Enjoy today’s video of a solo guitarist. It is wonderful to watch a gifted artist maximizing their creativity.
Notice a couple things. (1) He is left-handed. That is rare to see because most guitars are strung for a right-handed player. I know I’m showing ignorance here, but that was a delight to observe. (2) He uses so many difficult techniques that if you close your eyes they might be missed. That is the mark of a craftsman.
I spent a couple of college years trying to learn to play the classical guitar (inspired by Leo Kottke and others). Thus, when I see this level of genius, I’m glad I spared the world from my attempts.
Imagine the hours it took to get to this level of performance. Are you doing the same with your writing craft? Retuning your words, finding a rhythm, and making it seem effortless?
(If you cannot see the video, please click through to the site and view it there.)
That was a fantastic musical introduction to my day! Thanks, Steve.
I have seen a great many amazing videos of guitar players recently; picking up the neck, using percussion, doing things that nobody did in our day. Of course technology also plays a role. especially the looper (which is used in this video also, mostly for percussive effects). The retuning moves were new to me, and really remarkable, (even doing two strings at once).
As in so many fields of creativity (including writing) the standard of excellence keeps rising. At least for the guitar (and music in general) I don’t think there is much danger of AI bringing it all down to universal mediocrity.
Steve, you are the first person I’ve met since the 1990s who even knows who Leo Kotke is. The man is wildly talented. I saw him live at Mount Baker Theater in the 90s and was completely hooked on both his music and his dry humor.
He plays like Tommy Emmanuel. You should look him up, too. Awesome.
I noticed he adjusted or tuned the strings as he played and picked the strings all the way up the neck. He didn’t’ lose his rhythm while moving his fingers to the headstock.
I t reminds me of the great Glen Campbell who could play the William Tell overture with the guitar above his head! Campbell was a sought after studio musician years before he had any hit songs and the public knew about him. He never let the fact that he couldn’t read music handicap him. Guitarists amaze me!
I love this. Thank you! And then there is the faithful measure of returning the gift.
https://lauriecarney.substack.com/p/returning-a-gift?r=i26ma
This is beyond amazing!!!
What a gift!!!
Thank you for sharing this!!!
And the song selection takes me back to my personal favorite music video of all time.
Thanks!
Wonderful! I love that style of acoustic guitar. I’m sure you are familiar, but my first experience with that style is a duo that goes by Rodrigo y Gabriela. I have still yet to see them live, one I have not checked off my bucket list yet. Happy Friday! PJ and Pedro.
ЭНВЕР ИЗМАЙЛОВ (Enver Izmaylov) plays in a similar style. He’s a Crimean Tatar born in Uzbekistan where his family was exiled back in the ’40s. He’s been playing for decades. His playing is fluid and relaxed with songs that sound “alive” rather than mechanically rote or rehearsed.
His 8 minute version of Another Brick in the Wall keeps getting more intricate as he goes along and includes a bridge section based on Carol of the Bells. YouTube has a version with ID: XdpV4w7IZXA. He’s recorded several albums solo and in a few bands. He started off with more ethnic and jazz songs later adding rock after the eastern bloc fell. His version of a Crimean Tatar folk song is on ID: hwhbWG4lNMc.
He’s been playing since the USSR was around. Back when soviet and eastern bloc musicians playing anything resembling rock and roll style were considered subversives. There’s a generation of good musicians from that era whose music was initially spread by grass roots copying of reel to reel recordings barely staying within soviet media copying rules (which prevented mass production of any media except by the state.)
I’m partial to hammer-on guitarists. Most of my lead playing back in the day was based on Stanley Jordan’s style along with the constantly changing call & response storytelling feel from Mark Knopfler.