argue?
Playing the guitar for more than 15 years has opened up so many possibilities for me, not least of which was being able to play in church (an accident actually, a long story in itself) as well as in bands, gigs and concerts. I never imagined where I'd be now considering that I still want to learn more scales and skills and balance it with the "feel" of playing. Just thankful to God for this gift and skill, because I couldn't imagine myself without it.
Okay, enough senti moments. Here's my list of favorite guitarists. This was done painstakingly and after a cup of mocha blends and banana choco muffin while listening in my iTunes. This reflects my tastes in music and my musical experiences, so please comment but no trashing, hehe. As always, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I've tried to copy my style to what these guys do to some extent. Those who know how I play would understand why less is more for me and why I value melody all the time.
10.) Marvin Dimal/David Asuncion - What you thought I wouldn't put locals here? Not with these two guys who I've played it and whose feel for the songs are on a different level. I've played with Dave since we were teens in church, and I was the rhythm behind his blues licks. His blues feel was something else and I've tried to copy it when I can. I played with Marv in Juana, and I didn't have a partner who complemented me as well him and vice-versa. Great guy to be with off the stage as well (too many Juana scandals to recall) though he did wreck my guitar before, hehe.
9.) The Edge - Master of the eternal guitar, and his delay work is awesome. My respect for him was basically because of Pride, New Year's Day and Where The Streets Have No Name.
8.) Kakoy Legaspi - The best guitarist I've seen live. Though I haven't been able to hear much of him now, what he did in Salindiwa was great especially on Zeroes and Ones. SRV's got nothing on this guy, hehe. I'll confess that when I watched his gigs, it would become a tutorial for me.
7.) Jesse Valenzuela/Scott Johnson - Who dey, you ask? They are the guitarists of the Gin Blossoms, only my favorite '90's band. Listen to their rhythm work and I stole from them as much as I can, especially on the plucking side. These guys more than anybody influenced my playing style.
6.) George Harrison - My favorite Beatle. I always thought he was underrated compared to Lennon and McCartney. His intros and guitar sound was legendary and ultimate classics for me. What I liked about him as well was his capability to layer the sound with his strumming, the lost art of rhythm guitar.
5.) John Mayer - Yeah, I can hear the snickers so shut up, hehe. I've liked his ability to mix up tunings and rely not too much on effects but on the melodic nature of his guitar. Listen to anything he did on Try! and you'll like how he's developed his lines and melodies.
4.) Paul Jackson, Jr. - What I've learned from him was his ability with octaves, which is absolutely a must for any jazz guitarist. I don't know for the life of me how he's been able to do it and at the same time come out with melodic and easy tunes. No wonder he's still doing what he does in such as diverse fields as playing for Ron Kenoly and in American Idol.
3.) Steve Lukather - Toto's sound was defined by his guitar style. For sure Toto was more than just him, but his melodic and sweeping style is definitely different than what I've heard from others. I can list all that he did in Toto, but it would be two whole blogs in itself.
2.) Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover, anyone? Because of him I've grown to love the Chorus sound; I just can't play without it. If you want to learn how to play fast and clean guitars, he's your man.
1.) Nick Webb/Greg Carmichael/Miles Gilderdale - When I first heard Oceans Apart back in '95, I appreciated the value of steel and nylon guitars playing together. What Webb and Carmichael did with Acoustic Alchemy was introduce the concept of smooth guitar jazz and bring it to a mainstream audience with their easy melodies and great stage presence. With the death of Webb, one my biggest regrets was not being able to watch them live when they played in Manila. Carmichael has reinvigorated AA with Gilderdale, and their music has definitely sounded better now. My guitar sensibilities was defined by this group.
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