Molly Tuttle & Tommy Emmanuel on how to sound and play better

Two of the most accomplished and dazzling acoustic guitarists in the world, Tommy Emmanuel and Molly Tuttle joined us to share their seasoned advice on how to play more effectively, tonefully and authentically on acoustic guitar. Touching on rhythm, dynamics, attention to tone and performing live, their advice is a must-watch for acoustic players. The video also includes spellbinding performances by Molly and Tommy playing as a duo.

[@stevenmeyer9674]

What a humble guy Tommy is. He is the ultimate team player.

phil was more a rocker than tommy saw them hundreds of times in australia

[@toddmcintosh83]

Yes! Such a natural guitarist and so confident and loves to play, for the love of it! He’s willing to be an accompanist to allow his partner to shine! So giving and appreciative for the sake of the music! Even though he is larger than life! I respect that so much!😉👌

[@rachmann516]

I think the sound comes from the head; it's and internal thing. When your mind goes somewhere else but it's not connected to what you're playing, it just doesn't sound as good.

[@carlatoby5808]

Agree. The best musicians are humble and generous. Tommy is both. It's a joy to listen to him. I mean, I gotta admit I hate him a little because he does make it look so easy...but it's a loving kind of hate 😜

[@coalville1234]

I was lucky enough to see Tommy and Molly on their U.K. tour. Just one word- brilliant!

[@startingfingerstyle]

me too, weren't they magnificent!

[@captainkangaroo4301]

I used to know Molly’s dad, Jack, many years ago before she was born. He’s an outstanding musician as well.

[@someguy4505]

This is truly special. This will be talked about for many years.

[@writereducator]

The metronome has become my best teacher: (1) to work up difficult passages to tempo; (2) to keep the groove going; (3) at tempo, to uncover your flaws. Another important teacher: a digital recorder.

[@stevegurgon]

Tommy and Molly are both genuine personalities.. I love them both.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

I love Molly, I love Tommy. heck I together I can barely handle it!

[@HannahCope88]

@TheArtofGuitar Molly is awesome, I got into her thanks to the radio station I listen to. Tommy is a legend 🙂

[@wanderingsoul7935]

Getting a better sound comes from the heart too, not just the hands.

[@MoeEezay]

True beyond the comprehension of most.

[@DansenEnSchijten]

Man, was this special... All that wisdom and music, simply fascinating.

[@sk8pkl]

Crooked tree was beauuttifful omg. Ooufff. I got chills

[@stevelestermusic]

Groove is everything

[@johnwise7693]

Yep. If you are on time and in tune, your pretty well there.

[@karmadave]

I agree with everything especially Molly's comments about the right hand. It's the most difficult thing, for me, yet the essential element that provides the 'groove'.

[@grantrogers1858]

Tommys fills and ryhthm sections are amazing. Both amazing

[@jadeedmundson5715]

Wow! Sounds amazing! Molly is so underrated as a singer/songwriter, likely because she is first thought of as one of the best flat-pickers, but she is such a talented artist, love to see her get to be a household name!

[@astrofire68]

Great advice on practice. I started learning Trumpet in 1976 and it took me about 7 years to be good at it (just good). When I took up Guitar in Jan 2023 I fully expected that, with at least one hour of practice each day, I’d be “good” at it in 2030 - just good, not amazing, just good. The only way to learn an instrument is to apply structured, quality, practice over a long timeframe - there aren’t any shortcuts…..also, my first Trumpet teacher always said “10 mins practice when you want to is better than a half hour when you don’t”…that’s what helped him get on over 160 albums during the 2nd world war era.

[@MelodyMaker]

Such sincerity and eloquence in providing us with those three topics of improvement each. Tommy has mentioned in the past about how his practice entails practicing songs.

[@Jean-PaulTheubet-rq5mh]

Tommy is incredible

[@mrcolin2u]

I would absolutely love to see these two in concert 😃

[@jeriboxx4331]

Pure Joy! Thanks

[@HughEllisBennett]

Whew, that was awesome.

[@tomtomtom7200]

Thank you Molly and Tommy, great conversation, and some fine music. Yeah, to me the guitar has always been a lifelong trip... I'm 63 and still learning HAH!

[@guitarnotions]

This is awesome! Thank you!

[@400_billion_suns]

Love these two, and that was such a nice song at the end. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for bringing it to us.

[@geraldwest3428]

Simply beautiful! Thank you!😊

[@liamfahey7836]

Beautiful voice. Love the song too. 🎸🎸

[@norbertb.]

Thank you so much!❤🙏🏻

[@crazycat1345]

Molly is very lucky to have Tommy to learn from.

[@timothyritchie5290]

Saw this tour and wish I could have gone every night- breathtaking show

[@don911donny9]

Great playing and great advice

[@dsing67]

My new favorite duo. What a great combination.

[@iused2BAfireman]

Incredible. Golden. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your talents to the world.

[@chrisarnold6852]

Wow, so much awesome for 1 video! What a sweet song,love it❤

[@DjNikGnashers]

Saw TE live in the UK a couple of years ago, it was literally one of the highlights of my life so far.

[@seanspring1360]

Sounds GREAT! Looking forward to seeing Tommy here in Canada later in the year Thanks Tommy & Molly 💜

[@PianoGuitarVocal]

Hi Tommy! Beautiful human beings. Beautiful sound. Thank you!

[@leefranks1181]

Wow Molly and Tommy are so inspirational, this video really made me think about my sound, such positivity, thank you guys ❤

[@Mr.PhatsVarietyVibesShow]

i like this a lot those 2 are very good... she has that American folk style music sense...

[@jonrettich-ff4gj]

Thank you for these profound gifts of insight. Even if you don’t play the exposure can only enhance one’s listening. Thank you so much

[@tonykehoe123]

I can only sit back and admire the talents of both . I have been playing for twenty years and still play the same as I did when I first started whilst having written more than 500 songs

[@eamonnmorris5331]

A lovely discussion, full of helpful hints for all of us aspiring pickers!

[@stantonkramer2986]

Great advice! Fabulous shirt, Tommy!

[@SuperLeica1]

"How do I get to Albert Hall?" : "Practice, practice, practice!" These two, as they said, have engaged to develop their guitar skills all their lives. It's obvious, You can hear it! This also make them understand each other's endeavours, which creates wonderful co-operation. BTW, the lyrics of "Crooked Tree" (at 12:35) is among the best I've heard as a musician for 40 years, it quite nails the feeling I've had while trying to find my own "sound".

[@breakandrun70]

Wow, what voices, Molly & Tommy sound so good together. They certainly sound & feed off each others style. Molly reminds me of Allison K. They have such distinct voices. Tommy is also very gifted, he can harmonize with everybody, If he can't he makes up with his playing ability. Thanks to the both of you for the awesome lesson & video, looking forward to seeing more. Made my day too!!!

[@235buz]

What a great interview. 👏👏

[@Jean-PaulTheubet-rq5mh]

Great great and great

[@xyzman001]

Molly's right hand technique. I get it. Now I gotta practice it. Yhnx for sharing

[@susanroycroft89]

You know, one of the things I love with your playing is it's not competitive but supportive, what a show, Don here from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet Susan,Sincere regards 😊😊😊

[@rkoblues24]

Thanks for the great tips. Acoustic playing is definitely unique to electric playing.

[@Moggshad]

Fantastico !!!!!!

[@williammead9966]

Totally enjoyable!

[@TheFeelButton]

Great stuff!

[@smandez2023]

For years that I’ve listened to Tommy I thought, “what could be better than this?”. Now I’m listening to Tommy and Molly together and, what can be said? It just brings a smile to my face. ❤

[@Jean-PaulTheubet-rq5mh]

Molly although is fantastic!

[@shashilight]

Love Tommy's sweet harmonies - vocally and from those amazing fingers! ❤

[@cburns3256]

Great !

[@jimadams5574]

oh man - you two sound beautiful together! I love the sound of an acoustic guitar and this actually brought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful. Thanks for this and for all you two do for music. Now I'm gonna go play my guitar and try to sound just a little like you two do lol - thanks for the pointers!

[@scottbryant7090]

Those hands!!

[@markelovett]

Nice job both. Love Molly’s right hand. Wish i could get it.

[@peterpulpitpounder]

Tommy, I've seen you play "Amazing Grace" many times, and it reminds me of the "essence" of true life, and of the critical importance of giving God the glory in all we do. Music comes from God and is truly a gift from above.

[@JackTheRabbitMusic]

Some people speak quietly. Others speak in metaphor. A few talk to themselves. Many are not saying anything at all. Only a handful are fully self aware.

[@DaemonRicks]

Tommy says it all. You have to do that all your life to sound so good. These people are natural born and lifelong practiced talents.

[@cliftonjarvis8010]

Tommy I will buy you some pants man,for all the help you have given me,just playing around mate😂hopefully you both will come to the Cincinnati area soon, I think you both are great.

[@gcolnr]

Great interview, and love Tommy’s shirt…looks like a Bob Marley influence.

[@prime-mate]

Molly is so damn awesome...

[@fischman26-China]

Yep, I need to use a metronome. Lately, volume control is something is something I am working on. Strumming, I am loud but picking I need to lower the volume for more control, then I need to balance it all out. Molly and Tommy are giving great tips.

[@feedvid]

Wow!

[@ewinggraphics3384]

Thanks for this! :) (Dave Sharpe here)

[@joezagame5598]

Molly’s sound reminded me of the Indigo Girls.

[@geoffreydonaldson2984]

What I tell anyone brave, foolish or stupid enough to ask my advice. I teach two-year olds, not really older, so when I’m asked by anybody over two, this is the best advice I can give, and this is what I do: when I pick up my axe first time that day, I play a single note and I really, really listen to that note, feel it vibrating the instrument and the air, hear it fade, far, far way. It’s not a long opportunity so you gotta make the best of it …because, if you care to bother doing this further exercise, you’ll realize that no matter what you do, you cannot duplicate that first experience of the day; the second time you play that note, it sounds different no matter how hard you try to listen as closely as you did the first time. That’s a channeling effect in the brain you can’t control. The almost infinite sound textures you hear in that first lovely note of the day are being gathered, readying for the deluge of notes-a song, say-it knows from experience is going to happen very, very soon. And might go on accumulating all day, all that night and around to next morning. Thus I suspect you have to sleep (something to do with dreams and REM, &c-I can’t quote David Levitson) to refresh the first-note-of-the-day effect. I also suspect that’s why some performers go in cold: that’s the effect they want just before they proceed with the repertoire. One might get pretty good at artificially preserving and reproducing that effect as the session goes on. But, as professional as that is, I don’t believe it is possible to capture the personal -uh-I dunno-“zen” of that first, well contemplated note. Of course this is why acoustic instruments-the guitar being the predominant, excellent thing-are so good for starting the day. You can’t do it with electric amplification (but you can with an electric guitar unplugged-just that the effect is shorter and more difficult to savour). Naturally that first full, beautiful, full-bodied chord of the day is similar in effect. But nothing beats so pure and powerful as that first note of the day. My advice: really pay attention to that first note, make sure to do it. I have guitars all over my house and can be pretty nonchalant about grabbing one, getting that idea out into the medium-but the first-note-of-the-day effect, that meditative or, dare I say, even prayerful effect won’t be there if it ain’t the actual thing. Sounds small. Sounds too short. But it can influence yer whole day. Just imagine it’s a song-all in one note. Thnx and all the best. XO

[@alexanderkhizhnyakov417]

🔥🔥🔥❤❤❤

[@james-gang]

dreamteam

[@stigc.minkstuen]

❣

[@aleksandarstoev441]

❤

[@RickDanner]

wow

[@I_am_nooh]

That's a sick shirt Tommy!

[@andysparks8103]

I record my flatpicking on my phone and listen back to it. It’s a fool proof way to measure progress / be it speed or fluidity.

[@philmansfield8825]

I do that ... humbling

[@alan4sure]

I do that to figure out harmony to fiddle tunes.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

Looper pedal is the way to go' that is if your guitar is electric acoustic.

[@lifetimestruggle55]

Awesome vid like always. Anyone know a simular microphone at a convenient price? i wanna get my sounds out to you all.......

[@shashilight]

Great song, "Crooked Tree" - love that message - that all of us should honor our uniqueness, whether or not it falls into the "perfection" of what society formulates. Yup, if someone else would play my guitar, it would probably sound good!

[@philmansfield8825]

Open strings...been playing Clap by Steve Howe. Sometimes the open strings jump out too much leaving the fretted string under volume...

[@rjb5678]

Me at 6:40 hahaha hope to improve though.... you guys compliment other, great to observe and listen too....

[@AlmostDrAbe]

🎉

[@zemlidrakona2915]

This -> 3:08 ... And you can apply that to any guitar

[@aaronrobbanzach29]

Practice and learn to play in the dark. Pitch black. You can’t see anyone and no one can see you. It removes ego and showboating means absolutely nothing. It’s then purely only all about the sound. On another note, I don’t think it’s currently in their paths, but I very very eagerly await and hope to god the there will come a time that Molly and Sully’s paths will cross again and they write some amazing stories. That would seriously melt my brain.

[@diggerddawg]

I love to watch Molly's right hand.

[@user-eh5gj1hx9z]

Another Emmy Lou Harris!

[@TheBuglas]

Why is nobody talking about those pants?

[@kayanowtoo7593]

The best Male and the best Female guitarists in the world playing together. I might have a pleasure OD if I'm not careful.

[@kevinmccormick6434]

Are they playing Crooked Tree in two different keys?.....one guitar is has a capo on the 4 th fret and the other on the 2nd fret. When they play, the guitars sound as if they may be purposely playing in two keys.

[@binwang251]

It's like the Mohammad Ali and Mike Tyson of acoustic guitar formed a tag team.

[@60beats44]

As Mike Tyson used to say. When they go high, I go low.

[@scrimblenib]

Open strings are like open thighs ...... Fucking great

[@ionageman]

As I’m playing they might look straight into the camera .. I swear they are staring at me .

[@seanquinlan6887]

I had no idea Tommy was colorblind

[@danschoenharl3856]

This crooked tree agrees.

[@heyokastu2]

where is that crackling sound coming from? is it my computer or is there a fire burning in the background?????

[@musicproductioncentral4540]

The zippers on Tommy's jeans.

[@blocksy6772]

the bracelet and tommy's watch

[@Malagrass]

Molly is just cute.

[@Some-guy-you-dont-know]

That song is essentially "Solsbury Hill".

[@LikeFrankWhite]

We hat3 capos

[@1cdailey]

Does Molly use a pick or just her thumbnail? I can’t tell.

[@csmith5420]

She typically uses a pick when flat picking, but will occasionally finger pick. She also just used her fingers when she does the claw hammer style.

[@kenrafferty2347]

Tommy seems to be playing with the pick a lot more these days

[@JustnBlazn]

Time is the hardest part guess I got nothing I almost never count in my head how the fuck do you count and sing at the same time. One track mind I guess.

[@LekkerDops]

When did musos start saying 'you know' after every bloody sentence they speak. Tommy?? Come on, a fellow Australian,.you're killing me. You know

[@nouveau53]

If you have a pick guard. Remove it for a better sound.