Michael Adam Hedges (December 31, 1953 – December 2, 1997) was an American … Read Full Bio ↴Michael Adam Hedges (December 31, 1953 – December 2, 1997) was an American composer and acoustic guitarist born in Sacramento, CA. He studied classical guitar at Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential solo acoustic guitarists of all time. His music features his own unique performing style which features harmonics, fingerpicking, knocking and slapping.
Michael Hedges was a conservatory composition major who applied his classically trained musical background in combination with radical innovation to “reinvent” the steel string acoustic guitar. He combined many unusual techniques on the acoustic guitar with a wide range of musical styles, and was also considered a dynamic performer in concert - in short, a “Paganini” of the guitar.
He is known for extensive use in several pieces of two handed tapping techniques (nearly a contrapuntal style of multiple voices). He used the fingers of his right (typically picking) hand to slap harmonic "chords" at the 12th, 7th or 5th fret (or elsewhere). He made use of right hand hammer-ons, particularly on bass notes, and often used the left hand for melodic or rhythmic hammer-ons and pull offs, as well as unusual strummings, that played, as mentioned, independent voices to the right hand. These techniques tended to convert the guitar into a quasi-keyboard like instrument for certain musical purposes. He also made extensive use of string dampening as employed in classical guitar, and was known to insist strongly on the precise duration of sounds and silences in his pieces. Other facets to his playing were percussive slapping on the guitar body and extensive use of artificial harmonics. He also played guitar-variants like the Harp Guitar (an instrument with additional bass strings that Hedges used to play Bach's Prelude to Cello Suite #1 in G Major in its intended key), and the Trans-Trem Guitar.
Michael Hedges was discovered by William Ackerman who heard him performing in a Palo Alto cafe (the former Varsity Theater) and immediately signed him to a recording contract (1980). For several years Hedges toured and performed in concert with Ackerman. He also appeared on several of Ackerman's albums. In turn William Ackerman produced Hedge's first two albums.
The first two records Michael Hedges made - Breakfast in the Field and Aerial Boundaries - were milestones for the acoustic guitar. He then branched out into singing and performing more popular forms of music, although he would periodically make a return to more guitar-centred music. His record Oracle won the 1998 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Hedges was in fact quite a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and flute, among others on his albums. Bassist Michael Manring contributed to many of Michael's records.
Many acoustic guitarists claim a very broad range of influences and will not fit into any genre, but this was truer of Hedges than of any other. His musical education was largely in modern 20th century composition. He listened to Leo Kottke, Bruce Cockburn, Martin Carthy, John Martyn, John Fahey, and the Beatles, but his approach to composition owed much to Stravinsky, Varèse, Webern, and experimental composers such as Morton Feldman. He saw himself as a composer who played guitar, rather than a guitarist who composed music. He was often categorized as New Age due to his association with the Windham Hill record label. Somewhat in reaction to this, he would describe his music as "Heavy Mental", "New Edge", ""Thrash Acoustic", "Deep Tissue Gladiator Guitar" or "Savage Myth Guitar," amongst other terms.
Hedges was killed in a car accident in 1997 at the age of 43. His unfinished last recordings were brought to completion in the album Torched, with the help of his friends David Crosby and Graham Nash.
Michael Hedges was a conservatory composition major who applied his classically trained musical background in combination with radical innovation to “reinvent” the steel string acoustic guitar. He combined many unusual techniques on the acoustic guitar with a wide range of musical styles, and was also considered a dynamic performer in concert - in short, a “Paganini” of the guitar.
He is known for extensive use in several pieces of two handed tapping techniques (nearly a contrapuntal style of multiple voices). He used the fingers of his right (typically picking) hand to slap harmonic "chords" at the 12th, 7th or 5th fret (or elsewhere). He made use of right hand hammer-ons, particularly on bass notes, and often used the left hand for melodic or rhythmic hammer-ons and pull offs, as well as unusual strummings, that played, as mentioned, independent voices to the right hand. These techniques tended to convert the guitar into a quasi-keyboard like instrument for certain musical purposes. He also made extensive use of string dampening as employed in classical guitar, and was known to insist strongly on the precise duration of sounds and silences in his pieces. Other facets to his playing were percussive slapping on the guitar body and extensive use of artificial harmonics. He also played guitar-variants like the Harp Guitar (an instrument with additional bass strings that Hedges used to play Bach's Prelude to Cello Suite #1 in G Major in its intended key), and the Trans-Trem Guitar.
Michael Hedges was discovered by William Ackerman who heard him performing in a Palo Alto cafe (the former Varsity Theater) and immediately signed him to a recording contract (1980). For several years Hedges toured and performed in concert with Ackerman. He also appeared on several of Ackerman's albums. In turn William Ackerman produced Hedge's first two albums.
The first two records Michael Hedges made - Breakfast in the Field and Aerial Boundaries - were milestones for the acoustic guitar. He then branched out into singing and performing more popular forms of music, although he would periodically make a return to more guitar-centred music. His record Oracle won the 1998 Grammy for Best New Age Album. Hedges was in fact quite a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and flute, among others on his albums. Bassist Michael Manring contributed to many of Michael's records.
Many acoustic guitarists claim a very broad range of influences and will not fit into any genre, but this was truer of Hedges than of any other. His musical education was largely in modern 20th century composition. He listened to Leo Kottke, Bruce Cockburn, Martin Carthy, John Martyn, John Fahey, and the Beatles, but his approach to composition owed much to Stravinsky, Varèse, Webern, and experimental composers such as Morton Feldman. He saw himself as a composer who played guitar, rather than a guitarist who composed music. He was often categorized as New Age due to his association with the Windham Hill record label. Somewhat in reaction to this, he would describe his music as "Heavy Mental", "New Edge", ""Thrash Acoustic", "Deep Tissue Gladiator Guitar" or "Savage Myth Guitar," amongst other terms.
Hedges was killed in a car accident in 1997 at the age of 43. His unfinished last recordings were brought to completion in the album Torched, with the help of his friends David Crosby and Graham Nash.
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Michael Hedges Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Michael Hedges:
A Love Bizarre The moon up above It shines on upon our skin…
A Midwinter Night's Dream Once upon a timeless night once behind my dreams you scrat…
After The Gold Rush Well, I dreamed I saw the knights In armor coming Saying som…
All Along The Watchtower "There must be some way out of here," said the…
Come Together Here come old flat top He come groovin' up slowly He got…
Communicate Go left—right—down through the middle Go any way you want t…
Face Yourself Now or never Face yourself No one else will do Face your wea…
Follow Through Make up a story when you go to sleep tonight Wake…
Free Swinging Soul On father's day, these branches sway Like evergreen batons …
Holiday Relax Get away from it all No solution seems to last It's a…
I Carry Your Heart I carry your heart with me I carry it in my…
I Want You I plugged in nine long years at my life to…
If I Needed Someone If I needed someone to love You're the one that I'd…
Phoenix Fire A healing fault is open now, crevassing my way Something ne…
Promised Land This is the promised land On this mountain I stand Read th…
Ready or Not Ready or not Here I come Who shall I say is calling Hold…
Road To Return Throwing colors to the air I follow the breeze Painting a …
Rough Wind In Oklahoma My mother nature and my father time See their son run…
Running Blind Somewhere defined in aimless words Somewhere within my angry…
Sapphire Her heart is hot, her face cold Leaning the banks, weaving…
Shell Shock Venus Shell Shock Venus, aborted at sea Her youthful uniform torn…
Spring Buds On the last naked day of winter On the eve of…
The Streamlined Man He's a streamlined man Watch the wind from his direction as…
Tomorrow Never Knows Turn off your mind, relax And float down stream It is not…
Torched Flares Of Flaming Red And Blonde Sparks Ignite A Sacred Son…
Woman of the World The woman of the world turns slowly Days are drawn—seasons s…
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ProAmPiano
Amazing guitar player, and an amazing performer as well.
Larry S
He was and always will be Incredibly Fantastic!!! Thanks for puting this one on.
P O'S
I always come back to him and am amazed anew.He was a phenomenon.No one like him before or after.
greenthumbguy1
He was a really funny musician. I saw him with Leo Kottke at the 5th Ave. Theatre in Seattle. Four hours of goosebumps, tears, and laughter.
gtrrobster
Agreed! MH was a GREAT performer. As complex as his playing was, he was able to not let that get in the way of a smooth and seamless presentation. Very Tai Chi.
Grant Schinto
I noticed he starts retuning the guitar at the end of the tune in preparation for the next one. Considering he does it "silently" is pretty impressive. He really knew what he was doing.
Steven LaPar
One of my main great wishes is to go back in time and see him as many times as possible before his passing...
TheOneWhoIsTornApart
Or you know....stop him from getting killed that one tragic night. That is what I would do if I could go back.
superdynamite
He changed my life. Hanging with mike made an indelible mark on my life. Not a day goes by when I don't think of you. Life is too short.
Hot type embodies everything that was Mike. Infinite energy.
Screw IBM!!! LOL.
Vank Guitar
Until know i never knews how funny micheal was I can imagine how awsome his concerts were , people did not only heard great music but also had a good laugh RIp Micheal we miss you