ignas317

About

I play many styles of music on solo guitar, using all the fingers of my right hand instead of a pick. This is due to the fact that Chet Atkins has always been my main influence. Most of the guitarists I admire most are the ones who play fingerstyle.

Because of my love for solo guitar, I very seldom play with other musicians. Ever since I began studying solo guitar seriously, I have gotten used to playing "all the parts" myself because it is so challenging and rewarding. As a soloist, I don't have to keep up with other musicians' schedules or conform to their playing styles. Playing jobs are very easy to book and perform because I can count on my own availability, reliability and playing skills. Just a note here, though. There is one disadvantage to playing solo - when there is a mess-up in the music, I have to take ALL the blame! On the other hand, I do get to keep ALL the money when I receive payment!

I usually play on a "nylon strung" guitar because I like the feel and the sound. But I also play some acoustic steel string and electric.

My only claim to "fame" is that I probably have one of the largest solo guitar song lists in the world. If I have a 6 hour or longer gig, I will most likely be playing for the entire time. This is because I love to play and have so many songs to choose from. I never repeat a song at a performance unless a listener requests to hear something I have already played.

If I live to be 100 and am blessed with being able to play guitar for the rest of my life, I will never be completely satisfied that I have learned enough playing skills or enough songs. I am constantly trying to expand my musical horizons.

I could never be satisfied playing only one kind of music. In a given performance, I play songs from many, many categories, including current pop, classical, country, jazz, old hymns and gospel, TV and movie themes, punk and heavy metal, with smatterings of flamenco influences. I play songs from just about every category and era of music.

I very often use a Boomerang phrase sampler/looper to record accompaniment parts for myself. I add rhythm, bass and percussion parts using only my guitar as my instruments. This is all done on stage in front of the audience, with no pre-recorded tracks. This adds an element of fun, spontaneity, surprise and "danger" to my performances. I never play the same song the same way twice, and I never really plan what I am going to play next. I figure that if I don't even know what is coming next, the audience will never be able to guess, either. In my mind, this approach keeps my performances fresh and unpredictable.

Influences

My two main influences have always been Chet Atkins and the Beatles. I play about a hundred of the Beatles songs and am always learning new ones from the Fab Four's list of over 200 songs.

Many other guitarists have influenced me, including John Williams and Christopher Parkening in the classical realm, Willie Nelson and a long list of country players, Earl Klugh, Jose Feliciano, Charlie Byrd, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Tuck Andress, Doc Watson, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Paco de Lucia, Paco Pena, Doyle Dykes, Les Paul and many others