THE CROSSROADS: T-Bone Walker & Charlie Christian Connections

In this month’s Crossroads, John Wheatcroft explores the connections and the enduring influence of two Texan guitar legends: blues giant T-Bone Walker, and jazz innovator Charlie Christian.

- John Wheatcroft

Info ABILITY RATING Key C Tempo 180bpm CD TRACKS 14-27

Will improve your… Moderate/Advanced Swinging blues and jazz phrasing Rhythmic time-feel Use of strong chord tones

TECHNIQUE FOCUS

Picking Technique = Tone Production

THE POSITION, angle and strength of your pick attack make a dramatic difference when it comes to the sound you produce. Some players will spend countless hours working on scales, arpeggios and licks, but practically no time experimenting with different picking approaches. But don’t overlook the importance of work in this area, as this is where a huge amount of your musical personality originates from, and contributes massively to that attribute we all obsess about, producing a great tone. T-Bone’s default picking location is closer to the bridge, whereas Christian favoured the warmer tone generated by picking closer to the neck. Pick angle makes a big difference too, as does the thickness and material of the pick. Why not take any of the phrases in this lesson and search for as many tones and dynamic possibilities you can find, not by changing the controls on the amp or guitar, all just by altering your picking technique.