Mexico’s ever-colorful guitarist, Carlos Santana, has a hot tip for players wanting sweeter licks, and it has nothing to do with the electric guitar.
The PRS-endorsed artist, who has 26 Santana albums, seven solo LPs, and 10 Grammy wins to his name, believes players need to look away from other guitarists to expand their palette.
“I don't care who you are, whether you are Al Di Meola or not, I'd recommend this to any guitar player,” he says in the new issue of Guitar World. “If you spend even one day learning how to play and phrase like those lady soul singers, you will become a better musician. This is the truth.”
Players, he says, shouldn’t get lost in shred. They won’t stand out from the pack on skills alone. Emotions usurp talent when it comes to winning over the listener.
“The only thing people will remember about your music is how you made them feel,” he believes. “They are not going to remember all the fast scales and ‘Look at what I can do’ moments. But they will remember those three notes that made the hairs stand on the back of the neck and tears come out of their eyes, even if they don't know why.
“That's a whole other element, one I call spirit,” Santana adds. “Some people don't know how to play with spirit, heart, and soul.”
As Guitar World scribe, Amit Sharma, rightly points out, guitar playing isn’t a sport. It isn’t about how many notes someone can play or who can play chords that would break a mere mortal’s hand into tiny pieces. Santana agrees. He has a fitting analogy in return.
“If you just practice all day and night going really fast, after a while, it's a bit like going to the gym and seeing somebody flexing their muscles. Big deal. So what?” he quips. “Playing with spirit is like giving someone a hug that lasts for infinity. Time stops.”
The 78-year-old also has a trump card for his argument. Speaking to Forbes in 2023, the guitarist says this exact approach won the heart of one of the best guitar players the world has ever laid eyes and ears on: Jimi Hendrix.
“He said, ‘Santana, right?’” he recalled of their interaction. “I say, ‘Yes.’ He grabs my hand. And he goes, ‘I love your choice of notes.’”
The interview also saw him claim that the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan came to him in a dream and begged him to play his #007 Dumble so he could vicariously enjoy the feel of a tube amp one last time.
Santana's full and illuminating chat features in the latest issue of Guitar World. The Smashing Pumpkins grace the cover, and there are also revealing chats with Steve Jones, Zakk Wylde, Inhaler's Josh Jenkinson, and dynamic duos from Khruangbin, Momma, the Voidz, and Phoneboy.
Head to Magazines Direct to pick up a copy.
