Webster's Dictionary defines the word influence as  "a) the power of persons or things to affect others, seen only in its effects, and b) the action or effect of such power".  All people are influenced by inspirational figures in their professions and hobbies to some degree. Guitarists look up to their "guitar heroes" and strive to emulate many characteristics of these influences.  It is important to learn from those, in any field, who have set standards of excellence and inspiration.  It is equally important to know how to channel the information from influences into a sense of originality, thus creating one's own identity.

Humans have always been influenced by something throughout the courses of their lives.  It all begins in the cradle, when a baby repeats the sounds he hears emanating from the mouths of his parents.  The day comes when the baby will utter "Mama" to his mother, sending her into a frenzy of delight at the prospect that her child now knows her name.  The fact is, the child doesn't know what the word means yet.  He is merely repeating the phonetic sounds of his mother in an effort to instinctively bond and communicate with her.  He learns to make the sounds first.  The understanding of what he is saying will come later.  I believe that this is a great analogy to how guitarists assimilate the styles and sounds of their influences.  Guitarists will often learn how to play riffs before knowing how to use them in a creative manner or comprehending their theoretical significance.

Many guitarists take up the instrument after being profoundly affected by another player.  Perhaps they saw someone on TV or at a local club and were moved enough by the performance to learn how to play the guitar themselves.  Some people might start taking lessons without much awareness of other players, and then discover artists they admire as time goes on.  In either case, the process of playing usually involves a period where the student will try to copy the riffs and tones of an established player in an effort to become proficient on the instrument.  The great guitarists have been able to learn from their influences and then take this knowledge and mold it into a style, that in turn influences others.  Some, however, never seem to develop past a phase of trying to blatantly imitate another player in all aspects of presentation.

The rash of performers imitating Elvis Presley is a good example of people who might have a knack for copying a style, but they are not ultimately hailed for their unique creative talents.  There is some skill required in becoming a good impersonator.  A good Elvis impersonator is able to sing with some effectiveness, and must be able to present a certain degree of charisma and stage presence in order to make it all work, even if the presentation is pure parody.  Their intent to copy is completely obvious in most cases and no pretensions are made that the act is to be taken seriously in terms of originality.

There are some exceptions, as in the case of noted country singer Ronnie McDowell, who had several hits including "Older Women (Are Beautiful Lovers)".  McDowell gained attention as an Elvis impersonator but went on to have some success as an original artist.  Nevertheless, his vocal style is so heavily-influenced by Elvis, that it is hard sometimes to hear his original "voice".  Many of his songs sound like Elvis trying to sing them.  In fact, he has even done an album with Elvis' former backing singers, The Jordanaires!  He is a very good singer, but many people will always dismiss him as an "Elvis clone".

The guitar world is especially fraught with imitators.  Some openly attempt to copy others, such as Randy Hansen, one of the most authentic Jimi Hendrix wannabees around.  There are other players who don't openly profess to imitate a hero in totality, but rather the similarities between their sounds and an influence's are very evident in their presentation.  A current oft-used example is the celebrated newcomer Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who obviously owes a huge debt to the late  Stevie Ray Vaughan for his phrasing and tonal influence.  Some would say that Shepherd is an "SRV clone" and needs time and experience to find his own voice.  Conversely, Vaughan was often accused of emulating Hendrix and even blues great Albert King too much.  Robin Trower also heard the same comparisons of his playing to Hendrix.  Jimi Hendrix was obviously an example of a great influence that inspired many players.

When the great electric rock guitarists of the 1960's appeared, most notably Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Pete Townshend, they spurred a whole new generation of players to emulate them.  This in turn led to the emergence of the next class of guitar heroes such as Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Edge (U2), and Slash among others.  It is a cyclical situation where prominent players beget the next group of heroes who will then be revered and so on.  Many of the original '60s guitar icons who brought the electric guitar to the forefront of rock music in a more virtuosic context than their predecessors, were inspired by artists such as Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, and the Ventures, as well as by old American blues masters. Everybody had their influences!

The concept of influences is not limited to rock and roll guitar.  Jazz guitarists have always looked up to players such as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, among others.  Classical guitarists usually cite the first true classical guitar virtuoso Andres Segovia as a cornerstone in their playing.  Country guitarists are affected very much by Don Rich (Buck Owens), Chet Atkins, Roy Clark, and Albert Lee, to name a few.

There is a fine line between learning the skills that made influences great, and blatantly copying a player so much as to sabotage the opportunity for one's own creative voice to emerge.  I, for one, am enamored with players who have delved deeply enough into music to have a respect for tradition, yet they have so much of their own personality invested into the instrument that you can tell it is them playing by hearing a  minimal number of notes.

Influences come in all styles and technical levels.  Many virtuosos are big inspirations on players.  On the flipside, an influence doesn't have to be the most technical player to be a great and historically-important performer.  B.B. King is always a favorite example of this to me, because he is extremely soulful, yet not excessively technical.  Nevertheless, all he has to do is hit two notes to make his presence known.  He is virtually inimitable.

So, the question is how does one learn to gather the wisdom of influences and use it to find their own style?  The answer will differ from player to player.  It usually begins with a player sitting down and learning their favorite riffs off a record or from a teacher.  Sometimes it is easy to copy things note-for-note and sound-for-sound.  For others, it is enough to get in the ballpark and filter a few select qualities from a player and then improvise upon that foundation.

When I started playing the guitar, I definitely had (and still have) my guitar heroes.  In some cases, I was able to copy a signature riff in an exact fashion, but most of the time I did not discipline myself to learn something identically to the original.  I was always more interested in retaining a basic vibe and getting on to turning it into something of my own.  When I listen back to earlier things I've recorded, certain influences seem to be more prevalent at that point in my style, while other things have evolved today.  I think as a beginner, I did make more of a conscious attempt to emulate certain players.  Gaining more experience and getting older has taught me the importance of trying to develop my own style, though everything in life is derivative of something else to some extent.

When I saw that certain stylistic cues I had pursued were becoming common in some other local players, it inspired me further to try and find new sounds and develop my own direction.  I don't think it was a competitive issue as much as wanting wholeheartedly to be able to offer something fresh to people whenever it was my turn to play.  It is an ongoing evolution for me, and hopefully I will never stop learning from new and old influences, while creating a signature voice for myself.  Listening to new music, playing with different musicians, and experimenting with a variety of equipment are good ways to find new directions in playing.

Another situation where originality can be compromised (or occasionally enhanced) is when a player participates in a cover band. Unfortunately, when one plays in a cover band, it can be difficult to let a true original sound take hold.  Many people in clubs want to hear how a song was done by an original artist. There is a great opportunity for learning by copying signature riffs note-for-note.  The downside is that if a player strays too far from the original version, the song may lose the intent that makes it worthwhile of doing the cover in the first place.

I don't have a problem with the concept of doing other people's music as long as a player has something of themselves to offer to balance things out.  I mean, it's a lot of fun to blast out a set of Chuck Berry standards in front of an enthusiastic crowd.  It would be even greater fun for me to hear a player playing something that I wrote to good reaction.  I have been fortunate enough to have experienced this and find it quite gratifying.

One epidemic in music clubs across the country, is that most venues paying any decent kind of money want a band that plays popular cover tunes. With a few exceptions, people just don't seem to go out and support original music.  In North Carolina, where I live, there are a lot of cover bands that feature fine musicians and they make very decent money, but these groups are completely boring to me.  I have also been a part of situations like this in the past because I have to earn a living.  In fact, I have been working in a couple of situations recently involving other people's material.  The difference, is that we tend to do some relatively obscure songs that allow a little more freedom for interpretation.  Though Chapel Hill is often praised as a great place for original music, there are few clubs here promoting original bands and they are not paying the bands very much money.

Playing in cover bands were very valuable experiences to me for several reasons.  One, they taught me the discipline required to learn certain styles and riffs.  Two, they often paid much more money than original bands.  Three, those bands exposed me to playing in front of larger audiences.  Most importantly, they reinforced to me that I would rather be playing original tunes.   All things considered, I would easily prefer playing original music to cover material and my long-term goal is to be involved with something of that nature on a full-time basis. It is ironic that copy tunes are actually original songs to their authors.  Many people don't stop and think about that.

I recommend that players wishing to develop an original style should first simply play.  Whether it involves copying influences or not, an original style cannot fully develop until one picks the guitar and gains experience with it.  The second step is to recognize a desire to draw from a source while taking it into a new direction.  Perhaps the greatest advice I know of to promote individuality is to invest in a tape recorder and begin composing your own melodies, riffs, and songs.  Do not be judgmental of whether they are good or bad songs.  Just get started in the process of creating something and the style will develop on its own.  Everyone has their own inherent style, much like everyone has unique fingerprints.  Work towards creating your own sound so that other players can look to you as an influence.

I will close here by saying that it is not always wrong to imitate someone else.  If a person gains personal enjoyment and spreads it to others through playing someone else's songs and duplicating styles, then that is a good thing.  The tragedy occurs when an original voice never gets a chance to flourish and shine for the world to hear.  I enjoy creativity whether I participate in it or if it is a product of another player.  Learn from your influences and strive to let your own voice be heard.  Also remember that everything was original when it was first created.

Jason