DISTINCTIVE
SOUND
With any guitar, any amp, or any other piece of equipment, Stevie was well-known for his distinct sound.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
1954 - 1990
From Dallas, Texas, one of the most legendary guitar players in history, and one of the most influential blues guitarist in the world.
Stevie Ray Vaughan 1954 - 1990
His unique style and tone have inspired generations of musicians, including some of today’s biggest names like John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and many more.
While Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar sound was quite distinctive and unique, it was not his guitar gear that made him become a guitar legend, as many would like to think.
Regardless of how many brilliant guitarists there are, these legends, like Stevie, continue to reign supreme in the music industry.
But how is this possible? you may ask, and that is a very good question. How does Stevie continue to be one of the most popular guitar players in the world? well, let’s find out.
When most guitarists want to play or sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, I have noticed that the very first thing they do is try to figure out what gear he used, such as guitars, strings, amps, or effects. The reality is, with any guitar, any amp, or any other piece of equipment, Stevie was well-known for his distinct sound.
This has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to teach my students since it appears too easy or simple to be true. It’s at this time that understanding a bit about psychology and human behavior can come in handy, so I try to explain everything in terms that might make more sense than the usual method of instruction.
Playing an instrument with passion and feeling is more difficult than it appears, technically speaking, especially when we’re just getting started. As we learn, we’re always thinking about every variation, every chord, and every note, so expressing ourselves on the instrument on top of that, isn’t that simple.
Where Do I Come From?
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Where Do I Come From?
In 2001, I started listening to Stevie and became a fan of him and some of his songs. Although some of his creations are covers by other artists, my favorites include Little Wing, Cold Shot, Lenny, Look at Little Sister, and Texas Flood.
Besides his songs, I didn’t know much about him. It was only after seeing one of his live shows that it finally hit me. When I saw him perform live, I was impressed. I could tell he had a lot more to learn from by watching him perform than you could hear in his music.
Aside from being a full-time musician, engineer, producer, and recording artist, I was also interested in psychology and human behavior, so it was only natural for me to seek out more information about his success than simply his guitar skills. I knew there were a lot of great guitarists out there, but I wanted to find out why only a few of them have been able to achieve legendary status. I suspected there was something more going on than just being a super-skilled guitar player.
It’s been 20 years since I first started learning about his success and techniques, and I’ve learned a lot of things. But what I’ve discovered may be too shocking for people to accept. I thought it would be interesting to give a new viewpoint on some of the topics that aren’t addressed in any training or course.
Something that I thought would be difficult to figure out ended up being simpler than I anticipated.
I’m confident in saying that after 20 years of study, I’ve reached a point where I truly understand what made him so successful and special. It didn’t take me that long to figure out, I sensed where everything was leading to since the beginning, but I had to be sure, so I just kept researching as time went on.
I was unsure if I was disappointed or overjoyed when I reached the conclusion that defined his success, and that is because it appears to be so simple to be true. However, it is what it is.