Country (as in 40's - 70's)

Teetonetal

I decided that I am needing a little variation in my life. My playing really is tied to minor pentatonics and minor modes, so thought learning some country guitar would be a cool thing to do.

So to give my self a REAL push a have teamed up with a drummer and a bass player and we are going to try and get a gigging project on the road..

So anyone got any great sources of learning country guitar - I'm quite up on the travis picking, but it's getting those chord fills, 3rds, 6ths and lead lines up to speed - it all just sounds wrong in my head


Should add the stuff we are looking at is the older style, not the modern hot country. going to be minimal kit, with brushes, double bass and me. Be doing a little bit of Rockabilly too (just learnt cruisin') 

Rocker

Listen to Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and more in that vintage. Easy enough to get enough material for a gig...

EricTheWeary

At the risk of being the forum Judas if you have specific questions about country technique then TDPRI would be a good place to go. 
Endless on line and dvd tutorials around country guitar,  must be one of the best covered guitar subjects. 
Gregg Koch covers the basics of chicken picken in several of his YouTube lessons. Doesn't answer your question but a little sprinkling of cluck is country seasoning. 

viz

Major pentatonics and you're sorted. Hopefully Kone will be along and give some tips. 

Teetonetal

Yeah I've been using major pentatonic as colour for a long time. But it's really odd trying to use them most of the time. If I switch off my fingers just revert back to minor 

Rocker

Modern country, Brad Paisley and similar sh1te, is much different to 70s and before country. Jim Reeves links a few decades. Chet Atkins is a speed type player but few people listen to his music any more. Jonny Cash is another good one. The common connection for these musos and those listed in my earlier post is the ability to sing. Guitar playing is less important than vocals. The ability of the drums and bass/guitar to keep a strong rhythm is important. Flash guitar playing is rarely heard. Get the rhythm and vocals right and you are there...

koneguitarist

viz said:

Major pentatonics and you're sorted. Hopefully Kone will be along and give some tips. 

Don't look at me, I gotta ask you boys what I play!!! 
To be honest, Chet Atkins, Ike Everly,Merle Travis is not the easiest place to start. Due to thumb pick claw hammer style. 
I would be looking at Buck Owens, Merle Haggard early stuff which featured Don Rich and Roy Nichols, with some James Burton in there as well. Short sharp snappy solo's and great fills. 
Lots of open note licks and full tone bends dropping to note, not always raising to pitch. 

Classic simple but effective example is is on a Billy Ray Cyrus track which is a typical Burton/Nichols type of thing, where he bends B string full tone on 12 and drops to 10. So a C# down to B pull off to A
G string 11th full tone down to 9th so G# down to F# pull off to E then
D string 9th full tone down to 7th so C# down to B pull off to A to resolve it. 
Bearing in mind these notes are bent to pitch silently then picked at top of pitch and released down two whole steps. Typical pedal steel lick really great as a clean ice pick chime. 

koneguitarist

The Luther Perkins/Bob Wooten thing for Johnny cash is generally quite simple, but its their simplicity that catches people out. 
May see if I can do a YT thing, but I dare say so many can play it better than me anyway. 

Jimbro66

For pre-sixties country guitar have a listen to players like Hank Garland, Grady Martin, Jimmy Bryant, etc. They all had a healthy dose of jazz in their playing. What James Burton did changed all that forever but that style can still be heard in Dave Biller's playing with Wayne Hancock and Jeremy Wakefield.

koneguitarist

Jimmy Bryant with Speedy West is unbelievable, their harmony playing was so far ahead of anything at the time, the first unofficial Tele endorsee as well for Leo. 
I think if you listen to Bob McNett guitarist for Hank Williams,you will see Dave Billers main influence, lovely playing as much blues as jazz and country swing. As was One of the Greats Eldon Shamblin who played for Bob Wills, very jazzy at times which was huge in Country with the country swing guys. 
40-50's was very much split into two camps the main influences being Jazz on one side and The Travis style on the other. Getting into later 50's early 60's was when the Tele really made an impact with the Bakersfield sound. 
And that style has been taken to nth degree by the top guys like Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Ricky Skaggs in 70's -80's  and Brent Mason and Brad Paisley up to date. 

Zodiac51

Lots of free videos on youtube from Ken Carlson http://countryguitarchops.com/ and Doug Seven at http://countryguitar.com

koneguitarist

Jimbro66

koneguitarist said:

Jimmy Bryant with Speedy West is unbelievable, their harmony playing was so far ahead of anything at the time, the first unofficial Tele endorsee as well for Leo. 
I think if you listen to Bob McNett guitarist for Hank Williams,you will see Dave Billers main influence, lovely playing as much blues as jazz and country swing. As was One of the Greats Eldon Shamblin who played for Bob Wills, very jazzy at times which was huge in Country with the country swing guys. 
40-50's was very much split into two camps the main influences being Jazz on one side and The Travis style on the other. Getting into later 50's early 60's was when the Tele really made an impact with the Bakersfield sound. 
And that style has been taken to nth degree by the top guys like Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Ricky Skaggs in 70's -80's  and Brent Mason and Brad Paisley up to date. 

Sums it up pretty well. Mention country guitar and most think of the chickin-pickin style with fast runs, double-stops and faux steel bends. The earlier jazz-influenced country playing is nowhere near so widely known (or appreciated).

Albert Lee quoted one of his biggest influences as being Jimmy Bryant whereas Ray Flacke was hugely influenced by Ritchie Blackmore in his early days, but was well into country playing by the time he joined Meal Ticket (a great band).

I get the feeling that @Teetonetal might be more into the early country styles and rockabilly than the chickin-pickin stuff. Mentioning Cruisin' (the Gene Vincent track?) brings Cliff Gallup into the picture - another of the country-jazz players before moving into rock & roll / rockabilly, as Garland and Martin also did. I may be wrong but maybe @Teetonetal might be leaning more towards rockabilly/honkytonk crossover artists like Wayne Hancock, BR549, Chris Scruggs, etc ?

Those are two great vids so thanks for sharing @koneguitarist.

Teetonetal

Away right now but will check those video when I get back. Some interesting stuff mentioned so far.

I actually have no real stylistic motivation here, I'm quite happy to have a go a any of the earlier styles. I did cruisin as I love rock n roll and it seemed quite familiar. Rockabilly would certainly be my thing.

Also looking at western swing, will do the truefire course. Drummer has given me 90 tracks to wrap my head around. Quite liking Waylon jennings stuff which I guess is a late as we are going...

Lots of interesting new guitarists to learn about.

koneguitarist

@Teetonetal Waylon is generally divided up into two sections as well pre 1970 and Post 1970.
I have pretty much everything he has done including the Buddy Holly Produced stuff, the A&M rare album as well. Great video of Jennings in the 60's period is the Nashville Rebel film, I have it on DVD. Did some seriously sharp clear tones on his tele, think twin reverb with treble up full and bass off! If doing later stuff get a Phase 90!