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| |  | | Pierre was born in French Algeria in 1957. His family moved to the suburbs of Paris five years later where Pierre began to study piano, guitar and music. In 1973, within four years of his learning to play guitar, Pierre decided to quit school prematurely and pursue a more colourful and exciting life performing in the many venues in and around Paris. This was to be the rich and colourful playground where he developed and learned his basic craft.
Influenced by a breadth of musical styles from traditional folk music, Jazz and Jimi Hendrix, Pierre’s earlier live performances demonstrated this with use of electronic gizmos, using delays and sampled guitar loops. More recently Pierre has returned to a more simple approach, using only his acoustic guitar. His continued focus on both the tonal and musical possibilities of the guitar and voice are testimony to his deep love of music.
The title track of his new album Altiplanos, is a perfect insight into Pierre’s music and style. It demonstrates his ability in crossing musical continents in seconds. Having spent over 35 years playing in DADGAD, the title track ‘Altiplanos’ gives no indication that Pierre is actually using standard tuning. This is the first time he has ever used this tuning - and it sounds just like Pierre Bensusan! This is surely evidence he has turned full circle, demonstrating a mighty mastery of the guitar. Pierre’s music and guitar playing is an education.
Having seen Pierre perform many times, I’ve witnessed his dedication and the focus applied in order to achieve the spiritual state of mind needed to perform his music. Whilst some of his music is complex both musically and in arrangement, Pierre maintains his musical integrity, combined with pure driven spontaneity. Every performance is unique. I believe Pierre to be one of the best acoustic guitarists on the planet. His passion and ability to express complex musicality and sensitivity through his guitar, voice and music is unsurpassed.
Where some ‘technical’ players can’t help but reveal a captious air to their music, Pierre seems to assuage any sense of struggle with his instrument, applying a strong cursive style and technique.
Pierre’s sound is largely generated from his own unique, and combined techniques. This also originates from his rich cultural roots, broad musical knowledge and influence, ‘almost’ exclusive use of DADGAD tuning, and importantly, a deep study of the guitar. All of this combined has resulted in the exquisite, unique and passionate acoustic musical experience that is Pierre Bensusan.
I particularly like the combination of cooking, philosophy and music in your guitar book. Are you a keen chef?
As do many people, I like cooking. Does that make me a chef? I don’t know. My wife loves cooking and when I am home, if she had to wait for me to stop working and start cooking, we would eat very little, always late and possibly more often at the restaurant.
In your instructional video you make the point about always following the melody. Do you see this as a fundamental element in playing solo guitar?
I follow the melody because I love the melody, because it is the chant that reminds one of the voice. It feels very natural to me and I often discover my melodies when singing casually. There are many elements used in the music to make it work, like: rhythm, harmony, silence, movement, amplitude, contrasts, oppositions, expression, pulsation, predictability, and the contrary to these. I don’t think ‘guitar’ when I play, but music, which has to be expressed via the guitar. It should always remain what it essentially is: a musical abstraction. The guitar is only the instrument, the medium and the pretext to get there. It should always disappear behind the music.
How would you describe your technique?
I learn to play and expend my technical vocabulary by applying my ideas to the guitar and making them work. I don’t necessarily know how to play what I write and hear, so I’m continually learning how to get there. I am extremely suspicious of any automatic finger paths that are just ‘guitar talk’ without adding any musicality to the end result. This is of course pretty subjective.
The techniques I use are very close to what is expressed in the classical, electric, jazz and flamenco guitar fields, but also incorporate other elements of slurs, ornamentations, tapping, direct and indirect harmonics. These are inspirational sounds and styles of playing derived from other instruments, and then applied to the guitar. The piano has possibly been my main inspiration and I’m open to anything new or unorthodox, which could serve my purpose.
Can you describe what key elements make up your finger style technique?
One element is that my thumb is completely independent and can interact with or without any other finger, at any time within the rhythmic identity of what’s being played. Other elements would be to vary the tone and impact of the fingers on the strings. This is done by the location of contact and applying free strokes, rest strokes and nail return techniques. I play with the entire guitar, through its body and neck movements. In doing so, I affect the colour of the sound as a whole at any time in the performance. Sometimes I choose to avoid playing too many open strings and replace them with fretted notes and to work on the legato. Also, the musical flow of each voicing in stopping strings ringing on, while others are being played. These are some elements of my techniques.
You’ve used DADGAD pretty much exclusively throughout your career - what is it that appeals to you about this tuning?
I’ve used DADGAD tuning since 1973. It was particularly suitable for arranging traditional guitar music. I was very keen to adapt Irish, Breton, French, Scottish and American traditional music, and DADGAD was particularly suitable. I was also using lots of other different tunings and observed that my playing wasn’t as spontaneous as it should have been, but became dependant on following my finger’s path. I didn’t know much about chords and learnt to play by ear and by heart. My fretboard was a mystery to me. I ended up choosing to use the one tuning and studied it in the same way that most guitarists have studied standard tuning.
I have been using DADGAD exclusively since 1978, and since observed that the tuning is not the most crucial element. The inspiration, ideas, feel, groove, organisation and architecture of the music etc. are key elements. Using DADGAD may have helped me to have more fun in expressing my own inner musical character. I do believe I could have achieved different things in standard tuning and be as happy in the process, but maybe I am saying this because I don’t even think about in that way any more. Perhaps if I’d not studied DADGAD so deeply, I would have ended up playing superficially, sounding less unique, with no headroom to develop and become spontaneous with it. But every phase of playing guitar is an enjoyable one! The trick is to not stay too long into a comfort zone, but always push the bounds. It’s important and helps to intimately know the fretboard, and the harmonic structures of the instrument.
I notice the title track from your new album Altiplanos, you play guitar in standard tuning. What made you choose to do this?
The last time I played in standard tuning was about 30 years ago. I believe ‘Altiplanos’ is the only piece I have recorded in standard tuning. For that, I was originally going to use DADGAD, play it in D, and put my capo on the second fret. Instead of using the capo, I decided not to bother, and tune the guitar to standard. Playing in standard tuning seemed odd and yet very natural for this piece. I really enjoyed the challenge and experiencing the unknown factors when looking for my ideas. I feel the result doesn’t give any indication of what tuning has been used.
Is it correct you learnt to play piano prior to playing guitar?
From the age of seven I studied classical piano for four years with Madame Rosso in the suburbs of Paris, but I’m self taught on the guitar.
Why have you never played piano or keyboards on your own albums?
I played some piano on my second album, Pierre Bensusan 2, in 1977. I refrained from using keyboards on records or on stage because I stopped playing for a long time and lost most of my technique. I recently bought a keyboard again and I’m having a lot of fun with it. I use it mostly for writing, or to hear my friends play when they visit me. Really, I’d rather invite a real pianist to play on my recordings.
Do you feel that learning the Piano led to a better knowledge of musicality that you’ve since applied to playing guitar?
The piano has helped me to think harmonically and polyphonically. It has also increased my inner sense of musical counterpoint. It’s also helped my hand and fingers to stretch. The guitar touches a more sensual note - I guess it’s the vibrato. It’s the relationship with the strings, and the fact that you can move and shake the instrument, influencing the overall sound. By virtue the keyboard is a different instrument, but at the end of the day, it’s just an instrument. I feel I’m constantly looking to play guitar with the natural flow that you get with the piano.
You’ve played Lowden guitars pretty much exclusively throughout your career. Was the move to Kevin Ryan Guitars simply because Lowden no longer hand-make their guitars?
Not exactly - I moved away because my friend George Lowden had lost the control over his company. I didn’t feel right working with the board of directors with George not being involved. To make a long story short, there has been quite a dispute between these people, and I felt uncomfortable in the middle of all this. Kevin’s guitars are incomparable and very different from George’s guitars, but I am now equally happy. The situation is currently completely different with George now back in full control of his company and production. He’s never forgotten my contribution in putting his guitars on the map and would like me back on his side. We’ll see what the future holds.
Does your new signature guitar have any design elements that you specifically requested?
Absolutely. The neck, its shape and width, the size, shape and depth of the body. Also the aesthetics, cut away, definition and design of the saddle are all elements I’ve been involved with. There are actually two luthiers I’ve have been working with: Kevin Ryan, for the steel string model and Juan Miguel Carmona for the nylon string model. I’ve known Kevin for years, and in the summer of 2002, Kevin began developing a new concept in the philosophy of guitar building. A model that was later known as ‘The Nightingale’ was on the drawing board. During this time, Kevin and I began discussing the possibility of a collaboration for the Pierre Bensusan Artist Model. Kevin knew immediately that ‘The Nightingale’, then known secretly as ‘Project X’, would be the perfect model upon which to base my signature model. It’s a great size and has a sensuous and curvaceous look. It has a higher and tighter waist so that the soundboard can respond freely to the rich and powerful bass characteristic of my sound. It accommodates Kevin’s innovation of the ‘ergonomic bevel’ so that the instrument can be held comfortably, and allows the soundboard to respond to the trebles and mid-range with a sparkle and shimmer. These are just some of the elements that comprise the Bensusan Signature Model.
My nylon string signature guitar model is made and designed by the Spanish luthier Juan Miguel Carmona from Granada. He’s considered to be one of the best of his generation, and also a cousin of the Habichuela family, one of the most well known Flamenco families in Andalousia.
The first Pierre Bensusan signature models were delivered in April 2003.
Although Juan Miguel makes both Flamenco and classical nylon strung guitars, the Carmona/Bensusan signature is not a classical model, nor is it a Flamenco, but somewhere in between. The neck is not as wide as on a classical, but it’s still wider than steel string guitarists are used to. The sound, touch and look are all what I have dreamed of!
What equipment do you use in your home studio?
My new album Altiplanos was recorded with An Apple Mac G5, Pro Tools Digi 02, 2 Cad VX2, Dual Valve Condenser Microphones, 2 Avalon pre-amp VT 737 SP, an Onyx Mackie mixer, Eventide Orville, TC M400 and Plugin reverbs and Genelec 1031 monitor speakers. The album was recorded and mixed by Dany Rallo and myself.
You’ve been quoted as using the Behringer shotgun microphone for recordings - why?
I had met a sound engineer in Belfast who used it on my guitar at a concert and I fell in love with it, bought one and used it at most of my shows at that time. Logically I used it on the recording of Intuite, although I feel that the Cad VX2 sounds better. I used one for Intuite along with the Behringer and then replaced the Behringer by a second Cad for Altiplanos.
So do you still use microphones live?
Yes I do, a custom microphone made in the USA combined with a piezo pickup.
You run guitar seminars at your home in France. Where do people come from that attend these seminars?
From all over the world! New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania, but most of our visitors come from North America and Europe.
What level of player are you dealing with?
Intermediate and advanced players. Amateurs, semi-pros, and pros.
Do you listen to a broad selection of music?
Of course, especially when I’m in my car travelling. It’s when I’m at home that I write, practice, play and study most. If I spent all my time listening to the music made by others, I wouldn’t feel the need to express my own voice. Instead, I’m privileged when I’m on my own, allowing life and movement to my imagination. I’ll go as deep as I can into it.
I notice that on the new album the opening track has a South African ‘high life’ vibe - is that something you have recently become more interested in?
I have to thank Paul Simon for bringing that sound to my attention when he invited Lady Smith Black Mumbazo to record with him. Also, if you listen to the song ‘Awali’ on my album Wu Wei recorded in 1993, that inspiration is already vividly there. Speaking of which, that album, along with Spices, will both soon be re-released on Favoured Nations.
What are you currently listening to?
Samuel Barber, Durufle, Faure, Bach’s ‘Golderg Variations’ by Glen Gould, and Dinu Lipatti, Paco de Lucia, Juan Luis Guerra, Joni Mitchell, Joe Zawinul, Weather Report, Hun Huur Tuu, Wayne Shorter, Maurice Ravel, Keith Jarett, Maite Martins, Charlie Mingus, Milton Nascimento, Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pasquoal, etc. I also listen to a lot of Rap and R&B, when I get anywhere near my son’s bedroom that is!
Some years ago your live performances featured a fair amount of technology. Do you think your more recent decision to play pure acoustic guitar will stay with you?
My electronic set up nowadays is very basic and is not even close to what it used to be. Intuite was completely solo and acoustic. Altiplanos was recorded with two microphones and a B-Band piezo pickup output, and then we mixed the three in the final version.
On stage, I use an EQ and a M4000 TC reverb, a volume pedal, and an electrical fan to cool me down! I sometimes miss the loops I used to use. But at the same time I know that it’s much more challenging to conceive the guitar as a solo instrument and try to make it ‘say it all’ without any technological net. I also notice that without the gear, the rapport with the audience is deeper and more direct. So yes, this will stay with me, and yet, I will never close the door to electronics entirely because they can be a lot of fun. There are three pieces on Altiplanos which are a testimony to that time. It’s quite a contrast with the rest of the album and yet the feel is natural. I like all kind of sounds when they contribute to a musical universe. At the same time, I currently have enough on my plate with the infinite palette of tones and colours of just one guitar. There are many possible future declinations I could take to create the correct environment for my guitar and voice.
I noticed that your new album and web site has French and English translations, which is very unique. However, your albums do not have lyrics translated into English, why is this?
The lyrics of the songs recorded on all my ten albums can be found on my website. Translations happen only by coincidence when some soul out there wants to give it a try. Other than that, translation is a time consuming process. Alas, because of these reasons I cannot have all my lyrics translated. I see that most of the English speaking singers do not bother to have their songs translated into French, and in some cases I guess it’s just as well!
www.pierrebensusan.com
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