# Non-guitarists/bassists who influenced your playing



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm curious if anybody other than myself would list a non guitarist/bassist as an influence in their guitar/bass playing.

One of my biggest influences is Jon Lord--the keyboard player from Deep Purple. His playing has influenced me more than Ritchie Blackmore's--although their styles mesh very well. I think his influence is more in my chording & phrasing--so it may not be readily apparent--but I can hear it.

A lot of early electric guitarists were influenced by horn players.

Anybody else?


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2007)

Ian Anderson.... Cause I don't think of myself as a musician... I think of myself as an entertainer.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2007)

Post the chainmaille picture all you want.... You 'd have to be an idiot to think you could embarrass me with something -I- posted on the net for all to see.... 

The world is full of good musicians who don't get gigs because they can't entertain people worth bugger... 

Early in his career his manager took Ian aside and changed his attitude. "Don't think of yourself as the front man for a rock & Roll band... think of yourself as an entertainer." 

It sure worked for him!


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## Warren (Mar 2, 2007)

Coltrane, Miles, Bela Fleck, Joe Henderson, Joey DeFrancesco, Jacques Loussier, to name a few.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Now are those musicians you enjoy listening to, or did they actually influence your playing?

Just wondering.

There are many non-guitarists I enjoy listening to, but they didn't necessarily influence my playing.

I enjoy harpsichord, and I have CD's of harpsichord music, but I can't say it's influenced my playing directly.

Still there is a sense in which everything we take in has some influence on us--good or bad. I've heard lots of music that I've rejected wanting to sound like.

Still I'm not surprised by the small cross section I've read here.

Thanks for all your answers.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

For harmony, several pipe organists, pianists (Oscar Peterson especially), and the English mandolinist Simon Mayor.

Violinist Stephane Grappelli, Bela Fleck, and Oscar Peterson as improvisors.

Any number of drummers for rhythmic ideas, like Moon, Bonham, Watts, Peart, etc.

Not to mention Bach.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Canman (Oct 21, 2007)

An infrequently recurring non-musical influence on me, and my guitar style in particular, have been poets. Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Blake, Dante Alighieri, Walt Whitman.
To name a few.


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## GuitaristZ (Jan 26, 2007)

Probably mozart...beethoven, maybe even some bach, and then there is tchaikovsky and stravinski, etc......


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

I can't come up with any names, but sax and harmonic can be an influence for me.


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## Warren (Mar 2, 2007)

zontar said:


> Now are those musicians you enjoy listening to, or did they actually influence your playing?
> 
> Just wondering.
> 
> ...


Coltrane, Miles, Joe Henderson, -- directly, I like to learn sax & horn riffs on guitar, Coltrane also because of his phrasings and timing, I'll be forever trying to learn Blues Minor note for note, nuance for nuance on the guitar but so many great things happen in your playing when you even attempt it.

Joey DeFrancesco -- I like to sit and play along with the quick 12 bars.

Jacques Loussier -- Reminds me that anything goes. I've played both classical pieces on my arch top & jazz solos on my classical. And, if you're interested, try the first part (before the arpeggio section) of the Chaconne (Bach) rhythmically as a traditional tango.

Bela Fleck -- I've tried to find open string chord rolls on guitar like he plays on banjo

Jeff Coffin -- I can't do it regularly but I like to try to do that 12 note loop thing he does.

Gregoire Maret -- haven't tried learning any of his riffs yet but I will, he has some nice stuff going on in his solos, I heard him on a Metheny album first & he's on a Charlie Hunter Video I recently bought.

I get bored just stealing guitar player's riffs, especially when there are so many other great musicians you can rip off. :smile:


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

my first wife-
she had jealous fits every time i gigged , got hammered at jam sessions and broke things, tore up everything i wrote and left lying around, destroyed my tapes, hid my 4 track for days on end, continually told me i couldnt sing and should stop, cut guitar strings, neglected to give me phone messages from other players- and once i bought a brand new strat-she sat up all night eating pills and picking 2 ugly chips into it with her fingernails. 
pretty much took me out of action for 7 years that witch lol.
so although negative, an influence on my playing nonetheless. 
funny tho- anytime she introduced me to anybody shed say- flushed with pride- this is fraser- best guitar player youll ever meet.


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

Thelonius Monk has a huge influence on how I play. Some of the chords he uses and how he can move between light and playful and dark and morose so easily and naturally. Most of it doesn't work with the music I play, but it affects a lot of my practice time, which I have to figure works in to my playing with my bands some how.


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## Steeler (Oct 31, 2007)

Elton John. 

Not the flamboyant Pop God Sir Elton, but the young intense rock singer / pianist circa 1970. It's the same guy, in body, but a very different vibe.

He had a (Guitarless) Power Trio album recorded in NYC. 
Just Piano, Bass, and Drums, plus a whole lot of attitude.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Steeler said:


> Elton John.
> 
> Not the flamboyant Pop God Sir Elton, but the young intense rock singer / pianist circa 1970. It's the same guy, in body, but a very different vibe.
> 
> ...


I agree, before he got all Disney! Although Capt Fantastic was.. Well pretty Fantastic.


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

Although many (or most) of Elton John's recorded songs don't include guitar, a lot of his tunes such as "your Song", and "Sacrifice" sond great on acoustic.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

I'm suprised no one else has mentioned it - *Chicks* - groupie chicks, chicks at high school, next door etc. When I was 14 I wanted chicks more than anything and I would learn just about anything to get me some.

The chicks are gone, but the guitar stuck.


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