Eric Barnett came to GP’s
attention in 2008 when he was a Guitar
Superstar finalist. Barnett’s band, Points
North, just released its debut, Road Less
Traveled [Magna Carta], and the guitarist’s
ability to showcase crazy chops within the
context of solid songcraft is earning him a
broad audience. Here are Barnett’s tips for
turning heads with instrumental guitar music.
Content Drives Technique
“One could argue that technique is more
important than ever, given the glut of
amazing technical feats that are merely
mouse clicks away online, but technique in
the absence of composition and emotion
comes off as novelty. People can search
YouTube for ‘world’s fastest guitar player,’
and they might even come to see you perform,
but they won’t come back unless you
give them something more than chops.”
Don’t Blow Minds
Out of the Gate
“Throwing down all of your most impressive
chops right out of the gate might initially make
jaws drop, but the audience will quickly lose
focus. Compositionally, Eric Johnson’s ‘Cliffs
of Dover’ is a great example of embellishing
themes and hooks as the song progresses.”
Think Like a Singer
“When the guitar becomes the voice of
the band, it’s important to use a variety of
techniques to render the emotions you are
trying to convey. Bending into notes, sliding
into them, or playing them staccato are
interesting inflections that keep your musical
sentences from sounding monotonous.”
Know Your Tone
in All Places
“Try to test drive guitar tones in the environment
where you are actually going to
use them. The new amp that sounds good
in your home studio or in rehearsal with
your band might not cut it onstage, or
vice-versa. Spend time auditioning your
rig in real-world situations first, before
you unleash the tones on an audience,
engineer, or producer.”
Let Go of “Perfect ”
“It’s easy to get frustrated over a missed passage,
or when your tone isn’t right, but take it
easy on yourself. YouTube has done wonders
for destroying my perfectionism. When people
video every performance, you have to let go
of the notion you can control people posting
your imperfections for the world to see. You-
Tube has been like exposure therapy for me!”