Jeff Beck (1944-2023)

Jeff Beck (24 June 1944–10 January 2023) played a leading role in revealing the potential of the electric guitar. In a career that spanned nearly six decades, he brought to light the instrument’s possibilities through his explorations of timbral nuance, tonal color, phrasing, use of space, note-bending, the use of electronic and other effects, and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic inventiveness. His playing could be aggressive or sensitive. In other words, he was a master of his craft. Even though he is first and foremost thought of as a rock guitarist—he was one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock and offered a prototype for heavy metal—his forays into blues, opera, jazz ballads, jazz/rock fusion, electronica, rockabilly, and funk speak to his abilities as a musical polyglot. While other guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton are often the first to be named as the “guitar heroes” of their generation, Page and Clapton were quick to name Beck as their hero. When he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Page stated, “[Beck] has developed a whole style … of expanding the electric guitar and [… creating] sounds and techniques totally unheard of before, and that’s just an amazing feat.”

Jeff Beck took piano lessons while growing up in South London. He later noted, “That was good because it made me realize that I was musically sound. My other training consisted of stretching rubber bands over tobacco cans and making horrible noises.” His attraction to the guitar was hastened by his introduction to the work of Les Paul and Cliff Gallup (Farber).

In 1965, on a recommendation from Jimmy Page, Beck joined the British rock group the Yardbirds, who had already gained fame in Canada and the United States. Beck’s penchant for sonic exploration is evident in the sitar-influenced riff that served as the primary hook for the group’s 1966 hit “Over Under Sideways Down.” The riff managed to capture the essence of the song’s title while exemplifying the bluesy, psychedelic sound that was central to the Yardbirds’ popularity.

Even though Beck worked with countless vocalists who sought him out as an accompanist during his career, he showed a fondness for instrumental work. His ability to make his instrument croon, wail, whimper, scream, chug, preach, and rejoice gave it vocal qualities rarely approached by other guitarists. This ability is evident throughout his 1974 album Blow by Blow. On the Stevie Wonder composition “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” Beck’s guitar wails with sensitivity. His nuanced approach is attained through beautiful note-bending, a wide range of dynamics, and subtle changes of timbre. Beck uses lots of space at first, slowly building over the course of the track. It is instrumental storytelling at its best. On “Freeway Jam,” another track from the same album, undergirded by a rock-funk keyboard texture, Beck begins by shooting out scorching riffs until the main theme emerges over a driving bass groove.

Beck’s next album, Wired, also without vocals, features “Led Boots” and “Come Dancing,” on which the guitarist’s lines lock in precisely with the funk backgrounds. As with Beck’s other forays into fusion, these two tracks fall much nearer to the rock side of the jazz/rock continuum. In “Come Dancing,” his solo starts in a low register, aided by an octave divider, an electronic effect that adds to his sonic palette. The contrast between “Come Dancing” and the next cut, “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” perhaps encapsulates Beck’s entire career. The latter tune was a ballad written by bassist Charles Mingus in honor of another jazz great, the pioneering saxophonist Lester Young. In the course of these two pieces, Beck goes from a quintessential fusion/funk groove to a brilliantly unique interpretation of a jazz ballad. Beck’s haunting tone takes the music out of the jazz realm and brings it into an alternate sonic universe. For the solo section, and continuing until the end, the group’s sound morphs into a slow rock/funk groove, over which Beck’s tone dramatically changes into a harder-edged sound. The musical ground covered over these two tunes is remarkable.

A good example of Beck’s ability to create a powerful hook can be heard in his accompaniment to Rod Stewart’s voice in the gospel/rhythm and blues rendition of “People Get Ready” on Beck’s 1985 album Flash. Beck’s searing guitar line acts as an answer to each verse. Another notable rendition of a ballad can be found on the album Emotion & Commotion, on which Beck approaches “Over the Rainbow” with an unexpected key change in the second verse. Here, there is no improvised solo. Beck knew not to mess with perfection. On the melody, he demonstrates his breadth of emotion with a tenderness not usually associated with a Fender electric guitar. Jeffrey George, Professor of Guitar Studies at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, notes,

Combining an ethereal, malleable, dynamic touch, brilliant melodic control and a universal approach that exploited every last bit of the guitar, Beck’s playing was something that, in many ways, transcended the instrument altogether. Notably, Beck abandoned the regular use of a guitar pick in the 1980s. While maintaining his virtuosity he was able to produce a stunning variety of sounds by using his thumb and fingers to articulate the guitar strings—with his right-hand ring finger on the volume knob and his little finger on the vibrato bar on his signature Fender Stratocaster.

Despite the praise accorded Beck for his artistry by his peers, he didn’t desire their super-stardom. “I’ve never made the big time, mercifully,” [he] told Rolling Stone in 2018. “When you look around and see who has made it huge, it’s a really rotten place to be” (Farber). In another interview, Beck again described his avoidance of guitar heroism as a protection to his mental health: “It’s a diabolical business,” he said. “I can’t imagine how hellish it must be to be hounded like Amy Winehouse and people like that. I have a little peripheral place on the outskirts of celebrity, when I go to premieres and that sort of stuff, which is as close as I want to get. I cherish my privacy, and woe betide anyone who tries to interfere with that” (Rohter).