Bryan Sutton Teaches Advanced Improv Exercises For Bluegrass Guitar 

Its like quantum physics, when you observe something, you change it. That is part of what is taking place in a good improvisational jam session.

Next up.... Critter Eldridge!!! Do it! Love the interviews. Big time Marcel.

This is beautiful! What a blessing to hear this mutually-respectful discussion between two humble, generous, thoughtful, committed students of an expression.

Congrats getting Bryan on the show. A great honor!

My two favorite bluegrass teachers! Can't wait to dig into it.

one dislike?!?! who in the world would dislike Marcel talking improv on fiddle tunes with Bryan Sutton?!?!

One of the greatest bluegrass guitarists with a computer camera from 2003.. times is tough for musicians these days

Bluegrass is simplistic but it is the most in tune with nature, it's patterns and rhythms already etched into the universe and existence

Bryan is great, I tried Artist Works with him this summer. Unfortunately, it is not for me as I feel like I need some more one on one, but it was awesome to be connected to someone that I admire as much as Bryan. He truly is a genuine person!

Well this is a highlight. Thanks Marcel, Bryan.

You never cease to surprise me Marcel. Great interview and lesson

I LOVE the ArtistWorks lessons with Bryan and recommend them highly. Great interview!

Great to listen to you both speak. Thanks to Bryan for coming on the show and thanks Marcel for creating a great resource and access point for those of us finding our way into Bluegrass.

The part where you discuss rhythmic motifs is pure gold. Thank you!

Most people can improvise conversation using their home language easily and effortlessly. In music, one must know the language of the song or progression, so-to-speak. Know the notes that make up the chords, the notes that are dissonant against the chords. Know the melody and how the melody hits particular notes at the change of chords. Basically, know the musical vocabulary of the key, song and progression. Then start talking with it. If one is lucky, it gets intuitive and spontaneous. Great video , guys.

That Boone Creek record on Bryan’s wall rips.

What a truly incredible player, his understanding of music on a theoretical and practical level is really inspiring, i cant wait to pick with this fella soon!

Bryan is great such an incredible musician and down to earth guy. I’d love to hear a similar conversation with Clay Hess

First of all, thank you Marcel for all you do. I have been a subscriber here for nearly a year and I have learned a great deal from just the RU-vid side of things. I would have to say this video interview with Brian it's one of the best I have seen yet. It's obvious you both eat, sleep and breathe acoustic guitar. Definitely one of the deepest intellectual Bluegrass conversations I've ever heard. So thanks to Brian Sutton for joining you and again thank you so much for posting and sharing. JW

Great video, Marcel. Bryan never fails to provide useful insight, and you never fail to display useful insight in ways that are accessible to people like me who are clawing for the "next level."

The nicest talk about improvisation I have heard in years. Ty

What an absolutely enlightening interview! Bryan is one of the absolute best guitarist ever. Great job on conducting a very smooth and engaging interview 👍🏻

Wonderful conversation, fascinating ground covered, one of Marcel's best ! Go glad to see you being recognized in the upper echelons of the Bluegrass world !!

I live in the Outer Banks and just went to my first Blue Grass jam at Jubilee Music Store. I I was blown away with the talent that was there. I saw your Outer Banks shirt and thought the next time you are down here you could join in on the fun. They are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

wow nice tips

Bluegrass philosophers going deep...I loved Bryan's explanation at 23:19 of a transcendent improv experience. Aspirational!!!

I'm happy I found your channel. I'm new to bluegrass. I'm coming from a Jazz,/Gypsy Jazz background. I Love the genre. The lines, at least to me, they sound like they have a Scott Joplin feel. Like in Beaumont Rag, I hear elements of Scott Joplins, Maple Leaf Rag. I hear these elements everywhere. Beaumont Rag is gonna be the first one I learn. note for note. This info was GREAT for me. I LOVE the way Bluegrass players use the open strings. The way Bryan use the 8th notes to basically improv over the changes, he's arpeggiating the chords. And the use of Motifs/enclosures, in this genre, they're SO much a part of the language, the way the melody is revealing itself. Bryan is a Monster player, and a FANTASTIC educator. Never I have I seen an educator be so expressive, and the info he's given me in this video, it would have taken me years to learn about.

Man I found this channel a while after getting into bluegrass and it's helping so much. The records are the bible and watching all these videos is like goin' to church!

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

17:30 - I always enjoying playing with the rhythm like that. ;) 18:50 - I like that idea of ‘pedalling’ on a particular note in a melody/run - I think it would really take the tedium out of memorizing where the notes are on the neck ;) Also, for training your ear to what an E sounds like :)

What a wonderful conversation and insight - thank you!

Thank you for this video. You two are my biggest influences as a new player to bluegrass and flat picking.

Incredible discussion. I enjoyed this so much. I remember that Woodsongs thing with Chris Thile when it first came out. That was the first time that Bryan came onto my radar and I've been a huge fan ever since. Listening to musicians talk music is almost as good as listening to musicians play music. Thanks for putting this out Marcel!

Awesome interview !!!! Thanks to you both

What a fantastic video. I don’t even like Bluegrass-I play more Blues and Stoner stuff-but everything said applies so much to what I’m trying to learn. I really enjoyed and learned much through your video.

I love Bryan Sutton. Amazing guy !!

Always enjoy these conversations. Wonderful. Thank you!

Wow! Great interview.

One year at Merlefest, I was looking at an old D-18 at the B-3 vintage tent; later, when I brought my friend Scotty over to see it, we found Bryan playing it. I wonder if this is that guitar

Great application of "Yes, and..." to music.

wow. There is some great insight here. Thank you!

I think maybe Bryan's " flying off the handle" and my flying off the handle may be totally different in terms of the scale of the train wreck that's about to happen. I love the depth of thought you guys put into your conversation. Thanks for taking the time.

Very cool and interesting interview. I’m a huge fan of Bryan . And I appreciate a lot your videos and way of teaching. Thanks a lot to both of you. Merci beaucoup.;)

So cool! Thank you fellas! Great stuff

This was amazing!

Great work. Thanks

Wonderful conversation here…lotta spot-on insight…inspiring!

Fantastic - I needed to hear this.

Cary!?!?! Just up the road in Lynchburg, VA! I was at the Billy Strings show there last year!!!

I watched Bryan with Hot Rize. It was like watching a soccer striker who could just not wait to run onto the ball. The same amount of energy was waiting behind the root chord backing long before his break came. Then just exploded

I absolutely love this channel!

You could interview Cody Kilby sometime.

Damn this is good stuff maestro!

Bryan is a monster musician. Sometimes I have to pick my jaw off the floor when I hear him play.

Excellent conversation!

Terrence McKenna said arts and humanity in general produce their best best works in times of uncertainty and chaos. Interesting Brian points out the same with bluegrass improv.

Incredible!

Thank you. Really great talk.

This was an excellent discussion

You have a beautiful microphone Marcel... sounds great...

Bluegrass is not my normal bag but I bloody love it! Great chat, Thanks Gents!

Thanks!

Great interview.

I’ve played guitar on and off for like 10 years. I never had real lessons I just learned how to copy people to play songs I like. But nowadays, I am tired of that. And tired of most music that mostly involves strumming. But idk how to learn to improvise and go from where I’m at either. I thought l should be learning scales and the keys to play them in but this is harder to do than I thought. Idk what to practice besides trying to learn all the songs I like. I feel like when someone is truly good at playing the guitar they don’t sit down and play someone else’s song they can play some scales or something.

I would do the dance of joy if you ever tabbed out Overton Waltz, Marcel.

Watched this a few times now and got lots out of it, but saddens me to think that in 10 days time Tony would be dead. Damn it.

Amazing

Hi Marcel I am just starting to learn Bluegrass guitar. When you first started playing BG guitar where did you start? Iam 70yrs old and hope to make that BG sound on the guitar by 80. So how do you make that BG sound chords then scales and a fast picking hand? I know I can do it I just need the right direction, I do play for a couple of hours everyday but feel like I will never get their I know it might take years. Thanks for any tips

Somebody please send poor old Bryan a camera with a resolution higher than 480p........

Great interview. As the title suggests however, I was expecting to learn some advanced improv exercises. Did I miss something?

The other instruments in the 'jam' have to hold down the chord progression and timing of the song. Otherwise the whole thing can fall in on itself. As long as the chord progression and timing are locked in, the lead player can literally play anything! So the rhythm instruments have a key role to play. Often, a rhythm player is caught listening to a complicated lead part and loss track of a chord change with disastrous results for the song. - G.P.

It’s almost like life lessons of how to be you can take away from a jam circle hahaha

I want to hear how you present a harmonic motif

Improvisation is fun, and leads to discovery and new melody, but I find that most of it sounds like improvisation. The masters make it sound like rehearsed melody, and it doesn't sound like improv.

“You’re either DOING music, or you’re BEING MUSICAL.”

Big Dogg!!!

I'm gonna send Bryan a new camera ;)

I often wonder why Clarence White is pretty much ignored. What's up with that?

I know this is and old video lol. But who would ever thumbs down Bryan Sutton lol

Philip is SO glad Neugene and Clovis we're listenin' Finally, a dupedub heard with no resentments!!

What i wouldn't give for those vinyls on the wall....

Marcel: “I don’t like hearing the Tony Rice lick too much.” Me, currently learning the Tony Rice lick: 😔

Did you get that shirt after watching the Netflix show?

He should have his own RU-vid channel like Sierra hull

we gotta get Bryan a better camera lol

less talk and more playing!

😴😴😴

Do you ever play? Yap yap yap! Crap,