Steve Lynch
Steve Lynch (born January 18, 1955 is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist, as well as an instructor for the Guitar Institute of Technology at the Musician's Institute in Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and mastering the guitar when Jimi Hendrix died in 1970.
Steve Lynch | |
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Born | Seattle, Washington, U.S. | January 18, 1955
Genres | |
Instruments | Guitar |
Years active | 1970–present |
Associated acts |
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In addition to Hendrix, Lynch's early musical influences came from late-1960s and early-1970s British musicians, such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles.[1]
He originally played bass guitar, and Hendrix's death influenced him to switch. Lynch gradually developed his trademark two-handed (eight-finger) tapping technique throughout the 1970s and into the mid-1980s.[2]
Lynch reached national acclaim in the mid-1980s, when his then-current band, Autograph, scored a hit with "Turn Up the Radio,"[3] which reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] Lynch's work on this track helped earn him "Guitar Solo of the Year" honors from Guitar Magazine. He formed another band, Network 23, in 1990, shortly after Autograph had disbanded.
Lynch has published several books and instructional videos on his guitar style throughout his career.
When Autograph was offered the opening spot for Van Halen on their 1984 tour, Eddie Van Halen said that Lynch was not allowed to do his two-handed shredding during performances because it was "Eddie's thing." Steve Lynch said in an interview that he had perfected his "hammering" technique long before he ever heard of Eddie Van Halen, and he also said that touring with Van Halen was one of his least favorite experiences.[5]
Technique
Lynch is generally considered a highly skilled and innovative guitarist. His multi-fingered tapping technique, which he still teaches today, incorporates a complex approach to music theory and often requires the use of all four picking-hand fingers as well as those on the fretting hand. This approach means that Lynch's solos are often highly technically challenging. Perhaps the most elaborate recorded example of the technique is the unaccompanied instrumental track "Hammerhead," from Autograph's second album That's the Stuff. In 1985, Lynch won the "Guitar Solo of the Year" award from Guitar Player magazine for his solo on "Turn Up The Radio," Autograph's biggest hit.
References
- "Steve Lynch Interview". Guitarhoo!. Guitarhoo.com. 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
- Mueller, Michael (2008). Guitar Techniques: Strumming, Picking, Bending, Vibrato, Tapping, and Other Essential Tools of the Trade. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-4234-4272-1. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Biography: Autograph". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2006. Record Research. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- "Steve Lynch, Autograph, Steve Plunkett, Sign in Please, Turn Up the Radio, That's the Stuff" (Interview with Steve Lynch) @fullinbloom.com Retrieved 8-3-2013.