A couple things for the guitar heads out there.
Mel Bay always started every guitar instruction book something like this.
Some guys don’t go by the book.
First the great Snooks Eaglin, of New Orleans, playing “Red Beans” on a Tele.
Can’t figure out how he does all that stuff where he’s wiggling his index finger. Great pure tone.
And, Gatemouth Brown playing “Pressure Cooker” on, I believe a Gibson Firebird. Capo on the 8th fret so, I’m guessing he’s in C. Fender Twin, I think. The lead stuff is amazing but, check out how Gate comps the rhythm stuff, funky and unique.
Some of the most interesting guitar I’ve ever heard came from players who weren’t aware of or, ignored the standard techniques that people teach.
Go figure.
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Tags: Gatemouth Brown, Gibson, gibson firebird, Guitar, Mel Bay, pressure cooker, red beans, rhythm, Snooks Eaglin, Tele
Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com wrote,
Well, built in picks I guess :-D!
Seriously, they rock, picking like this without a pick is hell, I would be dead without my pick even sometimes I wish I could play better with my fingers!
Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com’s last blog post..Spending the money the right way
Link | February 18th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Pribek wrote,
Yeah, I know what you mean Ovidiu. I just watched both of these again while having my first cup of coffee. Both these guys make a great case for; the pick just gets in the way. So much joy in what they play, it just makes me grin watching them.
Link | February 18th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Margaret wrote,
There was a time when my fingertips were so calloused I could non-pick it - today, I mostly use a thumb pick and am admittedly not as good as I used to be.
Going to a Johnny Winter concert a few months back encouraged me to pull out the old acoustic. Sadly the humidity here in Savannah is so high it warped the piece. The other two guitars seem alright but I immediately bought 2 bags of Damp Rid to keep inside their cases. I wish I thought of that earlier. =O(
Do you have pet names for your guitars?
Margaret’s last blog post..Double Shot of Meme
Link | February 18th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Pribek wrote,
Margaret, I didn’t know you were afflicted with the guitar bug.
Johnny Winter is the cat daddy of the thumb pick guys, in my opinion. I’ve seen him twice, once in about ‘81 or so, and again a couple of years ago. In ‘81 he was using the thumb pick like a flat pick when he would do his solos. Now, I notice that even when he solos, he’s keeping the bass note thumping most of the time. Made for a very cool sounding three-piece band. BTW, most every time I’ve heard Johnny Winter in an interview, he mentions Gatemouth. The had the same producer in the early days, the infamous Huey Meaux.
It’s a drag about the warping-if it’s the neck, it can usually be addressed-even one with no truss rod
No pet names for guitars at this time.
Link | February 18th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Diaphragm wrote,
I saw Mr. Winter in Ohare airport, he was arriving, when I was leavin’ on a jet plane. He said “Hey, and gave me a little thumb wave.” Real nice guy. But I sure was remiss in asking him about which pick he uses if at all, so I can’t confirm or deny your reportage, there maestro.
My guitar teacher kept saying to me, “Just use a pick.”
I said, “I don’t need a pick for ‘my’ instrument, though.” (that was you Jack, back in the last century when you were my guitar teacher.)
It was too bad that I had signed up for clarinet lessons.
Diaphragm’s last blog post..Castro poised to pass on power to …
Link | February 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Sydney Winter wrote,
Pick, no pick, pick schmick — A true mechanic can rebuild a big block Chevy with just a can opener. Eh?
SW
Sydney Winter’s last blog post..UPDATE: Castro poised to pass on power to …
Link | February 20th, 2008 at 7:35 am