Merle Haggard appreciation

[hilljr170]

I have always been a huge fan of the man. He is my favorite singer/songwriter. I have tried to learn some of his stuff from the late 70's-80's. Love his song, Everybody's Had the Blues. Couldn't get it, so I picked up a chord book. My fingers and wrist are killing me. He uses a lot of jazz chords that I am just not used to. His songs like, I'm Turning off a Memory, is my favorite song of his, and he uses the simple three chord format. Anyone have any suggestions for the best hand exercises to be able to hit the jazz chords fluidly?
Thanks, Richard

[Lerb21]

I have no suggestions except to maybe stretch your fingers out before and after... but I do love Hag.

[Whoa Tele]

Hag is a big Bob Wills fan and it shows in his music and chord structure

[67TeleNut]

I grew up listening to Merle. Great music!

[motwang]

Hag is my favorite singer/songwriter, I used to try to sing like him when I was young and Playin' 8 tracks in my old car cruisin' the strip in our little home town.I always liked the earlier stuff better that the 80's music he put out. Now it's all good.

[gypsymoth]

Merle's great.

[ne4tt]

Merle did a Bob Wills Tribute. He learned the fiddle for his tribute to Bob.

He also did a tribute album to Jimmie Rodgers.

jaime

[Spikerama]

Sign me up for the appreciation list. I've never heard him sing a bad note. Golden-throated.

[dannyboy2.0]

What are some good albums to start with?

[hilljr170]

Originally Posted by dannyboy2.0

What are some good albums to start with?

There is a box set that he put out years ago called, Down Every Road. If you don't want to spend that kind of cash, his first album, Strangers is great. Look for anything from the eighties as well.

[hilljr170]

Originally Posted by hilljr170

There is a box set that he put out years ago called, Down Every Road. If you don't want to spend that kind of cash, his first album, Strangers is great. Look for anything from the eighties as well.

Ps. His tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, Same Train, A Different Time is a must have. Jimmie Rodgers influenced a number of artists, from country to blues. Merle speaks on the album about Jimmie's life in a few places. Really like this album

[Whoa Tele]

Originally Posted by hilljr170

There is a box set that he put out years ago called, Down Every Road. If you don't want to spend that kind of cash, his first album, Strangers is great. Look for anything from the eighties as well.

+ 1 on the box set. It's a great retrospective collection

[Dan R]

Merle is great. He and Buck were the first country artists I really liked. The box set is great. I also like the recordings, Big City and That's The Way Loves Goes very much.

Dan R

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Love the Hag! One of the greatest songwriters & singers to ever draw breath.

[swellsmd]

Kern River, on my fans list.

[elihu]

Love this guy's music. I was glad to see lung cancer didn't end his career. Hag's a great writer, singer, and a good picker/fiddler too.

My favorite Hag song this morning-all you guys with teenage daughters will understand. He could be the richest man in seven counties...

[tele salivas]

I just suggest learning as many songs as you can wrap your mind around. Learning exercises is alright, but the chord changes and fingerings that happen there are expressed in context, and you get the harmonic nature of the association between chords, melody and the resulting effect as they work together. Practice . And if some things are way too tough, use broken versions of the chords, it's all about the melody and rythm pushing and pulling that melody. I'm lazy, so I use lots of broken root + two note chords.

[Cooper Black]

I saw Merle Haggard perform in Asheville last night. What a great guitar player, and he can still sing. Kristofferson sounded just as worn-out and broken-down as he always has, so no change there either!

Of course, I'm just kidding about KK. This is Great Show, so if you can catch them on this tour, don't miss it.

[motwang]

Originally Posted by Cooper Black

I saw Merle Haggard perform in Asheville last night. What a great guitar player, and he can still sing. Kristofferson sounded just as worn-out and broken-down as he always has, so no change there either!

Of course, I'm just kidding about KK. This is Great Show, so if you can catch them on this tour, don't miss it.

Saw them last year in Kansas City!!! Kristofferson "had a cold" and sounded bad, GREAT songwriter, not so great a singer ever. Hag picked up the slack and made it a great show!!!!

[brookdalebill]

Merle's the daddy of em' all, IMO.
Who else has written, and sang as well for as long?
There are other great writers, and other great singers, but .....