10 Guitarists You've Never Heard Of - Martin Barre

On the 17th of November, 1946, Martin Barre was born in Birmingham, England. Martin studied at local grammar schools and eventually enrolled in a degree course in surveying and architecture at college. Martin later learned saxophone and flute, to begin his music career after college. Later, Martin joined a soul band in which he would tour throughout the UK and Germany with. In 1968, Martin ran into Jethro Tull when his band, "Gethsemane" supported Tull at a concert in the Van Dyck Club in Plymouth, England. At this time, Martin Barre was a guitarist, and had graduated from Saxophone and Flute. In December 1968, Mick Abrahams forfeited his guitar slot, where Martine Barre auditioned and was favored over Tony Iommi. Later, Jethro Tull went on to tour with Jimi Hendrix in Scandinavia, and toured in America. Jethro Tull's success grew and so did Martin's musical range. He widened his interests into jazz, and classical. Since Martin's Jethro Tull days, he has recorded a solo album, and runs his own commercial recording studio.

Martin's style can be described as rock with blues and heavy metal influences. As stated before, he studied jazz and classical music. This study can be recognized in many of his songs. A lot of his lead is played in Minor Pentatonic, but he also ventures into various modes to give his soloing a jazzy/heavier sound. Martin is also a very talented rhythm guitarist as well. He plays technical riffs that can almost be categorized as metal, often playing in harmony with a flute.

Martin Barre used a Boss Sustainer/Compressor for twenty years, and recently replaced it with an Ibanez Tube Screamer. His guitars are built by Hugh Manson, and his acoustic was built by Manson's brother. On his most recent Tull album, he used a McCarthy PRS. He uses G.H.S. guitar strings.

Jethro Tull has released over forty albums, venturing into blues, folk rock, progressive rock and rock with jazz influences. Martin has released a solo album titled, "Stage Left." Jethro Tull's album, "Bursting Out" captures the intensity of a live Jethro Tull performance, and it includes some great playing by Martin Barre. "Aqualung" is probably Tull's best known album, and their best, most clever album they ever wrote.

Comments

[Bong Water]

uh... 1st... ?
nup, didnt get a kick outta it at all...

[Bong Water]

wouldnt of thought he'd be that unknown if he was in jethro tull... and over 40 albums?! ouch... thats a pretty decent effort. nicely put article, felt perhaps a little brief compared to some of the other '# guitarists youve never heard of...' columns.

[AndyGray]

3rd does any of these articles have a point, i find them crap then dont even tell you about the artist that much

[WarriorXT]

4th!

I've heard of this guy...Invented BARRE chords, by chance? or made them popular at least

[Whstripesrox]

HEARD OF HIM

[Scorpions]

dont know who this is, but we've had lots of these. Lets get some different articles

[Shoestick]

3rd does any of these articles have a point, i find them crap then dont even tell you about the artist that much

Yes they have a point- theyre not supposed to be detailed biographies of the artists, just introducing you to a player you may not have heard of. Theyre trying ot make you become more musically aware; this is a guitar website afterall. Besides, id like to see you take the time to write 10 full length articles.

[gdempsey38]

what everyone here has to do is listen to Aqualung, and the solo in that. that in my opinion truely defines how amazing Martin Barre really is

[strumntheguitar]

AndyGray... if you hate these articles then why are you reading them?? Nothing says you have to click on the link to read it... if you dislike it so much then just don't read it and don't waste everyone's time by posting a gay comment like that

[psychodelia]

jethro tull is quite good, one of my favorite bands. i suppose ian anderson is more famous than barre, but they both helped create good music.

[Breakneck]

I thought this was a very well put together article. I've heard Jethro Tull, but I didn't know their band members were this educated. He sounds like a smart cookie.

[benjaminr]

you talked about jethro tull though like he is a person.....you know ian anderson was the singer...its kinda hard to just "run in" to jethro tull since there is so many people in the band.

[farcry]

I think most people think Jethro Tull is one guy because that would make sense. I don't know the reason for the name but my dad has their tapes that's right tapes.

[~Rock~Guitarist]

yay thanks for the positive input guys

[Burn in hell]

They named their band after some guy that lived in the 1800's.

[starálfur]

im glad that hes getting some recognition cause hes a great guitarist and yet hes not nearly as popular as most other classic tock guitarists.

[Salen]

Er, ok, suggestion, put in a guitarist that people really havn't heard of. I mean a good upcoming great guitar player I would recommend is John-Angus from the Trews. These guys are just starting to get the airplay they deserve, and he's a much better guitar player than Sam Roberts or Matt Good, who arn't really known as guitarists... More just songwriters.

[ChurchNSkate]

jethro tull :-D

[washbrnxb105]

these articles are good to learn MORE about a guitarist but not to make a guitarist known cuz everyone here is in a pretty well known band or is a guitar legend

[Diceman42]

The Trews?
Bahahah!
They blow so much goat testicles, it's not even funny. What the hell is a Trew anyway? Sounds sorta like a rodent, a shrew, mixed with a tree: tree + shrew = trew = craptacular garage rock. So their two "hit" singles "I don't Want to go" and "I'm tired of waiting" are directly opposite and hypocritical of each other, hence inconsistency added on to their amazingly crappy music, equals a band that should be shipped to an island inhabited by cannibals.

[Diceman42]

Oh yeah, great series btw. I've heard of some, not so much of the others. Good stuff.

[AlreadyTooLate]

Thats the sound i want to achieve Rock Blues with Heavy Metal influence good article.

[wanna_lick_me?]

i've heard of him...any jethro tull fan has

[gmsje]

Informative about his training and musical tastes. For my money, Benefit is Tull's best. Barre's guitar is omnipresent troughout the whole album. Haunting too.

[nirvanaroxxx69]

heavy metal is too strong of a word for Tull. They received this lifetime achievement award for best metal group, yet even they laughed at it and said they weren't metal and never will be.

[MINI_METAL_MAN]

I've been a fan of Tull for 5 years and I'm only 11! I think martin barr is amazing especially on 'Aqualung' his solo was better than any thing i've ever heard

[MINI_METAL_MAN]

IF I'VE HEARD OF HIM, HE CAN'T BE THAT MUCH UNKNOWN!!!

[MINI_METAL_MAN]

GOOD ARTICLE THOUGH

[Philip1982]

Martin Barre is a seriously good guitarist and should be acknowledged. Those who haven't already should listen to 'Quatrain' off Jethro Tull's Bursting out. This is a great example.

[bassetrox]

nirvanaroxxx69 wrote:

heavy metal is too strong of a word for Tull. They received this lifetime achievement award for best metal group, yet even they laughed at it and said they weren't metal and never will be.

Agreed, a prog rock sound with folk/jazz/blues/classical influences. Right mixed up band:p. But one of th greatest imho. I would agree that barre is underatted as a guitarist, for more info read his biog on www.j-tull.com.

The marvellous irony is that barre started off as a flautist while anderson only aquired his flute after trading in a fender strat!

[MINI_METAL_MAN]

they influenced by dire straights too. you can hear the likness in 'crest of a nave' album

yea deffinately prog rock