Tommy Emmanuel @ CAAS 2009 - Wabash Cannonball & Struttin'

[appetitefordynamite]

You cannot not love Tommy.

[1234intune]

It's great watching great guitar players having fun while they play. Reminds me of Jerry Reed RIP. Fantastic Tommy!! Brought a smile to my face :-)

[poyfai]

He is playing Perfect and relax ^ ^

[antoha07]

супер, это круто

[TheOutriger]

Is there nothing this man can't play? I doubt it.

[MarijnvdZaag]

@TheOutriger Do you doubt that there's nothing he can't play or do you mean you doubt there's anything he can't play?

Very interesting question anyway... the only thing I can think of is Mark Knopfler's clawhammer style. Knopfler has this amazing subtle picking style that I haven't heard anyone come close to. Any thoughts?

[s22ad]

@MarijnvdZaag he plays very similar to chet/tommy, I think he tends to use the same fingers but doesnt play bass with the thumb and then, say, string 4 assigned to index finger, string 5 middle finger etc..I think he might use thumb for bass notes only, but i also think he just plays every note on every string with every finger.

[dwebster50]

Cool ...Sands .. Kirk is a master .. The first one I saw was Lenny's 7 string and Struttin was I believe played on TE's nylon .. such a master TE & Kirk

[lart1990]

fucking watch doyle dykes

[johnylingo2]

sounds like 3 guitars at 2:59. love that syncopation!

[dwebster50]

Yeah Tommy masters his own arrangements ... Truly a master entertainer & of the guitars ... Cant make out what the make of this guitar ... large finger spacing and a big low end as well

hmmmmmmmm

Dave

Alberta

[taylor18035]

@dwebster50 Its a Sands guitars by Kirk Sand

[toejam498]

guitar is a bit murky no? blazing, tasteful player

[EllJayAitch]

Many of us can climb into a rental car, spend a couple of minutes identifying where stuff is, and drive off. Tommy could grab any six-string and make it sound like a Taylor/Larrivée, and play it with such enjoyment and expertise.

[hillbillymanjackson]

who are the dipshits that dont like this?

[MrMollyMoll]

Met him in Taiwan. Lovely man.

[100manband]

Wonder what that guitar on the stand behind TE's head is thinking?  Either 'Me next Tommy please!' or (more likely) 'Christ! .... Don't let him see me!!!!!'

[delorme42]

I can sit and listen to Tommy play all day long. He lets the guitar have an atitude and just pop right along. God that man can play!

[Thill1116]

This man produces a well of inspiration within me.

[synesthesia67]

he plays so good it makes ya cry sometimes....

[klavier1us]

TE's influences are broad based and Chet himself had broader based tastes than many give him credit for. After all Chet was mentoring Nashville's finest talents for a couple of decades. Tommy says that he counts Django, Lenny Breau and George Benson as influences - along with stronger ones like Chet and Les Paul. Louis Armstrong is cited as saying that there's only two types of music- good & bad. Tommys excellence lies at least in part in always finding the good and making it better.

[rigerm]

Struttin is magic!

[curly85021]

I'm now completely obsessed with learning this song , and i have the same problem as Tommy of not having the ability to read music, so this is gonna be interesting

[mrbubachuck]

oh my that little lick at 0:33 is madness!

[PeterZeeke]

wtf was that at the end!?

[mrbubachuck]

@PeterZeeke bending the neck of the guitar slightly... works great with harmonics

[skint0n0minted]

Just when you think you've heard it all on guitar. Put on some Tommy - he'll blow your mind.

[acustick1]

I would give anything to pull up a chair in that room and settle down to hear the master at work.

[varmman]

5 sec of ts wud take atleat a year for me to learn

[daveykeez]

how did he get so damn good. thats all i want know

[mwmii790]

I've been a guitar afficionado since first hearing Chet Atkins (not long after Tommy heard Windy and Warm on the radio). There are and have been some fabulous guitar players. I just can't find one to compary to Tommy.

[metamorphosis67]

@mwmii790 Lenny Breau is the only one I can think of who's better. In terms of guitar technique TE is up there with the best ever. Unfortunately quite a few of his older band albums are overproduced and don't do a thing for me. His solo guitar albums are awesome though. He should stick to solo guitar or with only a minimum of accompaniment such as a trio setting at most.

[mwmii790]

@metamorphosis67 I agree. His earlier albums don't do it for me like his solo albums do. But the real treat is watching him perform. I did try comparing Lenny and Roy Clark and Doyle Dyches. Hard to pick. But none of them really make me feel like Tommy. I gotta say, sometimes I actually have to wipe away a tear after listening to some of his songs.

[metamorphosis67]

@mwmii790 I don't think TE's got too much of a Jazz influence. His main influence seems to be the Chet Atkins country fingerstyle which he's taken to its apotheosis. Jazz soloing when done well always adds another level of depth to the music. On the right tunes, TE creates the same level of depth just by sheer technique & sensitivity but i miss the added fruits of Jazz improv. Breau was a Jazz player raised on country who played a lot of other stuff also. TE seems to play everything but Jazz

[mwmii790]

@metamorphosis67 I would agree that TE isn't heavy in Jazz; however, he does play some stuff that's on the edge and he has done a little jazz based on Django Reinheart's work. He has also played with Masa Sumide (maybe that's more funk than jazz.) He just has an incredible range of abilities in pretty much any genre, including rock (on electric). I wish he wold play more classical. Though I've never seen him use a classical guitar, he plays some classical on steel that's amazing.

[stievelien]

@metamorphosis67 Tommy composed a song specially for Breau, its called "lenny bro". and he played a couple of times with joscho stephens and thats gypsy jazz :D. i think he can play it just as easy XD

[rooduck]

he must have sold his soul to the devil to be this good.

[mwmii790]

@rooduck Naw, he just practiced 10+ hours a day since he was 4. Go back in time and do that and you'll be this good. :)

[greggreg1324]

@rooduck Nah, it was the Devil who went to the crossroads to learn from Tommy!

[Dmanf88]

Envy ain't a strong enough word. He is THAT good.

[gtflyer]

Pure fun watching him play. Can't say that for many players...Best out there imho.

[MrMiamidolphins]

i cannot believe tommy does not read music. Is this true

[MrMiamidolphins]

this guy is able to just add his own stuff whenever he wants and it always comes out perfect. I have listened to a lot of guitar players and NO ONE comes close to this genius. One of a kind.

[TheJuliusJT]

HOW DO HE DO IT?!

[yankeeG]

You could have that guitar for a few grand if you want it! Everyone should play a Sand Guitar if they want to know what perfection is...

[JohnnyReb2009]

Great version of Struttin'. It's always stunning to watch him. The guy is as cool as a cucumber.

[iankyoko]

I wouldn't mind a missed note now 'n again but you never get one. He must have a great memory.

[adihaz2]

@iankyoko i dont think its about memory. he just know the guitar so well, he knows how every thing sound and he put the music togther in his head and of course his technic is so out of this world and his fingers are so flexible, he's just the perfect guitar player and a true musical gunies. and ofcurse he practice it for about 45 years every day countless hours.

[iankyoko]

@adihaz2 I think he is in the list of the best ever guitarists even with the likes of Jimi Hendrix. Gifted people amaze me.

[iankyoko]

@adihaz2 And I think too that he is such a likable fella.

[TheJuliusJT]

@iankyoko Playing actually improves your memory, but yea he's incredible.

[andrewjeff]

amazing amazing on 3:20...so f.....cool!!:-)

[synesthesia67]

you can tell everyone's awestruck by this song...I know I am..that's my next fingerstyle learning project....wish me luck...

[allard0123]

@synesthesia67 Good luck, I'm having a very hard time with it. Haha.

[synesthesia67]

@allard0123 ...yeah...no doubt...I actually had to scrap this one!!! too freakin hard...my hands are small so some of the thumb fingerings are near to impossible for me...ugh...seriously considering some kinda prosthetic device so that my thumb can reach further...anybody ever hear of that?...I need some iommi stubs too!!..

[allard0123]

@synesthesia67 I kinda figured the double at the 2nd fret on D and A (I think you mean that one!) should not be played with your thumb but (both) with your middlefinger with a little bar (or a fast change if you're a bit more used to the tune.) I hope you find this useful.

[synesthesia67]

@allard0123 thanx bro!!..I'm not quite sure what you mean...you play it without a thumb fretting?...where tommy does use one?....I'm pretty sure tommy's doin it...

[synesthesia67]

@allard0123 now I get it...his thumb is all high right there...confusing...thanx man!!

[Inspired93]

wow, gotta learn the first one.

[toyama1212]

He is a genius

[BlueBoyzArmy]

Music is supposed to make u happy and Tommy always manages to put a smile on our faces! Thank u Tommy !!!!

[olithev]

Thanks so much for sharing these videos!! I could watch him play all day long!!

[capoman1]

How can you not like this guy?

[chibimaru8]

@capoman1 you can't

[zaggazoom]

@capoman1 that one thumb down......is some idiot...

[TheReilly8]

@capoman1 if ur like me then u hate people who are miles better than u

[sunnyboydog]

the notes & speed are one thing, but tommy's tone, touch, clarity.....ahhh if i could have a tiny bit...please

[jonnyrisas]

OMG!!

[GeorgeBewsher]

Fantastic performance, but I have to say Tommy...those jeans are looking fairly tight mate ;) ....

[Anielover]

@GeorgeBewsher

LOL :D I was thinking of writing the same in here ... ;) But as usual ... awesome playing

[synesthesia67]

beautiful guitar playing...he and chet are the dudes...

[sicksic1]

I gotta be careful of how much TE I watch or else I get tired of my playing!

[synesthesia67]

@sicksic1 that's like....100% of us...

[synesthesia67]

nope...

[AgentZeroForTheWin]

nope

[giNsus]

This man is so impressive... and he enjoys his playing a lot, which makes it even more fun to watch!

[pissballs]

Thats solid guitar playing! He has it.

[Mariekesone]

Sooo Good, love watching this man play:-)

[TrueBeginner]

At his show at CAAS he mentioned that people were learning his tunes from watching YouTube. This picking is so clear in these vids I can't imagine what fruit will come of it in a little while. Thanks for posting!

[jimirsaysbuddy]

Tommy is such a cool dude. He's just in it because he likes to pick. Plain as an old shoe, cool as summer ice cream. Love Ya, my Aussie bro.

[TrueBeginner]

I was at this little impromptu jam too. The coolest thing ever! Great sound. He did play Mystery Train in the little session, but a few songs after Struttin', not at this point.

[leonidn07]

Thanks for the info, I'm convinced it's Wabash now that you say it. Just changed it.

[synesthesia67]

@TrueBeginner I'm jealous

[stratocaster50]

The Greatest !!!!!!!!! Ever !

[Bluesguitarman64]

Wow,

it's like to have him in your living room !!!

[wowjef]

Mystery train? Begins with Wabash Cannonball

[pshalme]

Great videos Leonid! Sure wish I'd been to caas this year too.

By the way, the first song is "Wabash Cannonball", not Mystery Train.

Pauli