One of rock guitar's most influential and respected musicians, Beck has been an innovator throughout his career. Steadfastly refusing to follow trends, he continually creates music that sounds fresh and modern. Beck helped invent heavy metal and the psychedlia in the '60s, and in the mid-'70s he was one of the pivotal figures in the development of jazz-rock fusion. An inimitable guitarist with an identifiable sound that is truly his own, Beck remains of the worlds's most outstanding musical visionaries.

Approach & Style

Beck's approach to the guitar is truly unique. His style incorporates the fluid phrasing of vocals, wind instruments, and harmonica, the percussive staccato of plucked notes, and inventive use of feedback, harmonics, and distortion. The sound of Beck's playing is as important as the notes he plays and his phrasing, which is the main reason why his playing is so difficult to imitate. Several of Beck's signature licks are the direct result of his early influences. His liberal use of pulled-off triplets is reminiscent of Cliff Gallup and Les Paul's playing, and some of his licks are similar to those played by blues harmonica players such as Little Walter. Beck makes effective use of chromatically ascending octaves and slurred and raked grace notes. His use of the vibrato bar has become an integral facet of his style. He scoops the bar down and rises into notes., plays staccato notes that are accented by upward bar bends, and simulates slide guitar and harmonica with the vibrato. More of a soloist than a rhythm player Beck rarely plays conventional barre chords. Instead, he prefers to play single-note lines and double-stops, although he has been known to employ mind-boggling triple-stop bends as well.

My View

For the 16 years that I have been playing guitar, Jeff Beck has been my absolute favorite guitar player. Mostly surrounded by Heavy Metal during my teens as well as stubborn when listening to other forms of music during that time, Jeff Beck's music was the only one that opened my mind not only in my music listening habits, but my playing habits.

He so affected my playing that I insisted on adding to the bill, songs from Blow by Blow for a Jazz Recital in college. Needless to say, my band mates and I received a very good grade for our performance that semester.

I'm mostly impressed by his note bends which often reach a full-step and vibrato. If you listen to You'll know what I mean, then you will know what I mean. Jeff Beck's use of different time signatures in lots of his songs also impresses me. I've always been a sucker for the 7/8 time signature. This is also great when you have the best drummers playing in the same group with Jeff.

My favorite albums
• Blow By Blow
• Wired (yup, Simon Phillips plays on this one too!)
• There & Back (When you have Simon Phillips the drummer on the same bill that kicks ass!)
• Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group
• Guitar Shop

Unfortunately I have only seen one live show but it was the best bill ever; Jeff Beck & Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Jeff Beck Discography

Related Links for more on Jeff Beck

• The Official Jeff Beck Web Site
• Epic's Web Site