“I never liked the idea of getting lessons from a guitar player, and thought it would be more useful to learn from someone who didn’t play the guitar at all”: Lo-fi guitar hero Mk.gee on why he decided to learn guitar basics from an upright bassist
Rather than developing a clear-cut guitar technique, Mk.gee wanted to learn how to use the guitar as a tool for experimentation
(Image credit: Christopher Willard/Getty Images)
From creating his own brand of expressive, jazz-infused yet genre-fluid guitar music to capturing the internet's fascination with his Fender Jaguar baritone setup and his penchant for using a Tascam as a preamp, Mk.gee has truly managed to capture – and conquer – the zeitgeist.
The elusive guitarist and multi-instrumentalist recently opened up about his technique and how his innovative approach to guitar is partly due to learning the basics from an upright bassist.
“I think it was helpful to do it that way,” he tells Dazed. “I never liked the idea of getting lessons from a guitar player, and thought it would be more useful to learn from someone who didn’t play the guitar at all – someone who could give musical lessons that were more exploratory, more about trying things out.”
In his early teens, Mk.Gee formed a jazz trio with two older friends, and started gigging in bars along the Jersey Shore. However, tension and creative differences meant the young musician had to forge his own path.
“I always knew that I wanted something more, you know, because I wanted to be the best ever. And so eventually, as one does, I got a four-track recorder. And then I was just like, ‘All right, fuck y’all, I can play your instruments even better than you can. I’m just gonna learn how to record myself.’”
“Mk.gee kinda sits in a bit of a pop category for me. Right. But it's unique. And he has found things to do on the guitar that are like nobody else,” said Clapton.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
“My daughter turned me on [to Mk.gee] today, and I trust her taste. And not only that, we're [referring to the guitar scene and the music industry] safe. The same when I first saw Prince, it was like we're safe. Just to know it's there [artists like Mk.gee] is enough.”
In addition to his solo endeavours, the experimental guitarist has confirmed he's working on new music with pop superstar Justin Bieber.
“Anything that comes out of his mouth: That’s pop music," he reveals in a recent New York Times interview. "You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that, just because it represents something.”
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.
