I am honored to know this man's son and even more honored to have his Godwin guitar behind him hanging on my wall now! What a guitarist. Wished I could have met and played with him. R.i.p.Bill
Hundreds of brilliant young guitarists these days, maybe you should pay attention to them as well, the next generation of musicians will be as good as any if not better in this information age
Was just thinking the same thing, boy have times changed look at the players today unlimited sounds and technical level and can play almost any style you could name! Met would be proud
Ironically, it's probably not the way you'd teach Travis picking, with just two fingers, but the man DID invent it. Jerry Reed tucked his forefinger and used thumb, middle and ring fingers whereas Chet used all his fingers. So, definitely find your comfort zone and run with it!
Beresfordjohn Greene I beg to differ : Merle played Django's version almost note for note (with a few country embellishments) for the first tour of the chart, then he does his own version for the second
How the hell is he doing all that only using "two fingers" on his picking hand.......notice he anchors his hand down with his last two fingers and doesn't use them at all. Pretty damn amazing
Gary Davis and many others also played with just thumb and forefinger. Notice, though, that when Merle does those little arpeggios he enlists his middle finger. Otherwise, it appears it was just thumb and one finger.
If you look early pictures/ videos alot of these geniuses had a front tooth gap before the dentist got rid of it..Chet atkins..Merle Travis..Jerry Reed...mark knophler...Albert Einstein...what comes so hard for others they can't see why we mortals have a hard time what comes too easy to them..me I still ain't got it down like the great Merle did it .another is macyn Taylor graduated from music college at 17
Travis picking ( Chicken picking )... Invented by Merl Travis. Sometimes looking back you will see such a name carried through nearly 100 years, was for a reason. These guys played way ahead of their time. Just like other artists out there. Often times, they are more appreciated in a later time period.
+It's just some comment. 😉 Travis was heavily influenced by the black blues guitarists many of whom also used just one finger and thumb. He himself always acknowledged his debt. He particularly liked Blind Blake. He was a great player, in my opinion far more interesting than Chet Atkins.
Did I see a small look of annoyence on Merles face when the vocals came in? If it was late 50's they might have had interpetive dancers. Great post 🙏🎶👀❗
He was so good, the angels couldn't keep from humming along...lol...fantastic film!!
I am honored to know this man's son and even more honored to have his Godwin guitar behind him hanging on my wall now! What a guitarist. Wished I could have met and played with him. R.i.p.Bill
Dig it! This is just so wonderful, could do without the background vocals I must say but, lets face it. It's still Merle Travis! Peace.
Classy!
OMG!!! I'm in guitar heaven! THANK YOU!
masterful.. had a picking techniique named after him.. one of the hardest to master on guitar..
when your guitar has your name on it across the neck, you know you've made it.
Nice words of introduction from the esteemed Gene Autry.
Pretty much the smoothest player to ever do it. There are guitar greats... and then there's Merle Travis.
It takes years of determination, grit, and an attention span not capable by many these days unfortunately. LLKM!
Hundreds of brilliant young guitarists these days, maybe you should pay attention to them as well, the next generation of musicians will be as good as any if not better in this information age
An outstanding picker and showman!
What an icon! Guitar with soul!
Thank you for this...
It's Merle magic!
I get those backing vocals kicking in whenever I play the guitar to..... in my fookin' dreams
thanks for posting- nice to see and hear
Amazing and so interesting!
Wonderful.
Merle playing Django.
Beautiful.
(Could do without the background singers, though. Well, it was a 50's tv show...:)
Merle Travis was my uncle. Gene Autry was my friend.
My second cousin's aunt's third husband was a friend of Travis's brother in- law.
Merle’s Super 400 has always been one of my favorite guitars, what a gas!
How good is good !!!
Gorgeous!
Thumb and one finger - still hard to comprehend how he did this - artistry I guess.
Was just thinking the same thing,
boy have times changed look at the players today unlimited sounds and technical level and can play almost any style you could name! Met would be proud
@@jakemf1 His drinking hastened his decline, but he was years ahead of any guitarist.
Really good.
great !
That Bigsby model is crazy
my uncle,charlie browning played with merle years a go
Billy Henderson my grandpa played with him and Chet Atkins in the 50’s also
I like that !!
The ill advised background vocals make me shudder, but wow, Merle sure could pick.
Chet's inspiration!!!
That's very cool, quite seductive to a listener who's not already a country fan.
Goodnight Miss Calabash...wherever you are!
guitar god
Nice
Gives those of us that pick with 2 fingers hope...:)
Ironically, it's probably not the way you'd teach Travis picking, with just two fingers, but the man DID invent it. Jerry Reed tucked his forefinger and used thumb, middle and ring fingers whereas Chet used all his fingers. So, definitely find your comfort zone and run with it!
Michael Yannon
Merle built on Mose Rager and Ike Everly. There's no one inventor of thumb picking style.
Not Django Jaibhakti - naw - THIS is TRAVIS PICKING which he more or less invented. Clever bunny was Merle. Witty too. Great writer, worth his fame.
Beresfordjohn Greene I beg to differ : Merle played Django's version almost note for note (with a few country embellishments) for the first tour of the chart, then he does his own version for the second
How the hell is he doing all that only using "two fingers" on his picking hand.......notice he anchors his hand down with his last two fingers and doesn't use them at all. Pretty damn amazing
Gary Davis and many others also played with just thumb and forefinger. Notice, though, that when Merle does those little arpeggios he enlists his middle finger. Otherwise, it appears it was just thumb and one finger.
@@jcfereday actually Paul McCartney was a 2 finger picker on acoustic guitar. Some of his biggest hits were two finger. Oh, thanks for the info.
This why they call Travis picking Travis picking.
Inspired Ole Chet. Compare their two versions of this song, for example.
What was it about the 50s that was so amazing? It’s all been downhill from there!
If you look early pictures/ videos alot of these geniuses had a front tooth gap before the dentist got rid of it..Chet atkins..Merle Travis..Jerry Reed...mark knophler...Albert Einstein...what comes so hard for others they can't see why we mortals have a hard time what comes too easy to them..me I still ain't got it down like the great Merle did it .another is macyn Taylor graduated from music college at 17
1:42 WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? Fm but... just... damn!
dint the announcer do a 180' at the beginning. merle is the mold for all fingerpickers!
That announcer was Gene Autry!
He can get two guitars from two fingers
that gibson super special is pretty fancy....
I feel so ignorant. I had no idea what an amazing player Travis was.
Travis picking ( Chicken picking )... Invented by Merl Travis. Sometimes looking back you will see such a name carried through nearly 100 years, was for a reason. These guys played way ahead of their time. Just like other artists out there. Often times, they are more appreciated in a later time period.
In 1949 Arthel "Doc" Watson named his son "Eddie Merle" (after Eddy Arnold and MerleTravis).
+It's just some comment. 😉 Travis was heavily influenced by the black blues guitarists many of whom also used just one finger and thumb. He himself always acknowledged his debt. He particularly liked Blind Blake. He was a great player, in my opinion far more interesting than Chet Atkins.
Merle’s from Kentucky like me.
Like and number is awesome
merle had no equal.
Merle made it national but he didn't invent it. It was a regional style in Muhlenberg County, KY.
Mose Rager taught him
Did I see a small look of annoyence on Merles face when the vocals came in? If it was late 50's they might have had interpetive dancers. Great post 🙏🎶👀❗
Could barely hear Merle over the heavenly choir ☹️. Merle is great, obviously, though I prefer Django Reinhardt’s rendition of this song.
The backup singers catawalling did nothing for the video.
You have to really know how to play to wear that shirt!
I thought it was porter wagoner who wore the rhinestones....
I could have done without the vocal chorus.