“I wish guitar players were more adventurous, but they’re just not. They seem like the most conservative people on the face of the planet”: Buzz Osborne has a piece of playing advice that every guitarist should listen to

Though we live in an age where the boundaries of guitar tones and techniques are being pushed to the limits, Buzz Osborne believes players should be doing even more to break new ground with the instrument.

Speaking in the latest issue of Total Guitar, the Melvins maestro notes how the relative conservatism of the modern guitarist – coupled with the lack of an adventurous streak – has prevented players from honing their maverick sensibilities.

To that observation, he offers a key piece of playing advice that TG readers – and, indeed, all guitar players – should heed.

“I wish guitar players were more adventurous,” he says. “But they’re just not. They seem like the most conservative people on the face of the planet. You can’t get them to do anything left of centre.

“Try something new,” he goes on the urge. “You might just like it!”

Of course, Osborne practices what he preaches, and the Melvins maestro – a master of avant garde guitar playing himself – has been doing so for most of his career.

“I’ve always thought we’re offering something that was not the norm,” Osborne observes of his ownmusic. “We’re not part of any musical genre. We get lumped into the grunge thing, but those bands don’t sound like us. I’ve always felt we were a different kind of animal.”

As for how he’s maintained this fearless attitude towards stepping outside the box with his playing, Osborne goes on: “Well, one of my favourite authors is Flannery O’Connor. She said about the books that she was writing, ‘If they’re not controversial, then they’re not any good.’ I’ve never forgotten that. 

“Another thing I really liked was when Gene Simmons said ‘be as peculiar as possible’. I’ve repeated that over and over.”

Elsewhere in his Total Guitar interview, Osborne reflected on his admiration for Jimi Hendrix, but noted the legendary guitar trailblazer’s technique was “wrong”.

Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Total Guitar, which also features interviews with Slash, Kerry King and St. Vincent.