This week I'm going to show you a simplified version of the Norman Blake approach. The idea here was to come up with something easy but musically satisfying that will set the stage for a more exacting lesson where we study how Norman actually played the song.
One thing to note: I was also thinking about autoharp with this arrangement. Let that melancholy simple sound be in your ear as you're playing this.
Cheers,
Chris
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Bluegrass
Chris Eldridge
Church Street Blues
Tony Rice
Norman Blake
Print Chords & Tab
Loop 0:00 Run-Through of Simplified Norman Blake Style
Loop 0:42 Breakdown
Loop 14:52 Closing Thoughts and Outro
Comments
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Hey Chris,
New kid here and just getting both back into playing my guitar and discovering Bluegrass which is kind of a revelation for a Kiwi living in Australia, so firstly thank you for the great lessons and thanks also to the owners of this site which is a great resource and is inspiring me to keep improving.
Is there any particular order I should be attacking your lessons? Obviously I'm starting at the fundamentals with the White Dove lessons but have been dabbling with Wildwood Flower, With Body & Soul & Church Street Blues also. Any tips on a solid practise routine would also be appreciated.
On another note, I'm looking forward to see you with The Punch Brothers at the Adelaide Guitar Festival in Australia next month. I'm a wine journalist writing for a number of magazines around the world and I live in a wine region called the Barossa about an hour North of Adelaide where the festival is being held. If you and the guys get any down time in the days before or after the gig and would like to come and visit some wineries, let me know and I'll take you around some producers and show you behind the scenes.
Thanks again for the great lessons
Dave
Yep ... dang it ... you're right about missing the 3 beats and man do I look seriously um serious ... I need to lighten up when the camera is on. It definitely is super fun to play that way and not enitirely new to me as I've been learning to play Galway Girl using the same sort of method.
I was listening to Norman Blakes Whiskey Before Breakfast record last night circa 1976 that includes Church Street Blues ... wow ... great record. I was trying to think of what I was lisening to that year ... The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue - pitiful looking back.
Thank you!
I don't know, it's pretty hard to argue with The Stones! 🙂
Way too hot outside to cut grass so I decided to take a shot at this.
Kip, sounds great! Very cool way to play a tune right? You're totally doing it.
Just one thing to mention: you skipped a few beats (3 to be precise) going from the A section to the B section (0:27). Straighten that out and you're in good shape!