Norman Blake Plays and teaches Whiskey Before Breakfast

[knopflerado]

The first time I saw Norman play live I walked to the back of the stage to see if someone else was playing too. I couldn't believe one person was getting that much sound out of a guitar. Amazing right hand!

[ElmerDurrer]

......is like saying Tiger Woods is a normal ladies man......

[dingodavid]

Nailed that one...

[EverTommy]

@birchwand

how does he acheve that reaxed right hand technique? The same way he got to Caernigie Hall...................practic­e1

[EverTommy]

@birchwand

how does he acheve that reaxed right hand technique? The same way he got to Caernigie Hall...................practic­e1



[jonwints]

I agree with you all, but I do wish I could play half as well as Norman. He sure is a genius in the flatpicking genre. He's trying to help me, but I guess you just have to have the gift.

[bazthehandyman]

Lovely !!

[OleBlues]

Tone to the Bone Tone........

[redflare31]

wat tuning is it in? standard? drop d?

[springsten]

@redflare31

Standard

[lkb3rd]

@redflare31

That's standard tuning capo'd at the 3rd fret, using the "c" form.

[Albert0Jazzmaster]

I see you playing together Doc Watson. Amazing!

[wvmiller]

I believe that this Martin D-18 is one of the very early dreadnaughts, 1932-33?? In any event, the neck is very wide (1 and 7/8s at the nut) and with the slotted or open peghead, which disappeared soon afterwards. It is also a 12 fret guitar, which allows the body to be larger, producing very big tone. Norman kept and played the guitar on records for several years. To the best of my knowledge this guitar begain life as a dreadnaught, not a Hawaiian, though it could have been an H conversion.

[elasticsociety]

Yeah, his right hand is amazing!

[raindog904]

Working on this now, I really recommend this set of dvds

[NancyMcgill1]

beautiful sound.

[publicshorts]

Good stuff - I didn't really like the WBB version though - it was too bluesy and lost the melody of the tune #justsaying

[MalibuMatt350]

Dammit, I have been trying to pick the first part of this song for eons now.  Dammit.

[OleBlues]

His guitar looks to be a Martin D-18S Slot head stock. I've seem a few of these but never played one. I use a Martin D-18V which has basically the same tone, 2002 model.

[Twanger73]

This guy is a national treasure.

[birdy2foot]

That guitar neck looks as wide as a classical guitar

[Muzikman127]

@birdy2foot it's got spanish pegs too

[vintageguitarguru]

@birdy2foot The guitar is a very rare D-18h. It was originally meant to be played in the hawaiian style, but was converted to be played in the standard spanish style.

[dc15emartin]

Love your playing Norman Blake. Been playing guitar & fiddle for 40 yrs. now and would love to be able to play like you. Love all your videos.

I have a question I would like to ask you or any other member and that is what type and model of Capo you use?

It looks like a pretty decent one.

Hope to hear from you or someone else.

Thanks

Big fan

[MalibuMatt350]

Goood Lord, this is freaking hard to learn. Not to understand, but to make both hands work together on it.

[gombakhillbillies]

I know NB is great in technique, but what I also love about him is the tone he gets out of his guitars. Just love it!

[FeralReason]

To JDDuffee: Didn't see Norman's Album "Whiskey Before Breakfast" mentioned here (or perhaps your "don't remember" was tongue in cheek.) :-) Anyway, that was the album I learned this tune from.

[jacobk23]

What's the song playing in the intro?

[EarlMalmsteen]

Gold rush, probably the Tony Rice version

[therealrandcamp]

Gold Rush it is! But I think it's Blake's version.

[lcm746]

@jacobk23 Goldrush

[planezane]

Hey J.D. Try going to "The Festival Tapes 7.0: Bluegrass Sampler". It's a great video of Norman, Nancy and James Bryan performing "The Old Brown Case". Good luck to you.

[JDDuffee]

Oh my God!! Thank you man. I've been looking for this song forever. Wish I could remember the album it was on.

[awol465]

@JDDuffee

Try Norman's Fields of November album.

awol

[JDDuffee]

Hey Norman, I know you probably don't read these comments, but if you do i wish you'd post a song you use to play back in the '70s called, "The Old Brown Case" It took me 30 years to play it, but I'd still like to hear you do it again. Tell Nancy hello for me. Peace man!

[letebaguere]

Dumbest. Comment. Ever.

[lcm746]

@letebaguere I agree about "Dumbest comment ever".

[Poodlepups]

Second that comment...I'd like to hear The Old Brown Case too. Robin Bullock played it for me but said I should hear the original.

[mosrite60]

Norman, Tony Rice , Bryan Sutton the three top flatpickers in my mind. Discounting ole Doc of course who is still above everyone when it comes to flatpickin'

[blackdogleg]

Clarence White

[mygad]

It's a great video from a great DVD. I've got the first one and going to get the second one.

[snowmanpolice]

Does Norman ever tour anymore? I can't find any info on him anywhere!

[birchwand]

To me he is the greatest player of traditional music on guitar and mandolin ever. He is also a great teacher, his video lessons are so clear even a ham-fisted dolt like me can follow them. I just wish he could tell me how he achieves that incredibley RELAXED right hand technique!!!!

[MrFrozenSoutherner]

@birchwand It has been my experience that the "relaxed right hand technique," as you put it, comes from having exhausted hours upon hours of repetition. It's not just about knowing your fretboard and your strings with your head, but knowing them with your hands as well. That way you don't have to think, you can in essence leave that part to them. In two words, muscle memory.

[bigmuddy1]

@birchwand Norman is so relaxed because he confesses he has never had a real job, just playing music. If only we could all do that!

[JimmyDeLocke]

Norman is truly one of the legends of flatpicking. Ask anyone who knows.

Those of you who are old enough to remember Dylan's Nashville Skyline album may recall that the hot guitar break on Nashville Skyline Rag was played by Norman. That was over 40 years ago and he's still going strong. He created a style of his own when flatpicking was new, taking Carter style to the next level. He's not just "good" he's one of the greats of the genre.

[1deadtoe]

Saying Norman Blake is a good guitar player is like saying Tiger Woods is a good golfer.

[Johi2410]

That depends on if you like Tiger Woods or not :-). I like Norman Blake, after all!

[bleedx2]

No it doesn't. Tiger Woods is a good golfer, love em or hate em.

[Johi2410]

Well yeah, it's not right to speculate about that despite Woods' success, which makes him a good golfer, no matter if you like him or not. I was just curious if 1deadtoe likes him or not, since that's what his opinion about Norman Blake depends on :D

[1deadtoe]

Wow! Give this tread a rest. Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfer who has every lived whether you like him or not. Ditto for for Norman Blake as a flat picker. He is one of my favorite musicians. I'm a big fan of Norman and Tiger.

[1nonconformist]

@1deadtoe: tiger woods is also one of the greatest philanders to ever live, whether you like his golfing or not.

[kaptenmax]

@1deadtoe tiger woods is a good golfer

[1nonconformist]

@kaptenmax : tiger woods is no where near being in the same league with norman blake! he may be able to hit a little white ball but he's a low life!

[TruegrassBoy]

@1nonconformist I agree!

[Vanguard448]

@1deadtoe I think it's more like saying that the Atlantic Ocean is a little bit bigger than a paddling pool.

[Yugoslaviarock]

Good guitar player.....

[leapup]

do you think!

[tunefultony]

I've been teaching for some years & I have never heard cross picking so simply explained & demonstrated.

Mind you , Norman makes it look easy.

[mugenhead]

ive been trying to figure it out for months and I think I finaly get it thanx to this video

[beanstalked]

I've got all three of his homespun tapes. And they're all brilliant! Apart from his really practical teaching skills, and as silly this sounds, the fact that he seems like such a nice guy encourages you to try harder. His mandolin DVD blew me away.

[ptalbany]

he makes it look so easy lol

someday is all I say someday