Featured Content Page about: guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces, or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres.

Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists can accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.

Versatility

The guitarist controls an extremely versatile instrument. By using techniques such as bending and vibrato, the guitarist can make the guitar express a near vocal quality.

While with an ensemble, a guitarist can take the role of rhythm (playing with bass in the ensemble) or lead (playing on top of the bass in the ensemble) guitar.

A guitarist can also play along with a harmonica as a second instrument. Famous examples include Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Techniques

The guitarist has several ways of playing the guitar including the guitar pick, fingernail, and/or fingertip.

History

In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine named Jimi Hendrix number 1 on their list of the Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Art

The guitarist is a popular subject for artist. One of the more famous, is the painting by Edgar Degas showing the guitarist Lorenzo Pagans playing the guitar, with his elderly father Auguste de Gas, in the background. Painted about 1869-72, the painting is currently owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.