From Guitar World · · 2m
Pierre Bensusan: Music as Shared Intimacy
A solo guitarist's 51-year journey reveals how presence, listening, and shared humanity transform performance into connection.
In brief
A solo guitarist's 51-year journey reveals how presence, listening, and shared humanity transform performance into connection. True musical connection requires the performer to be fully present without ego, listening to both the music and the audience. Originally reported by Guitar World.
Presence over perfection
Pierre Bensusan says solo guitar demands total presence to avoid ego interference and let music flow naturally.
“I guess this is the work: to travel, to have to deal with all the aggravation of being away from home”
The listening discipline
Bensusan emphasizes that musicians must listen carefully to their own playing to create authentic connections with audiences.
“You should never play without listening to what you play - there is no reason why you should play if you don't listen”
DADGAD tuning roots
Bensusan discovered DADGAD tuning at age 13, drawing from North African and Jewish musical traditions to create melodic freedom.
“It opens things. It taught me especially to work on melodies or phrasing without having to worry about chords”
Touring life challenges
Bensusan describes the daily struggles of touring: long drives, parking, and managing expectations while maintaining musical focus.
“Driving long distances, parking, dealing with aggravations and stuff, in order to be in a venue and play music for people”
The shared moment
Bensusan believes live performance creates a bond between performer and audience through mutual listening and emotional response.
“People are part of the music. They make the music. They let this music enter and they start to process what they hear”
No ego in performance
Bensusan states that musicians must serve intention and storytelling through music, not ego, to create authentic connections.
“For me, a musician serves an intention, serves a continuum, serves a storytelling through music”
The 51-year journey
Bensusan has spent 51 years refining his approach to solo guitar, focusing on presence and audience connection over technical perfection.
“It's like a cooking recipe by a chef who is working very hard for all the taste to be there for the people who are going to appreciate the meal”
AI and live performance
Bensusan argues that live music remains uniquely human, contrasting with AI-generated content that lacks emotional depth.
“What's the point to do something perfect if it's made by a machine, right? Why should I feel anything?”
The creative process
Bensusan composes by imagining music and translating it to the guitar, prioritizing playability over technical complexity.
“I do compose a lot by just imagining music and by imagining where that music could go”
The listening paradox
Bensusan explains that true musical connection requires both the performer and audience to be active listeners without ego interference.
“You should never play without listening to what you play - there is no reason why you should play if you don't listen”
The 51-year perspective
Bensusan has spent 51 years developing his unique approach to guitar, emphasizing presence and audience connection over technical perfection.
“It's like a cooking recipe by a chef who is working very hard for all the taste to be there for the people who are going to appreciate the meal”
The DADGAD revelation
Bensusan discovered DADGAD tuning at age 13, which connected his North African and Jewish musical roots to melodic freedom.
“It opens things. It taught me especially to work on melodies or phrasing without having to worry about chords”
The touring reality
Bensusan describes the daily challenges of touring: long drives, parking, and managing expectations while maintaining musical focus.
“Driving long distances, parking, dealing with aggravations and stuff, in order to be in a venue and play music for people”
The shared intimacy
Bensusan believes live performance creates a bond between performer and audience through mutual listening and emotional response.
“People are part of the music. They make the music. They let this music enter and they start to process what they hear”
The 51-year journey
Bensusan has spent 51 years refining his approach to solo guitar, focusing on presence and audience connection over technical perfection.
“It's like a cooking recipe by a chef who is working very hard for all the taste to be there for the people who are going to appreciate the meal”
The AI contrast
Bensusan argues that live music remains uniquely human, contrasting with AI-generated content that lacks emotional depth.
“What's the point to do something perfect if it's made by a machine, right? Why should I feel anything?”
What to remember
True musical connection requires the performer to be fully present without ego, listening to both the music and the audience.
