Most jazz guitarists reach for an amplified archtop. Earl Klugh went the other way: he built an entire celebrated career on the warm, woody voice of the nylon-string guitar, played purely with the fingers. The result is one of the most distinctive and beloved sounds in modern instrumental music.
A sound discovered young
Klugh's path was set as a teenager. At thirteen he heard recordings by Chet Atkins and suddenly grasped the full harmonic and melodic potential of the guitar — and Atkins remained the influence he names above all others. He also absorbed jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery, George Benson and Charlie Byrd, but his instrument of choice was always the classical nylon-string guitar rather than the jazz archtop.
Pure fingerstyle warmth
Klugh plays fingerstyle, never with a pick, drawing a soft, rounded, singing tone from the nylon strings. That gentle warmth became his signature across a long run of acclaimed albums, where melody always comes first. Interestingly, he has often said he does not see himself as a jazz guitarist at all — his heart is in beautiful melodic playing, whatever the label.
Why he matters to the classical guitar
Klugh showed that the nylon-string guitar could carry smooth jazz, pop and easy-listening to a huge audience, and that fingerstyle on classical strings could be every bit as sophisticated as any amplified jazz line. For many listeners, his records were their first encounter with just how lovely a nylon-string guitar can sound.
FAQ
Does Earl Klugh play a classical guitar?
Yes — he plays the nylon-string classical guitar, fingerstyle, rather than the usual jazz archtop.
Who influenced him most?
Chet Atkins above all, along with jazz guitarists such as Wes Montgomery, George Benson and Charlie Byrd.
Does he use a pick?
No — he plays purely fingerstyle, which gives his nylon-string sound its soft warmth.
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