The Steel Guitar Forum

This may have been asked before, but I am curious how many of you out there also play thumb style guitar ?
I aint great at it, but I do enjoy thumb pickin'...some of my favorites, besides Chet and Merle, of course, are Paul Moseley and Eddie Pennington. I attended the CAAS for about 20 years and also am curious how many steelers attend that also.
Thanks for any responses.

I do, but, of course not any where near Chet's playing.

Well no, as Lenny Breau said "theres only one Chet"
I had a guy tell me once my guitar playing sounded like "Chit" and I felt complimented until I noticed he had a strong Hispanic accent.

"I play a guitar style made famous by Chet Atkins. It's called Merle Travis style"

Per John McEuen - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band


RC

Yep Chet says that if it wouldnt have been for Merle Travis he would have spent his life looking at the rear end of a mule...he even named his daughter Merle, after the one and only Merle Travis.

I kinda do.

Geo

I do

Have been playing guitar for 55 years.

Diff. between Travis and Atkins is:

Chet played rhythm, with his thumb, on strings
alternating--6-4 and 6-5.

Merle mostly used his thumb and ?

Merle was very good at what he did,
but, then there was Chet

I use the Chet style

Darrell

where does hank thompson's playing fit in this puzzle?

Chris
from the stories I have read Hank Thompson spotted Merle Travis on a motorcycle in California, flagged him down, and they became almost instant friends. Merle taught Hank how to play his "Travis" style...on all of the Columbia recordings, Merle played lead on Hanks albums. Merle used only his thumb and first finger, but whether or not Hank T. stuck to that exact way of playing, I dunno. I have a recording called "Treasures". Hank recorded tunes in his home studio in OKC before taking them to Columbia...this recording was of the ones that Columbia didnt want....on those Hank played the lead thumb style...sounds pretty good to me !

cool info, larry! thanks alot.

A little more off topic Hank Merle trivia/gossip. I believe their musical relationship ended when one of them took the other's wife. Many years ago I played steel behind Hank On a show in Georgia and he included a light hearted reference to it. But I don't remember the details.

There is indeed only one Chet… I almost forget how great he was until I watch some video of him playing, so effortlessly and smoothly.

If you haven't heard him, track down Tommy Emmanuel. Amazing.

Chet was amazing, IMHO. He recorded like 120 vinyl lps and to me they all sounded perfect. How he had the time to do all of those recordings and be the recording engineer for RCA is, to me, amazing. He once said he couldnt stand to listen to his recordings cause he always heard mistakes and ways he could have played them better. He could take a song and make it sound like it was written just for the guitar. I think he was to the guitar, probably what Jerry Byrd and Buddy Emmons were to the steel...the man lots of people chased for "that" sound. Tommy E. and Chet were good friends, and I have never seen a Tommy Emmanuel concert, and I have seen a bunch of them, where he didnt mention and give credit and praise to Chet.

As an aside, there is a book out called "My Life" about Hank Thompson that is a VERY interesting read. I am sure it is available thru the internet on one of the usual sites.

tommy emmanuel is no doubt an incredible player.
but his overflowing personality makes it so i can't watch him long.

Chris
I agree with you totally. I havent seen him play in several years, but if he showed up locally to play, I wouldnt go see him...I have seen all of that that I care to see. But no doubt he is amazing, just not my cup of tea...I prefer the old thumb pickin' ways !

In this clip about halfway he plays a lick he said Chet gave him one day. This is Tommy Emmanuel Workshop Amazing Grace. Amazing what talent can do to a simple song.
https://youtu.be/OY8Gj3c_gl8

I love that alternating thumb style and after many years finally barely broke the ice and started playing that style. No where near mastering it but it gives me something to work on. I do better with John Fahey style stuff....more droning alternating base lines....

I've dabbled in thumb style. Bought a new Gretsch Chet Atkins PX6120 guitar in 1961. Wish I still had it.

Alternating bass was the first stuff I learned how to do without sheet music (apart from strumming chords). But I was copying Mississippi John Hurt, not Chet Atkins or Merle Travis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-90BjO3MJ_U

I learned Cotton-picking in folk days, altho I understand that Elizabeth Cotton played lefty with right-handed strings, so no telling what I was doing.

Chris, did Pat Simmons of the Doobies play with a thumbpick? I thought he was really good.

joachim i can't really remember at this point.
but i imagine he did. i know i did...i tried to learn a little from all these guys who were better than i was. before joining the doobies he would sit in his room for hours playing his epiphone texan acoustic. and it was kind of in a delta bluesy style. finger picking with a groove! he was a very good player who worked at it seriously and he was a stable intelligent nice guy. i'm sure he still his now....but with more toys!

Thanks Chris, great memories. Noone can take them away
Larry, sorry for being a little off the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7DRH4EsEJw
G tuning.

I do a little but it's something I consider more of a hobby. Got into via my obsession with Mississippi John Hurt. It does come in handy from time to time in some of the music I play on electric guitar.

Another guy who does it very well is Scotty Anderson.