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Guitar Playing Quotes

Every riff starts with practice.

Musicians here talk honestly about guitar playing, some call it their weaker skill next to songwriting, others say it shapes their whole creative Passion.

The thing about me is that I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunities with Avenged Sevenfold in songwriting. I really think it's helped to bolster my guitar playing as well.

Quotes by Synyster Gates

I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of people at all. I've always sung and felt confident about that, and guitar playing isn't a stretch, but songwriting is. We all have our challenges in what we...

Quotes by Shawn Colvin

My guitar playing was born from playing in my teenage heavy rock bands.

Quotes by Paul Gilbert

For me, songwriting is really where it's at. I turn to use the guitar just to help me write the songs. That's it. As a result, my guitar playing suffers pretty horribly.

Quotes by Mark Knopfler

Art Quotes

The bulk of my set is instrumental and you have to give yourself and the audience some relief because a performance is not about great guitar playing it's really about entertainment.

Quotes by Leo Kottke

Let me explain something about guitar playing. Everyone's got their own character, and that's the thing that's amazed me about guitar playing since the day I first picked it up. Everyone's approach to what can come out of six strings...

Quotes by Jimmy Page

I've started to look at guitar playing from more than just a standpoint of using certain modes and techniques.

Quotes by Jim Root

As my guitar playing dwindled, something else in my music got better.

Quotes by Jason Becker

Every time the guys were knocked out by my guitar playing and the girls were knocked out by the type of songs I did. That set us apart from the average blues band.

Quotes by George Thorogood

Emotion Quotes

I remember when I thought of singing as the bit that went between the guitar playing - something I couldn't wait to get out of the way. Singing was originally like a chore that I didn't really enjoy.

Quotes by Eric Clapton

My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.

Quotes by Eric Clapton

I really respect Zakk Wylde's guitar playing and his compulsive work ethic.

Quotes by Dimebag Darrell

One of the things I really like about West African guitar playing is the way it makes harmony linear. They're really spelling things out and turning chords into melodies instead of just letting them be these hanging blocks of color.

Quotes by David Longstreth

My father was a guitar player, and I was raised with a super high standard of what good guitar playing was.

Quotes by Billy Corgan

Passion Quotes

The Lounge Lizards were relating with a tradition and it was like I was playing within a musical context. The guitar playing stood out as being different in some way. That was a real education for me.

Quotes by Arto Lindsay

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do these quotes come from professional musicians?
Yes, the quotes are drawn from musicians reflecting on their own guitar playing, including how it compares to their songwriting.
Do any quotes admit guitar playing is hard?
Yes, one musician admits their guitar playing suffers because songwriting takes priority, showing it is not always easy to balance both.
Is stage confidence part of this collection?
It is touched on, with one quote noting that performing live feels natural while guitar playing itself still takes real effort.
Do the quotes suggest everyone plays guitar the same way?
No, one specifically says every player has their own character and approach, even when they are drawing from the same instrument.
What page pairs well with guitar playing quotes?
The Practice collection is a natural companion, since both pages focus on the discipline behind musical skill.

For more on the discipline behind the instrument, see Practice, and for the bigger picture of making music as Art, that page fits well too.