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ever see a blind man play a les paul?


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What an awesome tone that guy has, and he can really play. I really admire people who overcome difficulties in their life and become stronger than ever. A bit like that no armed guitar player who plays with his feet. He actually rocks, and I know a few people who have actually gone to meet him.

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What an awesome tone that guy has, and he can really play. I really admire people who overcome difficulties in their life and become stronger than ever.

 

thank you krock...you get it, unlike riverside and sinner13 [thumbup]

 

i had the plessure of seeing him play live back in 95...awesome!

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  • 6 months later...
Guest farnsbarns

bump, for the newer members [thumbup]

 

Blimey, you got a pounding there didn't you! I completely accept that it is fine to say. "That blind guy didn't let his disability get in his way and achieved everything he could despite it, I respect that".

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Ok putting the fact that he is blind behind us, why does he play the guitar like he does instead of holding it normal and playing. I am amazed at the technique and am curious about why one would play that style and why they got started.

 

Can someone shed some light on that for me. He was an amazing talent and I have seen him doing guest spots with lots of artists.

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Just saw this one...

 

As for blind musicians, there have been many.

 

Doc Watson said he started doing some stuff like fiddle tunes when he was playing a Les Paul, btw. For those who don't know, he's blind.

 

Ray Charles, etc., etc., etc. and many guitar players. I fact, I've jammed with a local who's blind and a darn good guitar player - and gentleman.

 

I'm not sure I understand quite how a blind guy gets to play with the degree of ability so many do have and have had, but largely because I'm personally awfully visual. That latter may have something to do with how a blind guy might start playing without lessons and just plain decide that something works. With great talent, hard work and skill, I can see how then somebody'd figure if it ain't broke, why fix it?

 

m

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I remember when Jeff Healey was first becoming known people did make a big deal of his lack of sight.

 

If anything you'd expect it to have been a hinderance early on, but once your ear develops (and they say if you loose one sense, the others become sharper to make up for it) someone who is blind would be able to play just as good or better than someone sighted.

 

I almost suspect the opposite was true though, and I seem to recall an early interview on the news back in the day where he confirmed it - he learned faster because he was used to relying on his sense of touch, hearing and memory to do nearly every task in live prior to picking up the guitar.

 

This is one of those times the troll gets a thumbs up from me... not that I've ever had a reason to give a thumbs down; usually if I don't care for what he's posting I just move on.

 

Gotta say too, I've always loved Healey's tone. It's a shame he's no longer with us. His last few years he was delving into jazz apparently, but I'll always remember him for his version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

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Actually there's a Southern California cover band called Head First with a Blind Les Paul playing Lead Guitarist. He's absolutely phenomenal, even though he plays standing up he still has some very different techniques, specially when it comes to the use of his fret hands middle finger. Just goes to show, The sound is more important than how we arrive at it.

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