Allan Holdsworth

spirit7 · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 6:11pm

Is a fucking GOD. The guy has a scary, scary knowledge of chordal theory / scales. I love the unique way he plays "rhythm" (bands like Cynic are obviously heavily influenced by him).

Here's some early stuff of his: "In the Dead of Night" by UK (a 70s / early 80s prog supergroup):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwDnNGskWUY

From 3:00: KILLER bassline. Genius solo...so unique. He's up there in my top 5 favourite guitar players.

(NB - Yngwie did a not bad cover of that track!).

Any other Holdsworth lovers?

-C

Badronald · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 6:19pm

Yes. Great album. He's special for sure. Nobody sounds like that but AH. :thumbsup:

tripstan · **Joined:** Mon, Dec 13, 2010 8:19pm **Posts:** 1079

Holdsworth! What a perfect name for THE Jedi master of the fretboard! :worship:

No joke, 8-9 years ago a buddy and myself thought of the name Soft Machine for a band name. Googled it and thats how I found Holdsworth. First video I saw of him was the 1974 Montruex Jazz Fest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piZ4F-r2-DA
I was a little discouraged that the name was taken but that group is well worthy of the name. And the influence and inspiration that Allan gives you is second to none.

Valtyr · **Joined:** Sun, Dec 06, 2009 8:05pm **Posts:** 330

Allen is amazing.

PlayAndersons · **Joined:** Mon, Apr 30, 2012 8:34pm **Posts:** 76

I saw him play in Santa Monica back in the day and the sonic pictures he was painting were amazing. Great tone and he always had an all star back line.

mdc1mdc11 · **Joined:** Sun, Nov 21, 2010 11:18am **Posts:** 208

big fan and you really don't realize just how good until you learn some jazz fusion material and realize you just can't keep up with what he is doing. Not for everybody of course, but a good thing guys like this exist to keep the importance of the instrument alive. As years go by, the guitar becomes diluted by marketing and sales.

jcmlespaul · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 7:34pm

Holdsworth got me hooked on charvels...i played his red one and sure enough i sounded like me

King Crimson · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 7:48pm

spirit7 wrote:

The guy has a scary, scary knowledge of chordal theory / scales.
-C

Just for the record, Holdsworth knows very little if much at all worth noting when it comes to music theory or scales.

It's all in his improvisational brain.

This is coming from the horse’s mouth himself - Alan Holdsworth during a recorded jam session with George Lynch.

I'll dig it up for you.

yeti · **Joined:** Wed, Jun 09, 2010 1:26am **Posts:** 3074

yeah. he's notoriously humble about his theoretical knowledge...which, is kind of an understatement...when you've been in the game as long as him and have done as much....it's kinda a moot point.

the guys is fucking deadly and SCORES of guitar players have stolen from him over the years.

HerbieBoogie · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 9:58pm

yesterday my sister and I were going at it. she hates holdsworth and i love him. His overall knowledge of theory is beyond most pros for sure!

Zachman · **Posted:** Sat, Jun 09, 2012 11:23pm

Burn · **Joined:** Mon, Nov 03, 2008 9:11am **Posts:** 102

Funny, I was just watching his Yoshi's concert this morning. He was playing a real guitar in that. I'm really not a fan of that SynthAxe thing he uses, but it suits him I guess. Incredible player. :thumbsup:

garey77 · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 12:43am

He's a great... one of them. He's the 'anti-hero' of guitar, except for the fact that he can actually play... a guy that really wished he was a horn player. Horn lines, all over the place.

King Crimson · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 1:12am

yeti wrote:

yeah. he's notoriously humble about his theoretical knowledge...which, is kind of an understatement...when you've been in the game as long as him and have done as much....it's kinda a moot point.

the guys is fucking deadly and SCORES of guitar players have stolen from him over the years.

Yah MOOT for sure - AH is a monster guitarist.

I'm still looking for the video. I've got thousands and I just remember giving it a very bad description. Anyhow it surprised me too when George said he really has no idea what notes he is playing when he lays down a lead but just simply remembers the basic structure and expands on it - George says no two leads he plays are ever really duplicated note-for-note.

I'll find it...

King Crimson · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 1:14am

Zachman wrote:

...Precisely...

AH really is going primarily from his gut and his remarkable ear.

spirit7 · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 5:26am

Absolutely killer player.

-C

peterc52 · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 5:33am

Here is the clip: 03:09

soundchaser59 · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 10:01am

I don't know why anybody would say Allan doesn't know what he's playing. That last clip that zachman posted sounds to me like someone who is way above average in theory and structure. He definitely knows what he is doing, he can explain it in music theory terms, and then he can play what he explained.

Valtyr · **Joined:** Sun, Dec 06, 2009 8:05pm **Posts:** 330

Alan has his own system worked out. This makes it hard for him to relate to the way other guitarists approach things. He knows what he is doing, he has a different methodology.

mdc1mdc11 · **Joined:** Sun, Nov 21, 2010 11:18am **Posts:** 208

agree, he knows theory but has his own application of chord scales he desires to play and how he connects passing tones as he modulates throught the progressions. You can hear quite a bit of major/minor scales, bebop and harmonic major in his playing. That you tube clip clearly shows he knows inversions of dmin7 over the neck, but uses the ones that most can't finger without a trainwreck. Most of this "he does not know theory is kind of like the EVH folklore"

Mizati20 · **Joined:** Mon, Dec 14, 2009 11:31pm **Posts:** 1349

I honestly can't help but laugh every time I listen to Holdsworth... I honestly just picture some kid playing random notes all over a guitar... guy has it made, he can play anything and people gush over it... I just can't get into it...

...honestly an incredible player though.... but he will forever just sound like noise to me... and I love jazz guitar.

Valtyr · **Joined:** Sun, Dec 06, 2009 8:05pm **Posts:** 330

Mizati20 wrote:

I honestly can't help but laugh every time I listen to Holdsworth... I honestly just picture some kid playing random notes all over a guitar... guy has it made, he can play anything and people gush over it... I just can't get into it...

...honestly an incredible player though.... but he will forever just sound like noise to me... and I love jazz guitar.

It depends on the material. Some of it sounds genious to me, and some of it sounds exactly as you say.

'63-Strat · **Posted:** Sun, Jun 10, 2012 3:12pm

soundchaser59 wrote:

I don't know why anybody would say Allan doesn't know what he's playing. That last clip that zachman posted sounds to me like someone who is way above average in theory and structure. He definitely knows what he is doing, he can explain it in music theory terms, and then he can play what he explained.

Yep. He knows exactly what he's doing. To say otherwise is stupid.

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Allan Holdsworth

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