Fingerpickin': fingerstyles and players

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sm55onlsm55onl Frets: 28
edited May 2017 in Guitar
Leading on from the recent 'Fretboard' discussions on 'Mark Knopfler on guitars' and 'hyprid [sic] pickers....' (pinky use)....
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/103265/mark-knopfler-on-guitars#latest
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/103724/hyprid-pickers-who-uses-the-pinky#latest

This website (link below) notes the JJ Cale style - a free lesson is given and the instructor notes the rhythm playing of this style at about 02:35 in.
https://www.activemelody.com/lesson/j-j-cale-style-simple-blues-guitar-lesson-ep103/
Mentioned there is JJ Cale / Merle Travis / Chet Atkins / 'walking bassline'.

[Merle Travis picking]
http://michaelgeorgemusic.com/travis-picking/

However the thread is for a mention of any other fingerpickin' styles - and associated players  - who play/practice them.
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  • sm55onlsm55onl Frets: 28
    Here's another blog that i found on JJ Cale's style....mention of Travis style and use of pinky (with light strings)
    http://pickingjjcale.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/jjs-song-and-guitar-style-in-general.html
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  • wayneiriewayneirie Frets: 419


    My favourite.
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  • sm55onlsm55onl Frets: 28
    edited May 2017
    Heh, heh !
    Thanks for that - i hadn't heard of him before....it brought a smile to my face :-)

    ...and with the addition of slide and finger-picks (thumb and index).
    Magic !
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  • wayneiriewayneirie Frets: 419
    No worries that channels got loads of cool stuff on it. This ones more assault and battery then finger picking!


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  • dtrdtr Frets: 1037
    wayneirie said:


    My favourite.
    Lovely video - I'd not seen that before.

    R.L. Burnside also played with just thumb and index finger (learned from McDowell), so I guess it could be considered a "school" of fingerstyle...


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  • thomasross20thomasross20 Frets: 4423
    I love Lindsey Buckingham's acoustic work.
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    wayneirie said:


    My favourite.
    Oof. 

    Didn't think Fred McDowell would be named here.  Those videos of his are some of the finest guitar tones I have come across. 

    One of my all times favourites. 


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  • Cool thread!

    I'm about to release a book on Country Fingerstyle guitar in a couple of weeks actually!

    I always say that Jerry Reed is one of my all time favourite players, but in terms of jaw dropping playing I always have to name check Buster B Jones!



    Outside of the country tinged stuff, I LOVE Blind Blake, that ragtime stuff is so cool!
    Support me on Youtube or Patreon
    https://www.patreon.com/leviclay    |    https://www.youtube.com/c/leviclay
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    wayneirie said:
    No worries that channels got loads of cool stuff on it. This ones more assault and battery then finger picking!


    Good call with Son House and Death Letter Blues.  

    I came across a recently discovered picture of Son House as a young man, he was a dude! 
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  • wayneiriewayneirie Frets: 419
    edited May 2017
    That folk Seattle channel is great, because they film their  hands as well, if you have time http://research.culturalequity.org/home-audio.jsp this is most of the Alan lomax archive. Some great stuff on here. I love son house, there's a version of death letter, somewhere on YouTube thats genuinely terrifying!!
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader

    The thumb+finger thing is common with blues guys, here's a good 'un, Magic Sam on borrowed guitar -

    And Freddie. With awesome jacket


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  • wayneiriewayneirie Frets: 419
    @billkat the Freddie king one slays! I've only got a couple of his records do you know what it's called?
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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    That one's Boogie Funk, great eh. Not sure what album it'd be on though.
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Every fingerpicking thread needs more Lindsey.



    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • LewyLewy Frets: 4126
    edited May 2017
    dtr said:


    R.L. Burnside also played with just thumb and index finger (learned from McDowell), so I guess it could be considered a "school" of fingerstyle...


    100% a bona fide "school" I'd say. Before McDowell and Burnside you can hear it in Charley Patton's and Robert Petway's playing and before them back into the pre-blues era it's there in the playing of people like Henry Thomas. And then there's Mother Maybelle Carter's use of it in Old Time music. I suspect that it's an adaptation of old time banjo right hand frailing techniques, but with the index playing upstrokes as well as downstrokes.

    It's quite distinct from the players who played more standard alternating thumb base style with just their thumb and index (including Mississippi John Hurt, Gary Davis, Doc Watson and of course Merle Travis) because with them the index is mainly just playing upstrokes. In this approach, the index is doing lots of different things. It always blows me away how complex it can sound (and it pisses me right off that we're supposed to think of these players as "basic" or somehow unsophisticated musicians...)
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    Lewy said:

     100% a bona fide "school" I'd say. Before McDowell and Burnside you can hear it in Charley Patton's and Robert Petway's playing and before them back into the pre-blues era it's there in the playing of people like Henry Thomas. And then there's Mother Maybelle Carter's use of it in Old Time music. I suspect that it's an adaptation of old time banjo right hand frailing techniques, but with the index playing upstrokes as well as downstrokes.

    It's quite distinct from the players who played more standard alternating thumb base style with just their thumb and index (including Mississippi John Hurt, Gary Davis, Doc Watson and of course Merle Travis) because with them the index is mainly just playing upstrokes. In this approach, the index is doing lots of different things. It always blows me away how complex it can sound (and it pisses me right off that we're supposed to think of these players as "basic" or somehow unsophisticated musicians...)
    Superb reply. 

    FWIW, the last sentence is the one I agree with the most.  I don't have anything more to add than what you already said.  In addition to the upstrokes with the index finger there is the very idiosyncratic use of syncopation, a very characteristic aspect of ragtime.  I think it's actually a pretty difficult thing to learn how to play. 

    An artist named above and one of his most famous songs is a wonderful example of syncopation found in ragtime


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  • sm55onlsm55onl Frets: 28
    edited May 2017
    More from Mr Knopfler regards his learning of the guitar and styles.....note honourable mentions of some of the old blues guitarists mentioned by others, above:
    blind blake, mcdowell and travis


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  • gitapikgitapik Frets: 19
    Leo Kottke can play: 






    G.A.S. = "Git a Sound"
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  • gitapikgitapik Frets: 19
    edited May 2017
    Then there's Tommy Emmanuel. I know some players who think he's all flash...and he can definitely do that with the best of them, but he's got some other things going on in the extreme, as well.
    G.A.S. = "Git a Sound"
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  • gitapikgitapik Frets: 19
    Cool thread!

    I'm about to release a book on Country Fingerstyle guitar in a couple of weeks actually!

    I always say that Jerry Reed is one of my all time favourite players, but in terms of jaw dropping playing I always have to name check Buster B Jones!



    Outside of the country tinged stuff, I LOVE Blind Blake, that ragtime stuff is so cool!
    He's one of my faves, too. 
    G.A.S. = "Git a Sound"
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