David Gilmour: “I’ve no idea what I’m trying to do when I play guitar solos”
He does, however, like it when they “have an airborne quality to them”.
Image: Matthew Eisman / Getty
David Gilmour isn’t one to overcomplicate his approach to soloing, as he jokes he actually has “no idea” what he’s trying to achieve when playing them.
There really is no right way to be a guitarist, and while some may believe that being strict with your scales and methodical is the best approach, others like to solo more freely.
In an interview in the new print edition of Uncut, Gilmour discusses his love of flying and “that feeling of being separated from the strings of the Earth”.
When it is suggested to him that this is also what he’s trying to achieve every time he plays one of his signature guitar solos, he replies, “How deep! I have no idea what I’m trying to do when I play my guitar solos. But if they have an airborne quality to them, that’s good fortune.”
You’ll get to hear more of his “airborne” guitar work on a new album soon; the Pink Floyd guitarist is due to release a new album on 6 September this year, titled Luck And Strange.
According to Gilmour’s website, the record was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour’s first album of new material in nine years. It was produced by Gilmour himself and Charlie Andrew, known for his work with alt-J.
The majority of the album’s lyrics have been composed by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer and wife, with whom he has collaborated with for the past 30 years. The album features eight new tracks along with a reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ Between Two Points.
Listen to the new single, The Piper’s Call below:
You can pre-order Luck And Strange now.