Understanding Elliott Smith

I help guitarists play their favorite songs from start to finish with accurate rhythm. Click the link below and fill out the form to book a free consultation call.

Send me a DM on instagram if you have any questions or inquiries:

INFO: Elliott Smith is one of the most reluctant folk and rock artists that gained fame in the 90s and early 2000s. He gained his breakthrough in pop culture with his song Miss Misery because it was featured in the critically acclaimed film "Good Will Hunting" and also because the song was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998. But despite of gaining fame, Elliott struggled with depression and eventually drugs. His tough emotional upbringing left him with some heavy emotional baggage which he never really recovered from. But no matter how tough his life was he kept on making beautiful music until the end of his days.

[robbiepeterh]

The amazing thing about Elliott Smith is that his entire career was his peak. He didn’t make any bad music; it’s all gold.

[elmorevandodewaard]

I do not quickly call musicians genius, but Elliott Smith was something else. This guy had the heart and soul.

[tonybates]

Elliott Smith. Once you hear one of his songs you don't forget it. What a talent, and one of the rock artists no longer with us that almost certainly had more great material in him.

[bink]

I’ve struggled with addiction, severe depression, suicidal ideation, and suffered from abuse during my childhood. Nothing captures that human experience like Elliott Smith’s music and even though my life is much better today, I still find his music incredibly cathartic. It breaks my heart that he wasn’t able to overcome his demons.

[vb]

The scene in Royal Tennanbaums where Luke Wilson shaves his facial hair and ultimately cutting himself whilst ‘Neddle in the Hay’ by Elliott Smith plays in the background is one of the most melancholy scenes I have ever watched in a film..

[AntonioKowatsch]

Elliott Smith is one of the greatest songwriters in recent history. HIs music always had a special place in my heart. It's raw and powerful.

[nicholaslindenmeyer]

He was so good at chord transitions. He was the master of them. Always surprising you with a chord change that really caught you off guard with its haunting dissonance and it always seemed like a wrong note that still managed to work if that makes sense. Very romantic style of writing.

[LilikakiTsikris]

“I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m gonna love you anyhow.”
Elliott's work always touches my heart <3

[mugiwaralee]

Great job, I know Elliott Smith isn't the easiest artist to write about and I think you did a great job. He's more influential than people realize and had a real subtle genius to his work. I discovered him at a really dark time in my life, and hearing his own troubles through his music kind of gave me someone I could relate to. I owe him a lot.

[RottingaAAAA]

I'm just a 15 year old boy 20 years after Elliott died, I love Alex G a ton, and i found a recommendation for Elliott Smith, and heard he inspired some of Alex G's music. So i played Needle In The Hay one night on a long car ride, then Waltz #3, then i listened to every single on of his songs within the span of 5 days after that. I played it for my family, my dad ended up knowing about his music a long time ago back in the 2000s and liked it too. I was obsessed, and I felt that I needed to know every thing about him. Learned everything I could, and when I found out he was dead and why, i sobbed for the first time in a while. His music is the only music I relate to every single word of and it fucking changed me. I'm not even being dramatic. Last year I began writing songs, this year I started learning the guitar and started singing because of Elliott He breaks my heart really, that the man who made the most beautiful music could leave the world behind too soon. the way that he was getting better after all of that. I just feel so bad, that he just seemed so happy, and everything was going right. I just wished those horrible things never happened to him. He was such a gem and a lyrical and musical genius. We love you Elliott, thank you for being you.

[kitpalmer]

think it's misleading to call the self-titled album simplistic. it's stripped down/minimal in terms of layering and instrumentation, but the actual music is pretty complex harmonically

[andrewrutherford]

Elliott has been my favorite musician for well over 10 years now. No one comes close to capturing the feelings he does.

[rhiannon]

So much damage to the mind when a trusted adult burns away your childhood.  Elliot had such a super sweet and calming voice.  I remember watching him at the 1998 awards.  He looked a bit uncomfortable but his performance was lovely.  It was the thing I remember of that show.

[brickfootsteve]

I saw him play live twice in 2003 in Philly and NYC. Talked to him in New York at the Bowery. He was the real deal. There is something so special about him music that will never be seen again. He knew it enough to compose, perform and create it but I’m not sure he really knew how important he was.

[noneofyourbusiness]

I first listened to his song “Between the bars” and fell in love with it, I played it every night before I went to sleep for a week straight, I had no idea he died, much less have I listened to his other songs, he is an incredible artist and I learned that simply from a song that shook me, I couldn’t say I relate to it because I don’t have a drinking addiction and in general dont drink because I’m a minor, but even then the song felt so comforting, and made me want to drink away my problems, a feeling I’ve never felt before

[alexkesteris]

This man stopped me from committing suicide honestly his music is so powerful it's even more heartbreaking that he's gone 😭

[atticusfinch]

I love how much people love elliott. myself included. I wish we could have materialized that love and wrapped him in it like a warm blanket. But thats the saddest thing about depression even if the the whole world loves you. it consumes one on the inside creeping in anywhere it can

[danielblack]

The eulogy you gave Elliot at the end was truly beautiful. I bet it would have meant so much to him. Great content man.

[missmisery]

Thank you so so much for mentioning that the cause of his death is still a mystery- so many sources just say it was definitely suicide when there were just as many signs pointing to murder. Hopefully someday they will reopen the case and it will be solved...but I guess it’s more likely that it will always be a mystery.

[Deanothefordtech]

He doesn't get as much credit for his guitar skills. He was a great player and wrote difficult pieces