The guitar has been an integral part of popular music and mainstream culture for many decades and in many places of the world. This Element examines the development and current state of virtuosic rock guitar in terms of playing, technology, and culture. Supported by technological advances such as extended-range guitars, virtuosos in the twenty-first century are exploring ways to expand standard playing techniques in a climate where ever-higher levels of perfection are expected. As musician-entrepreneurs, contemporary rock guitar virtuosos record, produce, and market their music themselves; operate equipment companies; and sell merchandise, tablature, and lessons online. For their social media channels, they regularly create videos and interact with their followers while having to balance building their tribe and finding the time to develop their craft to stay competitive. For a virtuoso, working situations have changed considerably since the last century; the aloof rock star has been replaced by the approachable virtuoso-guitarist-composerinnovator-producer-promoter-YouTuber-teacher-entrepreneur.
Biografie (Jan-Peter Herbst)
Jan-Peter Herbst absolvierte künstlerische Studiengänge am Münchner Gitarreninstitut und der Los Angeles Music Academy. Es folgten ein Magisterstudium der Musikwissenschaften an der HfM Detmold, ein Lehramtsstudium der Fächer Musik und Englisch, ein Promotionsstudium zum Dr. phil. und ein Masterstudium in Populäre Musik und Medien an der Universität Paderborn. Nach mehrjähriger Arbeit an Musikschulen lehrt er zurzeit an der Universität Paderborn und am INI Berufskolleg in Lippstadt. Seine derzeitigen Forschungsschwerpunkte sind Sound sowie Analyse, Didaktik und Methodik populärer Musik.
