Hey all! I've been trying to learn the way Rory Gallagher plays the acoustic guitar (best example is his track "Barley and Grape Rag"), where in he kind of picks the high notes with his right hand fingers and alternates bass notes with his thumb, I believe he's using a thumb pick. It's similar, if not the same, to what Steve Howe does at "The Clap". Does anyone know what this style is called? And are there any lessons here to pick that style up? Thanks for any replies!

Hi there

What you are describing reminds me of this lesson by Sinisa Cekic : http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Travis-Picking/

Is that the style you were looking for?

Although not strictly accurate, Rory himself tended to call that style "ragtime". Like a lot of his acoustic songs it's based on fingerpicked blues with a Celtic flavor. Listen to songs by Mississippi John Hurt or Reverend Gary Davis for examples of blues in that style. Rory tended to play these fingerpicked songs with a flatpick (not a thumbpick) for the bass notes and fingers for the high notes. This picking style is often called "hybrid picking", so search for "hybrid picking" to find lessons on that technique.

A full transcription of Barley and Grape Rag is included in "The Essential Rory Gallagher, Volume 2". Also, any guitarist remotely interested in Rory should own "Play Guitar with Rory Gallagher". This comes with backing tracks, but the backing tracks are from Rory's studio recordings! You can even hear Rory shouting in the background as he plays rhythm guitar to your lead.

You have good taste in music . Although best known for his electric blues playing, his acoustic work was also amazing. Another Rory Gallagher song in that style that's a favorite of mine is Pistol Slapper Blues.