The Travis Picking Pattern - Lesson 1

The Wrecking Crew - Tommy Tedesco

The Most Famous Guitarist You've Never Heard Of

High-Strung Song No. 1

I wrote this to kind of high light the intrinsic beauty of the tuning. Mostly played on the top four strings in 6/8 time. The pattern is a very simple up and down sweep of 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, but often sounds more complex. Notice the frequency of unisons ringing out against each other, something that would be difficult to accomplish on any instrument. Tight piano-like clusters abound as well.

I used my Larivee Parlor guitar with the high set of an Elixir 12-string set (use the remaining strings for a normally tuned guitar) and a Wegen Pick. 

©2013 by Tom Strahle, BMI

Recent Session - Justin Bieber's Yellow Raincoat

Co-wrote and played this song with Justin. 1990 Gibson Dove and AKG 451 mic.

Cool Tool - Square Neck Dobro

Stevens-like Bar

Shubb Dobro Capo

Jerry Douglas Dobro Technique 

Some Square Neck Dobros/Resonators to check out...

(I'm not necessarily recommending these)

Rogue

Regal

Epiphone

Gold Tone

Gretsch

Recording King

Exercise or Jazz Lick #2

Here's the video....

Here's the image...

All You Need To About The Music Business

Yeah, it's not in this blog, but the title says it's in this book.

It actually is a really good book letting you all the ins and outs of the business. All the ways your music can make you money.

DIY Roadcase Video Series

For those who are handy with tools and want to save a couple bucks start here...

Part 1 of 11.

10 Starting Questions

...for artists at the beginning of their careers.

10 Questions Artists Should Ask Themselves At The Beginning of Their Careers

I would add an eleventh... Does it matter if you never get rich?

The 1234 Exercise

In the building we live in I've had the pleasure of having several USC guitar majors as neighbors. All of them superb players. And everyone of them had very dexterous left hands, able to go any where their brain takes them.

Here's a good set of exercises to help you develop left hand dexterity.

1234, 1243, 1324, 1342, 1423, 1432

2134, 2143, 2314, 2341, 2413, 2431

3124, 3142, 3214, 3241, 3412, 3421

4123, 4132, 4213, 4231, 4312, 4321

What does it all mean? Above are variations on left hand fingerings of 1, 2, 3 and 4. The battle strategy is to take each of the above 24 exercises up the strings and up the neck. From the first fret to the twelfth fret and on each of the six strings. 

For example 1234 on the 6th string, then the 5th, the 4th, the 3rd, the 2nd and lastly the 1st string. Move your hand up one fret and play the pattern 2345 on the 1st string down to the 6th string. Then up a fret and continue until your first finger is on the 12th fret. Phew! Next pattern... 1243, repeat the whole process again. 

Some patterns are easy and some are downright elusive. Some days you'll be able to do all of the patterns. Other days you may run out of time or steam.

In future posts I will be posting a more practical, musical use for these patterns. These posts will be called "Exercise or Jazz Lick"?

The Wrecking Crew - Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

The Wrecking Crew played all the instruments on the Pet Sounds record by the Beach Boys. The most well known track is "Good Vibrations"recorded on this date 45 years ago...

Check out the Wrecking Crew.

The AFM contract here.

Rare footage here...

Friend's Bass Blog...

If you are a bass player, or just want to be a better musician, check out my friend Andrew Ford's new blog.