Do you Know The Roots Of Your Music?

Do you Know The Roots Of Your Music?

I had a young friend of mine do some guitar parts for me the other day. This dude is a monster guitar player whom I thought could handle what I was asking. Well, I was wrong.

He is still a great player, but I was asking him to play blues. You would think that was standard for a guitar player. but it was a total foreign language to him. I told him to listen to Eric Clapton and Muddy Watters and Robert Johnson from 1930's. He said that what i wanted was more like Zz Top. Well he was right but where did he think Zz Top got there licks from?

It was completely foreign to him that something from the  1930's could be relevant today. But in fact without it, we would be lost. And I do see a little lost playing in today's music. From One Republic to Cold Play I see an approach to the guitar that tells me these people either never studied the roots of guitar or they just did not appreciate it. I think it is the former.

I do like eight notes. And I like repeated eight note rhythms. They are actually some of my favorite grooves. But, some how it kinda bothers me to see guitar players not knowing their roots. I would like to think they play like they do because they want to, not because it is the only thing they are capable of.