Need a guide to get me towards some country playing.

[28mistertee]

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_RZh...e_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. :)

[diffeecult]

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.

[OlRedNeckHippy]

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

[diffeecult]

Originally Posted by OlRedNeckHippy

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

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

[bradpdx]

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.

[vincent]

Originally Posted by OlRedNeckHippy

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

OlRedNeckHippy & diffeecult, hey guys thanks for the plug

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

[Samrsmiley]

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.

[OlRedNeckHippy]

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.....

[ElMulligano]

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

[donrichfan]

Originally Posted by Samrsmiley

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.

[28mistertee]

Originally Posted by vincent

OlRedNeckHippy & diffeecult, hey guys thanks for the plug

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. :)

[McGlamRock]

----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.

[28mistertee]

Originally Posted by McGlamRock

----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?

[eclipse]

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

[Shepherd]

That last link takes you to sexy internet dating .

[Shepherd]

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.

[eclipse]

Originally Posted by Shepherd

That last link takes you to sexy internet dating .

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.

[28mistertee]

Originally Posted by eclipse

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_u...?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.

[28mistertee]

Originally Posted by eclipse

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_u...?v=yy1F82l68Ls

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

[28mistertee]

Originally Posted by Shepherd

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.