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Jeff Moen is a “touch guitarist”. This basically means that rather than the traditional style of left hand on the neck for fingering and some combination of right hand picking, he fingers notes on the neck with both hands. While allowing for the various different tunings, this could be likened to the manner in which one would play the piano.

You really need to see as well as hear Jeff play to fully appreciate the technical ability involved. From a technical standpoint, there are certainly obvious comparisons that could be made with Stanley Jordan. A keen ear could also detect the influence of Tuck Andress in the chord voicings and harmonic structure.

The truth is, to make technical comparisons or try to pick out Jeff’s various influences is to kind of miss the point. The thing that Jeff Moen has in common with all the great instrumentalists (not just guitarists) is that his playing is more than the sum of its parts. Ultimately, if music is to mean anything it must go beyond dexterity and have an emotional resonance with the listener. Beyond all of his very impressive technical ability, this where the music of Jeff Moen really shines.

Sure, there is plenty of stuff for guitar junkies to marvel at. But there is also a heart in his playing that can be appreciated by anybody whether they are a guitar player or not so if you want music that is truly impressive both from a technical and emotive point of view then you should really check out Jeff Moen.

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