Robert Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time. His hits include “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” which has become a blues standard. Part of his mythology is a story of how he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil. This story has been reused and retold many times as a part of rock mythology. Johnson was born on May 8, 1911, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. As a singer and guitarist, Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest blues artists ever, but this recognition came to him largely after his death.
During his brief career, Johnson travelled around, playing wherever he could. The acclaim for Johnson’s work is based on the 29 songs that he wrote and recorded in Dallas and San Antonio from 1936 to 1937. These include “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” which has become a blues standard. His songs have been recorded by Muddy Waters, Elmore James, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Johnson came to the attention of many musicians and won over new fans with a reissue of his work in the 1960s. Another retrospective collection of his recordings released in the 1990s sold millions of copies.
But much of Johnson’s life is shrouded in mystery. Part of the lasting mythology around him is a story of how he gained his musical talents by making a bargain with the devil: Son House, a famed blues musician and a contemporary of Johnson, claimed after Johnson achieved fame that the musician had previously been a decent harmonica player, but a terrible guitarist—that is, until Johnson disappeared for a few weeks in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Legend has it that Johnson took his guitar to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61, where he made a deal with the devil, who retuned his guitar in exchange for his soul.
Strangely enough, Johnson returned with an impressive technique and, eventually, gained renown as a master of the blues. While his reported “deal with the devil” may be unlikely, it is true that Johnson died at an early age. Only 27, Johnson died on August 16, 1938, as the suspected victim of a deliberate poisoning or perhaps congenital syphilis. Several movies and documentaries have tried to shed light on this enigmatic blues legend, including Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl? (1997) and Hellhounds on my Trail (2000).
/harry
Flamenco is a very famous guitar style. It has featured in a great deal of popular culture and is one of the most instantly recognisable styles to guitarists and non-guitarists alike. In the fifteenth century the invasion of southern Spain by the Moors from North Africa resulted in various interesting and exotic (from a western point of view) influences on the music of Spain. As a result the music of Spain, especially the southern regions, developed a unique character compared with the classical music of its Northern neighbours.
Flamenco playing often requires a strong attack with the thumb to bring out a bass melody. The approach is often far more aggressive than that used in classical guitar playing; quite often rest strokes are used with the thumb in order to achieve a louder more pronounced tone. Fast and highly melodic scale runs are a feature of flamenco playing. Sometimes slurs and legato can be used to facilitate playing such runs at speed but the ability to alternate the middle and index fingers rapidly while picking is the main requirement of the accomplished flamenco guitarist.
Tremolo – this involves using the picking hand fingers in a repeated, quick, flowing pattern to play one note smoothly over and over. This technique is often used to play a melody on the top string and can be considered a method of reproducing the very long sustain that can be more easily produced on bowed or wind instruments. Various finger patterns can be used for a tremolo but the most common is repetition of A M I.
Rasgueado (or Rascuedo) – this is the quintessential flamenco strumming technique. The strumming hand is held tightly closed, then the strings are played by releasing the fingers in quick succession; the fingers roll rapidly across the strings, striking them one after another with the front of the nails. The resulting sound is distinctive and powerful.
Golpe – this is a percussive effect produced by striking the body of the guitar with the ring finger. Golpes are used to accent and emphasise points within the rhythm of the piece. Flamenco guitars are fitted with perspex golpe plates to avoid damaging the finish of the instrument.
One of my innumerable extra-curricular activities as a guitar teacher is to help, advise and generally keep an eye on what guitars my students buy during lessons with me. A big thing with kids of a certain age is picking a guitar because it looks good and buying it online without playing it. I should know, I’ve been there and got burnt! While some are happy to go with an open mind and play guitars until they find one that fits most people have tastes and preferences that make at least some decisions for them before they get into the shop!
Necks on a guitar have a massive, massive impact on how the instrument plays. Making them match your style and hands is a huge part of buying a new guitar. Sometimes though you can pick up a guitar with a neck that feels good on first grab and then there is something not right when you actually go to play the thing.
Frets are something people pay little attention to, but they can be the cause of the this neck disappointment. I find in actual fact that the size and shape of the frets has more of an effect on my comfort that the neck profile itself. So here, for your education is a quick list of the most common fret sizes and a brief note on each.

6230 – 0.112″ x 0.055″ (2.8mm x 1.4mm) – The biggest frets commonly available – as good as a scalloped feel. I find these to be a bit big for me!
6150 – 0.106″ x 0.036″ (2.7mm x 0.9mm) – The “medium jumbo”. Commonly found on Gibsons. Maybe slightly too large but my favourite in terms of those commonly found.
6105 – 0.08″ x 0.043″ (2mm x 1.1mm) – “Vintage fretwire” – often found on the older Fenders.
6100 – 0.103″ x 0.046″ (2.6mm x 1.2mm) – The true “jumbo” – approximately the same width as the 6130, but taller.
6130 – 0.096″ x 0.047″ (2.4mm x 1.2mm) – Tall and Narrow. One of the more popular fret sizes out there.
Totally pointless exercise in science/art but quite cool nevertheless. The Nano Guitar is only 10 micrometers long, made out of something called crystalline silicon. Reading about reveals the following: “Using high-voltage electron beam lithography at the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility, one of only two similar machines in this country, the structures were sculpted out of single crystal silicon on oxide substrates. A resist is used to pattern the top silicon layer. The oxide that is underneath this layer can be selectively removed using a wet chemical etch.”
Ok, I understood a little of that. But aparrently if plucked with something called an atomic force microscope it would resonate, but my hearing isn’t good enough to hear it! Neither is yours! Have a good weekend!
/harry