How to Play Maybelle Carter Style | Country Guitar

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Must Haves for any Guitar Player:

Mother Maybell Carter of the Carter family was probably one of the most influential guitar players in all of country music. She used a thumb pick and a finger pick on her index finger. It had a way of strumming the rhythm and picking out some melody cause she was the sole guitar player in their trio.

And I'm going to try to show you some basic things you can do to try to get that going on. So holding down a G chord I'm going to hit the G note on the sixth string and then I'm going to strum up with my index finger that has the pick on it. So I've got a bass note and a chord sound. Some people might anchor a free finger on the top. Or you might just have your hand free floating. Whatever is most comfortable for you is the right way to do it.

So I might use some of that root fifth bass note motion here. Okay so to add to that I might pick out some melody, something like this. So this was a way that she could play and drive her trio and have a lot of sound, a lot of volume. Often those guys would be playing where there was no electricity. No amplification so she'd have a big old hollow body acoustic Gibson guitar. And with a thumb pick and a finger pick she could get a lot of sound and a lot of rhythm and drive out of her playing.

A lot of people don't play that way anymore but it's a fun way to play those old songs and I think you should give it a try.

[geoclog]

You play her style more authentic to her than anyone else I have seen try to do it. You use the up strum the way she did that others don’t do. Thank you.

[kataisa]

Maybelle always made it look so easy and effortless.

[RickGtr]

This guy just demonstrated that those who play upstrokes sound more authentic than downstrokes. Short and informative video.

[PatriciaSpayd]

This was great, really helped me! I have a travel size Martin accoustic and was searchig for the way Maybelle played! Thanks!!

[pkranz]

Maybelle used a thumb and two finger picks. Helen Carter used a thumb and usually 3 finger picks (one as a spare, she noted).

Maybelle played rhythm on both up and downstrokes. I don't think she ever played a song the same way twice.

Fans and interested players would do well to view Helen's video about the Carter Scratch, in addition to an interview on YouTube of Helen and Anita by Archie Campbell.

[SillyMoustache]

No. that isn't the Carter scratch - which requires the treble rhythm to be "frailed"

[bucknuts]

you want to learn the Maybelle scratch watch video's of her on you tube snd slow it down and observe in detail and practice practice practice practice practice you will learn her fingers are flexing as she is doing the scratch syncronizing with her thumb like she is brushing out the strings play her songs as you practice be patient don't give up

[martyfanagnosticalienfan]

I do it single-plectrum style (and with some Luther Perkins added in).

[d.l.loonabide]

"Get up for the downstroke"!

[clawhammer]

This is complete opposite of playing clawhammer concerning the index finger. Tough up picking after down picking thru the years.

[nedlambton]

what about all the downstrokes MM played? The fingerpick would get caught up on the downstrokes if it was worn like u have it. So this has not been too helpful.

[swingmaster]

Watching Mother Maybelle play, it looks like she is strumming with down strokes.

[claudialenoir]

MagicSoundMan is exactly right.  Wish we had more of these.

[hotpinkdistorted]

This is a loose explanation of the concept but is sooo not Maybelle.