The Chetboard

Paul,

I've written and played a couple of tunes for you, but I've never been happy that they were as good a tribute to you as I wanted them to be.

So, this time I'm just going to play a recording of a song that my Mom and Dad sang, and for which I played the guitar. The song is from about 40 years or so ago, very early 70's, and the is entitled Waiting At the Alter. My Dad wanted me to play the break just like you did, so I tried.

http://drkeener.s3.amazonaws.com/music/ ... _Alter.mp3

Whether you like it or not, one thing I think you will like: it shows that you've been a huge influence on my picking for a long time, and you are one of the reasons (along with Chet, Jerry, and my Dad) that I even pick at all. And another thing I know: I ain't the only one on this Board who has been influenced by you for such a long time. A lot of folks have.

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to promote the Chet Atkins style. We love you sir.

Bruce

Hi Bruce, That was wonderful,I dont reply to these sites much unless I love what I here and I sure loved your mom and Dad and your great pickin' thats the kinda pickin got me started back in the 50's.you sure must of been proud of your mom and Dad as Im sure they were proud of you, thanks for posting of that wonderful tune.

Thanks Bob

Bruce that was some good picking. If that was forty years ago, then you must have been about 3 or 4 years old?

Bruce: That was great. I grew up on this music, and I miss the way it was played back then. That early thumb-picking was the best. I am grateful for the playing of Chet, Merle, and Paul who stayed close to the original roots of this style, and all those pickers who keep it alive.

Thank you very much guys. Of course all of your compliments really go to Paul, since I stole every single lick from him.

Richard, thank you for the compliment on my age ... love your math! Truth is I was about 20 to 22 when we cut that. From then until my very early 30's was when I was at my best ... after that, raising a family took over, and music went to the very back burner. My love of music has never really died, though, thanks to how strongly Paul, Chet, Jerry and Dad influenced me.

Bruce,

That's a great song by George and Dottie Keener, mountain people who sang with good two part harmony. They sang at a lot of churches in this area of North Carolina and Georgia that had no sound system, but as you can tell there was no problem hearing George and Dottie. You did some very good thumb picking in the Paul Yandell/Louvin Bros style that you don't hear much anymore. It's good to hear it again and I encourage you to share more of it with us. Thanks!

Thanks Ronnie. Yeah, you could hear Mom a couple of miles away ... her dad had a hearing problem (even though he taught music), so everyone in the (large) household talked loud so he could hear. Amazingly, Dad, although his voice sounds strong when he sings, was really a quiet man.

I just now realized that some folks may want to work on the licks in the link at the beginning of this thread (Paul's licks), so I should say that, if I recall correctly, I did that with a capo on the fifth fret. Paul, was that the way you did it? Again, I'm pretty sure that's what I did, but we're talking 40 years ago.

As for more of the same sort of tunes (with some Yandell Influence):

http://drkeener.s3.amazonaws.com/music/track5.mp3

http://drkeener.s3.amazonaws.com/music/track2.mp3