Guitar Heroes

There’s nothing better than a good guitar riff in a song! The artist Prince is my favorite guitarist! When hearing any of his songs, I just want to boogie. There are many more guitarists in the world, and some even have disabilities. Learn about a few from this week’s guest-blogger, Amber Hargett. - Shari

When I’m not behind the PR desk or out and about sharing the mission of GESMV, I’m probably somewhere with a guitar in my hands. I got my first “axe” at 15. I didn’t invest much time in learning it at first. But years later, it became an essential tool for songwriting, which continues to be my personal passion and creative outlet. So naturally, when Shari asked me to be a guest on this blog piece, I happily obliged.

It’s probably no accident that National Guitar Day happens just before February 14^th. After all, what would Valentine’s Day be without a heartwarming love song? Or a cathartic breakup song? (Thanks, Alanis.) It’s true that songs can be created with almost anything – like when Dolly Parton created the rhythm for “9 to 5” using her acrylic nails. But a guitar is every songwriter’s old, familiar friend.

The warm resonance of an acoustic guitar can be intimate and personal. The infinite number of tones achieved through an electric guitar with unmistakable grit, sparkle, or fuzz can make a powerful statement. A lot of things influence the unique sound of a particular guitar: structure, materials, age, modifications to electronics or pickups. But the most important element of any guitar is its player.

Today, I want to highlight a few guitarists you may or may not recognize, who have become well known for their musicianship but are less known for modifying their technique to accommodate a disability.

• Les Paul Yes, THAT Les Paul - pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar. A serious car accident required doctors to set his right elbow at a permanent 90-degree angle. Afterward, Les continued to play and went on to invent multitrack recording, overdubbing, delay, and reverb effects.
• Django Reinhardt suffered severe burns that caused permanent paralysis of his left ring and pinky fingers. Despite this, he developed his own unique playing style using only his index and middle fingers for solos, creating what is sometimes called “hot jazz” or “gypsy jazz”.
• Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath had two prosthetic fingertips created for his right hand after losing them in a factory accident. He also detuned his guitar to make the strings easier to bend, which contributes to Sabbath’s unique metal sound.
• Eric Howk of Portugal. The Man survived an intense fall that left him with a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from mid-chest down and without sensation or movement of his legs. Using a wheelchair for mobility, he continues to tour and create music as a Grammy-winning guitarist.

Each of these artists infuses their unique lived experience into the way they play and into the songs they create. I admire each one for their determination to express themselves creatively while overcoming physical barriers, self-doubt, and adjusting to unexpected changes. I hope it reminds you that you can do the same. Take a moment today to celebrate your own personal wins, acknowledge your progress, and be inspired to express yourself creatively, too. Then, find yourself a theme song for today with a killer guitar riff! - Amber