He was in league of his own. With all of the other greats (John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, etc.), you can hear some of their influences alongside their own innovations. But Holdsworth just came from another planet; his improvisations and compositions were totally his own and you never hear anything that you've heard anyone else play. No question in my mind; he was a genius! I feel fortunate that I got to hear him live a half dozen times, but I'm bummed that I'll never hear him live again. Fortunately, he has a huge discography and bootleg concert albums are still coming out. R.I.P. Allan.
Like he just came here and never heard anyone play guitar before and he just plays like he wants to. No one dictates him. Makes him alien like. Out of this world, totally unique. I won't pretend I understand what he's playing but I never heard someone play like him before. All respect and awe. RIP AH Guitar Genius we love and miss you.
@@svenjansen2134, Allan wanted to be a sax player (John Coltrane was one of his biggest heroes), but saxes are expensive and his dad bought him a guitar instead. He decided that (in his own words) "a musical instrument is just a tool to get a job done" and he found a way to play guitar like a sax player.
So true; there's only one Grand Canyon, one Pacific Ocean, and one Allan Holdsworth; we were so lucky to have had him around us mortals for a while, and now we have to make peace with the dimmer world without him.
I remember driving from Southampton to see IOU around 1980 in a half empty London pub. So we lost him to USA in the end. As they appreciated him more there. Their gain our loss. Oh well at least he came back & i saw him a few more times, plus these days where musicians live/lived matters less I guess thanks to UA-cam etc. 42 years listening since i first heard One of a Kind & my jaw dropped & still going strong as a fan. RIP genius Allan & thank you.
actually stretching like that is kinda easy if u A0 have your strap holder set up like allan's. notice, it's NOT on the top horn. it's behind the neck. that holds the fretboard perpinduclar to the floor, instead of pointing up at your face... 2) wear the guitar high, allan has his pickups centered at his SOLAR PLEXUS, that's waaay higher than rock guitarists. then 3) your thumb can go on the middle or the BOTTOM of the behind part of the neck. if you keep your thumb over the neck like a rock ghuitarist, stretching is hard. i met allan three times and shook his hands, they are not as large as you think they are, it's the way his guitar is setup and the way he holds it...
they were impossible for me too, but after practicing them a lot first two aren't too hard, 1:40 is still very hard and i have to adjust my elbow position in order to play it cleanly. i'm only 5'7 so most of you can do it much better than me, the secret is your hand position, bring your elbow closer to your body, place you thumb fairky low on the neck and point your index finger towards the nut.
Make no mistake, Allan's spread is easily two frets longer than your average guitarist. You may have to make some considerations when trying to play some of his chords.
no man, they look smaller because of the smaller BODY, but his necks are mostly standard fender (25 1/2) or bigger (synthaxe, baritone guitars)...RIP, genius.
@@DarkMetalJazzPunkYes. When you see another guitarist holding one of his signature guitars, you realize not only were Allan’s hands huge, but his finger dexterity/flexibility is unmatched hahaha
@jamesedwardtheobald I have just learned that song from the Reh booklet and the chord at 1:40 is really impossible to play for me, my hand is too small for it, no matter how much I spread my fingers.
Im a metalhead and a guitarist, no words he is the best guitarist ever
it´s not even close.....
@NovaCorpe He means there's nobody close to Holdsworth
Thanks for confirming. The music community were in doubt.
Sounds like you found Allan through Fredrik, like I did :)
He was in league of his own. With all of the other greats (John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker, etc.), you can hear some of their influences alongside their own innovations. But Holdsworth just came from another planet; his improvisations and compositions were totally his own and you never hear anything that you've heard anyone else play. No question in my mind; he was a genius! I feel fortunate that I got to hear him live a half dozen times, but I'm bummed that I'll never hear him live again. Fortunately, he has a huge discography and bootleg concert albums are still coming out. R.I.P. Allan.
Like he just came here and never heard anyone play guitar before and he just plays like he wants to. No one dictates him. Makes him alien like. Out of this world, totally unique. I won't pretend I understand what he's playing but I never heard someone play like him before. All respect and awe. RIP AH Guitar Genius we love and miss you.
As if he's saying: see hear this is what you do with that thing. He's always playing like a wind instrument so free.
@@svenjansen2134, Allan wanted to be a sax player (John Coltrane was one of his biggest heroes), but saxes are expensive and his dad bought him a guitar instead. He decided that (in his own words) "a musical instrument is just a tool to get a job done" and he found a way to play guitar like a sax player.
I've seen this bastard twice, it's mind blowing to stand there in front of him and watch.
The Maestro opens a portal to another world! He should've got a pass to play until at least a hundred. There will never be his like again...
So true; there's only one Grand Canyon, one Pacific Ocean, and one Allan Holdsworth; we were so lucky to have had him around us mortals for a while, and now we have to make peace with the dimmer world without him.
Love Steve's solo here....liquid and gliding over the chord sequence.
People still haven’t caught up to the brilliance of Holdsworth. As John McLaughlin told Holdsworth, “if I knew what you’re doing I’d steal it...”
I remember driving from Southampton to see IOU around 1980 in a half empty London pub. So we lost him to USA in the end. As they appreciated him more there. Their gain our loss.
Oh well at least he came back & i saw him a few more times, plus these days where musicians live/lived matters less I guess thanks to UA-cam etc.
42 years listening since i first heard One of a Kind & my jaw dropped & still going strong as a fan.
RIP genius Allan & thank you.
0:24 *this song is impossible to play...this stretch is so frickin loooooooooong*
Good ole Stevie T
😂😂😂😭🤣🤣
1:14 is pretty inhuman
actually stretching like that is kinda easy if u A0 have your strap holder set up like allan's. notice, it's NOT on the top horn. it's behind the neck. that holds the fretboard perpinduclar to the floor, instead of pointing up at your face... 2) wear the guitar high, allan has his pickups centered at his SOLAR PLEXUS, that's waaay higher than rock guitarists. then 3) your thumb can go on the middle or the BOTTOM of the behind part of the neck. if you keep your thumb over the neck like a rock ghuitarist, stretching is hard. i met allan three times and shook his hands, they are not as large as you think they are, it's the way his guitar is setup and the way he holds it...
5 years already haha can't believe it.
1:19 ,1:36,1:40 are just impossible chords to duplicate unless you have gigantic hands.A genius in action this Holdsworth
lucancherby At 1:40, there's no f*ing way i can stretch my little fingers from the 3rd fret to the 9th. I feel really really sad about it :C
Allan had baseball mits for hands
they were impossible for me too, but after practicing them a lot first two aren't too hard, 1:40 is still very hard and i have to adjust my elbow position in order to play it cleanly. i'm only 5'7 so most of you can do it much better than me, the secret is your hand position, bring your elbow closer to your body, place you thumb fairky low on the neck and point your index finger towards the nut.
he kills it!!!
Sublime- great footage !
Love this - thank you for sharing Ron Hoover!
1:36 WTF is This?! Voicings spread over 7 frets?!
LOL :D Holdsworth... :)
Surpassed his idol in my humble opinion,who's work is without peer.
StevieT?
yup
Make no mistake, Allan's spread is easily two frets longer than your average guitarist. You may have to make some considerations when trying to play some of his chords.
I could be wrong, but I think he might use a guitar with a smaller scale neck.
no man, they look smaller because of the smaller BODY, but his necks are mostly standard fender (25 1/2) or bigger (synthaxe, baritone guitars)...RIP, genius.
@@DarkMetalJazzPunkYes. When you see another guitarist holding one of his signature guitars, you realize not only were Allan’s hands huge, but his finger dexterity/flexibility is unmatched hahaha
Those six voicings at 1.51 to2.02. Are being played when my coffin comes through the church doors.
lmao, that part always made me feel like i was taking the stairway to heaven
@jamesedwardtheobald
I have just learned that song from the Reh booklet and the chord at 1:40 is really impossible to play for me, my hand is too small for it, no matter how much I spread my fingers.
I wonder how Allan turned some dude’s qualms about drunks into a 3rd eye opening jazz masterwork😂
rest in peace
I actually learned his song
It’s good isn’t it and the solo changes aren’t too drastic
4:52
Look at that stretch. That ain’t natural!
Anyone else here from Stevie T?
lol yep
Yes lol
Yes lml
I came here to get my ligaments torn apart
Which episode
1:18 *LOOK AT THAT STRETCH! THAT'S NOT NATURAL!!!!!*
The second the last chord of that section is the one that truly kills my hand
Theres a little bit of song in these drums
1:19
Does anybody manage to remember this melody or just recognize it while played?
Yes, I do. But that might also be because I’ve listened to the first 30 seconds of this song like hundreds of times over the past few months 😂
who came here from steveterreberrys "hardest songs to play with small hands" vid
Arth-ritis! Arth, Arth, Arthritis
Allan was a guitar player guitar player
Stevie T created a lot of Holdsworth fans by sending them here
Esiste la vita su Marte? Sì, Allan ne è la prova.