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CONTENT Info .................................. 3

Interview ........................... 4

Biography ......................... 12

Discography ...................... 14

Reviews ........................... 18

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As someone who is involved in the music businessas a guitarist, record label owner, magazinepublisher, and festival organizer, it can sometimes be

a challenge to determine Peter Finger’s primary activity.However, while all of his ventures have been blessed withsuccess, it only takes a short listen to realize that Fingerhas a secure place among the world’s finest acousticguitarists.

Although there is no shortage of virtuosos in the worldof guitar, Finger stands out as a unique talent. Playing anopen-tuned steel-string guitar with a set of metalfingerpicks, he presents a musical depth, dynamic range,and rhythmic energy that few other solo instrumentalistscan match. Praised for his original compositions (whichmake up the majority of his repertoire), Finger plays musicthat would stand on its own without requiring flashyplaying techniques, yet it is impossible to not be impressedwith his seemingly effortless abilities on the fingerboard.Impossible to categorize, the results fall under the generalumbrella of “contemporary fingerstyle guitar”, but Finger’sability to magically fuse wide-ranging influences into acohesive whole sets him apart and transports him into thepantheon of acoustic players. Originally influenced by folk,blues, and ragtime styles, Finger’s soundscape is just aslikely to be informed by Bartok or Debussy as it is by

Peter Finger –ACOUSTIC GUITARIST

B.B. King or Jimi Hendrix, and he also uses elementsof world music or the improvisational elements of jazzin his playing. Perhaps guitarist Tim Sparks has founda proper way in which to describe Finger’s accomplish-ments: “He has great passion and incredible chops,and he’s always pushing the envelope of his playing.But more than that, Peter has found a singularity withthe sound that comes from his special tuning and allthe musical streams of experience which he pours intohis guitar. His music pulls the listener into a unique,haunting, and exhilarating universe.”

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COVERPHOTO: MANFRED POLLERT ARTWORK: HERMANN OTTE

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How did your careeras a guitarist getstarted?

When I was about 13years old, an uncleof mine gave me anold guitar. I was

very excited about it, but I didn’t really succeed inlearning to play it at first. The guitar gathered dust fora few months, until I joined a youth group—somethingsimilar to the boy scouts—that needed someone whocould accompany some songs around the campfire. Thegroup leader showed me a few chords, and I guess Imade an impression. I was familiar with music itself, asI had already had seven years of violin lessons, and Icame from a musical family. After a short time, I couldplay as well as the group leader, and a short time later,I started a band in my school. At first I played on mylittle acoustic guitar, but then I got a red electricguitar with four pickups for Christmas. I loved thisguitar because I was certain that only a red guitarwould impress the girls. The entire band played througha converted radio as an amplifier.

How come you ended up specializing in the steel-string acoustic guitar?

The band was so incredibly bad that we really didn’texperience any kind of success. We had a lot of dreams

and fun, but the experience was mostly frustrating, andeventually the band broke up. During this time, myhometown had an annual folk festival, which I startedto check out. For the first time I saw fingerpickingguitarists, who played bass, rhythm, and melodysimultaneously. I was so impressed that I wanted tolearn playing in this style right away.

Did you mostly learn by watching these players?

Yes, I would watch until I figured out what they weredoing, and then I would practice at home until I couldplay it myself. It was a very intense period, and Iquickly got to know people who were established in thescene. One guy had a huge collection of records by folk,blues, and ragtime guitarists, and he introduced me toseminal players like Robert Johnson, Mississippi JohnHurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and also younger guitaristssuch as Stefan Grossman, David Laibman, and JohnRenbourn. After a while, I was playing a lot of thecountry-blues and ragtime repertoire, which I reallyenjoyed. I also played guitar in a folk group, whichallowed me to fine tune my technique as a backupplayer. However, a year later I participated in the new-talent competition at the folk festival playing solo, andI ended up receiving the first prize. This was the realstart of my career, because the prize included arecording session, which resulted in my first EP. I sentthis recording to Stefan Grossman, who had just startedhis Kicking Mule label.

Peter Finger –Interviewby Teja Gerken

INTERVIEW

“Peter Finger is one of myall time favorite guitarists!His music is highly refre-shing and his playingabsolutely wonderfull.“

Sergio Assad

“Peter Finger is a trulyunique musician – andI love his work!“

Tommy Emmanuel c.g.p.

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This must have been in the early ‘70s…

Exactly, it was 1973. He liked it, and said ‘yes, we cando something, why don’t you come by ’. Grossman livedin Rome during this time, and together with myguitarist-friend Detlef Dürr, I drove there in mymother’s old VW bug in February of 1974. Eventually,the solo album I had planned on turned into a duorecording with Detlef Dürr. I had played bottleneck-slide on a few tunes, and Stefan came up with the ideaof having me record a bottleneck album. He said ‘comeback in a couple of months, and we’ll cut anotherrecord.’ I was 19 years old, and I would have probablydone anything to be able to release another record inthe US. I went home, quickly wrote about 20 pieces for

bottleneck guitar, and two months later, I was back inRome to record them. Musically, the album isn’t all thatgreat, but it ended up being one of the most successfulrecordings for Kicking Mule, probably because of thespecific title, Bottleneck Guitar Solos. Even thoughthere were a lot of records that featured a couple ofslide guitar tunes, none were purely about bottleneckplaying. It was the right concept at the right time.

Who was your friend with whom you made the duorecord?

Detlef Dürr just played guitar on the side whilestudying physics and mathematics. I think we were apretty good duo in the context of the time, or at leastour music had a certain freshness to it. We were calledDetlef and Finger. Detlef is now a mathematics professorat the university in Munich, and only plays music athome. We had a lot of fun performing together.

So your early guitar influences came from the bluesand folk scene?

Right. I played a lot of Gary Davis, Mississippi JohnHurt, Robert Johnson, etc.

The classical influence in your guitar music camelater?

Yes, much later. During this time, I was very removedfrom classical music. I wanted to distance myself fromthe things I grew up with. Back then, classicalmusicians tended to be very rigid in their thinking andtheir behavior, and they seemed ignorant toward otherstyles of music, which kept me away from the generalclassical music scene in my early 20’s. I did continue toplay classical music on the violin, but at the time, thisdidn’t influence my own compositions on the guitar. Ididn’t get back to my roots until I was about 23. Atthis time, I played a pretty varied repertoire in my

concerts, and during one particular show, I had adefining experience while playing a blues. I begansinging ‘I was born in Mississippi,’ and while I sang, Isaid to myself, ‘what are you talking about?’ I began tothink about it, and suddenly realized that the blueswasn’t my music. After getting re-orientated a little, Itried to listen within myself and to search for my ownmusic.

How did you proceed in your development?

This particular experience was the turning point, butthere were others as well, although I’d rather notremember some of them… The first step was to stopsinging. The most difficult aspect was to find a way tobe true to myself without alienating my audience. Inthe early ‘70’s, people loved it when you played bluesand ragtime, and the shows generally did really well. Itwas tempting to continue in this direction, but I justcouldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t play music that Ididn’t really stand behind anymore. Influences fromrock music began displacing the blues and ragtimepieces, and in 1976, I recorded the album Acoustic RockGuitar for Kicking Mule. I now think that I hadmanaged to develop a pretty unique guitar style, butunfortunately it wasn’t all that successful, becausepeople wanted to hear ragtime and blues.

I kept pursuing this new direction, and eventuallyaugmented the rock influences with jazz and modernclassical music. My father, who was a conductor, playedan important role in my development during this time.I had always had the impression that he wasn’t takingme seriously with my music, which led me to reallypractice and push my abilities. I wanted to prove to myfather that I could make a living as a musician, andalso that the guitar is an instrument that can be usedfor serious music. I became more self-confident once Ibegan making a living with music, and the sense ofcompetition with my father began to disappear. I endedup relating to classical music again, and asked him for

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advice. He made suggestions for what I should listen toand where I could find great instrumental music. Hemade me aware of Stravinsky, Bartok, Debussy, and thiswhole world of 20th century classical music. I listenedto this music very intensively for a while, which was agreat experience. I learned an entirely new musicalvocabulary, which merged into my own music over thecourse of the next few years. I began to write orchest-ral music, and after I won a few competitions for or-chestral composition, I almost quit playing the guitar. Ialso resumed playing violin in a string quartet, buteventually decided that I couldn’t do everything atonce. Because I didn’t play the violin well enough, Iended up returning to the guitar. What I learned wasthat my compositional roots are in classical music—particularly 20th Century classical music—which is thedirection that I’ll probably keep going in. However, Idon’t want to write material that’s as out there as likethe avant-garde composers do, because I want to stayconnected with my audience.

Did you ever play music from the classical guitartradition on the steel-string guitar?

I used to play a little Bach, with steel-strings andfingerpicks, even in concerts. But as great as Bach’smusic is, what I really want to play is my own music.The other thing is that there are already so many reallygood classical guitarists… I do want to continuegetting compositional inspiration from the classicalliterature for piano and orchestra.

Looking back, what have been the highlights of yourmusical career to far?

I’d say that my first recordings and concerts were defi-nite highlights. When I recorded my first album at 18,that was a highlight. At that time, recording an albumwas something very special, especially for an 18-year-old German on an American label. Later, appearances

on TV became highlights, as well as festivals where youplay in front of 20,000 people. The first tours in a newcountry are also something that I still think of as beingreally exciting.

Have you ever done anything professionally thatwasn’t related to playing guitar?

Yes, I started studying music at the university,primarily to have some security so I could have becomea teacher if I needed to. I also built about 20 guitars. Iwrote and moderated radio programs, and also wrotesongs for children’s TV shows with my son. I guess allof this somehow does relate to the guitar though…INTERVIEW

“I think that Peter adds awhole new dimension tothe world of fingerstyleguitar. He’s phenomenal!“

Buster B. Jones

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from strength to strength.Everytime I hear him hehas moved on and he waspretty astounding back inthe early days. ‘Blue Moon’is simply awesome.“

John Renbourn

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Do you see yourself more as a guitarist or as acomposer?

For a long time, I saw myself more as a composer. Eversince I was a child, I had a feeling of having a specialmission in life. I always felt that this calling was aboutcomposing, or perhaps about exploring unchartedterritory, whatever that means. I think it all has to dowith creativity. I’ve had big goals in this regard, butunfortunately also the realization that one lifetime isn’tenough. In terms of composing, you have to choose aniche, because there are so many great composersalready. I’ve chosen the niche of guitar, and withinthat, the steel-string guitar. In this area, I try to givethe entire scene a move forward in quality.

There have always been phases where I practiced alot and I would see myself more as a performingguitarist. I have to keep practicing with my way ofwriting, because otherwise, I can’t play the pieces theway I want to.

How would you describe your music?

Ideally, I wouldn’t describe it at all… However,sometimes it’s necessary, and then I usually choosefairly generic terms like ‘New Acoustic Guitar.’ If I try todescribe it a little more in depth, then I’d say that I tryto take the elements I like best from different kinds ofmusic. For example, with jazz, it’s the improvisation. Iwas never a jazz guitarist, but I’ve always beeninterested in the style, and I’ve learned from it. Withclassical, I try to emulate counterpoint andcompositional techniques. With folk music, it’s the re-laxed presentation, and how you make music for anaudience.

What can you say about your unusual guitar tuning?

I started focusing on one tuning in the beginning ofthe ‘80’s. This tuning is EBEGAD, and I also use avariation, DAEGAD. I was using about 15 different

tunings before, but then I started to get more involvedwith studying harmony and improvisation. Using lots ofdifferent tunings makes it very easy to loose track, so Idecided to concentrate on just one. In some ways it’seasier to play in many different tunings, as each comeswith its own character and expression, but you have toconcentrate if you really want to understand thefingerboard.

How come you didn’t go with standard tuning?

Because when I used standard tuning, I found thatwhen I composed I kept going in musical directionsthat already existed. I finally told myself, ‘ok, this isenough. You’re going to completely retune the guitar,and then you won’t know anything anymore, and you’lljust play and produce some new kinds of sounds.’ Noweverything really did sound different, and I liked what Iheard.

Do you think that you have a special individualplaying technique?

It’s possible, but I’ve never thought about it. I alwayspracticed what I needed. I use metal fingerpicks, whichis left over from when I played country-blues. Therearen’t a lot of guitarists left today who still play withmetal picks, most players use artificial nails. However, Ihave a very strong playing style, and nails wouldn’t lastvery long, so I’d rather trust my picks and work on mytechnique to eliminate most of the unwanted noisethey cause. The big advantage of using fingerpicks isthat they allow a powerful attack. If necessary, you canplay almost as if you were using a flatpick.

How do you compose and practice?

Let’s start with practicing. I go through phases inwhich I practice a lot, sometimes four, five, or even sixhours a day. Most recently, I’ve been carefully watching

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what my weaknesses are, which I then address inspecific exercises that I write for myself. Right now,these fill an entire file. I try to play an exercisewithout any mistakes ten times in a row. If I don’tmake it, then I start from the beginning, until Isucceed. Sometimes it can take two hours to play oneexercise. I’ll reduce the tempo until I can do it.

I’ve been really interested in brain research, and Inow try to practice in a brain-friendly way. It doesn’tdo much to practice without concentration, but on theother hand, you just can’t concentrate on one thing forhours and hours. I use specific tricks to keep myconcentration for long periods of time.The largest part of my practice is taken up bycoordination exercises, but from time to time, I also tryto practice my repertoire, or I work on my timing.

Composing is a completely different thing.Sometimes it happens really quickly. I’ll have an idea,and immediately realize it’s a good one work it out, andan hour or two later, the piece is done. This is theexception though. Sometimes it takes months, andsome attempts I’ll throw out after a while because Isimply can’t get to the results that I want. My ownstandards of the quality I expect play an important roleduring this process, which is why I used to composemuch quicker. Sometimes I write with the guitar,sometimes without. If I write without the guitar, then Ijust write the notes down and hope that they soundlike what I’m imagining. Unfortunately, some of thesepieces can be unplayable and end up inthe trash. It’s also possible to have verypositive surprises though, and you mightend up with a composition that youwould have never written on the guitar.I usually have an idea of a structure,which I then try to fill out with differentthemes that I try to interweave. I alsotry to write as imaginatively as possible.This means to not just do whatever isconvenient on the guitar, but to write

the way you would for piano or orchestra. I also listento a lot of orchestral music when I compose, and Ithink that doing this can teach a lot aboutcounterpoint or melody lines.

What information do you try to pass on in yourworkshops?

It varies. It always depends on the level of thestudents. A lot of times, you’re faced with a group ofstudents that includes beginners as well as players whoare almost professionals, and it can be difficult to findcommon ground. I usually teach one of my pieces. I tryto give a lot of general advice about topics such asinterpretation of a theme, dynamic expression, or thearc of a composition. It’s not just about technique onthe guitar, but also about playing in a musical way.Creating good tone is also part of it. Sometimes it’smostly about stimulating the student. Many times I’veheard that participants get a lot out of just watchingme interpret a piece. Workshops are mostly aboutinspiration and motivation. You can’t really improveyour technique in just a few days, this will take yearsof practice, but the motivation is important.

What does your ideal performance venue look like?

I like a theater with great acoustics, where I can playwithout amplification. The ideal venue has a nice back-

“Peter Finger is a true ori-ginal guitarist. His music isintelligent, emotional andcaptivating. I believe thathe’s one of the bestguitarists that ever walkedthe planet!“

Peppino D’Agostino

“Peter is a musical bombexploding with textures,ideas and athmospheres.“

Stefan Grossman

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INTERVIEW

“Peter Finger combinesawesome chops with anadvanced compositionalsensibility that puts himin the highest echelon ofcontemporary acousticguitarists.“

Laurence Juber

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stage room with some drinks, something light to snackon, and perhaps a couch. It’s nice to have an hourbefore the show to relax and prepare. Of course it isideal if the audience is ready to listen to a soloist fortwo hours, which I try to make as engaging andsuspenseful as possible.

Do you think that guitarists and non-guitaristsrelate differently to your music?

Yes, that’s possible. A lot of people consider me avirtuoso, which I don’t necessarily agree with. I justlearn what I need for my own music, and I don’tconcern myself with being virtuosic. However, virtuosityis what other guitarists notice, they tend to analyzewhat they hear. This doesn’t matter much to me, I justtry to convey my music, and the guitar happens to bethe medium I work with. The fact that sometimes Ineed more notes and sometimes less has to do withmusical vocabulary.

You’ve played all over the world. Are there placeswhere you particularly like to perform?

Every country has a few great venues, it doesn’t matterwhether they’re in America, in Asia, or in Europe. Thesize of the venue isn’t that important either. I’veplayed some wonderful house concerts for 50 or 60people, and sometimes I’ve had great shows in theaterswith 500 or 1,000 people. Each has its own appeal, andI’m glad to be able to do both. Of course the really bigshows area less frequent.

How did Acoustic Music Records get started?

I had been touring and giving concerts for many years,and I had one of those moments of self-doubt. I feltlike I wasn’t moving forward musically, and I thoughtto myself ‘now that you’ve composed this much, howshould things keep going without constant repetition?’

You reach your limits, facing hurdlesthat seem impossible to surmount.In those times, you have severaloptions: You can practice andbecome technically more proficient,so that you forget your instrumentwhile playing music by expandingyour technical boundaries. Anotherpossibility is to reduce your musicto its most important elements. Youcan also expand your musicalhorizon, for example by listening tocompletely different music in orderto get inspired. I reached such a hurdle in the 1980’s,which was a time where it had also become moredifficult for acoustic musicians in general. Our audiencestayed home, concerts were poorly attended. Compu-ters, synthesizers, and sequencers had become popular,and other kinds of music were in demand. Nobody knewhow it was going to continue, it was very frustrating. Ifelt the need for a creative break, and I thought tomyself ‘let’s do something different on the side, and tryto build something up.’ Of course I also wanted to haveanother source of income, so that I wouldn’t have todepend on my concerts alone. I didn’t like the pressureof having to make money. I wanted to play music forfun and because I felt that I had a calling, and I didn’twant to compromise stylistically.I considered building guitars. I had already done this,and really enjoyed it. However, I really just wanted tobuild guitars for myself, not for other people. I finallythought that a publishing company would be a way tocombine music and business. I had difficulties finding anew label myself, and having had the experience ofbeing on labels that didn’t do anything for me in thepast, I thought ‘now or never.’ I was fascinated by thepossibility of running a business parallel to playingmusic, and so I started Acoustic Music Records. It wasvery slow at first. I started with my own record, whichI presented to all the radio stations, who basically

laughed at me. To them, I was the wacko who started alabel for acoustic guitar at a time when nobody wasinterested in this music, but I didn’t give up. It didn’ttake long for me to sign other musicians who werewithout a label. Some I just became aware of duringthis time, others came by recommendation.For example, Duck Baker told me about Tim Sparks,John Renbourn told me about another guitarist, andeverything moved forward really quickly. Suddenly I hada nice little catalog, and the media began taking meseriously. The whole thing continued growing over theyears as new projects and business ideas were added.I never really wanted to work so much, but thebusiness just grew and grew. After a while, I had lessand less time to play guitar, as the day job was alwaysmore important than practicing. After a few years, Ireached a point were I couldn’t do it anymore. I had todecide whether I wanted to be a musician or not.Suddenly, I became aware of the real purpose of my lifeagain, which had been pushed to the side by thebusiness. I had to ask myself again ‘what really mattersto you?’ Ultimately, the decision was very clear. Afterproducing about 360 CD’s, 80 music books, publishing amagazine for ten years, and organizing a festival forseven years, everything had basically become a routine.The creative phase of starting a business was over, andI was ready to quit, but in the end, I decided to take a

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partner into the company. Now thefuture of the business is secure, andI can slowly pull back and play musicagain.

What do you look for when youlook for or find new artists forAMR?

Today, it is difficult to sell CD’s,especially if the artists aren’t wellknown. Toward the end of the 1990’s,it was relatively easy, we sold prettygood numbers, but right now, it’stougher. As a label, you have to makesure that the musicians help inmaking themselves known by touring.That’s the business side. With themusic, I mostly look for originalityand personality. It has to havesomething that grabs you.

What kind of advice would you give youngguitarists who want to establish themselves in thescene?

If you think you’re on the right track, then I wouldrecommend having a lot of patience and perseverance.It certainly doesn’t hurt to be self-critical. It’s gettingmore difficult all the time, but I’m convinced thatthose who are good can make it. I think real geniusesdon’t get overlooked, that they’ll be noticed. Of coursemost players aren’t real geniuses, but they’re still verygood. As a newcomer, I’d also think in terms ofmarketing and originality, to not do the same aseveryone else. This is easier said than done,however…

What is the purpose of the International GuitarNight that you founded and continue to organize?

The International Guitar Night, which I started in 1993,is basically an event that I created to present theartists on the label to a larger audience. Hardly anyoneknew the musicians when I started out, and the guitarwasn’t very popular as a concert instrument in Germany.It goes without saying that the label has played a partin changing this perception, if only for the sheernumber of guitar CD’s that have been put out, and themagazine (‘Akustik Gitarre’) that we publish; the annualInternational Guitar Night tour is just another step. Ifan unknown musician tried to play a concert byhimself, he might have drawn 20 or 30 people. Workingwith several musicians, we could present the show asan event, and suddenly we drew 200 to 300 people. It’sa win-win situation. It really brings me full-circle towhat I learned from Stefan Grossman when I was 19.Just look at the success of my bottleneck record over30 years ago. You have to sell a concept, not anunknown name.

“Peter Finger is much morethan a great guitaristplaying a very dynamic andintensive music with manyorchestral qualities, he is areal artist and composerusing his instrument as avehicle, with a very dis-tinctive sound and touch.He also has all my grati-tude for his longtimesupport to guitar music ingeneral. We owe him a lot.For all this, thank youPeter!“

Pierre Bensusan

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INTERVIEW

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“Peter Finger is a livinglegend in the world ofacoustic guitar music.A virtuoso guitarist andgifted composer, he’sprobably done more to pro-mote the acoustic guitarthan anyone I know.“

Martin Taylor

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Is the Open Strings festival you organize inOsnabrück similar to the International Guitar Nightin its concept?

The Open Strings festival is an event of several days.Besides the concerts, we have a big exhibition,workshops, and a competition for new talent. Again,most of the people come for the whole package, notjust because of individual musicians.

With all these guitar-related activities, doyou have time for any other interests?

As I said, I’m interested in brain research, andsome day I want to write a book, but that willhave to do with music again. The brain andpractice, how to work effectively,regardless of the instrument. I’llhave to get together with somespecialists. I’m also going tostart building some instrumentsagain. Working with yourhands is a good balance toall the work I do in my head,but again, it has to do withthe guitar. I can get excitedabout a lot of things, but Ihave to divide my time,because I like to doeverything I’m involvedwith as well as possible.

What gives you the dri-ve to keep going afterall these years?

I need to have stabile andfamiliar surroundings to do mybest work. In this regard, I’mvery lucky to have a great

partnership with my wife, Odile. In the company, ithelps a lot to have a good team, and I’ve been verylucky with that as well. Everything else is motivation.It’s part of my restlessness and curiosity. If I wantedto, then I could pretty much retire at this point,provided that the company continues to run the way itdoes. However, I think that I would get terribly bored.

I would get bored with justcomposing, even though it’svery exciting. I also

wouldn’t want to just playguitar, I want to do lots of dif-

ferent things. I love playing theguitar and composing, but I also

enjoy marketing and business. It’s allfun, but the main focus is always on the

music. Doing all these different things onthe side helps me to not get stuck in

the details of my music, because Ialso focus my thoughts on otherthings in between.

How do you think the guitarscene has changed in the last 20or 30 years?

The guitar scene has changed inthat we were all young 30 yearsago, and now we’re all old. Today,

there are only a few young guitarists,so the scene got older with us, alongwith its overall mentality. When I used

to say ‘hey, I have a gig for you,’ thenthe reply would be ‘great, what is it,where is it, and how many people willbe there?’ There was a lot of excitement,just to play the gig. When I tell someonethat I have a gig for them today, theyoften say ‘ok, how much does it pay?’ Theinterests have shifted over the course of

the years, and I see a lack of curiosity. Of course I alsosee a very, very positive side. We now have anincredible network of guitarists who help each otherout and who tour together. For example, I noticed thatit was just about impossible for me as a German to playin Japan by myself. What I needed was a player inJapan who could help me out, and in turn, I’d help thatsame player in Germany. So many of our artists nowtour together and invite each other for concerts. It allstarted with an exchange between me and PeppinoD’Agostino. Now there are many other Acoustic MusicRecords artists, and we have an international network.

What do you look for in a guitar that you play?

For me, there is a difference between a workinginstrument and one that I play for myself at home. Forcomposing, concerts, and practicing, an instrumentsimply has to function well and be dependable. Ideally,you can forget that you’re even holding an instrument.If you’re playing music for yourself, then obviouslythere are guitars with special character. These can be alot of fun to play, but usually won’t work for all of mytunes. For example, I have a few vintage Martin OMguitars from the 1920’s and 1930’s. They soundamazing, but I miss having a cutaway for some pieces,and I’d be more likely to use different guitars for mydynamically more extreme compositions. Still, these oldguitars are incredibly transparent. It’s also somethingreally special just to hold an instrument with an 80-year old history. I do play on a lot of otherinstruments. Some don’t have that special tone, but canbe used more universally. Besides my old Martins,I have a few very good guitars by makers such asLakewood, Kevin Ryan, Oetter, and others.

The connection with the guitar is a special topic.I feel most connected to guitars that I built myself,where I probably gave some blood in the process. Thelast guitar I built is my favorite, but I can hardly waitto build the next one.

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Born in Weimar, Germany in 1954, Finger wasraised in a musical family (his father was aconductor), and began studying the violin and

piano at age six. As a teenager, Finger’s growing talenton the classical violin earned him the first price of theprestigious Jugend Musiziert (Youth Playing Music)competition twice, but it was on another instrumentthat he would soon get recognized as one of its mostcreative ambassadors. Having initially discovered theguitar as a way to rebel against his parents’ musicalideals, he had become fascinated with the fingerpickingguitar style that was prevalent during the folk musicmovement of the 1960’s. Within a couple of years, hehad honed his skills to where they got the attention ofAmerican guitar legend Stefan Grossman, whoimmediately signed the 19 year old to his brand-newKicking Mule Records label. Released in 1974, Finger’sBottleneck Guitar Solos became one of the labels best

selling albums, catapulting the young artist tointernational acclaim.

Since these early beginnings, Finger has createda musical career full of impressive highlights.Concert tours have delighted fans throughoutEurope, North America, Asia and Russia, more than adozen albums have received the approval of criticsthe world over, and collaborators have includedheavy-hitters such as vibraphonist Florian Poser,saxophonist Charlie Mariano, and percussionistextraordinaire Trilok Gurtu. It goes without sayingthat among aficionados, Finger’s name is mentionedin the same breath as players such as Ralph Towner,Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, or Baden Powell. Fingeris also held in high regards among his fingerstyleguitar peers, many of whom have found a home onAcoustic Music Records, the specialty label hefounded in 1988.

BIOGRAPHY

Peter Finger –BIOGRAPHY

1972 1973 1980 1985

“Hector Berlioz, one ofthe greatest masters oforchestration, says in hismethod that the guitar(and he played the guitarhimself!) sounds like asmall orchestra. When Ilisten to Peter Fingerplaying his compositionson the guitar I have thefeeling I’m not listeningto a small but to a fullsymphonic orchestra!“

Marco PereiraRio de Janeiro February, 15th 2005

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1973

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Following his early price-winning success on the violin, Fin-ger has been recognized with awards throughout thedevelopment of his craft. In 1973, he won the new-talent

category of the Interfolk Festival in his hometown ofOsnabrück, in 1982 he won the prestigious Ernst-Fischer

Prize for orchestral music, in 1985, his compositionHerbstwind (“Autumn Wind”) was voted to first place inthe Oldenburg (Germany) State Theater competition fororchestral composition, and he received the 2003 pricefor music from the German state of Lower Saxony.

No stranger to activities off-stage and out of therecording studio, Finger has extensive experienceworking for TV and radio, including productions forGerman stations such as WDR, Deutschlandfunk, andDeutsche Welle. Finger began publishing the printmagazine Akustik Gitarre in 1995, and his annual

Open Strings guitar festival (held in Osnabrück) wasinaugurated in 1998.P

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1972 1971 1972 1986 1984

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Finger Picking, ALP 190 (1973)Guitar Instrumentals, Kicking Mule SNKF 104 (1974)Bottleneck Guitar Solos, Kicking Mule SNKF 105 (1974)Acoustic Rock Guitar, Kicking Mule SNKF 144 (1977)Zwei Seiten, Stockfisch 5019 (1979)Windspiele, Stockfisch 8006 (1980)Im Labyrinth (with Florian Poser), Stockfisch 5031 (1982)Neue Wege (with Charlie Mariano and Trilok Gurtu),Stockfisch 8015 (1984)

Peter Finger – DISCOGRAPHY

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DISCOGRAPHIE

Live, Edition Collage 418/10 (1985)Niemandsland, Acoustic Music Records 1001 (1989)Colors Of The Night, Shanachioe 97007 (1990)InnenLeben, Acoustic Music Records 1019 (1992)Solo, Acoustic Music Records 1032 (1993)Between the Lines, Acoustic Music Records 1079 (1995)Open Strings, Acoustic Music Records 1173 (1999)Blue Moon, Acoustic Music Records 1309 (2003)Dream Dancer, Acoustic Music Records 1337 (2003)

“The first time I heardPeter Finger completelytransformed what Ithought the guitar coulddo. I was no stranger tosophisticated guitar musicbut Peter’s music justopened a whole new worldof technique and melody.“

Kevin Ryan

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DISCOGRAPHIE

Sampler/Compilations

Where The Guitar Is King, Kicking Mule SNKB 300 (1974)Gitarrenspiele, Stockfisch SF 8007 (1980)Silently The Snow Falls, Shanachie 95007 (1986)Fingerprints, CKM 015 (1989)The Art Of Fingerstyle Guitar, Shanachie 98009/10 (1991)The International Guitar Festival, Acoustic Music Records 1051 (1994)Acoustic Guitar Highlights, Acoustic Music Records 1005 (1995)

“Peter Finger writes musicwith a harmonic palettethat is broader than whatusually hears in theacoustic guitar world.His music is interesting,colorful and full of life.But beyond any analysis, Ijust like it. I look forwardto each new release, andplay the cd’s repeatedlywhen they arrive.“

David Tanenbaum

TranscriptionsBetween The Lines,Acoustic Music Records AMB 1079 (1995)The Guitar Of Peter Finger,MelBay 96993BCD (1997)

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“If you love guitar you must hear this compellingartist“Guitar Player Magazine, USA

“Every once in a while, you come across someonewho is so clearly an artist – in the most unique andprofound sense of the word – that it takes you morethan just a moment to get it. Peter Finger is such anartist.“Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, USA

“Finger’s solo guitar work isn’t widely known in theU.S., but those lucky enough to discover him areastounded by the power and precision of his playingand the depth of his compositions.“Acoustic Guitar Magazine, USA, march 2000

Not only is Peter Finger’s technique unequalled, butalso his boundless wealth of ideas. No one drawsfrom so many different worlds of sound with suchfantasy and ease, lets everything flow into aprimevally powerful current that nothing can hinderon its adventurous journey.”Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, June 21, 2004

“More exciting than a thriller.“Mindener Tageszeitung, October 22, 2002

“One must consider him the greatest European geniusof the acoustic guitar.““Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, April 2, 2005

“….And then the stage was prepared for the master,whose fingers were the focus of the entire

Peter Finger – REVIEWS

community of fans, the master who created his ownparticular world on the guitar, who transcended allsuperlatives. He followed up orgiastic musical imageswith gentle, almost fragilely whispered passages,worked impressions from the Caucasus into case studiesin syncopation, and in every bar, he wove moments ofsurprise into his wildly dense carpet of sound. And allthis he managed with those incredibly fast fingers.”Ruhr Nachrichten, May 2, 2001

“Hearing the man play is pretty close to a guitaristicepiphany.”Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, December 17, 2002

”This master guitarist has achieved something that isseldom heard on the stage these days: perfect harmonybetween virtuosity, musicality and composition. Hismusical cosmos knows no boundaries, it revealsprofound knowledge of music history and ofcontemporary music as well.No wonder: Finger comes from a family of musicians,and it seems to really be his lot with regards to hiscompositions. Peter Finger’s own works are sophistica-ted and so densely packed, that an orchestra couldeasily handle them.Finger does it all with a single acoustic guitar, whichhe commands as no other. What’s impressive is how hisFingers race across the fret board; his technique, whichhe applies very purposefully and above all with manyfacets, is remarkable. His vibratos in particular standout; they are produced in various ways and he usesthem to give shape to musical hues and sculpt the indi-vidual notes.”Bonner Rundschau, October 28, 2002REVIEWS

“...Peter has crafted aplaying style all his own.His compositions representsome of the most creative,original and exciting musicon the guitar scenetoday...“

Woody Mann

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contact/booking:Peter FingerKatharinenstr. 3449078 OsnabrückGermanyTel.: ++49 (0) 5 41-66 89 31 4peter@acoustic-music.dewww.peter-finger.com