Bluegrass Lesson

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Members practicing this lesson:
Peter T


   Hi all and welcome to this little bitta Bluegrassy Chet Atkins viberoony thing! For those not familiar with Chet Atkins, well he was bit of a pioneer in this style of music and he was a self-taught player from way back in the 1950s. He actually learned how to play in a log-cabin miles away from civilization, just like Johnny B. Goode :)! A real fairytale story his, and what a player he was - unfortunately no longer with us.

Now in this piece, the right-hand is not using a thumbpick in alternate picking style as the amazing Mr. Atkins was prone to. But the chord style and the overall feel is definitely in that Bluegrassy/Atkins territory.

This tune is easy enough to play once you get the components in position. Namely the righthand picking pattern (repetitive) and then the simple lefthand partial chords. Basically the same righthand pattern is used throughout, just changing the emphasis (or loud/softness) on certain notes.

I've added a great exercise which helps to get this picking pattern off - it's video number 7. It involves simply muting the strings with the lefthand and running the pattern with the righthand. This is a great method to use to learn any picking pattern.

Lots of open strings are used to get that flavor too. On the electric, use a clean sound using the middle and bridge pickup together. I use this configuration, but I also put in a switch on my Strat which allows me to add in the neck pickup too. This gives the classic Telecaster sound of Neck pickup and Bridge with the middle thrown in (out of phase).

On a Humbucking 3 way switch style guitar such as a Gibson Les Paul Standard or an Ibanez and so on, try it on each pickup and see which sounds best. This will depend a lot on your personal technique - how hard you pick and fret the strings, your amp setup and your feel in general. You might have to work a little harder to get the sound on this one. But it is do-able. Not to mention you can use an emulator like the cool Line 6 Pod and the likes.

This piece and similar type of stuff sounds equally at home on the electric and acoustic guitar. Although the bend may be not be possible on the acoustic - just replace the bend with a slide from the 7 to a 9 on the G string instead, and add the B string fret 8 note to make a diad (2 note chord).

I used a clean sound running through delay (my trusty Boss DD3), and a "Large Vocal Plate" reverb on a Quadraverb. I ran the Strat through a Sansamp into the desk.

There's a little backing track added to the lesson which is a handy little tune to practice Bluegrass/Country lead too, as well as the main parts. Oh and don't forget the pre-requisite "yee-har" to get the full effect hee-hee, and hope you enjoy and pickup something new from it.

Pull it out at parties on an Acoustic and stay fashionable :)!

David



     Lesson Questions, Feedback & Comments



Ryan
post 8th June 2007


Member


Not my cup of tea...but good job tongue.gif
christian
post 8th June 2007


Member


This is a really cool lesson, the sound is incredibly blue grass. I also love the way that you finger pick
Thanks alot
The Uncreator
post 8th June 2007


Fire Up The Blades, Moderator


Man this is just cool, this is why i love GMC, i just got done Learning some Speed Metal riffs, and now i can go straight into some bluegrass, excellent lesson man, great sound and excellent fingerpicking technique.
stratman33
post 8th June 2007


Member


Not my style at all, but i like how you fingerpick.
David OToole
post 8th June 2007


Instructor


Hey thanx guys. It was a fun lesson to do! Ok it is heavy on the Bluegrass vibe for some I'm sure, but that right hand picking exercise in vid 7 is useful to learn finger picking to suit any style I reckon.

Like even at another extreme, a heavily chorused fingerpicking intro for say an Ozzy sorta song, where a strong righthand is essential - I find this exercise is a great way to get something like that under your fingers.

I've even used it for practicing some bits while I was watching T.V smile.gif. It's great for "programming" in a pattern you need, or are working on.

On the Bluegrass subject, anyone into Eric Johnson out there? I think he's a fine player and overall musician. The reason I mention him here is that he's actually a huge Chet Atkins fan and incorporates a lot of this "style" into his stuff. So it can be changed around a bit.

Can't ever see Ozzy playing Bluegrass Country to be honest though, but ya knowharimean smile.gif!

D
Andrew Cockburn
post 8th June 2007


Theory Instructor & Moderator


Eric Johnson - yes! I just heard Manhattan for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it blew me away smile.gif
Marcus Lavendell
post 8th June 2007


Instructor


Absolutely brilliant! Great job David!
Kristofer Dahl
post 8th June 2007


GMC Founder & Rocker


It's my cup of tea - and I love it! biggrin.gif
Robin
post 8th June 2007


Member


Awesome, great job.
MickeM
post 8th June 2007


Born of NWOBHM, Moderator


Very good lesson! I just got to learn how to do that simply because not knowing this stuff at all it will improve my playing a lot.

And for anyone in doubt about Ozzy, listen to "Diary of a madman" from the album with the same name.
ezravdb
post 8th June 2007


Member


i like bluegrass.

also the fast bluegrass like buckethead does smile.gif
lefty01
post 9th June 2007


Member


I miss Chet:(
shredmandan
post 10th June 2007


Member


Good lesson
sanders4617
post 11th June 2007


Member


I like the lesson.. just not exactly the best representation on Chet Atkins style of picking, which is FAR more complex. Then again, you've got to start slow.
David OToole
post 19th June 2007


Instructor


Well I was careful to mention at the start that it was more in the feel and area of Bluegrass/Mr. Atkins, and not an exact copy of his style, which is indeed ... well it's Chet innit smile.gif.
David OToole
post 19th June 2007


Instructor


re: MickeM/"Diary of a madman"

Great album that!
kebsis
post 26th June 2007


Member


another good blue grass, but more banjo esque, is Buckethead's "Hog Bitch Stomp" which is done using finger picking and sounds back woods whacky if you ask me.
David OToole
post 19th July 2007


Instructor


Some player that Buckethead isn't he? I have one of his tracks faved up at YouTube - great tune called 'Nottingham Lace'. Big tribute typa thing to Hendrix, with his own stuff in there of course. Have to dig out a few more.

Yeh some of those lesson licks are on the banjoesquey side alright - is that a word smile.gif?
Carlos Carrillo
post 25th March 2008


Instructor


nice David!!!

well done!!!


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