Fundamentals for modern country?

[FretFire]

I'd like to add some country to my repertoire, and am curious what you country players would consider your basic "must knows"?

I have a good grasp on fundamental music theory (keys, scales/modes, intervals, etc) so I suppose I'm looking more for application things I can practice. Common chord progressions (e.g. ii-V-I in jazz), incorporating open strings & double stops, and so on.

Thoughts?

 

[Matt42]

Re: Fundamentals for modern country?

Learn open string runs in every key. Lots of double stops, simultaneous bends, bending and pulling off to release, pre-bending too. Learn to play triads of every chord in every position. If you don't already, practice picking with your fingers in addition to your pick.

A and G are the most common, with E, C and D showing up regularly too. Variations on I-IV-V (i.e. I-V-I-IV, I-IV-I-V, I-V-IV, I-V-I-V, etc). Occasionally you'd find a II or VII. I even know a country song with a III in it.

Check out these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct4QOUnMmjA

Also, this guy has some really good lessons that helped me out a ton when I was first breaking into country.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Fundamentals for modern country?

Awesome, exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Thanks!

 

[Matt42]

Re: Fundamentals for modern country?

Whoops, I totally forgot the third link!

http://www.youtube.com/user/sizzlingguitarlicks?feature=watch

A lot of the country stuff just takes thinking about techniques and stuff you already know and applying them differently. Hammer-on/pull-off stuff being an example.

Another good example of a good country trick is the bending one note of a double stop, while keeping the other the same. Especially if you do a pull off while the note is still bent, the string snaps back down, and if you place your fingers right, gets muted by the finger holding the other half of the double stop. It makes a cool sound.

If you need any thing else, let me know! I don't claim to be an expert country picker, but I was in your exact shoes about two years ago or so.

 

[joleyjames123]

Re: Fundamentals for modern country?

Hi Matt42,

Amazing song, Will need to play and sing like that.