Thanks Chris ... I have to straighten out this constant extra beat stuff with everything ... I think its a combination of trying too much too quickly. I've felt from the beginning I was probably in over my head with these classes but I enjoy it so much I won't quit. Like I said in the past its worth the price of admission just to watch you pick up close. I feel like if I were sittng in the same room with you many of these things could be straightened out more quickly but this method is absolutely the 2nd best option for an old cat like me. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in a race and this is just a pleasurable journey. Thanks again.
Cool licks ... especially the 2nd one that is virually ripping my coordination out of my hand. The 1st one will have to wait for when I can actually play but the 2nd one man ... rulz as they say .... hours just to get it to this point
Kip, it's sounding good but you're doubling your down strokes when you go to play the first G note on the first string. If you straighten that out I suspect it might get a little easier. So the first two notes (the repeated G) you play on the first string should both be played with upstrokes.
Thanks Chris ... I have to straighten out this constant extra beat stuff with everything ... I think its a combination of trying too much too quickly. I've felt from the beginning I was probably in over my head with these classes but I enjoy it so much I won't quit. Like I said in the past its worth the price of admission just to watch you pick up close. I feel like if I were sittng in the same room with you many of these things could be straightened out more quickly but this method is absolutely the 2nd best option for an old cat like me. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in a race and this is just a pleasurable journey. Thanks again.
Whiskey Before Breakfast Crosspick lesson I've been working on. The A and B part minus the alternate B part which isn't for me yet and it's not so much the stretch ... it's just getting used to going there cleanly plus the crosspick that follows is challenging for me but I feel like I'm getting there unless of course you say otherwise in which case its back to the ol' drawing board. Thank you for checking it out Chris.
Kip, this is GREAT! Really sounds musical and groovy in a way I haven't heard from you before. Awesome job! The only thing is that there are a few extra beats at the end of the 2nd A section right before the B section starts. But aside from that this was really musically satisfying. I'd encourage you to play it and start searching for your own solo, your own notes now...
My own solo ... Hmmm ... if you say so but that could be a project that will take a while. BTW I'm really looking forward to seeing you and Julian out there this winter. My own notes ...
Thanks - I feel like I have made progress and understand reaching plataeus. It remains fun for me and I am still motivated and enthused. I'm at a point where I can post a video (probably will) of the crosspicking A and B parts minus the alternate 2nd B part. I forget what chord exactly you called it (D7 maybe) but it requires stretching across 4 frets walking down the A string. I couldnt do it in the other lesson either. I find that really tough (I don't want to say impossible ever again) to make that stretch and it reminds me of the first time I ever picked up a guitar and tried to make a chord. I know there aren't any shortcuts to accomplishing this feat other than to continue to climb to the next plateau. Thanks for the encouragement and help.
Chris - staying loose/exaggerated in the long run may (will I suppose) pay dividends but in the short term it's making the going mighty slow and frustrating. My crosspicking isn't my strength in the first place, so the intricate cross picking/articulation required in both the A and B sections is tough. I'm starting to feel more comfortable playing the A section but not so with the B. I'm working on it and look forward to being able to play it as you demonstrated.
Kip, you've made incredible progress on here. The funny thing about getting better at something like guitar is that your progress occurs in plateaus. You work on something and you feel stuck and it's not getting any better and you might even start feeling frustrated, but then one day you wake up and you are just better. You can suddenly do the thing that you couldn't do before. You've reached a new plateau.
The loose/exaggerated thing is all about building a more sound foundation on which to build your playing and musicality. With time, the looseness becomes a habit, but a precision emerges that wasn't there before. You are on the path and from my perspective it's awesome to watch.
Thanks - I feel like I have made progress and understand reaching plataeus. It remains fun for me and I am still motivated and enthused. I'm at a point where I can post a video (probably will) of the crosspicking A and B parts minus the alternate 2nd B part. I forget what chord exactly you called it (D7 maybe) but it requires stretching across 4 frets walking down the A string. I couldnt do it in the other lesson either. I find that really tough (I don't want to say impossible ever again) to make that stretch and it reminds me of the first time I ever picked up a guitar and tried to make a chord. I know there aren't any shortcuts to accomplishing this feat other than to continue to climb to the next plateau. Thanks for the encouragement and help.
Chris - Thanks for the thumbs up. Yes ... tension is my middle name and I will continue to work on loosening the right hand, arm, and wrist. I have also been working on developing more of a floating right hand, a.k.a. removing right hand from bridge with varying degrees of success. I want to have solid technique but that is something one really has to work at ... as with any craft. I'm looking forward to the next lesson in this series with hopes that someday you will show us Ginseng Sullivan. It's another new favorite of mine from Norman Blake and another that you guys did a fine rendition of on Avalon.
When I decided to join Sonic Junction I couldn't pick a lick. Over the past however many months I've become a big fan of this kind of music and of Chris Eldridge. I certainly can't play as well as I wish I could but I can play a little and I'm motivated to get better and work on problem areas like timing and speed. I like this song and I love the way you all played it on Avalon. So, here I am posting again while I continue to work on Five Pound Hammer and Church Street Blues so on and so forth.
Nailed it! GREAT job, Kip! My main piece of advice is to try and let your right hand and arm FLOW a bit more. I actually really like the way that you are articulating the melody, but for practice's sake, try keeping your right hand/arm/wrist really loose and relaxed. This will probably even out the way you are playing the melody, which will probably make it sound a little less interesting in the short term, but I want you to try that in pursuit of bettering your technique (which you can then use in service of your cool articulations/dynamics).
Good work Kip! The sweeps are a killer aren't they? I find trying to control them introduces a ton of tension in my wrist at the moment, which I'll need to work on.
thanks for posting! The main issue here is honoring the rests and the overal beat structure of the song. This is the most consistent issue for you. Everything else is sounding really good! Try doing the counting on my video. It might be educational to then do the counting on yours to see where things are getting off. Way to go tackling this beast though!
And yeah, the sweeps are really hard! I get very tense when I do them as well. These days I just try to practice staying loose and I have faith that that accuracy will come with time.
Lewis - I have no idea what Chris will say but from my view point your run at it is awesome. I'm light years from where you are but I agree what a great lesson dealing with a very tricky song. All the best to you!
You're playing most of the "hard" stuff very well. The thing that's tripping you up here is waiting the correct duration of time during rests. Along with my version, try counting out loud - "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and..." to feel and learn exactly where the rests are happening. You're all good until 0:14 on your video at which point the rest doesn't get it's full duration. There are some more shortened rests after that. Try counting while you listen to really figure out and know the "phrasing".
Yep ... dang it ... you're right about missing the 3 beats and man do I look seriously um serious ... I need to lighten up when the camera is on. It definitely is super fun to play that way and not enitirely new to me as I've been learning to play Galway Girl using the same sort of method.
I was listening to Norman Blakes Whiskey Before Breakfast record last night circa 1976 that includes Church Street Blues ... wow ... great record. I was trying to think of what I was lisening to that year ... The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue - pitiful looking back.
Kip, sounds great! Very cool way to play a tune right? You're totally doing it.
Just one thing to mention: you skipped a few beats (3 to be precise) going from the A section to the B section (0:27). Straighten that out and you're in good shape!
I'm really happy and excited to hear that you and Julian Lage are back in the studio.
I know it takes forever but I'm already looking forward to a release.
As for the pickin' - my rendition excludes this part lol ... I added some of the things you did but didn't formally teach and maybe I'll try to do a video when the opportunity presents itself but now you've introduced Church Street Blues and I'm mesmerized.
Ok - I nixed the question - after having watched the lesson a thousand times - I finally "listened" to what you were "saying" after the final note of the triple threat triplet which is quite a challenge to play (for me).
Thanks Chris ... I have to straighten out this constant extra beat stuff with everything ... I think its a combination of trying too much too quickly. I've felt from the beginning I was probably in over my head with these classes but I enjoy it so much I won't quit. Like I said in the past its worth the price of admission just to watch you pick up close. I feel like if I were sittng in the same room with you many of these things could be straightened out more quickly but this method is absolutely the 2nd best option for an old cat like me. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in a race and this is just a pleasurable journey. Thanks again.
Cool licks ... especially the 2nd one that is virually ripping my coordination
out of my hand. The 1st one will have to wait for when I can actually play but the 2nd one man ... rulz as they say .... hours just to get it to this point
Kip, it's sounding good but you're doubling your down strokes when you go to play the first G note on the first string. If you straighten that out I suspect it might get a little easier. So the first two notes (the repeated G) you play on the first string should both be played with upstrokes.
Thanks Chris ... I have to straighten out this constant extra beat stuff with everything ... I think its a combination of trying too much too quickly. I've felt from the beginning I was probably in over my head with these classes but I enjoy it so much I won't quit. Like I said in the past its worth the price of admission just to watch you pick up close. I feel like if I were sittng in the same room with you many of these things could be straightened out more quickly but this method is absolutely the 2nd best option for an old cat like me. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in a race and this is just a pleasurable journey. Thanks again.
Another beauty I've never heard before .... I've lived such a sheltered life LOL.
Whiskey Before Breakfast Crosspick lesson I've been working on. The A and B part minus the alternate B part which isn't for me yet and it's not so much the stretch ... it's just getting used to going there cleanly plus the crosspick that follows is challenging for me but I feel like I'm getting there unless of course you say otherwise in which case its back to the ol' drawing board. Thank you for checking it out Chris.
Kip
Kip, this is GREAT! Really sounds musical and groovy in a way I haven't heard from you before. Awesome job! The only thing is that there are a few extra beats at the end of the 2nd A section right before the B section starts. But aside from that this was really musically satisfying. I'd encourage you to play it and start searching for your own solo, your own notes now...
My own solo ... Hmmm ... if you say so but that could be a project that will take a while. BTW I'm really looking forward to seeing you and Julian out there this winter. My own notes ...
Thanks - I feel like I have made progress and understand reaching plataeus. It remains fun for me and I am still motivated and enthused. I'm at a point where I can post a video (probably will) of the crosspicking A and B parts minus the alternate 2nd B part. I forget what chord exactly you called it (D7 maybe) but it requires stretching across 4 frets walking down the A string. I couldnt do it in the other lesson either. I find that really tough (I don't want to say impossible ever again) to make that stretch and it reminds me of the first time I ever picked up a guitar and tried to make a chord. I know there aren't any shortcuts to accomplishing this feat other than to continue to climb to the next plateau. Thanks for the encouragement and help.
Chris - staying loose/exaggerated in the long run may (will I suppose) pay dividends but in the short term it's making the going mighty slow and frustrating. My crosspicking isn't my strength in the first place, so the intricate cross picking/articulation required in both the A and B sections is tough. I'm starting to feel more comfortable playing the A section but not so with the B. I'm working on it and look forward to being able to play it as you demonstrated.
Kip, you've made incredible progress on here. The funny thing about getting better at something like guitar is that your progress occurs in plateaus. You work on something and you feel stuck and it's not getting any better and you might even start feeling frustrated, but then one day you wake up and you are just better. You can suddenly do the thing that you couldn't do before. You've reached a new plateau.
The loose/exaggerated thing is all about building a more sound foundation on which to build your playing and musicality. With time, the looseness becomes a habit, but a precision emerges that wasn't there before. You are on the path and from my perspective it's awesome to watch.
Chris
Thanks - I feel like I have made progress and understand reaching plataeus. It remains fun for me and I am still motivated and enthused. I'm at a point where I can post a video (probably will) of the crosspicking A and B parts minus the alternate 2nd B part. I forget what chord exactly you called it (D7 maybe) but it requires stretching across 4 frets walking down the A string. I couldnt do it in the other lesson either. I find that really tough (I don't want to say impossible ever again) to make that stretch and it reminds me of the first time I ever picked up a guitar and tried to make a chord. I know there aren't any shortcuts to accomplishing this feat other than to continue to climb to the next plateau. Thanks for the encouragement and help.
Blake and Rice medley is Fiddler's Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast
km
I break out into a sweat every time you take us "up the neck". Way cool though.
Chris - Thanks for the thumbs up. Yes ... tension is my middle name and I will continue to work on loosening the right hand, arm, and wrist. I have also been working on developing more of a floating right hand, a.k.a. removing right hand from bridge with varying degrees of success. I want to have solid technique but that is something one really has to work at ... as with any craft. I'm looking forward to the next lesson in this series with hopes that someday you will show us Ginseng Sullivan. It's another new favorite of mine from Norman Blake and another that you guys did a fine rendition of on Avalon.
When I decided to join Sonic Junction I couldn't pick a lick. Over the past however many months I've become a big fan of this kind of music and of Chris Eldridge. I certainly can't play as well as I wish I could but I can play a little and I'm motivated to get better and work on problem areas like timing and speed. I like this song and I love the way you all played it on Avalon. So, here I am posting again while I continue to work on Five Pound Hammer and Church Street Blues so on and so forth.
Nailed it! GREAT job, Kip! My main piece of advice is to try and let your right hand and arm FLOW a bit more. I actually really like the way that you are articulating the melody, but for practice's sake, try keeping your right hand/arm/wrist really loose and relaxed. This will probably even out the way you are playing the melody, which will probably make it sound a little less interesting in the short term, but I want you to try that in pursuit of bettering your technique (which you can then use in service of your cool articulations/dynamics).
Chris ... I'm originally from a very small town in southern WV so I need my fingers to count and they are busy when playing .. ha ha just kidding.
Thanks man for helping me out on all of these.
Ha! My grandfather's family was from Charleston. WV is a fine state.
I'm trying to reel this one in ... heres my run through 3 or 4 times ... not used to sweeps
Good work Kip! The sweeps are a killer aren't they? I find trying to control them introduces a ton of tension in my wrist at the moment, which I'll need to work on.
Hi Kip,
thanks for posting! The main issue here is honoring the rests and the overal beat structure of the song. This is the most consistent issue for you. Everything else is sounding really good! Try doing the counting on my video. It might be educational to then do the counting on yours to see where things are getting off. Way to go tackling this beast though!
And yeah, the sweeps are really hard! I get very tense when I do them as well. These days I just try to practice staying loose and I have faith that that accuracy will come with time.
Chris
Lewis - I have no idea what Chris will say but from my view point your run at it is awesome. I'm light years from where you are but I agree what a great lesson dealing with a very tricky song. All the best to you!
Challenging for me ... I'll keep working on it.
Hey Kip,
You're playing most of the "hard" stuff very well. The thing that's tripping you up here is waiting the correct duration of time during rests. Along with my version, try counting out loud - "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and..." to feel and learn exactly where the rests are happening. You're all good until 0:14 on your video at which point the rest doesn't get it's full duration. There are some more shortened rests after that. Try counting while you listen to really figure out and know the "phrasing".
Keep up the good work!
Chris
That run from about the 2:05 minute mark to around 2:35 is really sweet - I like that a lot.
Thanks Kip!
Yep ... dang it ... you're right about missing the 3 beats and man do I look seriously um serious ... I need to lighten up when the camera is on. It definitely is super fun to play that way and not enitirely new to me as I've been learning to play Galway Girl using the same sort of method.
I was listening to Norman Blakes Whiskey Before Breakfast record last night circa 1976 that includes Church Street Blues ... wow ... great record. I was trying to think of what I was lisening to that year ... The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue - pitiful looking back.
Thank you!
I don't know, it's pretty hard to argue with The Stones! 🙂
Way too hot outside to cut grass so I decided to take a shot at this.
Kip, sounds great! Very cool way to play a tune right? You're totally doing it.
Just one thing to mention: you skipped a few beats (3 to be precise) going from the A section to the B section (0:27). Straighten that out and you're in good shape!
I'm really happy and excited to hear that you and Julian Lage are back in the studio.
I know it takes forever but I'm already looking forward to a release.
As for the pickin' - my rendition excludes this part lol ... I added some of the things you did but didn't formally teach and maybe I'll try to do a video when the opportunity presents itself but now you've introduced Church Street Blues and I'm mesmerized.
Beautiful ... and all this time I thought it was "Hello" Church Street Blues. As it turns out, my desert island needs to be a lot bigger.
Ok - I nixed the question - after having watched the lesson a thousand times - I finally "listened" to what you were "saying" after the final note of the triple threat triplet which is quite a challenge to play (for me).