Video:Guitar History: Profile of Pink Floyd

Transcript:Guitar History: Profile of Pink Floyd

Hi, this is Omar Saad, here for About.com, and this is a guitar history profile of Pink Floyd. Founded in 1965, Pink Floyd emerged as one of the standard bearers of the English psychedelic scene, and would later evolve into one of the most successful, unique, and difficult to categorize rock bands of all time. Let's take a closer look.

Origin of Pink Floyd

Before they became one of the biggest rock bands of all time, Pink Floyd was a staple act in London's underground music scene of the late 1960's. At the time, the band's singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter was Syd Barrett, while bassist Roger Waters, drummer Nick Mason, and keyboardist Richard Wright made up the rest of the group. During this period, the band's sound, as influenced by guitarist Barrett, was a mixture of blues-based rock, folk, and psychedelic experimentation. In fact, they were known for their long, experimental psychedelic jam sessions and light shows.

David Gilmour Joins Pink Floyd

In late 1967, guitarist David Gilmour joined the band, effectively taking over for Syd Barrett, whose mental health issues had made it impossible for him to continue with the group. This fork in the road, in many peoples' eyes, marked the birth of the Pink Floyd sound that came to dominate the rock charts. Sprawling, experimental, yet focused pieces, rock songs with movements, as in classical music, and the concept album all came to be Floyd staples in the 1970's and early 80's.

David Gilmour's Guitar Work

While bassist Roger Waters came to handle the bulk of the lyrical tasks, guitarist David Gilmour's sound and play style helped separate Floyd from their contemporaries. In an era when so many others focused exclusively on blues-based rock, Gilmour's guitar work was distinctly more melodic and atmospheric. Examples of this can be heard throughout the Floyd catalog and specifically on songs like "Breath" and "Us and Them" off of Dark Side of the Moon, or a song like "Fearless" off of Meddle. Gilmour was also known for his emotive solos, making his Fender Stratocaster wail on songs like "Time" off of Dark Side and "Comfortably Numb" off of The Wall, among others. His experimental work on sprawling, mostly instrumental pieces like "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" Parts I and II, off of Wish You Were Here, and "One of These Days" off of Meddle broke new ground for popular music.

While their body of work cannot be properly summed up without an in-depth examination, it's safe to say that Pink Floyd, and its guitarist, David Gilmour, carved out a new path in the rock landscape. Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.