My Top (Lead) Guitarists

I get so many questions about what inspires me and who influences my music. So I want to share that with you. Honestly, my inspiration comes from a blend of players, bands, composers, and producers who amaze me and create a particular feeling when I listen to their work. I might create different posts to share my favorite musicians in general (which also goes way out of the metal or jazz genre), but this time, I just want to focus on my top lead guitarists. And I have to say, my own list of the top lead guitarists has evolved over time, with each guitarist bringing something unique that I appreciate.

In my early years, around the age of 10, Angus Young fascinated me. I was deeply into ACDC, learning many riffs that sounded tight and groovy. Every note he plays is on point. As I delved deeper, I was exploring nearly every progressive band with virtuoso guitar players during that time. Symphony X particularly caught my attention, especially Michael Romeo's licks in between riffs and solo writing, which seemed unreachable for me at the time.

My hero then became John Petrucci, whose epic solos inspired me to practice more and transcribe a lot of Dream Theater music! Also the first metal concert I ever visited was Symphony X supporting Dream Theater, which was an amazing show! As I entered my teenage years, I got really interested in Jason Richardson because of his songwriting and playing he did in Born of Osiris' album "The Discovery." That was the time were I started discovering a lot of the arpeggio picking stuff I do today. Simultaneously, I found myself transcribing Matias Kupiainen's solos in Stratovarius songs. His solos are full of beautiful melodies and musical ideas, which I admire. And then of course Per Nilsson's exceptional guitar skills also stood out to me during this time.

As I delved deeper into studying improvisation, music theory, and taking my guitar playing seriously, I dedicated time to transcribing videos from Martin Miller, even taking regular lessons with him for over two years. My musical journey led me to the works of Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, and Mike Stern, closely following their projects. They are just incredible improvisers and I studied their licks, concepts and methods.

In recent times, my focus has shifted towards fusion players like Allan Holdsworth, Greg Howe, and Tim Miller (whom I also had lessons with for a while). Studying these guitarists has become a lifelong project, shaping and evolving my musical style. Fun fact: They all play Kiesel Guitars. I’m really grateful to be part of this family, even after being with Kiesel for over 6 years now.

I'm not suggesting that you must follow these steps to become a better guitar player; not at all! There may or may not be parallels with your influences. It just highlights the individual nature of musical journeys. When you analyze all the music I create, you can undoubtedly hear these influences here and there. My only suggestion is to consistently explore different players, study them, and dive into their music.

What are your main influences when it comes to guitar players? That would be really interesting to read.