Western swing lead guitar styles pdf

The development of western swing style guitar flatpick. Unlock the secrets of hot takeoff lead guitar as played by the greatest players from the greatest bands. Western swing style guitar lesson lead guitar lesson ep171. To understand more about triads, go to the guitar lesson on basic chord construction in the music theory section. Right or wrong roy nichols teaser video lesson youtube. This style was born in the late 1940s with the rise of western swing a hybrid of western themed songs with jazz rhythm and harmony. To solidify your rhythm playing, ray dissects eldon shamblins traveling basschord lines and freddie greens comping and damping methods. Django reinhardt free sheet music to download in pdf, mp3. This solo was featured on several bob wills recordings including the bob wills special and milkcow blues. The examples include both lead and rhythm aspects of western swing guitar. Western swing lead guitar styles paperback may 19, 2015 by joe carr author 4. Pioneered in the 1930smost notably by milton brown and bob willsand developed throughout the 40s in the southwest, the sound featured an abundance of great rhythm and lead guitar styles. Well use the rhythm technique weve just learned along with some of the major chord alternatives we learned earlier in the course.

Driving an essentially swing mode of performing is a combination of fiddles and steel guitars with piano and brass or reed instruments. Although sometimes subject to the term texas swing it is widely associated with tulsa, others contend that western swing music finds deep roots in the dust bowl of oklahoma, and its influences include jazz from the major urban centers of the usa. This music comes from a soontobereleased cdbook combo from mel bay by joe carr about western swing lead guitar styles. Guitar recorded versions are notefornote transcriptions of guitar music taken directly off recordings.

Western swing style rhythm guitar lesson jazzy chords ep185. Western swing lead western swing lead borrows many ideas from jazz. Western swing style rhythm progression based on home in san antone this example is based on the progression to home in san antone, a classic western swing song. It is now a cliche solo, always played in milkcow blues. This is one of four videos will take a look at 4 different solos corrine, corrina, roly poly. Nov 22, 2011 western swing has always been widely considered a subgenre of country music, but ive never understood why it doesnt get included in the jazz lineage. Develop a solo over the changes to a western swing standard. The cone closely resembles an audio loudspeaker, though made from spun. Early jazz and swing guitar lessons technique for swing. Theres very few musical styles that combine as many varieties of american roots music as western swing. In this western swing style guitar lesson, youll learn chord comping, playing chords in different positions on the neck.

If you have ever heard the sound of rhythm guitar in a good western swing band, you may have wondered how the guitarist achieved that unique chordal sound. Includes a special introduction to western swing guitar styles. The guitar in western swing holds a particularly important place. While the song might be a simple oneplayable with only two or three chordsthe western swing guitarist changes chords every two beats, providing a driving and harmonically interesting background for the singers and instrumentalists. Western swing style rhythm guitar lesson jazzy chords. Resonator guitars often mistakenly referred to as steel guitars some models have metal bodies, the acoustic resonator guitar is distinctive in not having a regular soundhole, but a large usually circular plate which conceals the resonator cone. In this western swing guitar lesson, ill show you how to create a melodic lead by targeting notes from the chords and how to change the scale to match the chord throughout the song. Western swing lead guitar styles sheet music by joe carr. Ill show you how to play a few jazz runs by targeting the notes within the chord. The most important ingredient is the intention and dedication of the student. Western swing guitar western swing guitar stefan grossmans. See appendix 1 for a primer on rhythm guitar technique. Repetition is a very common technique in western swing guitar and the second lick is another great example of this.

It is dance music, often with an uptempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance halls and clubs in texas, oklahoma and california during the 1930s and 1940s until a federal wartime nightclub tax in 1944 contributed to the genres. Western swing started to gain popularity in the 1920s. Western swing and much of the music that grew out of it. I could easily write 50 pages of guitar exercises to. On beats 2 and 4, the left hand lightly mutes the chord before the next chord is. Swing or western swing whats the difference theres hardly any other style that combines so many varieties of american roots music as western swing. Western swing guitar lesson time jumpers guitar licks wes. B ringing together elements of early popular and country music, swing jazz, blues, and rural dance hall traditions, western swing is pure vintage american music. Ill cover techniques such as correct hand and finger posture, getting good tone and proper use of the pick.

Hearing the tiffany transcriptions, i had an epiphany. Thompson was one of the few western swing bandleaders to sing his own lead vocals and have hit country recordings well into the 50s. Western swing is a great format for this because it combines, blues, jazz, and country and creates techniques that can be applied to any of those styles. Western swing guitar lesson time jumpers guitar licks. See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. I teach bluegrass, fiddle tune lead and backup, and western swing lead and rhythm guitar. The joe carr western swing lead guitar styles book is very good, as are all of mr. Killer lead guitar, made simple lead guitar, play lead.

Blues big band hot jazz new orleans pop songs from the 20s and 30s cowboy songs boogiewoogie even hawaiian songs and the guitar is in the hot seat. Take a lead and rhythm guitar class from the maestro of western swing. In 2011, texas designated western swing its state music. The home scale same as the key is sometimes used for the entire progression. Bob wills and his texas playboys were pioneers of this style. Lets put this style into practice with a typical chord progression.

The guitar solo in their song wildwood flower is an early example of characteristics that are still to be found in country lead breaks. Its stylistic origins lie in old time, western, blues,folk,swing. Joe carr tabs guitar solos, tab books, instruction dvds. This will work when the progression contains chord derived from the major scale, i. The first western swing record i heard was bob wills and the texas playboys tiffany transcriptions, vol. In this guitar lesson youll learn how to play a jazzy sounding, western swing lead over a i, iv, v chord progression for a much more melodic sounding lead. Your lead guitar skills will naturally develop and grow stronger and stronger the longer you play. The music of bob wills by david stricklin different, creative, free al stricklin was working at kfjz radio in fort worth in 1930 when bob wills came to the studio with band mates milton brown and herman arnspiger. Western swing guitar guidebook ray nijenhuis truefire. Now, its time to explore playing lead guitar in the westernswing style. In this weeks guitar lesson, youll learn how to play a western swing jazz style lead over the chord changes.

It was the souths answer to bigband music, minus the horn section. I had been listening to eddie lang records and other 1920s and 1930s guitar albums by carl kress, dick mcdonough, and george van eps. Western swing sheet music and music books at sheet music plus. Mar 08, 2020 the first western swing record i heard was bob wills and the texas playboys tiffany transcriptions, vol. You will also learn how to comfortably move upthe neck and back down using slides, open strings, scale runs, harmonized scales, floating licks, and more. Asleep at the wheels ray benson offers straightshooting advice about the famous tunes, techniques and special qualities of this exciting hybrid of country, jazz and blues styles. The old guys can do this, im an old guy, but a youngster on the bass im still trying to pull off echo melody. The cornerstone of western swing is its slippery lead guitar, which straddles the boundary between country and jazz. How to improvise melodic lead western swing style western.

It consists of a longshort, longshort rhythm pattern in which chords are strummed and sustained on the the 1st and 3rd beats of the measure. Nov 30, 2017 the joe carr western swing lead guitar styles book is very good, as are all of mr. Country guitar solo to sum up this country guitar theory guide, here is a 12bar solo based on a i iv v chord progression in the key of g. This style was born in the late 1940s with the rise of western swing a hybrid of westernthemed songs with jazz rhythm and harmony. Start out by getting the basic feel for the music and the most common approach to rhythm playing in this style. Eldon shamblin, the guitarist for the texas playboys has made a lasting impression on the western swing style of guitar playing. Western swing has always been widely considered a subgenre of country music, but ive never understood why it doesnt get included in the jazz lineage. Volume 16, number 2 januaryfebruary 2012 al smith nick disebastian. Western swing guitar styles rhythm, mel bay publications mb94906bcd 60 hot western swing guitar licks lead, mel bay publications mb95101bcd milkcow blues duet solo here is a duet solo originally arranged and recorded by leon mccauliffe on steel and eldon shamblin in acoustic guitar. Over the c chord the lick bounces around the bb b7 of c where over the g.

Much work is done on getting a correct bluegrass rhythm guitar sound in the styles of pioneers like jimmy. Ill explain several 2 and 3 note chord concepts and show you how to. Western swing master joe carr has transcribed the great guitar solos from the bob wills band. Apparently, you couldnt buy a trumpet in texas in the 20s. Over the c chord the lick bounces around the bb b7 of c where over the g chord the lick uses the b 3 of g. The genre developed in oklahoma, texas, and california, and thrived in dance halls throughout the southwest during the 30s and 40s. Apr 29, 2010 the accompanying cd uses classic western swing song progressions and presents the licks at a medium, learnable pace. Guitar western swing lead guitar styles book and online audio. Click here to download a printable pdf of this lessons notation.

Jul 29, 2017 in 2011, texas designated western swing its state music. Ill explain where the notes come from so that you can understand how to improvise in this style. Django reinhardt free sheet music to download in pdf. They had a string band with wills on the fiddle, arnspiger playing the guitar, and brown doing most of the vocals, and they wanted a show on the station. This series, one of the most popular in print today, features some of the greatest guitar players and groups from blues, rock, and. The accompanying cd uses classic western swing song progressions and presents the licks at a medium, learnable pace. It is in the style of eldon shamblin, one of joey mckenzies major influences. You are going to play 2 notes on the 1st string, and 1 note on the 2nd string. The swing bands of the 40s and 50s generated an amazing group of players, most of whom are captured on this new vestapol video, including 23 clips recorded between the 40s and the present. This one again highlights one note to exaggerate the differences between c7 and g7. Learn to play the 1920s and 30s chord melody and rhythm guitar styles of eddie lang, nick lucas, freddie green, carl kress, and other early jazz greats. Guitar country and western wikibooks, open books for an. Country guitarists also absorbed elements from the blues and slide guitar started to be featured shortly after the success of the carter family.

The style relies heavily on the major scale with a penchant for the sixth and ninth tones. What ops band mate really needs to study is charlie christian. The book in only 48 pages so the while well done there are not a lot of examples given. Western swing is a unique fusion of musical styles and cultures, primarily encompassing country. With chord melody solos to popular swing melodies, advanced rhythm guitar techniques, and acoustic jazz picking techniques. Be certain to mute any string that is not fingered, but strum all the strings. Learn hot takeoff style lead guitar includes transcribed solos by shamblin, wyble, rhodes, bernard and more. The solo is the same progression as a blues in g, though here there are no 7th chords, just triads, as that is also something you will hear and find in the country guitar genre. Matt munisteri is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter based in new. For these particular arpeggios you are going to play a very specific shape. He became an excellent travisstyled fingerpicker, following merle to the point of having gibson custombuild him a super4oo electric with inlays, pickups, and a vibrato unit similar to those used by travis. Western swing music is a subgenre of american country music that originated in the late 1920s. Joe carr western swing lead guitar styles book and online audio unlock the secrets of hot takeoff lead guitar as played by some of the greatest western swing players of all time.

Guitar lessons jack tuttle a professional california bay. Begin this lick by fretting the g strings seventhfret d note with your ring finger, then pick the string and bend it up a whole step with the. A few bands, like the light crust doughboys, utilize a banjo for rhythm, but most rely more heavily on drums. Compendium of fiddle styleswestern swing fiddle wikibooks. Hi im ray nijenhuis and welcome to the western swing guitar guidebook. Using only the index and middle fingers of his left hand on his solos his third and fourth fingers were paralyzed after an injury in a fire, reinhardt invented an entirely new style of. Nov 03, 2017 in this western swing guitar lesson, ill show you how to create a melodic lead by targeting notes from the chords and how to change the scale to match the chord throughout the song. Western swing is a unique fusion of musical styles and cultures, primarily encompassing country, jazz, blues, swing, and big band. Western swing master joe carr has transcribed numerous great guitar solos from the bob wills band and other greats and breaks them down note by note into useful.

In this guitar lesson, youll learn how to spice up your rhythm playing with some jazzy sounding chord substitutes. Western swing learn to flatpick the guitar and play. That helped the style gain a much wider following through the music of wills and. Oct 29, 2016 western swing is a unique fusion of musical styles and cultures, primarily encompassing country, jazz, blues, swing, and big band. Product cost lessons instructors instructor help new lessons return policy. Remember, the whole point of this course is simplicity. This stepbystep method started with a solid foundation in the rhythm guitar styles of flatpickings early pioneersa style that includes a. Echo melody is echoing the vocalists efforts with short after the fact melodic runs, but staying out of the way of the vocalist and lead guitar augmenting not competing. Western swing music is a subgenre of american country music that originated in the late 1920s in the west and south among the regions western string bands. Includes solos by western swing legends eldon shamblin, jimmy. Western swing master joe carr has transcribed the great guitar solos from the bob wills band and other greats and breaks them down no. In this weekly workout, youll explore some essential facets of western swing rhythm and lead guitar.