Chet Atkins Created the Nashville Sound but Didn’t Want To Be Known as a Country Guitarist

Chet Atkins was a pioneer of the Nashville Sound, along with Owen Bradley, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law. In the 50s and 60s, these five artists and producers altered the typical sound of country music and made something completely new.

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Many new listeners weren’t fond of the “twang” in traditional country music, so Atkins removed the fiddle and steel guitar from many recordings. The goal was to make country music appeal to fans of pop music. With smoother vocals and instrumentation and more sophisticated production, the Nashville Sound was created.

Due to these alterations, which put producers in more control of an artist’s musical choices, there were many more crossover hits between country and pop. As a distinguished guitarist, Chet Atkins didn’t like being pigeonholed as a country guitarist, even though he helped develop a unique country style.

Atkins had an interesting picking style that he developed after hearing Merle Travis play on the radio. Using only his thumb and index finger, sometimes his middle finger as well, Atkins created elaborate compositions. His technique made him an inspiration for many young musicians.

Chet Atkins Is Synonymous With the Nashville Sound, but He Had Many Other Influences in His Own Work

Although he had great success in country music, Chet Atkins notably inspired artists in many genres and disciplines. His wide-ranging influences included pop standards and jazz, and he experimented with sound, genre, acoustics, and technique.

Atkins was often criticized by other country musicians for his outside influences, notably the influence of jazz on his work. He often played by ear and improvised, which was a staple of jazz music.

Because of these influences, Atkins was opposed to being revered as a “country guitarist.” His argument was that he wanted to simply be known as “a guitarist, period.”

For Chet Atkins, his technique and style came from unusual places. There’s evidence that he was inspired by James P. Johnson, the stride piano player. Johnson was instrumental in the development of ragtime into jazz, which in turn influenced Atkins. He also included classical guitar compositions on every one of his albums.

Atkins went on to influence many guitarists in and out of country music. For example, George Harrison was inspired, and the result can be heard notably on “All My Loving.” Johnny Winter developed his blues-rock picking style after Atkins, and Steve Howe of Yes admired his ability to crossover genres.

In a 2020 interview with Louder, Howe explained, “there are those in different areas of music who are better than him, but nobody had the same ability when it comes to being across the board. For me, it was an education to listen to what he did.”

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