Preston Reed
Encyclopedia
Preston Reed is an American
fingerstyle and tapping guitarist
.
's acoustic guitar-playing in Hot Tuna
. He took the guitar again and began to compose his own songs in the style of Leo Kottke
and John Fahey
. His first public performance was at Smithsonian Institution
in Washington D.C., in a concert with Allen Ginsberg
. He continued recording and performing and signed his first major label record deal with MCA Records
with the help of his friend Lyle Lovett
.
Reed has played with various other musicians, spanning the spectrum between Linda Ronstadt
and rock band NRBQ
. He was featured on American radio and TV broadcasts. Between 1979 and 2007, he recorded 15 albums on several labels - mostly solo acoustic guitar -, guest-starred on other musicians productions, founded his own Outer Bridge label and featured on two solo videos. He has been commissioned for film soundtracks and a suite of original music for the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
.
Reed moved to Scotland in 2000.
, one of his musical idols.
As a teenager, Reed was influenced by Leo Kottke
and John Fahey
and in the beginning of his career was a fingerpicker with notable technical prowess. In the late 1980s, though, he developed his own, highly individual and percussive style, a short time after Michael Hedges
published his first records using technically similar techniques, but creating very different music. He drew not only from fingerstyle, but from rock 'n' roll too, developing a very rhythmic drive in some of his compositions. Other pieces are very melodic and dreamy ballads.
His guitar style is characterised by the use of percussive effects he generates with both hands on various parts of the guitar body. He names them, appropriately, rim shots and bongo hits. He uses slap
and tap
techniques like slap harmonic
s or the generation of notes or whole chords with his left hand (hammer-on
, pull-off
). He uses both hands for tapping (two-hand tapping) and frets chords with his right hand (right-hand fretting). He often plays with both hands from above the guitar's neck. In many of his compositions, Reed uses altered tunings characterized by very low bass string tunings, for example BGDGAD or CGDGGD, though he also uses standard tuning on his latest CD, Spirit.
guitars with Seymour Duncan pickups
and in the second half of the 1990s a custom Adamas Long Neck Ovation
.
Around 2000 he began using several different guitars, not only steel-string acoustic, but also solid body electric guitar
s, semi-acoustic guitars, electrical baritone guitar
s, 12-string and classical guitars.
Reed recorded his 2007 album Spirit with a semi-acoustic Yamaha
AE-2000 guitar.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fingerstyle and tapping guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
.
Biography
Preston Reed learned guitar as a child on his father's guitar and, for a short time, classical guitar with a too-severe teacher. When he was 16 his interest was rekindled by Jorma KaukonenJorma Kaukonen
Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
's acoustic guitar-playing in Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band formed by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen as a spin-off of Jefferson Airplane. It plays acoustic and electric versions of original and traditional blues songs.- Jefferson Airplane side project :...
. He took the guitar again and began to compose his own songs in the style of Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
and John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
. His first public performance was at Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington D.C., in a concert with Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
. He continued recording and performing and signed his first major label record deal with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
with the help of his friend Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
.
Reed has played with various other musicians, spanning the spectrum between Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
and rock band NRBQ
NRBQ
NRBQ is an American rock band founded in 1967. It is known for its live performances, containing a high degree of spontaneity and levity, and blending rock, pop, jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley styles. Its best known line-up is the 1974–1994 quartet of pianist Terry Adams, bassist Joey Spampinato,...
. He was featured on American radio and TV broadcasts. Between 1979 and 2007, he recorded 15 albums on several labels - mostly solo acoustic guitar -, guest-starred on other musicians productions, founded his own Outer Bridge label and featured on two solo videos. He has been commissioned for film soundtracks and a suite of original music for the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
The Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, founded in 1986, is regarded as one of North America's leading guitar ensembles. They have several recordings under the Albany Records label. Their first two albums were New Works for Guitar Quartet and Over Land and Sea. [citation - Soundboard Magazine]Some of the...
.
Reed moved to Scotland in 2000.
Technique and musical influences
Reed plays with his fingers, thumbs, fists and hands at once, suggesting a whole band at work: drummer, keyboard player, bass guitarist and several guitarists at once. Some of his tunes invoke impressions of rock bands and duelling guitars, but he is also a player of blues or ballads reminiscent of Bill EvansBill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
, one of his musical idols.
As a teenager, Reed was influenced by Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
and John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
and in the beginning of his career was a fingerpicker with notable technical prowess. In the late 1980s, though, he developed his own, highly individual and percussive style, a short time after Michael Hedges
Michael Hedges
Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
published his first records using technically similar techniques, but creating very different music. He drew not only from fingerstyle, but from rock 'n' roll too, developing a very rhythmic drive in some of his compositions. Other pieces are very melodic and dreamy ballads.
His guitar style is characterised by the use of percussive effects he generates with both hands on various parts of the guitar body. He names them, appropriately, rim shots and bongo hits. He uses slap
Slapping
In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the bass guitar.-Double bass:...
and tap
Tapping
Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
techniques like slap harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
s or the generation of notes or whole chords with his left hand (hammer-on
Hammer-on
Hammer-on is a stringed instrument playing technique performed by sharply bringing a fretting-hand finger down on the fingerboard behind a fret, causing a note to sound. This technique is the opposite of the pull-off...
, pull-off
Pull-off
A pull-off is a stringed instrument technique performed by plucking a string by "pulling" the string off the fingerboard with one of the fingers being used to fret the note.-Performance and effect:...
). He uses both hands for tapping (two-hand tapping) and frets chords with his right hand (right-hand fretting). He often plays with both hands from above the guitar's neck. In many of his compositions, Reed uses altered tunings characterized by very low bass string tunings, for example BGDGAD or CGDGGD, though he also uses standard tuning on his latest CD, Spirit.
Guitars and technical equipment
On his first recording Reed used a Martin D28 12 String and a Martin D28 6 String. He later used guitars made by the American luthier Michael Jacobson-Hardy. Later he played WashburnWashburn Guitars
Washburn Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer. It was established in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. Washburn is a part of U.S. Music Corporation.- History :...
guitars with Seymour Duncan pickups
Pickup (music technology)
A pickup device is a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations, usually from suitably equipped stringed instruments such as the electric guitar, electric bass guitar, Chapman Stick, or electric violin, and converts them to an electrical signal that is amplified, recorded, or broadcast.-...
and in the second half of the 1990s a custom Adamas Long Neck Ovation
Ovation
The ovation was a lower form of the Roman triumph. Ovations were granted, when war was not declared between enemies on the level of states, when an enemy was considered basely inferior or when the general conflict was resolved with little to no bloodshed or danger to the army itself.The general...
.
Around 2000 he began using several different guitars, not only steel-string acoustic, but also solid body electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, semi-acoustic guitars, electrical baritone guitar
Baritone guitar
The baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. It first appeared in the classical music realm...
s, 12-string and classical guitars.
Reed recorded his 2007 album Spirit with a semi-acoustic Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
AE-2000 guitar.
Studio recordings
- 1979 Acoustic GuitarAcoustic Guitar (Preston Reed album)Acoustic Guitar was Preston Reed's first release on Sky Records. It subsequently went out-of-print.-Track listing:All songs composed and arranged by Preston Reed.# "Kristy" – 3:46# "Bush Street Beehive" – 6:58# "Elephant Walk" – 1:57...
(Sky Records) - 1982 Pointing UpPointing UpPointing Up was Preston Reed's first release on Flying Fish Records. It subsequently went out-of-print and was re-released as a compilation with Playing by Ear and re-titled Preston Reed.-Track listing:# "Whirewhip"...
(Flying Fish) - 1982 Don't Be A StrangerDon't Be a StrangerDon't Be A Stranger was an album by Preston Reed, his only release on FolkStudio Records and available in Italy only. It subsequently went out-of-print.-Track listing:# "Bye Bye Boo Boo"# "Elephant Walk"# "Kristy"...
(FolkStudio Records) - 1984 Playing By EarPlaying By EarPlaying By Ear was Preston Reed's second release on Flying Fish Records. It subsequently went out-of-print and was re-released as a compilation with Pointing Up and re-titled Preston Reed.-Track listing:...
(Flying Fish) - 1987 The Road Less TravelledThe Road Less Travelled (Preston Reed album)-Track listing:All songs by Preston Reed.# "Straight to the Top" – 4:30# "Chop Till You Drop" – 2:25# "Shenanigans" – 2:55# "Next Time I See You" – 6:04# "The Road Less Travelled" – 4:31# "Going Going Gone" – 6:00# "Solid Ground" – 4:05# "To Try Again" – 3:40...
(Flying Fish) - 1989 Instrument LandingInstrument Landing (Preston Reed album)-Track listing:All songs written by Preston Reed.# "Torch Song"# "Tiny Time Pills"# "Frequent Flyer"# "Inside a Face"# "Flatonia"# "White Espadrilles"# "Life of Riley"# "Fifteen Year Reunion"# "Hammerhead"# "Instrument Landing"# "Bye Bye Boo Boo"...
(MCA/Universal) - 1990 Blue VertigoBlue VertigoBlue Vertigo is a recording by guitarist Preston Reed, released in 1990.Blue Vertigo marks the first instance of Reed's initiation of his percussive, two-hand tapping guitar style. The first song he composed in this style is "Slap Funk"...
(Capitol Nashville Master) - 1990 Preston ReedPreston Reed (compilation album)-Track listing:All songs by Preston Reed.# "Whirewhip"# "Groundhog"# "Cane Bay"# "Gone But Not Forgotten"# "Gittel and Jerry's Theme"# "A Day at the Races"# "Fun with Wally"# "Suite Hoodeet"# "View from Afar"# "Potato Pancake"# "Playing by Ear"...
(Flying Fish) - 1991 Halfway Home (Liberty/Capitol Nashville)
- 1992 Border TownsBorder TownsBorder Towns is guitarist Preston Reed's last recording for MCA Records.-Track listing:# "Jungle Highway" – 3:31# "Border Towns" – 3:33# "Sunrise Drive" – 4:31# "Signal Path" – 2:31# "Film Noir" – 3:29...
(Liberty) - 1995 MetalMetal (Preston Reed album)Metal is guitarist Preston Reed's first recording for Dusty Closet Records. It was re-released in 2002 on his own label, Outer Bridge Records . The re-release includes a different version of the title track.-Reception:...
(Dusty Closet Records, re-released 2002 Outer Bridge) - 1997 Ladies NightLadies Night (Preston Reed album)Ladies Night is a recording by guitarist Preston Reed. It was re-released in 2004 on Outer Bridge Records with three bonus tracks included.-Track listing:All songs by Preston Reed.# "Ladies Night"# "Running"# "Hijacker"# "Hyperjig"...
(Dusty Closet Records, re-released 2004 Outer Bridge) - 2000 Handwritten NotesHandwritten NotesHandwritten Notes is an album by guitarist Preston Reed. It was the first release on Reed's own label.-Reception:Handwritten Notes received positive reviews...
(Outer Bridge) - 2005 History of Now (Outer Bridge)
- 2007 SpiritSpirit (Preston Reed album)Spirit is an album by guitarist Preston Reed, released in 2007. It was the third release on Reed's own label.Spirit is a departure from Reed's usual percussive style and focuses more on the style of jazz ballads.-Track listing:...
(Outer Bridge)
Compilations
- 1989 Universal Master Series (MCA)
- 1990 Master Series Sampler '89 (Capital Nashville)
- 1990 Master Series I (Capital Nashville)
- 1995 Acoustic Guitar Highlights (Acoustic Music Records)
- 1996 Acoustic Guitar Highlights II (Acoustic Music Records)
- 1997 Masters of Acoustic Guitar (Narada)
- 1997 Acoustic Guitar Highlights III (Acoustic Music Records)
- 2000 WGN Radio Live: Steve and Johnnie Live After Dark (Nation)
Video
- 1994 The Guitar of Preston Reed: Expanding the Realm of Acoustic Playing (Homespun Video)
- 1997 Preston Reed in Concert (Homespun Video)
Video, guest-starring
- 1995 Fingerstyle Guitar: New Dimensions and Explorations (Vestapol)
- 1996 Muriel Anderson’s All-Star Guitar Night (Homespun Video)
- 1997 Laurence Juber in Concert (Homespun Tapes)
- 1998 Great Guitar Lessons Fingerstyle Techniques (Homespun Tapes)
- 2002 Muriel Anderson’s All-Star Guitar Night II (Homespun Tapes)