Smoky Mountain Morning by Al Petteway (cover)

[Glennwillow]

This is my cover of Al Petteway's "Smoky Mountain Morning." This video has been on my YouTube site for a while, but I have never started a thread about this particular video in Show & Tell on the AGF.

I thought it might be interesting to show this video because it shows the Santa Cruz model FS with no capo in DADGAD tuning. My recent thread on "Waltz for Rebecca" shows the Santa Cruz FS in DADGAD on capo 5, so I thought it might be instructive to hear this guitar with no capo.

I have taken, as usual, a few liberties with Al's instrumental piece, so this is not exactly as written, but I have fun with it.

Thanks for listening!

- Glenn

[TBman]

Very good Glenn. Nice work!

[Kerbie]

Outstanding! I've heard Al play that, but I don't think he played it any better.

Very nice use of dynamics and variation of technique and attack. I really like it!

That FS sounds wonderful too.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by TBman

Very good Glenn. Nice work!

Thank you Barry!

I appreciate your listening and your comments. I am guessing that this is probably a song you know fairly well.

Take care!
- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

Outstanding! I've heard Al play that, but I don't think he played it any better.

Very nice use of dynamics and variation of technique and attack. I really like it!

That FS sounds wonderful too.

Thank you Kerbie!

Thank you for being there to listen! And I very much appreciate your comments and insight. How cool that you have been able to hear Al play this live! I'd very much like to hear Al play this or any of his other pieces live. I'm afraid I am on the wrong side of the country, though.

Thanks so much Kerbie!
- Glenn

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Thank you Barry!

I appreciate your listening and your comments. I am guessing that this is probably a song you know fairly well.

Take care!
- Glenn

I'm not up on all of his songs Glenn, that is a new one to me. I have the tab from Waltz, a bunch from Mountain Guitar and then last night I bought his two DVD downloadable set from Homespun of his Appalachian Guitar. I have a couple of other things as well. That's a nice tune, more of the pace that I would learn quickly. Most of his stuff is just ahead of my comfort speed.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by TBman

I'm not up on all of his songs Glenn, that is a new one to me. I have the tab from Waltz, a bunch from Mountain Guitar and then last night I bought his two DVD downloadable set from Homespun of his Appalachian Guitar. I have a couple of other things as well. That's a nice tune, more of the pace that I would learn quickly. Most of his stuff is just ahead of my comfort speed.

Hi Barry,

If you ever decide to learn "Smoky Mountain Morning," I think you'll find it a little more accessible than some pieces of Al Petteway's, such as "Sligo Creek" or "Spindrift."

Thanks,
Glenn

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi Barry,

If you ever decide to learn "Smoky Mountain Morning," I think you'll find it a little more accessible than some pieces of Al Petteway's, such as "Sligo Creek" or "Spindrift."

Thanks,
Glenn

My right hand work isn't that great so Spindrift is pushing me to get better, Sligo is ok after I have a few cups of coffee, lol.

Excellent as always Glenn! Very stirring rendition.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Excellent as always Glenn! Very stirring rendition.

Thank you Doug! I appreciate the comments!

- Glenn

[Rogerblair]

Wow!!! What a tremendous performance of an emotion-filled piece. Very well done, Glenn. That guitar is so powerful yet it handles the soft passages so well. Of course the player is what makes it all happen.

My wife and I just returned from the Smokies (family reunion). I can see how Al was inspired to write such a wonderful tribute to the region.

Roger

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

Wow!!! What a tremendous performance of an emotion-filled piece. Very well done, Glenn. That guitar is so powerful yet it handles the soft passages so well. Of course the player is what makes it all happen.

My wife and I just returned from the Smokies (family reunion). I can see how Al was inspired to write such a wonderful tribute to the region.

Roger

Thank you Roger! Thank you so much for the kind words!

I learned this song from one of Al Petteway's instructional DVDs, and when he introduces this song he talks about living in Asheville, NC and looking out over the Smoky Mountains as he composed this song. If I remember correctly, he mentioned that there was a nearby bird singing to him as he composed this. He said he was thinking of the visual majesty of what was before him as he wrote the first part of the song, and then he was thinking of more of the old time mountain sounds for the faster middle part of the song. Then he resolves this back to the beginning themes as he ends the song.

I agree, this is really an inspired piece of writing! I keep forgetting the DADGAD instrumental pieces that I have learned because I don't play them enough, but for some reason this one is deeply etched into my memory. This is one I have never had trouble remembering. And I have never been to the Smoky Mountains!! Maybe someday!

Then again, I do get to look out over the Olympic Mountains from my studio. That is some consolation!!

- Glenn

[T Texas]

Beautiful Glenn! And that Santa Cruz, oh my goodness that is one fine sounding guitar!!!

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by T Texas

Beautiful Glenn! And that Santa Cruz, oh my goodness that is one fine sounding guitar!!!

Hi Tybor,

Thanks for listening and commenting. And I'm so glad to read that you like the sound of the Santa Cruz FS; I do, too!

- Glenn

[JoeCharter]

Well played, Glenn. Your SCGC is such a beautiful and great sounding guitar.