Members streetknight Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 Well in my search for an acoustic I've got a lot of advice to checkout Blueridge which I did and I'm really glad. Most of you said they were geared toward the Bluegrass crowd, which I really have never listened to. Well the guy at the store said the same thing and when he started playing the BR-40 I have to say I'm hooked on the guitar and the STYLE. Can you guys give me some essential bluegrass cd's for my listening enjoyment. Also, I'm a fairly new player, just now learning to change chords decently and in time. What would I need to practice to learn some bluegrass stuff. It looks like so much fun. Thanks
Members guitarist21 Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 Bluegrass really is a lot of fun. Check out www.bluegrassguitar.com. It is a great website with lots of information on different bluegrass guitarists and the history of bluegrass guitar.One of my favorite guitarists trained in the bluegrass tradition is Sean Watkins. He's in the band Nickel Creek (my favorite band of all time) and they are known for how they combine traditional bluegrass and modern pop stylings to create a new and exciting sound.Good luck!Ellen
Members Freeman Keller Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 Traditional - anything by Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Tony Rice New stuff - Nickel Creek for sure, even Allison Krause/Union Station One totally fun album is the Dirt Band's "Will the Circle be Unbroken" - not quite true 'grassing but features a bunch of the greats all in one place/
Members babablowfish Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 If you can, find a copy of Pier Pressure (the spelling is correct) by Chesapeake. They are a modern Bluegrass band with incredible tunes, instrumentals, voices. Really great stuff. Not traditional, but great nonetheless. For more traditional Bluegrass, try Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Beyond the Shadows.
Members babablowfish Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 Traditional - anything by Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Tony Rice New stuff - Nickel Creek for sure, even Allison Krause/Union Station One totally fun album is the Dirt Band's "Will the Circle be Unbroken" - not quite true 'grassing but features a bunch of the greats all in one place/ God is love.Love is blind.Doc Watson is blind. Therefore, Doc Watson is God
Members denvertrakker Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 In the same vein as Chesapeake, there's the Seldom Scene (which Chesapeake was an offshoot of) and John Starling and Carolina Star - also an offshoot of Seldom Scene. Plus - Del McCoury, New Grass Revival (or anything with Sam Bush), Yonder Mountain String Band, Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen/Desert Rose Band, Muleskinner (or anything with Peter Rowan), Nashville Bluegrass Band and... Bill Monroe, of course.
Members Freeman Keller Posted June 8, 2007 Members Posted June 8, 2007 "Bluegrass" usually means a band with one or two guitars, a 5 string banjo (unfortunately ), a mandolin, fiddle, and often a dobro and standup bass. Songs can be instrumental or vocal - and usually each player takes turns at a lead. The style of guitar playing associated with bluegrass is normally what we refer to as "flat picking" and it can stand by itself (Carter family stuff like Wildwood Flower and Under the Double Eagle). I'm not much of a flatpick player but it is totally fun to get together with a bunch of 'grassers and jam. The chords are usually easy, and just playing rhythm is really great for working on your timing. Try playing along with one of your cd's - most of the time you can figure out the chords (often in the key of G, sometimes C). Fancy lead flatpick songs try to play the melody that the fiddle would play - these are called (duh) fiddle songs, and are fast single note. Rice, Watson, Crary, and many others are masters at this style - for me its just the boom-chuck rhythm.
Members whit townsend Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Check out Norman Blake for some great old timy flatpicking. My fav new group is Cadillac Sky, a great new modern bluegrass group with their own sound. Some other good groups are Lonesome River Band, Mountain Heart, and Blue Highway. And theres also Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.
Members streetknight Posted June 9, 2007 Author Members Posted June 9, 2007 Thanks everyone, i'm gonna start looking right now.
Members DonK Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Anything by Bill Monroe; same for the Osborne Brothers and the Stanley Brothers. A great album that mixes bluegrass with old-time country/folk music is The Three Pickers, an awesome live album featuring Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs and Ricky Skaggs. I have the CD and DVD: one of the all-time great performances IMO. Alison Kraus and Union Station Live - a great compilation from a great band, not every song is bluegrass, but great nonetheless.
Members whit townsend Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 You are now doomed to GAS for this: http://www.dreamguitars.com/bourgeois/vintage_dreadnought.htm
Members Tony Burns Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Dont forget " Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs "
Members babablowfish Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Can't believe I forgot - the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
Members brahmz118 Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 In the newer generation of bluegrass guitarists I like Bryan Sutton. Of course, he does much more than straight bluegrass these days.
Members denvertrakker Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Can't believe I forgot - the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou? With all due respect - to baba and the Coen Brothers - "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" is to bluegrass music what "Hee Haw" was to country music.:lem:
Members babablowfish Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 With all due respect - to baba and the Coen Brothers - "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" is to bluegrass music what "Hee Haw" was to country music.:lem: Why thank you. I loved Hee haw. Seriously.
Members AndrewGG Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 A good introduction is 'Rounder Bluegrass Guitar' on Rounder CD 11576. There's a whole bunch of great players on this compilation. Some more: The Best of Doc Watson, 1964-1968. Vanguard CD 79535-2 Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass. Rounder CD 0253 Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals, Classic Bluegrass. Rebel CD 1111 The Dillards, Back Porch Bluegrass and Live!!! Almost!!! Elektra CD 8122 73562-2 Clarence White, 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals. Rural Rhythm Records CD RHY 1019 is essential listening! For more modern 'Newgrass' Alison Krauss' band is great.
Members denvertrakker Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Why thank you. I loved Hee haw. Seriously. Hmmm. Allow me to elucidate. I wasn't questioning anyone's enjoyment of either "Brother" or "Hee Haw" - only that either one offers a rather distorted picture of the true nature of the genres they represent.How about: "Oh Brother" is to bluegrass what an Esteban is to guitars?
Members babablowfish Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 "Oh Brother" is to bluegrass what an Esteban is to guitars?
Members guit30 Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Hers's a list of must have new ArtistsThe CherryholmesThe GreencardsThe DuhksDonna HughesCarrie Hassler and Hard Rain Cadillac SkyRhonda Vincent and The RageAlison Krauss and Union Station_All Available to sample on Amazon.comJim :wave:
Members WaveRay Posted June 9, 2007 Members Posted June 9, 2007 Learn the following chords: G C D A F Am G7 A7 C7 E Em Learn 'em good, go to a jam and try and keep up! Oh, yeah....bring a capo.
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