Flat Pick Country Guitar

Of all the styles of folk guitar, the most familiar is known by a variety of names, such as Carter Family Style, The Church Lick (Woody Guthrie), The Country Lick, or just plain Flat-Pickin’. Whatever its name, though, the foot-tapping boom-chicka, boom-chicka rhythm is as ubiquitous as country music itself; it was played by cowboy balladeers, old-time southern mountaineers, Gene Autry, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, The Carter Family . . . well, the list could go on and on. More recently, the art of country flat-picking has been raised to a higher level of virtuosity and skill by pickers such as Doc Watson, Clarence White, and the great Nashville studio musicians. Flat-picking can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it, and that is what this book is all about. Flat-Pick Country Guitar starts with the simplest strums, and gradually introduces techniques such as bass runs, hammer-ons, and pull-offs, preparing the student for more advanced techniques and at the same time teaching him some fine traditional country songs. Before he is halfway through this book, he will be playing melody breaks with chord accompaniment, and by the time he works his way through to the end he will be playing fiddle tunes, hoedowns, bluegrass licks, fancy cross-picking, and some more modern string-bending techniques known as “The Nashville Sound.” This book is a first of its kind to focus on the whole range of styles that go by the name Flat-picking. Though this book includes a variety of instrumental runs, breaks, and solos, its main emphasis is on flat-picking as an accompaniment—within a string band, bluegrass ensemble, or country rock group, or behind a vocalist (with or without a back-up guitar).

This comprehensive study of contemporary flatpicking guitar technique presents numerous solos for the beginning through advanced flatpicking guitarist along with tips on creating your own flatpicking arrangements. The book addresses the tablature system, tuning, right and left-hand technique, use of the capo and themicrophone, transposing using the Nashville numbering system, bluegrass back- up, arranging flatpicking solos and instrumentals. If you're into country or bluegrass music, or if you just want to develop outstanding flatpicking technique, this book is for you. Written in standard notation and tablature. The stereo play-along audio online features Steve Kaufman's rousing performance of each flatpicking solo! Also includes a videio online containing some of the solos andtechniques presented in the book. Audio and video download available online

In this comprehensive study, Joe Carr presents all the major country guitar styles in tablature and standard music notation. Beginning with basic chords and strum patterns, this book/CD combination covers flatpicking, fingerpicking and the major country lead styles including Rockabilly, Swing and modern electric. Special sections explain the Nashville Number System, string bending and beginning lead guitar. More experienced players will find a wealth of new material in the sections on lead, scales and chords, crosspicking, harmony and even a tele-style banjo imitation! Accompanying CD includes all music.

Eric Thompson is a pioneer in the field of flatpicking, first attracting attention over 40 years ago in bluegrass bands with David Grisman and Jerry Garcia. Since then, his big tone and soulful picking have graced a myriad of roots bands, including the Blue Flame Stringband, the California Cajun Orchestra, and the Bluegrass Intentions. In Foundations of Flatpicking, Eric shares the building blocks for great flatpicking technique. He takes you step-by-step, beginning with song melodies picked out in the bass, with rhythm, in the styles of Maybelle Carter and Charlie Monroe, and moving up to single-note flatpicking, with exercises to help master playing long runs of notes, clean, smooth and fast. Then he builds your repertoire with classic fiddle tunes and breaks to songs, including characteristic devices, phrases and endings from seminal stylists like Don Reno, Doc Watson, and Clarence White. All in standard notation and TAB with three audio CDs included.

Three-time national flatpicking champion Steve Kaufman teaches you how to buy a guitar, the easy way to fret a note, how to read chord charts and play all the basic chords, basic bluegrass strumming patterns, bass runs and walks, hammer-ons and pull-offs, how to read tablature, picking lead, crosspicking, practice techniques, and much more. DVD and CD included.

This book is an encyclopedia of Carter flatpicking style back-up, bluegrass back-up, Carter flatpicking style lead, Doc Watson-style lead, Clarence White-style bluesy lead, Atkins/Travis fingerpicking style, rockabilly guitar style, Nashville lead styles, and Western swing. the tunes and exercises in the book are included on the CD. Fred introduces each tune with page numbers to locate the corresponding material in the text. Stereo split track recordings allow you to hear the guitar through one speaker, separate from the band. In notation and tablature.

The clearest, most complete book on the market showing the secrets of playing bluegrass lead guitar and is the followup course to the Acoustic Guitar Primer Book. Includes exciting, accurate arrangements to popular songs and is written in both tablature and standard music notation. There are 29 breaks for 12 songs, and each break is played both slow and fast on the CD. The book features bluegrass songs that utilize several different chords and keys.

Covers all the basics and will have you playing all the classic bluegrass favorites in no time. You'll learn classic bluegrass guitar techniques in the context of classic bluegrass standards. Beginning with basic left- and right-hand techniques, Dennis guides you through developing great backup parts, playing solos, and working with a bluegrass band. All books and videos in the Ultimate Beginner Bluegrass Basics Series are fully correlated to work together, allowing you to use these for putting together your own bluegrass band.