Singer-songwriter type LICKS

[kevinplarson]

I'm wanting to grow in singer-songwriter type licks - with a pick and just fingerstyle - to spice up strumming. I loved Corey Congilio's course "acoustic rhythm playbook" on truefire. I want more stuff like that.

To help clarify, I like blues and bluegrass alright - some of it - but I'm talking more major melody licks. Not sure how else to describe it - mainly standard tuning (drop D is ok).

a) any courses that go into this much? teachers that come to mind?
b) if you can't think of A, what artists would you track and try to copy?

Thanks!

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by kevinplarson

I'm wanting to grow in singer-songwriter type licks - with a pick and just fingerstyle - to spice up strumming. I loved Corey Congilio's course "acoustic rhythm playbook" on truefire. I want more stuff like that.

To help clarify, I like blues and bluegrass alright - some of it - but I'm talking more major melody licks. Not sure how else to describe it - mainly standard tuning (drop D is ok).

a) any courses that go into this much? teachers that come to mind?
b) if you can't think of A, what artists would you track and try to copy?

Thanks!

I think you should explore using double stops to connect chords, say your song has 2 bars of an A chord and then goes to D chord you might cut the 2nd bar of the A chord two beats short and use the time to climb up the scale in 6ths(look up intervals) on the 2nd and 4th string to arive at the 5th and 3rd intervals of the D chord at the 7th fret then after playing a bar + 1/2 bar on D climb back down to A chord using 3rds on 2nd and 3rd string. So to keep the timing right, on the 2nd beat play a double stop from the home chord then on the 3rd beat start the journey one scale tone higher and walk it up the scale to the target chord, like a bass run to connect chords. You don't have to play the two notes of the double stop simultaneously they can be staggered so in 4/4 each note would be played as an 8th, or you can play swing 8ths so a triplet without the middle note whatever really, mix it up with a single line phrase maybe that ends close to the D chord, a semi tone or a tone above or below one of the notes in the D chord and that would be your pick up note into the D chord.
This all depends on you getting the timing right and not introducing extra beats.

[Robin, Wales]

Hi Kevin,

Have a look at the work of Jonathan Byrd. He writes amazing licks and fills for flatpicked guitar part accompaniment as a singer songwriter. I have stolen many!

He has lots of stuff on youtube including tutorials and he runs weekend Zoom courses in writing songs and guitar accompaniment. Plus he is very approachable.



Another artists who I have stolen guitar accompaniment stuff off, both flatpicking and fingerstyle, is Townes Van Zandt. Again, there are lots of recordings on him on youtube. His Travis picking style with simple lead breaks and little fills is very adaptable to many different songs.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by kevinplarson

I'm wanting to grow in singer-songwriter type licks - with a pick and just fingerstyle - to spice up strumming. I loved Corey Congilio's course "acoustic rhythm playbook" on truefire. I want more stuff like that.

To help clarify, I like blues and bluegrass alright - some of it - but I'm talking more major melody licks. Not sure how else to describe it - mainly standard tuning (drop D is ok).

a) any courses that go into this much? teachers that come to mind?
b) if you can't think of A, what artists would you track and try to copy?

Thanks!

Hello kevinplarson (!) Manyof my zoom clients came to me because they wanted to learn skills very similar to what I think you are asking about.

I think I may be able to help you.

If interested in one-to-one zoom lessons, then please p.m.me.

Regards,

[Piker99]

Check out Brian at Active Melody . A wide variety of styles.
Here's an example.
https://www.activemelody.com/lesson/...-lesson-ep394/

[Andyrondack]

Or how about something like this from Brian.
I like the way he highlights the theory that underlies his lessons, not just a series of licks, understanding how the music is made makes it easier to remake it in your own style and change to another key another rythmn etc.
https://www.activemelody.com/lesson/...-lesson-ep372/

[Laughingboy68]

[QUOTE=Robin, Wales;6657405]



My goodness, that Jonathan Byrd song is a good one.

[Robin, Wales]

Yep, he is great! He has quite a fan club in our little village in Wales. Whenever we get together for a few beers someone will play a Jonathan Byrd song - there are so many good ones!

[kevinplarson]

Folks, I greatly appreciate all the help. I will definitely go through and check all of this out!

[Andyrondack]

Here's a well known example of using sixth's to create phrases within chords, in this case instead of just strumming a G chord then a C chord intervals are used to connect two different positions of the same chord with a 'passing' double stop in the middle.
This sort of thing turns up time and again using all sorts of different intervals for a different type of sound.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ILW5RQl9csw

[Andyrondack]

Here is a performer who has taken song accompaniment on guitar to a complete other level, into the stratosphere really.
Si Barron.
If any anyone can teach me the technique behind what this guy is doing please pm me.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=StaFK7UYWwA