Top Ten List

1 Funk/R&B (mostly in consideration with the rhythm guitar style)Funk/R&B utilized a lot of
ghost notes within the guitar comping with rhythm of 16th note subdivision. Beginnings of chord
phrased would usually start with sliding into the chord from a half step below the desired chord
3 Wes Montgomery (solo guitar style) Wes Montgomery had a weird way of plucking the guitar:
he would use almost exclusively his thumb. This technique gave him a very mellow and rich tone
that morphed his solos into very honey-like sweet melodies that was right in the pocket. Such
examples are his lead guitar playing in his rendition of “Misty.” His deep mellow tone coupled
well with the popular jazz ballad.
4 Hip-Hop (Rage Against the Machine)Interesting combination of progressive rock and hip-pop
with lyrics hinting towards real world events and disillusionment with reality.
5 Jazz/Pop- Influenced Classical Guitar (Roland Dyens, Toru Takemitsu)These arrangers took
many pop and jazz tunes and developed them on classical guitar. Toru Takemitsu is most notable
for Beatles songs such as Michelle and Yesterday and creating a more classical feel- using trills
and motifs common in classical. Roland Dyens, noted as having “the mind of a jazz player, but
the hands of classical player.” His arrangements of pieces were created within his own style. He
was very fond of using minor seconds to either embellish a certain phrase or lead into a more
harmonically consonant part.
6 Gypsy Jazz (Rhythm Future Quartet, Django)Gypsy Jazz will usually consist of a solo
instrument (most of often violin or clarinet), bass, and a guitar or two. The guitarists job is to act
as a stead pulse by playing shell voicings of the chords in a deafened manner. This is
accomplished by lifting the fingers so the string doesn’t touch the fret. There can be a second
guitarist that will harmonize more sustained chords.
7 Brazilian Classical Guitar Brazilian classical guitar is usually a very laid-back style of music.
Akin to most jazz where you want to play on the back beat. Within this style it is important to
maintain a steady pulse underneath the complex rhythmic bits.
8 Hiromi A Japanese Jazz Pianist, her trio consists of her bassist- Mitch Cohn, and her drummer-
Dave DiCenso. Her piano style involved a myriad of different styles incorporated together.
9 Eric Clapton Eric began his career with the Yardbirds, where he started to gain the most
popularity. His style revolved around a very overdriven and sustained sound brought by turning
his amp up high.
10 Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock is one of the most influential jazz pianists of all time. His
creativity allowed for him to understand and create interesting melodies and complex harmonies
that fit right in. He was able to make otherwise non-functional chords in a progression fit in.