🎸 Guitarist of the Month: Allan Holdsworth – December’s Master of the Infinite Fretboard
December is a time for reflecting — on the year, on growth, and in this case… on a guitarist who didn’t just think outside the box, but obliterated it entirely. This month, we’re spotlighting Allan Holdsworth, a musician whose approach to the guitar still leaves music theorists scratching their heads and fellow players dropping their picks in awe.
🎓 A Humble Start with a Brain Built for Music
Born in Bradford, England, in 1946, Allan Holdsworth didn’t start out as a fretboard wizard. In fact, he began playing the guitar relatively late — around age 17 — after dabbling in saxophone and violin. He was first taught by his father, a jazz pianist, and absorbed harmony and melody like a sponge.
Holdsworth had no formal conservatory training, but his musical IQ was light-years ahead of most. He didn’t think like a guitarist. He thought like a horn player — citing John Coltrane and Charlie Parker as major influences. This helped shape his signature legato style and phrasing that often sounded more like a sax solo than a stringed instrument.
🎶 Influences That Bent the Rules
While many guitarists of his era were copying Clapton or Hendrix, Holdsworth was deep into jazz and modern harmony. His primary influences included:
John Coltrane – for modal improvisation and melodic phrasing
Django Reinhardt – for technique and expression
Joe Pass & Charlie Christian – for jazz voicings and rhythmic ideas
Igor Stravinsky and Béla Bartók – for their harmonic exploration
His love for legato phrasing came from wanting to replicate the smooth, connected lines of horn players — and that led to a technique so fluid and seamless, it’s still unmatched.
🛠️ Tools of a Time-Traveling Guitarist
Holdsworth’s unique sound wasn’t just in his fingers. He made bold gear choices, including:
Custom baritone-scale guitars with extended range
Headless guitars (before they were cool)
The SynthAxe — an otherworldly guitar-synth hybrid that most players looked at and ran from… but Holdsworth made it sing like no one else
🏆 Accolades & Peer Worship
While never a household name like Clapton or Santana, Holdsworth’s influence ran deep and wide in the world of serious musicians. He was famously revered by:
Frank Zappa, who called him "one of the most interesting guitarists on the planet"
Eddie Van Halen, who idolized his technique and tone
Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, and Shawn Lane — all of whom have cited him as a foundational influence
Holdsworth was also featured in Guitar Player, JazzTimes, and Modern Guitarist, and is widely considered one of the most harmonically advanced guitarists of the 20th century.
📀 Key Albums in the Allan Holdsworth Discography
If you’re new to his work, don’t expect easy listening — but do expect to be inspired, challenged, and occasionally confused (in the best way possible). Here’s where to start:
🎧 Solo Albums:
“Velvet Darkness” (1976) – His debut, though he disowned the production
“I.O.U.” (1982) – Raw, expressive, and filled with daring improvisation
“Metal Fatigue” (1985) – A fan favorite and his most accessible fusion record
“Secrets” (1989) – Melodic, complex, and highly refined
“Wardenclyffe Tower” (1992) – Ambient, exploratory, and harmonically rich
🎧 Band Collaborations:
Soft Machine – Bundles (1975)
U.K. – U.K. (1978) – With Bill Bruford and John Wetton
Bruford – One of a Kind (1979) – Fusion gold
Gong, Tempest, and many more
Holdsworth’s musical career spanned over four decades, across dozens of collaborations, and each recording pushed musical boundaries in new directions.
✨ What Made Allan Holdsworth a Genius?
Harmonic vocabulary: He used chords that most players didn’t even know existed
Legato phrasing: A fluid, saxophone-inspired technique that defined his sound
Tone: His tone was warm, smooth, and utterly unique — often copied, never matched
Fearlessness: He didn’t care about mainstream approval; he followed his own vision
👨🏫 Inspired to Learn?
If you’re feeling bold (or just inspired), you can start diving into the Holdsworthian universe with:
Advanced legato techniques
Chord shapes beyond the major/minor rut
Understanding melodic phrasing through jazz and modal theory
And if you want personal help navigating the complexity of modern guitar theory or fusion playing, check out our lessons:
👉 mauiguitarandukulelelessons.com
🎸 Final Thoughts
Allan Holdsworth didn’t just play guitar — he redefined what the guitar could be. December is the perfect month to honor a man whose legacy continues to inspire the most fearless musicians out there.
He might’ve considered himself a saxophonist trapped in a guitarist’s body, but for us, he’ll always be one of the most visionary, brilliant, and mind-bending guitarists to ever touch six strings.