Quotes from Allan Holdsworth

It falls in all the cracks, from classical music to jazz,. Anywhere there's a hole in the floor, my music falls through it. But that's OK.

I knew if I wanted to improvise over chord changes, I'd have to figure out all the scales that went with all those chords.

My music is written with one goal in mind: to improvise. It's like explaining a great story in words, but without words, much faster than you could with words. It's like a direct line of instantaneous communication where you don't have to wait for the end.

It's obviously flattering when somebody likes something one is doing. But at the same time, I get embarrassed about it. It's the 'I'm not worthy syndrome.'

You wait all your life to be signed by a major label, and then when they sign you, they don't want you to do what you want to do.

Most of the musicians I play with - aside from the form and structure of the music - the interpretation is up to them.

Bike riding is great for your thinking. I can't say I've written an entire tune while cycling, but riding has definitely inspired songwriting ideas.

When I first started playing, I plunked away just like everyone else. During the Sixties I played in a blues band for a few years, and I liked it. It wasn't until I was playing for a while that I made the decision to change my style from a percussive to more of a legato approach. I just wanted a different sound.

Jazz is something that's constantly changing. Its sole purpose is to let people improvise, to let them solo differently each time they play. And that's always been what I like best.

That's why I like the Steinberger guitars. They're easy to travel with... and they don't get messed up by the airlines.

I'm trying to play tunes in a new way, using all the same scales, harmonies, structures, but twist everything a little bit so that it comes out sounding different.

Music moves forward so quickly; music is an accumulation of knowledge, and musicians keep getting better and better.

If you fall in love with a woman, there's this unknown thing that gives you a force and energy, and music is like that, too. If I lived to be 2000, I'd never know anything about music. And that's great.

As the chord changes go by, I don't so much think about a static chord voicing changing. I just see the notes on the neck change.

The problem we have is that, some people call it 'too rock' to play on a jazz station, and it's 'too jazz' to play on a rock station. So it's difficult. It's difficult to make it playing this kind of music.

For me, the only thing that makes one scale different from another is not the starting note; it's the separation of the intervals.

I didn't decide to play guitar, but that was the instrument which I was offered. I've always been interested in horn-type instruments, such as a saxophone; but those instruments are very expensive, so my dad bought me a guitar instead. I didn't like the guitar at first, but after noodling on it for several months, I developed a feel for it.

When I practise scales I will play four notes on one string. If I'm playing a C major scale, starting on F, I'll play the F, G, A, and B on one string and the C will be on the A string, etc, etc. Because I found not only was it good for my hands but it was really good for interconnecting things.

I never use pull-offs because I don't like the sort of 'meow' sound they make with the string being deflected sideways.

I don't like playing to guitar players, actually. I'd rather just play to ordinary people.

In essence, I feel I'm more jazz guitar player because I write vehicles geared for improvisation.

I think the guy who tells you he knows about music is really dumb, or he's lying to himself.

I don't think about what other people expect or anything. I mean, I sit and worrying so much about what I'M thinking, I'd go NUTS if I sat around worrying about other people.