Playing the blues is a family affair!

[wgabree]

I'm so happy that I've been improving my playing and singing while working through BGU material.  It really came through on my visit with my family this week.  I got to jam with my oldest brother Joe who I haven't seen since I was 2 (45 years!)!  That's a story for another post

Within a half hour of meeting him, we had an impromptu jam! 

http://waynegabree.com/sftrip

 

[ChazInFlint]

How cool is that! Nice playin' man. I've checked out all of your videos, I haven't seen a pick. I just started using a pick since I pick up BBG/BGU and I can't imagine playing lead without it (all I used to do was strum). How do you do the alternate picking? Thumb for all the down strokes, different fingers up? Do you ever us a pick?

Really waiting for the rest of the story, I've got a 50 year old half brother I have never met. Don't know what we'd say if we did.

 

[wgabree]

I've used a heavy pick ever since I started playing back in the day.  Only recently (the past year and a half or so), I gradually started playing more and more with just thumb and fingers.  I did this because I greatly admire Albert King, Hubert Sumlin and Albert Collins - all of whom play with thumb and fingers.

For about a month or so, I have been playing exclusively with thumb and fingers.

I think the way I approach it (and I say think because once I get it going, I don't really give it much thought - kinda happens) is string 6 & 5 pretty much belong to the thumb, while strings 1 & 2  belong to fingers 1 & 2.  Strings 3 & 4 get played by either, depending on the phrasing.  Sometimes the thumb will play on strings 1-4, depending on the phrasing (down stroke with thumb, up stroke with finger).

I am intending to add back the flatpicking - there are techniques that you can do with them that would be difficult with just fingers.  I'm just attempting to speed up my abilities with thumb and fingers.

 

[Ray_UK]

Great vids Wayne, sounds great and a real nice family event too 

 

[MikeS]

That's great Wayne, I can see that music runs in the family.

 

[bruce]

Excellent stuff to listen to Wayne...real fun to listen to Congrats to you! Sounds like your kit for travelling made it in one piece...sounds realy good ...great playing!!

 

[Steve_M]

Great stuff Wayne - cool sounds AND a family reunion.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[pornsuda]

WOW, thats pretty amazing jamming with your brother Joe like that.
                  GI Blues.

 

[SeattleSlim]

Is that some kind of wonderful, or what? I am happy for you. You look good in the California sunshine.

 

[kgarkie]

That was great Wayne.  Your brother plays a mean harp and as always, you're playing is great.  But, I think the star of the video is about 2 foot tall. 

 

[wgabree]

That was great Wayne.  Your brother plays a mean harp and as always, you're playing is great.  But, I think the star of the video is about 2 foot tall. 

You've got that right!  And she's a little sweetheart! 

 

[Spencer]

Good stuff Wayne, I'm lovin the videos.

 

[Cynicure]

Nice Wayne... nothing's better than jamming with a 'long-lost' bro! From the pics you're obviously having a ball... and the audience obviously loves it too!

Sadly, what I laughinly refer to as my ADSL2 broadband connection doesn't appear to want to stream it fast enough for me to hear it; could you maybe post a couple of mp3s so I can download 'em and listen?

Here's some incentive:

[smiley=beer.gif]

 

[Griff]

Looks like a real nice time... and I didn't know you could sing too!
Griff