Country Guitar Tips!?

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by HC

You play over the chord changes much like a jazzplayer would.
:

i've heard brad paisley say, "country music is just jazz on the back pickup."

[Onyx Z]

Originally Posted by HC

In country you "have to" use different scales/note choices according to the chord you're playing over.
In rock/blues you can stick to the G pentatonic exclusively in a G-C-D progression. This wouldn't sound right in country. Over the G chord you'd play the G major pentatonic(or major scale or mixolydian), the C maj pentatonic over the C and the D maj pentatonic over the D chord. You play over the chord changes much like a jazzplayer would.

Hope this helps.

so basically just playing over then chord changes? over the G chord play the G scale/mode, over the C chord play the C scale/mode, and so on... if so, ive been wanting to learn how to play over the changes for a while now but never knew where to start...

when the underlying chord changes from C to G, do you hit the G note the same time the G chord starts, C note with the C chord, and so on?

[scoots]

satelliteorders has a really good bit of advise---this is a excellent (and simple) way of putting it!!! this will get you around your fretboard and then start picking up the "standard" licks.

[Budda]

Yeah, it helps to visualize the Chords' Forms on the Fretboard, as you play. It's a mix of Vocabulary and learning a bunch of the Classic Licks, as well as Phrasing, Attack, and Attitude.
Also, Country players play more right on top of the beat. Even pushing it some. Whereas a Blues guy might play a little behind the beat.




Here's another idea, why don't you start a Thread about playing over changes? Everybody can chime in with their approaches, etc.

You can generalize things a little, and think of Scale Tones as notes that help provide a sense of movement, and Chord Tones as notes that give a sense of resolution.

[Budda]

Plus, you might want to check out this Thread:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-...his-licks.html

Looks like quite a resource!

[bcbeak]

It hasn't been mentioned yet on this thread .. but the obvious requirement for country playing .. is to learn right hand hybrid picking with either a thumb pick or pick and fingers. Much of what you hear in country tele licks comes from the right hand .. the bends, plucks, cascades, string pops, etc can turn speed metal into twang city.

[brewwagon]

http://www.roughstock.com/history/


bw

[psychotelepathic]

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, learn "Who's Cheatin' Who" by Alan Jackson. Lots a great basic Mason licks in that one...

[HC]

Originally Posted by Onyx Z

so basically just playing over then chord changes? over the G chord play the G scale/mode, over the C chord play the C scale/mode, and so on... if so, ive been wanting to learn how to play over the changes for a while now but never knew where to start...

when the underlying chord changes from C to G, do you hit the G note the same time the G chord starts, C note with the C chord, and so on?

The chord changes is a good place to think about using the chord tones. Hitting one of the chords strong notes makes the changes sound very solid. But be ware that just jumping to the root note often sounds a bit weird. Go to the chord note that is closest to where you are coming from.
This combined with bending, double-stops, banjo rolls and chicken picking and you'll sound country in no time.

[T Prior]

This is a rather interesting thread with some very good comments. From my perspective, old, tired and playin' on the bandstand for 4 decades here's my take.

Playing Country is not just about guitar playing, it's first about understanding the simplicity of the groove and hearing where fills fit and where they do not.
This is what make the great players stand out, Brad, Brent, Redd ,Johnny etc, Sure they are playing guitars but they are first playing Country Music.

You really can't live in a Metal world and a Country world at the same time, both interesting and good but 180 degrees apart. I have several friends through the years that are very good Jazz and Blues guys who think Country is too easy and just way too basic and simple, any knot head can play country. Well,wrong.

If a player cannot first understand the simplicity and open feel of the rhythm section it will be a bust. The biggest problem in bandstand Country music is not the guitar players anyway, it's the Bass players who are just too dang busy and the keyboard players who don't leave any space for the guitar player to add that signature fill. ohh..sorry,I'm drifting...

Someone above mentions Merle, I could not agree more. If we are trying to start our Country experience with Brent and Brad we will be missing the rudiments. Go backwards, get a hold of a few Merle, Jackson,Waylon, Jones, Strait Hits CD and just strum along, don't play any licks. Play the rhythms just like the records, you will be getting a lesson from the best players know to mankind, Brent, Grady Martin, Roy Nichols, Jimmy Capps , Don Rich, Waylon etc. Start there. I would also recommend listening to some Bluegrass and the way the Instruments blend. Country bands are about sharing solo's and not taking up the whole song with licks and volume, Country songs are mostly about the singers and lyrics, we are second to that. Think about Workin Man Blues, it was the bandstand players that turned that song into a free jam, not Merle, Merle played it nice and simple with a very simple Roy Nichols solo. We, the Telecaster clan, turned that into what it is today, but not before we played it simple.

Think simple but think melodic. Play simple, play clean, turn all your effects off. It's you and your guitar now. Start at the beginning.

Flight of the Bumblebee is not in the first lesson !

T good luck, have fun..

PS,I have brought a few of my Jazz/Blues guys to a few gigs now and then and they hated it, they could never find the "relaxation" of a simple strum over 3 or maybe 4 chords.

[Budda]

Great post!

[Corey]

+1 on Brent Mason. Watch him on video. Jaw dropping.

[Budda]

Brent IS amazing! BUT, his instructional skills are nil. Hard to work from his HotLicks video. Same thing with the Albert Lee videos.
You can definately learn some good stuff from them. But, you need to already be fluent, or it's mostly just staring at the T.V. screen, and going "Wow, wish I could do that"!

At least, that's my experience with them.

[Colt W. Knight]

Either play real fast or real slow.

Play with in chords, hammering, bending and pulling off. Utilize open strings.

[blue water girl]

Originally Posted by Budda

Brent IS amazing! BUT, his instructional skills are nil. Hard to work from his HotLicks video. Same thing with the Albert Lee videos.
You can definately learn some good stuff from them. But, you need to already be fluent, or it's mostly just staring at the T.V. screen, and going "Wow, wish I could do that"!

At least, that's my experience with them.

Try the Brent Mason Guitar Star computer software by PG Music. It's broken down in minute detail on this instructional. We've received a huge amount of positive feedback on this program and also on Brent's step by step instructions.

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by blue water girl

Try the Brent Mason Guitar Star computer software by PG Music. It's broken down in minute detail on this instructional. We've received a huge amount of positive feedback on this program and also on Brent's step by step instructions.

Although I've only seen short clips of Brent's instructional from PG Music I can vouch for the quality of this company's products. They are the same folks that developed Band In A Box. And they're located in my little city!!!

[B Valley]

Just picked up a set of DVDs from Scott Grove. Five hours of nonstop country goodies, including a couple hours of some great pedal steel licks. I've bought tons of instructional stuff, some good, some bad. This is some great stuff.
Scott Grove
I'm going to be a couple months absorbing all of it.

[VINMAN531]

Hi,
A good way to jump start country guitar playing would be to play a relative minor pentatonic scale against a major chord,For example if the song starts with a C chord,play your runs,riffs,licks,what ever you wanna call them in A minor.Same thing with an F chord,you would play a D minor pent.
Hope this helps.

[kiwi_caster]

Here's a book I just got through Amazon by Larry McCabe, 101 Doggone Honkytonk Riffs it's got heaps of country licks, all in the key of C (I find transposing them to other keys helps burning them into the brain) The riffs are broken down to the common chord changes ie C => G7 F =>G7
Good when trying to collect that country sound.
While picking thorough the book my wife who's not big on compliments reckoned it sounded country.
I should be in Advertising but I own the book and are not connected with Larry in any form.

Happy picking

[Stratotwanger]

Originally Posted by B Valley

Just picked up a set of DVDs from Scott Grove. Five hours of nonstop country goodies, including a couple hours of some great pedal steel licks. I've bought tons of instructional stuff, some good, some bad. This is some great stuff.
Scott Grove
I'm going to be a couple months absorbing all of it.

Hello, Scott Grove here. I hope all is going well with the lessons. I appreciate the post and your support. Happy pickin'!