Never EVER have I absorbed so much valuable information about how to go forward with my bluegrass playing. Which i almost have given up upon. Can not afford having a guitar teacher. I am so pleased. So inspired by this video. I'll pick up my guitar again today. Thank you Alex!
So glad you’re getting something out of them! Thanks! I know I’m just out here trying to teach about something I’m passionate about and people are leaving comments like “oh the information wasn’t spoon fed to me and absolutely efficient at every single second so do better” haha. The audacity. I digress.
I freaking love this man! Thank you so much. As a highly trained jazz guy and bluegrass novice I’m so grateful for this kind of content.. really appreciate the courageous, humble, and honest lessons.
Your absolutely right about bluegrass rhythm guitar and how complex and intricate it could be. When I first started playing guitar I was a metal player. I was ignorant in my younger years thinking bluegrass was easy till I joined my uncles bluegrass band years ago and had to learn. Boy was I wrong and it proved me wrong time and time again how difficult it is when you really deep dive into it. Great playing and lessons! Your videos have helped me tremendously! Keep them coming brother!
Excellent lesson Alex. I just did a quick run through of your video but this is one where I'm going to take a deeper dive later. The rhythmic variations you're teaching are great. Keep up the good work!
the bass walks are an excellent way to sound more old time than bluegrass like norman blake, i personally like them in my arrangements because its the only time in this sort of music where you might have a fleeting moment of 'crunchy harmony' when it's just two guitars, because most of the classic b/g repertoire is so straight up and down diatonic. You can also develop them into a full counter melody for an instrumental arrangement or to make different sections of a song that otherwise has the same chord progression for everything stand out. And on the subject of Dynamics, I also like to do that loud chuck strum like blake does where the g run would normally be in his vocal tunes, its a small and simple but effective mashup of a few of the principles you laid out there, basically it goes like this in a single 4/4 measure, 1-2 are regular boom chuck, but 3 and 4 are divided into eighths, so you hit two bass notes and two strums on 3 and 4, the bass notes are usually the 3rd and the open string above it but in his slightly more complex grooves he actually rolls in the other direction. Loads of his playing I would put in the 'simple but damn effective' especially his and nancy's backing parts. BTW Excellent vid, you have a great way of breaking a wider technique and taste discussion down to its smaller parts so it's easier to learn
Really great lesson and demonstration of the levels of complexity of bluegrass rhythm guitar 🎸 playing. A crucial topic that gets scant attention on RU-vid. I really liked the way you taught this as a way to practice.
This is sweet man. And so important. Here in Germany, we have a lot of guitar players focusing on nailing breaks but don’t go beyond (quiet) boom chuck. This is good stuff, Alex, keep it up!
Good to hear from you my friend. Absolutely. And look, there’s nothing wrong with that (quiet) book chuck, but also, there’s so much more we can do to support a song as rhythm players. Cheers!
really cool teacher .. this is a save.. going to understand and practice,,hopefully have fun,, I think timing is also accomplished knowing the tiny elements within the micro techniques in example types of the dynamics and types of timed pull offs hammer ons half step slides ascending descending turn a rounds ..and everything you are incrementing here .. the boom chuck and cross picking and the metronome.. holding the pick clean and tight on the timing .. that GUITAR IS AWESOME TONES!
Nice video. Just started my bluegrass journey and still learning a whole lot about rhythm playing although I have been playing guitar for 20 years now haha. Greets from Austria
I think those asking for more specific info can just pause the video but yeah this is exactly how I learn because you do a good job being musical throughout the entire video
This was an excellent video man (as all these grateful comments can attest). Don’t let a vocal few get you down! Eagerly awaiting the next upload and excited to try out isolating and incorporating these components in my own playing. Cheers!
Alex I've got the feeling in this forum many of us are guitar players with experience in other fields, you caught our attention for you have a special approach when transmitting knowledge, congratulations for that!! 🎉🎉🎉 by the way, what about a video with the inversions/passing rythm chords you used!!? Pure honey!
Very very cool. What a thoughtful approach to musical growth: in pieces. How do you get better? One step at a time. This inspired me so much, thank you! Personally, I just love the effect of the "rumble." It's amazing how that swing thickens the groove.
Great video! I’d love to see some more about chord substitutions. For example, I’ve borrowed your quick G7 with the B as the bass note between G and C in the key of G. I’d love to hear about why you made certain choices in the rhythm part to your Red Haired Boy jam video.
Is there any way you can not talk at all and sort telepathically convey the information instead? Also, I don't like that color ink. Can you use blue next time? But seriously, thanks for this! You're a killer musician and a good teacher, sir!
So it looks like you have upgraded your saddle? It looks wider than normal for a martin guitar. Is this correct? If so, were you having an intonation issues?
Never happy hitting ANY guitar. No Alex. Not happy about that. But I've done it and maybe everybody. Don't do that for "us"...can we just get to the Zen diagram of endless rhythmic permutations and we can all try making the complicated look easy. Thanks Alex. Appreciate y'all.😊
Good guitarists make it look so easy. Boy was I surprised how difficult it was (and still is) when I decided to learn. Ps I want to see more writing and less talking.😅
Haha I love chirping you’re doing at the people that don’t want to put the work in 😂. Fuck em if they don’t find the value in something that’s longer than 30 seconds.
