Allan Holdsworth "Allan Holdsworth"

"Allan Holdsworth" is a British jazz/fusion guitarist who is known for his substantial contributions to the genre. He is acclaimed for the complexity of his compositional and improvisational work, as well as his amazing technical skill. He was described by Guitar Player Magazine as a "giant"] and reviewers have compared his compositions to Liszt. The unique efficiency of his playing style, and his mathematical approach to mentally mapping out the fretboard allows him to 'see' symmetrical finger patterns, which produce note flourishes that approach the fluidity of saxophonists such as Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane.

Holdsworth pioneered several techniques that have been widely imitated by other guitarists. These include using an eight-voice modulated delay to create a chorusing effect that, combined with unusual closed voiced chords, create a very piano-like sound from an ordinary electric guitar. He uses a legato phrasing technique with light picking that causes a distorted guitar amplifier to produce a reedy, clarinet-like tone. A third innovative technique is using a volume pedal to "swell" chords into a long delay/reverb effect, generating the impression of an orchestral string section. These three techniques were used by Holdsworth to create the aural illusion of classical instruments, years before the invention of guitar/synthesizers, and have been adopted by increasing numbers of guitarists such as Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Bill Connors, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Fredrik Thordendal, Alex Lifeson, Greg Howe and David Sylvian.