After he had his first hit at 15 years old, Paul Simon became one of the all-time great songwriters, but he’s a remarkable guitar player, too – and he learned his precise fingerstyle approach from the English folk masters

Paul Simon plays an OM-sized Martin acoustic onstage in 2011.

Astonishingly, Paul Simon has been in the music industry virtually his whole life, since his first hit came at the age of 15, when he and Art Garfunkel entered the Top 50 with Hey Schoolgirl. Simon started from a background in 1960s pop before moving to American folk with schoolfriend Garfunkel. He has also experimented with ethnic music including styles from Brazil, South Africa, New Orleans Cajun, and more.

The development of Simon’s guitar style is interesting and his sophisticated, worldly approach elevates him above many of his peers. There are all the usual references you would expect of an artist of his era from trad-blues picking (alternating basslines) to deft American folk-style fingerpicking.