Description
In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a Dave Rawlings inspired acoustic lead that is played with a 2nd guitar on rhythm. Learn how to accompany another rhythm guitarist using a combination of dissonance and slow bluegrass licks.
Here’s a Spotify playlist that I put together with 6 songs of Dave and Gillian on guitar in this style – just 2 acoustic guitars.
Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson
Part 2 - For Premium Members
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Slow Walkthrough
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Video Tablature Breakdown
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Love that one Brian.
Superb Brian…you have captured Allison and David’s dark sound so well.
Don’t know how you do it week after week. But sure glad you do.
You can get a similar sound if you just stick to the G maj scale and hang around longer on single notes double stops and triads. let your ears decide its dissonance.
Great lesson as always.
Oops…meant to say Gillian!
I got a new 324ce V Class Taylor for my 71st birthday and I’m looking forward to seeing how this one sounds on it. Thanks Brian
Dissonance sums up my life right now. Rather than deny it, it’s better to embrace it, knowing harmony may be right around the corner.
Michael
Amen
This one is fantastic Brian! Love this style. I mentioned an act to you a while back and wondered if you ever listened to their music. They are called the Milk Carton Kids. I’m often reminded of Dave and Gillian’s playing when I listen to them.
Yes, i did Chuck – love the guitar in MCK!
Great Band. Can’t stop listening to them. Think I was lead to them via Mandolin Orange or Broken Coastline. All great songsters creating almost a new genre that I have a hard time pigeonholing it. Folk/Ballad? I dunno … but they all move me deeply
Another amazing composition! I must admit though that I was sidetracked by your shirt and thinking I would love to hear your take on some early Garcia jamgrass style stuff. Old and in the way, Grateful Dawg, Garcia and Grisman. Maybe even something in the style of Bob Weir. I remember a friend of mine, a few years back, telling me that I was using CAGED chords. I had no idea what he meant at the time, he had me so confused with his explanation and I just told him that I was just playing “Bobby Chords” As I began understanding the CAGED system, I realized that’s basically what Bobby does. Still one of the best rhythm #2 guys out there. Anyway, I apologize for rambling. Thanks again Brian, for another amazing lesson.
Grisman and Garcia are the best duo of all time !
I’d say Dawg & Doc
Some of your recent Tuesday VLog videos were suggested by member comments. OK. Could you discuss why the G string is tuned down in standard tuning? And how thinking about this helps one make good choices when improvising.? Minor shapes become minor when chords are rooted on the 5 string, that kind of thing. I am not talking about Dropped D or other alternative tunings, but how to find usable shapes more easily.. And how about how to write background vocal parts? Which tones might work? Lastly, how about some out of copyright roots music with vocals? Everybody can sing. Even Neil Young and (ahem) Frank Sinatra.
I should have said the B string is tuned to a different interval.
Help.
I asked for another DR lesson a few weeks ago and you’ve delivered in spades. Thanks very much for a beautiful piece. This style is so valuable for accompaniment and is great for linking chords in unexpected ways. Makes me feel I’m learning to create music rather than just reproducing it. You’re just the best on the net.
Wow again a superb one to try and get down fantastic Brian…
thanks for this one Brian, been waiting for it and its great.
Thanks for a very interesting lesson on Dissonance. It gave me a lot of great ideas on how to use it in other songs.
Thanks
Ray P
Hi Brian, At first I didn’t care for it but then on reexamination the next day I’ve fallen in love with it. Thanks for the new exposure to something new. That’s why I’m such a fan of yours. Thanks
Hi Brian, thanks for this beautiful chord progression! I could play hours on this type of music. And, yes, it’s a real art to let the notes breath…. That’s definitely a thing I must pay more attention to….
WOW! Thanks for another great lesson Brian! My brother, Tonewood, and I work on the same lessons, in case we can ever be in the same state again to have a family jam. We’ve been working on EP368 and loving it, it’s one of my favorites so far. I had just said to him the other day that I wished you had some D. Rawlings lessons and I then found your EP068. Great stuff. Then you created THIS ONE! It is just what I was looking for. I happened to be playing on my Gibson L 48 for EP 368 and it sounds really good for that. But my husband bought the it for me because I’m such a HUGE Gillian and David fan. It is PERFECT for this lesson. Your lessons have been a great way to forget about the rest of the daily woes. You’d think with all this extra down time I’d be good by now. But alas, it is not so. At least I can enjoy great music and guitars while I attempt each lesson. A big thank you for all the work you put into creating each one.
Sandy
Another great lesson, thanks. But I have to say I was surprised that you didn’t play this one on an old arch top acoustic, like Rawlings plays. I just love that sound he gets. And I’m guessing the Man with a Thousand Guitars has an old arch top or two around the house….
Being introduced to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings was a huge “take away.” Good to have Brian’s lessons expand a bit to include influences we might otherwise not know of.
I’m going to struggle to get this one but there will be victories
Are you playing the 000 game 15?
Happy i joined
Hey Brian, this is a great composition. Your Harmonic and Melodic vocabulary just never ceases to inspire me to want to understand the Instrument that much more!! Just great. Can I ask, about that new Mic you have? I can not quite see the Manufacturer. It comes across – to me – with such wide dynamic range and response. It must be a gem to work with. Would you mind me inquiring about the name, type etc?? Thought it might be a Pre-Sonus Condenser, the way it looks, but…. I thank you in advance. Also, just thank you for keeping us challinging ourselves more and more each week. Cheers and Respect!!
Doug Piper.
Oh…….Quickly, Hello to the whole Active Melody Family!!!
Another masterpiece from the maestro and the takeaways from this are amazing. If you were British I’d recommend you for a Knighthood (it’s not too late to come back to the motherland!)
There’s a British duo called Clive Gregson and Christine Collister who remind me of these two. Check them out. They made an album called Home and Away.
I previously called them wrong notes. Now I will refer to them as dissonant. Yeah, I like that………haha.
This is a different and interesting type of sound. It isn’t even all that hard to play- just the timing is a bit tricky. Enjoy all your lessons Brian. Thanks.
Another winner, Brian. You know, I hear slight traces of Hawaiian slack key guitar styles here.
Their music has not made it to New Zealand, so I’m glad to have been introduced to them. Great stuff!
I saw Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings in concert, they put on a great show, as do The Milk Carton Kids who were influenced by Dave Rawlings, They may be even better!
One more really good stuff. This is the kind of music I signed up for and you are the best. Thanks again. Captain Chuck
Love that Grateful Dead t shirt Brian.
I was fortunate enough to get to see them 3 times in the 70’s when they came over to the U.K. they were awesome. I have a tour t shirt signed by all the band in a frame on my wall !
You probably get asked this question a thousand times, but what kind of pick do you prefer? I waiver between a pointed pick.,ala
V-Pick Switchblade(pointed) and V-Pick Lite Tradition (more rounded).
Thanks,
Paul
Dallas Texas ( I know Cowboys defense, really bad)
Bluechip – TP40
quite an enjoyable lesson! part 1 is a real exercise in syncopation! i love how well the the slow bluegrass licks are worked into part 2.
Wonderful lesson Brian
Brian this (EP381) is one of the most beautiful short acoustic compositions I have ever heard, I hear the Spanish guitar in it, Fahey and my goal, once I get it down is the use finger picking (which I’ve done in drop D, DADGAD, and open tunings since my last great teacher confused me weekly, Mike Wallace, a trained luthier and published finger picker from the old neighborhood near Chicago), and experiment – we should never avoid musical beauty in favor of music “cool.” This one is special!!
Brian, please tell us what strings you are using on the Martin. They sound great! I might like to try them on my Zager.
D Addario EJ16
Terrific lesson, Brian. My wife and I rarely agree on music, but we’ve been enjoying Rawlings-Welch lately. “The way it will be” is magical and perhaps some of that song informs what you’re doing here. In any case, I’m finally using the backing track at around 80% on this one. Oh, also, I wanted to agree with someone above on the prospect of a Bob Weir-inspired lesson. Your tshirt calls out for this too 🙂 Thanks again!
Brilliant lesson thankyou Brian.Love it.many thanks.
Thanks a lot for this inspiring lesson – what I really like about your lessons is the way you dive in and explain things in such a comprehensive way (I could listen for hours)
And its great to get into music I didn’t know before like here – posting the Spotify-links is a great idea. So, thanks again – with great respect and as a litte contribution to your excellent work I signed up this week 😉
the songs very inspiring and vocal and I’m going dissect every note of it .
But before I do that I’m going sit back and enjoy listening to the song a few more times.
And then go to work it until I can play on top of it.
Thanks Brain.
I’m revisiting this lesson after a year away. I would love to have another lesson in dissonance, Brian!
Brian, thank you so much for this insight into DR’s playing, as soon as I played your sound sample I immediately was transported back to the show last Friday. I can’t wait to get into it!
My wife and myself saw Gillian and Dave at the Sydney Opera House last Friday… I’m still on a high from it and today’s Tuesday! It was the most incredible show and probably the best sound quality I’ve ever heard at a concert. Gillian and Dave were not even using monitors, just playing directly to the audience, she said… “We’re just hearing what you guys are hearing”.
I love the dark, almost meloncoliac feel of Dave’s guitar, it all kinda sounds like one long lead in that he hardly ever strums anything, but his playing is so, subtle, nuanced and flowing… just breathtaking really.