Flatpicking Robert Johnson's Blues Style

[@YouSpamTard]

This guy is very good I learn tons from him about picking. The thing about Johnson though that he does not address is the way Johnson played to different melodies at the same time. One of them being a rhythm sort that is structures and the other that laid on top of that almost out of time, rhythmically speaking. Almost nobody, or even nobody can do this. Clapton has tried with all his heart to do this Johnson thing and while sounds very good, falls quite short if you ask me.

[@purpleheartscott8553]

I love fingerpicking and that’s what I started with. Then I got into bluegrass and became familiar with a pick (nowhere near where I want to be yet) and I utilize the two together for hybrid occasionally as well. What’s my point? The point is that there aren’t any rules to playing other than trying different methods and having fun. We all eventually develop our own niche hopefully hit all that really matters is we use music to enrich our lives.

[@danielguevara9104]

Thanks lot Brad!! huge fan master, greetings from Honduras, Central America.

[@minenu11]

I struggle to understand the single mindedness of some people. This is a cool, simple vid. Sounds great. So who cares how its achieved???? It may bring some flat pickers to the blues. Rejoice. Embrace it. Music is for all. Remember, real good flat picking is one of the most demanding forms of acoustic guitar playing to master. Basic Blues is dead simple. It's good music. Love it. Embrace it. I'd love to hear the detractors play.

[@lurk7967]

Yeah I never understood the hTe from fingerstyle artists when someone uses a pick and it still sound good what does it matter Its akin to the people that play electric that sys not using a pick is improper that may be true but you can't deny that mark knopfler can still ring out every note in the Layla solo when playing it with his fingers sounds just as good as Clapton with a pick on the duo on yt

[@vasocreta]

Totally with you! People sometimes fail to recognize that nearly all music that we have today exists because someone thought outside the proverbial box and tried something in a different way than before.

[@IIIIIZsolt]

Great stuff - can always incorporate it to mix things up. Very helpful how you do the different camera angle!!! I'm gonna subscribe...

[@FreddoX1]

I haven't used this style. I've always played with my thumb and middle finger while the index finger was free. This has made my skin on the thumb really thick, and the sound from the guitar is a bit muted but I like it. Gonna learn this and see how it plays out :P

[@BradDavisMusic]

If you were going to play straight blues and just stick with that, I would say that you are right. This clip is from a DVD called "Flatpicking the Blues" where we were teaching flatpick style players how to incorporate different blues styles and mix it with what they arealdy do. If you want to hold onto your pick so that you can mix the two styles, this is a way to do it.

[@BradDavisMusic]

Yes, the DVD has a complete, full format (8.5X11) 88-page book. There is also an audio CD with practice tracks.

[@lasht2monyon]

thank you for posting brad i really like it,

[@ex0ja]

What is the advantage of flatpicking over thumb + fingernails? Faster plucking of single strings and easier strumming?

[@flipspiceland64]

Very interesting picking technique, although the thumb and finger seem easier....but the intermittent use of the fingers against the bass line is new to me.... Thx.

[@johntrik]

That Merrill guitar ,is a killer man!!!!!!!!

[@IntelInside2020]

excellent lesson!

[@thenamesfrancisco]

GREAT lesson

[@MissElianaCargnelutti]

excellent

[@LetMeGoForever]

Flesh on your right hand will develop calluses just like your left (That is if you're picking right handed), so once that is developed, the skin it self allows for great speed. Derek Trucks utilizes his flesh and a pick, in a hybrid fashion, as does Richard Thompson. (Richard Thompson is where Mark got a lot of those Sultan and Lady Writer licks, by the way).

[@Ranfitpunx75]

you can use thumb pick.......but most blues guys have adapted a hybrid picking method like this dude! I usually use a hybrid method mixed in with my regular playing too.....its all preference....a thumb pick is really nice for jazzier or more melodic passages!

[@OldManGuitar-68]

nice, thanks for the great instruction!

[@WillieStratton]

i think those are extrap picks on double sided tape under there

[@RHComputerGeek]

Great video! Do you provide a tab book with your DVD? If so, I'm sold!

[@ringbolt9]

great stuff!

[@mandaltby]

awesome I feel like we jsut jammed thanks man

[@Paulsworks]

Well, you've given us the keys to the highway. Is that a standard tuning are you using? That would sound soooo good on a Duolian.

[@hoturtu87]

When you say Zen do you mean true to the flow of universal rightness?

[@saltwaterbye]

YA CANT PLEASE EVERY ONE BRAD ...GOOD STUFF BUDDY...KEEP EM COMMING....

[@roussos87]

thank you man.. you helped me very much..

[@cninja87]

eric cla---- annd so wheres the rest of the vid?

[@yetimountaintrading5859]

Very Cool

[@XonValdise]

i found this really usefull. right on man.

[@hahaurmno]

whats the tuning?

[@goomic]

What type of caliber strings uses?

[@blindmellonchittlen]

what has he composed?

[@ryano442]

right on, thx bro. (gotta agree w/ mandaltby)

[@13dolphins13]

Agreed. Robert Johnson was the greatest Bluesman ever. Robert didn't use a pick, mississippi delta blues is played with fingers only. This is sad. RJ turning in his grave. take care.

[@scrumpymanjack]

Vamping or damping (dampening)? I thought vamping was a little phrase, not the muffling effect that he's describing. Still, he is the master so I guess he must be right. Can anyone clear this up, please? Would have like to give this clip stars but yt's redesign doesn't seem to let me. Where the f... are the red stars? How can you get an idea of whether a clip is worth watching without them? Makes me very angry.

[@davidcarr90]

I lol'd at "We're flatpickers"

[@dejaliloquy]

So your saying flatpicking is the same as chickenpicken which is the same as hybrid picking. I thought flatpicking was just using the pick otherwise what distinguishes flat picking from anything else? I have a friend that platpicks using only the pick to pick 2 strings at once of course only the strings that are next to each other, otherwise you have to hybrid picking. Lets get our guitar terms correct first

[@Khelztube]

If anyone could do it, it'd be Brad Davis.

[@xinghetianyuan]

good

[@eveDjakku]

blah, I stopped being lazy and I actually went into town and bought some new strings for my acoustic to try this, i found it hard on my electric guitar, not much room for my picking fingers heh

[@johnnycmajor]

Tony says hello.

[@stanleygregson]

Just use a thumb pick as a flat pick a Like chet atkins and you have the best of both worlds

[@YouSpamTard]

elderfan, you are correct. Nobody knows what Johnson did. Nobody. All the great musicians wonder and try to figure it out, but nobody knows. All the study of him is in vain to a pretty much. Closest thing I have found, I'm kind of new to this deep root study of delta blues, is in this video. Do a utube for Son House - Death Letter. You can see in that video that he has that same sort of thing Johnson had, but he can not do it consistently through out the song as Johnson did.

[@jessupar]

Im with Honza... it dosnt sound like anything robert would play. i find it easyer to play things like ramblin blues with no picks at all, or the occasional thumbpick. johnson didnt flatpick, thankfully. if you want generic blues, look up Jimmy Reed. (there is nothing wrong with him, but he's basically what this sounds like.)

[@KrazyRobot]

no he means vamping

[@13dolphins13]

Robert Johnson.

[@jamesjonesrocket]

I didn't think robert johnson used a pick?!

[@blackspaniard15]

just play sum damn blues already bro!! hehe

[@rancorx]

@shabs124 oh you subtle troll not quite subtle enough

[@MedusaNegrita]

Amen to that. These guys do anything to make some money.

[@robinspat]

I did say " amongst others " :) h t t p ds.mk-guitar com /knopfler-interviews h t m The influence on Mark Knopfler can't be overstated, of course. "Oh, of course, yeah - I listened to a lot of JJ Cale around the time my style was developing," the Dire Straits founder acknowledged in the early '80s. "He's very, very special to me.” In 1978 or so, while in the 4th Year High School UK, I bought the Dire Straits début album about six months before it charted along with the first Police Album.

[@DunDamage]

yaa i like finger pickin more then travis style

[@IAINoodle]

@flatopguy - and it hates you right back ;)

[@SuperOlds88]

greatest bluesman ever? hardly, what about the guys he learned from? like Hambone and Son, dont they get any credit?..to say he is the greatest is not fair. Hey Brad, you ever teach Billy Bob and Unknown any of this stuff?

[@13dolphins13]

sorry to say it'ss not true. Tommy Johnson around same time sold his soul possibly, NOT RJ.

[@HonzaPokorny]

you make it sound too simple - to the point where it sounds nothing like johnson, can't help it sorry it's easier to play with a thumb pick plus you gotta play slide

[@lobitoldkx1]

no entendi una mierda

[@LucaSbaBabetto]

Robert Johnson didn't use picks! :)

[@whatshendrix]

Lol...

[@baileyslip]

WTF jd??

[@Hoopermazing]

My hand is cramping up just from watching this nonsense.

[@southrules]

Two words: sham poo. Thanks for the lesson though, bud

[@Dc10x1e]

you shouldnt flatpick another mans blues do what i do play it with with your fingers

[@shabs124]

424 cant play without a flatpick....dislike this, play like robert johnson did

[@Hoopermazing]

You're smoking crack. There is nothing better than fingernails on strings, be they nylon or steel.

[@MassimoAlberto]

?? Too bad , not sound like Robert Johnson . That stuff...

[@juegas]

@imkg09 stop watching so much tv...selling his sould to the devil.

[@jake3189]

why wouldn't you just learn it the way its meant to be played...

[@wilbo09]

If you want to play the blues quit trying to "simulate" finger picking. Learn to play it right or don't play it.