Flat Picking

**ragman1** · 09-23-2017, 12:07 PM

This is an old thread but I've just found this. We're familiar with Tony Rice's bluegrass virtuosity but the speed and clarity of his picking is still astounding. Just dashes it off so casually :-)

**snailspace** · 09-23-2017, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

This is an old thread but I've just found this. We're familiar with Tony Rice's bluegrass virtuosity but the speed and clarity of his picking is still astounding. Just dashes it off so casually :-)

Imagine how much hard work it must take to make it look that easy . . .

**ragman1** · 09-23-2017, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by snailspace

Imagine how much hard work it must take to make it look that easy . . .

I really don't know. He's been doing it all his life and obviously had a massive residual talent. I do know he's paid a dreadful price for the constant strain put on his body. That aside, things were never quite the same after Tony Rice.

**nopedals** · 09-25-2017, 04:21 PM

Does this count?

**ragman1** · 09-25-2017, 10:56 PM

Kind of :-)

But flatpicking is usually acoustic Bluegrass etc. I mean, Joe Pass used a pick but I wouldn't call him a flatpicker

**Petimar** · 10-02-2017, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by 55bar

How could we not mention the great Robert bowling!?

This blows my freekin mind

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Robert Bowlin. Great fiddler to, Bill Monroes last fiddler. I play the fiddle he played with Monroe.

**alltunes** · 01-07-2018, 08:58 AM

Late to the party here...I love flatpicking fiddle tunes. Tony is my hand's down favorite. The coordination between his left and right hand is astounding. Tony's hand's did give up on him. Doc's were pretty much intact to the end. Doc used to plug in.Tony never plugged in always playing into a mic. Playing bluegrass music into microphones is physically demanding.

Later in his career he started playing chord melody type solo guitar. Here is Shenadoah.

This instruction DVD of his is a joy to watch and listen to. You get to hear his D28 in an very intimate way. Loads of great instruction and knowledge. I never get tired of it.

Tony Rice Guitar Method | Homespun

Finally a great CD where you get to hear many of the masters all in one place:

Bryan Sutton - Not Too Far From The Tree - Amazon.com Music

**baggetta** · 01-07-2018, 10:19 AM

Matt Munisteri does some nice work with the old style of flatpicking on the works of Nick Lucas and Eddie Lang.

**snailspace** · 01-07-2018, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by alltunes

This instruction DVD of his is a joy to watch and listen to. You get to hear his D28 in an very intimate way. Loads of great instruction and knowledge. I never get tired of it.

Tony Rice Guitar Method | Homespun

That's a great one, all right -- I like this version even better than the one by Garcia/Grisman on Not For Kids Only. I don't have Tony's Homespun DVD yet -- most of my stuff from them is by Steve Kaufman -- but it's on my list for this year.

**BFrench** · 01-07-2018, 06:25 PM

Mark O'Connor then and now...and I won't even go into the mandolin and fiddle...

**snailspace** · 01-07-2018, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by BFrench

Mark O'Connor then and now...and I won't even go into the mandolin and fiddle...

My daughter's fiddle teacher let me borrow a Mark O'Connor CD called The Championship Years: 1975-1984, and I had a hard time giving it back in a timely manner. It's all good, but he has three different versions of "Grey Eagle, " from different years in that span, and they're all astonishing.

He also does a couple of different variations of "Tom and Jerry," but I think my favorite one of that tune is the one he did on Dan Crary's Guitar album.

So convinced am I that O'Connor can make good music on anything with strings, that I'd pay good money just to hear what he could do with one of my old gym shoes.