Preston Reed (born April 13, 1955) is an American fingerstyle guitarist. He is noted for a two-handed playing style and compositional approach that uses the guitar's body as a percussion instrument.

Biography

Reed learned guitar as a child on his father's guitar and, for a short time, studied classical guitar. When he was 16 his interest was rekindled by Jorma Kaukonen's acoustic guitar-playing in

Hot Tuna Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the ...

. He began to compose his own songs in the style of Leo Kottke and John Fahey. His first public performance was at

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in Washington D.C., in a concert with poet

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

. Reed moved to Scotland in 2000.

Technique and musical influences

Reed plays with his fingers, thumbs, fists and hands at once. He is also a player of blues or ballads reminiscent of

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, one of his musical idols. As a teenager, Reed was initially influenced by Leo Kottke and John Fahey and in the beginning of his career was a more traditional fingerstyle player. In the late 1980s he began to experiment with his own highly individual and percussive style, shortly after Michael Hedges released his first records using some technically similar techniques. Reed's approach created a very distinctive style of music. His guitar style is characterized by the use of percussive effects he generates with both hands on various parts of the guitar body. He names them ''rim shots'' and ''bongo hits''.''The Guitar of Preston Reed'', Text on video cover.
Accessed on November 25, 2007. He uses slap and tap techniques like slap

harmonic A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...

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 Tapping is a playing technique that can be used on any stringed instrument, but which is most commonly used on guitar. The technique involves a string being fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion. This is in contrast to stand ...

'') 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 alternate tunings characterized by very low bass string tunings, for example BGDGAD or CGDGGD.

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.Discography at Preston Reed's website.
Accessed on November 25, 2007. Later he played

Washburn Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influen ...

guitars with ''Seymour Duncan'' pickups and in the second half of the 1990s a custom ''Adamas Long Neck'' Ovation. He now plays his signature models, acoustic Jumbo and Baritone from Bailey Guitars. Around 2000 he began using several different guitars, not only steel-string acoustic, but also solid body

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

s, semi-acoustic guitars, electrical

baritone guitar The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schec ...

s, 12-string and classical guitars. Reed recorded his 2007 album ''Spirit'' with a semi-acoustic

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

AE-2000 guitar.

Discography

Studio recordings

* 1979 ''

Acoustic Guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

'' (Sky) * 1982 ''

Pointing Up ''Pointing Up'' was Preston Reed Preston Reed (born April 13, 1955) is an American fingerstyle guitarist. He is noted for a two-handed playing style and compositional approach that uses the guitar's body as a percussion instrument. Biography ...

'' ( Flying Fish) * 1982 '' Don't Be a Stranger'' (FolkStudio) * 1984 ''

Playing By Ear Playing or learning by ear is the ability of a performing musician to reproduce a piece of music they have heard, without having seen it notated in any form of sheet music. It is considered to be a desirable skill among musical performers, especi ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1987 '' The Road Less Travelled'' (Flying Fish) * 1989 ''

Instrument Landing In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...

'' (MCA/Universal) * 1990 '' Blue Vertigo'' (Capitol Nashville) * 1990 ''

Preston Reed Preston Reed (born April 13, 1955) is an American fingerstyle guitarist. He is noted for a two-handed playing style and compositional approach that uses the guitar's body as a percussion instrument. Biography Reed learned guitar as a child on ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1991 '' Halfway Home'' (Liberty/Capitol Nashville) * 1992 '' Border Towns'' (Liberty) * 1995 ''

Metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

'' (Dusty Closet, re-released Outer Bridge, 2002) * 1997 '' Ladies Night'' (Dusty Closet, re-released Outer Bridge, 2004) * 2000 '' Handwritten Notes'' (Outer Bridge) * 2005 '' History of Now'' (Outer Bridge) * 2007 ''

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

'' (Outer Bridge) * 2013 '' In Here Out There'' (Outer Bridge)

Collaborations

* 1997 ''

Groovemasters ''Groovemasters'' is an album by guitarists Preston Reed and Laurence Juber, released in 1999. It is sometimes referred to as ''Groovemasters, Vol. 1'' The success of ''Groovemasters'' led to the series of releases by Solid Air pairing various ...

'', with

Laurence Juber Laurence Ivor Juber (born 12 November 1952) is an English musician, fingerstyle guitarist and studio musician. He played guitar in the rock band Wings from 1978 to 1981. Biography Early life Born in Stepney, East London, Juber was raised and ...

(Solid Air)

Compilations

* 1989 ''Universal Master Series'' (MCA) * 1990 ''Master Series Sampler '89'' (Capitol Nashville) * 1990 ''Master Series I'' (Capitol Nashville) * 1995 ''Acoustic Guitar Highlights'' (Acoustic Music) * 1996 ''Acoustic Guitar Highlights II'' (Acoustic Music) * 1997 ''Masters of Acoustic Guitar'' (Narada) * 1997 ''Acoustic Guitar Highlights III'' (Acoustic Music) * 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)

Sheet music

* ''Guitar Impact'' (2006). Bruce Muckala (MaraHaley Music)

References

External links

Preston Reed filmed by Dave Arcari – Ladies Night – video

TED Talk: Usman Riaz and Preston Reed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Preston American blues guitarists American funk guitarists American male guitarists 1955 births Living people People from Armonk, New York Fingerstyle guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Flying Fish Records artists MCA Records artists Liberty Records artists