Tommy Emmanuel Lesson - How to Fingerpick Like Chet Atkins

Tommy Emmanuel teaches how to fingerpick like Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, plus how to play "El Vaquero." For full tabs, go to: www.guitarworld...

[@deltaforceops]

Took my dad(big Chet fan) to see Tommy live! Best day ever! First 3 songs I sat still in awe. I 've never heard anyone play that perfect before. His show was the best I've ever seen live! Phenomenal talent with a down to earth personality. Can't say enough good things about him.

[@jakem3634]

I'm really honoured that Tommy Emmanuel could take the time to show people this and give some great advice about practicing.

[@guitarworld]

Really though, this guy is absolutely out of his mind, right? When he came into our studio we all pretty much stood there with our jaws dropped.

[@kxmrock]

+Guitar World..... You said it, Had to Take another look at my hero's ... I think if i remember right,(not sure) i saw a PBS of him at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico California ...If thats right, I thought VH and others had it made with Electric guitars....

[@1dabirdman68]

+Guitar World He was given the title of "Certified Guitar Player" by Chet Atkins.....Nuff said! The mans incredible! Him,Chet,& Jerry Reed are my trifecta of master finger pickers....There are others of course but these 3 are absolute masters!

[@imannonymous7707]

+Guitar World I love this new column. Please bring back guitar world acoustic. but this guy giving lessons wow!!! what a thrill thx😎😎😎

[@guitarworld]

+Rick Hadden We'll be posting a new video from Tommy Emmanuel once per month for the next 5 months or so. Stay tuned!

[@Napoleon4778]

+Rick Johnson What is PBS?

[@bbunters]

Love how he keeps promising to play it through at a medium pace and then just tears right into it at full speed :D

[@SRVACE]

I attended a guitar workshop with Tommy many years ago , absolutely blew me away & I've been playing for 40 years. You will not meet a more humble genuine guy & what a talent.

[@rudicci]

I can listen to Tommy all day long, honestly. Talented beyond his own awareness.

[@axeman2638]

Not so much talent as many, many years of dedicated practice.

[@rudicci]

Axe Man Well Said

[@axeman2638]

Coming from a musical family like Tommy did really helps though. I think I heard him say somewhere he started at 3 or something. I think talent is a bit of a myth and it's much more about exposure to music and opportunity to learn how to play from an early age then having the dedication to do the practice. An awful lot of great musicians come from musical families and had that early opportunity.

[@randolphpatterson5061]

Axe Man, good point Tommy has denied any claims of possessing any degree of true talent, and swears that it was all hard work. 10,000 hours to virtuosity.

[@gtrrobster]

Guaranteed, he is VERY aware of his talent :)

[@MegaNavek]

i was working backstage at a festival and i have to say he is one of the nicest genuine people ....and just mega talented

[@bach730]

Been a fan of his for 25 years and he gets more insane each time I see him. I'll see you all in 275 years once I have this song halfway down.

[@xammaj4844]

I had the pleasure of seeing him play live. Truly inspring.

[@xammaj4844]

*inspiring

[@thegranddragon6077]

+xammaj Saw him play at the Majestic in Dallas. While he was playing the audience held complete silence, but when he finished a tune the applause were endless and song titles were shouted out from fans as requests. A refined primitive for sure. Great talent, great performance!

[@xammaj4844]

TheGrandDragon I've never had such an emotional attachment to a concert before

[@511Mrpaul]

I have heard Tommy several times, I am going to see him in June 2016. He is as much a "regular guy" in person as he is on the videos. I have a framed photo of him and myself at home. He is the real deal.

[@ACat-pm8kx]

*holds screen closer to guitar to inspire her to greatness*

[@garywhitaker9854]

Speechless! A master like Tommy taking the time to do this is amazing. Much respect and thanks!

[@MelvinOfTheWorld]

What a gift! His playing is from another time & space,...absolutely amzing!

[@drtony6315]

Tommy you're the man, most consummate, everything a budding guitar dreams to be. Alas, there's only one Tommy Emmanuel. Great job.

[@lamystorius]

I got so excited when I saw that they did a video with the great TE! Good stuff

[@dcocrypto7446]

Your a legend Tommy, the best acoustic guitarist ever

[@TheEthug]

More Tommy. More of this style please.

[@mickt5431]

I've always marvelled at Tommys talent since i started play at 8. i was able to see him play when i was around 13 at Tamworth when down there for country music festival. absolutely awesome showman an down to earth. now in my 30s and still not even half as good as this man. dedication is amazing

[@stuz0r]

I've seen in him concert two times. He's is the real deal. One of the nicest guys I've ever talked to as well.

[@SunsetDill]

Holy what the! An amazing display of finger style!

[@lw216316]

Okay, so we can't play as well as he does.... but there is one thing we can do as well as he does.... we can ENJOY our playing as much as he does ! ....thank God for the talent we have and keep practicing !

[@branislavbukurov614]

Or cut ourselves shaving.

[@FrankSpeer66]

Thank you for stating the key of the song up front! I can't tell you how many guitar lessons never tell you what key the song is in. Once you know that you're able to relate all of the chords back to the key and people just don't seem to get that..

[@gelartab]

When he began playing he had to learn everything by ear.. Now we have HD videos which we can start again and again )) Thanks for video !

[@raymondjhindle77]

I can’t get enough of Tommy’s playing!

[@manaman545]

Cool, I should have this down by lunch Lunch 2025 that is..

[@James.D]

Hahahahahaha!!!! You're being optimistic at least.

[@cliffsmith1305]

LMAO I just spit my coffee out over my keyboard, hahaha!

[@ryansteele2627]

Have you learned it yet

[@dcocrypto7446]

😂😂😂

[@JohnSmith-lt8em]

Lunch in heaven. More like.

[@micaelsv]

what can one say...Tommy you play this so good that Im stunned....

[@twitch.101]

Lol medium pace? How fast does this dude normally play it? 500 bpm?

[@sb792079]

hahah i think he forgot about his own words once he started picking

[@RegularRetro]

+Ryan Lawrence Watch classical gas

[@RubenBru]

hahaha made my day :')

[@badlove7435]

I think they use the Mach scale for Tommy

[@kitemanmusic]

Yes, this is medium pace. He means it, and he does play a lot faster! Note perfect.

[@wolfie316781]

7:15 " I just realized what Im doing there"....Lol!! that is really great. It appears to me like He disappears into another world when he plays; A force just channels through him and he is also entertaining himself along with us all! Love this guy.

[@ToxicoIa]

So tired of youtube lessons for beginners. He's not telling exactly what to play. He wants you to know the song first, then learn it for yourself. what a genius.

[@roadkill4561]

Don Glennly this video would of come with a magazine which would of had music in it.

[@randolphpatterson5061]

It's a really nice thing to be able to freeze the video, back it up a bit, and watch that one part again & again. If that's what it takes, no problem, I'm happy. I might suck on the guitar, but I'm happy.

[@johndavies4541]

Wow, this is going to be easy. It's 8 AM and I've already cut myself shaving (twice!). Now, onto the guitar thing next...

[@fredrock2222]

Great sense of humor! I literally am laughing my ass off.

[@caseylee12]

Funniest thing i`he read all day!

[@danparks8894]

Dumbfounded by his speed and ability. Just ridiculous, in an amazing way. Legend!

[@bubba-rh3hz]

Great advice Mr. Emmanuel. Focus is a big part of the equation. Paco De Lucia. Great musical equation solver but then again so are you. Wonderful and Skillful instruction. Thank you.

[@sunaJH]

He really demonstrates alternating muting/unmuting @9:46 so well

[@reynaldocostaoficial528]

He is Amazing teacher and person God bless you Tommy!!

[@AC5SH]

People cheapen it by saying "talent". Yes, he is talented, but he WORKS at it constantly. No amount of talent gives this kind of skill without love for it, and a lot of WORK. And wow, he is good :) Tim O

[@FretboardFrenzy]

"I'll take the song at a medium pace", followed promptly by a big "f**k you, newbs" hahaha

[@gtk-SW]

Thanks so much for doing these type of videos. I have learned a great deal by getting the opportunity to learn from a master guitar player and teacher. G

[@MikeUpie]

Emmanuel is a top level guitarist. Fluid, precise, and fast. Wish he could do this lesson at half speed.

[@tinystar3010]

Now this is what guitar world should be posting, something actually challenging. The stupid metal runs are all the same, master one master all.

[@darrellmiddleton6615]

I love metal but I agree I can't play fingerstyle stuf like this at all but can shred easy

[@frankielong3288]

Oh my gosh. What can I say mate? You are fantastic. My eyes nearly popped out.

[@UR2Compliant]

LOVE this guy...classic and SO damn talented.

[@imannonymous7707]

So happy to get this new column I been dissaponted since Keith Wyatt departed. ...... but this is great. thank you guitar world ur mag is the highlight of my month. miss guitar world acoustic tho

[@Daytripper51]

He's AMAZING in person.....damn nice guy,un-matched player!!!

[@payambehtash7124]

Tommy why are you doing this? whenever I see you playing I feel it's better for me to put my guitar away and do something else because there is nothing's left for the rest of us to say! you did it again.

[@MrPhilerD]

Put your guitar away?! NO! NOooo! Look and learn. Emulate what he is doing and become a better player... how about that as opposed to putting away your guitar.

[@toamataafa9463]

He’s a genius..Tommy you’re the best..RIP Phil🙏

[@achaarpickler]

What a player......and sounds like a genuinely nice guy too

[@maxsalasr]

In Spanish you say it like this: El vakero, don't pronounce the u ... And man tommy is good

[@guycollishaw1957]

*el bakero :)

[@JoseGonzalez-ez6vn]

That's right. Que = k in Spanish. Tommy is using English pronunciation rules for Spanish pronunciation. Which never works well. It's disasterous, as well as, quite hilarious. Nothing funny about his guitar work, tho. (Warning: In Spanish, most vowels are short vowels.)

[@terrymiller111]

The difference between being "good" or "great" at something, and being a MASTER.

[@whyyeseyec]

Did you get that kids? Can you learn it by Monday? Seriously, Tommy is so far above everyone else, if you weren't looking you'd swear there were two guitars players on this....

[@cecb3451]

When it comes to Tommy Emmanuel you can like the video before you watch it, because you pretty much know he's gonna rock you senseless, so yeah...

[@mcgraw8098]

Great lesson, had this done in 30 mins👍

[@Staky-wl4bk]

hold my beer I got this

[@dcortes831]

+Robert Stackhouse hold me my beer got this

[@alexscott4277]

Just bloody amazing.

[@Matti.Tertsunen]

I just watched this video and it made me play like Chet, easy. Thanks.

[@James.D]

By the way...thank you, Guitar World and Tommy Emmanuel!!!

[@nessmalone]

Tommy Emmanuel is my guitarhero!!!

[@paul6914]

Amazing guitarist...a legend... thank you ...

[@dwbiggly6907]

I can’t play as well but I shave just as good. Thanks for sharing Tommy!👍🏻

[@v1ncepupp1o7]

Super inspiring man.

[@fragletemmer]

I shook this phenomenal man's hand once. Best day of my life :-)

[@Shp-el2es]

More of Tommy, please!!!

[@mosrite60]

The thumb picking style by Chet, Merle, Paul, Thresh, Doyle and other greats looks very easy and simple to play. However, this takes hours and days to learn. I had the book " Play Like Chet Atkins" circa 1960 and am still trying to play. No guitar player will ever sound like Chet. He was truly a genius. RIP. Tommy has his own style somewhat different from Chet mos60

[@Hesed6]

Days? Hours? Lol more like years

[@JaseVO88]

Outstanding

[@houstonreasons]

every time he says medium pace I start laughing cause I know what's coming

[@Ozzdoc]

Incredible player.

[@gonzogourmet]

Pronunciation: El 'vakero' or 'bakero'. Th 'u' is silent in Spanish in this instance. In case anyone is curious, El Vaquero = The Cowboy, in English. Anyway, sensational playing as always.

[@williamswain7465]

incredible sound great song.

[@ryansteele2627]

Thanks for the video Emmanuel

[@davidpaccara6483]

I'm going to try this for the next year or so until i get it right

[@markbruner2679]

Well done Tommy! Beautiful !Love the tone on the guitar too! What kind of acoustic?

[@davidsmethurst3818]

Too good! That thumb!

[@jrsmoots]

LOVE this!

[@marvindoolin1340]

Wonderful. If only such videos existed sixty years ago. Oh, what I MIGHT have accomplished. It's a nice dream, anyway.

[@lgene8558]

A master guitarist!

[@alfonso140859]

Gracias maestro siempre de lo mejor

[@williamswain7465]

aspirations to play like these styles and I should have a guitar not salmon, but it was the season.

[@bobschlussler8213]

Tommy, gotta say I love your playing and your instruction about guitar is awesome. But the real lesson you offer is right at the start when you talk about your shaving mishap. I think that all to often, we forget that to do ANYTHING well, it is important to FOCUS on the task and goal at hand. Thank you for that important life reminder. Computers are good at multitasking ... humans, not so much.

[@stephensmith1034]

Wow! Incredible!

[@grayling0865]

great lesson thak you!

[@evyevy11]

i've already learned a great part of this song.. my left knee is perfectly in sinc with his 🤣

[@charlesbobillier4992]

Pure genius

[@kenrhea23]

I wish they could flash the name of the chord he is playing or something so I could learn this faster. Amazing lesson. I cant wait to bang my head against this one for a few weeks/years haha

[@gtrrobster]

Kenny R All the chords are pretty much Am, F, G, D,E etc. To play something this advanced, it is sort of implied you are able to follow the chords.

[@johnwhite2923]

This could take awhile, but its all there. Listen over, over & over. Little by little, maybe eventually. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Just remember that.

[@davidjermy2524]

Not surprised he’s a fantastic player. Haven’t cut myself for years😂

[@purpleheartscott8553]

I sure hope to one day be able to play at this “medium” pace as my fastest even. Incredible. I’m learning this whole thumb independence thing isn’t as easy as it looks. 😂

[@abbe2173]

Purple Heart Scott Same.. got it down yet? x)

[@FilNovak1]

OK Tommy, I've got a spare ten minutes to crack this one off. Shouldn't take a sec. (I wish!!). Still - you're a great inspiration!

[@lcuddy12]

"So I just realized what I'm doing there... " Awesome.

[@nathandaniel5451]

How do you even learn the variations of chords? Like he says Am but have no clue what he is playing as it's a different Am...

[@Comicbookguise]

Apparently, Tommy doesn't consider that not everyone has his giant-sized fingers and the average man's thumb cannot wrap around the guitar like his. Regardless, the man is a guitar master, god and monster and I salute him and his extraordinary abilities!

[@brucelinton9967]

Just for the record, Tommy, the U in vaquero is silent so it sounds more like va-kero. Now I need to work on playing this.:)

[@tigra7730]

i love you man!

[@rhumandlove393]

Our lord and savior, Tommy Emmanuel

[@SaccoBelmonte]

My problem while fingerpicking. Chet atkins style, is that i end carving one side of my nails and they end pointy. How can I correct that? is really hard to find the right angle so the thumb pick works fine. I already have a thumbpick with an angle which supposedly helps, but I still carve my nails against the strings because they rasp instead of just plucking. Any ideas?

[@netcodeyyy]

Sacco Belmonte overtime your nails build up strength if you file them with a fine file. If thats not enough (which it wont if you play a lot) maybe try fake nails (they have some draws tho)

[@shuklajayant]

He is a gift of God to mankind

[@b.j.surfdog3724]

Regarding the facial cut, I think the term for staying in the moment is "mindfullness"

[@danmar007]

It's funny. I just watched a video entitled the 30 greatest and best guitar players and Tommy wasn't there - lousy video! :-) . Tommy, like Gary Moore, makes my spine tingle. His brother's not half-bad either!

[@ed.t.hansen6499]

excellent. Can we request the same for Twitchy !

[@SaccoBelmonte]

It's pronounced "El Vakero" ("que" in spanish sounds like "ke") :-)

[@chirpybee]

You don’t have to restrain yourself to Tommy’s tempo. Once you feel confident you can pick up the pace a bit and play it full speed...

[@willross2587]

I was watching him play it back again and thinking "Okay I can get this, its fast but I can do it"...I still had the video at .75 speed