Cass McCombs | Guitar Moves Interview 

how much he goes in for the Lovesick Blues cover made me cry, good grief

All the guitar moves chapters have a special vibe, but this one in particular has THAT vibe of spending the afternoon with a friend back in the garden which makes it super enjoyable

I remember watching this video when it came out on noisey. That was also when I started guitar. The thumb action was one of most helpful techniques I have learned. It’s now been 8 years of playing guitar and I love it more each day. Thank you Matt Sweeney for the amazing videos and the best interviews

Cass is a beautiful enigma! Thanks for bottling some of his gift for us here

Leonard Cohen's slow picking taught me how to finger pick. Good stuff here for folks new to pickin'. Love Cass. Cheers.

Was lucky enough to have a good first guitar teacher, whose background was in playing both Blues and Bach. And one of the first things he put me on to learning was slow finger picking patterns. The first couple of years I spent learning that took me from Elizabeth Cotten's Freight Train, to Leo Kottke's The Fisherman, which use the thumb like that. Then on to John Fahey's Sligo River Blues to Eric Johnson's Song for George. By that stage fingerstyle guitar had me hooked, and I kept on at it, into classical guitar. I do wish I kept up playing steel-string guitar and electric too though. But I am finding that classical guitar is quite useful for learning bass, and slide guitar (alternating fingers, rest stroke, muting/staccato/damping etc..)

Thank you! This is a treasure

Damn, I thought it would be a new interview, but still this is my favorite episode and my absolute favorite musician/songwriter. It was awesome to hear about the thumb technique because that’s exactly how I naturally started playing and it was awesome to know he plays that way. I never use picks, I either use my thumb or my thumb and index finger as a pick. It can be hard on nails, but just don’t be a bitch and you’re good

Greatest GM episode of all time, classic

This is my fav episode. I’m pretty fascinated by fingerpicking techniques and that simple thumb folky thing he does is a good way to get started

shoutout to Sam Dylan the Criminal Defence Lawyer

This is a beautiful video

I swear I thought this had been lost to the ether, so glad it’s back

Clean. Truth shall make you free. Indeed.

I read this as 'Gaz Coombes' and got excited

Super cool rest stroke with the thumb too ❤

Finally🙌

Thank you for reposting this. I out a lot out of this!

Better than gold

Where is the Malkmus episode?

Yo Matt, we’re yall on shrooms when you filmed this? Something tells me yall were tripping. Explains the sunglasses haha😂

You just got to keep that alternating thumb and finger going... I've spent years trying and I'm not done yet.

Whats the tune Matt plays? I love it! Has that off dissonance vibe as Mississippi John Hurt - Rich woman blues.

You've heard that in passing? lol

Peter Doherty would be really cool if you can get yer hands on him

uuuuuuuu weeeeeeeeeeeee

Do an ep with Matteo Mancuso 🔥

This guy is not that good I don’t know what’s all the fuzz

are you ever going to explain why you deleted these or just ignore that like a regular hollywood weirdo?

The guitar playing is pretty basic but the hipster cringe level is exceptional.

please PLEASE get dean deleo on guitar moves

Does anyone know the song he was playing at the start?