10 guitarists who wouldn’t exist without George Harrison
When The Beatles first burst onto the scene, George Harrison made budding guitarists fall in love with the instrument. Although there were guitar heroes before and after Harrison, the ‘Quiet Beatle’ always brought an infectious degree of soul to everything he touched. Despite largely living in the background of the band’s premiere songwriters, Harrison’s influence is still being felt across the music world.
Over the years, almost every type of guitarist has praised Harrison’s technique. Whether it’s the strange phrasing he used during his lead breaks or his unique approach to writing songs, every one of these artists owes Harrison a debt of gratitude for inspiring them to pick up the instrument.
Given his vast body of work, pieces of Harrison’s creativity tend to resonate with different subsets of rock fans. While some have praised his ability to weave phrases together, there are just as many artists who are shellshocked by his unique way of playing the guitar, almost similar to a singer who holds out a note.
When looking at The Beatles, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney are seen as the undisputed leaders of the group. However, the Fab Four were always a democracy, and if the ‘Quiet Beatle’ had raised his voice, the world would have missed out on these inspiring guitarists.
10 guitarists inspired by George Harrison:
Steve Morse
When The Beatles first got started, they were never the heaviest band in the world. Outside of their rock and roll party songs, most of the lyrics had to do with puppy love, like ‘From Me To You’ and ‘She Loves You’. In 1965 however, things started to change, and Steve Morse was paying attention when ‘Day Tripper’ came across his speakers.
Since this was before hard rock came along, Dixie Dregs founder Morse mentioned being blown away by the snarl behind this riff. While the iconic guitar line was conceived by John Lennon, Morse remarks how he felt something different when Harrison played it (via Guitar World): “George’s riff pre-dated all the heavy guitar stuff like Led Zeppelin, but it sounded heavy. It really fits the definition of a heavy guitar riff”.
Harrison’s tone was only the beginning of hard rock bombast. While Harrison might not have made the most technical riff imaginable, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath would later play the same warped take on the blues with a slightly more sinister edge. The Beatles weren’t looking to melt faces, but they could kick some ass when they wanted to.
Joey Santiago
The recording sessions for The White Album read like a nightmare. Although George Harrison came up with some of his best songs on the project, they didn’t get nearly the same amount of attention from the rest of the group as Lennon and McCartney worked on their own material. Stemming from his friend Eric Clapton’s love of sweets, Harrison wrote ‘Savoy Truffle’ for the album. Outside of the distorted horns and warped soul energy from the arrangement, Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago was paying close attention to Harrison’s guitar tone.
When talking about his influences, Santiago singled out this track as one of his favourites, telling Music Radar: “On that song, everything was descriptive and had a purpose. They were talking about a drill to take your teeth out… I forgot the lyrics, but the idea is too many sweets means you will need to get your teeth pulled out. So I always associated that guitar sound with a drill and I wanted that same drilly sound, which probably explains why I like playing like that.” While the Pixies already had their unique approach to traditional rock guitar playing, what Harrison played on ‘Truffle’ is impossible to duplicate.
Paul Gilbert
For all the praise Harrison gets as a phenomenal rock guitar player, he was never married to one genre. While Harrison worshipped artists like Chuck Berry, he also incorporated elements of jazz and classical music when he strapped on his nylon string guitar. Harrison always remained a student of music, and Paul Gilbert was taking notice.
Despite making his trade in the hair metal band Mr. Big, Gilbert mentioned being knocked out by Harrison’s versatility, particularly his knowledge of country music. When dissecting his Carl Perkins-esque tone, Gilbert appreciated the raw technique that went into those guitar parts. He said (via Guitar World): “George’s country/western style remains intimidating to me, as I have no experience with it, and playing with a clean tone often feels like I’ve lost my shred superpowers”.
Then again, Harrison’s whole appeal is about saying a lot with a little. After all, he was known as the ‘Quiet Beatle’ ever since he started, but on the rare occasion when he raised his voice, people listened.
Joe Bonamassa
Any efficient rock guitar player will take an influence from the blues. Half of Chuck Berry’s first songs were about dissecting the tropes of the genre and George Harrison was no exception. While Joe Bonamassa is cut from that same cloth, his admiration for Harrison came from the Liverpudlian’s excellent phrasing.
Bonamassa called the song “perfect” when talking about Harrison’s guitar solo on ‘Something’. Dissecting Harrison’s technique, he said: “his song composition a standard bearer at this point of other masterworks to be judged. Any part of the song could be a classic chorus in its own right”.
That same standard exists in Bonamassa’s technique as well, with him spending over half of his life playing similar crying phrases that Harrison gets out of his guitar. Any guitar player might like to play scale runs, but Bonamassa learned how to make the guitar talk from Harrison.
Chris Shiftlett
For as long as Chris Shiftlett has been in the Foo Fighters, he has been unafraid to show his non-rock influences. Although Foo Fighters are known as one of the most anthemic rock bands of all time, Shiftlett is influenced by NOFX, Hank Williams and everyone in between. However, when his technique is broken down, all roads lead back to The Beatles.
When talking about some of the best solos of all time, Shiftlett discussed the power behind the ‘Let It Be’ guitar solo. Shiftlett mentioned it having the perfect kind of grit that works in the context of the Foo Fighters, saying (via Guitar World), “I’ve ripped it off a million times and will probably rip it off a million more before I’m through”.
As much as fans like to put the Beatles on a pedestal, Shiftlett appreciated the fact that the solo was a tad sloppy as well, sitting at the top of the mix and giving some teeth to McCartney’s gentle prayer. Every rock and roll should have some blemishes, but it’s about making those blemishes sound beautiful.
Steve Lukather
Harrison’s influence was not just limited to the guitar heroes of the world. On every Beatles song, he always served the song and added the slightest touch in the background. When it came to session work, Steve Lukather studied Harrison’s restraint both on and off the stage.
While Lukather has taken cues from The Beatles in his band Toto, some of the best moments of his career came from channelling his inner Harrison and serving the song. Being a session guitarist, his work with Michael Jackson on Thriller had the same approach that Harrison had on Lennon/McCartney songs, taking the structure of the tune and adding just one flourish to make it that much better.
It all came full circle when Lukather was asked to join Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band and eventually met Harrison. When meeting him, Lukather mentioned being nervous (via YouTube): “He’s the reason why I play guitar. I just wanted to shake his hand, but he welcomed me over, and he was incredibly gracious”. While Harrison might have been in the biggest rock band in the world, he never lost that gentle soul.
Noel Gallagher
When Oasis first established themselves, the surviving Beatles initially had a standoff relationship with the group. Despite the Gallagher brothers’ love for the Fab Four, Harrison was coy when talking about them in interviews, and claimed the band would be better without Liam Gallagher’s voice. Although it might be hard to hear criticism from your heroes, Noel Gallagher was listening intently to Harrison’s songs to use in his own band.
When first writing Definitely Maybe, Noel mentioned listening to Revolver nonstop to get inspiration for the songs. Looking back on some of Oasis’ biggest hits, Noel lifted the guitar lick from ‘My Sweet Lord’ to use as the guitar motif going throughout ‘Supersonic’. That wouldn’t be the last time that Noel lifted from the ‘Quiet One’, stealing the bridge melody from ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ for the chorus of ‘She’s Electric’.
Despite the digs, Noel never meant any of this maliciously. After meeting with Harrison a few times and talking about guitars, Noel always placed Harrison in the upper echelons of those to ever pick up a six-string.
Dave Grohl
When Dave Grohl was first learning to play music, all he had was a guitar and a Beatles songbook. Grohl has been transfixed by the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney since childhood. Although ‘Hey Jude’ might have turned his world around, Grohl maintains that Harrison was always his favourite member of the group.
During an interview, Grohl said that Harrison was always his number one because of the way that he wrote melodies. When mentioning Harrison’s techniques, he said (via Cosmic Magazine): “There was something about him that I almost preferred the most. I loved every single one of them for different reasons, but I kind of connected to George Harrison’s sense of melody more than anyone”.
While Grohl is content to provide the rhythm guitar in the Foo Fighters, his attention to detail on songs like ‘Oh George’ has the same lyrical guitar tone that Harrison was known for. Grohl might be the mastermind behind the Foo Fighters, but just like Harrison, he sees his guitar as one significant piece of the rock ‘n’ roll orchestra.
Mike Campbell
During Harrison’s last decades, Tom Petty became his unofficial little brother. After playing with him in The Traveling Wilburys, the two remained close, attending Formula 1 races together and contributing to Petty’s work. Though Petty had his favourite Beatle beside him in the studio, he had a Harrison disciple beside him in the Heartbreakers.
Despite Petty’s name being a part of the band, Mike Campbell was always his vice captain. Though Campbell might not call the shots, his less-is-more approach to rhythm guitar is ripped straight out of Harrison’s playbook. Being similarly shy to Harrison, Campbell lets his music do the talking, always keeping his lead breaks sparse and memorable rather than showing off.
In the Heartbreakers documentary, Runnin’ Down a Dream, Campbell recalled being shellshocked when he got to meet Harrison, who complemented his playing. Guitarists might have their insecurities about whether they’re playing well, but a co-sign from a Beatle is all you’ll ever need.
Brian May
Not all lead guitar players are meant to be the centre of attention. Although the Eddie Van Halen types of the world will forever crave the spotlight, Harrison always shied away from the limelight and was content with living a quiet life at home. While this may lead to his brilliance being downplayed, Queen’s Brian May has never forgotten Harrison’s legacy.
May once said (via Cheatsheet): “I hold George in such reverence, and I think he’s so underrated by the guitar community. Everyone raves about people who play fast, but if you look at the catalogue of stuff he’s produced, it’s colossal”.
Listen to one of Harrison’s guitar breaks, and May’s comments make sense. Though Harrison could be flashy when he wanted to, the goal behind every song was never strictly about flash. It was about making a memorable piece of art.
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