I remember hearing a statement by Joe Walsh  (maybe in Guitar Player magazine) many years ago saying that Albert King could blow Eddie Van Halen away with one note.  When I heard it, I think I took it quite literally and just couldn't make sense of it.  I mean, here is a guy (Van Halen) who became one of the most influential rock guitarists of the 1980s with his flash and technical dexterity and to think that a blues box guy with a seemingly limited musical vocabulary (King) could blow him away just seemed preposterous.  Of course, this bewilderment was based upon a common belief in society that bigger or faster is better.  Not to take anything away from Van Halen, because he is a great guitarist, but Walsh's statement comes back to me often as I evaluate my preferences in players and analyze how my tastes have changed as I've become more involved in guitar playing over the years.

Let me be clear that I don't intend to turn this into a competitive or judgmental review of guitarists.  I believe we all have something personal to express on the instrument that is valid and legitimate, if only in the eyes and ears of the player.  I enjoy the sounds of both Van Halen and King, yet they are stylistically very different guitarists.  If you were to ask the average Joe (no pun intended, Mr. Walsh) who the "better" player is, most uneducated listeners might gravitate toward Van Halen because he plays many more notes with much more technical flair.  The late Albert King tended to play fewer notes, yet like Van Halen, had invested enough of himself into the instrument to achieve no less of a recognizable tone.  And this is the point I want to address...if a player can get enough of himself into his notes such that they become a distinctive voice, then it shouldn't matter how virtuosic or technical he is.  The main purpose of music, in my view, is to achieve a personal statement that says "This is my sound and whether you like me or not, you will at least recognize me."

Both Eddie Van Halen and Albert King are important electric guitarists that have had immeasurable influence upon subsequent players.  They both attacked their instruments with a sense of confidence and style.  I appreciate both players because their sounds connect with me.  I respect that both of them can make a musical statement without lyrics and I still know it is them playing.  While I wouldn't go as far to say that either one is my all-time favorite player, I can say that I receive a great deal of satisfaction from listening to their music.

I don't think that Walsh was intentionally trying to dis Van Halen as much as he was trying to elevate those who might not seem to be extremely technical guitarists yet still offer great musical inspiration.   I do not believe that technical expertise and true emotional feeling are mutually exclusive either.

To me, the power of one note means being able to put your heart and soul into your phrasing without regard to playing in such a fashion as to impress others with virtuosity for the sake of it.  All it should take is one note to announce to the world "Here I am."  Maybe I'm oversimplifying things here by  reducing the importance of a player to one note. We definitely need access to all available notes.  However, some really great artists have whittled their style into a concise format where a minimal number of notes suffices to express a total musical statement.

I am always keen on using another King,  B.B., to demonstrate this.  B.B. King is not a very virtuosic player.  He limits himself to several note patterns when accompanying his vocals with fills, or when he solos; yet he has such an inimitable sound that has influenced countless guitarists.  It's not the notes that give him his sound, as much as it is the touch and years of personal experiences that have conspired to express themselves through his hands.

If you can find a tone and choice of notes that you can believe in, then you have taken huge step toward making your mark with the guitar.  It may not mean fame or fortune, but it should offer a deeper type of enjoyment that will last for years to come.

Concentrate on being able to feel and express yourself with minimal notes.  Then, remove the restraints and let your creativity take flight.  Try not to fall into the trap of thinking that more is better.  More is not always bad, but there needs to be something said for less!  Find your sound through one note!
 

Jason