Join Guitar World for an exclusive interview and lesson with legendary guitarist Steve Howe from Yes. For more of this interview and lesson, check out guitarworld.com
I saw him about 8 years ago sipping a tea at Heathrow all by himself. No one recognized him. Went up and introduced myself and told him I was a huge fan. He smiled, asked me to have a seat and bought me a coffee. Sweetheart of a guy...didn’t want to talk about himself, but kept asking me about my guitar playing, my family etc. Great memory I’ll have until I die.
So many people trash Steve as being some sort of grump but I met him back in the 70's and the man spent almost AN HOUR speaking with me and my guitar instructor and he's TOTALLY COOL, I absolutely love the guy - greatest prog rock guitarist EVER, yeah he gets mad once in awhile... welcome to life cupcakes! If people have an issue with him, more often than not it turns out they were likely assholes or fools - that is one thing, Steve does not suffer fools gladly, nor should he have to!
I agree. It is amazing how people think of him as a grouch. Whenever I've seen him in ANY interview setting, he seems like the nicest guy. Like a "going out of his way to be accommodating and cool to people" kind of nice. I guess everybody who's famous has to suffer the public making up stories about them or exaggerating a time when they did get onto a minor scrape, like we all do at one time or another. He's entitled to have bad days and not be happy about it, just like the rest of us.
Yeah he seems lovely, I think mainly its when Chris Squire fools about round him on stage and Steve doesn't even smile or acknowledge, even when Chris is putting his face in his lol, but I love it, Steve's that much in his zone, nothing around him fazes him
Part of people's mistaken notion that SH is a grump comes from his clowning around onstage during his solo bit. I've seen Yes about 20 times, and I've been up close most of the times. Steve loves to tease the front rows and gets them yelling, then he says, "don't yell at me", pretending to be all serious even though it's his game. Then he eggs them on even more so they will keep yelling at him. It's a running gag from many years back. Gotta love it. People who aren't paying close attention only see the part when he seriously scolds those front rows who are playing along with him.
For a great example, you can see him clowning around with the crowd during this solo. ruclips.net/video/lSA6_a0dauI/видео.html When Jon Davison is getting ready to sing "Leaves of Green", Steve acts like he is shocked by the screams from the crowd, and he does the first two notes of the intro, stops, and restarts three times while Jon is standing there just smiling at the whole thing. What a character that Steve is!
It's so cool to see how enthusiastic he is about his instrument. Look how animated he gets when he gets to talk about it, even after so many years! We should all be so lucky.
Luc Bergeron Oh, I heard about that one two, although I never saw anyone playing. Wich is the exact difference between it and the Warr guitar? And I think of maybe buying one of those to try and learn to play it or just "playing with it" instead if I don't manage to learn how to play it correctly. haha
SuperTortilhaDeMorango Well, I don't know much about Warr guitars, but I can tell you that the Chapman Stick is the original fretboard tapping instrument. I've seen Warrs in action with Trey Gunn, and he is a great musician and brings a lot of music out of them. Sticks are less complicated, not as heavy, the fretboard is not as wide, and they can be easily adjusted by the user to accommodate different tunings and string gauges. From what I know from Stick players who have also owned Warr guitars, the customer service from Stick Enterprises is a thousand times better. I have had spectacular service from them myself. You should check out www.stick.com.
At 3:08 "Thinking about something, sometimes can bring you into the wrong kind of headspace." That's a lesson not just in guitar, but in life coming straight from the progressive guitar master himself.
Playing songs on this level has to be muscle memory. Thinking about it puts 1 too many things to think about in your head. Guys like him usually make more mistakes on simply songs because they are boring and the mind drfts. I bet you understand what I'm talking about.
Two of my favorite guitar players, Steve Hackett and Steve Howe. I'm so glad for them and sad that they're hardly ever mentioned on the top of most mainstream lists. What makes it even sadder is the inability for others to discover them.
Now that you mentioned it, there needs to be a band with Steve Howe, Steve Hackett and Steven Stills (or Steve Morse). They can call themselves the Three Steves.
I totally agree with Steve's idea about 'not thinking' about how you're playing something. If I get in that mindset, especially when I'm trying to play something complex, over-analysing what I'm doing makes me go wrong.
A mad scientist, a technician and a soulful from-the-gut-and-the-heart player all at the same time. He's been in my head a lot lately, especially the Close to the Edge album.
Steve Howe has always been my favorite guitarist. Yes - I have a fan since 1971 when I was a sophomore in High School. Nothing ever like them no matter how many bands try to mimic their sound.
When I hear the name Steve Howe, I think of magic, brilliance, monumental playing and truly inspiring songs. Here's a guy that could burn up the fretboard one second and play the most beautifully haunting melody the next. "We're not worthy!"
I was so lucky to have discovered Steve Howe's playing back in 1973 when I was just 14 years old. It's so sad to hear what youngsters are growing up listening to these days.
Steve, so sorry to hear about Chris! No One will ever do what YES has done for the music world. When I was 16 I heard Mood, then Clap, learned to play from a gifted teacher thank you so much for this video. I am 54 now and the gift still gives. ThanKs!
Years ago, he’d stopped with his band at a service station near Newcastle. He walked past our table and I recognised him. He saw that I had and visibly brightened, but I bottled it and didn’t tell him how much pleasure his work had given me over decades: I still regret not taking that opportunity to say ‘thank you’.
I was realy blessed when I had a chance to see Steve playing live, there is no words to explain the fellings. Wish so hard meet him in person once just to thanks all the wonderfull art he did to the universe. Thanks a lot Steve!!👏👏👏👏👏
+Jim Luschen He sure is, but what a ugly one. Hell, when i had al the money he has and looked like him, i would have spend some money on plastic surgery and some hair implants and a tooth job. Not that i'm the prettiest guy in the world, but i'm nowhere near as ugly as he is.
The relentless curiosity and creativity, the childlike joy of fooling around with the instrument. I imagine all the greats have that. Wonderful to see.
LOVE how he put the 5th on the bottom and top of the C shaped chord, taking it from Em/G, Em Maj7(no 5)/D#, C to straight up G, D#, C. Brilliant. Such subtlety. Genius! What a sweet chord progression.
Genius on many instruments, the heart that became YES. Without Steve Howe in Yes, we wouldn't have great albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge and Going for the One.
what he is doing with his right hand is just as complex as what he is doing with his left. If you cant mimic the right hand with a pick and also finger picking at the same time, you cannot copy him. and he makes it look so frigging effortless. GENIUS!!!!
I'm so way late on this thread but I grew up with Steve Howe, Chris Squire and the music of Yes. Such an incredible band and as we're allowed to catch glimpses along the way; we see what a beautiful human being Steve is. I've never read a comment that wasn't Steve wanting to share with others. It was never about him. I've heard very few guitarists who played with such variation. One of the first difficult songs I learned when I first started playing was Mood for a Day. Taught to me by a Filipino friend of mine. Even then, All nationalities were in on this guy's Virtuosity. His time on this planet was not wasted and we're so lucky to still have Him with us.
Brilliant musician and guitarist, my favorite since first hearing Yes in the early '70s. Imaginative, compelling, beautiful phrasing and absolutely on the edge. God bless you and thank you! I'm 62 and still very much a fan.
Wow! This is great! I remember sitting in my bedroom with my cheepo acoustic in the 70's listening to those Yes records over and over trying to work out those guitar parts! I'm amazed how close I got! The hardest one was "Mood For A Day", man that took me a whole week solid graft just to get the bare bones of that tune down! And a whole lifetime to perfect it! The young guitar players staring out today don't know how lucky they are to have all the resources at their fingertips on the internet. I'd have killed for just a day of that type of insight back then. It would have saved to much time.
Steve takes me to another universe, one filled with intense sublime emotion, and is a reminder of what is good and wholesome for the mind, body and soul. Yes, I Love ‘Steve’ soul spirit entity!
I'm so happy I found this video! A few years back I fell in love with the Würm chord progression before I even heard Starship Trooper or even the band itself for that matter. Glad to hear he tries not to think too hard about his guitar work though lol
This is the rare "rock" guitarist who has authentic jazz chops--post Bird melodic lines and a real sense of "swing" (sadly, the word itself has all but disappeared from the lexicon of listeners). His 2008 album (titled after the Roland Kirk tune in the program) is a winner. I rarely find guys--incl lots of jazz guitarists, who give Kenny Burrell credit for anything. It's always Wes, Wes and Wes (occasionally Joe Pass or Metheny). I heard Kenny before any of these other guys and found I could listen to him for long, repeated stretches withour fatigue. Beautiful lines, right in the pocket of the pulse created by Art Blakey and the great Doug Watkins. Next, Kenny made an album with Coltrane (on Prestige, not Blue Note). Next, he became Jimmy Smith's favorite guitarist. In recent years Kenny has been head of Duke Ellington Studies at UCLA (Duke hated guitarists--never used them). But Howe definitely gives a tip of his hat to Burrell on the above record and references his melodic style and understated but lovely tone. And no prcoessing or pedals (thinking of Frisell). It's a great organ trio album by Steve Howe.
Ive always liked Steve Howes ideas and style since i was a teenager 50 years ago. And as a guitarist myself, I respect his talent and skills, and his most melodic contribution to music and performance. Steve is amongst the elite. The finest of musicians in the world yesterday and today.
I am so grateful Steve Howe has made himself so accessible and shared so much over the years. Watching him demonstrate and explain his masterful guitar work from Yes music I grew up with is nothing short of incredible.
To me, Steve is a big part of why Yes music has survived to this day. While other 'classic rock' groups have sort of lost their luster for me as a listener in my senior years, I still enjoy Yes as much now as back then.
It's amazing how articulate many of the rock musicians are from the 60s and 70s: Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Paul McCartney, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabrielle, Pete Townsend, Roger Waters, David Gilmore, Jon Anderson. etc. Listen to any one of them - not just how they play their instruments - but how they speak of music. Real musicianship. Too bad music has devolved into something more self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, cookie-cutter-driven songs about humping and visual image.
I saw Steve at a spot in Orangevale, CA, probably 25 years ago. What a great, personable, everyday guy. It was as great to hear him converse with the small group of people as it is to hear him play, as if possible
He is a genius. Nobody can play "the clap". The lyrics of "starship trooper" is very revealing, but I don't think he wrote those lyrics. Great songs recorded in 1971. I was 13 to 14. I enjoyed those songs, but did not understand their meaning. I wish I could have kept my innocence.
I used to sit in my back room put on YES lps and practise my butt off to learn Steve Howe guitar parts all day it was better than learning scales more musical thanks for the Best Guitar solos Steve
You have no idea the impact youve had on my life. First heard you round 75. Inspired me to start my first band. Still listening every day. Thank you, sir!
Steve Howe is the most complete rock guitarist of them all. He can play any style and merge it all together. That picking pattern in Starship Trooper is amazing; no one else could come up with something like that. He brought a lot of jazz and country elements to his playing that make it truly unique.
I have seen that one, isnt that where they played Soundchaser? One of my favs. He seems to be so focused and I think he closed his eyes. Loved Yes with Moraz
He really enjoys talking about his craft, and he does it very well. It is very satisfying to find out that someone who's ability captured your heart is also a nice person.
certainly not..I.m simply expressing a heartfelt opinion, which I'm entitled to do..without the insults..is that ok with you rubicon?..or would you rather I just went with your flow?
I saw him about 8 years ago sipping a tea at Heathrow all by himself. No one recognized him. Went up and introduced myself and told him I was a huge fan. He smiled, asked me to have a seat and bought me a coffee. Sweetheart of a guy...didn’t want to talk about himself, but kept asking me about my guitar playing, my family etc. Great memory I’ll have until I die.
Bless you...
Wow! That's so cool. He sure seems like a down to earth guy. One of my favorite guitarists.
Well damn. Way cool story!
FonTOStic!
Wow
Steve Howe is a gift to humanity. His Mother should be inducted into the Rock Hall in Cleveland just for bringing him into the world.
I wish I could have said it myself. Where do I have to sign?
Just for that one song 'Yours is no Disgrace'
His first song on his first album with a new band, talk about starting with a bang!
Are you 12 years old?
You've got that right!
everytime he plays i always go like "Wtf just happened?"
he's so good....a living legend indeed
And he's still alive
Steve Howe is masterfully proficient at making music non boring. He is a true wizard of the neck.
Jon Lemon?
So many people trash Steve as being some sort of grump but I met him back in the 70's and the man spent almost AN HOUR speaking with me and my guitar instructor and he's TOTALLY COOL, I absolutely love the guy - greatest prog rock guitarist EVER, yeah he gets mad once in awhile... welcome to life cupcakes! If people have an issue with him, more often than not it turns out they were likely assholes or fools - that is one thing, Steve does not suffer fools gladly, nor should he have to!
I agree. It is amazing how people think of him as a grouch. Whenever I've seen him in ANY interview setting, he seems like the nicest guy. Like a "going out of his way to be accommodating and cool to people" kind of nice. I guess everybody who's famous has to suffer the public making up stories about them or exaggerating a time when they did get onto a minor scrape, like we all do at one time or another. He's entitled to have bad days and not be happy about it, just like the rest of us.
What???
Yeah he seems lovely, I think mainly its when Chris Squire fools about round him on stage and Steve doesn't even smile or acknowledge, even when Chris is putting his face in his lol, but I love it, Steve's that much in his zone, nothing around him fazes him
Part of people's mistaken notion that SH is a grump comes from his clowning around onstage during his solo bit. I've seen Yes about 20 times, and I've been up close most of the times. Steve loves to tease the front rows and gets them yelling, then he says, "don't yell at me", pretending to be all serious even though it's his game. Then he eggs them on even more so they will keep yelling at him. It's a running gag from many years back. Gotta love it. People who aren't paying close attention only see the part when he seriously scolds those front rows who are playing along with him.
For a great example, you can see him clowning around with the crowd during this solo. ruclips.net/video/lSA6_a0dauI/видео.html
When Jon Davison is getting ready to sing "Leaves of Green", Steve acts like he is shocked by the screams from the crowd, and he does the first two notes of the intro, stops, and restarts three times while Jon is standing there just smiling at the whole thing. What a character that Steve is!
It's so cool to see how enthusiastic he is about his instrument. Look how animated he gets when he gets to talk about it, even after so many years! We should all be so lucky.
That's a very economical comment, Bergeron..............
Wow, is that you with the Warr guitar in this pic? Man, I can't even begin imagining how hard it must be playing that thing...
SuperTortilhaDeMorango
Chapman Stick, actually. It's their newest model, called the Railboard. And yes, it's a mind-bender, but I'm loving it!
Luc Bergeron Oh, I heard about that one two, although I never saw anyone playing. Wich is the exact difference between it and the Warr guitar? And I think of maybe buying one of those to try and learn to play it or just "playing with it" instead if I don't manage to learn how to play it correctly. haha
SuperTortilhaDeMorango
Well, I don't know much about Warr guitars, but I can tell you that the Chapman Stick is the original fretboard tapping instrument. I've seen Warrs in action with Trey Gunn, and he is a great musician and brings a lot of music out of them. Sticks are less complicated, not as heavy, the fretboard is not as wide, and they can be easily adjusted by the user to accommodate different tunings and string gauges. From what I know from Stick players who have also owned Warr guitars, the customer service from Stick Enterprises is a thousand times better. I have had spectacular service from them myself. You should check out www.stick.com.
I could listen to Steve play all day long.
I often do.
Steve was sent down from heaven to play for us. And Chris was his perfect compliment. RIP Chris Squire.
+ Bill Bruford .
Genius guitar player
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Added a below fith and a g up top..Out of the box playing from 1971. Genuis. It was the wurm outro that i was blown away by.
At 3:08 "Thinking about something, sometimes can bring you into the wrong kind of headspace." That's a lesson not just in guitar, but in life coming straight from the progressive guitar master himself.
Playing songs on this level has to be muscle memory. Thinking about it puts 1 too many things to think about in your head. Guys like him usually make more mistakes on simply songs because they are boring and the mind drfts. I bet you understand what I'm talking about.
That's EXACTLY what i zoned in on!
Very true
So happy he said that! I play music to be free from my thoughts.
Two of my favorite guitar players, Steve Hackett and Steve Howe. I'm so glad for them and sad that they're hardly ever mentioned on the top of most mainstream lists. What makes it even sadder is the inability for others to discover them.
Now that you mentioned it, there needs to be a band with Steve Howe, Steve Hackett and Steven Stills (or Steve Morse). They can call themselves the Three Steves.
A natural musician. They exist, and can't explain what they are doing.
Steve Howe - my all time fav. guitarist.
Thanks dude!
I totally agree with Steve's idea about 'not thinking' about how you're playing something. If I get in that mindset, especially when I'm trying to play something complex, over-analysing what I'm doing makes me go wrong.
Steve,your music changed my life ,my children listen to your music and now my grand children are listening too.thank you for the magic.
youve got a amazing family then
There's a reason Steve, five-time Guitar Player Magazine's "Player of the Year," was put in the magazine's "Hall of the Immortals!"
"Howe to Play"
nicklassayshi
“Yes”
👏
Nice one
And win !
Underrated comment.
A mad scientist, a technician and a soulful from-the-gut-and-the-heart player all at the same time. He's been in my head a lot lately, especially the Close to the Edge album.
Steve Howe has always been my favorite guitarist. Yes - I have a fan since 1971 when I was a sophomore in High School. Nothing ever like them no matter how many bands try to mimic their sound.
He makes the near impossible look like child's play! Dam he's good!!!
When I hear the name Steve Howe, I think of magic, brilliance, monumental playing and truly inspiring songs. Here's a guy that could burn up the fretboard one second and play the most beautifully haunting melody the next. "We're not worthy!"
I was so lucky to have discovered Steve Howe's playing back in 1973 when I was just 14 years old. It's so sad to hear what youngsters are growing up listening to these days.
Steve Howe's love and affection for the guitar is contagious!
Steve, so sorry to hear about Chris! No One will ever do what YES has done for the music world. When I was 16 I heard Mood, then Clap, learned to play from a gifted teacher thank you so much for this video. I am 54 now and the gift still gives. ThanKs!
I could sit and watch him play all day -a lot to be learned from the craft of this man
Saw him at Cobo Hall in Detroit from the second row main floor. He was right in front of me. Watched him play with my jaw on the floor the whole show.
Steve was one of my earliest influences when I first started learning guitar 40 + years ago. He can do it all.
Years ago, he’d stopped with his band at a service station near Newcastle. He walked past our table and I recognised him. He saw that I had and visibly brightened, but I bottled it and didn’t tell him how much pleasure his work had given me over decades: I still regret not taking that opportunity to say ‘thank you’.
Just keep having fun! Good advice. Steve Howe always look like he loves what he does and keeps having fun.
You were my guitar hero as a child Steve Howe, and I spent ages stopping and starting the record player learning to play yours is no disgrace. Xx
I was realy blessed when I had a chance to see Steve playing live, there is no words to explain the fellings.
Wish so hard meet him in person once just to thanks all the wonderfull art he did to the universe.
Thanks a lot Steve!!👏👏👏👏👏
I could watch this stuff all day love Steve how and what guitar work he gave us it was just so different from anything else very talented man.
Fantastic expensive lessons guided by a direct guitar master Mr Steve Howe. I like melody " Your's is no disgrace" 👍👍👍👍👍
Grew up listening to this phenomenal guitar player. Kudos to Steve Howe.
Steve Howe is such a genius!
I could listen to Steve Howe talking about playing guitar all day long and never get tired :-)
That's great! He' been my favorite guitarist of all time.
Steve - favorite guitarist of All time
God I love this guy.
Probably the all around greatest guitar player ever.
ryan401 probably .....is......😅
Agreed.
You better believe that
Lenny Breau
Without a doubt
Steve Howe is an international treasure. I hope he lives forever.
My all time favorite guitarist player - and I've been playing for 50 years!
Steve Howe is one of the most overlooked guitar God's that ever played. God bless you Steve! You are one of my most influential heroes on guitar!
Steve Howe, the One True Guitar God.
+Jim Luschen
He sure is, but what a ugly one. Hell, when i had al the money he has and looked like him, i would have
spend some money on plastic surgery and some hair implants and a tooth job. Not that i'm the prettiest guy
in the world, but i'm nowhere near as ugly as he is.
+Heepster he looks fine for real. you guys have high standards, he's a very plain looking man
+Paul Blart yep,Mr Howe was never a matinee idol to begin with but a great guitar player and that's all that counts.
+Chromaesthesia
he was already ugly 25 years ago, so i think he saw less pussy
than you think.
+8un3zz Well said!
Yes! Love Steve. Complete player.
Love watching him do this sort of thing. Now we know!
The relentless curiosity and creativity, the childlike joy of fooling around with the instrument. I imagine all the greats have that. Wonderful to see.
The finest all around guitarist of a generation...
A living legend.
LOVE how he put the 5th on the bottom and top of the C shaped chord, taking it from Em/G, Em Maj7(no 5)/D#, C
to straight up G, D#, C.
Brilliant. Such subtlety. Genius! What a sweet chord progression.
Genius on many instruments, the heart that became YES. Without Steve Howe in Yes, we wouldn't have great albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge and Going for the One.
Steve Howe. A TRUE MASTER!!!
what he is doing with his right hand is just as complex as what he is doing with his left. If you cant mimic the right hand with a pick and also finger picking at the same time, you cannot copy him. and he makes it look so frigging effortless. GENIUS!!!!
I'm so way late on this thread but I grew up with Steve Howe, Chris Squire and the music of Yes. Such an incredible band and as we're allowed to catch glimpses along the way; we see what a beautiful human being Steve is. I've never read a comment that wasn't Steve wanting to share with others. It was never about him. I've heard very few guitarists who played with such variation. One of the first difficult songs I learned when I first started playing was Mood for a Day. Taught to me by a Filipino friend of mine. Even then, All nationalities were in on this guy's Virtuosity. His time on this planet was not wasted and we're so lucky to still have Him with us.
Brilliant musician and guitarist, my favorite since first hearing Yes in the early '70s. Imaginative, compelling, beautiful phrasing and absolutely on the edge. God bless you and thank you! I'm 62 and still very much a fan.
Wow! This is great! I remember sitting in my bedroom with my cheepo acoustic in the 70's listening to those Yes records over and over trying to work out those guitar parts! I'm amazed how close I got! The hardest one was "Mood For A Day", man that took me a whole week solid graft just to get the bare bones of that tune down! And a whole lifetime to perfect it! The young guitar players staring out today don't know how lucky they are to have all the resources at their fingertips on the internet. I'd have killed for just a day of that type of insight back then. It would have saved to much time.
He's got the perfect hands for a guitarist his pinky is longer than my middle finger
I love Steve's inventiveness and his technical ability is second to none.
Steve takes me to another universe, one filled with intense sublime emotion, and is a reminder of what is good and wholesome for the mind, body and soul. Yes, I Love ‘Steve’ soul spirit entity!
“When I play I don’t think about it really”.- That’s called genius.
whoever put thumbs down are insane.
Great lesson video, thanks for posting this video!
I’ve been lucky enough to have seen Yes in concert several different times over the years!!!!!
Thank you for being Steve Howe.
I'm so happy I found this video! A few years back I fell in love with the Würm chord progression before I even heard Starship Trooper or even the band itself for that matter. Glad to hear he tries not to think too hard about his guitar work though lol
This is the rare "rock" guitarist who has authentic jazz chops--post Bird melodic lines and a real sense of "swing" (sadly, the word itself has all but disappeared from the lexicon of listeners). His 2008 album (titled after the Roland Kirk tune in the program) is a winner. I rarely find guys--incl lots of jazz guitarists, who give Kenny Burrell credit for anything. It's always Wes, Wes and Wes (occasionally Joe Pass or Metheny). I heard Kenny before any of these other guys and found I could listen to him for long, repeated stretches withour fatigue. Beautiful lines, right in the pocket of the pulse created by Art Blakey and the great Doug Watkins. Next, Kenny made an album with Coltrane (on Prestige, not Blue Note). Next, he became Jimmy Smith's favorite guitarist. In recent years Kenny has been head of Duke Ellington Studies at UCLA (Duke hated guitarists--never used them). But Howe definitely gives a tip of his hat to Burrell on the above record and references his melodic style and understated but lovely tone. And no prcoessing or pedals (thinking of Frisell). It's a great organ trio album by Steve Howe.
He's such a sweetheart!! so down to earth, lets us peer into his genius. My favorite interview, of anyone, thank you
Steve Howe is one musician who I have an immense amount of respect for. Keep on playing, Steve!
At 2:45 he says, "I don't know how I found that part." I know Steve. You're a genius!
Steve Howe... the real deal!
Genius. Could watch that style of playing for hours, brilliant guitar playing/writing.
Ive always liked Steve Howes ideas and style since i was a teenager 50 years ago. And as a guitarist myself, I respect his talent and skills, and his most melodic contribution to music and performance. Steve is amongst the elite. The finest of musicians in the world yesterday and today.
The best That’s all I need to say . my favorite of all time
Es Superlativo, una verdadera pieza musical, de culto.
I told my older brother the same thing, I think hes rocks overall best guitar player.
Truly the guitar MASTER
Steve Howe composed great and filigree melodies. one of my favorite guitarist.
I am so grateful Steve Howe has made himself so accessible and shared so much over the years. Watching him demonstrate and explain his masterful guitar work from Yes music I grew up with is nothing short of incredible.
A true rock (and so much more) guitar LEGEND! A guitarist's guitarist!
Brilliance
Man!! That old man can fly!! Steve Howe is definitely one of the best classical guitarists.
I think this "teacher" has a future in the biz:). Just fantastic
Steve makes the guitar sound so beautiful,nice and easy,but is a very complicated thecnique he uses, mix of country and jazz ,he is great,period
“They let me do it” lol. 50 years later, he takes the helm and runs the whole goddamn show!
Been listening to his music for decades and it never gets old.
Wow what a gifted man amazing talent
When somebody says "prog took the blues out of rock" I just smile and say "I supose u dont know Mr.Howe"
Well put
Steve you are the best! !!
To me, Steve is a big part of why Yes music has survived to this day. While other 'classic rock' groups have sort of lost their luster for me as a listener in my senior years, I still enjoy Yes as much now as back then.
Steve you are thee greatest guitarist, ever. I love what you share, you are the direct connection to GOD, thank you
It's amazing how articulate many of the rock musicians are from the 60s and 70s:
Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Paul McCartney, Robert Fripp, Peter Gabrielle, Pete Townsend, Roger Waters, David Gilmore, Jon Anderson. etc. Listen to any one of them - not just how they play their instruments - but how they speak of music. Real musicianship. Too bad music has devolved into something more self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, cookie-cutter-driven songs about humping and visual image.
Amen brother!
Then you've got Ozzy....
*****
There's always one...lol
Check out Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson. You'll find the spirit, musicianship, and intelligence you appreciate alive and well. Enjoy!
Joe Maissel
Are they mainstream though?
Steve teaches in 5 minutes what I used to learn in 5 year
I saw Steve at a spot in Orangevale, CA, probably 25 years ago. What a great, personable, everyday guy. It was as great to hear him converse with the small group of people as it is to hear him play, as if possible
One of the greatest understated guitar genius'. Deserves MORE recognition.
It's like God saying, "Oh, that bit with making roses, it went like this. . . . "
He is a genius. Nobody can play "the clap".
The lyrics of "starship trooper" is very revealing, but I don't think he wrote those lyrics.
Great songs recorded in 1971. I was 13 to 14. I enjoyed those songs, but did not understand their meaning.
I wish I could have kept my innocence.
I used to sit in my back room put on YES lps and practise my butt off to learn Steve Howe guitar parts all day it was better than learning scales more musical thanks for the Best Guitar solos Steve
You have no idea the impact youve had on my life. First heard you round 75. Inspired me to start my first band. Still listening every day. Thank you, sir!
Steve Howe is the most complete rock guitarist of them all. He can play any style and merge it all together. That picking pattern in Starship Trooper is amazing; no one else could come up with something like that. He brought a lot of jazz and country elements to his playing that make it truly unique.
YES! I love Steve Howe playing guitar (not necessarily acoustic!)
Steve seems like quite a character in this video, far from his face on stage. Great player and love the chance to see how that is played
I have seen that one, isnt that where they played Soundchaser? One of my favs. He seems to be so focused and I think he closed his eyes. Loved Yes with Moraz
hes a real talent. he makes it look so effortless
He really enjoys talking about his craft, and he does it very well. It is very satisfying to find out that someone who's ability captured your heart is also a nice person.
this guy makes Jimmy Page sound like a ukelele player!!
It's unnecessary to hate one somebody in order to praise another.
Tony, are you as ignorant as your comment suggests?
certainly not..I.m simply expressing a heartfelt opinion, which I'm entitled to do..without the insults..is that ok with you rubicon?..or would you rather I just went with your flow?
Tony McQuarters You're a tool McQuarters. Both are amazing, but DIFFERENT players! We all have our own opinions, some just come from places of lunacy.
Jimmy page is sloppy.
My Precious..
+Larry Bird lol!
" I had an acetate, a chrunchy old record". Got to love this dude.
“I don’t like to think about what I’m playing because that will just make it harder...” Amazing, natural, musician.