Artists
Aaron Forbes
Based in the United Kingdom, Aaron Forbes is a session guitarist whose versatility and eclectic style have made him a go-to player for some of the biggest names in music. His impressive résumé includes performances and recordings with a wide range of artists such as Perrie, Aitch, Ellie Goulding, Calum Scott, KWN, JHus, Jordan Adetunji, and many more. Aaron graduated from London’s BIMM Music Institute with a degree in Commercial Music Performance and has since been back and involved in delivering live performance workshops to third-year degree students.
In his formal years, playing guitar in church served as a spiritual and musical grounding. Aaron’s professional pop career began with supporting dance powerhouse Jonas Blue and has gone on from strength to strength. In addition to his thriving session career, Aaron is passionate about music education. And after growing his own music tuition franchise in Essex, which he has since moved on from, outside of touring seasons, he continues to teach and coach guitarists online around the world, under his brand, “Who’s The Guitarist”, instructing and sharing “session world” knowledge as well as foundational skills to guitarists of all levels.
PRS: As a session player, you’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists. What would you say is the single most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Aaron: There are so many lessons I've learned over the years that help me navigate being a session player, but if I had to choose one, it would be this: try to think like a producer as well as a guitarist. A guitarist (for the most part) wants to take up so much of the sonic frequency and musical space, we do love to noodle. Outside of the fundamental process of learning the parts, knowing the structure, and having your sounds ready, be prepared to create in the moment. I have lost track of the number of times a musical director or producer has asked me to create a part in conjunction to or instead of what’s there. Give the song what it needs and also be ready to shred!
PRS: In your work with artists across varying genres (pop, rap, etc.), how much does your guitar choice contribute to defining the tone of a track vs. effects / amps / production?
Aaron: It contributes massively - straight from the source we need to be on the right page. Genres like pop and UK rap can be so sonically diverse. One song may have more of a country sound, the next is 80’s pop, then to R&B. The same with rap, for the most part, the approach is on the heavier side, but there will always be some R&B moments or even an acoustic number. Your guitar needs to be able to cover a lot of ground. After that, just play an amp you know you’re comfortable with and can manipulate accordingly; the same goes for effects units and modelers.
PRS: As a graduate of London’s BIMM Music Institute and founder of your own music school, you’ve remained passionate about guitar instruction. What is your favorite aspect of teaching?
Aaron: I enjoy passing on information to others, I don’t ever want to gate-keep knowledge. I grew up asking older musicians questions and a lot of them wouldn’t help, except for one, my first guitar teacher and now good friend Wayne Plummer. When teaching, I love to see that lightbulb moment for students when music starts to connect. It’s better to give than to receive, so I’ll always be passionate about sharing knowledge and teaching.
PRS: We’ve seen you play a variety of PRS models including the Fiore, Silver Sky, and SE Hollowbody Piezo. If you had to choose just one as your go-to, which would it be and why?
Aaron: The Fiore, it's a Swiss army knife and a blank canvas all at once - its the guitar I take with me when I am unsure of the musical situation I am walking into. Its the guitar I take with me when I want to sound like me or assimilate to the playing of a legend, it does it all.
PRS: What do you love the most about your PRS guitars in general?
Aaron: The build quality, the bold colors, the attention to detail, the playability and of course the tone. I know I am in safe hands when I pick up a PRS.
PRS: How did your relationship with PRS begin? Can you recall your first experience playing one of our guitars?
Aaron: I was introduced to PRS by my friend and teacher at the time, Wayne, in 2008. I think I asked him what the “best guitars were”. I then proceeded to browse the website every day during and after school for years, checking out all the artists. My first ever experience playing a PRS was at a guitar exhibition at the Excel center in London around 2009 - I didn’t even know what to do with it - that day I left with a PRS key chain and a dream of one day owning my own and performing on stages with it. A few years later, I saved up and bought my first PRS, an SE Custom 24.
PRS: What’s next for you? Are there any new projects in the pipeline that we should keep an eye or ear out for?
Aaron: So next up for me is a 25-date UK Arena tour with the boy band Five, and then next year I’ll be doing a bit more touring with an amazing artist called Absolutely, who is supporting Raye on a worldwide arena tour.