Tommy Emmanuel: “Advice to young people. Clapton an example”

I met Tommy Emmanuel the first time in April 2025, at the Soave Guitar Festival. His humility was directly proportional to his talent. An impression also confirmed in this new chat of ours, shortly before seeing him in the splendid setting of the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. Two aspects of him always strike me.

The first can only be there guitarobviously, and what he can do with it. It’s so in symbiosis with the instrument that seems to have been born with a Maton in his arms – and in a certain sense it is like this: at 6 years old he was already touring around his Australia with the family band; at 30 he was on stadium stages as a rock soloist; at 44 he became one of only five guitarists in the world to receive the title of Certified Guitar Player (CGP) from his idol, the legendary Chet Atkins.

The second concerns the performative nature of his genius. His shows are physically exhausting, explosions of energy where the guitar is a thousand tools in one – including percussion. Always smiling, with an almost childish joy (in the noblest sense of the term: in front of an audience he has fun like a child), despite the decades of world tours behind him. The objective was and remains one: to make people forget that on stage there is only one man with six strings.

Tommy, you turned the guitar into a whole band.

I try to play so that nothing is missing, you know, that says everything. And I’m always looking for things like the right key to play a song, so that the melody sounds natural, but at the same time can have good solid bass notes and chords underneath. In this way the melody can still have a sort of life of its own, independent from the rest. It’s just a good way of thinking, because it helps me think more like a singer and a band. The melody is the lead singer, and the band is what’s underneath supporting it – that’s how I try to get that natural feel.

Do you miss interacting with a group?

Oh, I love it, but I still like playing solo too. I like all kinds of interactions: I love playing with the orchestra, I love playing with a rock and roll band. I like playing with other guitarists and sometimes I get to play with folk fiddles, banjos, mandolins… American bluegrass music. But, you know, the truth is, when I play, the band is in my head. And sometimes people say, “I could have sworn I heard something else,” as if there was more than one person playing the guitar. And I don’t know if it’s just the energy I play with or if there’s something else that’s in the music.

And the electric guitar? Do you miss rocking?

Absolutely yes. When I get home I have all the amps, guitars and pedals already set up. So I play and try not to disturb the neighbors too much…

As a drummer, I know something about it…

Fantastic! I’m a drummer too and it’s the most expressive instrument there is. When you watch someone play the drums, you realize how expressive they are. It’s not just a rhythm, it’s much more.

Not that your guitars are any less expressive. Are you still looking for the same sound as before or do you have new needs?

I think that as we continually grow and change as human beings, our needs and what we seek also change. I’m always looking for a good sound, whatever the situation: whether it’s a live radio broadcast, sitting in front of a microphone with headphones, I look for the best position, a bit like you would do with toms or the snare drum to find the right spot for the microphone. So I’m always experimenting. For example, the other night I played in London and, before the concert, I put on some different strings, which I normally don’t use, because I felt that the guitar was falling asleep a bit, with all those beautiful harmonics and all the nuances I’m looking for. So I changed strings and the guitar came back to life. She had probably gotten too used to the previous strings. With these new ones I woke her up and got a really great sound. In short, I’m always looking. I think all musicians in general never stop looking for a better sound.

Many guitarists try to imitate you, but never succeed completely. What is your impossible-to-replicate trademark?

I have to say that I too have spent my whole life trying to replicate other musicians and other authors. But I think I’ve developed my own sound and my own style, it’s true, and I think it happened over many years of work. A key part is honesty: this is my way of interpreting music and I’m sincere, I’m not trying to emulate something else, I just play it the way I think is right. And I have to be happy about that. I think one of the things that many people struggle with — without even realizing it — is time. There are people who tell young people: “Don’t work with the metronome, music must be free”. I think that’s a terrible statement, because time is what sets me free. Don’t speed up, slow down and all those things: I don’t want them. I love playing with the metronome. When I started doing it, fifty years ago, it was like a ball and chain: it drove me crazy, because I always wanted to speed up or slow down. Then, as I started to get my sense of time together, to really feel it, understand it and work with it, playing with the metronome became liberating. Now I’m enjoying the ride, you know? So when I play live, especially if I play with another younger musician, with little experience and a lot of enthusiasm, I already know that this guy will speed up from the first bar. That’s almost always what happens. And it’s normal: it’s not that it’s wrong or that he’s poor. It’s normal, we all do it. So I try to keep my groove together and, at the same time, maintain the enthusiasm in playing, but contain it. It is important that everything works and feels good.

When you decide to arrange a classic, how do you manage to maintain the soul of the original and at the same time put your own stamp on it?

If I’m learning a well-known song, or a classic that has been reinterpreted by many people, the first thing I do is listen to the original, the melody and the chords. I try to learn them and then look for ways to add some different colors, to make it a little unexpected, maybe a little mysterious. I try to create a sort of personal play space for myself. But I still try to stay faithful to the original composer’s melody.

Many of your compositions have a very strong narrative quality. Do you ever write with a lyric in mind, or does the melody come into its own?

I often write lyrics, I just don’t always sing them. As in “Angelina”, a song that in addition to a melody also has words. But all my songs I write while singing. This is why my melodies – I hope – are melodic in the ears of people, who listen to them and want to hear them again. And that’s what I try to do as an author: draw you in and tell you a story.

You define yourself as an entertainer before a guitarist. On social media many sound closed in their rooms. How vital is it for a musician to look the audience in the eye?

It’s very important. If you want to be creative, inspired, and do something beautiful in the world, why not get out of your bedroom and go play for the people who need and love music? I can’t imagine starting to make music just because I have a video camera and a good microphone: that’s not a good enough reason. I’m only interested in playing for people. When I’m alone, I usually practice what I have to study, and try to compose new songs and things like that. I don’t spend my days filming myself. I don’t care. The only thing I think about during the day is the evening concert. I’m already excited to play. I can’t relate to those who only play in their room or at home and that’s it. I understand that maybe they started later in life, but if I look at my personal experience, I was on stage before I was five, and I already loved being out there, playing, seeing people’s reactions, how happy they became when we played. I always say I’m an entertainer, because I work in entertainment. I’m a musician, and I deeply love being one, but I’m there to play for people. I’m there to do the job I was born to do, I don’t move from that and I don’t care what others say. I believe in the gift I have and I try to honor it as best I can.

Do you ever have a dark moment before going on stage?

I can’t wait to get on stage. If there is even a little bit of doubt, then that means I need to go and practice what gives me that doubt. But right now I have no doubt: tonight I will have fun like never before. I will enjoy every moment. And if you were in the audience, you would have a lot of fun too, because everything comes from love. It comes from the irrepressible desire to play for people, it’s all there. I love playing the guitar so much that I can’t wait to get it out and start playing. It’s always been like this for me.

Who are the new ones in your opinion? Certified Guitar Players?

There are so many amazing musicians out there. He may not be young, but someone like Eric Clapton still continues to conquer new audiences everywhere. He still plays beautifully, he still plays with a huge heart. I really love his example for all of us: the choice of music, the choice of musicians he surrounds himself with — everything about him is a great example. As far as young people go, the world is full of incredible talent, extraordinary kids. And the first example I think of is Alberto Lombardi. When I come to Italy, my friend Alberto is on stage to open the concert. We always prepare beautiful duets to play together. He’s a great example of a younger musician who is truly making a major mark on the world. And I would like to see him grow further, reach an ever higher level. Then there is a boy from Croatia called Frano Livingston: he is only 21 years old and is already a genius, very brilliant and incredibly dedicated to music. Then there are a lot of young musicians in America that I really admire. In short, there is a lot of talent out there. And let’s not forget that there are also many women who play amazingly.