Rocking Country!

Country music is not all songs about trucks, front porches and that girl who left you. This month Andy Saphir brings us licks from some of the extraordinary talents that put some rock into country.

- Andy Saphir

If you’re curious about country guitar playing in general, mesmerised by the technical wizardry of string bending, chicken pickin’, double-stops and hybrid picking, or just generally turned on by twang, then this month’s Rocking Country feature is going to get your juices flowing.

I have assembled five original tunes in the style of five of the most recognised virtuosos in the field of Nashville style guitar; they are (in no particular order), Albert Lee, Danny Gatton, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley and Brent Mason. There are many others who could lay claim to the title of virtuoso, as Nashville has been a magnet for the best musicians for decades, but my choices are due to their level of output, influence, and stylistic differences.

All of the tunes have a ‘rhythm guitar’ section and a ‘solo’ section. As I’ve tried to replicate the style and approaches of the five players, each tune has its own technical challenges and utilises the kind of approaches that the player in question might incorporate. That being the case, there are fundamental country guitar style techniques in common with all five tunes, such as hybrid picking, bending, use of Major Pentatonic scale etc. They are geared towards the intermediate player, and with enough practice and attention to detail, playing the licks accurately will naturally help to develop proficiency in the various technical areas.

ALBERT LEE