(February 25, 1943 – November 29, 2001)
When I was a teenager, and first really getting into playing the guitar, it was the flashy, fast, furious, effects laden sound wizards that were the most appealing to me. This was not an unusual position for a young musician to take. However, I would later learn that it was a dodgy one.
One day, a guitar teacher introduced me to a new viewpoint. He used two musicians as examples of the ‘less is more’ style of playing. The first was Miles Davis and the second was George Harrison. After some rolling of my cynically juvenile eyes, I listened closely to Harrison’s work both solo and with the Beatles. I was surprised to discover a distinct art and beauty in his skill to recognize that what you don’t play and what you do play are on an equal plateau of importance. This forever changed my outlook on music.
Considered by most serious musicians as the quintessential lead guitarist, Harrison’s contributions to the Beatles, and to popular music in general, are undeniable. Every chord, every note and every mood was always placed at just the right point. There were never any extraneous sparks meant to ignite unnecessary fires.
He taught us to look at each note and ask, what is this for? What is its purpose? It is a philosophy of music that paralleled his philosophy of life. Each action one takes should have a direct purpose towards the final goal. In music it is the song and in life it is bliss.
For more information and memories go to:
– Remembering George Harrison from Rosanne Christie
– Ex-Beatle Harrison Dies at 58
– Bangladesh Mourns George Harrison
– Youngest Beatle Loses Fight Against Cancer
– Flood of Tributes for Harrison
Peace,
Stephen
