A master of spontaneity: Why Jeff Beck is the hardest guitarist to copy
When BB King heard Jeff Beck play, he was so in awe of what he was witnessing that he blurted out, “I don’t have those notes on my guitar.” In the entire history of rock, certain styles of guitar playing have been passed down and picked up by others coming through the ranks, but Jeff Beck remains one of one, completely uncopiable. Why?
Rock music is obsessed with the notion of the guitar player, and what makes a good guitarist entirely depends on what kind of music you are into. Those into heavier music would likely turn towards someone like Eddie Van Halen, and his shredding technique and fans of the blues would probably move towards Buddy Guy or Eric Clapton; however, it’s hard to deny that Jeff Beck merged all styles of guitar playing to create something truly unique.
Beck understood the guitar more than any other player, and he was well aware of how much of an understanding he had. He never went to the crowd; instead, he let them come to him, understanding the moment, embracing the atmosphere and crowd reaction, and letting it dictate where he went next. He shared a connection with his guitar, one that allowed him to play spontaneously.
Brian May also spoke highly of Beck and his ability to convey emotion through his playing. “If you wanna hear his depth of emotion, sound and phrasing, and the way he could touch your soul, listen to ‘Where Were You’ off the Guitar Shop album… sit down and listen to it for four minutes,” said the Queen guitarist, “It’s unbelievable; it’s possibly the most beautiful bit of guitar music ever recorded, alongside Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’. So sensitive, so beautiful, so incredibly creative and unlike anything you’ve ever heard anywhere else.”
Beck had an adaptable playing style. He could play technically brilliant music that guitarists might find impressive but regular listeners would struggle with, yet he fished through those passages and came up with something that worked for everyone. Fifth Beatle George Martin helped him with this, as Martin brutally cut bits from songs where he thought Beck was becoming too technical.
“He saw through the mist and said there might be something there. He showed interest at a point where I was really wondering whether I should continue in the business,” said Beck, “I was looking to George sort of as a parental figure: someone to help me present some of my more outrageous vision in a way that would be acceptable to the general public.”
Beck was a pioneer not just in playing the guitar but in playing it in a way that people found entertaining. He mastered his stage presence early on when working with The Yardbirds, coming from the back of the stage and playing in a way that captured the eyes of anyone looking toward the stage. Guitarists became the second frontmen because of the way that Beck portrayed them.
His knowledge, presence and ability to differentiate the technical from the accessible have led him to become one of the most celebrated guitarists of all time, with a completely uncopiable sound. Decades on and still one of one, Beck is in a league of his own.
