Influences and Technique
Kirtley's musical influences are quite diverse. He names among others Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Doc Watson, Antonín Dvořák, Johann Sebastian Bach, Edgar Varèse, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dmitri Shostakovitch, Igor Stravinski, John Cage, Harry Partch, Wendy Carlos, Jimi Hendrix, Bernard Herrmann, Dave Brubeck, Frank Zappa, David Crosby, Wes Montgomery and Keith Jarrett.
In the early years of his career he drew from country and bluegrass sources, but at the close of the 80ties he began to explore Irish – Celtic music, using open tunings like DADGAD in guitar arrangements of Irish fiddle and airs. Later he ventured to Brasil and South American music, his repertoire defies easy categorisation. His compositions are a blend of folk and other traditions, which he transfers with cleverness to the guitar. Because of his wit and his clear and expressive articulation he leaves his audiences deeply impressed.
Coming from Kentucky, his "finger-" or "thumbpicker"-roots are close to the playing of Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Doc Watson. Kirtley uses his thumb for a regular and driving alternate bass while playing the melody with the other fingers. This melody is often syncopated and creates a swinging tension in conjunction with the regular alternate bass. Additionally he uses the frailing-technique like a banjo player by lightly brushing several or all strings, alternating down- and upstrokes with bass notes. His bass-lines are meticulously composed and often repeatedly take over parts of the melody. In several of his pieces he uses single note runs build from open and fretted strings creating a very particular sound, mostly in intro- and outro-parts and bridges leading from one part of the piece to the next. Kirtley mainly composes short and clearly structured pieces, containing three chorusses, with variations in the second and third chorus and an ending repeating the main melody. Pat Kirtley puts high emphasis on right hand techniques and melody performance as well as on the general musical expression.
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