Following on from our look at Eddie Van Halen in Part I, we turn our attention here to other guitarists who have thought outside the box and advanced the art. The investigation into Eddie Van Halen and his life in Part I turned up factors in a chart that led on to looking at other legendary guitarists for similar factors and turned out to be an interesting study. I had a lot of fun with this piece and listened to some amazing guitar. Some of the people listed in what follows had difficult lives and had to overcome obstacles to get to their place of success. Some of them died tragic deaths or died young, and in their case we quote Neil Young: “It’s better to burn out than to waste away.” The thing that interests us here, though, are certain planetary combinations that go toward the manual dexterity and free thought of great musicians – in this case, guitarists – both of which go toward virtuosity and originality in performance.
Mention was made of Uranus in Part I in aspect to the angles or the Sun in the case of the innovators in guitar. That would apply to any field of work. Uranus is the planet that brings in the new, shatters old paradigms, introduces an increased awareness and advances the human condition. It is found where independence is the order of the day, and directions and transits of Uranus or to Uranus indicate change is upon a person and more often than not stirs a sense of, “I want to break free!” That said, Uranus is often found active in relationship breakups, but also in significant changes that advance relationships. It is also found in cases of sudden deaths and accidents, especially when connected with the Sun.
There is another factor, though, that is found often in the charts of great guitarists, and that is Mars in aspect to the Sun. That same factor will be found in performers on any musical instrument where great adaptability, courage (as in appearing on stage), daring (as in trying something new on the spot, or moving out of one’s comfort zone) and – notably – where physical flexibility, endurance and especially manual dexterity is needed. Most of the guitarists we will look at here have the aforementioned planetary combinations in common, namely the Sun and/or angles in a major aspect with Mars, Uranus or both. And since this post follows on from the one about Eddie Van Halen, we are looking solely at guitarists here.
However, aside from Mars and Uranus there are other planetary combinations that contribute to the difference between ‘your average guitarist’ and the greats. We might list a few of those factors below, keeping in mind that the Mars and Uranus aspects usually set great performers apart from the crowd:
- Sun/Jupiter: a wide range of expression, magnetism, copious luck and influence, transcending many styles
- Sun/Saturn: The ambition and drive that leads to success. Also, the care and practice needed to enable great talent to shine. This gives the 90% of work that grows the 10% of talent.
- Sun/Neptune: Imagination and unusual abilities and styles
- Mars/Saturn: Flawless technique and performance. This also generates wealth.
There are too many great guitarists to mention in this post, and probably thousands more that can come close to or equal these mentioned in ability, about whom we will never hear, and who will remain unsung heroes of the art. They could be our neighbors, local store owners or laborers for all we know. Fame is not in everyone’s chart. But one thing that stands out with the guitarists to follow is a unique combination of factors that has contributed to their success.
While it is true that Uranus gives the urge to innovate and break free of established norms, Mars in aspect with the Sun in addition will tend to yield extreme technique, lightning-fast presentation, and as we will see, the main guitar shredders – virtuoso performers – often have both factors present.
Below is a short list of guitarists who had those combinations to the Sun and/or angles. There are videos linked in the nicknames showing their unique talents (skip the irritating ads and go straight to the videos). Their charts are linked in the (charts) brackets. As there are so many artists listed, we will have to leave graphics out of this post, save for one of interest at the end. At the head of the following list, we go back to one of the very first people to use an electric guitar in performance, thus laying claim to solo status instead of guitar being solely a rhythm instrument in bands:
Charlie ‘The Legend’ Christian: Sun/Moon/Neptune square Jupiter and sextile Mars. The father of modern jazz guitar. This was the guy who started it all with electric guitar and single-note, soaring solos – hence his legendary status in the guitar world. Best known for his work with Benny Goodman’s sextet and big band. Precursor to bebop. Unfortunately we don’t have live videos of him. Died of tuberculosis and overwork at 25. (chart)
Wes ‘Boss Guitar’ Montgomery: Sun conjunct Uranus, semisquare Mars. Jazz man and one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century. Took his initial inspiration from Charlie Christian and then expanded it. Known for playing with his thumb on the picking hand instead of a pick (learned that way so as to not disturb the neighbors late at night) and his use of octaves in his solos. Died of a heart attack at age 45. (chart)
BB ‘King of the Blues’ King: Sun conjunct Mars, opposite Uranus. Blues guitarist. He wasn’t much to look at technically, but BB had a wide reach in the rock and blues world. He is known for his string bending and big vibrato in his solos, which are now a staple in electric guitar. It is not something one thinks about today, but when he came along his sound was new, as was his style, and his style remains a very distinctive. He was an innovator and individualist in his day and stands apart from every other blues guitarist. He is known as ‘King of the Blues’. On hearing him, the thrill is certainly not gone. Died in his sleep at 89. (chart)
Django ‘Two Fingers’ Reinhardt: Sun in wide conjunction with Uranus, Sun square Mars. ‘Two fingers’ refers to his only having the use of his index and middle fingers on his fretboard hand due to injury in a fire. Django played like his hands were on fire, with a speed that was unmatched in his day (Sun square Mars). He and Stephane Grappelli were the kings of ‘Gypsy Swing’. He could do more with his two fingers than most guitarists could do with ten. Died of a brain hemorrhage at 43. (chart)
Chet ‘Nashville’ Atkins: Sun in a grand trine with Mars and Saturn. Chet, along with a few others, was one of the founders of ‘the Nashville sound’. He is known for his finger-picking style, which was smooth and flawless, contributed to by the Saturn in the grand trine. A true gentleman in the guitar world and in life. Every finger-picker learns on Chet Atkins. (chart)
Lenny ‘Cascade’ Breau: Sun trine Mars and sextile Jupiter. Saturn and Uranus conjunct the Vertex, sextile Mercury. Accomplished jazz guitarist and prodigy with extreme right hand technique. Most lauded for his ‘cascading harmonics’, which was unconventional at the time. Found drowned in his swimming pool at 43, ruled a murder, but no one was prosecuted. (chart)
Eric ‘God’ Clapton: Sun sextile Uranus, opposite Neptune. The ‘God’ appellation was a nickname he accrued among his fans and he was the first to be elevated to the cult status of a lead guitar hero. Rated as one of the most influential rock/blues guitarists of all time and winner of many awards. The only person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times. Quite distinctive style and is known for his long sustained notes during solos, which can run long. (chart)
Roy ‘Telecaster King’ Buchanan: Sun trine Mars. Known as one of the most expressive guitarists and largely unsung. Also known for his distinctive Telecaster sound and work. Largely Rockabilly in style and technically excellent. Past problems with alcohol and heroin. Found hanged in a prison cell by his own shirt at 48 under suspicious circumstances. (chart)
Leo ‘Fingerpickin’-good’ Kottke: Sun square Uranus. A master of the finger-picking style of acoustic guitar, which is unconventional in that style, often sounding like more than one guitar. He was one of the first in that style to come into prominence. Known for his gravelly voice and strange sense of humor on stage as well as his guitar playing. I saw him once in Adelaide a few years back. Great show. Thankfully he is still with us. (chart)
Danny ‘Redneck Jazz’ Gatton: Sun square Uranus. One of America’s best unsung guitar heroes, also proficient on banjo, and noted for his extensive right hand technique. Some of his best work was with Buddy Emmons in the band Redneck Jazz Explosion. Suicide by pistol at 49. (chart)
Roy ‘Wizard of the Strings’ Smeck: Sun in wide sextile to Uranus, Sun conjunct Mars. Musician, inventor and teacher. Extraordinary ukulele performances, but also proficient on all types of guitar and on banjo. Lived to the ripe old age of 94. There is a documentary on his life. (chart)
Jimi ‘Are You Experienced’ Hendrix: Sun opposite Uranus and Saturn, sextile Neptune. Known as one of the greatest guitar innovators in rock. Hendrix rebelled against every convention in guitar, shown by the Sun/Saturn/Uranus combination. Played a standard guitar upside-down and left-handed. Not especially technically proficient, but he pioneered guitar effects and distortion in rock at a time when they were little used. Also pioneered psychedelic rock. He changed the course of guitar music. His contributions are too numerous to list. Dead of a drug overdose at 27. (chart)
Michael ‘Aerial Boundaries’ Hedges: (music starts in video at 2:30) Sun sextile Mars/Saturn. Classically trained in guitar and composition with a focus on 20th century music. Called a ‘New Age’ guitarist, known for his tapping technique and alternate tunings. Thought of himself as a composer who played guitar. Dead of a car accident at 43. (chart)
Randy ‘I want to be a classical guitarist’ Rhoads: Uranus trine the MC, Mars conjunct MC, trine Uranus. Best known for work with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Ozbourne. Very reminiscent of Eddie Van Halen. He was a big influence on the neoclassical metal subgenre. Killed in a plane crash while buzzing Ozzy’s tour bus. He was 25. (chart)
Steve ‘Impossible guitar licks’ Vai: Sun sextile Uranus and in wide sextile to Mars. Quintile yod with Venus apex, Saturn/Neptune base. The ‘impossible licks’ appellation was given him onstage by Frank Zappa. He is another guitarist with extreme technique, and one of several including Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Joe Satriani who have gone to produce what I would call the West Coast guitar sound, in terms of hard rock. I saw him in Adelaide with Dweezil’s tribute band to Frank. That was a rare treat. (chart)
Joe ‘Surfin’ with the alien’ Satriani: Sun conjunct Uranus, trine Mars. Teacher and performer, biggest-selling recording artist for solo guitar. He was Steve Vai’s teacher at one point, along with many other well-known shredders. Both Vai and Satriani are still with us. (chart)
Stanley ‘Piano Man’ Jordan: Sun conjunct Uranus, square Neptune. Great imagination and sensitivity. The piano appellation goes to the fact he started as a pianist, then adapted it to guitar. He is probably the undisputed king of tap-style guitar, with a focus on jazz. He has studied composition, music theory and computer music. He can also play on two guitars simultaneously or guitar and piano at once. (chart)
Jimmy ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Page: (chart) Mars conjunct Uranus square the Meridian axis. This is the guy, along with Robert Plant, who wrote that song every guitar shop owner has grown to hate. That said, he is known as one of the great innovators in rock guitar and his influence has been wide, and in fact is universal. That is shown by the Jupiter conjunction with his MC in the 9th house. Of interest is that, absent the aspect of Mars or Uranus with the Sun, not being linked to his vitality, his technique tended to be spotty and he was not the cleanest of guitarists in terms of technique. His contribution is more through his ideas and his studio work, along with stage presentation. In other words, Page is known more as an ideas man rather than a technical guitarist, though his guitar work is certainly original and has influenced a host of players. Page is undoubtedly one of a kind.
But there is something else in his chart that bears mention, and that is another set of ‘hidden (uncommon) aspects’ – the septile series, which is a very subjective and interior influence. Page has two septile triangles in his chart. They are not interlinked, which would make the expression more powerful, but they are powerful enough as they are. One is an isosceles triangle with Neptune at the apex and a Sun/Saturn triseptile at the base. The other is scalene, formed with the Moon/Jupiter septile in the short leg and Venus at the distant point, seen below (bigger):
Septiles, like the Vertex, open a person to other realities and are found in the charts of people with open imaginations, people of vision for the future and occultists in general. Page owned the Boleskine House up until last year, which is currently under restoration after a major fire there. It has been burnt twice. That house was once owned by the infamous Aleister Crowley, and it has a strange and haunted history. Page has a long history with occultism and Led Zeppelin’s albums and songs are full of esoteric symbolism. “Stairway to Heaven” is a good example. He once owned an occult book store in London and Crowley was a big influence in his life.
Without going into the planetary combinations in the aforementioned triangles too much, the isosceles triangle points to his recreational drug use, which he said he required for his output at one point. Drugs can be expansive agents and are used in shamanic rituals and the like. They can also be quite destructive when abused. The scalene triangle points to his artistic sense and is quite expansive in that regard. He is a painter and an art collector aside from being a musician, being a devoted fan of the Pre-Raphaelite movement in addition to his musical legacy. There are no online pics of his paintings or artwork to my knowledge.
We’ll end our list of guitarists here with a very honourable mention:
Tommy ‘One man band’ Emmanuel: He does not have the standard aspects for the guitarists listed above, but he does instead have two interlaced quintile triangles, giving his particular genius on the instrument. He has been called one of the best all-round guitarists of all time and his shows are a joy to watch. (chart) Speaking of which, we’ll end this piece with one of his shows. You have so much fun watching him play that you almost forget you are watching a virtuoso:
Featured pic from Radio X