EP057 – Chet Atkins Finger Style Blues

[David S]

Determined to nail alternating bass, I’ve spent months practising ‘EP057 – Chet Atkins Finger Style Blues’, and have now learnt all the chords and notes.
Just one thing remains: to make it sound even remotely like Brian! (or indeed Chet)

[Rob N]

Hi David,

You don’t say what is stopping you sounding like Brian or Chet (both extraordinarily talented players). What you feel you are struggling with? It’s often hard to work out why or even what is not working out quite right.

Could you record a short video or audio of yourself playing this piece of music and post it on this thread. Then someone could probably suggest a couple of simple exercises to get it flowing better.

We are all struggling to learn and improve, folk want to help.

For myself, I learn complex finger picking tunes in small chunks, a bar or two at a time and repeat until it sounds sort ok, then move onto the next chunk. Repeat both until they start to get into muscle memory and almost automatic. Then join the chunks as seamlessly as possible.
The basic moves tend to repeat quite often in the same tune so once it starts to fall into place. The rest comes easier.

[SteveW.]

I am in the same boat and I think it is just practice and slowing down. I have a habbit of glossing over certain parts and makes it sound choppy.

Steve

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