Joe Walsh Shares the Valuable Guitar Lesson He Learned from Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend has always been willing to share his knowledge with other musicians; for example, Joe Walsh recently discussed how the Who legend lent a hand when Walsh developed his signature guitar style.

Before being widely recognized for his work in the rock band Eagles, Walsh first gained prominence inside the group, James Gang.

Walsh told Consequence how he felt when Townshend recruited him for James Gang and provided him with musical advice. “I had some big shoes to fill; I also had to learn how to sing lead and play lead at the same time,” Walsh explained.

As luck would have turned out, Pete Townshend was around to help him out. “Luckily, we played some shows with the Who, and that turned into a longtime friendship,” he continued. “In a three-piece band, it’s kind of hard to navigate. Pete showed me how to play. We call it lead rhythm, where you play rhythm guitar and lead at the same time and just kind of wander back and forth. And that’s the secret of a three-piece band.”

Townshend may be known for shredding harsh opinions as much as how hard he plays the guitar, but he sure knows how to give advice or two to his struggling fellow artists.