My friend Richard Hurley suggested I check out your video lessons. Great stuff. I'm 72 and have been strumming an electric guitar (1969 Mosrite combo sunburst, like Glen Cambell’s) on and off for over 50 years. I'm the original and only owner of that Mosrite. I just recently bought a Martin D-18 with the commitment to learn finger style guitar. Progress is slow, but steady. I'm so excited about the treasure trove of guitar know-how I am finding all over UA-cam. When I was 16 the free or almost free music resources were slim. Online guitar know-how today is a veritable treasure chest. I'm lovin’ it. Thanks for your help.
As a Punk Rocker moving into bluegrass, the similarities are uncanny. The groove and the eighth notes are very similar to a Ramones style downstrum. Thanks so much for this.
Man alive that was elegantly explained. Sutton is one engaging dude. May all guitar students in the future have the patience and will to just jam 8th notes to a metronome on one-string to focus on the pick flowing through the string rather than getting caught on it and creating that unintentional staccato that plagues newer players. Amen. It’s almost a shame that this is labeled as a ‘Bluegrass’ lesson because this is just ridiculously important basic pick control material for any guitar player using a pick.
I could listen to this guy talk music all day, let alone make it & demonstrate these great principles to slowly relax & improve at getting my best out of an acoustic instrument.
Incredible how you can explain this important matter so interestingly 👍 I’m new to bluegrass, always love to listen to it, but never tried to learn in (strangely enough🤔). I think this lesson is important for this coming journey, as well a wake up call/reminder
You beautifully articulate what one should strive for. A question if you have time; I have an early 80's D28 the models without a truss rod. It has a ton of miles on it, it has a fairly new set of frets. However, not having a truss makes it tricky for me to set up properly. My professional days are behind me, but would like to get it to sounding akin to yours. They look like twins! LOL Suggestions will not go unappreciated.
Your guitar does have a truss rod, it's just not adjustable. I'd suggest either trading in for a vintage Martin or a newer Martin which is made with the older specs. The early 80's was not the best period for Martin guitars from a build standpoint. Good folk guitars but not tone machines.
Yes, most bluegrass musicians think in cut time. Tempo markings and the metronome usually indicate half notes, but you usually call a string of eighths "1&2&3&4&"
That is just the intro song before the lessons. There's probably a lesson in the course on it somewhere, but that's just the general intro theme. This lesson wasn't intended to teach it.
Forgive my ignorance Sir. I just realized who you are. I have been a huge fan for many years. Sutton stood out to me but I did not pay attention to the first name. You will go down in history as the special guitarist you are. I would be honored by a response. It would be a super thrill is you watched my Mozart or Bach (each just a few minutes) and left a comment!
god i love everything bryan sutton. he is a hero of mine. that said, and i could easily just be having a day--i'm no master musician--but is it just me, or does it sound more like he's playing 16th notes? like 4 notes per beat? I don't know, man, sorry
Back in 2006 Bryan was teaching some of these doctrines but also put a lot of emphasis on volume. I wonder if he still feels that volume is as important
As a metal player for over 40 years with a love of bluegrass, I was hoping for something more than just alternate picking on an open string with uniform attack.
I disagree, he is really emphasizing the need for good technique as it relates to having good fundamental tone and dynamics. It's critical on acoustics, archtops, or even clean electric playing, compared to overdrive/distortion which add sustain and compression and are a bit more forgiving to the player. I learned to play on electric guitar and use a large pedalboard, but my journey into flatpicking forced me to correct my fundamental tone. My electric guitar tone benefitted from this as well
@@AlexG-ok1zc Agreed - basics are fundamental to good technique. While I lean towards metal and hard rock, I don't like overdrive, and compression is totally against my religion! I'm more of a clean channel EQ and metal pedal type player - it gives you finer control, good dynamics, good harmonics and overtones, etc. As for sustain, a touch of control-able feedback enhancing sustain is part of my preferred tone. In this case I was hoping for a little riff or picking style that would let me do some blue-grassy kind of thing easily. Guess I clicked on the bluegrass 101 video, when I should have clicked on the bluegrass 201 video! (G)
Sir, I have two acoustic guitars. One is guvnor and other one is adonis. Could you please tell me what is better? Background of these guitars and manufacture countries? Great help!
See the saddle, how that slot is routed to pass clean through the bridge? That'll be a good indicator of a pre war martin or thereabouts. They still use that saddle in modern guitars, certain models, but this one is old.
Brian: Please forgive the brutal honesty, but other than those extremely basic flat picking exercises (which admittedly would sound better if your viewers alternates hammer ons, slides or chromatic runs), you really showed us little that's useful. So I'm left no closer to playing any real blue grass riffs, That's 7:08 that I'll never get back.
Can't focus on what he's saying , just want to give that guitar a wash , where? has he been playing , in the bog or up the mountains with that poor old Martin.
My friend Richard Hurley suggested I check out your video lessons. Great stuff. I'm 72 and have been strumming an electric guitar (1969 Mosrite combo sunburst, like Glen Cambell’s) on and off for over 50 years. I'm the original and only owner of that Mosrite. I just recently bought a Martin D-18 with the commitment to learn finger style guitar. Progress is slow, but steady. I'm so excited about the treasure trove of guitar know-how I am finding all over UA-cam. When I was 16 the free or almost free music resources were slim. Online guitar know-how today is a veritable treasure chest. I'm lovin’ it. Thanks for your help.
'Success is not about fast or slow. It's about quality managed as long as we need it.' words to live by
As a Punk Rocker moving into bluegrass, the similarities are uncanny. The groove and the eighth notes are very similar to a Ramones style downstrum. Thanks so much for this.
bluegrass is punk of country. been to a billy strings show?
I am a forty years old very beginner, I m french, and I understood it all ! Thank you !!! It is very clear and pedagogic, bravo monsieur 😊
Il est vraiment le top. Bon chances avec r'es "etudes".
I'm 72 and just starting finger style guitar after strumming chords for 56 yrs. Hang in there, young feller. 😀😆 Oui oui.
Man alive that was elegantly explained. Sutton is one engaging dude. May all guitar students in the future have the patience and will to just jam 8th notes to a metronome on one-string to focus on the pick flowing through the string rather than getting caught on it and creating that unintentional staccato that plagues newer players. Amen. It’s almost a shame that this is labeled as a ‘Bluegrass’ lesson because this is just ridiculously important basic pick control material for any guitar player using a pick.
This is a great lesson! I usually skip over the ‘talking’ part of instructional videos and am no poorer for it. But these words are gold! Nice work.
I could listen to this guy talk music all day, let alone make it & demonstrate these great principles to slowly relax & improve at getting my best out of an acoustic instrument.
Uncle Larry sent me here. Thank you for the valuable lesson in dynamics.
Excellent demonstration and explanation of the dynamics and flow of playing guitar...
This is so spot on, what a masterful lesson from the Maestro. Thank you.
What a most lucid and eloquent explanation of picking technique.
That intro is one of the best things I have heard my guitar journey
Flow! Yes….live with lights in the eyes…lookin for flow..thank you
Getting picking lessons from Bryan Sutton is like getting drawing lessons from Leonardo Da Vinci.
That guitar looks like leonardo davinci's. Lol
Amen
I don't even know who he is but looked at the thumb nail and thought "this guy looks legit"
Right?!
True
Incredible how you can explain this important matter so interestingly 👍 I’m new to bluegrass, always love to listen to it, but never tried to learn in (strangely enough🤔). I think this lesson is important for this coming journey, as well a wake up call/reminder
Thank you so much for this lesson. It would help me and others I'm sure how to hold the pick (angie, wrist movement etc...) thank you again!
Man, this is an amazing guitar lesson. Thank you Bryan
Great advice. -long time player, new to this style
I've been reversing picking patterns by starting exercises and songs with an upstroke. It seems to strengthen my sound.
Great instructions
I'm a player incorporating some of these techniques into my playing. I've been concentrating on my RH for the past while really trying to improve.
Great lesson and beautiful Martin guitar!
Just discovered your channel....subscribed!!! Cheers from Florida!!!!🙂🙃🙂
"down in the engine room of our playing" amazing.
Super interesting perspectives! Great tutorial!
Bryan is as good a communicator as he is guitarist. Great video.
the whole thing hit me @ 4:00...brilliant!
Bryan is a great teacher.
You beautifully articulate what one should strive for. A question if you have time; I have an early 80's D28 the models without a truss rod. It has a ton of miles on it, it has a fairly new set of frets. However, not having a truss makes it tricky for me to set up properly. My professional days are behind me, but would like to get it to sounding akin to yours. They look like twins! LOL Suggestions will not go unappreciated.
Your guitar does have a truss rod, it's just not adjustable.
I'd suggest either trading in for a vintage Martin or a newer Martin which is made with the older specs. The early 80's was not the best period for Martin guitars from a build standpoint. Good folk guitars but not tone machines.
i dream about owning a road worn beautiful sounding Martin guitar that looks like that one !!
With that sound hole, I would have to say that is Clarence's...
Well said throughout dood, thank you!
He's the BEST flatpicker - period.
THANKS for this tutorial!
Jake Workman would prolly disagree
@@krogge10 As would Tony Rice ~
@@krogge10 Justin Moses and Carl miner both better
@@krogge10 and Michael daves
Isn't 1&2&3&4& for eighth notes? I hear 1e&a 2e&a for 2 measures. Is he counting in half time?
Yes, most bluegrass musicians think in cut time. Tempo markings and the metronome usually indicate half notes, but you usually call a string of eighths "1&2&3&4&"
Such a BEAUTIFUL MARTIN man!!..
Brilliant! Intricate insights so sensitively delivered!
How can I play the bit at the start, I’ve got the one string down, where’s the rest?
That is just the intro song before the lessons. There's probably a lesson in the course on it somewhere, but that's just the general intro theme. This lesson wasn't intended to teach it.
It's got a little bit of wildwood flower in it. I'd learn that, essential for this kind of picking
Thank you Bryan.
Good teacher
Can't believe you can just log on and learn this stuff for free
Thank you, could I have your permission to use this video for a power director video lesson, with credit for you?
Thanks, Gary
Forgive my ignorance Sir. I just realized who you are. I have been a huge fan for many years. Sutton stood out to me but I did not pay attention to the first name. You will go down in history as the special guitarist you are. I would be honored by a response. It would be a super thrill is you watched my Mozart or Bach (each just a few minutes) and left a comment!
Great lesson. Thank you!
Man, that machine has been played. Look at that thing
this guitar has one sweet sound to it
excellent video. A small thing I can practice. subscribed, thx!
Excellent tutorial.
thank you！
I’m totally distracted by that old Martin. It’s been around the block a time or two 👍🏻
Hey, I can play one string now!
took me 2 minutes to get past the laughing at this lol
@@clapton79 Enough to play "Chicken in the corn"
Yeah, it's important not to bite off more than you can chew. Maybe next year you can try a second string?
@@bradleyhohner8775 I will just stick to one string for now.
I feel you, brother
god i love everything bryan sutton. he is a hero of mine. that said, and i could easily just be having a day--i'm no master musician--but is it just me, or does it sound more like he's playing 16th notes? like 4 notes per beat? I don't know, man, sorry
He is playing in 4/4 at 80 BPM. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Put a metronome on 80 BPM and try 16 notes per measure, it’ll be way different
You are right :-) He is playing 16th notes
That is a real lesson in guitar.
Back in 2006 Bryan was teaching some of these doctrines but also put a lot of emphasis on volume. I wonder if he still feels that volume is as important
Of course
Volume and playing relaxed are big emphasis
Anyone miss he’s playing 16th notes at 80
4 notes per click?
So if he’s playing 8th notes(2 notes per click) the tempo is 160
As a metal player for over 40 years with a love of bluegrass, I was hoping for something more than just alternate picking on an open string with uniform attack.
What more were you hoping for?
Pretty sure this sets the stage for progression. As an advanced player, you will probably be jumping forward
Yes it was just clickbait
I disagree, he is really emphasizing the need for good technique as it relates to having good fundamental tone and dynamics. It's critical on acoustics, archtops, or even clean electric playing, compared to overdrive/distortion which add sustain and compression and are a bit more forgiving to the player. I learned to play on electric guitar and use a large pedalboard, but my journey into flatpicking forced me to correct my fundamental tone. My electric guitar tone benefitted from this as well
@@AlexG-ok1zc Agreed - basics are fundamental to good technique. While I lean towards metal and hard rock, I don't like overdrive, and compression is totally against my religion! I'm more of a clean channel EQ and metal pedal type player - it gives you finer control, good dynamics, good harmonics and overtones, etc. As for sustain, a touch of control-able feedback enhancing sustain is part of my preferred tone. In this case I was hoping for a little riff or picking style that would let me do some blue-grassy kind of thing easily. Guess I clicked on the bluegrass 101 video, when I should have clicked on the bluegrass 201 video! (G)
У чувака 8-е ноты играются в темпе 16-х(на второй минуте). Или я что-то не понимаю?
I noticed that too - the metronome click is on the half note (1 & 3)
To watch this video and to think.... Al Di Meola was almost a bluegrass guitarist is mind-blowing. He would have been the best picker on the planet...
Sir, I have two acoustic guitars. One is guvnor and other one is adonis. Could you please tell me what is better? Background of these guitars and manufacture countries? Great help!
homie looks like he dropped his guitar in the Mississippi river. lol. but in all reality this is a great video
That guitar looks like it came out of some WW2 rubble. Cool.
Nice D28, what year?
Old
@@EGPhil Didn't ask about you, I asked about the Martin:)
Lol
According to the book I'm reading at this moment, that is a 1940 Herringbone
See the saddle, how that slot is routed to pass clean through the bridge? That'll be a good indicator of a pre war martin or thereabouts. They still use that saddle in modern guitars, certain models, but this one is old.
Super.
That Martin is probably worth more than my house…
I am 82. If I could reverse the numbers and begin taking lessons, I could have a chance to become that good. 🤔
I've seen this guy in Uncle Larry's videos lol
Nothing like an aged martin
Look at that Martin sheww
Billy Strings obviously has a lot of tension in his picking hand. I’m not a fan of that staccato sound. Takes me back to Joe Maphis.
@ 80bpm he's playing 16th notes...... not 8th notes
nice flaw, yo!
It’s such a shame he can’t afford a new guitar, one day perhaps…..
Brian: Please forgive the brutal honesty, but other than those extremely basic flat picking exercises (which admittedly would sound better if your viewers alternates hammer ons, slides or chromatic runs), you really showed us little that's useful. So I'm left no closer to playing any real blue grass riffs, That's 7:08 that I'll never get back.
I'm amazed that anyone could fail this badly to see the value in this video.
@@BryceRosenwald Fine.
I always just picked what I heard, never knew what an 8th or 16th notes was, neither did Doc Watson
Kwahliddy kawntent
I have some guitar polish you can have!
Gee!
Can't focus on what he's saying , just want to give that guitar a wash , where? has he been playing , in the bog or up the mountains with that poor old Martin.
Too much Talking
that guitar looks like it was drug through a cow pasture!
Waste of time. I don't get your method. Alternate picking a natural motion to begin with for every new player I have taught
Exercises? Plural? One exercise and a bunch of Blah Blah Blah.
You're not ready for anything this advanced. Just be patient...you'll get there...maybe.
Relax, it’s going to be ok.
I get you know your shit but eight minutes of nothing? Come on man
Blah blah blah PLAY SOMETHING