Hello All!
This week, by request, we’re starting a new tune, Under the Double Eagle. This is a killer tune that was made popular by the mighty Norman Blake on his album, Whiskey Before Breakfast. As you will see, the melody is very simple and slow moving but it has a tremendous sense of forward momentum and fullness due to the “filler” crosspicking and strums.
For this first week I’m teaching the chords (there are a couple of fun, unexpected ones). Your goal is to get comfortable with playing them with a loose driving rhythm, a la Norman. Listen to his version for inspiration. It’s important that you pay attention to developing that loose but driving rhythm because it will set the stage for how we fill out the melody in the next lesson.
Enjoy!
Chris
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Bluegrass
Print Chords & Tab
Loop 0:00 Run-Through
Loop 2:34 Rhythm Practice Loop
Loop 16:51 Rhythm Practice Loop
Loop 18:36 Closing Thoughts
Loop 20:40 Rhythm Practice Loop With Chris Playing Melody
Comments
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I took on this piece a couple of months ago. When I first heard it my jaw dropped. I think I dropped a few swear words actually. I also skipped the intro and focused on the main tune. It kicked my butt. Had to take chunks and slow them down and listen to them a hundred times. When I heard you play it I realized how much I was over thinking it and was uber focused on the exact "dipsy doodles" as Kip calls them and lost the overall feel. You make it sound so effortless and easy!
Like Kip, I got into and really learned to appreciate Norman through your lessons and fell in love with his style. So thanks for that, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this series!
Love this, thanks James!
Ever since being introduced to Norman's playing (by you) a couple of years ago, I have completely fallen in love with his style of picking. He makes the melody sound so simple all the while sounding like an entire band with all of his dipsy doodle in between. Just great. I'll be learning this one from scratch and look forward to working on it.
Awesome!