This is a player who should be in everyones’ music collection. Michael Hedges is so innovative, crisp in the clarity of his unique style and most of all provides a very refreshing new experience. Just listening to the creative levels of his guitarmanship makes your mind wonder off towards a different level of consciousness. Just listen to the video and you will see what I am referring to.
Just off topic a bit but, I thought that I was the only one who was constantly tuning my guitar between songs. The beginning part is useful to a player who is attempting to play his style of playing, it certainly helped me out.
He refers to his style as “violet acoustic” which is a style that I might be considered to use frequently as well. Actually, aggressive acoustic is more appropriate. Michael Hedges has this gift to be able to dampen strings, which is called “Right hand string stopping” by classically trained guitarist. This is applied to the bass strings of the guitar by your thumb. Michael however, brought this to a new level of playing.
He insisted that you should dampen every individual note that is not worthy of hearing. Michael thought that letting a string ring out is like contaminating the chord structure of a song and not giving the listener the clarity of sound that you want them to hear, and I quote “It’s just, why let it ring by default of any thought? Be responsible! Don’t let things just go on because you started them.” This poses a huge problem for most guitarists. That is, it is very difficult to do this while flying around the fret board at warp speed.
The only way to achieve this level is to apply the old adage “slow down, I’m in a hurry”. Did ya ever hear of that one?
This means that you have to slow down so much that, when you play a piece fast at such slow speeds paying attention to every single minute detail, it allows you to play almost error free. I do this all the time when I practice and I may lose my marriage to my wife one day because of it. Her mind is so agile and crisp that she can do things flying around at MACH 5 and absorb things while executing it almost perfectly.
I have to give credit where credit is do so, thanx Brian @ RiffDreams for this great new guitar experience.
Keep on Jammin’
Ah, come on you guys! This guy is by far the BEST GUITAR PLAYER most of you have never heard of? What do you think of him so far?
I am in love with this guy! He has opened up a brand new approach to playing the guitar for me.
I only wish only wish that I had the opportunity to have seen this great talent perform in front of me. RIP Micheal Hedges, RIP!
Keep on Jammin’
“Right hand string stoppingâ€
How do you do that? I can sort of do it by using the palm of my hand but it’s more of a muting type of thing. Also takes a bit different technique on an acoustic rather than an electric.
No kidding!
Have you heard of him before?
I am now primarily an acoustic player. I myself find that if you can pull things off perfectly on a acoustic, the transition to electric is just a little tweaking here and there(depending on what your playing).
I love playing this tune live and many people find it a refreshing version to this great tune!
Keep on Jammin’ Bob
Thanks for sharing this. Michael was a very special player, and while his death in ’97 was a tragedy for losing what might have been, we fans were blessed to have had him as long as we did & to have a lot of his material recorded.
There’s a video recording that Windham Hill did back in the ’80s (’86 to be precise) that has a segment with MH performing, its called “Windham Hill in Concert.” I believe its out of print (?), but sometimes it comes available on EBay, and if you’re lucky your local library might have a copy. Worth digging for. WH also put out a video profile of him titled “The Artist’s Profile: Michael Hedges” in ’99 which has some of his performances on it.
And there’s always YouTube, obviously.
I saw him probably 10 or 12 times, and it was always a fantastic night out. I shook his hand one time before a performance and I was amazed that he had these tiny, delicate hands. I still listen to his stuff all the time, and can honestly call him a true innovator. I was really shocked 10 years ago when he passed away.
Some of his live stuff is available on bittorrent sites, and if you, like me, are somewhat karmically minded, if you download stuff you can send a donation to his kids’ fund (info at nomadland.com).
Holy smokes frogster, your the only person that has ever seen the man live that I’ve heard of that has visited my site!
Was he as quite in person as he was on stage? I hope that you got some pic’s of you with him.
That is a great idea of sending some $$$ to his kids fund, it’s truly worth it in my mind. I wonder if his guitar genius was past on to his kids in any form. It would be interesting to see if that was so. I’d see them live for sure!
Thanx for the insight!
Keep on Jammin’
Hey Tagryn did you ever see him live or meet him in person?
If so, did you get any pic’s with him?
Boy I envy you and frogster. I’ve seen lots of guitar greats but he is the one, besides Jimi, that I would have killed to see live!
Keep on Jammin’
No, no pictures. We were at a dinner theatre sort of place eating, and he walks in and starts wandering through the tables. It seemed like no one recognized him. I just jumped up and said something like, “Hi, I’m a big fan and I just wanted to say thanks for all the great music and I hope I can make a living with my guitar someday like you do.” Then he shook my hand and said, “You will,” and he walked backstage.
I was sort of in an acoustic groove for a while and I don’t mind saying I ripped off a lot of his stuff (poorly) when I played, but someone stole my guitar (karma?) so I’m more of an electric guy now.
Frogster, what in the !@#$ are you doing! Don’t just sit there, go out and get a new acoustic. Take your time in getting one and look for a guitar neck that will compliment you hand size and reflect what style you want to play and sound like. Seriously!
Ripping off or “reallocating” playing styles and techniques ,then putting them into your own has been around since the first guitar was strung! Don’t think that it’s bad karma.
Well, maybe it is Karma. Maybe it’s Michael telling ya to go out and try it again but push yourself harder to obtain your own goals. Really, it could be?
Come on, I think that it would make him proud if you did it.
Keep on Jammin’, Michael would have wanted it that way.
It’s great to find a blog about the great Michael Hedges. He’s a player that I’ve listened to for more than twenty years now. I love the big sound that he got and it was fortunate that the Windham Hill recording techniques were good enough to capture what he did.
To be honest, I feel he’s by far one of the most influential players of our time. I like the tune he did that was dedicated to Pierre Bensusan. And in respect of him Pierre Bensusan recorded a piece for Hedges. i think that Hedges captured the spirit of that beautiful open sort of style in an American sort of way, as non American it’s very easy for me to see or hear this, wheras Bensusan played with that same openess but has a very European flavor.
Hedges has laid a great platform for all players that follow to build on and reminds us not to underestimate the power and potential of the guitar and I think what stands out is the way he didn’t get caught in playing ‘guitar patterns’, something hat it is very easy to get caught in if we aren’t careful. Another player that i found that I like very much is Ansgar Dalken “Llaneza album” , I’m not sure if many players are aware of him but he’s tremendous.
Tony I am very happy to hear and see that there still are many Michael Hedges fans beating the drum!
You cannot be more correct in stating that he had that distinctive “big sound”. Mr Hedges has to be one of the most influential guitarists of our time. Too bad not many people are aware of genius. To this day I am constantly looking for some who can attempt to fill his shoes but to now avail.
We also have to tip our hats off to Windham Hill’s recording techniques. We all were quite lucky on that one aren’t we.
I must admit that your comment is the best one that I have had on this blog ever. I hope that more bloggers like you participate on my blog to raise the bar to a higher level of musical consciousness.
Keep on Jammin’ Tony!
Looking for a new accoustic guitar so what better inspiration than Michael Hedges, a little Aerial Boundaries, Nomadland, and watching a good video of Michael’s. The first time saw Michael was in ’87 with Leo Kottke. I introduced friends to Michael over the years and we would all go to see, hear, and talk with Michael. I’ll never forget after one show I noticed Michael was sitting in a yoga position and I asked him about it. Well the next thing we knew Michael was showing us all kinds of incredibly complex yoga moves. He always took an interest in whomever he was talking to. I would really like to see more of his shows published. Most of the shows I went to were taped. We are fortunate his work is well documented.
Hey Steve Michael has been in my musical life for around 1 year or so. I just happened to come across him on youtube and it felt like how I have viewed and approached playing guitar was remedial at best!
While picking out my new acoustic I was, or I thought I was, aware of subtle vibrations but he brought out a totally new insight into what to listen for. I played MANY acoustics before obtaining mine and put them all through the ringer. The staff at the 12th Fret just let me go and they knew exactly what I was doing. For that I` am for ever greatfull!
I hear from people like you who have been blessed with being exposed to him musically and personally so In hope that you know how fortunate you are! You lucky …
Keep on Jammin’
Hey there !
Just stumbled onto your page here. I really appreciate what your doing!
If you check out CandyRat Records (no affiliation) you will find LOTS of young up and coming fingerstylists….you might be fairly surprised at the number that have clearly been influenced by Michael.
I had the privledge of seeing him live a few times….it was life changing.
He’s influenced me without a doubt. More in the sense of….musical statements…composition…..developing your own style, etc…
I absolutey love Michael.
Thanks again !
jS
Thank you for commenting James!
You are one of the many who had the great fortune of witnessing this giant of a guitar player live! I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have seen him right in front of me playing.
Keep on Jammin’ Michael Hedges, wherever you are!