missclarktree
C.O.G.
Posts: 2,427
My main instrument is: It varies
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Post by missclarktree on Aug 27, 2014 20:24:30 GMT
I grew up with the accompaniment of my dad playing classical guitar, and used to beg him to teach me but he never would (I don't know why). His teacher was Terry Usher. I don't think there were many teachers around in those days (late forties). My dad played Albeniz, Granados, Villa-Lobos, Falla, etc. He was great admirer of Segovia.
As I got older I started to prefer John Williams' style, which I thought was a bit more subtle and controlled. My interests have branched out a lot in the past few years. There are lots of inspiring players out there but I can't say that my playing has absorbed any of their influence, as I still haven't got enough ability to express any influences. What I look for these days on youtube is people who help keep up my motivation, even if they are still beginners themselves.
If the day ever comes when I can convey someone's influence, I'll think I can finally play the guitar, rather than just messing about with it.
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Post by jackorion on Aug 28, 2014 6:03:53 GMT
For me it's Bert Jansch through and through...
I remember hearing his first album for the first time and thinking 'who's the other guitar player?' not realising it was all one guitar. I'd never realised till that point that you could play things like that on guitar and it's a constant source of inspiration still. Add to that first album 'Jack Orion' (obviously!), and, particularly, 'Rosemary Lane' and I could spend a lifetime learning to play like that.
Other players include John Renbourn, Nic Jones, Martin Simpson, John Fahey, Martin Carthy but it's Bert for me that just shines.
I know we're 'supposed' to develop our own voice but I find that, as I 'mature', I get more pleasure from learning a piece of music by somebody else than I do writing my own - I still come up with 'original' material but it'll never live up to my heroes and the sense of wonder I get when I hear them, and when I manage to play a piece of their music is more reward than struggling to meet my own standards on originals...
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 28, 2014 6:34:44 GMT
Ah, John James! What a wonderful player!
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Post by slasher on Aug 28, 2014 11:57:54 GMT
John James was also highly entertaining between numbers as well!
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 28, 2014 15:14:37 GMT
John James was also highly entertaining between numbers as well! A friend of mine (an old sea shanty singing folkie) bought a house in the South of Spain over ten years ago now. He came back and said to me , "there's this guitarist living next door — Welsh geezer — John somebody or other". I never got to visit him!!
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pegleghowell
Sore Fingers
Posts: 12
My main instrument is: martin 000 28
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Post by pegleghowell on Aug 29, 2014 9:01:30 GMT
Old school blues players mainly.My biggest influences being Charlie Patton and Skip James.I was so enamoured of Skip that I must`ve had my guitar tuned to "cross note"for about 18months!.Recent years have seen me get deeper and deeper into Willie McTell`s playing. I have a 12 string but play lots of his songs/licks/ideas on a 6 string too.I listen to many players and genres but these three have become the cornerstone for me.
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 29, 2014 9:58:00 GMT
Old school blues players mainly.My biggest influences being Charlie Patton and Skip James.I was so enamoured of Skip that I must`ve had my guitar tuned to "cross note"for about 18months!.Recent years have seen me get deeper and deeper into Willie McTell`s playing. I have a 12 string but play lots of his songs/licks/ideas on a 6 string too.I listen to many players and genres but these three have become the cornerstone for me. Just a quick intervention. I'm sure Peg Leg Howell died years ago ...
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 29, 2014 9:59:43 GMT
Old school blues players mainly.My biggest influences being Charlie Patton and Skip James.I was so enamoured of Skip that I must`ve had my guitar tuned to "cross note"for about 18months!.Recent years have seen me get deeper and deeper into Willie McTell`s playing. I have a 12 string but play lots of his songs/licks/ideas on a 6 string too.I listen to many players and genres but these three have become the cornerstone for me. Just a quick intervention. I'm sure Peg Leg Howell died years ago ... I think Blind Willie Mctell was something of a genius and a man who lived a challenging and incredible life. Have you read the biography of him?
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pegleghowell
Sore Fingers
Posts: 12
My main instrument is: martin 000 28
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Post by pegleghowell on Aug 29, 2014 11:27:18 GMT
No I just went into hiding... .I agree with Your opinion of Willie McTell,Andy,A great man.I have read and enjoyed His biography(M.Grey).It gives me the sense of Willie being an acutely intelligent and proud man living in an extremely difficult time/environment.A wonderful man and exquisite player.
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Post by andyhowell on Aug 29, 2014 21:32:53 GMT
No I just went into hiding... .I agree with Your opinion of Willie McTell,Andy,A great man.I have read and enjoyed His biography(M.Grey).It gives me the sense of Willie being an acutely intelligent and proud man living in an extremely difficult time/environment.A wonderful man and exquisite player. Too true. A great read.
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Post by scripsit on Aug 30, 2014 1:40:26 GMT
Was obsessed with a Segovia plays Bach LP my grandfather had when I was in primary school, but nylon string guitars always seemed so flabby when I wanted to begin playing and reading music was an utter mystery. Learned my chords on a cheap 12 string.
Then Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Johnny Winter, Ian Moss.
At this time used to listen a lot to John Fahey ('Amerika' and so on), Pentangle, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Son House, but not try to play any of that.
When the obsession bit again acoustically, after a lot of years: Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, Al Petteway, Doug Young, Ken Bonfield.
Still listen to a lot of baroque/early romantic instrumental music. Very fond of Mozart opera. Love lute music, started with Julian Bream, now Hopkinson Smith and many others.
Have a very limited tolerance for singer/songwriters. Still listen to some early Dylan, Joni Mitchell. Like the way K D Lang can put a song over, and Harry Manx's way of covering pieces from unusual genres, but have always preferred instrumental music.
Kym
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Post by vince on Aug 30, 2014 21:31:31 GMT
Having now taken the chance to ponder this one and separate out what I like from what influences me most obviously: I'm struck by how comparatively little British influence there is in my playing or songwriting these days.
Neil Young, Ben Harper, JJ Cale and Tom Petty seem pretty much infused in my soul. Followed by Lynsey Buckingham, Blind Willie McTell and Jimmy Page's acoustic stuff with Zeppelin. Always loved Nick Drake's work but it doesn't really influence what I do.
Could do with some new seeds to plant. Been getting into some Bert Jansch and John Martyn in recent years.
(Caveat: mentioning these names is not any indication that my own material is of a similar standard) :-)
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Post by vince on Aug 31, 2014 17:04:11 GMT
Can't believe I actually left off one of the biggest songwriting influences of all: feeling the 'less is more' vibe I've always respected Mark Everett from Eels. Fantastic lyricist too.
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Post by pjld86 on Sept 2, 2014 19:18:56 GMT
For me, it was/is Ben Harper, Dennis Cahill, Ian Carr, Kris Drever, James Taylor, Martin Simpson, and more recently Eric Skye too. It's always great to finding someone new who inspires!
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Post by andyhowell on Sept 3, 2014 16:19:56 GMT
Dennis Cahill! A very under-rated trad player.
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