Fairport Convention "Matty Groves": Richard Thompson Guitar Lesson

[@tomgoodman5056]

Thank you. I grew up in a Fairport loving household and so this is key guitar knowledge. cheers

[@matthewberry3608]

Thanks for being such a valuable resource on Thompsons work. His work on guitar has been the most influential to me of any player. Glad to see other very serious musicians feeling the same way. A group of us in LA are working on a Fairport cover band and your videos have been extremely helpful to me as the lead guitar player!

[@chadders82]

This video is brilliant. You've unlocked the magical Richard Thomson guitar playing on this awesome song, I had hitherto failed miserably to interpret this on my own

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

+Henry Chadwick Thank you Henry! Mr. Thomspson is indeed a squirrelly gentleman to approximate, and I'm pleased to know my efforts were helpful to you!

[@tomeisenmenger7048]

Outstanding, simply outstanding. I've only recently discovered Richard Thompson and have been kicking myself for not having done so many, many years ago.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Thanks Tom! I first noticed Richard's unique style in Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" documentary. There's a bonus featurette where it shows the making of the soundtrack and watching Richard Thompson improvise a film score was absolutely humbling.

[@hendrickthedude4564]

truly remarkable, one of my favorite folk songs of all time. thanks for the tutorial man. i loved the beginning!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! That whole record is killer! Really just great arrangements and playing - it’s eternally one of my faves!

[@sangirardiecavicchi648]

Eric Haugen that album is a masterpiece, a milestone in western music. Each house should have a copy of it

[@Nazzz65]

Right on right on Eric! Thank you once again Richard Thompson guitar soul brother! Many thanks! Yours Timothy.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Yeah! It's been a while since I've worked on some RT - I gotta get back on that!

[@essbebee]

This is a great video. I always thought Fairport and Thomson pieces were with strange and wonderful alternative tunings like Joni Mitchell. But to see how it's just dropped D with really clever use of drones has opened my eyes a bit more.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Richard Thompson is such a wizard!

[@IndigoJo]

Bear in mind, the rhythm parts (most likely including the arpeggio intro) are played by Simon Nicol who is quite an accomplished guitarist himself.

[@MCobbjr]

This is great, thanks, Eric!

[@michaelcapponi2]

i am honestly just amazed at your taste. the only songs i haven't been astonished and impressed by you even bothering to learn at all, let alone all these top tier arrangements, are simply songs i don't know. rawlings, knopfler, marc ribot, the guy from pavement. it's honestly kidn of amazing to me.

[@michaelcapponi2]

i saw you had one bluesbreakers video, but i could say peter green is one of the few 'niche masters' i haven't seen you do anything of. maybe someday you'll do 'a fool no more' or 'slabo day'. no complaint if not. your work is already v impressive to me

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Oh yeah "Albatross" is definitely on my to-do list!

[@DavidMartin-dn5ye]

Thank you so much this is for me just simply wonderful and so helpful. I don't have much ability picking things out Its really a struggle. We seem to have an overlap in taste and I would love to see someone pursue more Thompson theres very little in the way of people takeing apart his incredibly unique playing. Again thank you so much for responding,

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Glad I could help! Yeah, there's little information on his style. If you got any ideas of what would be cool transcriptions, just lemme know! I have a lot of fun figuring stuff out!

[@tudorlodge6343]

this was truely helpful, thank you!!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Excellent! I'm so glad it was useful to you! Richard Thompson is such a unique guitarist - it's really fun to work out his style!

[@goodun2974]

One wonders if Richard has ever played through a Silvertone amp! It's a surprisingly good choice for replicating his tone. You should play "Dargai" from the Pour Down Like Silver record ( It's actually a Scott Skinner traditional tune, and although it's played on acoustic guitar on the album, I have seen video of Thompson playing it on stage with a Strat).

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

oooh that would be a cool one! Thanks for the idea!

[@fredkester6130]

certainly great help

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

It's my pleasure, Fred!

[@DavidMartin-dn5ye]

The first album I ever bought was traffic " you can all join in" would be nice

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Ooh that's a good one! Those country style lead bits would be fun! I wonder if that's mason or winwood playing.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Heads up, David! I just put up a Traffic transcription to "Rock And Roll Stew!" I'm still working on those other tunes, but that one came to me pretty quick, so I figured I'd film it and put it up!

[@goodun2974]

@@EricHaugenGuitar , " make your own [notes] up if you want to/ any old [notes] that you think will do...." 😁

[@eyeball226]

You nailed the solos, but I think you got a bit confused in your transcription of the tune - that high A is just Swarb droning on the A string, the tune is the notes below it. Also that rhythm part is actually Simon Nicol's rhythm guitar, if you listen to the intro you can hear RT very quietly in the right channel separately from the rhythm part. You transcribed it great, I just want to make sure Simon Nicol gets credit for a neat bit of rhythm playing.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Good info! I was actually planning on re-working and reshooting this one - I'll take a closer listen when I do!

[@tropicalbunz]

Am I right in thinking I can jam Dm pentatonic to this tune ?

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Totally! Minor pentatonic will always work with minor keys!

[@DavidMartin-dn5ye]

To suggest a Richard Thompson song in the hopes that you might be interested in transcribing it feels like rather much to ask. Not only that but Iam such a fan of his playing that I almost feel as if Id need to revisit his whole catalog in order to make a good choice. On the other side If one was to be interested enough in his playing to try to figure something out it seems to me it should your choice to insure it would be good for you to do. That being said" When the spell is broken" electric off one of this live albums would be really cool Ive always loved the way he leads his way into the song. Ive always loved the instrumental" the knifes edge" off strict tempo there a lot of aspects of his playing represented and it seams that learning it would give insite into his unique playing. Ill stop because every time I think of something I think of something else. Thanks again I still really Impressed and thankful for MattyGroves. Oh and Light up or leave me alone from traffic would be cool see its hard to stop.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

+David Martin Those are all great ideas! Also, thanks for reminding me how much I love Traffic! One of my first favorite bands! I love how they combine Rock, R&B, Motown, and Jazz!

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

+David Martin Heads up, David! I just put up a lesson to "Time Will Show The Wiser!" It's got some great Richard Thompson licks in there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3Snc5l5j7mbicU

[@tgregory03]

Would it PLEASE be possible to film this video not so far away from the camera or talk through the fingers and strings. As I’m struggling to see, even when I zoom in. I really hope that you can do this for both the lead and the backing like you did on here. I would really appreciate it. As I haven’t found a version which is as good as yours!

[@chadders82]

I don't suppose you'd be willing to work out the repetitive bass line? I am close but I just can get the second half of it. It pretty much repeats itself the whole way through

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

+Henry Chadwick Ah yes that is quite a lovely bass line! Allow me to spend a little time with it and come up with something shortly.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Hey Henry! I took a look at that bass line and got something worked out. I shot a little clip with my iPhone. If you like, message me and I can email it you 👍🏻😎

[@chadders82]

+Eric Haugen ...wow what a legend you are! 👌😇My email address is [e-mail]

[@DavidMartin-dn5ye]

wikapedia gives writing credit to mason but electric guitar credit to winwood bet this one would be easy for you ha ha

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Interesting! I've seen clips on steve playing the heck outta a firebird - what can't that guy do??

[@folkman200]

This tune is not Celtic...it's traditional Old English! Don't confuse the two.

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

Noted!

[@nealburger]

Am I the only one who can’t make heads or tails of what you are actually doing for the main part of the song? You can’t tell which of your right hand fingers is moving when and what strings are getting flat picked or fingerpicked and I’m watching it on a big tv…I’m trying to replicate what you are doing and I’m not the worst hybrid picker but I’m getting super frustrated…

[@EricHaugenGuitar]

oooh I just watched again that IS tricky! I recommend slowing the vid down to 3/4 speed that helps. Also, it honestly doesn't matter how exact you get it - I just played it as more of a standard travis picking pattern and it sounds about the same :-)

[@nealburger]

@@EricHaugenGuitar I figured it out! I know it's just an approximation, tough to say what is really happening on the record. Improved my hybrid picking though, so I can use it on my own stuff! Thanks!