Fingerboard Stories
"It's hard to imagine what contemporary music would be like if people like John Fahey had not been obsessively fascinated with roots American music from the 1920s and 30s. That's the secret of a whole swathe of modern rock'n'roll.”
In the last edition of this blog, we asked for your thoughts on the greatest fingerstyle players of all time. You guys responded in droves, and now the results are in.
Here at Thalia Capos, fingerstyle guitar playing is a true passion. There’s nothing quite like hearing an amazing finger-stylist doing their thing, and watching someone working with their left and right hands in complete synchronicity is one of the things that keeps us pushing to play to every day. With such a love for great fingerstyle playing, it might not surprise you to know that debates about the greatest finger stylist of all time are a frequent occurrence in the Thalia studio. And, that finding consensus amongst the staff here is a rarity!
Throughout my teenage years, posters of guitar heroes were in regular rotation on my bedroom wall.
Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and James Hetfield were all given “hall of fame” status by me for a time, coming and going as my tastes and fascinations changed, and then changed back again.
You might not know what a capo looks like, but you’ve almost certainly heard one being used. They’ve long been the secret weapon of many a guitar hero. Keith Richards, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty have all kept one in their gig bag at one time or another, and used them on many a classic song.
