The Greatest Rock Guitarist - Who is He?

It seems that rock guitar players have always been a crowd pleaser, even going back to the days of Les Paul. He may not qualify as a rock guitarist in the sense that we understand it today, but Les Paul certainly made people sit up and take notice whenever he played. Of course, Les was in at the very beginning of the solid body electric guitar's entry onto the stage, so at that time there were very few guitarists who were even interested enough to get the technique to become a great rock guitarist.

The foundation of the concept of the rock guitarist lay in the consolidation of the small group with drums, bass, lead and rhythm guitars, plus, maybe a keyboard. Groups like The Shadows, The Ventures and Dick Dale's Dell Tones made young men go out and buy guitars and sit in their rooms for hours practicing. When The Beatles became the first small group to gain international attention from people of all ages, the guitar reached the height of its popularity.

The era of the great rock guitarist began in the late sixties with Eric Clapton in Cream. But as with all innovations, there was someone else working on his flamboyant guitar technique in another part of the world. Jimi Hendrix's first appearance in England made Eric Clapton feel a little insecure on his throne, as his guitar playing and stagecraft hypnotized audiences. The extended guitar solo was born, along with its dull-witted siblings the bedroom guitar and the garage band.

If we think about who we consider to be the world's greatest rock guitarist, names from the sixties and seventies, like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton immediately appear in our heads. Indeed, most people who vote in polls about this sort of thing seem to go for Hendrix - a guitarist who had a very short life about forty years ago.

These are guitarists who became famous when loudness was king of rock guitar and flashy technique was its gay partner, but what about the guitarists whose names are not generally known, even though they were with popular bands? Pete Ham of Badfinger springs to mind, or Jerry Miller of Moby Grape. Mick Ronson was an English guitar player who made a name for himself as David Bowie's lead guitarist, and Mike Campbell, Tom Petty's guitarist for about a zillion years is admired by many guitar players but unknown to the general public. There are lots of guitarists in bands now whose approach to music is very different from the rock guitarists of previous decades, even though their debt to the music of the seventies is obvious. The question of who is the greatest rock guitarist of all time will continue with more names being added to the mix as time goes on.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

The World's Greatest Guitarist - Who is It? And the World's Best Lick - What is It?

If I was courageous enough (and I'm not convinced I am) to boldly proclaim in the earshot of a large group of guitarists, Jimi Hendrix was the greatest, most innovative musician of all time. A strange phenomenon would take place. About half of those present would loudly shout, right on man, tell it like it is. The rest, almost unable to contain there genuine horror, would spring to the honour of the true champion. What planet have you been living on, have you not heard...

If you have ever read some magazine's list, of the 100 best licks of all time, and your favourite 10 which you know really are the best, either languish at the bottom or have been banished to outer darkness. Then you understand the above conundrum. And what is far more pressing, who's right?

The problem is probably best observed standing in the stands at a football match, the strange tribal divide, the temporary loathing, and the weird delicious identifying with the winner.

Well it turns out that maybe everyone is right. And that is no real surprise. Because while we are all looking for the lick that sends a shiver down our spine, we all have spines in particular. I love hearing that lovely 9th harmony with its hinting at dissonance, you might be pulled in by funky off beat, and then sometimes, and these are the best times we all see it together. What a concert. What a jamb.

It is important even in the moment when we are just loving what some great guitarist is laying down, that we are not tempted to live our life vicariously neglecting our own expression or thinking it is somehow lesser. Taking the bull by the horns or the guitar by the neck is much harder than watching someone else take the bull by the horns. But the horn grabber knows things the non grabber only imagines. If you are a beginner all inspired just starting out, or been at it a while and feeling slightly bogged. Grab that mythical beast and get going. Learn new stuff make your palette large. And have a ball doing it not just watching it. Oh and good luck.

Gday James Mckenna here having played music for over 40 years I know good inspiring resource material can be hard to find. Check this out http://muzoflight.info and see what you recon. The best approach is to make a start and who knows you might just play the best lick in the world. And If someone thinks it is, it is!

Eric Clapton Biography

Eric Clapton is probably most famous for his mastery of the Stratocaster guitar. Clapton was a guitarist in quite a few bands, before he first found chart success with the Yardbirds in the mid-sixties. Their single, 'For Your Love', reached number two in the UK chart in 1964. From this point on his skill as a distinctive guitarist was revered.

He joined John Mayall's Bluebreakers briefly, and then formed Cream in 1966. The unwanted fame that Clapton found in this trio led him to produce work under different names. He and George Harrison worked together under the names Delaney and Bonnie. It was whilst he was part of Derek and the Dominos that he wrote one of his most famous tracks, 'Layla'.

He was a popular guest guitarist and worked with artists such as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin and Frank Zappa. He released his first solo album, entitled 'Eric Clapton', in 1970. This showed the strong influence of JJ Cale on his work.

Throughout the early seventies he was battling with heroin addiction, which he overcame through acupuncture and a short retirement.

His next solo album of 1974 was entitled '461 Ocean Boulevard' and again showed off his mellow guitar playing. His version of Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff' was on this album, and reached number one as a single.

He continued his solo recordings in the seventies and eighties with albums such as 'No Reason To Cry', 'Backless' and 'Behind The Sun'. Phil Collins produced his 1986 album, 'August',which was said to be his best work in years.

In the early nineties Clapton was struck by tragedy; three members of his crew were killed in a helicopter crash, and his young son died in another tragic accident within a year.

He has continued to play and record, and his 1997 album, 'Pilgrim', was critically acclaimed.

The Jimi Hendrix Life Story

Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix's innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form. Because he was unable to read or write music, it is nothing short of remarkable that Jimi Hendrix's meteoric rise in the music took place in just four short years. His musical language continues to influence a host of modern musicians, from George Clinton to Miles Davis, and Steve Vai to Jonny Lang.
Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix at 10:15 a.m. on November 27, 1942, at Seattle's King County Hospital, was later renamed James Marshall by his father, James "Al" Hendrix. Young Jimmy (as he was referred to at the time) took an interest in music, drawing influence from virtually every major artist at the time, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Holly, and Robert Johnson. Entirely self-taught, Jimmy's inability to read music made him concentrate even harder on the music he heard.

Al took notice of Jimmy's interest in the guitar, recalling, "I used to have Jimmy clean up the bedroom all the time while I was gone, and when I would come home I would find a lot of broom straws around the foot of the bed. I'd say to him, `Well didn't you sweep up the floor?' and he'd say, `Oh yeah,' he did. But I'd find out later that he used to be sitting at the end of the bed there and strumming the broom like he was playing a guitar." Al found an old one-string ukulele, which he gave to Jimmy to play a huge improvement over the broom.

By the summer of 1958, Al had purchased Jimmy a five-dollar, second-hand acoustic guitar from one of his friends. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy joined his first band, The Velvetones. After a three-month stint with the group, Jimmy left to pursue his own interests. The following summer, Al purchased Jimmy his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark 1560S; Jimi used it when he joined The Rocking Kings.

In 1961, Jimmy left home to enlist in the United States Army and in November 1962 earned the right to wear the "Screaming Eagles" patch for the paratroop division. While stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Jimmy formed The King Casuals with bassist Billy Cox. After being discharged due to an injury he received during a parachute jump, Jimmy began working as a session guitarist under the name Jimmy James. By the end of 1965, Jimmy had played with several marquee acts, including Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, the Isley Brothers, and Little Richard. Jimmy parted ways with Little Richard to form his own band, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, shedding the role of back-line guitarist for the spotlight of lead guitar.

Throughout the latter half of 1965, and into the first part of 1966, Jimmy played the rounds of smaller venues throughout Greenwich Village, catching up with Animals' bassist Chas Chandler during a July performance at Caf‚ Wha? Chandler was impressed with Jimmy's performance and returned again in September 1966 to sign Hendrix to an agreement that would have him move to London to form a new band.

Switching gears from bass player to manager, Chandler's first task was to change Hendrix's name to "Jimi." Featuring drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, the newly formed Jimi Hendrix Experience quickly became the talk of London in the fall of 1966.

The Experience's first single, "Hey Joe," spent ten weeks on the UK charts, topping out at spot No. 6 in early 1967. The debut single was quickly followed by the release of a full-length album Are You Experienced, a psychedelic musical compilation featuring anthems of a generation. Are You Experienced has remained one of the most popular rock albums of all time, featuring tracks like "Purple Haze," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Foxey Lady," "Fire," and "Are You Experienced?"

Although Hendrix experienced overwhelming success in Britain, it wasn't until he returned to America in June 1967 that he ignited the crowd at the Monterey International Pop Festival with his incendiary performance of "Wild Thing." Literally overnight, The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of most popular and highest grossing touring acts in the world.

Hendrix followed Are You Experienced with Axis: Bold As Love. By 1968, Hendrix had taken greater control over the direction of his music; he spent considerable time working the consoles in the studio, with each turn of a knob or flick of the switch bringing clarity to his vision.

Back in America, Jimi Hendrix built his own recording studio, Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The name of this project became the basis for his most demanding musical release, a two LP collection, Electric Ladyland. Throughout 1968, the demands of touring and studio work took its toll on the group and in 1969 the Experience disbanded.

The summer of 1969 brought emotional and musical growth to Jimi Hendrix. In playing the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in August 1969, Jimi joined forces with an eclectic ensemble called Gypsy Sun & Rainbows featuring Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Juma Sultan, and Jerry Velez. The Woodstock performance was highlighted by the renegade version of "Star Spangled Banner," which brought the mud-soaked audience to a frenzy.

Nineteen sixty-nine also brought about a new and defining collaboration featuring Jimi Hendrix on guitar, bassist Billy Cox and Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles. Performing as the Band of Gypsys, this trio launched a series of four New Year's performances on December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970. Highlights from these performances were compiled and later released on the quintessential Band of Gypsys album in mid-1970 and the expanded Hendrix: Live At The Fillmore East in 1999.

As 1970 progressed, Jimi brought back drummer Mitch Mitchell to the group and together with Billy Cox on bass, this new trio once again formed The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In the studio, the group recorded several tracks for another two LP set, tentatively titled First Rays Of The New Rising Sun. Unfortunately, Hendrix was unable to see this musical vision through to completion due to his hectic worldwide touring schedules, then tragic death on September 18, 1970. Fortunately, the recordings Hendrix slated for release on the album were finally issued through the support of his family and original studio engineer Eddie Kramer on the 1997 release First Rays Of The New Rising Sun.

From demo recordings to finished masters, Jimi Hendrix generated an amazing collection of songs over the course of his short career. The music of Jimi Hendrix embraced the influences of blues, ballads, rock, R&B, and jazz a collection of styles that continue to make Hendrix one of the most popular figures in the history of rock music.