Invite to my new How to Play Western Swing Guitar blog

oldsouth

I didn't know about Whit Smith's DVDs. He is an amazing guitarist - way beyond my level. I'll have to look those up!

Steveareno

Dig me some west turn swang. Nice style straddling several fences (barbed wire included). Sounds on Selmac style guitars too. There's a group in Texas, Swing Deville that mixes it up pretty good. Also like the Time Jumpers and Lucky Stars. It was really big deal around SoCal in the 50's with Spade Cooley and Bob Wills packing them in. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it, to quote American Bandstand. The swing dancing revival seems to have continued at a fairly steady pace, after the big push in the 90's. This stuff fits the bill nicely.
Swang on,

Steveareno

Sorry-double post. :oops:
Swang on,

oldsouth

Don't forget Hank Penny's band with Merle Travis, and later Roy Clark playing lead! Man, those guys could SWING!

Steveareno

Yeah, Roy Clark even managed to sneak some swing into those Hee Haw TV shows when he wasn't doing those cornball skits. The house band was actually really good. Curly Chalker on steel, amongst other Nashville hot shots. Roy Lanham cut some nice west coast swing stuff back in the day.
Swang on,

Jazzaferri

Bob Dunn on Dobro :shock:

oldsouth

Man, those are some greats - Bob Dunn and Roy Lanham! Dunn had such a bluesy sound, so raw and soulful. Roy Lanham was a guitarist of the highest order. If he had played jazz or pop, he would have been remembered in the same breath as Les Paul or Charlie Byrd. The shame of it is that he is almost forgotten among both country and jazz fans. I may do something to memorialize him soon. I'd do a tribute, but he was a natural - one of those guys whose guitar is like their voice and playing is like breathing..... way beyond my abilities, no matter how studied.

Archtop Eddy

oldsouth wrote:

I didn't know about Whit Smith's DVDs. I'll have to look those up!

Agree with Lacrossehotclub about Whit Smith's DVDs. They're great! I picked up my copies at this year's DFNW, but you can get 'em at:

http://www.whitsmith.net

There are two volumes of Chordination. Both are good studies on Whit's amazing chord-chops. They're around $35 each plus postage. AE

oldsouth

New Post on westernswingguitar.blogspot.com:

This is the video for Lesson 3 of How To Play Western Swing Guitar. In this lesson, I show two ways you might play rhythm guitar for "Stay All Night, Stay A Little Longer". I also talk a bit about the 1, 4, 5 progression - which chords are 1, 4 and 5, and why. Then, I show how to develop a swing chord progression from a simple fiddle tune chord progression.

atracksler

Great site! I would love to see more videos!!