Need a guide to get me towards some country playing.

Hey, I've been playing guitar for coming up to 4 yrs now and whilst I'm primarily a hard rock and metal guy I keep stumbling across this country stuff which has just blown me away, it's something I really want to learn. I first discovered it from Zakk Wylde and now this guy just amazes me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_RZhpxiyxc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I got an Albert Lee lick library DVD at Christmas but I was wondering if anyone can give me a heads up in this direction and where to start? My finger style is really bad at the minute as I've been mostly learning rock scales/modes etc flat picking. However I'm really keen on trying to develop this style so I just wondered if there's any books/DVDs available that anyone could recommend?

Huge thanks in advance. :)

There's lots of monster teachers on the net.

Doug Seven :
http://moderncountryguitar.com/

and TDPRI's own Ken Carlson :
http://countryguitarchops.com/

just to name a couple.

Vinnie's real good too:
http://power-twang.com

Vinnie's real good too:
http://power-twang.com

Absolutely. I was just getting ready to edit my previous post to include Vincent.

In any genre it pays big dividends to listen to a lot of the artists that help define the style, and not just guitar - it's the whole aesthetic, history and interplay.

Country is no different. Check out the classics from George Jones, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and countless others. Get to know some standards, listen to the way that the great players interact with one another on those songs.

Then you won't have just licks, but a sense of structure and artistry.

Vinnie's real good too:
http://power-twang.com

OlRedNeckHippy & diffeecult, hey guys thanks for the plug :grin:

28mistertee, welcome to the world of country guitar. It is a really fun style.
And can be quite addicting. Hope you join the club.

You know the Bakersfield guys played most of the modern licks but quite a bit slower! It's great music to get the style down, then guys like Albert lee sort of added in an almost bluegrass element.
Bakersfield= Merle haggard with Roy Nichols, buck Owens with Don rich, and I'd even throw in Pete Anderson with Dwight Yokham. Anderson is about 20 years more recent than the rest but he kills.

Gotta love Dwight's Pete Anderson, with the 1/2 down tuning and stuff. Thats some really fun stuff to play along with, once you figure out how to tune to it. Took me a while.....

Check out John Jorgenson, hes mostly playing gypsy jazz now but comes from a country/rock background, he plays really good country and its mostly flatpickin so it might be down your alley. His stuff with the Hellecasters is fantastic and also check out his desert rose band stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAENUcHceZ4

Theres a great solo and someone has posted the tab in a previous thread.

Heres the hellecasters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg1AD0GBii4

You know the Bakersfield guys played most of the modern licks but quite a bit slower! It's great music to get the style down, then guys like Albert lee sort of added in an almost bluegrass element.
Bakersfield= Merle haggard with Roy Nichols, buck Owens with Don rich, and I'd even throw in Pete Anderson with Dwight Yokham. Anderson is about 20 years more recent than the rest but he kills.

Absolutely! A great starting place.

Have a look at these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Ygm9bvjUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHbNmHhEoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERW8z8Y6MHk

Don't let George's face scare you.

OlRedNeckHippy & diffeecult, hey guys thanks for the plug :grin:

28mistertee, welcome to the world of country guitar. It is a really fun style.
And can be quite addicting. Hope you join the club.

Thanks, I still don't own a Tele just yet but am really intent on having a go with what gear I have.
Thanks for all the heads up guys, will get started and check some of these links out. :)

----P----P-M----P---P-M--P----P-M

E-------------------------------------------
B---8p6----6----8p6---6---8p6----6--------
G--------7----------7----------7----------
D-------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------

----P----P-M---P----P-M---P-----P-M---P-----P-M

E-----------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------
G--3p0-----0-----------0---3p0-----0-----------0---
D--------------3p0----------------------3p0---------
A---------5----------5------------5-----------5------
E----------------------------------------------------

P = pick
M = middle finger

Someone else had posted these two exercises for developing your pick and fingers technique in a previous thread. I like these a lot and gave them to a student this week who is learning how to chick'n pick. A lot of the country sound comes from the right hand technique.

----P----P-M----P---P-M--P----P-M

E-------------------------------------------
B---8p6----6----8p6---6---8p6----6--------
G--------7----------7----------7----------
D-------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------

----P----P-M---P----P-M---P-----P-M---P-----P-M

E-----------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------
G--3p0-----0-----------0---3p0-----0-----------0---
D--------------3p0----------------------3p0---------
A---------5----------5------------5-----------5------
E----------------------------------------------------

P = pick
M = middle finger

Someone else had posted these two exercises for developing your pick and fingers technique in a previous thread. I like these a lot and gave them to a student this week who is learning how to chick'n pick. A lot of the country sound comes from the right hand technique.

I'll give this a go, thanks so much.
Anyone got any recommendations for books or good instructional DVD's too?

Not only the best country method book I have seen but the best structured guitar method book that I have seen.

http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=610228E

That last link takes you to sexy internet dating :confused:.

Not really a lesson but check out some of this guys work. Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Willie Nelson and Pam Tillis are subscribed to his channel.

AAiWW7iw8Z8

That last link takes you to sexy internet dating :confused:.

It opens the YouTube app on my iPad. Anyone else having it link to an inappropriate site ? If so I will edit out of the post. Sorry if so.

Not only the best country method book I have seen but the best structured guitar method book that I have seen.

http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=610228E

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=yy1F82l68Ls

The first link looks just what I've been looking for, I'm inclined to give that one a go.
I'm using my iPhone and the 2nd link just opens up Youtube's homepage.

Not only the best country method book I have seen but the best structured guitar method book that I have seen.

http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=610228E

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=yy1F82l68Ls

The book/cd apparently not available in the uk. :(

Not really a lesson but check out some of this guys work. Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Willie Nelson and Pam Tillis are subscribed to his channel.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAiWW7iw8Z8">YouTube Link</a>

That guys phenomenal.

The book/cd apparently not available in the uk. :(

It is available, I recently ordered it from Amazon.co.uk for a cost of £18.00, or there abouts. Free shipping also. Careful not to order the German language printing, also available on Amazon.co.uk.

The first link looks just what I've been looking for, I'm inclined to give that one a go.
I'm using my iPhone and the 2nd link just opens up Youtube's homepage.

The second link was actually the same book. It was a 8 minute YouTube video, mostly audio, posted by the author. All the licks heard on the video are in the book.
Here is a link to an earlier discussion of the book which started with a brief review by myself.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-theory-technique/305646-country-guitar-book.html

That guys phenomenal.

+1, but is that a blanket on his lap or is he wearing a skirt?:confused::lol::roll::rolleyes:

Absolutely! A great starting place.

Have a look at these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Ygm9bvjUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHbNmHhEoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERW8z8Y6MHk

Don't let George's face scare you.

George Jones face looked like he had Botox injections before they were even invented. I like the guy for what he's contributed to music, but really don't care for his nasally style. Randy Travis has that nasally thing going on too, both are just a bit too over the top nsally for me.

Love Haggard, Strait, Pride, Waylon and Dwight though.

I think I've learned more watching Jerry Donahue than any other player.
First off his playing is just so tasteful, secondly he doesn't just rip all the time to show he can, he's more about dynamics and tone/sounds than many chickin pickers today.

We're going through a similar period in chickin pickin as occurred in the age of shredding. Where all of a sudden all these guys were coming out of the woodwork with a kind of "the faster the better" slogan.

Now that's where we've arrived with chickin pickin, often at the expense of actually playing a song, or as a tool of expression. Now it's just watch me shred country licks at warp speed, it gets to the point where watching some of these guys play is more like watching someone practice, than actually listening to a song, or tune.

What appeals to me with Donahue is we know he can chickin pick as fast as he wants, but he restrains himself to make notes count. Lot's of bends, open strings and stuff, but with some taste.

The second link was actually the same book. It was a 8 minute YouTube video, mostly audio, posted by the author. All the licks heard on the video are in the book.
Here is a link to an earlier discussion of the book which started with a brief review by myself.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-theory-technique/305646-country-guitar-book.html

This sounds great, thanks for the heads up Eclipse. :)
Which chapter are you at ease with now? Do you think it will be suitable for a newbie to country playing then?

+1, but is that a blanket on his lap or is he wearing a skirt?:confused::lol::roll::rolleyes:

Haha, not entirely sure. :lol:

This sounds great, thanks for the heads up Eclipse. :)
Which chapter are you at ease with now? Do you think it will be suitable for a newbie to country playing then?

I'm still in the first chapter. I'm trying to own it. As well as learning each example Carter style and with a flatpick I am learning additional songs from The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. The first half of chapter one consist of the rhythmic styles of these and similar artist from the beginnings of recorded country music.
It is a great introduction to the country style feel. Suitable as a introduction to country it would help if one is proficient at switching between open chords. Reading rhythms would help also however the audio examples are there to help if needed.
I am now in the second half of chapter one, level three. It starts with some sixteenth note rhythms that include syncopations and percussive dead note strums. It then goes on to adapt these rhythms to include single notes also. This not just strumming whole chords. You will be strumming different strings and adding percussive and single note rhythms using open and movable barre forms of the E,A,G,C and D shapes.
I am having a blast adapting these rhythms to songs I know and new songs to boot.
I can't sing the praises of this book enough. The way every skill tought is built upon makes it very accessible for advancing ones playing.
I had decided to dedicate a year to the book however it may take longer. It contains as much as a half dozen books.
I would consider this the bible of country guitar styles.

I'm still in the first chapter. I'm trying to own it. As well as learning each example Carter style and with a flatpick I am learning additional songs from The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. The first half of chapter one consist of the rhythmic styles of these and similar artist from the beginnings of recorded country music.
It is a great introduction to the country style feel. Suitable as a introduction to country it would help if one is proficient at switching between open chords. Reading rhythms would help also however the audio examples are there to help if needed.
I am now in the second half of chapter one, level three. It starts with some sixteenth note rhythms that include syncopations and percussive dead note strums. It then goes on to adapt these rhythms to include single notes also. This not just strumming whole chords. You will be strumming different strings and adding percussive and single note rhythms using open and movable barre forms of the E,A,G,C and D shapes.
I am having a blast adapting these rhythms to songs I know and new songs to boot.
I can't sing the praises of this book enough. The way every skill tought is built upon makes it very accessible for advancing ones playing.
I had decided to dedicate a year to the book however it may take longer. It contains as much as a half dozen books.
I would consider this the bible of country guitar styles.

I believe this is just what I need, I'm gonna go get this. Thanks for a great review.
When I get to a nearby computer will check out some of the other suggestions too.
Thanks :)