cLCh——cL—SEE Acoustic Fingerstyle TOMMY EMMANUEL MASTERCLASS >mmy Emmanu sarong eee TOMMY EMMANUEL STCYC less TAO UO iia Acclaimed demonst “FLY YOUR KITE. | GL.RATING @ FINGERPICKING GOOD! iu MODERATE! RECOMMENDED LISTENING ays Tor ADVANCED : tesson gee Bigs ANY TOMMY EMMANUEL ALBUM is worth tering shiv cosh rayet Progrestvely more to simply forthe man’s natural ables on the gtr. techni a an ‘Acoustic purists shoud try'Ony’ (201), is fs all ree deed, Helps improve your Fingerpicking | cle wocabulary ‘Top Pick Chet Atkins &-Tommy Emmanuel "The Day Figer Pickers Took Over The World? acoustic album though also recommen are te ‘Midnight Deve), The Journey (1993) or the Grammy-nominated diets album with the late Chet ‘Atkins "The Day Finger Piekors Took Over The World @: SOUND ADVICE TOMMY TONES FORTHE RECORDING TOMMY ed his fal and wellworn Maton guar These Austral rade acoustics are Fed with 2 rerophone and onboard EQ Emmanuel oxy Enns nkown on these shotes a contra The pickup has been YOURGETUTOR ngo, one cous have mentioned ec ‘ adhurted at Tommy request to patty Torn penning on Icto-back grassoot h provide n his own words extreme ing got the attention EQ" which allows some seriousy low and igh fequencis to be amplified. We recorded ic direct to 1 Fostex hard di recorder. ‘TOMMY EMMANUEL MASTERCLASS CHORD CHART FOR EXAMPLE Am? | (acting as Aimajl3 Gmajl3 59/B) Dm|3no3rd) (not!) (nol!) 46 Qatar Tetiques jxlca Acoustic Fingerstyle TOMMY EMMANUEL MASTERCLASS LT SL | EXAMPLE 1 is «simple chord progression played exclusively with the righthand thumb, You should con om achieving a strong steady attack in this example Tommy sags; "Tl vary between using a timbplek oF may Hagens for this, depondins on the te ad the tone it requires." For this exarmple he uses a thumbpick. | FH Thunb nrougheut gy--—--> BITI-~ EXAMPLE 2 is bose on the theme from Caravan (whieh appeared ot nue (Chet Atkins albums) aris a development of the technique used in Example 1, “Here the thumb plays the bassline pattom (BARS 1-2) and the other fingers pay the rly (BAR 3 onwards) 48 Guitar Tectriques yy 2002aa ate sri SEN ATR AEST Wo discussed the musi of both Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, both hugely infntial | i Toauy He offered EXAMPLE 3 2 pial of the Tabi style | FOR THE INTERVIEW we lterally let the tape run, As we talked Tommy would frequently play something completly ind bossing (the Tommy Emmanuel version of noodling”). Mary times I would have to stop bir and say “WHAT was that” | EXAMPLE 4 as one such instance. I's an E mixoljdan/lues run par excellence 7 es ‘TOMMY PLAYED THIS NEXT GROOVE (EXAMPLE 5) after we briefly talked about the sive and tochnique of American guitarist Leo Kottke with whom Torumy as performed in the past uty 2002 Guitar Tengu 49Acoustic Fingerstyle TOMMY EMMANUEL MASTERCLASS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING techniques in Tommy’s armoury is his use of artificial harmonies (EXAMPLE 6). “Chet Atkins was the fist person tose this technique, and It frst appeared on his recording of ‘Chinatown, My Chinatown’ in 1947 he says. ‘Toramy plays artificial harmonies ina "harp" style, achieved by bringin over his Ft hand to both select and execute the harmonics, For example, press the low B string on the Sth fret, lace the rightchand index on | the same string at the 17th fet (ane oetave above) and pick the same string wit te right-hand thumb. With praetice you should ackiove a harmonic. In this example Tommy playa simple chord by placing a full bare on the fifth ft and alco fretting the high E string atthe seventh fet. He then pays a pattern of alternate natural notes and artificial harmonics. The normal notes are played with the right-hand mile finger. As you can hear en the GT CD, the effect is dazzling ‘Tomy says “the best way to practice this technique isto record yourself playin this pattern and lsten to the balance between the normal notes and the amp harmonies’ The tendency, intally sto play the normal nowes to loudly with the thumb, With practice and careful listening you wil begin to hear the effect. INA VARIATION OF THIS TECHNIQUE, try Toramy’s demonstration of incorporating some IeR-hand pal-ofl, as in EXAMPLE 7. HERE, TOMMY GIVES US another variation of this technique. EXAMPLE 8 stats with tree normal notes and then continucs with the altemating pattern of normal ‘notes and artificial harmonies as before. 50 Guitar Techniques yur 2002@ TRACKS 18.27 > é FINALLY, I ASKED TOMMY to device a simple) chord progression for the GT readers. EXAMPLE 9 dermonstratesthe technique ina more elaborate way. Check out Tong ive reeition of The Beatles’ "Michele, where he uses tis technique to incredible effect. Ive inctded the chord shapes for this example, 98 chr agra hi 4 pn t (8 ep ay ar) Dimyt3 nore BI a a en i m ‘Abma3(o081) amajt3¢nott) an Ans a as kan 2e " =O » ™ THOROUGHLY ENJOYED the afternoon with Tomuny Emmanuel ~ even though tree shared the stage on a numberof occasions it was the frst opportunity Te had to really discuss guitar playing in such detall with hi. Tommy wil be my guest for the Advanced Pingerstgle course atthe Rath Guitar Festival this year (5-7 August at Bath Spa Univesity) so come along ard check out the man and his music for ourself! Good ue, thanks to Tony, and Tl see you next month, = ane 7 ou os uy 2002 Guitar Tedniges $1