Nashville is full of talented guitar players who play on hit records with half their licks tied behind their backs. Charlie Worsham, a first-call player for artists like Eric Church, finds plenty of opportunities to let his ferocious licks fly.
The throngs of guitarists who live in Music City are championed by Worsham, a Berklee College of Music-trained guitarist and songwriter who cheekily catalogs his six-string exploits on aSpotify playlist dubbed Sh!t I’ve played On.
He orchestrated a popular residency at Nashville’s Basement East club pre-pandemic called Every Damn Monday, which drew slingers, and he has led themed guitar nights at the festival.
He gives his techniques to aspiring players. A highlight of his new album Sugarcane is a video that shows how he uses all six strings to play a C, as well as how to play a ripping solo, which nearly didn’t happen at all.
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After a few uninspired takes with an assignment to listen to some music that might light his fire, producer Jay Joyce sent him home. He went back to the start.
I saw a nod of admiration from Jay, which rarely happens, when I walked in with Charlie and Steve that morning. It made me very proud that I grew up in a household with a large collection of Skynyrd music.
Joyce challenged Worsham to track Sugarcane with just a single guitar. Vince Gill gave him a 1960 dot-neck Gibson ES-335 that he named “Excalibur”. He says there was never any doubts. Whether it’s me playing shows live or playing on somebody else’s record or my own record, whatever, that’s where I start.
The producer had more to do with forcing creative decisions than with holding him back. They might not be able to go eight layers deep while I am still trying to establish myself to the rest of the world. They just need to hear that one guitar, so I’m in a place of simplification and trying to lean more on my fingers than my gear, and it’s been good for me.
- Sugarcane (opens in new tab) is out now via Warner Music Nashville.