[Kenny C.]

Haha, yeah that would help. Next time I'll just think "Jeff Tweedy...Conor Oberst...Neko Case...it's not that bad..."

[Rainer.]

'Till you hear George Strait's voice coming over the loudspeakers...

[Jaymze13]

Originally Posted by Rainer.

It's not that bad... just think Wilco while you're playing it.

[Rainer.]

Wilco... the band... Wilco... ya know... Wilco?

[Jaymze13]

I guess I'll google it later.

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Wilco... the band... Wilco... ya know... Wilco?

Oh yeah, the "alt. country band" (whatever that is...).

No thanks. When I have to 'think country' then it's Buck Owens, Pete Anderson, some Jerry Reed and a bit of Brad Paisley for me.

[Jaymze13]

Originally Posted by gtrdave

Oh yeah, the "alt. country band" (whatever that is...).

No thanks. When I have to 'think country' then it's Buck Owens, Pete Anderson, some Jerry Reed and a bit of Brad Paisley for me.

Paisely (excuse the expression here in the country discussion) absolutely ROCKS!! I love to listen to him. I love it when somebody not only plays their own guitar, but plays it well. We're going to hopefully get his Christmas CD in the next couple of days.

When I think of country I think of those listed above too and for me you can add Hank Williams, Waylon, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, George Straight (when he's not doing some radio hit) and Patsy Cline.

Speaking of good guitar players, I've watched Vince Gill play and he can play like there's no tomorrow also.

[metropolis4]

I've been playing lead guitar in a modern country band semi-professionally for about 4 years now (It's how I put myself through college ). Country is often difficult for rock guys to figure out because the tonal aesthetics are totaly different! Its a lot more major tonality based. The most common sounds that you hear that make country sound like country are mixtures of mixolydian and ionian modes. There is a lot of emphasis on the minor 3 moving to the major 3 and the b7 moving up to the 7. Try this lick in E all straight 16th notes around 120 bpm

-7/9-7-----7---------------------------------------------
-------8-9--8-7------------------------------------------
----------------9-7^(8)-9-7----------------4\2---1------
-----------------------------9-8-7---4-5-6-----4---2---2
-----------------------------------7------------------4--
----------------------------------------------------------

Here's another good one in G using both the minor 3 resolve to major 3 and b7 to 7:

-10---------------------------
-11^(12)----------------------
----------12-10---10^(11)-12
----------------12------------
-------------------------------

I could go on and on They're so fun!
Pay attention to the different tonalities used and how much different they are from other styles such as rock, those differences are what give any style its uniques feel and sound.

Ok a couple more!
Here's a cool and easy way to sound like a pedal steel bend in A. Let all three notes ring together as you bend the 2 up to the 3 on the G string

-------------------------------
-------------------------------
---------------------4^^(6)---
------------------7-----------
--------------7---------------
------------------------------

This one uses some fun hybrid picking in C use the pick for the single notes on the D string and your middle and ring fingers to play the double stops on the G and B strings use a very staccato sound to all notes

-------------------------------------------
-------11----10-----8--------------------
-------12----10-----8^9-------8---9---------
--/10-----10----10-------10---7---10-----------
-------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------


Ok! I really could go on forever I need to stop!

[LWatford]

Lots of good stuff already in this thread. About the only thing that I can say is listen, listen, listen. Don't get stuck thinking "I don't really play guitar this way," if it's something you like and want to learn, play it that way. Same with any style of music.

Hybrid picking is a must know thing. Rhythm is very important (as always). Having "big ears" is very important (again...as always). Knowing when to play and when not too. One of the hardest things to get used to is playing with a steel player and a fiddle...there isn't as much room as some people may be used to.

oh...and a great website for lessons, licks, tabs, etc.:
http://www.tallstrom.com/

[RedsFan75]

Originally Posted by metropolis4

I've been playing lead guitar in a modern country band semi-professionally for about 4 years now (It's how I put myself through college ). Country is often difficult for rock guys to figure out because the tonal aesthetics are totaly different! Its a lot more major tonality based. The most common sounds that you hear that make country sound like country are mixtures of mixolydian and ionian modes. There is a lot of emphasis on the minor 3 moving to the major 3 and the b7 moving up to the 7. Try this lick in E all straight 16th notes around 120 bpm

SNIP!


Ok! I really could go on forever I need to stop!

Hey metro, you use a b-bender on your axe for any of the steel tones?

[metropolis4]

Originally Posted by RedsFan75

Hey metro, you use a b-bender on your axe for any of the steel tones?

Na, When I started doing the country thing I was a poor college student so I bought a volume pedal instead and learned how to emulate pedal steel using intervals, behind the nut bends and volume swells. Don't get me wrong B-Benders are awsome, I'd love to have one! There are some cool things you can do on one of those that you just can't do on any other guitar.
You'd be surprised how well you can emulate pedal steel with a volume pedal and a little ingenuity

[Decency]

As far as chord progression goes, it's most of the time 1, 4, 5, 1, 2, 5, 1. So on and so forth. The bass just rocks back and forth (which is what i play in bluegrass).