How a Victor Wooten bass odyssey provided the unlikely inspiration for one of Lianne La Havas’ biggest hits

Victor Wooten and Lianne La Havas perform live
(Image credit: Getty)

You never know where you might find inspiration as a guitar player – the most unlikely musical influences can seep into your brain, take up residence and find themselves expressed in a new way via the medium of fingers on fretboard.

That was certainly the case for Lianne La Havas. The UK neo-soul great already had a great ear for a tasty chord inversion, but it was learning a whole new guitar vocabulary that inspired her 2021 single – and one of her most-streamed tracks – Can’t Fight.

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Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.