Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar Lesson: Know the Job First.m4v

[fiddlearound]

Great lesson...great stuff. Thanks for all the work you put in on this stuff.

[adamschlenker]

@fiddlearound Thanks. I plan to get some more lessons up on the 5th fret site throughout December. I have a cross pick series in the works but there just has not been time to shoot the video...soon though. Adam

[inman1a]

AWsome stuff adam ,i picked up the guitar at age 52 retired nothin but time on my hands to devote to learning,you simplify things very well love blue grass,also been playing for 7 months still a rooky .... Hear the dogs barkin in the back ground must be after a posum or squirl ......Again ty Adam.....

[adamschlenker]

@inman1a Great to meet you. Dive in and have fun. Learning to play will be a lot of fun and a fair amount of frustration at times. It's all worth it!!! Feel free to ask any questions that come up, I'm happy to help.

Adam

[evanhobbs]

Thanks this is awesome! I always appreciate when someone is able to break things down like this and make it make sense :)

[adamschlenker]

@evanhobbs thanks, good to hear it makes since.  Adam

[notlost42]

thank you for taking time to be sure that the learner can see and understand your fingering positions. im just learning and you are the best. THANKS

[adamschlenker]

@notlost42 Thank ya much. Glad this instruction is a help to you. Keep a eye on the 5th fret productions web site. There are already new lessons available there and more in the works. Adam

[patrakis2]

hey adam, I am very very excited about your channel. I just spent four days at a bluegrass festival called delfest. i have been playing guitar for a few years and i end up in every direction. I was inspired by the musicians at the show and have decided I want to narrow my playing more specifically to folk and bluegrass so thank you. I have a question about the d chord. how come we strike the "a" string? it sounds great but why "a". The other two chords make sense bc i just count 1-2-3.

Patrick

[adamschlenker]

@patrakis2 Patrick, Great to hear someone excited about flat picking! I bet Delfest was a great time. In regard to why the open A string works with the D chord is because A is part of the chord and in fact an important part, it's the "5th" (5th note of the D scale) we use alternating lines like root (D) 5th (A) or (root) C (5th) G to create that bass movement we hear. I'm limited on space in this reply so feel free to send me a message direct for more details

[2patrakis]

@adamschlenker great thank you.

[BrounWright]

You're great.

[baileyslip]

Hey''Adam Thank you for doing these videos. What a big help they are thank you so much as I like the way you go about teaching, To me your aproch to learning is fast enough for a impatient beginner like me but slow enough so I dont miss anything.I just stumbled onto your videos as I have been looking at flatpicking rag type music for days.Keep'em comeing and I'll keep "practicing"Thank you again.Linda

[adamschlenker]

@baileyslip Thanks Linda. Keep up the pickin' & if you have any questions or run into any road blocks feel free to email me.

Adam

[adamschlenker]

They used to tell us in school that you can do anything you set your mind to. I have come to look at it a different way. We can always accomplish MORE but we all can't reach the same place. We should understand our limitations and develop around them. I've heard it said that one of the big break throughs for C.W. was that he excepted the limitations of acoustic guitar & made flat picking work with in those limits If you feel you have reached your speed limit, then focus on your phrasing etc

[BlindTom61]

Do you think people have their own clock motors that you cannot reset? Coach clocked my 100 yard dash with a sundial. I've never been able to play Black Mountain Rag faster than 130bpm in 2/4 time = 260 in 4/4. Maybe that is my biolical limit. Means I have to play R&B on a rosewood-board Tele again... ;- )

[BlindTom61]

Great stuff. I worked at the Columbus Folk music Center back in '63. I learned a bunch from your lessons. As a lefty, my right hand on aocustic guitar has always been suspect.

Thanks! Hey, do you know Jack May? He's a fiddle player, old friend of mine same as Tom Ewing, another Columbus guy...

[adamschlenker]

@BlindTom61 Good to meet you! Great to hear the lessons have been helpful.

I know Jack May by name only, don't think I know Tom...

Are you still in the area?

Adam

[BlindTom61]

@adamschlenker

No, I left for the Haight Ashbury in 1968, been in either Tokyo or northern California since. Tom Ewing was the hot Bluegrass guitar player in Columbus in the early '60s. He played rhythm and sang lead with Bill Monroe until Bill passed away. The wrist rotation is the part I've looked for my whole life. When I play Tele it's no biggie but on a Martin it is imperative.

Keep in touch and thanks again for the great lessons!

Tq

[adamschlenker]

@BlindTom61 Ok, I have heard of Tom. He is a friend of a friend. I have been told he lives in Tenn. & has written a book about his experience with Monroe.

The right hand is the key. The rotation realization was a real turning point for me.

Great part of the country your in. My sister lives in Sacramento, we're hoping to get back out there in March...

Adam

[BlindTom61]

@adamschlenker I live in Sacramento now, by McKinley Park -- ask your sister. There's  not much music here. You'll find some picking up in Grass Valley and Nevada City. I lived in Tokyo for 20 years until 2008. Some good pickers over there. they take it REAL seriously! -L-

[BlindTom61]

@adamschlenker Check out Tony Rice's right hand as well as Clarence's and many great pickers. The forearm falls diagonally to the center of the guitar and the wrist cocks to the left putting the hand parallel to the strings. The picking comes from a lot of finger movement in Tony's case.

My right hand fall to the right from my forearm like a mandolin player and my wrist is collapsed. Steve Kaufman plays like that.. But I HATE it in my own playing.

[adamschlenker]

@BlindTom61 Believe me I have spent time watching right hands! ;>) I see those thing you talk about. It's such a personalized thing...I used to generate more of the pick attack with my fingers but started having some pain in my right hand. Thats kind of what got me going on the new approach. Always a work in progress!!!

[adaros121]

You are a very good bluegrass guitar player.I learn a lot of things from you. Great lesson. I been all day here, watching you. Thank you.

[adamschlenker]

@adaros121 Glad these lessons are helping! If you have any questions feel free to ask. I also offer one on one instruction using Skype.

Adam

[jonnyk108]

Great lesson. This is exactly where I am in learning rythym bluegrass guitar, and really like how you break things down. Thanks!

John

[53lincoln]

So, in a sense, isnt the rhythm guitar actually playing bass too?

[adamschlenker]

Well yes. In the bluegrass style the bass player doesn't usually do a lot of moving around. They're pretty much staying to a Root/5th sort of line. So, one of our jobs as rhythm guitarist is to create more movement between the chords. Essentially leading the band around like a bass player would in rock or jazz etc...