I’m curious what bands or guitar players you developed a new appreciation for AFTER you started playing guitar.
For me, a big one is The Rolling Stones. Of course anyone my age certainly hasn’t gotten through life without being aware of, if not inundated by, their music. But I can honestly say I didn’t pay them that much attention. I didn’t own a single album, CD or download of their music.
Once I started playing guitar, though, I kept wanting to learn their riffs. And Justin’s many Stones song lessons kept feeding that desire. I’ve probably tried to learn more Stones songs than any other band (heavy emphasis on “tried”). Now, I can definitely say the Keith Richards is on my Mt. Rushmore of the greatest rhythm guitar players and riff creators of all time.
The early Blues players like Robert Johnson. Really opened my ears to hear where the likes of Keef et all learnt their trade. Some much of those early Blues running through the veins of the early rock bands in the 60s and it still has a huge influence today. So for me it was going back to the roots.
I’ve tried to learn guitar a few times over the past 20 years so it’s a tricky one to answer because picking up a guitar has made me listen to all of my favourite bands more closely and appreciate what they do more.
I suppose Neil Young would have largely passed me by. I listen to hard rock and metal mostly and so there’s very little in Neil’s catalog that would naturally draw me in but as I start on this guitar journey again, there’s at least 4 of his tracks that are right at the top of the list of what I want to learn to play.
I think the biggest thing that I have noticed after learning how to play guitar is that often listened more to the vocals within a band in the past, whereas now I have a tendency to try to pick out the guitar parts. It is becoming more instinctive.
I would say that I have more respect for certain guitarists that can do things I can’t yet. For instance, the speed at which Slash plays at blows my mind.
Wow, it would be a huge list. It’s not so much that I developed a deeper appreciation of bands I’d heard before, but more that becoming a guitarist led to me listen to music I probably wouldn’t even have heard, otherwise. At the time I picked up guitar I was mostly listening to rock. Guitar led me to broaden my genre horizons. Maybe that would’ve still happened, but I kind of doubt that it would have been as broad and deep an expansion.
Some examples off the top of my head: as Toby mentioned, the old bluesmen like Robert Johnson, Son House, Albert King, et alii. In the jazz/fusion world I’d include Mahavishnu Orchestra (John McLaughlin), Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Miles Davis, Alan Holdsworth, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, and probably others that aren’t leaping to mind. Western swing bands like Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, Hank Thompson, and Asleep at the Wheel. Country pickers like Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Danny Gatton, Luther Perkins, and Glen Campbell. Classical artists and composers like Segovia, Manuel Maria Ponce, Franciso Tarrega, Fernando Sor, and Villa-Lobos. Within the rock world, I’d include some “musicians music” kind of players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson, et alii.
@Traveler It’s probably odd, but I’ve never cared that much about lyrics or fast guitar licks. There are very few songs that I know all the lyrics to. But I’ve always really liked melody and harmony lines along with a good riff. I can remember a good melodic guitar solo, but fast playing goes in one ear and out the other.
I played in a covers band and when a different singer with different ideas of what they wanted to / could sing came along I learned a whole new repertoire. It included some po-disco-funk that was not on my listening radar at all.
I learned some guitar parts played by Nile Rodgers (in songs by Chic, Daft Punk, David Bowie) and wow, respect.
Finding journey is revisiting old songs not heard in long time. Learning how to play some of them has in same ways taken a little magic out of it but then again its reintroduced it in others. Very rewarding when can play an old favorite.
Listen to a lot of modern music as well and definitely look to see what would be fun to learn. Would say yes guitar has shown me to appreciate music in a different way. Also has taught me appreciate what a fine instrument a guitar is. In some ways they delicate and need to take care of them. Was just checking out humidity packs and they starting to turn solids. Time for change soon.
Learning guitar has opened my eyes to the other end of the spectrum- it’s not the hidden gems or blatant genius that I appreciate more, but the struggling support act at a small gig where, instead of thinking “absolutely useless!”, I now watch them with interest and appreciate what they can do
In the past I have been influenced by many different guitarists, my first was Hank Marvin, to me at the time he was one of the best. Then as I learned to play my appreciation changed and became much wider as did my musical tastes, I listened from anything from Classical to Punk and Grunge, so had a great number of guitar heroes.
Moving on there was Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi, wow! Then I became interested in Metal and heavier Rock Led Zeppelin mostly so Jimmy Page figured in it, from here I got into Blues big time, anything and any guitarist fascinated me, this lasted a long time artists that stood out to me were Robert Johnson and Elmore James followed by B B King, Robert Cray, SRV and so many others. Then I got to the more Virtuoso thing, Alan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, Yngwie, Satriani, and a great number of the new metal guitarists - they blow my mind!
And now I have a new interest, Dave Simpson and CiCi bass and the Dave Simpson trio, their talent is amazing! They’re not signed and not that well known but they are great at what they do. Dave and CiCi now do the “Sound like” series by Andertons, this just showcases their versatility and skills. It’s been lucky for me to have been following them on YT for quite a while, my latest project is to learn bass, I’m using my Uke bass at the moment but getting a proper one after Christmas and CiCi says she will give me some help! She’s already given me advice on a few good start off Basses which has been useful. Watch this place!
I definitely got a renewed appreciation for for myself as a guitar player and for my own body and brain that they could still learn all this at this age and provide such a great recovery for so many other things, …
(Sorry for this “open deur”)
Greetings,…
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