7 Lester Flatt Style Rhythm Guitar Instruction Taught By Chris Sharp Video 7 Two Basic G Runs

[bluegrasssingingman]

You killed the value of that Martin. Just buy a Martin with a LSH. To rip the frets out for finger picking Bluegrass, how much picking, you think your going to to do up there? Three finger style guitar picking is not Bluegrass. So why rip frets for it? The guy that did your D21 do this work also? Your D21 and this D18 does sounds great.

[mandothumper]

Nice Videos Chris, Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[atracksler]

what's the song you sing for the intro?

[bluegrassaro]

Love Gone Cold?

[Studio607Productions]

Love Gone Cold is a possible title for this song but we have always called it Love Grown Cold. I didn't take the time to look it up but it's a song written by Johnny Bond.

[Studio607Productions]

@atracksler Love Grown Cold or, as @bluegrassaro said Love Gone Cold. It's a song penned by Johnny Bond.

[DAVIDDAMIENR]

This is a GREAT Series of Video's. Your tone is GREAT. Using those Rest Strokes really is a wonderful tip.

Thank you for sharing,

DDR

[kudzugypsy]

another great video Chris - finally the real LF G-run! it is amazing how solid LFs rhythm was and a very under-rated part of the F&S sound. on the Martha White shows DVDs its interesting at how when Hylo Brown plays (and Lester drops out) the sound of the band totally changes.

[Studio607Productions]

Thanks kudzugypsy. I agree that Flatt's involvement in F&S and his influence in the overall picture of Bluegrass is also vastly understated. He did, after all, convince Bill to hire Earl, write a large portion of the "Bluegrass Songbook" and create the overall backdrop for the other instruments to fit into. Why he almost never gets sited for his playing is a mystery to me as I find him the most solid of all rhythm players and the guitar is the foundation of the band (more than bass, again IMHO)

[Pickinbuddy]

@Studio607Productions Les was truly a humble guy...his style was one of taste, elegance and restraint...and even 60 years later with the emergence of those Martha White videos....he is so amazing to watch in action.

"Les...is MORE!"

[Pickinbuddy]

Respond to this video... One really incredible thing Lester did in that G run...on that last G note (on the open G string) he'd pick it with the INDEX finger! 

[Studio607Productions]

@Pickinbuddy I'm sorry, are you referring to the actual G note that ends the run, just before he started playing rhythm again? If so I'm afraid I must disagree with you. It would have been visible and audible if that were the case. The entire reason for the setup is to get the thumb into place to push the the note down. Only the thumb can pull the tone from that note. The thumb is also the only digit that benefits, timing wise, from the setup phase just before the run is played.

[Pickinbuddy]

@Studio607Productions Thanks Chris--I understand what you mean--what made me think that, was in the video of him and Bill Monroe playing together onstage in the 70s and doing "Will You Be Loving Another Man". Lester sure had such an interesting right hand technique--I NEVER ever heard him hit a bad note! Just like Chet Atkins!

[ChrisClarke]

I think we should take our hats off to you, buddy - this whole series is fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to break it all down - your teaching style is very honest and approachable. Now I have no excuse for "guessing and hoping I get it right". So much for mid-air G-runs.

Thanks again for sharing your insight...you clearly put a lot of work into these.

[Studio607Productions]

Thank you guys so much for all the comments and support. I'm very happy that these videos are proving useful. It's a lot of fun for me to make them and it would be great if there was a re-emergence of this style! Please don't hesitate to contact me if there are any questions.

[stonedinky]

Chris I love these.Thank you

[anazuzo]

Chris - thanks very much for this series. From watching old videos of Lester's playing it was really hard to tell if he was pinching or not, so your decontruction of the style is really helpful. You might think that nobody cares about this subject anymore, but you can still get into a heated debate with hardcore bluegrass jammers over it...

[Studio607Productions]

Hi anazuzo, Thank you for watching and subscribing to the series. These videos might not be exactly what Lester was doing but to my knowledge they are close. I mainly did them because there is no material that I've found to teach the style and even if I'm a little off hopefully are things to be learned about the style.

[Studio607Productions]

Hi anazuzo, Thank you for watching and subscribing to the series. These videos might not be exactly what Lester was doing but to my knowledge they are close. I mainly did them because there is no material that I've found to teach the style and even if I'm a little off hopefully are things to be learned about the style.

[DickBowdenFromMaine]

Great! Don't be get hung up on semantics, how to "name" musical figures. "Rest Strokes", "Stabilizing", whatever. Good demo and explanation of why Flatt's hand takes on that "crab claw" position before his G runs. I respect your honest attempt to explain Lester in your own words. You're the closest to Lester that I've seen! I'm recommending these videos to friends.

[SumDumGuy2]

Thanks for the videos, but you should call them, "Chris Sharp's style of rhythm".. You should take credit. (Plus it's not exactly like Lesters.)

And Lester's thumb was doing what is called "Rest Strokes" ... on his runs..

It makes more definitive tone, not intended as a "stabilizer"

Why is the frets removed from the neck over the upper bout, on your guitar?

[Studio607Productions]

Hi SumDumGuy2, Thanks for watching and thanks for subscribing to the videos. The frets have been removed from my guitar because I don't play there and in my opinion a lighter bodied guitar has a better chance to vibrate than a heavy one so I like to rid my guitars of any unnecessary wood. I'm sure there are lots of theories about this and I am not interested in debating them so I never comment on such topics on lists. It's just my opinion and it works for the sound I like. Best wishes, Chris

[mafiajug]

Plus, as everyone knows for most people, there ain't any money past the fifth fret anyhow! Not much more past the third in my case either. Good series you have here Chris. Keep on keepin' on.