Quotes about guitar (190 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

“The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself.”

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770–1827) German Romantic composer

“They bend to each other, you know, its not like they like fuckin', beat each other over the head, its like 'oh, hear I come; wenenenenenen or chachachachacha' you know, they bend to each other, and they compromise, you know. And it makes for a good guitar relationship I suppose, you know. So Willie brings in the riff, and hes like 'jejejejeje', and Mark is like 'Oh, psh, wenenenenenen', and like, and you can see it happen dude, physically see it happen, like, they're melding, like Vulcans or something, like 'mind melding', I don't know, you know. I've learned a lot about music from watching those guys, by how different they are, and how they complement each other.”

Randy Blythe (1971) American musician

On the writing process of Mark Morton and Wille Adler, the guitarists of Lamb of God.
Making of Sacrament DVD

Music , Guy , Learning

“He was a skater boy. She said: 'see you later, boy'. He wasn't good enough for her. Now, he's a superstar. Slamming on his guitar, to show pretty face what he's worth.”

Avril Lavigne (1984) Canadian singer-songwriter and actress

"Sk8er Boi"
Let Go (2002)

Boy

“He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do.”

Taylor Swift (1989) American singer-songwriter

Teardrops on My Guitar, written by Taylor Swift and Liz Rose.
Song lyrics, Taylor Swift (2006)

Cars , Star , Singing

“What are they tuning, a harp? I thought we were a big rich rock band. We should have a whole bunch of extra guitars.”

Kurt Cobain (1967–1994) American musician and artist

1993-11-18 at Sony Music Studios, New York City, New York (MTV Unplugged).
Stage banter

“There are three things that I know a bit about in my life and that's QPR, my guitar and drugs. I know QPR are the best football team in the world, my guitar is the most beautiful thing I own and that I don't take enough drugs to kill me. It isnt drugs that I need to get rid of; it's the demons that fill my head. Once I have come to terms with my demons, maybe I'll be able to get clean.”

Pete Doherty (1979) English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist

Definitions and objects

Life , World , Beauty , Football

“She would be half a planet away, floating in a turquoise sea, dancing by moonlight to flamenco guitar.”

Janet Fitch book White Oleander

Source: White Oleander

Dance , Sea

“Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleansing, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact.”

Terry Pratchett book Moving Pictures

Source: Moving Pictures

Understanding

“I used to work in jobs I hated because I needed the money to buy a guitar. I know what it feels like to be depressed. On the other hand, I also know what it feels like to have money, to be successful, to be independent, but I can tell you that money and success never solve your problems.”

Chris Cornell (1964–2017) American singer-songwriter, musician

NYROCK: Interview with Chris Cornell, October 1, 1999 https://web.archive.org/web/20030919022841/http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/1999/cornell_int.asp,
On depression and suicide

Money , Hate , Feeling , Problem

“I can't play [guitar] like Pete Townshend. The flip side of that is that Pete Townshend could probably never have played like me.”

Kurt Cobain (1967–1994) American musician and artist

As quoted in Fender Frontline Magazine (Fall 1994).
Interviews (1989-1994), Print

“People here are always asking me, "Can you play 'Lips Like Sugar' on an acoustic guitar?" And I'm like, "No!" It was an OK song, I suppose, but it didn't sound like us. We just got sucked into a new mentality on that last album, the sound of Radio America. It did great here, but by then I just thought we weren't good enough any more. It was pretty happening, the States was building and building but it didn't feel good on stage. We weren't really communicating as mates and stuff. I mean, I was used to believing that we were the best group going.”

Ian McCulloch (1959) singer, musician

Describing what American's always ask him.
Q magazine (1992)

People , Feeling , Communication

“In a way, I suppose you could say my experience is quite limited. For example, I never locked Oliver Cromwell in a broom closet while singing "Waltzing Matilda." I never sawed a television in half, although I once saw Wendy O. Williams saw a guitar. I never played a decent game of jacks. I never played poker with a toothless one-eyed pirate who kept picking his teeth with a Bowie knife to distract me, while his parrot looked over my shoulder and told him what cards I had by using an elaborate code involving vomiting, chirping, and sea chanteys.”

John S. Hall (1960) Poet, author, singer, lawyer

"I'm Sorry"
Lyrics, Happy Hour (1992)

Way , Game , Singing , Sea

“Back around 1971, I was playing in a bar in Chicago one night, and after the show, I was packing up my guitar and stuff, and I was walking out the door, and a little guy stopped me. And he said, "Arlo, before you leave, I wanna sing you a song." I said "Come on man, I don't wanna hear no songs. I hate songs. I don't even like my songs! Why should I like your songs?" I was just tired, I wanted to get out of there, I was being a butt-head. He said, "Arlo, I just wanna sing you one song." I said, "Tell you what. Buy me beer. I'll sit here and drink it. As long as it lasts, you can do whatever you want." He said, "That sounds like a good deal."”

Arlo Guthrie (1947) American folk singer

I said "It does?" It turned out to be one of the finer beers of my entire life.
Arlo talking about his first meeting with Steve Goodman, who would perform to him "The City of New Orleans" (Live in Sydney)

Life , Hate , Guy , Drink

“Chons, on rhythm guitar, had long black hair and blue eyes and was the first person I ever met who said she never ate meat, and when she told me that, I never ate it again either. Best thing that ever happened to me. All it took was the mere suggestion. Nobody else was vegetarian that I knew of, but I started to think of meat-eating as a very weird practice and secretly regarded meat-eaters with distaste, almost contempt. Why would anyone kill an animal if they didn’t need to? I learned to live and associate with “the majority,” but never respected them. I got used to having this lack of regard for 97 percent of the population.”

Chrissie Hynde (1951) Rock singer-songwriter and founder of Pretenders

Reckless (2015)

Thinking , Learning , Animals , Personality

“You neither can nor should understand what it means.
Listen, it comes without guitar,
Neither in rags nor in any purple fashion.
And there is nothing in it to comfort you.”

Donald Justice (1925–2004) Poet, teacher

Poem
Departures (1973)

Fashion , Understanding

“Dimebag was a dear friend of mine, I'm absolutely beside myself with grief. I can't for the life of me understand why someone would do this. Pantera toured with me many, many times. I'll always remember the signed guitar that he gave me at my 50th birthday party. My heart goes out to Dime's family, his fans and the other innocent victims who were killed in this senseless tragedy. It's just terribly, terribly sad.”

Ozzy Osbourne (1948) English heavy metal vocalist and songwriter

MTV Interview, December 2004

Life , Sadness , Family , Birthday

“Guitars are fun. There are plenty of different kinds to play. They look cool. They sound cool. Don't *you* want to play guitar?”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

As quoted in Musician magazine (November 1996).

“Practice. I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7pm to party and get laid, and when he'd come back at 3am, I would still be sitting in the same place, playing guitar. I did that for years — I still do that.”

Eddie Van Halen (1955) Dutch-American rock musician

Eddie Van Halen in April 1996, in an interview with Guitar World, when asked about how he went from playing his first open A chord to playing "Eruption" http://www.guitarworld.com/archive-billy-corgan-interviews-eddie-van-halen-1996?page=1

“My mother was mistrustful of the education system, so it was all right with her if we didn't go to school. She was taking us to Truffaut films, and I was busy getting through a Knut Hamsun book or something, so she felt satisfied we weren't wasting our lives watching The Brady Bunch. Because of where we lived, I would've had to go to Belmont High, so the year I was supposed to start high school I tried to get into the High School for the Performing Arts, which had just opened. I sent them a tape of me playing blues guitar and some short stories I'd written, but they didn't want me.”

Beck (1970) American Musician (b.1970)

LA Weekly, 23 June 2000

Books , Education , School , Art

“Nothing beats 2 guitars, drum and bass.”

Lou Reed (1942–2013) American musician

In the liner notes of New York

“I used to be coy about it, like me guitar playing. But if there's such a thing as genius — I am one.”

John Lennon (1940–1980) English singer and songwriter

John Lennon interview with Rolling Stone magazine (December 1970)
Context: When I was about twelve, I used to think I must be a genius, but nobody's noticed. Either I'm a genius or I'm mad, which is it? "No," I said, "I can't be mad because nobody's put me away; therefore I'm a genius." Genius is a form of madness and we're all that way. But I used to be coy about it, like me guitar playing. But if there's such a thing as genius — I am one. And if there isn't, I don't care.

“Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.”

Pelé (1940–2022) Brazilian association football player

“One of the things that was crucial for me I got from Rory Gallagher, which was the idea of, like, being a guitar player for life and living it.”

Rory Gallagher (1948–1995) Blues rock musician from Ireland

Johnny Marr (The Smiths), UK Guitarist 265: The Rory Gallagher Story, BBC Radio 2
About Gallagher

Idea , Life

“I don't like doing interviews, I don't like doing what I'm doing right now. I'd rather be at home playing my guitar.”

Eddie Van Halen (1955) Dutch-American rock musician

Source: Talking with Kurt Loder on MTV's Famous Last Words show circa 1991.

Home

“I love the guitar, always have. I can relate to it a lot better than a saxophone.”

Frank Zappa (1940–1993) American musician, songwriter, composer, and record and film producer

New York Daily News interview (1979)

Love

“If you hand me a guitar, I'll play the blues. That's the place I automatically go.”

Eric Clapton (1945) English musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist

“There were drinks and food in full force, and some Moroi guy had a guitar out and was trying to impress girls with his musical skills—which were nonexistent. In fact, his music was so awful that he might have discovered a new way to kill Strigoi.”

Richelle Mead Blood Promise

Source: Blood Promise

Food , Music , Way , Guy

“those times i burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. we all burn things we love. i love my guitar”

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) American musician, singer and songwriter

Love , Time

“To sing you must first open your mouth. You must have a pair of lungs, and a little knowledge of music. It is not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar. The essential thing is to want to sing. This then is a song. I am singing.”

Henry Miller book Tropic of Cancer

Source: Tropic of Cancer

Music , Knowledge , Singing

“The history of music is mortal, but the idiocy of the guitar is eternal.”

Milan Kundera book The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

Source: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

Music , History

“A guitar twanged from the far-off radio. Country music. Damn. They'd resorted to torture already.”

Kelley Armstrong book Stolen

Source: Stolen

Music , Country

“You’re not going to suck.’’
‘‘Not at the guitar, anyway,’’ Shane said, deadpan. Claire punched him in the arm. ‘‘Ow.”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: Feast of Fools

“I've got my girl and my guitar, and for me that's enough.”

Tiffanie DeBartolo (1970) American writer

Source: How to Kill a Rock Star

Girl

“Say you’ll marry me when I come back or, before God, I won’t go. I’ll stay around here and play a guitar under your window every night and sing at the top of my voice and compromise you, so you’ll have to marry me to save your reputation.”

Margaret Mitchell book Vom Winde verweht (1937 German edition)

Source: Gone with the Wind

God , Singing , Night

“I wish they'd had electric guitars in cotton fields back in the good old days. A whole lot of things would've been straightened out.”

Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) American musician, singer and songwriter

“You've no right to walk into people's castles and take their guitars.”

Diana Wynne Jones book Howl's Moving Castle

Source: Howl's Moving Castle

People

“For the record, if I were Superman, a pale, scrawny guy holding a guitar would be Kryptonite.”

Tiffanie DeBartolo (1970) American writer

Source: How to Kill a Rock Star

Guy

“Bottom line, Eliza— you’re my home and my family, and I don’t want to lose you.
I could lose everything else, and as long as I still had you and a guitar I know I’d be all right. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Tiffanie DeBartolo (1970) American writer

Source: How to Kill a Rock Star

Family , Home

“So what do you do? Really? (Kat)
Nothing. Really. It’s boring as hell. Artemis won’t allow me to bring anything here with me. No guitar. No Cartoon Network. Occasionally, I sneak a book in just to watch her wig out when she finds it. (Acheron)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Devil May Cry

Books , Hell

“You couldn't not like someone who liked the guitar.”

Stephen King book The Stand

Source: The Stand

“Roger: I was super, crazy little! Yeah, like my dad's a guitar player and my uncle was in bands when I was growing up. I sat behind a drum set when I was like six years old. I started taking piano lessons when I was like nine. So, like I've been around music my whole, entire, entire life.”

Roger Manganelli (1973) American musician

Life , Music

“I'm full of dust and guitars…”

Syd Barrett (1946–2006) English musician

Rolling Stone, December 1971

“We took portable showers, Pampers and clothes for kids [in a Hurricane Katrina shelter]. I sang for them and played the guitar... At least for a little while, they saw that someone wasn't forgetting them. It lifted their spirits, and I knew they were a little more comfortable when we left.”

Gloria Estefan (1957) Cuban-American singer-songwriter, actress and divorciada

greenbaypressgazette.com (October 5, 2005)
2007, 2008

Clothes , Forgetting

“The first day I can remember looking into a mirror and being able to stand what I saw was the day I had a guitar in my hand.”

Bruce Springsteen (1949) American singer and songwriter

Bruce Springsteen Talking

“That was the great release for me, when I saw… heard… listened to the Mini Moog. It was just this fat sound of the ring modulators, you know (imitating a moog sound). If you take a guitar, it's always the same; you just can make it more "plumm, plumm, plumm, plumm" or you can make "bwang, bwang, bwang, bwang", like Mr. Townshend does, maybe. But if you tune the volumes and the filters and the LFOs you can make millions of sounds out of it. It's incredible, you know.”

Wolfgang Flür (1947) former member of Kraftwerk

Pop i fokus (2001-03-31), SVT2.

“It's about the time I was riding my Motorcycle, going down a mountain road at 150 miles an hour, playing my guitar.”

Arlo Guthrie (1947) American folk singer

Spoken during some performances of the Motorcycle song, on how he wrote the song. Found on recordings on "Arlo, Live in Sydney, and the Significance of the Pickle".

Mountain , Time

“If you're in a situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into the shrink wherever you are, just walk in say "Shrink, You can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant." And walk out. You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singing a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day walking in singing a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement. And that's what it is, the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come's around on the guitar!”

Arlo Guthrie (1947) American folk singer

Arlo has repeatedly updated this part through the years to help it match modern life more. He has updated to say that if only one person does it, they say the person in question is a certain amount of years too late. He also referenced the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy during the 40th anniversary recording. He has also started adding the phrase, "And most of them would be too young to know what a movement was." once he says, "Friends they may think it's a movement."
Alice's Restaurant Massacree

People , Imagination , Thinking , Singing

“John asked what he could do to help my campaign for governor.
"Write a campaign song," I replied.
"Okay," said John, "what's the theme?"
"Our campaign slogan is 'Come together, join the party.'"
"Great title," said John. He grabbed his guitar and started improvising.
: Come together right now.
Don't come tomorrow, don't come alone,
Come together right now,
Over me.
:* On first proposing that John Lennon write a song for his California gubernatorial campaign; this eventually developed into the Beatles song, "Come Together", p. 281 ”

Timothy Leary book Flashbacks

Flashbacks, An Autobiography (1983)

Help

“Sometimes the nicest thing to do with a guitar is just look at it.”

Thom Yorke (1968) English musician, philanthropist and singer-songwriter

source http://www.greenplastic.com/coldstorage/articles/guitarworld0498.html

“And the color, the overcast blue
Of the air, in which the blue guitar
Is a form, described but difficult,
And I am merely a shadow hunched
Above the arrowy, still string,
The maker of a thing yet to be made;
The color like a thought that grows
Out of a mood, the tragic robe
Of the actor, half his gesture, half
His speech, the dress of his meaning, silk
Sodden with his melancholy words,
The weather of his stage, himself.”

Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American poet

The Man With the Blue Guitar (1937)

Color , Mood , Weather

“(In response to the question; "What are you going to tell a ten year old who wants to play guitar?") For me that's easy; when you expect anything from music, you expect too much. So you play for yourself, you play to enjoy it and you make the most of it for you, period. You don't - I never thought I would be doing this now. I feel so lucky to be doing this now - I can't believe this is what I do all the time. I know I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world, but I just love it. And I hope that's the only reason I'm here, you know? Because I think - I honestly think that that's enough.”

Josh Homme (1973) American musician

" Josh Homme - Guitar Moves - Episode 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJDUHq2mJx0" Noisey (May 29, 2013)

Love , World , Hope , Music

“I’ve lived on my own since I was 13 and not been to school and brought a son up who’s now 18 and run theatre companies and bought a butcher’s shop, learnt guitar by myself, taught myself to sing and that sort of stuff.”

Stella Vine (1969) English artist

Billen, Andrew. "I Made More Money As A Stripper..." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article445303.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2, (2004-06-15)
On teaching herself to paint.

School , Singing

“I look at the world and I notice it’s turning.
While my guitar gently weeps.
With every mistake we must surely be learning,
Still my guitar gently weeps.”

George Harrison (1943–2001) British musician, former member of the Beatles

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (1968)
Lyrics

World , Learning

“It's like saying 'Give a man a Les Paul guitar and he becomes Eric Clapton,' you know. It's not true. And give a man an amplifier and a synthesizer, and he doesn't become whoever, you know. He doesn't become us.”

Roger Waters (1943) English songwriter, bassist, and lyricist of Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Music

“"Tighter and Tighter" was actually written around the same time as "Black Hole Sun." In fact, I did a demo with four songs on it to play for the band. "Black Hole Sun," "Sounds Like Days," "Tighter and Tighter" and a song called "Anxious." We blew off "Anxious" entirely and recorded "Tighter and Tighter" for the last record. It was the last song we did. It was number 16 and we ran out of studio time. We had the rhythm tracks done and it was just needing vocals and my guitar solos. We just ran out of time. It was falling flat anyway. I changed the arrangement a little bit.”

Chris Cornell (1964–2017) American singer-songwriter, musician

Soundgarden Era

Change , Time , Sun

“I wrote a song called "Father & Son" about the son running off to do his own thing. Now the story is about my son coming back and bringing a guitar into the house. A couple of years ago, one morning after prayers, his guitar was lying around. I picked it up and my fingers knew exactly where to go. I'd written some words and when I put them to music, it moved me and I realized I could have another job to do. Things just grew from there.”

Cat Stevens (1948) British singer-songwriter

On producing new music, after shunning the music business for over two decades, as quoted in "The Billboard Q and A: Yusuf Islam" by Nigel Williamson, in Billboard Magazine (17 November 2006)

Music , Lying , Housing

“Lindsey [Buckingham] and I went up to Aspen and we went to somebody's incredible house and they had a piano and I had my guitar with me and I went in their living room, looking out over the incredible Aspen sky and I wrote 'Landslide.”

Stevie Nicks (1948) American singer and songwriter, member of Fleetwood Mac

Laura Furman, Rumours Exposed http://books.google.com/books?id=SW31aVVDc_AC (2003: Citadel Press), ISBN 9780806524726, p. 75

Housing

“I love the idea that something would be whimsical, and like "delightful", you know, but also disgusting — so I like this sort of, you know, a really gnarly guitar — really gross, disgusting guitar and then a — really a whimsical… — it's one of those things you can only describe in sort of awkward hand gestures and eye motions. Imagine!”

St. Vincent (musician) (1982) American singer-songwriter

On one of her compositions on the album Actor, in an interview for Billboard magazine (20 March 2009)

Love , Imagination , Idea

“Why pluck one string when you can strum the guitar?”

Aaron Weiss

Torches Together.
Catch For Us The Foxes (2004)

“I'll always be a fan of ol' stray dogs and guitars playin'.
One room churches, back road walks and front porch swingin'.
Sunset skies, bonfire nights, I love the simple things.
That's how I'll always be.”

Tim McGraw (1967) American country singer

How I'll Always Be
Song lyrics, Damn Country Music (2015)

Love , Dogs , Night

“It started out — my mom and dad took a little vacation to Mexico and they left $250 for food. But instead of food we went and bought some instruments. We got a bass, guitar and a set of drums. … I was 19. Dennis was 15. Carl was 17. Mike was 18. Al was 19. And so we wrote a song called "Surfin'" in my living room. We were all playing and singing and Mike and I wrote a song called "Surfin'" and that's how it all started.”

Brian Wilson (1942) American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer

CNN interview (2004)

Food , Moms , Singing

“The very day I purchased it,
I christened my guitar
as my monophonic symphony,
six string orchestra.”

Harry Chapin (1942–1981) American musician

Six String Orchestra
Song lyrics, Verities & Balderdash (1974)

“The blue guitar
And I are one.”

Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American poet

The Man With the Blue Guitar (1937)

“I woke at 9:57 having got to bed at 6:30 subsequent to spraying burning guitar over David Bowie's new album and not leaving the studio until 5:00.”

Robert Fripp (1946) English guitarist, composer and record producer

In the road diary which accompanies the CD release of the 1980 League Of Gentlemen album "Thrang, Thrang, Gozimbulx", about Bowie's album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Elsewhere

“Since I was a child, I’ve used my imagination to escape from life. At the same time, my imagination has plagued me with both reality-based anxieties as well as anxieties based entirely in the imagination, such as the fear of Hell I was taught to have by the Catholic Church. Paired with a talent for literary composition, a talent that it took me over ten years to refine, I became a writer of horror stories. To my mind, writing is the most important form of human expression, not only artistic writing but also philosophical writing, critical writing, etc. Art as such, especially programmatic music such as operas, seems trivial to me by comparison, however much pleasure we may get from it. Writing is the most effective way to express and confront the full range of the realities of life. I can honestly say that the primary stature I attach to writing is not self-serving. I’ve been captivated to some degree by all forms of creativity and expression—the visual arts, film, design of any sort, and especially music. In college I veered from literature to music for a few years, which is the main reason it took me six years to get an undergraduate degree in liberal arts. I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. Since my instrument is the guitar, I know every form and style in its history and have written the classical, acoustic, and electric forms of this instrument. I think because I have had such a love and understanding of music do I realize, to my grief, its limitations. Writing is less limited in the consolations it offers to those who have lost a great deal in their lives. And it continues to console until practically everything in a person’s life has been lost. Words and what they express have the best chance of returning the baneful stare of life.”

Thomas Ligotti (1953) American horror author

Wonderbook Interview with Thomas Ligotti http://wonderbooknow.com/interviews/thomas-ligotti/

Love , Life , Pleasure , Fear

“When you think about where guitar playing is going today…: it's going everywhere at the same time.”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

As quoted in "Shred on Arrival" in Guitar World (November 1993).

Thinking , Time

“I assume most guitar players are like me. They're playing, having fun; then they get a magazine in the mail that says "Shred Is Dead" and they say, "What the Hell?"”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

They throw it away and keep on playing.
As quoted in "Shred on Arrival" in Guitar World (November 1993).

Hell , Dead

“And love lies bleeding in my hand.
Oh it kills me to think of you with another man.
I was playing rock and roll and you were just a fan.
But my guitar couldn't hold you,
So I split the band.
Love lies bleeding in my hands.”

Elton John (1947) English rock singer-songwriter, composer and pianist

Love Lies Bleeding
Song lyrics, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

Love , Thinking

“The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar,
I am following the river down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War.”

Paul Simon (1941) American musician, songwriter and producer

Graceland
Song lyrics, Graceland (1986)

War

“I programmed all the drums and synths, while he played all the guitars. The initial plan was just to demo his songs because he was out of his UA deal, so we pumped it to people like Island and Virgin and they loved it. It was signed to Island, but Simon Draper of Virgin heard it and called me to talk about their band, the Human League. They'd done demos of The Sound of the Crowd and Love Action in a Sheffield studio, but Simon didn't think they were getting the punch they needed. He loved the drums on Homosapien and asked me to do a track. So the band turned up at Genetic with their multi-track for The Sound of the Crowd. Simon had conned them and told them that I'd mix it! I said, 'We're going to start again and do it better'. There were a few grumbles, but by the time we'd finished, they were really pleased.”

Martin Rushent (1948–2011) English record producer

Perrone, Pierre, Martin Rushent: Synth-pop pioneer and innovative producer of the Human League, the Stranglers and Buzzcocks, 2011, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/martin-rushent-synthpop-pioneer-and-innovative-producer-of-the-human-league-the-stranglers-and-buzzcocks-2294842.html, The Independent, 11 June 2011

Love , People , Thinking , Time

“Ever since I was a little girl, I felt that I wanted to be of service here on the earth: I felt that was my job somehow. And whatever I was going to do, I was going to find a way to do that. And so, as I got a larger audience -- a broader audience worldwide, and more and more people were listening to me -- it became important for me to share that thought. And the song "Get on Your Feet" -- which I didn't write, it was written actually by my guitar player, bass player and keyboardist... They knew how I felt. [They knew] what my thoughts were... So although it was written before my accident, it was thrown back at me so many times... But that really is my motto. I look always forward. I look ahead. And that's why I chose to record that song, because I really loved the message. Then "Coming Out of the Dark," which came on the heals of that accident and my rehab, and the incredible love that I felt from everyone worldwide that helped me through that difficult moment when I broke my back in 1990, is a big thank you to my fans -- and an expression of how ultimately we are here for each other to help one another. And the strength of prayer... That's why I say I know the love that saved me, you're sharing with me. We do have the power to save one another... And I wanted to thank everyone for being there for me.”

Gloria Estefan (1957) Cuban-American singer-songwriter, actress and divorciada

iTunes interview (released June 2, 2007)
2007

Love , People , Way , Girl

“He was an extraordinary bloke. First of all he was very funny. He was straight but very camp. [He] came in and Visconte said, ‘Right, what are we doing?’. He said: ‘Well I haven’t got any material, I’ve just got one guitar riff’. So he played us this guitar riff. It sounded a bit like Chuck Berry to me but I didn’t say anything. He went out with the band and after two hours he said, ‘Right, got a song’. So we recorded it and took a few takes. He then said, ‘Right I’ve got a bit of a tune, just give me half an hour’. In 10 minutes he came back and said, ‘Right I’ve got the lyrics and got the tune’. So he’d written Get It On in 10 minutes basically. He went out there, sang it and in four or five takes we’d got it. There it was. The guy was absolutely astonishing.”

Martin Rushent (1948–2011) English record producer

[Serck, Linda, Legendary producer Martin Rushent, 2009, http://www.getreading.co.uk/entertainment/music/s/2061462_legendary_producer_martin_rushent, Get Reading, 6 June 2011]

Guy

“I think Clapton is brilliant. He's the only one who moved me. The only one who made me want to play the guitar.”

Eric Clapton (1945) English musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist

Eddie Van Halen
About

Thinking

“I'll battle this bitter finale,
Just me, my dignity and this guitar case.”

Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) English singer and songwriter

Some Unholy War
Song lyrics, Back To Black (2006)

“At one point we got some German sausages for dinner, and my girl Anna was working the communal tomato sauce pump and she whacked it and it all squirted over my pants, and suddenly there was silence, and I realised that Muse had stopped playing, and the entire 20 odd thousand punters were looking at me, and suddenly I just threw my hands up and said ‘anyone for sauce?’ and everyone just burst into laughter and suddenly Peaches was there and she said ‘you’re alright kid’ and we high fived and then I crowd surfed all the way onto stage and Muse let me play the guitar solo for one of their songs and even though I’d never heard it I just winged it and it was awesome.”

Justin Heazlewood (1980) Australian musician and comedian

online Laptopping http://www.bedroomphilosopher.com/2007/02/20/laptopping-things-oclock/, Bedroom Philosopher (February 20, 2007).

Way , Girl , Communication , Laughter

“I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh** out of my guitar.”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

As quoted in "Shred on Arrival" in Guitar World (November 1993).

“Practice, practice, practice. Practice until you get a guitar welt on your chest…if it makes you feel good, don't stop until you see the blood from your fingers. Then you'll know you're on to something!”

Ted Nugent (1948) American rock musician

[Denyer, Ralph, The Guitar Handbook, 2002, 66, 0-679-74275-1]

Feeling

“Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skills, repetition is essensial…Whenever musicians have trouble executing a passage, they generally tend to blame themselves for not having enought talent. Actually, all that's wrong is they don't know where their fingers are supposed to go…You should learn the piece in your head before you play it. And when you do play it, play it so slow that therre's no possibility of making a mistake.”

Howard Roberts (1929–1992) American guitarist

Ralph Denyer (2002). The Guitar Handbook. p. 66.

Learning

“When these guitar mags bring up that stuff up and say such and such came up with this and that which is pushing the boundaries, I just say, "let's step back for a minute and admit something: nothing has happened for the last 100 years." And it's okay. It's not a bad thing … We're all working with "tools" that have been in existence for the last 100 years and there hadn't been a new "tool" for a long long time.”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

As quoted in RIP magazine (June 1994).

Time

“It's the same old tune, fiddle and guitar.
Where do we take it from here?
Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars;
We've been the same way for years.
We need to change.”

Waylon Jennings (1937–2002) American country music singer, songwriter, and musician

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way, from Dreaming My Dreams (1975).
Song lyrics

Cars , Way , Change

“The wind in which the dead leaves blow.
Here I inhale profounder strength
And as I am, I speak and move
And things are as I think they are
And say they are on the blue guitar.”

Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American poet

The Man With the Blue Guitar (1937)

Thinking , Dead

“Roger: Let's see.. Chris and Vinnie knew each other in high school and were in bands and then moved to Gainesville, Florida for college. I moved to Gainesville, Florida for college. And then Chris had a party and I told him I played guitar. Which I played guitar at that time. And he said you should come and play guitar then I went to practice with a guitar and then they're like, "Oh, by the way, we're going to be kicking out our bass player - would you mind playing bass?" I said OK. So I went out and bought a bass and that was in '92. And that's how it started. Then we started getting into the horn player thing. Shuffled a few horn players over the years but it's been the same main four guys the whole time.”

Roger Manganelli (1973) American musician

School , Way , Guy , Time

“If to serenade almost to man
Is to miss, by that, things as they are,
Say that it is the serenade
Of a man that plays a blue guitar.”

Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American poet

The Man With the Blue Guitar (1937)

“These are the sort of things that push you on in music — the curiosity, a passion for new ideas. It's important to keep restoring that, and at the same time, hold on to the core things about music that whenever you pick the simplest form of instrument; guitar or piano, you can find a song that's worthwhile.”

Elvis Costello (1954) English singer-songwriter

dig interview (2004)

Music , Idea , Passion , Time

“Now look at them yo-yo's, that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV.
That ain't workin', that's the way you do it.
Money for nothin' and chicks for free.
Now that ain't workin', that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb.
Maybe get a blister on your little finger;
Maybe get a blister on your thumb.”

Mark Knopfler (1949) English guitarist

Money for Nothing, written with Sting
Song lyrics, Brothers in Arms (1985)

Money , Way , Guy

“Strum your guitar sing it kid
Just write about your feelings
not the things you never did
Inexperience, it once had cursed me
But your youth is no handicap
it's what makes you thirsty”

Harry Chapin (1942–1981) American musician

There Only Was One Choice
Song lyrics, Dance Band on the Titanic (1977)

Youth , Feeling , Singing

“Anybody who picks up a guitar and tells you that there's some inner message that they're trying to convey... it's nonsense. They're not being honest. The reason they're doing this is they wanna get lots of chicks and they don't want to work for a living.”

Gene Simmons (1949) Israeli-born American rock bass guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and actor

What I've Learned (July 2002)

“I'd lock myself up in my room with my guitar. I wouldn't cry. I was afraid if I let go just a little bit, it would all go. I would sing for hours by myself.... It was my way of crying.”

Gloria Estefan (1957) Cuban-American singer-songwriter, actress and divorciada

Entertainment Weekly (30 July 1993)
2007, 2008

Way , Singing , Cry

“Since I’ve basically been giving my music away for free under the old system, I’m not afraid of wireless, MP3 files or any of the other threats to my copyrights. Anything that makes my music more available to more people is great. MP3 files sound cruddy, but a well-made album sounds great. And I don’t care what anyone says about digital recordings. At this point they are good for dance music, but try listening to a warm guitar tone on them. They suck for what I do. … I’m looking for people to help connect me to more fans, because I believe fans will leave a tip based on the enjoyment and service I provide. I’m not scared of them getting a preview. It really is going to be a global village where a billion people have access to one artist and a billion people can leave a tip if they want to. It’s a radical democratization. Every artist has access to every fan and every fan has access to every artist, and the people who direct fans to those artists. People that give advice and technical value are the people we need. People crowding the distribution pipe and trying to ignore fans and artists have no value. This is a perfect system.”

Courtney Love (1964) American punk singer-songwriter, musician, actress, and artist

From "Courtney Love does the math", a speech given on the corruption of the music industry, from Salon.com http://www.salon.com/2000/06/14/love_7/ (14 June 2000)
1996–2005

People , Music , Help , Dance

“Listening to as many guitar solos as possible is the best method for someone in the early stages. But saxophone solos can be helpful. They're interesting because they're all single notes, and therefore can be repeated on the guitar. If you can copy a sax solo you're playing very well, because the average saxophonist can play much better than the average guitarist.”

Ritchie Blackmore (1945) British guitarist and songwriter

Ritchie Blackmore, in: Guitar Player. Vol. 7. (1973). p. 235:
Answer to the question Does listening to solos performed on other instruments than the guitar help the beginning guitarist develop a personal style?

Help

“Most of the time I sit down with my guitar or at the piano, and I play for awhile until I get a new riff or groove that I like a lot. Then I'll concentrate on building around that line of thought by adding words and textures. At first I'm only trying to please myself, and hopefully what I like will appeal to others.”

Jackie DeShannon (1941) American singer-songwriter

Swingin' Chicks of the 60s http://www.swinginchicks.com/jackie_deshannon.htm (September 2000)

Time

“If you told me I was going to live to 240, I would take 10 years off and try and act. I don't have that kind of time, so I'd much rather stick to playing guitar.”

John Mayer (1977) guitarist and singer/songwriter

On why he has no plans to go into acting any time soon
AP (2006). "John Mayer looks for magic, sneakers" http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/20/qa.johnmayer.ap/ CNN.com (accessed September 22, 2006)

Time