Bells of Rhymney solo

kvalois · Post by **kvalois** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:53 pm

Has anyone ever figured out the classic McGuinn solo on the Bells of Rhymney???

Karl

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 5:29 pm

Man..you have to have your finger-hybrid picking down for that one...the solo itself isnt too hard..but to play it right is another thing..

Heres a link to an OLGAish version...which is close....

http://www.allguitartabs.com/index.php/tab/6582/

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 8:39 pm

I have, but I do everything by ear; tab means nothing to me.I'd probably be ahead of the game even more if I could use fingerpicks, but I've seen Roger do it live with only a flatpick back in the 70s.Sounds harder than it really is...

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:17 am

I think he's doing a quasi-banjo roll on this solo; at least that what it sounds like to me, and when I play it in that fashion it seems to work...

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:12 pm

I 'spose you could cross pick it..if Don A saw him doing it with a flatpick, thats what he was doing,,,but yeah...that solo is one place where McGuinn's background as a banjo player comes out...

McGuinn does do hybrid picking these days..flatpick and fingers..and it could be played that way if one can get the middle and ring fingers to move fast enough...my creeky old hands wont...

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:06 pm

Possible when I saw him doing this w/o the fingerpics, he had longer right hand fingernails, and in effect, he still Was doing a combined picking thing. This was in '74, between his 1st and 2nd solo LPs and he played a small theatre[The Guthrie] in Mpls.I got to spend about 45 minutes backstage with him that nite[he was doing 2 shows on a bill with Waylon Jennings as headliner]and he was using a Herco Gold nylon pick
that he told me was his current favorite thing.Of course, shortly after this, I had to go get some Hercos as well.

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 7:29 am

I had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes after a show in Anchorage in 1998. I asked about his picking style...he held up a flatpick in between his thumb and index finger...and kind of waved the middle and ring fingers...and said "like this"....

So I threw out the Herco that I had...

A good cross picker can make flat picking sound like fingerpicking...like some of Clarence White's early stuff..."Appalachain Swing" and "33 Instrumentals"... before he went electric and got the pick and fingers thing going...and teamed up with that McGuinn guy..