Give me a good song to get me started with Chet Atkins and Travis style playing

[Teleman52]

So far I've sort of learned two songs in this style. The last steam engine train and deep river blues by doc Watson. I say sort of because I only have the basic rhythym of the songs, there's a lot of embellishments and all that, that go way over my head but I could play through both songs all the way through.

I've been trying to learn some Chet Atkins or Merle Travis songs but they are all extremely difficult and above my skills, what songs should I turn to to give me some confidence. I mean somewhat easy but hard enough to where I feel like I'm learning something new and want to keep on going.

Got any suggestions?

[Bad Poppa]

I've been working on Doc's version of "Bye, Bye, Bluebell". It's killing me.

[Dragoro]

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac is travis style, and not really all that difficult either.

[JohnW63]

I think I have heard " Freight Train" being a good starting song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_88pDk1cHo

[bhbayless]

Windy and Warm is fairly easy. There's a lot of lesson videos of it on you tube.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by bhbayless

Windy and Warm is fairly easy. There's a lot of lesson videos of it on you tube.

Thank you so much! That's the kind of song I was looking for. Extremely fun to play. I've got the basics chords and finger picking pattern now I just need to add the icing and get the alternating bass line down, that's the hardest part of course

I know it's not doc's original song but I'm really beginning to get into his work, his playing feels like home for me

@johnw: I know freight train already, good song and fun to play

I'm too much a fan of the original fleetwood mac to learn landslide

[Glennwillow]

Hi Teleman,

I good song that emulates that Chet type of Travis picking is Pete Huttlinger's "Darcy's Guitar." Here is a video for reference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7j_cXUGzaw One of Pete's instructional videos provides terrific details on exactly how to play this song.

- Glenn

[tpbiii]

Wheels



Let's pick,

[srick]

You might want to check out Tom Bresh's DVD from Homespun - "The Real Merle Travis" It;s taken me quite a while to even get my pinky stretched to get the first part of "Guitar Rag", but it's there. Bresh does a great job demystifying the Travis and Chet styles.

Of course, the biggest thing that you have to develop is the boom-chick using your thumb and right had muting. Once you can do that, you're halfway there.

Sometimes I don't even feel that I am even halfway there. So a rhetorical question: Why can't we pick someone easier to try and emulate? Someone who just strums two chords or something?

best,

Rick

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi Teleman,

I good song that emulates that Chet type of Travis picking is Pete Huttlinger's "Darcy's Guitar." Here is a video for reference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7j_cXUGzaw One of Pete's instructional videos provides terrific details on exactly how to play this song.

- Glenn

Wow I really liked that too. This thread is looking like it will be a big help to me. Keep em.

I think my problem with fingerstyle music is that I don't listen to enough of it but I'm coming around

[Tony Done]

John Renbourn's "Candyman" is one of my favourites that doesn't involve too many digital gymnastics.

[jnewmark]

I love Chet and have tried to play that style, but have never found a thumb pick that was comfortable, or stayed in place, no matter how I played. Frustrating.

[srick]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

I love Chet and have tried to play that style, but have never found a thumb pick that was comfortable, or stayed in place, no matter how I played. Frustrating.

Did you ever try a Fred Kelley speed pick? That turned out to be my secret,

Rick

[nedray]

Sounds like you're interested in fingerpicking and are looking for music to get you into that style. There are a lot of ways to go at that and the true Travis style is one of the most difficult to me, just because it's so idiosyncratic. Might be good to shy away from that until you get the basic right-hand motion down because you can get wrapped around the axle with palm muting and some of the other things that Travis did that only worked for him. Indeed, check out Thom Bresh (Merle's son) who faithfully carries the flame, and see if that specific style suits you.

If you just want to learn fingerpicking, old blues and folk is a good place to start--Kottke's "Steam Engine Train," as well as "The Fisherman" and some others are simple and sound great. Doc's "Windy and Warm" is a good learning drill, along with the other selections mentioned. I also like a fairly simple A minor workout called "Anji" that Bert Jansch wrote and Paul Simon recorded--many versions on YouTube. And, as mentioned, Pete Huttlinger's videos are excellent, though they may stretch you a little at first.

Also check out folkies like Eric Anderson, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Rush, and most of the Greenwich Village crowd. James Taylor's Fire and Rain album is a classic for folk fingerstyling. David Bromberg did some great fingerpicking work. Don't forget Gary Davis and his disciples including Jorma Kaukonen, whose album titled "Quah" from the early 70s has some great learning material. Mississippi John Hurt is a good resource as well. Listen to Chris Smither, who has a very entertaining fingerpick and footstomp routine.

If you want to take on Chet and Jerry Reed's work, check out Matt Cowe on YouTube. His videos aren't instructional per se, but you can watch him and pick up what he does. Check out Marcel Dadi, a Frenchman who rendered a lot of Chet's material in the 70s and has several YouTube videos.

Lots of resources. Have fun--it takes a while, but it's well worth the effort to learn fingerpicking.

[chas52]

A truly sublime experience for me is to listen to Tommy Emmanuel.
Check out: halfway home, dixie McGuire, and to b or not to b.