Robbie Basho went on to study at University of Maryland, College Park.
11 Facts About Robbie Basho
1.
2.
In 1959, Robbie Basho purchased his first guitar and immersed himself in Asian art and culture.
3.
Robbie Basho saw the steel string guitar as a concert instrument, and wanted to create a raga system for America.
4.
Robbie Basho described how he had gone through a number of "periods" related to philosophy and music, including Japanese, Hindu, Iranian and Native American.
5.
Robbie Basho asserted his wish, along with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, to raise the steel-string guitar to the level of a concert instrument.
6.
Robbie Basho acknowledged that the nylon-string guitar was suitable for "love songs", but its steel counterpart could communicate "fire".
7.
Robbie Basho credited his interest in Indian music to hearing Ravi Shankar, whom he first encountered in 1962.
8.
Robbie Basho died unexpectedly at the age of 45 due to an accident during a visit to his chiropractor, where an "intentional whiplash" procedure caused blood vessels in his neck to rupture, leading to a fatal stroke.
9.
Robbie Basho's finger-picked guitar technique was influenced heavily by sarod playing, and his studies with the Indian virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan.
10.
Robbie Basho used unusual open tunings, including a number of variants on "open-C", and played a 12-string guitar to recreate the drone that is characteristic of Indian classical music.
11.
Robbie Basho often used Eastern modes and scales, but other influences include European classical music, blues, and ballad styles of the US.