Frank Gambale – His meteoric rise to fame is a testament to his passion-powered playing: Video

22.12. – Happy Birthday !!! Grammy winning guitar virtuoso, Frank Gambale, exploded on the L.A. scene in the early ‘80s. His meteoric rise to fame is a testament to his passion-powered playing – a style Rolling Stone magazine called “ferocious!”

Gambale is an inspired songwriter with more than 250 songs published on 20+ albums. His music touches on many styles from rock, funk and jazz to R&B and some Latin and Brazillian influences.

As a legendary guitarist, Gambale is an undisputed genius who originated the “sweep picking” technique (a new way to play the instrument) and elevated it to a precise art form now standard in the guitar lexicon. The “Gambale Sweep Picking Technique” continues to inspire generations of musicians. Jazz, rock, metal and progressive artists alike are united in their awe of Frank as both an amazing technician and an unsurpassed musician.

As a jazz legend, Chick Corea, described Frank this way: “Everything you touch with your guitar turns gold – always has.” Corea also said “Frank is my favorite guitar player.” Guitar great, John McLaughlin, joked: “I’d like to cut his hands off.”

Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny says of Frank: “I’d like to take a month off and study with Frank Gambale.” Dweezil Zappa said “studying Frank Gambale’s Sweep Picking technique enabled me to play the hardest parts of my father’s music that he himself didn’t play.”

A musician’s musician, a gifted composer, and a brilliant innovator and author of numerous instructional books and DVDs, Frank continues to reach unprecedented sonic and technical heights. His six string prowess and seemingly limitless vision point toward an exciting future of groundbreaking music.

Early Years: Frank Gambale was born into a family of talented musicians in his native Canberra, Australia. He quickly absorbed the pantheon of ‘60s and ‘70s blues and rock guitar greats.

As a teen, Frank’s musical horizons expanded with the influence of jazz and vocal based music under the generous tutelage of a local import record shop owner. At 17, he started playing piano and almost gave up guitar altogether. It was twp years before Frank would return to the guitar at the insistence of his older brother. He returned to guitar with renewed enthusiasm but continues to play piano to this day.

Gambale says that his move to Los Angeles in the early ’80s was meant to put him in the middle of “where all the music I loved was being made.” His first stop was the Guitar Institute of Technology.