Brent Mason - First Rule of Thumb

[jackblasio]

This guy is truly a well seasoned "musician's musician" -smooth and refined. Thanks for posting-Great piece!

[roysteinar]

sounds like Jiffy Jam

[boertje33]

@olaftheholy true true ;)

[BCRSIX]

Chet Atkins meets Joe Pass

[pipsqueek14]

@olaftheholy das inderdaad een goed idee, :D

[MusicMan7gk]

Sweet!

[RomainChapus]

Everything is there, the groove, the melody, the technique, the tone, the feel, the landscape, the pick-up and the even the dog!

[Dragonflywins]

what kind of pickups are those

[JDGPicker]

@Dragonflywins Dodge!

[teracite]

i go to learn this !

[estderoma]

I would like to listen to other songs of this kind of music, who can suggest me something?

[billywjr73]

@estderoma Anything by Chet Atkins... a great CD is Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed called Sneakin' Around and another collaboration with Chet and Steve Wariner called No More Mr. Nice Guy.... this is great stuff in deed!

[alijav091]

@estderoma try merle travis and arlen roth

[dhaeze]

@estderoma chet atkins also plays in a similar way

[TexasStyleDJ]

@fleegz2007 You can get the album on Amazon but it's kinda expensive... around $40

[jamesskb]

He has never had a lesson and plays strictly by ear. As a half ass guitarist for many years, I think sight reading is good thing, but sometimes, I think it is way overrated!!! This video and anyone he has ever made is the proof!!!! Brent rocks!!!

[joe44850]

That, my friends, is talent + practice practice practice practice.....

[fleegz2007]

All i wanna know is where i can download this song!!

[Aceguitar11]

@fleegz2007 This song is off his "Hot Wired" album. Kinda tough to find.

[dru42or3]

@fleegz2007 you can get it right off you tube

[Terardar]

Chord Melodies Melt My Face.

[HerbanLegend420]

@olaftheholy doin the same thing in the US, smoking music enthusiasts UNITE!

[michaelhutchinson]

GREAT

[guitarpicka1]

What a Great Guitar....What a Great Guitarist....!!!

[bundr]

I'm in love with this song,.. I want to play it SO BAD

[Mrjls100]

damn, that boy sold his soul to the devil.....

[GameLevelEditor]

When Brent pulls out the jazz its silly good.

[vocalObserver]

fantastic.. my hand hurts just watching this...

[vocalObserver]

fantastic

[hounddog4321]

Lovin' the reprise! Dude is amazing!

[1bassman9]

This chord melody with running bass lines technique he uses is spectacular !

[jl57]

Brent Mason is one of the best ......Clean with Class.....

[HDSM25]

I think that is one of the best guitar players i've heard.

[goffbum]

Brent Mason you make me so f&%#$n sick. Nobody can be as good as you are.

[AlexisGuitar94]

I just love this tone.....

[insaneguitarfreak]

Jerry Reed all over the place ^^ gotta love Brent and Jerry!

[GauchoLibre]

definitely enjoy this angle out of him much more. 

[GibsonKLO]

I´m doing my homework with this to calm me down.

[GeorgiaBoy1961]

A very nice performance by a fabulous and versatile player. Brent has clearly been listening to jazz players, perhaps someone from the past like Barry Galbraith or Joe Pass, or one of the all-time great chord-melody specialists. In solo jazz guitar circles, Pass is generally credited with creating this style of melody, basslines, chords interspersed with one another. Anyone know if Mason uses fingerpicks in addition to the TP? Nice clip, thanks for posting it. Classy player.

[shaynelin]

brent is about the best in nashville. but you can hear alot of jerry reed in his playing . i guess all of us are inspired by one or the other.

[musiccalgary]

@shaynelin Brent talks about that on his DVD. Get it, you won't regret it.

[espMF]

what dvd?

[musiccalgary]

@espMF Nashville Chops & Western Swing Guitar -- so awesome.

[joesatriani1200rulez]

is this an actual song ..whats it called cause its insanee !! ive never seen anyone mix chords and apply melodies as great as this ..besides eric johnson but he's a diff genre

[GeorgiaBoy1961]

@joesatriani1200rulez: Jazz players mix chords, basslines and melody or lines all the time; it is a well-established style of jazz guitar. Some examples of people who did or still play this include Joe Pass, Howard Roberts, Emily Remler, Larry Coryell, and many others.

[joesatriani1200rulez]

@GeorgiaBoy1961 yeah i know that ..and i know those artists haha ..is this an actual song tho :P?

[toomanygittars]

Very cool. Sounds like Scotty Anderson there.

[Destruktive]

@bobtoebes you just blew my mind

[lylemcd1000]

This is just great. Hard not to smile as you listen to it! A really low-key, smooth jazz-country tune that's catchy. Brent Mason is tremendously gifted in many styles, evidenced by the fact that he picks like lightning when on stage with the likes of Vince Gill and can turn right around and pay tribute to the happy, laid-back ways of Chet Atkins and Les Paul.

I'm a big fan.

[peterguit]

Great Jerry Reed tribute this...

[KnowVac]

Not only is this technically brilliant but man he really swings it.

[turnagegp]

is this a standard or one of his songs? its awesome.

[SRRBLUES]

He's a best guitar player of the world, in my opinion!

[guitarsalert]

wats the song called?

[fleegz2007]

This guys great. He's got great precision wit his right hand

[MrYamsky]

hey he is the man and as for keith urban and brad paisley paisley is the king and keith urban is not even on the same level as any of em and mate vince gill will give these guys a run for there money

[stopglobalswarming]

Thanks for the information.

Stop Global Swarming

[skeetv123]

He is probably the most hired session guitarist in Nashville (I don't want to even think what he charges per hour). And your right he probably is on 7 out of 10 country songs you hear on the radio because none of them play guitar like that themselves with the exception of Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.

If you want to hear one hell of a good track listen to "Cluster Pluck" off of Paisley's instrumental album Play, it's got Brad, Brent, and all the other Nashville elite in one track.

[MrYamsky]

hey he is the man and as for keith urban and brad paisley paisley is the king and keith urban is not even on the same level as any of em and mate vince gill will give these guys a run for there money

[cabenavisson]

cojonudo!!!

[hyperboogie]

What a KILLER musician/guitarist ....

[jamesskb]

Excuse me!  Ah...globalswarming

[jamesskb]

@stopglobalwarming. He is the number one session guitarist in Nashville. He plays with whoever can afford him. Made his name in country, but as one can see from this video, he is much more. Look up his MySpace page for a complete list of artist and the albums he has played on.

[GeorgiaBoy1961]

@jamesskb: Don't know about you, but I think it is great to see guys from a country background playing jazzy stuff, like players back in the 1950s and 1960s used to do. Hank Garland comes to mind, as well as jazzy pickers like Leon Rhodes and Jimmy Bryant. Too bad there's kind of a wall between the two genres now. This guy has earned it, what a tastful and well-rounded player... the current-day equivalent to Reggie Young.

[stopglobalswarming]

What bands has he played in? I would like to hear more music.

[marsopilami187]

if you listen to 10 songs on country radio hes probably on 7

[jamesskb]

I hear Chet (who gave him his big break). Excellent picking!

[musiccalgary]

Brent is the best of the best of the best.

[FordBurden]

This guy is amazing! Can hear a bit of Joe Pass and Wes in his playing. Sweet guitar as well!

[stopglobalswarming]

Wow. I like this style. Anybody who said he "sucks" must have had something personal against him, because his playing is great.

[musiccalgary]

Brent seems like a super nice guy, not sure who would have beef with him. Totally unnecessary.

[amoskowitz0103]

@musiccalgary Gotta be jealousy. I know I'm jealous as hell!!!! :) LOL

[musiccalgary]

@amoskowitz0103 Yep. AFAICS Brent has never hassled anyone, seems like an exemplary guy. Oh well, you can't please them all...

[stanleystar1]

@stopglobalswarming Or they just don´t really know what a really good guitarplayer is!!

Brent Mason is the most succesful studio Musicians in the world and if people can´t play better shouldn´t write here! :)

[pete2778]

@stopglobalswarming, it's got to be jealousy, that's the only reason I can imagine anyone criticising this soulful, funky playing... I suppose it could just be that whomever said he sucked is some pathetic Gaga/Bieber fan with no taste!

[cabenavisson]

que bueno!!!

[keithishere4266]

Just a great player...period.

[mbudd121]

anyone who has tried to play 'country' guitar knows... This guy is GOOD!! and if you don't think so, challenge him to a duel....

[amoskowitz0103]

Who could possibly say that Mason sucks? At the top of the game though, there is not THAT much difference between top and bottom.

By the way, on the JoDee Messina comment - what happened to Bryan Lithicum - not with her any more? Hmmm.

[EJsigstrat]

He could still be with her. I know that Tony guy isn't with her anymore. We opened for her in Dubuque last summer. The pedal steel guy was really down to earth. Nice guy. None of the names stuck though. She was actually pleasant too, for a change. They had a fill in drummer and except for sound check where they were rehearsing parts of "I want you to burn",(if that's the title) you'd never have known it. They did a couple covers during soundcheck that were really vocal intensive. Great band.

[fendertexas]

awesome music

[stewartk77]

He's number one in Nashville, to me....if not to you, then what are you doing here

[pvalenti]

This guy is completely 'bullet-proof' when it comes to his playing. Just look up his accolades if you don't already know who he is. He's on 90% of EVERYTHING that comes out of Nashville. Absolutely in my top 5 ALL TIME players list.

[EJsigstrat]

I agree completely. However, I've heard guys that say he "sucks". I met this road guitarist (tony obratta) playing for Jodee Messina that just despised him. A little industry jealousy going on there I think though. Obratta helped write guitar parts for Jodee only to be cut out of the studio end of things with Mason playing his stuff on the recording. I guess I can understand that to a point.

[hyperboogie]

one of the most astonishingly versatile and rounded musician/guitarists the world has ever seen.

[MrAaMmZz]

just amazing, i don't have the worlds to describe it

[NateS911]

Just incredible, but it sounds like Jerry Reeds "Jiffy Jam" to me. Does't really matter. Brent's just sick!

[december26th1971]

scotty anderson is good,but to me this is god (theres a reason for that lol)

[psglicks]

awesome indeed!!!!

[PhilCLG4]

Awesome playing.//Phil

[virpotaajs]

I think Scotty Anderson own's everybody :)

[Goatboy44spl]

Met this guy at a VP in Indy. It was like 3 in the morning. He was drunk and had 2 loose lookin girls with him. I was working there. I didn't know who he was but he had on a guitar pick necklace that I liked. I ask him if he played guitar, he showed me his left hand and asked "Have you ever seen fingers that look like this?" I had not. Beyond normal callouses, like big white scars. Then he said he'd just played with Ricky Skaggs. Cool stuff.

[Rynamic]

freakin incredible, wish i could play that way

[stalakzakrumpire]

Great

[fredgalist]

As an old saxophonist and piano player that's trying to switch to guitar, I really like this style. I use all fingers but try to anchor my pinky Earl Scruggs banjo style. I see that Brent is curling his under. I really need a thumb pick to accent the bass lines and then double it for strumming. I see that Brent uses the old basic thumb pick. Wow! I can't believe he gets the 'touch' with that.

Brent Mason is an awesome guitarist.

[guitarslasher3100]

you don't have to have a thumb pick to do it. a lot of people use what's called a hybrid style picking to do stuff like that. if you search it on youtube you should be able to find some vids on it

[mattindes]

NIce!!!!!!!!!

[Knuckles669]

Very nice!

[MrBubbles2K9]

35177

[MrBubbles2K9]

35000

[danval069]

great job my friend got the same old gibson

[DanieleBazzani]

Brent, what a great picker. But leave Jerry alone, he was not from this planet.

[guitarparish]

tone chops phrasing...... sweet.

[kgtbest]

Are you for real this guys been on more records than we've all had hot dinners.

[proguitarlessons]

Great Job! Brent is one of my favorite's for sure!!!

[murilomorello]

one of the most beautiful things i've ever heard and dude i'm seriously thinkin in move to a place like that to play all day otherwise i'll not learn. :(

[guitarjunkie7]

Why do I suddenly have the urge to hack my fingers off after watching this?

[ThreeChordGuitar]

astonishing.

[sludgefingers]

Great sound too....

[fendertexas]

mm jerry reed style very  nice

[AltruisticPervert]

cookingnotes, you are an ass. shut up and listen to the song.

[nectarlicker]

hmmmm.... do i see the famous fretkillr here?

[therealrandcamp]

fretkillr is awesome! Great guess.

But he's no Brent Mason (no one really is).

The arms don't quite match up, in my opinion.

--

I wonder why Fretkillr hasn't posted in a LONG time?

[trottag]

i love this!!!

[bluessssss]

yeah man fantastic

[guitarjunkie7]

Awesome! He's got the licks!

[cast390]

The beginning sounds a bit like reeds Jiffy Jam.

[cast390]

So smooth, a true world class pro!

[haackrock]

fantastic playing!!!

[snekae]

Great playing, the way a guitar should be played:) Very much Jerry Reed inspired, if im not wrong

[pissballs]

This has a tv show theme sound to it. Maybe something like peanuts or the new barney miller! Looks like it be sweet piece to learn on the guitar.

[cwjalexx]

big sound

[BLDMLN1007]

just shut up and listen....or learn.

[jimirsaysbuddy]

Here we go again! Who's better, who's worse. Just drop it and pay attention. You'll be better for it. SSShhhhhh!

[rocn4u61]

Took me about 3 days to learn this and I just think it is an awsome riff. Brent is one of the best Nashville guitarist I have ever had the pleasure to meet. M Brushwood

[fiddlefolk]

you know all guitar players build off what came before them! brent is no different. give the ones credit for coming up with what they did and then give brent the compliment for taking it two steps forwards. that is the way it works so quit comparing. i have never heard anything that brent has played and went, that don't fit. he plays parts that were born with the song. that's what makes him special! he is my hero! it is a gift and he's got it! get over it .i have! he is a genius!!!!

[panterakid93]

i agree 110%

[Musikkmoseng]

Man, I wish I could play like that!!!

[cookingnotes]

Brent Masson is far better than Jerry Read would have ever been , you have to know a lot about the guitar to know this , Masson is one of the kind , another great guitarist is Glen Campbell I saw him burn Jerry Read up on this television show one night Reed knew it to .Sad is that few know how great Glen is .

[Belisagenius]

I must agree with you on that one. Glen is magnificent

[cookingnotes]

Thank you so much , many will not .

[zodiacbluesbaby]

I wish I knew as much about guitar as you.

[cookingnotes]

Hey Zodiac , you read what others read , you dont know what your talking about , I guess you fell for Jerry a long time ago he was a good picker but in no way a great guitarist . Wake up there in England.

[cookingnotes]

Also find your own style dont be a copy cat .

[Belisagenius]

Awesome

[MarZoeKi]

manstab pisan euy

[Belisagenius]

Yeeehaaaaaaah

[anitadavideduo]

YEAAAAAH!|

[toobie11]

EEEEEYAYY!!!!

[skarfreak]

tight,..

[lovedonkey132]

It's "First Rule of Thumb" from his Hot Wired Album. Fingerstyle Magazine #26 has the TAB and Cd for it..mines in the mail!! Gonna Take a while to learn

[Bren28]

Can anybody pls tell me the name of this tune!? Unbelievable!!

[DookNun]

Brent Mason - First Rule of Thumb

Title was a bit of a giveaway! but by god do i know what you mean. whenever he hits that deep F pulloff!!

[DookNun]

fucking beautiful!

[MedicTJ]

Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed lit the torch, then passed it to Brent. Mason wasn't just satisfied with that, he poured an entire can of gas on that torch. The guy is amazing.

[ih8thishit]

I agree except Brent still isnt what Jerry was. Jerry was just a freak of nature that wont ever happen again. Buster B Jones got closest I'd say... and this is taking nothing from Brent, he's a totally different kind of player and equally as amazing and talented as any of the aforementioned gods who've went on. I hope Brent lives to be 100.

[notbendable]

Why doesn't he record an album with THIS stuff?

[pcheeseman1957]

awsome . you can hear the jerry reed influence.

:)

[dankgeetar]

that axe sounds fantastic

[62erPrecision]

yeah, groovy....

[praga5576]

So humbling...

This is a fine example of hard work paying off. "Cheers" to you, King Mason... :)

[crawdad2006]

fuck!

[MissMisstreater]

what was this originally on???!!!

are there more like this?

[MrBangor]

"hot wired" album. see my comment above for further details about that. He doesn't do many like this, if you want more go listen to Jerry Reed's mellow stuff cause that is where this comes from.

[MissMisstreater]

no shit! lol i own hot wired, i meant the video, i want more videos of brent!!! 

cheers for the reply tho!

[zaigar11]

Can you get any better than this?????

[cctele]

So relaxed yet so smoking WOW!

[BluesMike23]

great sound of guitar

[guitarz333]

its an inspiration and warning at the same time :)

[hebijebi03]

lol that is beyond true, I'm sure he's a modest guy but you know that he already knows that he is one of the best ever and there is no one and will never be anyone that could just straight kill him in a head cuttin contest...he can hang with anyone

[k1n2f3]

The best of the best - Brent Mason!!!!

[shanehennessyguitar]

ooh that's nice, its a bit Jerry Reed, a bit Martin Taylor, a bit TE

It's all Brent.

I love it!

[banjoman80]

Excellent !!! Very good job Brent, keep your playing.

[thoschi]

lol do you know who this is? :D

[BluesMike23]

yea i just thought guitar sounds great, not mention the playing is superb.

[neoshaolin1]

This is from that gibson special isn't it?

[viniguitarjazz]

Brent ! VERY , VERY GOOD GUITAR JAZZ

[gypsysunerainbow]

eric clapton can´t play this

[iamJROD]

To gypsysunerainbow...Eric Clapton is a blues specialist....Musicians are like Doctors,in the sense that they specialize in their chosen genre...Classical,and Flamenco guitar are complicated guitar genres,yet these guitarist might not be able to play a simple blues lick properly...Music is infinite,you cant know everything.

[gypsysunerainbow]

I know. I try to be a blues specialist too. And I don´t need someone do tell me what music or guitar playing is. My comment about Eric Clapton was just a little joke, I like him as well as I like Brent Mason. You could check out my videos if you´d like. Have a nice day.

[NateS911]

This is a song written by Jerry Reed that was on his album called Half and Half. One side had vocals, the other side was instrumental. Brent is 1st class. Great job!

[guitarz04]

brilliant

[loganj1988]

i kno here u can find tabs!!!!!!!!!

[MrBangor]

yeah ive been wondering about tabs myself... check out "jiffy jam" by Jerry Reed and "ol brother hubbard" by Tommy Emmanuel if you like this because they all have the same vibe