The “Atkins Style” of playing is so infectious you just cant stop your foot from tapping. It is very difficult for a guitarist to master.

You use a thumb pick around your thumb, and the fingers to play the syncopated chords and, melody line all at the same time.

Merle Travis is the backbone influence behind Chet Atkins. When Chet first heard Merle Travis on the radio, Chet was knocked out.

Chet started to think like Merle Travis, and copy his style. Later in Chet’s life he found out Merle played that sound with only the thumb and index finger.

Chet Atkins pioneered the Merle Travis technique and did a few things his own way. Chet decided to use the thumb just like Merle, but he used all his fingers. Index, middle, and ring finger for chords and melody.

To really get the feel of the Chet Atkins sound you use the Thumb to pluck the alternate bass part. For example he would pluck the 6th string note on the first beat of the bar, and then pluck the 4th string note on the second beat of the bar. Think of it as train going down the track.

There is one big factor to tell you how Merle Travis is very different than Chet Atkins.

Merle when he used his Thumb to hit the 6th and 4th strings alternating bass. He had a way of pushing down the 6th string and at the same time the finger would be pushing slightly the 5th string, but it was muted. He did the same for the 4th string bass note.

It is really hard to do. You wonder if he had chubby fingers and how he could do that? He played guitars set up just like any body else with the same distance between each string.

His approach gave a very percussive sound. Why? For each bass note he is actually playing two sounds at the same time. All mixed together the fretted note that sounded clean and pure, and the muted note on the string below become one sound. Very percussive, and a driving beat you would feel from Merle Travis.

Chet Atkins could play the Bass notes like that but he decided to hit the one string. He enjoyed the accuracy of hearing the bass note without the muted note.

I am sure thousand and more have written and talked all night about Chet Atkins style. He was gifted at learning songs with arrangements he stuck to.

His right hand man John Knowles wrote most of Chet’s arrangements. John would go to see Chet and show him the frame work and arrangement for the first draft of the new song they were working on. The very next day Chet would be calling up John Knowles on the phone saying “I got that down, I need some more”

Chet learned things so fast John was astonished, but it was no surprise to John really, he knew how Chet’s mind worked. John Knowles admired Chet’s flair and style and sensitivity. The happiness John shared with Chet as the song arrangement would grow was like magic.

The Chet Atkins and Merle Travis sound is the Nashville guitar sound known all around the world.

The level of young and the older guitar talent in Nashville is amazing. The young players really can catch your ears with that Chet Atkins style, and their own unique sound. The young Bluegrass players knock you out to.

The Nashville Kids are privately studying from great teachers.

The young guitar players really follow the Chet Atkins style starting at such a young age, and that didn’t come from Internet lessons.

The young guitarists just cant get enough of learning the guitar. After they have had their weekly lesson they go to their teachers house after school and cut his lawn, do favours, and help out, hoping they can stay and get to watch him play. They want to learn a few more licks and tunes.

Nashville has a heritage. They respect the old Hymns and Americas traditional folk songs. The young jam with the elderly their favourite songs. They truly have a history there.

Some of Chet Atkins quotes.

“Everything I’ve ever done was out of fear of being mediocre.” Chet Atkins

“If you hear something you like, and you’re halfway like the public, chances are they’ll like it too.” Chet Atkins

“Years from now, after I’m gone, someone will listen to what I’ve done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they’ll hear my guitars speaking for me.” Chet Atkins

By: Rick Washbrook August 29th, 2010 copyright

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About the Author:
Rick Washbrook enjoys teaching the Chet Atkins style, private or global video lessons. Bill Piburn from Nashville guitarist, arranger, and editor from Finger style Magazine showed Washbrook so much about Chet Atkins. Rick Washbrooks original “1906″ CD is very Chet Atkins influenced. Finger Style Magazine published “Honkey Tonk Butterfly” from his “1906″ CD.
http://www.washbrookmusic.com
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