DESCRIPTION:
Maxwell Hughes has been making a name for himself in the Northern Colorado music scene and beyond since about 2008. He has been performing solo all the while, and also made time for a stint with the Lumineers, and most recently added his flare to the fast rising group Edison. If you have ever seen him play guitar, chances are you either love him or hate him. If you love him, it’s because you can see the joy in his eyes as he dazzles you with his polyrhythmic, complex and yet somehow entirely heartfelt signature style. If you hate him, it’s probably because of your own fear that you will never be as good as him. You are absolutely right about that, but that’s no reason to hate someone so just get over yourself. Jeez.
Fortunately for you and I, Maxwell is just so damn nice that he agreed to sit down with me and share some his secrets and tricks.
In my own personal experience, most guitar players achieve their own style as a result of combining their influences. That’s why so many guitar players should like a budget Clapton/Hendrix hybrid. Both great guitar players, but with similar styles and influences themselves, it’s hard to get anywhere new following their maps.
Maxwell proudly lists his primary influences as Kaki King and Tommy Emanuel. Two visionary players, that you most likely have not heard of. Hell, I’ve been playing guitar for 18 years and those names were new to me. That has a lot to do with why Maxwell’s style seems so foreign and visionary.
Here is a brief description of just a few of the techniques that make Maxwell’s playing different from mine or yours. Have fun with it, and see if you can incorporate any of these into your own playing