The Sound of Mastery

What I think about when I listen to "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson

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Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson is sublime.

Give the 1990 studio version a listen.

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Johnson is regarded as one the most technically proficient guitarists of all time. He is also one of the most intuitive. For all the times he’s played Cliffs of Dover, he’s never done it the same way twice.

Below is my favorite live rendition (1988 Live from Austin, Texas). The intro and outro are spur-of-the-moment creations, never to be repeated.

Players (guitar, hockey…doesn’t matter) spend years honing their fundamentals, but performing live means improvising inside a situation that they’ve never seen before and never will again. Those who can’t are deemed practice players or studio musicians. Those who can are on their way to greatness.

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I first hear Cliffs of Dover one morning in 2006. I, a half-asleep high schooler, jump out of bed and immediately email the radio station to get the name of the song.

Implausibly, I relive the same exhilaration when hearing Jonas Anttila’s cover. The reason becomes clear when I learn about the process that produced the recording.

For those seeking mastery, tedious + cringy + time = dramatic results.

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