chickin pickin help

[jack butler]

i'm kinda new to the site and was wondering if any of you guys have some instructional video suggestions on this style. i am becoming more and more interested in this style and have a few questions as well
how many fingers do most guys use?
is it a pic in thumb and index and then finger pickin the middle and ring ( i think they call this a hybred style)
i'm also interested in steel style bend tricks.
i'm a creative person so i'm not really looking for a tape that teaches you how to play but a tape that gives you the tools and lets you build the house! thanks for the cool site!

[Brass Saddles]

Hey: Check out Jim Weiders Home Spun tapes. Great great simple Tele stuff.
1) Classic Fender Sound. Jim shows old guitars and amps and plays licks from the time era. Chickin pickin etc.
2) Jim Weider Country Blues Vol 1 & 2, from Home Spun Tapes, classic riffs again.

Thanks
Brass Saddles

[Shnook]

Johnny Hiland's Chicken Pickin' Hotlicks tape.. Nuff said..

[olewichita]

is a good and TASTY start... none of that chicken' pickin' shredding stuff that seems to be in vogue a lot nowadays... just classic james with merle stuff. tj

[tcouch]

Hey Jack, i teach this style guitar, i also have 2 instructional videos with tabs, if you want to check one of my videos out just email me at tcouch662000@yahoo.com and give me ur mailing address and i will send you one, i may be able to help you.

Originally Posted by jack butler

i'm kinda new to the site and was wondering if any of you guys have some instructional video suggestions on this style.

The short answer is that there are LOTS of videos available:

http://hotlicks.com/countryguitar.htm

Several of them are very good, but as an intro to the style, I think Arlen Roth's "Hot Country Lead Guitar" would be a great starting point.

how many fingers do most guys use? is it a pic in thumb and index and then finger pickin the middle and ring (i think they call this a hybred style)

Yes, "hybrid" style is usually played with a pick, the middle and ring fingers. The best I ever saw at it was Danny Gatton, who had seamlessly transferred lots of banjo and pedal steel licks to the guitar. It's one thing to do them; it's something else again to do them perfectly.

The other popular way to play fingerpickin'-style licks is with a thumbpick and the first two fingers, which generally have a lot more dexterity and definition than the middle and ring fingers. If you want to see that done to perfection, check out Brent Mason's video. Yowza. :-))

Best of luck, it's some of the most fun you can have with a Telecaster. :-) CS

P.S. I thought Steve Vai did a great job of playing you in the movie "Crossroads"... ;-)

[jack butler]

yes, daniel son!! i was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to get my joke of a screen name. i'm not a big vai fan or a ralph macio fan for that matter! but i must admit crossroads is truely classic cinematic excellence!!
he he!!
btw thanks for the help my brethren.

[Joel Terry]

who likes to cut heads? :P

Joel

[Twang]

I have tried to order the Johnny Hiland video only to be told that the ffolks I was ordering from weren't taking orders for Hot Licks stuff because they took too long to ship.

Anyone know of a place that actually has that video?

[Mike Fleming]

Look for Albert Lee's _Advanced Country Guitar_, although being kind of old it may be hard to find. It was a big book of tabbed exercises with either a Cassette or CD. I don't remember if there was a video version.

It's light on tools and heavy on licks which is not exactly what you're looking for, but if you spend some time working through it it'll make you a pick and fingers maniac.

Mike

[T Prior]

start practicing some very rudementary excercises such as playing an A chord across the second fret , plucking the chord with fingers 1,2 and 3 and picking the alternate bass line , strings 5 and 6 with your thumb..

Sounds easy..right?..

Then move it up the the 4 chord and 5 chord and so on..then alternate the chord positions..D or D7 on second fret, E or E7 on 4th fret..extremely simplistic as you can see..but using the open strings underneath opens up the tonal characteristics of this style..and while your thinking this simple, think of all the phrases in between the open bass strings and the simplistic chord you are plucking with your fingers..

Although this appears to be extremely simplistic..and it is..if you can't do it don't spend your money on the videos just yet..

Playing in this style is not just about using your fingers as picks, but also involves playing out of different chord and scale positions with as many open string tones as you can discover. Basically put those massive bar chords away for another day..you won't be needin' em' no moe...

The "Open Tone" characteristics of playing in this style is what brings it home..

All of the above mentioned videos' are of course very fine..but ya still gotta start at the very bottom..and execute.

Me, I use no picks and play off my finger tips, I find that it helps me because I never have to remember to bring any picks and I never have a problem finding the right picks to use.. I'm stuck with the ones I 've got !

This style of playing I think , is not just a style, but a way of life...certainly a different way to approach playing..

Every great drummer can do it all on just the snare...

I'm certainly no expert..but I did put my picks away some 30 years ago...

t

[spyder]

Ho...click on my site for info...theres sound clips, explanantions, etc....also a photo of me.... but I take no responsibility for negative side effects...enter at your own risk!!....later, spyder

[jack butler]

hey, i noticed you are in NC. are you close to charlotte? do you give lessons?

[T Prior]

Survey said...

I am in Charlotte..!

Wha' du-ya make of that !

Send me an email , I'm limited on time but we could get together and jam a bit and talk about it...

t

[JohnnysMama]

Heard there is new distribution on these beginning this month..so call the Hotlicks company boys and girls :)