This is one of those exercises / challenges which circulates around Facebook from time to time (much like the one which inspired a previous post about ten albums which inspired me). This one asked guitarists to post photographs of ten guitar players who had been the greatest influence on their own playing.
I find these thought exercises difficult – challenging is the perfect word! I feel like I could post forty pictures and still have missed out a key influence on my playing, yet here we are, in no particular order…
George Harrison 
Hank Marvin 
BB King 
Earl Klugh 
Ritchie Blackmore 
Steve Cropper 
Albert King 
Barney Kessel 
Grant Green 
Steve Howe
What do these players have in common? Some are strikingly different. The key characteristics I gravitate towards in other musicians are…
- Tasteful or melodic solos
- Blending of musical genres
- Dazzling showmanship / inspirational technique
…and all of the guitarists pictured above have one or more of these traits.
As always, these are just my opinions. I may well delve into my influences in more specific areas in a future article. But what are your biggest guitar influences? Get in touch or leave a comment to let me know!
Tim Higgins, Guitar Player 