CLIFF GALLUP SOLO, RECREATED BY ESTONIAN ROCKABILLY GUITARIST ARTUR SKROPNIK

Artur Skropnik plays this Cliff Gallup solo beautifully in this clip. The original solo, from Gene Vincent's version of pop chestnut "Peg O' My Heart," eloquently illustrates the solution to a problem I've been struggling with for years. Apparently, if I had just taken the time to learn this Cliff Gallup solo, I would have figured out the solution.

The problem-- how to use double stops to outline chord changes. I've mostly clung to the major/minor thirds method, which constantly paints me into a corner-- using only thirds, you often wind up with a harmonized line that doesn't outline the chord too well. Often it won't sound "wrong," exactly, but just kind of bland in a context including seventh chords and other extensions. The solution? Mix your thirds with sixths, and throw in some triple/quadruple stops too when you can fit them.

There's more to it than that, but that is enough to give me some ideas. Here's a link to Artur's transcription of the solo. (I believe his transcription omits his pickup entry.) Thanks, Artur!

www.rockabillybash.com/article.php?id=118
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JIMMY BRYANT, (I THINK!) WITH TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD, "SHOTGUN BOOGIE"

I'm not sure this is Jimmy Bryant, but it sure sounds like him back there, filling around Ernie's vocal. If you look close, you can see a guy who looks like Jimmy, playing what looks like a Telecaster. I'm not sure this evidence would stand up in court, but Jimmy or no Jimmy, there's great playing here. I hear a snippet of what sounds like Speedy in there too.
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GRADY MARTIN, "FREIGHT TRAIN BOOGIE," WITH RED FOLEY

Grady Martin's on a ton of records, but this is the first clip I ever saw where you can actually see him play. He plays a hot hillbilly boogie figure around :37, (notated here) and danged if he isn't playing it on a Bigsby double-neck. A few nice licks at the top really nail that fifties country guitar sound, and he plays some nice backup double-stop figures at 1:08.

If anyone else has found any other Grady Martin clips, let me know!
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LEON RHODES WITH ERNEST TUBB, "DRIVING NAILS IN MY COFFIN"

Typically great fills from Leon Rhodes, with solo around :57. Great Emmons solo too!
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JIMMY BRYANT AND SPEEDY WEST, "FLYIN' HIGH"

Here's the great Jimmy Bryant, playing a tune that was eventually recorded as "Cotton Pickin'". This live version from TV is arguably not as hot as the studio version, but who cares? It's still killer, and although the kinescope is pretty grainy, you get some chances to see Jimmy's technique up close. It's amazing how much of the soloing is up above the 12th fret-- it really jumps out at you sonically in that register.

Bonus-- you get to see the interaction between Jimmy and Speedy-- Bryant does a few goofy Speedy-esque moves while comping. I never noticed anything like this on the studio stuff; maybe on the show Bryant got more into the clowning and upmanship.

thanks to Howard Parker for sending this; he says there's more of it so I'll investigate and keep you posted.
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HOT COUNTRY LICK IN E

This lick spans four positions (every one but E position) and uses bends and slides. The key element here is the use of half-step grace note slides to give your picking hand a break. This can be used to get into a new position, but I think the most significant advantage to using these slides is to take some of the pressure off your picking hand; this helps you with speed because you don't have to work as hard. (The rock way to do this is to use lots of hammers and pulloffs-- this works in country too, but the sliding technique sounds a little hipper to my ears. (It's also common in jazz guitar.)

I came up with this lick while working with Doug Seven's excellent "modern" country guitar instructional material, available from his site sizzlingguitarlicks.com/.

I think Doug got this idea from Brent Mason and others.

At some point I'm planning to put up video of me playing in this vein, but in the meantime here's the notation.
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JOE MAPHIS WITH WANDA JACKSON, "HARD-HEADED WOMAN"

Joe Maphis takes a hot break here; although Joe was one of the first country pickers to figure out how to transfer fiddle tunes to electric guitar (along with Jimmy Bryant), he was also one of the few "straight country" guys who fit in well with rockabilly, Grady Martin being another.

As an aside, I'll just mention it's refreshing to hear a woman say "you betcha" and then hear Joe Maphis's Mosrite next, rather than a bunch of phony soundbite politics.

THANKS, Howard Parker, for forwarding this.
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TRUCK DRIVER TELECASTER (DAVE DUDLEY, "COMIN' HOME")

Records like this are Telecaster twang ground zero. I need to pick up a good collection of Dave Dudley and his trucker country colleagues, if anyone has a suggestion--
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