Albert Lee

[Jorge]

How do you solo like Albert Lee?

[ChurchPlayer]

When you figure it out please tell me. I've got his lesson DVD's and they haven't helped. LOL

[TELECASTERbstrd]

Originally Posted by ChurchPlayer

When you figure it out please tell me. I've got his lesson DVD's and they haven't helped. LOL

I think that sums it up!

[cacibi]

I've been practicing what I refer to as the 'Country Mixolydian' scale a lot these days. 1, 2, b3, 3, 5, 6, b7 - which, in G would look like:

--------------------------------------------------3--5--6--
---------------------------------------3--5--6-------------
-----------------------------2--3--4-----------------------
-------------------2--3--5---------------------------------
------------2--5-------------------------------------------
--3--5--6--------------------------------------------------

I'm trying to drill it in like I did the Pentatonic Blues scales years ago....through overlapping patterns that I can then easily transpose and use all over the fretboard. This is based off a riff that I hear Albert Lee use quite a bit, among others:

(edited)

------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0-2-p-0-------------------------------
------0-h-1-h-2--------------------------------------------
--3---------------------------------------------------------

This scale provides the chromatic sound along with emphasizing the b7 of the I, which is also the 3 of the V7 chord, so it transitions nicely to the V. I think this combined with the major and minor pentatonic scales gives a pretty good basic vocabulary for country solos. Stir in all the other elements rakes/scrapes, chicken pickin', arpeggios, bends, double-stops, double-stop bends..........etc., etc., etc.

Edit: Well that's just not right. I was typing this at work without my guitar in front of me. The b7 would actually be the root of the IV chord (F...was thinking it was F#)

My practice regimen right now consists of these scale patterns, expanding my moveable chord forms - especially Dominant 7 chords by learning more inversions - and some arpeggio work.

[Jorge]

can't you explain some of the things you are mentioning like double stops double stop bens and chicking pickin etc

[yerffej]

Great advice cacibi!

to my amp I go

[chickenpicker]

Unfortunately, I don't.

[Buckocaster51]

I don't know how to play like him. I do know that those Musicman Albert Lee model guitars are about the coolest looking guitars on the face of this planet.

[Telewringer]

See if you can find a Hot Licks Video Albert made a while back.
It has some very good lessons on it, and quite a great look
at some of his guitars. I got a lot of good stuff out of this
video so I would recommend you find a copy. It came out around
15 years ago or so ?

[Justin Crouse]

Originally Posted by Joerge

How do you solo like Albert Lee?

well....


practice boy, practice!!

i wish i could to.

JC

[ChurchPlayer]

Originally Posted by cacibi

I've been practicing what I refer to as the 'Country Mixolydian' scale a lot these days.

Thanks so much for putting this up. I've seen this so many times but never took the time to practice it. I sat down last night with it and while I don't sound like Albert Lee it definitely opened my eyes to some new ideas.

[Stefan]

What about this video by Steve Trovato? I am thinking of buying it.

http://www.musicroom.com/de-DE/se/ID_No/093368/details.html

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by Joerge

How do you solo like Albert Lee?

Very simple (but not easy...). :-|

1) Get some Albert Lee recordings you like.

2) Get some software like the Amazing Slow Downer (www.ronimusic.com) or a device like the Tascam Guitar Trainer (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Jul0...ascamcdgt1.asp).

3) Get to work (i.e, "practice, practice, practice.").

That's the fastest way I know. Best of luck, CS :-)

[cacibi]

Originally Posted by Joerge

can't you explain some of the things you are mentioning like double stops double stop bens and chicking pickin etc

Joerge

Double Stops - basically playing a two-notes at once to create a harmony. The most common in country being intervals of 3rds and 6ths. Often seen in turnarounds:

key of G

--7--6--5--3
-------------
--7--6--5--4
-------------
-------------
-------------

Double-stop bends would be what I think of as pedal steel type licks:

key of D (pb = pre bend, p = release)

--10---------------8---------------5------------
--(pb)-12-(r)-10--(pb)-10-(r)-8--(pb)-7-(r)-5
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------

Chicken pickin' is basically a string muting technique combined with a hard, pulling attack on the string, you can achieve the muting either by choking up on your pick and using the meat of your thumb to mute the string, or by palm muting. I use both depending on the lick. You can use this in conjuction with double stops where you mute the lower notes and 'snap' the higher notes (pulling attack):

key of G (m = mute, s = snap)

-----------------(s)10-----------(s)8--------------(s)7-----------(s)5--------(s)3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-(m)9--10--11----(m)7--8--9----(m)5--6--7-----(m)3--4--5---(m)2-3-4-----
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this example, I would use all palm muting for the 3rd string. I find that when I hybrid pick (pick and fingers) and attack the same note rapidly with the pick, then fingernail - I can get that muted sound without really having to mute, since the attacks are in suck quick succession.

There are some players with some great videos of their own on this forum that demonstrate a lot of these techniques:

Terry Downs
Terry Couch
Redd Volkaert

These are the 3 that I have. TD's really demonstrates the chicken pickin' style, TC's has some great, flowing riffs that incorporate double-stops and open string runs and Redd has some riffs that incorporate a lot of the things mentioned, double-stops, steel bends, rakes/scratches, etc.

[cacibi]

Originally Posted by ChurchPlayer

Thanks so much for putting this up. I've seen this so many times but never took the time to practice it. I sat down last night with it and while I don't sound like Albert Lee it definitely opened my eyes to some new ideas.

Very glad to hear that. I'll try to get some pics up today of the four patterns I've been using.

[eddiewagner]

thanks a lot cacibi. i printed it out and i am back to practicing.

[cacibi]

[cacibi]

[Durtdog]

How do you get to Madison Square Garden?

Originally Posted by Justin Crouse

well....
practice boy, practice!!

[cacibi]

Madison Square Garden

[Durtdog]

Originally Posted by cacibi

Madison Square Garden

Hmmm...easier than I thought!

[cacibi]

Sorry - couldn't resist.

But practice is certainly the key. The best advice I ever got was that it's not how many years you've been playing.....it's how many hours.

[retsacelet]

People get so caught up in scales and modes and what not which is not a bad thing but really all you have to do is folow Chris S' advice above. Just get the "Amazing Slow Downer" and I promise you those seemingly impossible licks suddenly become playable at half speed.

[cacibi]

I do that as well - it's great for ear training. I've done that with Albert's stuff, steel players - whatever catches my fancy. I would say don't limit yourself to guitar parts, learn fiddle tunes or whatever really grabs you.

I think building a basic vocabulary of scales, modes, chords, etc. helps in that it provides a starting point for you to jump off from and create your own licks. Watching some of the pros go at it can be as demoralizing as it can be inspiring. I'm very familiar with that feeling of....'There's so much to learn, how will I ever master this thing?'

I find that running scales is a great way to build up your speed and dexterity. Other tools like ASD can certainly provide that as well, as you slowly increase the playback speed while playing along.

While there's certainly not 'one way' to practice or learn, I know from past experience that it's better to focus - no matter what or how you're practicing - and learn what's in front of you before moving on.

[Leon Grizzard]

I am not familiar with that particular Steve Trovato video, but I have worked his Getting the Sound - Hot Nashville Guitar video, and think he is a very good teacher, and so would think