Tonight’s mystery artist can’t read music so he developed a whole new way of playing that they had to write a whole new kind of music for…which he still can’t read.  Any guesses who he might be?

It is Rock legend Eddie Van Halen who set down the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and told music shaped his life in unexpected ways and how he wound up shaping music.

Eddie could never read music and according if he had ever taken formal music lessons he would never play the way he does. That said because of his popularity they had to find a way to write it so they created tablature with symbols and numbers that explains to other musicians what he is doing to get the sound.  Which by his own admission the new music they created to convey his sound he still can’t read so he has no way to argue if it is right or wrong.

Here is tonight's featured song.

And if you are a fan of Eddie this is a great interview.

 

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