Bluegrass Guitar: Moving Beyond the Boom Chuck
Mon, 10/02/2017 - 4:42pm
If you’ve ever dabbled in bluegrass guitar, you’ve probably heard of the boom chuck and alternating bass strumming patterns. Today we’re going to learn what these foundational techniques are and how to transform them into a more elaborate and colorful bluegrass rhythm style.
Bluegrass All-Stars Live at RockyGrass
Fri, 09/08/2017 - 2:44pm
Topics: andy hall, bluegrass, bryan sutton, darol anger, mandolin, michael daves, mike block, mike marshall, missy raines, Tony Trischka
Good News: We have some exclusive new videos for anyone in our bluegrass schools. It's the ArtistWorks Bluegrass All Stars performing live at RockyGrass 2016!
The two songs are played back to back: "The Puppy Belly Dance" and "Fox Chase". We also uploaded their performance of "State Line". There's a fun impromptu dueling guitar portion between Michael Daves and Bryan Sutton in that one, very entertaining! After that Mike Block leads the gang in "Johnny B. Goode". Next we have their performance of "Chief Sitting in the Rain". For anyone who plays mandolin, Mike Marshall teaches a great version of this in his school.
We added "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome", a classic bluegrass tune that Bill Monroe wrote with Hank Williams a long time ago. Michael Daves teaches how to sing both the lead and tenor vocal parts in multiple keys in his intermediate curriculum for those interested in adding this to your jam list.
Next we added another classic: "Way Downtown" by Doc Watson*. It's sung here by Bryan Sutton and Michael Daves in this lively performance. For the fiddlers out there, Darol Anger teaches this tune in his Beginner and Intermediate curriculum. For Mandolin pickers, Mike Marshall teaches this in his Beginner curriculum.
Then Darol Anger kicks off a great fiddle tune titled "Cherokee Shuttle". There's some fantastic soloing by Darol, Mike, Tony, Bryan and Andy in this installment and another all around team effort from the All Stars as they rock another tune with only minutes of prep time before taking it live to a full house. Next we added the classic "John Hardy" - don't miss it!
Update: Thought the show was over? Not yet! After the crowd erupted in cheers and a standing ovation, the begging for one more tune convinced the Bluegrass All Stars return to the stage for this awesome encore performance of "Deep Ellum Blues" lead by Andy Hall on vocals (who also teaches this tune in his Intermediate Dobro lessons).
You can find all this great exclusive content +Music section of the Learn area!
Why Playing Posture Matters for Flatpicking
Sat, 08/26/2017 - 6:02pm
Before getting too far into the myriad techniques and challenges of flatpicking, it is essential to first establish a relaxed and stable posture.
Sitting upright on a chair or stool, take a few deep breaths into your lower abdomen, allowing your core to relax. Allow this relaxation to permeate outward, letting go of any tension in your arms, neck, and face - before you to pick up the guitar. This way you'll be able to create a flow of music with a relaxed core.
The Fundamentals of Flatpicking Guitar
Wed, 07/12/2017 - 12:19pm
Love bluegrass guitar? Then be sure to check out Bryan Sutton's flatpicking lessons here at ArtistWorks. Click here for free sample lessons!
Bryan Sutton is arguably the best flatpick guitarist since the late great Doc Watson. During his eclectic career, he has appeared as a leading session guitarist on albums from Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks, Rhonda Vincent, and more. He has also played in the legendary bluegrass bands Kentucky Thunder and Hot Rize. Bryan picked up guitar from his dad at the age of 8 and won his first Grammy award in 2007. He's received IBMA's 'Guitarist of the Year' eight times. Bryan joined the ArtistWorks family in 2011, launching a dedicated bluegrass guitar course for students around the globe.
This is for anyone who's still not sure just what makes flatpicking different from other styles of guitar. Here's one way to look at it. There are two ways to sound a guitar string; by plucking with the fingers or by using a pick, or plectrum. When we use a pick to sound the string, this is known as ‘flatpicking’, which produces the crisp, classic sound of many bluegrass, rock, and jazz standards.
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