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Topic: Methods for aspiring Lead Guitarists? |
Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Jan 2005 3:13 pm |
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I've had occaison to be asked what the best "method" for learning REAL Country Guitar is.
Figured for people that have been playing non lead, or other types of guitar for enough years to skip the first couple "Mel Bay"s, and have gone through at least Mickey Baker 1 and know all their main chord forms.
Is there a Red Voelkert, Danny Gatton, Brad Paisley, or Brent Mason "type" conprehensive method from "Working Man Comps" to Moving Thirds/Root Fifths, "Quick Tags" etc that gives you a SOLID background in Framing and Finishing for REAL Country Guitar?
I've seen plenty of places that have tapes, tab, etc, but it, in my mind needs to be commected to "Framing Methods", and "Easy Places to start Standard Licks, as I'm used to on the Steel.
It's not for me, but I'd like to some day spend more time on it.
Thanks
EJL
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 8 Jan 2005 4:11 pm
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Check the Homespun Series at Elderly Instruments, Eric. They've got videos by Gatton, Albert Lee, and a slew of other hot Tele cats.
Or, you could listen to a lot of records, like we all used to do![This message was edited by Stephen Gambrell on 08 January 2005 at 04:12 PM.] |
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Frank Estes
From:
Huntsville, AL
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Jan 2005 6:30 pm
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Indeed I agree that there is no other kind of guitar than the Telecaster™.
I've got a strat copy and a les paul copy that are reasonably good and have good intonation. SHould I ever undertake playing more or any leads onstage I'd get a Squire, at least.
I'll look at the above posted links, and forward the info.
I suppose it's like saying "How can I get twenty years' experience in six months"?.
I wasn't asked that, but say with PSG, there are a LOT of things I wish somebody'd told me 25 years ago. Things like "Don't play on the One", and how to omit the third until you know major or minor, etc. how to start on a Sus4 until the "chord" is known, etc. and two different ways to start the same lick, starting it on a different part of the beat etc etc.
At the very least I'm suggesting leaving the .009 sets of strings "for later", and if it's me, I"ll be starting with a .012 set.
I don't play stage guitar or spend much time with it thought I've played for 40 years. Serious study seems to raise hell with my left hand intonatio for some reason.
I'll check it out for my buddy.
Thanks. |
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 12:00 am
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You don't need a Tele to get a good country guitar sound. I've played my Strat along with 'Buckaroo' and I sound just like Don Rich.
As far as learning goes, you have to decide whether you want to develop your own approach to playing country guitar (this includes borrowing some techniques from others and incorporating them into your playing) or if you want to learn a specific style (e.g. Chet Atkins, James Burton, Don Rich, etc.)
For me, visual instruction is the best way to go. If there are any country guitar videos out there with stuff you want to learn, it may be the simplest and quickest way to learn. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 4:40 am
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| The Albert Lee video is very good. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 5:31 am
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Back in the 70's, I got started with this basic Lead Guitar book by Don Comanda. It's still one of the clearest explanations I've ever seen on how and where to play pentatonic scales for blues or country sounds. You can go a lot further of course, but it's a great foundation. The book appears to be out of print but Alibris has some copies here:
Lead Guitar: Improvising for Blues, Country and Folk, Written in Diagram and Note Form.
by Bayas, Arthur & Don Comanda.
http://www.alibris.com
[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 09 January 2005 at 05:33 AM.] |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 6:11 am
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I always steer people to "Fretboard Logic SE" by Bill Edwards. It's not a collection of licks, but rather a system for viewing the entire neck and how to find and play melodies in all the different fingering positions. A lot of rhythm players hit some kind of block above the fifth fret (hence "capo fury"), and this book blasts that apart by about page 12. It gets people tearing up the neck and finding things for themselves faster than anything else I've seen.
[This message was edited by David Mason on 09 January 2005 at 06:26 AM.] |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 8:26 am
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| David, does that system appear to be well adapted for internalizing the steel guitar neck as well? |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 9 Jan 2005 9:37 am
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| Unfortunately not - it's very picture-oriented, specific to mapping scales onto a standard-tuned guitar. They start with the open chord forms of E, A, D, C and G major and then show how each form defines a scale fingering as you go up the neck. By the time I got the book, I had long ago figured this stuff out, but I could have saved a few years if I'd had it in the beginning. The closest steel analogy would be to draw your own map of a major scale with your tuning - as I'm sure you did at some point or another. Of course with a steel you then stomp a pedal, and the map goes all to hell... then you stomp two pedals.... |
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Ben Slaughter
From:
Madera, California
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Posted 10 Jan 2005 11:48 am
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| Be careful of the Brent Mason video. Will blow your mind. Not a very good instructional video IMO, is basicall, "I played this kind of lick in this song [insert 164th note solo at 120bpm], oh no wait, it was more like this [insert different 164th note solo at 120bpm], did you catch that?" |
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Frank Estes
From:
Huntsville, AL
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Posted 11 Jan 2005 9:26 am
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quote:
You don't need a Tele to get a good country guitar sound. I've played my Strat along with 'Buckaroo' and I sound just like Don Rich.
You are very correct. In fact, I think the Fender Strat is the most versatile guitar. Everything about it is cool. The comfortable contours of the body. I like where the input jack is located--really smart!
Get a fat strat (humbucker at the bridge), a reliable whammy system (or change the existing one to only lower and use at least three springs) and then a coil-tap switch on the humbucker to get that Tele-like bite and you are in business!
That is what I have. I can get cool smooth sends from the neck single-coil like a Tele and who needs a B-bender when you can bend them all with whammy bar! 
Don't get me wrong. I like Teles and there is something really appealing about their simplicity, but the most versatile and comfortable and durable is the Fender Strat.
I also own some EVH type of guitars with the locking Floyd rose and sometimes they get annoying--sometimes...
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Frank Estes
1978 Emmons D-10 8+7 #2441D
1968 Emmons D-10 8+4 #1234D
[This message was edited by Frank Estes on 11 January 2005 at 12:25 PM.] |
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Geoff Brown
From:
Nashvegas
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Posted 15 Jan 2005 1:40 am
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I agree. Let's not forget about Gretsch, either. Another idea for a strat is to go with a straight strat, with a Duncan Twangbanger in the bridge. I do love Teles, tho  |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Jan 2005 11:02 am
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Thanks for all the responses.
I have passed the information on, and mainly I'm going to get a couple of the courses for my self. Fretboard Logic, and Masters of the Tele look very good.
Also if I remember right the Red Voelkert site and his "hot licks" would be a regular stop.
I don't know when I'll get a chance to "study it", as I'm going to have about 6 months trying to get friendly to the two brand new vertical levers on my Marrs, that'll be here in a couple weeks.
One note on the "Don Rich" thing, he was certainly one of the masters of the Tele.
A lot of people don't realise just how "thin" and "transparent" a lot of his recorded stuff was. It was the BEST, and a guy in S MD that I used to watch do his licks you had to have a 9 inch span between your index and little finger.
Thanks.
EJL |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Jan 2005 11:58 am
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PG Music has a series on cd's for blues rock and jazz.Unfortunately, no country, but stuff that translates well. These are videos with the movie across the top, notes and tab below. They show a close up of the neck, and the guy explains each lick while showing it. This is the easiest way I've seen after 50+ years on six string. Not sure of the price, goto PGMusic.com.
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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com
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Leon Grizzard
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 20 Jan 2005 3:14 pm
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| I was in my local sheet music store today and asked if they had anything like Eric was asking about. They told me Hal Leonard had some materials, and we looked in the catalogue. They do in fact have country method books, and transcription books, like Red Hot Country Guitar with Ray Flacke, Brent Mason and others. Check their website. |
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seldomfed
From:
Colorado
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Terry Sneed
From:
Arkansas,
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Posted 26 Jan 2005 7:53 pm
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I just ordered "Fretbaord Roadmaps" country guitar from elderly instruments. should have done got it. ordered it on the 20th. I'tt be a week tomorrow. I hope it's worth the wait.
also Artie Traum has a good book out "101 essential rifffs for acoustic guitar. It has a lot of Blues licks, and flatpickin licks .
Just got through goin through it. I got to put my strat to work, be glad when my Fretboard roadmaps gets here.
Terry
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Zum D10 /8x5 / session 500rd/ American Strat Highway 1 model
steelin for my Lord
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