Iggy and the Stooges guitar player: I'm self-taught

Iggy and the Stooges guitarist James Williamson has revealed much of his skill on his instrument was self-taught.

Speaking to Seattle Pi, Williamson said that from a young age he found it far easier to compose his own tunes than to practice playing other people's.

He admitted that a neighbour helped him out with the basics when he was in eighth grade - when American students are usually 13 or 14 years old - but added that once he had mastered bar chords he was on his own.

Williamson said that although his music was probably not very impressive in his early days, his experimental approach reaped rewards later in his career.

"I liked to play lots of very fast chord changes and things like that and just make a bunch of noise. That's kind of how my style evolved," he remarked.

Advice site Guitar Noise has previously claimed that people who say they are self-taught are delusional as all guitar players pick up influences from outside sources.

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