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  #1  
Old 01-15-2018, 07:39 AM
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Toby Walker Toby Walker is offline
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Default Yes Virginia, you CAN play fingerstyle blues on a dreadnaught.

In response to the misaligned notion that one can only play acoustic blues on a vintage, small bodied guitar, here's Skip James playing his relatively new Martin. He used two models in the 60's - a D-18 and D-28.

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Old 01-15-2018, 08:26 AM
JCook1 JCook1 is offline
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What a great clip, Toby. I've never seen this one before. I remember seeing Skip James on a PBS TV show called "Folk Music USA" around 1964, when I was a teenager. He was one of the first blues artists I was aware of as I was just starting to learn to play guitar. It's a gift to have old clips like this available.

I've never understood why some people think you can't play blues - or even fingerpick - on a dreadnought guitar.

Jack
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Old 01-15-2018, 08:33 AM
Theleman Theleman is offline
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Skip James is one of my favorite Blues Masters. Great vid. Thank you for sharing.
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Old 01-15-2018, 08:40 AM
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Awesome! Love that song.
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Old 01-15-2018, 08:57 AM
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I do it all the time. I'm not dead yet so I don't count I suppose, lol.
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Old 01-15-2018, 08:58 AM
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Beautiful. Thank you for sharing and I agree. You can play the blues on any guitar.
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Old 01-15-2018, 09:05 AM
Side1LedZepIV Side1LedZepIV is offline
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Skip James played mostly slow, dark, songs in open D minor. I don't think you can properly sing about being buried in a cypress swamp using a small guitar with new strings.
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Old 01-15-2018, 09:37 AM
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Great clip . Toby thanks

What a totally authentic and great voice to go with the playing.

Couldn't help but notice his hands are pretty big ... No clue what that means just something that struck me .
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Old 01-15-2018, 10:09 AM
blacknblues blacknblues is offline
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Thanks Toby, that was a great example. And for the record, I love to fingerpick the blues on my Martin D-21
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Old 01-15-2018, 10:12 AM
PiousDevil PiousDevil is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevWind View Post
Great clip . Toby thanks

What a totally authentic and great voice to go with the playing.

Couldn't help but notice his hands are pretty big ... No clue what that means just something that struck me .
We both know what that means. . . Big hands, big gloves.
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:13 PM
tippy5 tippy5 is offline
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Love how he grabs the listener by using the above octave right away.
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:35 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Thanks for that, Toby.

Strange, but seems to me he's getting a 12 string sound out of that Martin.
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:43 PM
Swamp Yankee Swamp Yankee is offline
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Yeah, it still doesn't mean I want to get a dreadnought
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:45 PM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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I'll never understand the thinking that to play in a genre requires a special guitar for that genre. Bring what you got on whatever you like.
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Old 01-15-2018, 02:40 PM
815C 815C is offline
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Here's my use of a dreadnaught for fingerstyle blues....

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