Genre of music..

You can get the sound from fingerpicking, but it'd be really tough to do. First, you'd need nails - you want to make those strings ring out. Second, a lot of bluegrass runs have three or four consecutive notes on the same string - that's awkward for fingerstyle, unless you pursue classical technique. I've never seen a guitarist doing bluegrass fingerstyle, although I know a few fingerstyle guitarists who are probably capable of it.

Dogbite is right in that you should aim for accuracy first... but bluegrass is one style of music where virtually nothing is slow. Speed isn't typical of the masters, it's typical of everybody who plays bluegrass - a 'slow' bluegrass tune might be 120bpm or so (although bluegrass bands will sometimes do slower tunes from other genres - it's a pretty much tradition that a bluegrass concert will include at least one gospel tune)

So if you can't handle sixteenths at 120 bpm, use eighth... or halves, or whatever you have to to keep the music at tempo. In other words, put more space in the solo rather than slowing down the songs.

I'm not really up on the bluegrass books available. When I started to teach, a nationally renowned bluegrass banjo player (Dave Bragman) lived above the music store where I worked, so I picked up what I know 'after hours' at a master's knee :)

When I teach the style, I start out with standard drills for picking and scales, especially major scales, and metronome work. Then we work off recordings, especially those featuring Lester Flatt on guitar - he was with Bill Monroe in the 1940s, then went off on his own with banjo player Earl Scruggs.

Bill Monroe is the really important center of bluegrass, by the way. He was a mandolin player and singer, and he invented the music - he took the old time mountain music and sped it up, adding virtuoso musicians in every position. The name of the style comes from Bill's band - The Blue Grass Boys.

Thanks a lot for the replies.

Another question has popped up after doing more research. It looks like flat picking is either lead or rythm. Is this right?

What I'm trying to do is play rythm, melody, and bass, like Tommy Emmanuel. What that called?

Thanks!

What I'm trying to do is play rythm, melody, and bass, like Tommy Emmanuel. What that called?

Thanks!

30 years of practice. Or so. :shock: :D :lol:

:P Hehe. I know it's going to be a lot of work. That's what's drawing me to it partially. I'd really like to one day say "I can do this." even if it is 30 years from now :shock:

But I'm confused as to what steps I should start taking now....there has to be some sort of genre or something that would be benificial for me to practice. I mean, if I play rock music will that get me closer to getting there?

Sorry to draw this out so long, it just seems the more I look the more confused I get.

Thank you all though.

HArd to label what Tommy E. does. Truthfully, the best way to play like that is to play like that. What I mean is find some tabs and videos of his, and break it down into bite sized chunks or smaller and start working.

Again I am going to recommend learning any blues stuff you can pick up. BLUES techniques translate to everything. And, if you don't believe me here's what one of the more prestigious music schools in the U.S. says about blues. :D

Click to find out

yes I'm trying to convert him. :P SHhhhh! :twisted:

I'm not sure Tommy E. is any one thing (except 30 years of practice) :).

As you noted, Doc Watson plays both with a flatpick and with his fingers. In bluegrass, "flatpicking" pretty much means the playing of the melody, solos, and single lines with a flatpick, but the guitar player in a bluegrass band does play rhythm as well.

You might check out Homespun tapes - they've got a ton of books, videos, and tapes (CDs) to choose from...for flatpicking look for Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, and I think there are tune books and beginners lessons too. For fingerpicking - Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Happy Traum...

If you like Tommy E., then you'd probably want to check out Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed...and maybe the old Mel Bay books (I think the series with seven books - Modern Guitar Method).

And check out the Steve Kaufman flatpicking books...his pretty much the master. I think he's got books/tapes at Mel Bay and Homespun.

Doc Wtason IS flatpicking bluegrass. he set the standard. (yes, he also finger picked ).

ultimately Bill Monroe an Doc Watson are bluegrass.

Hey thanks everyone. It's getting clearer and clearer now.

I'm wondering what it's called when you play the bass line and melody. Is this Travis picking, finger picking, flatpicking, or something else?

Thanks a lot. Your really making this seem a little less confusing :)

Usually called fingerpicking, but could also call "chord melody." Travis picking is a style of fingerpicking. You can play just with a flatpick too or with hybrid method using both pick and fingers.

Look at Fingerpicking Magazine and you'll see folk, celtic, jazz, classical, Brazilian, etc...there are many styles of fingerpicking. Chord melody I usually associate with solo jazz guitar - could be pick only, pick and fingers, or fingers only...

Maybell Carter began the playing style of bass line and melody.
it was Chet Atkins who really made it famous.
he is self taught and doesnt (didnt as he passed away) read sheet music.
the story goes that he needed accompianment when learning to play so he developed the bass line playing thing. he used his thumb for that and the other fingers to play the melody.

I flatpick and use a hybrid style. I hold the pick with my index and middle finger while using my ring finger to grab other strings.I cant get a pretty fair version of that style.

Im really glad you are delving into these older styles. amazing stuff.

Saw Tommy E this past Sat night for the first time. Amazing!! No specific style really. One thing I noticed though is that, as stated, he does ALOT of fingerpicking. Rarely seen him using a pick.

Geoo

Maybell Carter began the playing style of bass line and melody.
it was Chet Atkins who really made it famous.Maybe. Mother Maybelle had a style called "The Carter Scratch." Merle Travis popularized the form called "Travis Picking" that's heard so much in old country music. But a thumb played bass line and melody played over it is heard in lots of old country blues (which is blues from the rural regions like the Mississippi Delta country, nothing to do with today's "country music"), and in fact can be heard in traditional music from Mali that dates back 500 years or more. It's hard to "invent" something in music.