Pick'n Picks

                        There is a myriad of picks out there with different shapes and materials.  
                        While my pick choices change as I try new things I am just going to mention 
                        what I am using now and what I am gravitating to.  For fingerstyle guitar I 
                        usually play with no picks at all but to achieve better sound I have incorporated 
                        some very interesting Fred Kelley picks.  I use the Fred Kelley speed pick for my 
                        thumb usually using their light guage.  (I started using this thanks to seeing 
                        Doyle Dykes)

                                       

                   For my other fingers while playing fingerstyle I am using Fred Kelly’s Freedom 

                         Finger Picks.  These picks are the closest to real fingernails that I have found and 

                         are very comfortable and easy to play with.  I would suggest getting a size up as 

                         they seem to run small.  I also tend to turn them slightly on my finger to straighten 

                         out the strike of the pick.   These come in delrin (below) and poly.  The poly is clear 

                         which is nice but I think the sound from the delrin is better.

                                              

                   For standard strumming and flatpicking I used to use a very light pick but as I play 

                   and read I am moving to thicker picks.  Generally I will use a Dunlop Tortex in 

                   medium thickness but my next pick will be the Dunlop Delrin in .96mm (red one 

                   below).  Many players are now using Michael Wegen’s picks (Bryan Sutton often 

                   uses his 1.4mm bluegrass pick) these picks look and have reviewed great but they 

                   are pricey (a link is to the right).  If you haven’t experimented lately with new picks go 

                   give a few new ones a try; you may be surprised with the different tone you can achieve. 

         

        Song to listen to – "How Great Thou Art" Vince Gill and Amy Grant

        Song to learn -  tab for “How Great Thou Art” Vince Gill and Amy Grant

                  

Doyle Dykes

           Many may not have heard of this great fingerstyle guitarist.   

           The first time I heard “Jazz in the Box” I knew I had to find out 

           who this guy was.   His music has pushed me to become a better 

           guitarist and despite many of his music being difficult to learn I

           am playing things that when I heard them I never thought I would.  

           I have seen him in person and his playing was so on point, perfect.  

            Doyle is an endorser and clinician for Taylor Guitars and has his 

            own signature model the DDSM.  He plays in a huge variety of styles 

            and I would suggest listening to these songs to hear his range: “Jazz 

            in the box”, “Martha’s Kitchen”, “How Great Thou Art”, and “White 

            Rose for Heidi”.  His daughter, Haley Dykes, often travels with him and 

            is also a great musician and singer, her CD “The Mystery of Her” won’t 

            disappoint.  I own, and love, his book “virtuoso fingerstyle guitar” and 

            have been challenged by learning  just some of the songs in it, the book 

            also comes with a CD of the music (it's in the amazon box to the right).  

            I will put a link at the bottom of the post to both hear and learn “Jazz in 

            the Box”.

           Great DVD to check out with Doyle on it, he plays with some

           greats like Duane Eddy and Tommy Emmanuel -

                                           Live Sessions – people, places, and pick’n

           Some of Doyle’s CD’s to check out – Songs of Faith+Freedom, Chameleon

                     Song to Listen to – "Jazz in the Box" (this is not Doyle playing it)

                     Song to Learn -  Jazz in the Box tab

Guitar Tops

          Here is a brief guide about the basics of guitar tops.   I will briefly 

          discuss five things to consider for your guitar top:  construction, 

          cut, wood, finish, and grain runout. 

          A Solid top vibrates much easier than a laminated top and will 

          also “age” with playing over the years.  Ageing means that the more 

          a solid top is played the easier it will vibrate and the better sound 

          it will produce.  A top must also be tightly grained to improve the 

          strength when being pulled by the strings.  

          For the cut you want a “bookmatched” top.  This starts with a single 

          piece of wood which is cut in half then opened like a book and glued.  

          This process helps to keep a consistent grain throughout the entire top.

         

seagullguitars.com

          There are a handful of woods used for guitar tops but I prefer spruce 

          (specifically sitka).  Cedar is also a great wood and is often considered 

          more “mellow”.   I like the sound of a cedar topped nylon string guitar,

          the combination of the strings and the top create a very smooth sound.  



Spruce



Cedar



          When looking at a new guitar be weary of the finish that is on your guitar.  

          A finish that is too thick will hamper the vibration and therefore the sound 

          of the guitar.   “Grain Runout” is also something to think about.  Simply, 

          this is when the wood grain is not straight when it goes down into the wood.  

          A guitar top that has grain runout will appear darker on one of the 

          bookmatched sides than the other.  This does not automatically mean the 

          guitar won’t sound good or fall apart but I would stay away from this because 

          the wood can be less strong.  Hopefully this information is helpful.

          Song to Hear -  "Neon" John Mayer

          Song to Learn -  John Mayer Acoustic "Neon" tab

I'm a Bluegrass Fan

          The musicianship exhibited by the guitarists and other

          instruments within bluegrass is stunning.  The more I listen

          the more I put time and effort into becoming a flatpicker

          myself.  The speed, clarity, and expression that the bluegrass

          greats play with their trusty flat top acoustics are more impressive

          to me than any distorted, delayed, or crunched electric.  Don’t get

          me wrong, amazing guitar playing in any genre is impressive but the

          two that I gravitate to is fingerstyle and flatpicking guitar.   

          The 21^st annual International Bluegrass Music Awards is scheduled

          for Thursday, September 30, 2010, at Nashville, Tennessee’s historic

          Ryman Auditorium.  IBMA states that “The IBMA Awards will be broadcast

          live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 14) and on

          WSM-AM 650 (live at www.mosnline), and will also be syndicated to

          more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks.”

          Here are some of the musicians that I am a fan of and that are nominees. 

          Take a little time and listen to the amazing guitar rhythm and soloing in these

          artists work and other bluegrass greats.

                          Entertainer of the year – The Del McCoury Band

                                                                        The Grascals

            

                          Instrumental group of the year – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

            

                          Male Vocalist of the year – Dan Tyminski

             

                          Instrumental performer of the year – Fiddle -  Andy Leftwich

                                                                                               Guitar -  Cody Kilby

                                                                                                           -  Bryan Sutton

          Song to Hear -  Charles Sawtelle on Guitar

          Song to Learn - Bluegrass guitar great Charles Sawtelle's 

                                           tab for Tennessee Wagoner 

Minor Blues

From the moment you play a minor blues scale you will

quickly understand how you too can add a blues feel to your

music.  This scale obviously is used in blues but is also used

heavily in rock and country. The minor blues scale takes the

minor pentatonic scale and adds on a flat 5th.  There are five

different positions on the neck to play this scale but the one
below is my favorite.

guitarinternational.com

The Root note is the red dot and the black is the flat 5th turning

it from just a minor pentatonic into the blues minor scale.  In

an “Am” pentatonic (“penta” – 5, “tonic” – note) scale you would

see  “A, C, D, E, G” when you add the sixth note (the flat 5th) it

becomes bluesy  “A, C, D, Eb, E, G” .  This is a moveable scale so get

familiar with this scale all over the neck.  You can see and learn all

five positions here, this chord chart is simple and the one I printed

 off in the past. 

If you’re interested, the major blues scale adds a flat 3^rd to its

pentatonic scale.  In “A” it would be:  “A, B, C, C#, E, F, F#”.  Here’s

a picture of a Major Blues Scale (the red dot is the root and the 

green is the flat 3rd). 

yellowguitarbooks.com

Song to hear -  3 O'Clock Blues, B.B. King     

Song to learn -  Tab for 3 O'Clock blues by B.B. King  

Passion

A passion is something that you put a lot of hard work, discipline,
and time into yet the more you put in the more joy you receive in
return.  There are few things in my life that I have a true passion
for: my family, my Savior Jesus Christ, and playing guitar.  All of
life's passions should be shared with others.


When ever I can I try to put the passion I have for playing guitar in
others.  If I learn of a friend or co-worker that has stopped playing I
try to entice them to start playing again, offering to help them buy a new
guitar or to get together and play.  I have often given a few beginner
lessons to someone that has just purchased a guitar, hoping that what little
I may teach them in the short time we meet that they can learn enough to
play and learn for a lifetime.
  

(Doc Watson and Clarence Greene sharing their
passion on the streets in the 1950's)

Finding a new song or a new friend that plays always makes me want
to play more and work harder to be better.  Get back to it,   
find a new song or stop by your favorite guitar shop, even passions
need rekindled every once in a while.


Song to listen to - Doc Playing Beaumont Rag
Song to learn     - Tab for Beaumont Rag