Learning to play electric: artists I should look at?

[imwjl]

Here you go.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by adaw2821

So what's easiest for me is slowish solos. Not a lot of shediding or anything were it starts getting hard to pick out notes. The little licks between vocal lines are nice but don't do much when practicing alone at home. It really takes the rest of a band and vocals to make them "fit". I really like just listenening to guitar instrumentals or solos.

Work on your Blues shuffle and play lead licks in between. That'll keep you busy for a while.

If you are in the early stages of learning, focus on the A and E I-IV-V shuffle. You can be your own band. Although it is a very simple form, their are numerous variations. You can work leads in a variety of ways. For example. if you are doing a 12 bar shuffle in A when it's time to switch to the D (the IV), just do a lead with the same amount of beats in D and go back to the A shuffle when appropriate (or vice versa).

This will really improve your timing and will help you with your improv skills.

[FrankHudson]

Of course there's a zillion great players in many different styles.

Taking bluey, somewhat overdriven as the genre, and "classic rock/the LP years" as the time frame:

BB King. Folks have already mentioned him multiple times. Master of less is more lead playing.

Jimi Hendrix. Not always fuzzed out timbre-wise, and check out the rhythm playing too. Most days I think he's the best rock power trio player ever, or at least my favorite.

Peter Green with John Mayall or "The original Fleetwood Mac" Lovely vibrato and not someone who has to use a lot of notes either. Paul Kossoff (Free) is another from the same era that's a master class in string vibrato. Also Mick Taylor (John Mayall again, or for a period with the Rolling Stones).

Roy Buchanan. Can be a flashy player whose licks may not be graspable by a electric guitar beginner, but the master of getting various timbres out just a Telecaster and a Fender amp, and he can really construct a solo that sounds composed.

Steve Cropper. Booker T and the MGs or many classic Stax records. Not flashy, just very effective.

Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Most of their best known work is a little earlier than these others, but there's a reason those licks started a ton guitar bands.

Keith Richards. "The Human Riff."

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by perttime

Just for variety, I'll throw in
Mark Knopfler (Not exactly blues, usually)
Billy Gibbons (Usually associated with high gain blues rock, but you don't necessarily have to play ZZ Top songs at high gain)

Gibbons is a great guitarist. Well worth listening to his stuff.
Slash has a great tone and some great riffs.

[Steel and wood]

James Calvin Wilsey is the king of tone for me.

His tone and tasteful leads perfectly complemented Chris Isaak's voice and it was he who "kick started" me wanting to learn to play guitar, and wanting to own a Stratocaster in particular.

Wilsey inadvertently has taken me down all sorts of surf, Americana, rockabilly and country music paths which has influenced my music tastes and the way I play guitar.

Maybe check him out.

[adaw2821]

So I have a looper pedal that helps a lot for practicing. I like a lot of David Gilmores stuff but have a hard time getting that kind of sound a lot volume. It's saturated and compressed but not really what you get with a pedal at low volume.

Just for context here's a loop that I've been working on.
26:20 to be exact
https://youtu.be/j5-EA_f_goo

[David Eastwood]

Interesting thread. I'd like to suggest Bill Frisell as someone worthy of consideration as a mentor and influence.

To me, he's one of the few who is an 'electric guitar player', rather than a guitar player who plays an electric guitar.

Jeff Beck is top of the pile for me in that categorization, but I'm straying outside the OP's guidelines there.

[fray]

I would also nominate John Lee Hooker as one to follow up on Freddie King and Albert King, SRV and Clapton.

[Ed-in-Ohio]

So many great suggestions so far!
I'll add three of my favorites whom I believe have not yet been mentioned:

• Jimmy Page
• Frank Zappa
• Ry Cooder

Listen to everyone! Enjoy.

[KevWind]

Lots of great suggestions so far, but I am kindda surprised no one has mentioned.

Carlos Santana
or
JJ Cale

Or the man who Santana sights as one of his main influences (albeit acoustic guitar)
is Gabor Szabo

[perttime]

+ 1 for Steve Cropper.
A master of playing things that work AND not playing too much or too complicated.

[Gordon Currie]

Check out Johnny A. Lots of taste and a great tone.

[rwmct]

My instructor tabbed out Peter Green's intro and solos in "Jumping at Shadows." To me it is perfect for the newbie electric guitarist, because there is nothing hard or complicated about the notes, and the speed most of the time is pretty slow (some fast short bursts). But it is all touch. Bending the notes to the right spot, lingering on this note a bit, hitting that one a bit short. It is marvelous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7IonOLQd8

[Dr. Martin]

Gilmour of course, but I love Mark Knopfler from his early Dire Straits days to his fab solo albums. He's equally good on acoustic and electric, and I think it's all finger style too. A great song writer as well, though possibly it might not be your cup of tea.

[darylcrisp]

Jeff Beck
Doyle Bramhall II
Robert Cray