Time, Please

As we went to press with this issue, we learned of the passing of Glen Campbell. Known to millions as the voice of Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy, fewer people knew that he was also a very fine guitarist. Campbell was an original member of the famous Wrecking Crew – a group of first-call LA session musicians who defined the sound of hits by Phil Spector and who ghosted on tracks by The Byrds and The Beach Boys where their magic touch was required. We’ll be remembering Glen properly next issue. No less saddening was news that master luthier Bill Collings (see Obituary, p32) also left us, in July. He created some of the finest instruments we’ve had the pleasure to play – guitar-making at that level requires an extraordinary clarity of purpose and a degree of craft that touches on art. He’ll also be much missed.

When you reflect on what people like Glen and Bill were able to achieve in their time, it throws the casual frittering of time that most of us suffer from into even sharper relief. I’ve often fantasised about having six months magically available to retire to a cave somewhere like a monk to do nothing but get better at guitar. But such extreme measures aren’t really necessary, just regularity – little and often beats binges of learning. Devote a lunch-hour here (provided nobody minds you bringing a guitar into work…), an hour after dinner there, to picking up licks and it’s gratifying how quickly you advance. But the real revelation is that the more frequently you sit down to learn new chops, the faster your ability to pick up yet more new stuff gets. In other words, the more you learn, the more you can learn.

I’ve been working my way back through Richard Barrett’s brilliant Blues Headlines column of late, so I’ve still got this month’s lesson to tuck into (see p149), plus the second instalment of Chris Corcoran’s classy and evocative jump blues licks to have a go at. Yep, getting better at guitar is always worth making time for! Have a great month and see you next time.