What learning 'I Walk The Line' by Johnny Cash taught me... 

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watching competent guitar players faffing to work out a part is very comforting to the less competent among us :)

People don't realize that "simple" music is the hardest to play and write well. But it connects the most. No room for mistakes.

I am currently working on this song, and I find it is (as we used to say in my rural Central Texas childhood) "a wooly-booger". Not only is the guitar part more difficult than it sounds, but the song itself is a show-off piece for a singer, modulating five times through three keys and two octaves. It's a beast! I love it.

I Walk the Line was the very first guitar riff and song I ever 'learned'. I used to watch my dad play and sing it all the time on guitar when I was a kid and tried to play it from time to time. Long before I actually started playing at age 15.

It's actually kind of nice to know that a professional musician struggles with the same things I, someone who is trying to learn guitar, do. Great video!

This is one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar - my dad taught me the guitar intro somewhere around age 12 and I was hooked!!!

Johnny Cash was a great player and it's sad he is no longer with us. Thank you so much for learning, teaching, and playing his music. You are the best!

I am so impressed with your humility and your desire to learn new things and expand your versatility!

I discovered @MarySpender through a recent Rick Beato video, and ended up here today. My late father was a huge Johnny Cash fan, and it melts my heart to see that he's still on the scene after all these years - in a way validating my father's sense of music taste. Nice job, my eyes are dripping.

"Aw, Pick it, Luther!" Occasionally you can hear Cash say this at the end of a verse. The Front Man said that once in a gig. My response was "I'm pickin' it as LOOTH as I can!" Sounding pretty good, there. Cheers.

I love that you delve into, try to learn and show respect to such a wide variety of styles of music. You're a musician in the truest sense of the word and it comes across in your videos. So cool. I'm such a big fan.

Oh the struggle with muscle memory and learning new finger picking patterns.. my fingers always want to go back to one I already know.

I just love your matter-of-factness in fleshing out the mechanics of this song. Seems I'm in good company when learning a new song and trying to get things to fall into place. Thanks for the post, Mary!

This is very rewarding for me to watch. I just learned about learning.

This song is engrained in my system. There is no song like it. So while I enjoyed your video I have to put this here: Luther played with his palm resting gently on the bridge because his volume knob was busted. That part is true. But Perkins picked single notes using mostly upstrokes. This is very unnatural. This guy LOVED knitting (no joke) and boy it shows in his picking patterns. He would NEVER touch the high strings unless it was for a quick run around the chord patterns higher up the neck. Cash provided the "chicka" and muffled strings with a crisp piece of paper on this one, along with the slap of the bass. (actually the bass player didn't have this technique in his playing but Sam Philips applied tape echo on the track. Later bass players mistook what they heard and added the slapping of the strings to the body of the bass to emulate the sound they were hearing on the recording. The truth is Cash wanted to create a snare drum sound, but in those days drums weren't allowed at Sun. They were considered too "colored" for white artists in Memphis. Cash hated that, he loved the sound of a snare drum so he figured out how to get around this. Later he could bring in WS Holland on drums of course but I believe this is sometime around he was leaving Sun for Columbia Records. Also the idea for Walk The Line originated from a practise run of bass player Marshall Grant.

I want to hear the finished product. Don't worry about the deep voice, just do it your way. Every time I hear someone try to imitate Johnny Cash it sounds awful. But, I have heard people do Johnny Cash in their own voice and style, and it sounds great. I know...it's so hard to get that iconic voice out of your head, but you can do it. Thanks!❤

It's one of those songs that sounds simple enough but then you find out it's actually more challenging when you sit down and try to learn it. And of course, the other challenge to a song like that is that even if it _were_ easy to play, it's also very easy to -- and more to the point -- very _noticeable,_ when you mess up. I find the hardest part of playing guitar isn't even so much getting to where you can play a line or riff, but being able to play it consistently without making mistakes. _That's_ the real challenge. There's a lot of riffs I can play that most would find challenging, but, to play them ten times in a row _perfectly_ is another thing entirely. That's the hardest part really, I find; even for the 'easy' stuff.

I would also suggest giving Jerry Reed a listen. His picking hand work was something else.

Thank you Mary! Those rhythms are so interesting. Almost like a train, or walking. There's a sense of movement in his songs. I'm not a huge Country fan but I like Johnny a lot. I highly recommend his Autobiography if you haven't read it. Also love that melodic line on 'Spire' just beautiful!

I have recently rediscovered your channel. I must say you have once again sparked my interest in guitars and especially playing them. Not to mention your original music, which is pretty much on repeat on Spotify and RU-vid. Chewsday Tawks has made days like this all the more special for me. I am truly thankful for all of that. All the best and here's to many more amazing music and content to come. Cheers!

I was checking out Johnny Cash covers and made my way here. I’m glad Johnny Cash brought me hear, I’ve found a new artist that I really enjoy listening to. You’re originals and covers are great and also enjoying chewsday talks.

Love it! Really cool for students to be able to see the process that even their teachers go through, I reckon. Thanks for that

I like when you show how you go about learning new stuff. I hope you will treat us to a playthrough when you have it down. I am still trying to figure out the solo part of Folsom Prison Blues (on acoustic); so if you want to figure that one out, and explain it you'd be my hero. It is always such a bright spot in the week when your videos pop up. Thanks for what you are doing here.

You've such a unique lovely style of playing. Always getting in your rhythm, mid-range and melody all with your fingers. Bravo

When I was a kid many decades ago That was one of the three or four songs my dad could play on guitar.

I wonder how the rest of the week is pronounced.

I love that you allow yourself to be so very genuine with your audience. Awesome Video!

I've always found that bringing the speed down until I can play the darn thing without mistakes three times in a row helps immensely

Nothing beats a real spring reverb! And if it doesn’t sound good clean it won’t sound good with overdrive, Distortion or other effects you throw at it😊

This is RU-vid guitar channel goals as well as guitar playing goals. You're having so much fun. Keep on keepin' on.

Thank you so much for this video, Mary. The way you embrace and tackle your weaknesses is truly inspiring, and I learned a lot!

I learned this tune when I was just starting out 12 years ago but I definitely didn't do the boom-chicka-boom correctly so I'm excited to revisit this! Great video Mary!

That 5 minute ad was really something special.

I've tried so hard to teach myself guitar. I walk the line is the first thing i could ever play recognizably, and yet I see how wrong I was playing it by watching you play. You make it look so effortless. Thank you, love you.

Such a humble and above all...generous commentary. Thanks Mary!

My brain has come to habitually expect this fix of oxytocin every Tuesday.

I seem to remember hearing in one of the documentaries that I’ve seen that the boom chicka boom sound comes from the rhythm of a train rolling down the tracks.

Oh Mary you have true talent and when you learn from the masters you can't go wrong. Keep on doing what you're doing. It's only going to be a huge help to you. Love your music..

Oh I love how you dig into what you do. Absolutely fabulous.

I was just watching some other guitar stuff and was like "I could really go for a new Mary vid" also, ya gotta show us when you've learnt it

An old version of the lyrics that I heard once: I keep my eyes wide open all the time I keep a close watch on this heart of my mine I keep my pants up with a ball of twine If you'll be mine, please pull the twine.

Thanks Mary. It was encouraging for me to see someone who plays very well working out a song.

Hi Mary, I’ve just picked the guitar up again after 28 years. You inspire me. Thank you so very much.

When you learn it please perform it for us. 😎🎸👍

Also, when visiting Sun Studios, they mentioned that he used to stick a dollar bill under the strings to dampen them.

Amp sounds really cool. There is nothing better than when you find the perfect clean tone

Symbols for knob labels. Genius. And they are so intuitive.

It just dawned on me, the color on your t-shirt is the Revolution Green of your Vigier! Very Cool!!

Hi Mary, i saw your vid at Guitar Center NYC and thought, well those are some nice disappear chords and she does a clean blues bend, but she should learn basic country guitar with all the simple but cool bass walk ups, so you would really be "playing" something that engaged you, and Voila! i saw your Walk the Line vid! You are definitely on the right track now! I've been playing this stuff for 50 years, I started playing John Hurt style, which is basically ragtime, which is also country beat. I think you would do well by learning hammers and pulloffs, walk ups, and downs, in all keys , learn Wildwood Flower, Give My Love to Rose, I Still Miss Someone, etc. By the time you learn a new tune in this style, you will be killing I Walk the Line and you will develop a mastery of this technique. You have a good voice, keep singing with feeling. The Beatles played a lot of country, and played slowly this style works for ballads and learning to get around the fretboard easier. People like this stuff because its simple, it swings, and its REAL. Good job, Mary!

You are a pleasure to watch , talk, and play with your own unique style Mary !

Great video, thank you for posting...please continue!!

Thanks for giving (me) an introduction to Luther Perkins and his picking style. I have missed out on it, too. And when you demo'ed the amp, I learned how to slow YT to see your fingerstyle. Btw: you, 3/4 speed = drunk; you, half-speed = stoned. ;^) Thanks!

Look at you matching your shirt with your guitar... how grand..

Keep up the great work as usual Mary. I am also teaching myself to play and watching your vids inspire me to keep progressing knowing it can be done and done well.

You have a lovely speaking voice and I found this video relaxing to listen to. It gives your content a great feel and pace. Too many people put an artificial energy into the video that gets tiering.

Great stuff Mary, love Luther perkins and Carl Perkins, have a look at Scott Moore on early Presley stuff too x

Now that's how you make a commercial for a amp!

This is really cool to watch you teacher yourself to be the best you can be. Keep it up.

I am thoroughly enjoying finding your older videos, Mary. As a middle-aged beginner guitarist attempting to be self-taught, segments like this are great. By the way, I recently received my signed copy of your cd and am enjoying that so much as well. Thank you! :)

Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins are really good to look into if you really wanna get that thumb goin

Hi Mary, thanks for bringing the Orange "TremLord" to my attention! For the whole of my 64 years of guitar playing, I think this is the amp I have been looking for!! As an aside, I worked with a singer for about 20 years, covering many Johnny Cash songs (as well as Carl Perkins) and it was my job to provide the Luther Perkins rhythm! So good (and quite rare!) to hear an artist talking about Luther. Thanks.

Awesome video Mary! I'm learning and this was Valuable information!!! Thank You! I LOVE your music...

Wow. Great piece. Thank you so much for sharing.

Amp advert ends @ 5:02 You're welcome. 😈

8:07 that's about where my voice gives out, too

That's a great sounding amp. Thanks for the video, was fantastic.

Just what I needed as I am trying to improve my rhythm. Love your videos, they are so informative.

You ought to give ol' Merle Haggard a spin.

When I think of country music, I think of "Crazy" by Patsy Cline

Love your advice and listening to your playing skills! And for giving me hope to be a better guitarist...Thank you!!

Hey Mary ! I love that schematic you have on the wall, as an electronic guy i se the sound thru the components, and hear the lovely playing you do 😎👍

I understand the need for sponsors...but the title of this video was a bit misleading since so much of the time was weighted towards the Orange amp leaving so little for the Johnny Cash adventure.

Are you coming to Summer NAMM??? Is that why you are learning Johnny Cash tunes?

I have to say I like that you keep it simple and don't get to tech nerdy. I also like that you explain the setting and show your setting clearly.

You are such a great "explainer"....and your diction is perfect...easy to listen to and understand....

I asked a little while ago but can you please do a cover of Pearl Jam's song "Black"? I really want to hear a "Mary Spender interpretation" of that beautiful song.

Mary. At about 9.50 I heard "oh, I'm getting that wrong." 2 things to learn: 1. The bass is worked on the tonic/5th above or tonic /5th below. Understand this inversion. 2. This playing style is JC/LP take on a style going around at the time called the Carter Scratch. That's a test for you to vid. You already play the carter Scratch but in an English way.

You put out a high quality video, your intelligence along with super laid back natural style is infectious. .thanks for the journey. .and your beautiful .

Learned a lot from this one. Thank you Mary. Love this song and that sound. Wonderful to see the process. The Orange amp sounds intriguing.

Hey, there's a contry player named Colter Wall. He has a really intressting and unik Finger picking, Wich deserve your attention ;) You should try the ones that callet "motorcykel" or "devil wares suit an ty" Greatings from Danmark 😊

Now that she learned the boom-chicka-boom, she's the new queen of the rumba beat.

Wasn't sure how I'd like Mary without a dirty channel, but the throb of the tremolo an the rythm of Mary's right hand is just perfect !

Great video, I wish other musicians would discover the genius of the great masters in guitar playing. Thanks again Mary

Mary Spender... I'd think you'd do a LOVELY cover of John Mayer's "Stop This Train", if you ever want to learn it... with your guitar work, and with that fantastic voice of yours.

Sponsored by orange- boss katana on the shelf: "nobody sees, nobody knows" Sneaky little ninja he is, hiding behind that plant.

Like this style of video seeing you work out and learn a song makes us all feel better in our playing and learning. Great tone

Excellent video. I think this was one of your best! Do more of this type of lesson. Thanks.

The story of "I Walk The Line" is one of those weird ones that will make you collect weird stories. He came up with the music when he was in the US Air Force and stationed in Germany(West Germany, as it was known then). He had a tape recorder, one of the old reel-to-reel things, and he loaned it to another guy in the barracks. When he got it back, the tape had been reversed on the reel(a problem that sometimes would happen when rewinding the tape). The next time he used it he found some music on it that sounded unusual, and interesting. He figured out what had happened - the tape got put back on backwards. The intro covers the unusual part Cash got from the incident with the tape machine, and it should teach those learning to play to have an open mind and to keep your ears open. Also, that "Hmmm" part at the beginning of the verses is a trick used by amatuer singers(like in church) to get in tune, and choir directors will usually tell you to "stop that!" It was left in the recording on purpose, though, and the song sounds wrong without it!

Look into Chet Atkins, and a thumbpick Also Tommy Emmanuel, Merl Travis, Jerry Reed.

Omg your speaking voice is designed for singing it is so calm and beautiful

I love this video. Thanks for what you do Mary. 👍

Came for the "bow-chicka-wow-wow", was given "boom-chicka-boom". Dang.

When I read the title: What Learning 'I Walk The Line' by Johnny Cash Taught Me. Me: .....was it the song, I Walk The Line?

You took flight on this one. Thanks, Mary. Well done.

I had no idea about this particular Orange amp -- and I'm really glad you demo'd it in this style in this video, to show the versatility in their line!

This woman is dangerously attractive. Everything about her. Thanks to Scallon & their double acoustic/bass videos, I've now discovered an awesome & beautiful RU-vidr.

mother Maybelle Carter chicka chicka is twice as fast you'll be obsessed with the song I was

Your channel is what I need right now.

How did your channel miss my radar for so long! Appearing in my suggestions for the first time today. The channel is just what i need right now...... I'm in a massive guitar rut, stuck in another national lockdown. I may just binge your entire back catalogue.