Best way to learn Chet Atkins Style of playing ?

[Bsmooth]

I was just using that This land is your Land as an example. You could use Chet or Merle's method in this song couldn't you? Freight Train is a great song but I was looking fora Merle Travis song for Dummies so to speak.
As far as a root note its the lowest note in a chord. For a Major C its the fifth string in the chord. The three lowest strings 4th, 5th and sixth are the strings used by the Thumb only, others are for melody.
What confuses me a bit though is the alternate bass notes played, sometime next to each other and other times separated like when its say a Fourth then going lower still and playing a Sixth.

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Originally Posted by Bsmooth

I was just using that This land is your Land as an example. You could use Chet or Merle's method in this song couldn't you? Freight Train is a great song but I was looking fora Merle Travis song for Dummies so to speak.
As far as a root note its the lowest note in a chord. For a Major C its the fifth string in the chord. The three lowest strings 4th, 5th and sixth are the strings used by the Thumb only, others are for melody.
What confuses me a bit though is the alternate bass notes played, sometime next to each other and other times separated like when its say a Fourth then going lower still and playing a Sixth.

Here I played it as a quick lesson for you... See how you go with this.

[Bsmooth]

Great thanks very much for the video. I tried it a few times tonight, and I swear I'm all thumbs. I really think I need to just concentrate on the bass notes.
Whenever I try a melody, it all just falls apart.
I may try to use just the G, D and A chords like in the other video instead. I think I just need lots and lots of practice.
Again thanks for that video, it all looks easy until you try it !

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Originally Posted by Bsmooth

Great thanks very much for the video. I tried it a few times tonight, and I swear I'm all thumbs. I really think I need to just concentrate on the bass notes.
Whenever I try a melody, it all just falls apart.
I may try to use just the G, D and A chords like in the other video instead. I think I just need lots and lots of practice.
Again thanks for that video, it all looks easy until you try it !

See if this helps...

This Land is my Land in the Key of D like you are learning in a faux Chet Style.

[Bsmooth]

You are amazing, now I just need to practice. That lead in was very well done as well. I appreciate your help and extra effort very much.

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Originally Posted by Bsmooth

You are amazing, now I just need to practice. That lead in was very well done as well. I appreciate your help and extra effort very much.

Glad you like it. Let me know if you have any questions after you've worked on it for a while.

[Bsmooth]

Well now I bought Mark Hanson's The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking, and have been using it, as well as your video. Its slow going, I'm doing the outside in right now with different chords. Songs are another story, just beyond my realm at the moment.
It also seems to sort of screw up my regular playing too. Its almost trying to do two things at once, sort of like Travis Picking itself. I go to play a song and I keep thinking with my thumb... weird.
But now I also see or maybe I should say hear things in songs that could work with Travis picking.
I have to figure out how long to practice with the outside in, it does get a little dull and tedious, but I can tell its not automatic, not yet anyways.
Just have to remember its working towards something, especially when I see someone play it looking so easy. I know its not.

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Originally Posted by Bsmooth

Well now I bought Mark Hanson's The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking, and have been using it, as well as your video. Its slow going, I'm doing the outside in right now with different chords. Songs are another story, just beyond my realm at the moment.
It also seems to sort of screw up my regular playing too. Its almost trying to do two things at once, sort of like Travis Picking itself. I go to play a song and I keep thinking with my thumb... weird.
But now I also see or maybe I should say hear things in songs that could work with Travis picking.
I have to figure out how long to practice with the outside in, it does get a little dull and tedious, but I can tell its not automatic, not yet anyways.
Just have to remember its working towards something, especially when I see someone play it looking so easy. I know its not.

I've never heard the term "outside in" but I assume it means working on picking with chords that have the root note on the say the low E string. Like an open G chord or an E chord. I personally work things out with slow down software like transcribe or audacity. That really helps. So if you haven't done that I recommend you get that. If it takes slowing down to 20% speed then so be it. I will do that to work out tunes even now.

I am however glad you are not giving up. If you keep at it you WILL get there!

It does actually become easy but I agree it's not easy when you are starting out but I'm telling you that so that you know it's worth sticking at it - it does become automatic eventually. It's mostly muscle memory. Just like playing certain chords with your left hand were hard the first time you picked up a guitar. Actually when it comes to the left hand you will start to notice you have to be more precise as well when it comes to this style of playing because you are sounding out individual strings all the time.

[Bsmooth]

I also will get to the videos you did, but I'm just not quite ready fro them yet. Sort of working my way towards them.
Hoping eventually to catch that "Freight Train", really a cool tune.
I do have Audacity, its a great program, i use it mostly for redoing some older recordings, and make the worth listening to again. I never even knew about the slowing down of songs though.
Just thought you might like to know I did give up guitar about 30 years ago.It was a cheap guitar with action that was too high, or at least thats the excuse I use.
After that I decided to try again and with the help of JustinGuitar and people like yourself I've done much better.
Its funny I'm into Photography too in a big way, but I've asked when do you know your a Photographer? I guess its the same question as when can you call yourself a Guitarist?

[Annie B]

I just bought this book, Complete Chet Atkins Guitar Method (https://www.melbay.com/Products/9323...ar-method.aspx) after watching the following review. Seems the book gets you right into chord/melody playing with that steady alternating base. The beginning is very, very elementary, but moves gradually toward more difficult, intermediate and advanced playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZc7OoyTG3Q&t=670s

Currently going through Mark Hanson's The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking which is also excellent and has been mentioned a few times here. Good luck!

[Bsmooth]

Read thru your posts Annie B, and after surgery done on both hands (arthroplasty) I would say kudos to yourself for your persistence.
I'm doing the exercises still in the front of Mark Hanson's book, trying to get both thumb and fingers to work together, and do there own thing at the same time.
Strangely enough If I look at my right hand I seem to get all messed up, whereas I don't look it seems better. I seem to be able to do it about half a dozen times then the fingers go off on there own.
Been practicing for about 2 weeks now, and still it seems very strange to my right hand. How long does muscle memory take to develop?
BTW have you posted videos playing Chet or Merle's style?

[srick]

Guitarvideos.com has their Chet Atkins lessons (taught by Chet himself) on sale today, Feb 27th. Who better?

[Annie B]

Originally Posted by Bsmooth

Strangely enough If I look at my right hand I seem to get all messed up, whereas I don't look it seems better. I seem to be able to do it about half a dozen times then the fingers go off on there own.
Been practicing for about 2 weeks now, and still it seems very strange to my right hand. How long does muscle memory take to develop?
BTW have you posted videos playing Chet or Merle's style?

Hey there Bsmooth, Annie B here. My first thought is to say congrats when you can do something 6 times in a row! That means you're on your way. The brain gets tired after repeating something on and on, and then you start to bungle it. And no, don't look at your right fingers. Like trying to figure out what the legs of a centipede are doing. And work little chunks over and over. As far as muscle memory goes, what works for me is a metronome. Go very very slowly at first, then gradually bump up about 5 bpms or less each time you can do something at a certain tempo reliably. Going slowly is the key to developing technique I believe. Don't allow yourself to be discouraged. Just slow down! It will come. I always congratulate myself after every session. Finally, wanted to say that as my fretting hand heals, I'm focusing on my right-hand technique. I'm working through BOTH Hansen's Travis picking book and the Complete Chet Atkins book, which are fantastic for developing right-hand technique. Love em. Happy picking!

[zuzu]

Originally Posted by JonPR

This is not actually the best way to learn the technique.
It's true that rhythm is paramount, and the thumb keeps the beat. But with alternating bass, you need to start with complete patterns, just played really slow.

I tried teaching the "thumb first" method for some time - because it seemed to make sense! - but it never worked. The alternating bass always got screwed as soon as students tried adding a finger.

Then I remembered how I'd taught myself (nearly 40 years earlier...) - I'd learned complete patterns from records, by slowing them to half-speed on tape. I had it down in a few months.
This is also how Mark Hanson teaches the style.

I.e. the "Independent thumb" is a myth. That's just how it feels when you've mastered it. The thumb is attached to your hand, same as your fingers are! . You have to interlock thumb and finger(s) from the start. Obviously focus on keeping the thumb on the beat, but add a finger now and then between the beats.

I agree. I never would have learned banjo one finger at a time or at normal speed. I slowed the cassette tapes by leaning a brick wrapped in cloth against the door of the cassette player to pinch the cassette, thus slowing it down. I did so with one song, Flatt&Scruggs "Down The Road" for weeks, until my wife was frantic! Then I played it slowly, independent of the cassette, for many weeks after...my wife is still frantic about that, 26 years later! But I slowly got up to speed on that one song, and the basics that approach instilled in me soon enabled me to begin picking out the patterns in other songs.

So, IMO, starting very slowly, with the whole hand, is the most natural way of learning. Very much like learning to write.

[rick-slo]

Composed this piece years ago as sort of an alternate thumbing exercise for some other forum in existence at the time.

http://dcoombsguitar.com/Temp/ThumbPlayYouTube.wav

Tab link
https://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20M.../Thumbplay.pdf


or on YouTube here