Andres Segovia and Paul Galbraith (Guitarist Comparison and Analysis)

Andres Segovia and Paul Galbraith are arguably two of the most influential guitar players of the past hundred years or so. With that being said, the aspects that make each of their playing styles so remarkable differ for each of the two musicians. After watching some videos on each of them, I realized that though they both mainly adhere to the fingerpicking style, both men will possess his own signature look and sound. Regarding sound, one can hear Andres Segovia fingerpicking with much force, while Paul Galbraith fingerpicks with much more fluidity and grace. Andres Segovia also tends to utilize fast, repetitive patterns in his compositions and performance, while Paul Galbraith utilizes more variation in his patterns, which are also performed at a slower pace. The last point I will make regarding sound is that I could not help but think of the Spanish genre of music when I heard Andres Segovia playing his guitar. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was from Spain, or at least had some connections with the culture. Paul Galbraith, on the other hand, has a more Western European tone to it. Particularly, it sounds like something I’d be hearing at a library or a fancy dinner.

Regarding the outward style and appearance that the Segovia and Galbraith possessed, I noticed several differences. To name the most obvious one, I saw that Segovia plays a six-string guitar while Galbraith sports an eight-string guitar. To name another, Segovia holds his guitar in an upwards slant, with the headstock facing northwest (relative to his position). In contrast, Galbraith typically holds his guitar upright, very similarly to a cello and plays it as such. Another difference that I noticed was the way that the two guitarists eyes were pointing as they played. Segovia stares intently at his left hand (towards the fretboard) the entire time. Oppositely, Galbraith looks more toward is right hand as they pick the strings. In addition, Segovia looks as if he is getting really close up on his guitar, and his hand is scrunched up while he picks. However, Galbraith looks as if he is making really use of the space. He spreads himself out like an eagle and sways back and forth to the melody of whatever song he is performing.

Lastly, I will offer commentary on the overall vibes I got from listening to these two guitarists play. Segovia emanated such an intense vibe. Everything about it seemed tense and rapid. There was very little relaxation component to his style if any at all, especially while watching him play. At the same time, it still sounded really epic. I could see his compositions being featured on some sort of historical documentary or something. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has already been done. Galbraith, on the other hand, looked like he was in a dream the entire time he was playing. It looked like he was in total bliss as he gracefully and patiently plucked the strings of his guitar. The vibes I got from listening to him play were very mystical and soothing. It would be very good music to either study or fall asleep to. To conclude, both of these guitarists were pretty incredible, and I could easily see how and why many musicians would be influenced by them. I kind of want to buy a cello stand for my acoustic guitar now though.