Great Guitarists
I intended this page primarily for my younger students who may not have heard some of these names. It is also a reflection of my own personal tastes, for anyone who might be interested. There are so many great guitarists out there that it's difficult to begin listing them. This list is based on a couple of criteria--first, they all have some kind of historical importance as guitarists, and second, they are people who I have listened to a lot, and are long-time personal favorites of mine.
It would also be impossible to attempt any kind of ranking of these guitarists, so each list is in alphabetical order by last name. There are four lists on this page (click to jump to a list, or scroll down):
Great Rock Guitarists
Great Jazz/Blues Guitarists
Great Acoustic Guitarists
Great Musicians (not guitarists)
|
Player's name |
Contributions |
Duane Allman |
Founding member of the Allman Brothers,
died in a tragic accident in 1971. Absolute master of the slide guitar. Also played w/
Clapton on "Layla" album |
Trey Anastasio |
Brains behind Phish. Known for long, extended improvisations
as well as avant-garde instrumental compositions. A technical
and creative master of the instrument. |
Jeff Beck |
Best-known for pioneering rock/jazz fusion, but his contributions date all the way back to the Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton) in the 1960's.
His quirky sound is instantly recognizable; he gets sounds out
of the guitar that I've never heard anywhere else. |
Dicky Betts |
Another founding member of the Allman Brothers,
known for very melodic soloing and complex compositions featuring
dual lead guitars played in harmony. |
Eric Clapton |
One of the most influential blues-rock guitarists,
particularly his work with the band Cream, and also Derek
and the Dominos. They used to say "Clapton is God,"
and not without good reason. |
Jerry Garcia |
Founding member of the Grateful Dead,
known for long, extended improvisations. Strong roots in American
roots styles--blues, country, and jazz. An incredibly passionate
and creative musician. |
David Gilmour |
Lead guitarist of the band Pink Floyd.
His solos are unforgettable--a master of phrasing and expressiveness. |
George Harrison |
Lead guitarist of the Beatles. Known
for impeccably placed guitar licks that are signature parts of Beatles' songs. |
Warren Haynes |
Later-day member of the Allman Brothers,
as well as Gov't Mule and other projects. Master of slide
guitar and Southern blues-rock styles. One of the busiest musicans on the planet right now. |
Jimi Hendrix |
Probably the most influential rock guitarist
ever. A visionary--took the instrument to whole new levels,
blowing the possibilities wide open for the rest of us. Virtually
EVERY rock guitarist out there owes something to Jimi (even if they don't know it or won't admit it). |
Mark Knopfler |
Guitarist of Dire Straits. A master of
restrained, economical playing, but absolutely dripping with soul. |
Steve Morse |
Guitarist for the Dixie Dregs, as well as the Steve Morse Band (also recently playing lead guitar for Deep Purple). From the school of "shredders" that was spawned in the 1980's, but to my ears more soulful and creative than most of the others. |
Jimmy Page |
Guitarist and composer for Led Zeppelin. A master of the extended, fast and furious guitar solo, but
also known for incredibly diverse and complex compositions and densely layered studio production. |
Carlos Santana |
Perhaps the first guitarist to merge a Latino influence with rock and roll. Very distinctive tone and phrasing, still a very influential player to this day. |
Tom Scholz |
Guitarist of the band Boston. His singing
tone and triumphant phrasing have always sounded great to me. |
Derek Trucks |
The youngest player on this list by at least 20 years, some consider Derek Trucks to be Duane Allman reincarnated. He has certainly taken slide guitar to a whole new level, and since he's still only in his mid- to late-twenties, we can still look forward to a lot of good music from him. |
Eddie Van Halen |
Eddie was the original "shredder."
His jaw-dropping chops and monster tone set the standard for
a whole decade's worth of hair bands in the 80's. |
Stevie Ray Vaughan |
SRV was one of the great modern-day blues guitarists.
His masterful chops and HUGE tone are imitated by countless
players today. He died very tragically at a young age. |
Frank Zappa |
Frank Zappa. Hard to know
what to say about FZ...interesting that he is the last one on the
list. If you've checked everyone else out, Zappa will take you
to places you never even imagined. Careful, though, he's not for the faint of heart (listener discretion advised!). |
Great Jazz and Blues Guitarists |
Player's name |
Contributions |
Tuck Andress |
Tuck is simply an amazing jazz guitar player. A master at playing melody, chords, and bass all at the same time--practically a one-man band. |
Bill Frisell |
A great player who is difficult to categorize. Usually categorized as a jazz player, he really blends a strong helping of country/folk/bluegrass in his music. Known for his restraint and use of space--I once heard someone say that he plays guitar the way Miles Davis played the trumpet. |
B.B. King |
My absolute favorite blues guitar player. His delicate touch, melodic sense, and phrasing are as good as it gets. |
Buddy Guy |
Another favorite blues player. Very influential to people like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. About 70 years old, I think, and he puts on the best live blues concert you will ever see. |
Scott Henderson |
A modern-day jazz-fusion guitarist, a great player to check out for people who are into rock but curious about jazz. |
John McLauglin |
A virtual living legend if there ever was one, who breaks new ground with every new project that he touches. Particularly known for his work with Shakti and also the Mahavishnu Orchestra, in which he explored the sounds of Eastern music in his blend of jazz fusion. |
Pat Metheny |
Another virtual living legend. His work with Jaco Pastorius (at the tender age of 20) is considered groundbreaking, and he is still today considered one of the most influential jazz players. |
Wes Montgomery |
To me, the ultimate in the classic jazz guitar sound. Used a lot of blues sounds in his jazz. Also perfected the technique of using parallel octaves in his solos. |
Django Reinhardt |
A pioneer in jazz guitar--most of his work was recorded in the 1920's and 1930's. A whole genre of guitar playing, called "gypsy jazz," is still played to this day, and Django is considered the original master. |
John Scofield |
If you drew a line from jazz to rock, Scofield would fall a little closer to rock than most jazz players, but he is a jazz master as well. A great player to check out if you want an introduction to jazz. |
Mike Stern |
A favorite jazz player of mine. Mind-blowing chops and a beautiful sense of melody. |
Great Acoustic Guitarists |
Player's name |
Contributions |
David Grier |
One of the best guitarists in the bluegrass scene today. Particularly adept at cross-picking, a style that creates a very full, ringing sound. |
Michael Hedges |
Revolutionized the acoustic guitar world with his unorthodox techniques like playing over the neck, tapping, slapping, banging, etc. Sadly, Hedges died in a car accident in 1999 or 2000. |
Jorma Kaukonen |
Original guitarist of Jefferson Airplane, and also Hot Tuna. A master of fingerstyle blues guitar. |
Kaki King |
An amazing young guitarist who is influenced by Michael Hedges, among others. I got to meet her recently in Boulder! She is about the size of my left leg. Surprising to me that she is the only woman on this list. Her playing is absolutely jaw-dropping. |
Leo Kottke |
Another fingerstyle and slide guitar master. Has had a prolific career since the 1970's, and has made two great CD's with Mike Gordon of Phish. |
Tony Rice |
One of the masters of bluegrass guitar--few people can even touch his chops or his melodic sense. |
Doc Watson |
A "granddaddy" of bluegrass and folk guitar. If you want to learn to play bluegrass, start with Doc and you'll be just fine. A true living legend in the bluegrass world. |
Great Musicians to check out (not guitarists) |
Player's name |
Contributions |
Chick Corea |
Pretty easily my favorite jazz piano player. Incredible chops, and even more incredible musicality. Another one for the "living legend" category. I'm not sure I get his devotion to Scientology, but I guess that's none of my business. |
Miles Davis
|
Probably the most famous name in jazz, with too many contributions to even begin listing them. His trumpet style was restrained and tasteful, but had a burning intensity to it that is instantly recognizable. |
Bela Fleck |
The king of the 5-string banjo, Bela Fleck is one of the most talented and creative musicians I have ever seen. A beautiful sense of melody runs throughout his music, which blends all kinds of influences, from bluegrass to jazz to classical to Eastern music. Easily one of my favorite musicians out there. Bela has been nominated for a Grammy in more different categories than any musician in history, and the Flecktones' latest album won a Grammy for best contemporary jazz album. |
David Grisman |
A very inventive and influential mandolin player, known primarily for his work with the David Grisman Quintet, in which he blended the sounds of jazz and brazilian music with bluegrass instrumentation. |
Victor Wooten |
The most mind-blowing bass player you will ever see. Well-known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, but universally acknowledged as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, bassist on the planet. |
Honorable Mention:
There are a few names that are still bugging me--I feel the need to list some players who I really enjoy, even though it remains to be seen what kind of historical impact they will have:
Jake Cinninger (Umphrey's McGee)
Tim Palmieri (The Breakfast)
Keller Williams
Andreas Kapsalis
Charlie Hunter
Return to the HCG Articles Home Page
|
