Robert Earl Keen Feelin, good again

[skitoolong]

I've been trying to learn how he plays this (or close enough) fingerstyle like he does here http://youtu.be/JM_eK2mFogk

So far no pattern really sounds correct to my ear. I play it in G, no capo. It seems to go pretty fast too.

Does anyone play this? Give me a little head start?

[Freedbaby]

Can't help but following. One of my favorite REK songs

[JonPR]

It's in G, but the main guitar I can hear is playing C shapes with capo on 7. Standard alternating bass patterns.
This is the intro and the first part of the verse:

 C                                 Em
|----------------|0---------------|----------------|0---------------|
|------1---------|---------1------|----------0-----|----------0-----|
|----------0-----|------0-------0-|------0---------|------0---------|
|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
|3-------3-------|3-------3-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
.
 Am                                G
|----------------|0---------------|----------------|3---------------|
|----------1-----|---------1------|----------0-----|----------0-----|
|------2---------|------2-------2-|------0---------|------0---------|
|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|----------------|--------0h2-----|
|----------------|----------------|3-------3-------|3---------------|

The chords shown are the shape names. The actual chords are G-Bm-Em-D.
There's an F shape (C chord) later, but the patterns seem much the same the whole way.

[skitoolong]

Originally Posted by JonPR

It's in G, but the main guitar I can hear is playing C shapes with capo on 7. Standard alternating bass patterns.
This is the intro and the first part of the verse:

 C                                 Em
|----------------|0---------------|----------------|0---------------|
|------1---------|---------1------|----------0-----|----------0-----|
|----------0-----|------0-------0-|------0---------|------0---------|
|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
|3-------3-------|3-------3-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
.
 Am                                G
|----------------|0---------------|----------------|3---------------|
|----------1-----|---------1------|----------0-----|----------0-----|
|------2---------|------2-------2-|------0---------|------0---------|
|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|----------------|--------0h2-----|
|----------------|----------------|3-------3-------|3---------------|

The chords shown are the shape names. The actual chords are G-Bm-Em-D.
There's an F shape (C chord) later, but the patterns seem much the same the whole way.

So, no wonder what I was trying didn't sound right. There are videos of him playing fingerstyle out of open position G shapes, but apparently that's now what is going on in the link I sent.

Thanks for this, I really appreciate it. I'll get up to speed on this but think I'll keep trying to figure out what he's doing when he's playing it w/ G shapes too.

[Road-Dog]

REK usually does play the open chords when performing. Rich Brotherton is playing the 7th capo accompaniment chords. Here is a solo version----- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9GXR-anfkw-----

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Road-Dog

REK usually does play the open chords when performing. Rich Brotherton is playing the 7th capo accompaniment chords. Here is a solo version----- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9GXR-anfkw-----

Ah-ha! I guessed there were 2 guitars, but the 7th fret one was the picking pattern I could hear. Obviously he's strumming in that video - and presumably on the record? Of course it could be picked with those shapes if you want.

[skitoolong]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Ah-ha! I guessed there were 2 guitars, but the 7th fret one was the picking pattern I could hear. Obviously he's strumming in that video - and presumably on the record? Of course it could be picked with those shapes if you want.

Ok, great information.

And to complete the circle here's a link to him playing some kind of pattern w/ G shapes open position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSF_qrcEkk

[Road-Dog]

I guess it would depend on your vocal ability. While I can play it both ways, I have to do the open chords and I finger pick to sing it. For whatever reason I can't sing it as well when I play the capo chords. REK is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and I play quite a few of his tunes. To me he is a lot like Jerry Jeff Walker whose talent I also enjoy.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by skitoolong

Ok, great information.

And to complete the circle here's a link to him playing some kind of pattern w/ G shapes open position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSF_qrcEkk

Shame you can't hear the guitar too well, but he's clearly playing generic alternating bass patterns, same right hand action on all the chords by the look of it.

All that matters is that the thumb keeps the beat going, picking whatever strings give the best bass notes (6 or 5 on beat 1 and 3, 4 or 3 on beats 2 and 4), and it doesn't really matter what the fingers do; they can pick any of the top 3 strings, in any combination of on the beat or between the beats - only 2 or 3 notes per measure are required.
You can learn one pattern and apply it across all the chords - although the choice of lower bass string will usually vary from chord to chord.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Road-Dog

I guess it would depend on your vocal ability. While I can play it both ways, I have to do the open chords and I finger pick to sing it. For whatever reason I can't sing it as well when I play the capo chords.

The key is the same of course, but it's often useful to have bass notes beneath you when you sing.
The range of the vocal goes down to C, which - if you need to tune your voice to the guitar - is still there if you use the capo (fret 8 6th string), but I can understand how the higher guitar register might be off-putting.

Plus you don't really gain anything in terms of ease of playing. There's a Bm chord in open position, but then there's an F shape (for the C chord) with capo on 7.

Personally I think I'd like the capo on 7, because my voice is not great, and I could pick out the vocal melody in the bass notes to help me tune in:

1st 2 lines (one measure per note, bass notes for G, Bm, Em and D chords):
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
-10-----9------7-------------------
----------------------10--------

3rd line
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
---8--------10-----------

etc.

[skitoolong]

Originally Posted by JonPR

...

All that matters is that the thumb keeps the beat going, picking whatever strings give the best bass notes (6 or 5 on beat 1 and 3, 4 or 3 on beats 2 and 4), and it doesn't really matter what the fingers do; they can pick any of the top 3 strings, in any combination of on the beat or between the beats - only 2 or 3 notes per measure are required.
You can learn one pattern and apply it across all the chords - although the choice of lower bass string will usually vary from chord to chord.

This sounds good. I can certainly do that. I guess what was throwing me was in the versions where there is the other guitar, I was hearing that while assuming REK was doing the playing.

Thank you kindly for your educated ears and help.