Suggest a Good Chickin Pickin Lesson Book

[Tele Joe]

I'm taking guitar lessons finally to try and better my technique and to learn some new styles. I love country music and envy Brent Mason and Brad Paisley (who doesn't) for their technique.

Can anyone suggest a good lesson book for learning the hybrib picking technique and a good lesson book for country music. Something with technique and licks that my teacher and I can work through to make my tele sound like it should?

[B Valley]

I actually prefer DVDs to books. They're just so much easier to learn from.
I like Scott Grove's DVDs

[kiwi_caster]

Thanks hadn't heard of Scott Grove (I get that lot being so far from Nashville etc)

I agree that seeing it played is real valuable but emulating audio phrases from tabulature has it's place. Working out Chickin Pickin from tab alone usually surpises me that my version is good fingering exercise Like in comedy timing is everything I guess.

Search the internet you can find some books about. Gives you an idea of what your getting but better to have the real book for many reasons though.

Chickin-Pickin by Erik Halbig
http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Pickin...dp/0634025287/
Big book with lots of techniques I enjoyed working through it

Mel Bay Chickin' Pickin' Vol. 1 by Johnny Hiland
http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Chicki...dp/0786671459/
Has 3 long solos broken down in different keys with diffent techiques not a tell everything type book but I reackon a good starter.

Johnny Hiland has a hotlicks DVD Chicken Pickin' Guitar but to be honest I've not seen it all maybe someone else could tell us both if it's worth getting ??

The Doug Seven samplers I've seen are interesting. and start at a entry level and gets progressively complex. Again anyone else know more which DVD of his is more Chickin Pickin than the others I think he has done at least 4. (http://sizzlingguitarlicks.com)

Have a good look around this forum for even more examples there are a few threads that have been through here before.

[RCinMempho]

I really like the Johnny Hiland CD's.

Also there is a DVD called Hot Nashville Guitar by Steve Travoto that is quite good.

[Tele Joe]

Thanks a lot for the input. I've looked at the online stuff and can't get through this on my own. I'm paying for professional instruction so i'd like to get one of books that we can work on together. Next week we are going to break down some of the easier Brad Paisley and Brent Mason licks into some small sections that I can practice the technique but I think a book will really offer up a good method to learning this style.

[Tele Sportsman]

Tele Joe - It is possible to pick up some of this stuff by book and DVD. However, having done this for awhile, I feel there is a lot of "personality" to country lead guitar playing.

When you check out Doug Sevens DVD for example, you first notice he is an excellent player and teaches/explains stuff really well. But...trying to play his stuff note for note at tempo is a challenge most are not up to.

I do advocate study with a good teacher who playes this style and lots of listening to Nashville style players who you like (Mason, Gill, Wariner, Paisley, Young, etc.). A good basic grounding is to just wear out Alan Jackson CD's listening to the licks Brent is using...then try to "incorporate" those ideas into you playing a little at a time.

[pawadokai]

I have a PC program called GuitarStar Brent Mason Country that's awesome for learning that kind of stuff. There is a ton of licks ranging from beginner to advanced. if you work up the licks you like in different keys it can become a really good country guitar work out. It will give you a really good insight in how he looks at the fingerboard.
I'm a huge Brent Mason fan. I try to steal almost everything I hear that he does.