We can say whatever we want or keep on bitchin' about social medias, but one sure thing is that it always makes me discover new awesome musicians. Charlie Rauh is one of them. We finally met last august in Liège, Belgium. Small guitar, small amp, Charlie is a modern troubadour, playing everywhere with nearly everyone, always with his own unique approach that I would put between Susan Alcorn, Bill Frisell and Hildegard von Bingen.
So, Charlie, let's begin with the past: how old were you when you started to play? What are your memories from that time?
I started playing guitar
when I was 13. I had already been playing clarinet and alto saxophone for a few
years when I asked my dad to teach me to play guitar. Ive always loved my
father's music and his playing so that was a big reason I wanted to start. Another
reason was that I only played jazz at that point, and wanted to explore
different sides of my creativity and musical interests. I felt guitar would be
a good vehicle for that. I have many great memories from that period : starting
my first band, writing my own music for the first time, playing songs with my
dad (I still steal his licks!). When I began playing guitar, it was the
beginning of really finding my personal identity.
From then until today, can
you identify some important steps that led where you're now?
When I started playing i immediately wanted to make my own music. I learned by playing along to bands I liked to an extent, but not nearly as much as trying to learn chords and make my own songs. I had many ideas, but lacked the facility to play them on the guitar.
A huge breakthrough for me was hearing Django Reinhardt as a teenager. Ive never been good enough to play along with or learn his music, but his expression and individual style spoke volumes to me. He sparked an interest in being lyrical, fluid, and personal with whatever it is that I wanted to sound like on the guitar.
After I'd been playing for a few years I started using two fingers
in addition to a pick, otherwise commonly known as hybrid picking. I liked how
that sounded especially when exploring more country and Americana styles that I
really loved. I found that playing that way enabled me to move quicker since
Ive never been good at flat picking, and also opened up options for chord
voicings.
I came across a huge step that has defined my playing style almost by
accident in 2010 when I was awarded the Klaustrid Artist residency in
Skriduklaustur Iceland. Having never played over seas before I decided I needed
a guitar specifically suited for traveling, since my Rickenbacker 330 (my main
guitar at the time) was far too big to take as a carry on. I came across the
Steinberger Synapse in my search and immediately bought one not knowing
anything about it other than it was really small and surely easy to fly with.
When I played it though, I absolutely loved the fluidity of the fretboard, the
fat neck, the string tension, and the flawless intonation. Ive only played
headless guitars ever since. I play two custom built headless instruments by
Chris Forshage, and Nic Delisle of Island Instrument Manufacture. The sound and
look has become somewhat of my professional trademark now!
I'd like to talk about your practice habits, but also about the balance between technique and creativity; well, anything that comes to your mind.
When it comes to practice,
I have always been heavy on the creative and personal with the technical. What
I mean to say is that from day one I have wanted to have my own technique built
on a foundation of creativity. As a result I have never been conventionally
impressive as a guitarist. I can adapt my approach to many styles and I enjoy
doing so, but I have never had an interest in running scales and patterns etc.
When I practice I often use these exercises :
1) I set a metronome and
improvise freely with one boundary - I have to play consistent 8th notes.
Articulation, fingering, picking, all of it is subjective as long as the
consistent 8th note stream is steady. I do this to learn the fingerboard and
find ways to be fluid and melodic.
2) I pick a pop song I enjoy, and learn it
as a solo guitar arrangement. To do this I learn the melody and then figure out
how to convey the melody with the song's harmony in my own way. Doing this
allows me to be creative, but very focused. I often learn new ways to voice
chords in this exercise.
3) I watch a movie or a TV show that is particularly
compelling, and freely improvise while I do so. I never play when there's music
in the film, rather just play without thought. During these times I come across
some my best ideas. Sometimes they are very simple, and sometimes I cant play
them at all but I think of them, and then work on them later.
4) My final
example of practice is playing nonstop with other artists as a sideman. I spend
most of my free time learning other artists songs for my work doing sessions
and performances. During this time I find that I really develop new approaches
to my own music and to being a guitarist.
You play in so many different contexts than I'd be really curious to know who are your favorite guitar players.
Mary Halvorson - my favorite guitarist. I was introduced to her music through a friend and she has completely changed my idea of what the guitar can do. Her compositions, improvisational approach, and character are a real inspiration.
Don Peris - a brilliant soloist and also guitarist for The Innocence Mission, my favorite band. His melodic approach combined with spacious simplicity have meant so much to me.
Bill Frisell - hearing his music for the first time was huge for me because he tied together the folk inflected minimalist song style that Ive always loved in my father's playing with my interest in the layered emotion of jazz.
Glen Campbell - I absolutely love his playing in every way. His accompanying, soloing, and session work are a massive influence for me. I often try to emulate his fluidity and melodic joyfulness.
Here's the last one: could you give your top ten records and what are you listening to nowadays?
1) "Hello, I feel The
Same" - The Innocence Mission
2) "Fragments" -
Paul Bley
3) "Violet" -
Karen Peris"
4) "The Bird Calls,
And Its Song Awakens The Air, And I Call - Sol Seppy
5) "( )" - Sigur
Ros
6) "Tookah" -
Emiliana Torrini
7) "Disfarmer" -
Bill Frisell
8) "Vulnicura" -
Bjork
9) "OK Computer"
- Radiohead
10) "The Queen Is
Dead" - The Smiths
Current listening - Jakob
Bro, Aurora, Lana Del Rey, Max Richter, Moddi.
