Tommy Emmanuel Interview On Craigdobbins.com

April 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Tommy Emmanuel is a multi-award winning guitarists who has shared the stage with Air Supply, Chet Atkins, George Martin... and even Craig Dobbins. Emmanuel maintains a nonstop touring schedule, playing 300 dates or more per year and traveling all over the world. 

“Tommy’s a great guitar player,” says Dobbins. “So when he joins me on stage, I ask him to play brushes.”

Emmanuel lists drums as one of his instruments in addition to guitar and bass guitar. In concert, Emmanuel plays a Maton, but he uses it as a percussion instrument as well - something that is evident by taking one look at his guitar. The interview includes photos, one which gives a good look at his favorite instrument. The top is severely worn behind the bridge, not by the soundhole like most players. That’s because he taps, brushes, and beats on the lower part of the body to get the percussive sound he needs while playing. A great example can be seen in a Youtube video of Emmanuel playing Pegao, starting at halfway through the tune.

With such a grueling touring schedule, the interview is a short one. Although the answers are brief, they say a lot. The questions are designed to reflect the personal side of each guitarist in the series. Instead of discussing guitar strings and amplifier settings, the questions delve into matters of life, whether on the road or in the studio. The answers are often humorous. This particular interview asks about Emmanuel’s faith, his vegetarianism, and where would he be if he wasn’t a musician.

The guitarist interview series started in 2008. The first interview is “A Craig Dobbins Moment”, a hilarious interview with Dobbins conducted by his wife, Julie. There have been six interviews since then with noted guitarists Mark Casstevens, Guy Van Duser, Rick Foster, Stephen Bennett, Darrell Toney, and now, Tommy Emmanuel.  “A Visit With Mark Casstevens” was later published in the 25th Anniversary edition of Mister Guitar: Journal of the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society. 

The interviews, each with the title “A Visit With...”, are an irregular feature of the site because of the busy schedules of the musicians. However, each interview gives a fun peek into the unique personalities of each of the players. There are more to come... as soon as they can get to it. 

To read the interview: http://www.craigdobbins.com/emmanuel.html

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Craig Dobbins is recognized as a leading authority on fingerstyle guitar; his books and CDs are highly sought after by guitarists all over the world.