Musician's Thread 2 : Influences

[Dave2112]

As I said in the "Favorite songs" thread, I've been in the mood for some lighter-hearted threads we can have fun with.

In this one, I'd like to discuss influences. Musicians, who are the influences that shaped your playing style at whatever instrument(s) you play? Now, I'm not talking about the musicians you respect or like and this isn't a "favorites" list, but the ones whose styles and particular talent directly influenced your own playing. The ones who show up when you play.

I guess I'll kick this off.

My original istrument, bass guitar, was most directly influenced by Geddy Lee of Rush. I know, this isn't supposed to be a "favorites" list, but this influence really isn't. Geddy actually influenced my playing style very directly. I never took lessons (on any instrument), and started getting into Rush right when I was starting to teach myself bass. So, I picked up those early "triple-dual-finger rolls" he did and learned much of the later chording I would wind up doing on bass from the later '80's stuff like "Hold Your Fire" and "Presto". Also, I'd have to say that I learned a lot about the relationship between bass and melody (ie: not just playing the root notes) from John Wetton of Asia and King Crimson.

On keyboards (my main instrument these days), I could note Kieth Emerson as a fave artist, but not really one who directly influenced my playing. For that, I would have to say Mark Kelly of Marillion first. I've always been less of a true pianist and more of a synth player (many keyboardists make the mistake of not differentiating the two) and Kelly carried Marillion's sound with his deep layers and wall of soundscaping. Most of what I know about monophonic-style soloing (where the board is set for one-note-at-a-time rather than chords and the soloist utilizes a style similar to a guitarist's hammer-on, pull-off technique), I learned from early Marillion albums. Also, I could site Neil Doughty of REO Speedwagon for influencing my Hammond organ style and Geoff Downes of Asia for influencing my song-structure ability with keyboards, that way a keyboardist has of balancing with and adding to a guitarist in a song, rather than just playing the same thing with a different sound.

As far as guitar goes, I'm not a very highly-trained guitarist. It's a distant third for me with my instruments. I'd have to say my most direct influence on guitar, at least with rock, is James Hettfiled of Metallica. Not so much in exact style, but insofar as the ability to push rythym guitar past the usual barre-chord barrier. As far as what soloing I do, I'd say David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, who showed me that you dont have to play a million notes a second to structure a good guitar solo. Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon also had something to do with that style I've adopted.

I know we have a lot of musicians among us, so who has influenced you the most?

 

[brianspencer66]

Dave Im a bass player also so this will get my attention. Ive played the same bass for the last 13 years or so. Its a Peavey foundation 4 string fretless an instrument I love dearly.
Id have to say my bass influences have been many, James Jamerson is the first that comes to mind who played on all those great early Motown records with his bass masterpiece being the Stevie Wonder tune "I was made to love her". This man truly invented that stuttering funk style that was so popular later in the 70s. On the rock side there are lots too like Paul Mcartney, listen to "lovely Rita" and the way he manipulates the scale. John Entwhile of the who is amazing and takes my breath away he was not called the OX for nothing. Then there was Stanley Clarke the first real electric bass soloist who blew me away when I was a kid learning with his sensative backing and lighting speed solos.
But to me the guy that invented the bass was Jaco Pastories and Im sorry there is no one but no one to this day who has done what he did on fretless or fretted bass.His gift is that he simply revolutionized the state of the instrument nothing less. His sense of timing his choice of notes his high level of understanding harmony his sense of funk make him the most influential bassist of all time.
I too play keyboard not as a second instrument but as a tool for songwriting as lots or players do. But I will give special mention to Theolonis Monk as a hero of mine. His quirky playing his compositional sense and his unusual harmony. Any time you hear a Monk tune you know right away that its him.
Lastly I really think Rock Players are highly overated and brilliant jazz masters are greatly overlooked. I stated in another post here that Louis Arstrong alone did far more for american music than any rock guitar god.

 

[Iluv2Btickled]

Joining the string family but a distant relative, I'm a Violist. For most of my life I had no particular influence. Outside of classical music, I was influeced to play what I liked hearing. So, I would listen to a song, then play it on my instrument. I would do this so I could hear the song whenever I wanted, and the gratification knowing I had the song with me all the time and could produce it pretty much on command ( given I have my viola with me of course)

It wasnt until late high school where I was strongly influenced by bond, the string quartet which many of you know about my love and devotion to them. Since they are on a hiatus right now, my musica influece has been all around really. I love listening to movie soundtracks since that is where my career will hopefully end up. I love playing what I feel from the heart whenever I'm not learning my part in an orchestra piece. 😀

 

[BLUE_THUNDER]

i started playing guitar in 1988. i took lessons for the 1st year, but quickly tired of them and began learning things myself . I was greatly influenced by the "hair band" era of the time, but even then i realized alot of the guitar players of that genre were 2nd and 3rd rate clones. from that era however, three guitarists really stood out to me with their own style and approach, and these three guitarists are my main influences to this day. Randy Rhoads, for his ability to seamlessly blend metal and classic music styles and make it work, George Lynch, for his ability to convey emotion and a real sense of danger in his fretboard antics, and Jake E. Lee, particularly his later, post-Ozzy work with Badlands, where he was able to let loose with a much bluesier vibe and sound while still making it rock.....HARD. In most of the bands ive played in, and most of the music ive written, my guitar sound usually falls within the realm of those three. I dont intentionally try to sound like any of them, but because thats the style of music i enjoy and thats what i grew up on, any time i plug in my Ibanez and crank my amp up, those three are always there in my thoughts........

 

[red indian]

Very perceptive thread Dave, no less than I would expect from you of course!

You put your finger on a very precise point, one wich I have discussed with many musicians on many band buses over the years. Its suprising to find the difference between the two polarities you point out.

A lot depends on the honesty of the muscian you are asking, which can be a rather nebulous task!

For me as a former jazz piano player (now finished as a result of dissability) my obvious choices as role models are, well, just that, obvious:- Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Errol Garner, Dave Brubeck....that covers a few Americans......The Brits:- Dudley Moore, Stan Tracey, Gordon Beck, John Taylor, John Horler, Eddie Thompson.

But who do I sound like? well, thats for others to say, and they have. When I was told, it was a great compliment, and the answer is Les McCann.

Speaking as a white, middle class, middle aged Tory, I would never have presumed to compare myself to such an icon of black 1960,s undergound jazz culture! so I was very chuffed to put it mildly!

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

That's quite a list, Red. Being a dumb yank, I'm not familiar with your Brit list(except, of coarse for Dudley) But I'm surprised Mr. Bill Evans didn't make the cut.



Drew

 

[brianspencer66]

That's quite a list, Red. Being a dumb yank, I'm not familiar with your Brit list(except, of coarse for Dudley) But I'm surprised Mr. Bill Evans didn't make the cut.



Drew

Or Bud Powell 😀

 

[PainTrain]

The various pianists of the Squaresoft OST team.

 

[4stringslinga]

I have many influences to electric guitar, being a younger metalhead i would say Alexi Lahio (Children of Bodom), Randy Rhoads, and Chuck Schndluer (Death, one of the first death metal bands) are my main ones. But i also listen to and love the guys that inspired rock and metal in the first place, (Iommi, Page, Hendrix etc.)

 

[Rhys]

As a bass player, I've been playing for just over three and a half years. I'm a heavy metal/hard rock guy, so the influences from those genres are prevailing in my style of playing.
Guys like David Ellefson (Megadeth), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), Geddy Lee (Rush) for example, but I'm also in awe of what Mark King from Level 42 can do on a bass. It's crazy!

 

[bulletbill57]

A brass and percussion man Speaks...

Being a music major in college, a drum corps type (baritone and soprano bugle-bari/sop in drum corps speak) and a trombone/bass trombone player as well in jazz band and orchestra, who also marched drumline as needed (snares and tenors) in band and corps, drum corps and jazz/blues as well as classical music, (all a good source of tickling music as well!) influenced me. I think of bare female feet as a musical instrument as well! 😉

bulletbill57