Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins, known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer who with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson helped create the Nashville sound, the country music style which expanded its appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily a guitarist, but he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele.
Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Rosewood, Kentucky, United States. His songs' lyrics often discussed both the lives and the economic exploitation of American coal miners. Among his many well-known songs and recordings are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues", "I am a Pilgrim" and "Dark as a Dungeon". However, it is his unique guitar style, still called "Travis picking" by guitarists, as well as his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, for which he is best known today. Travis picking is a syncopated style of guitar fingerpicking rooted in ragtime music in which alternating chords and bass notes are plucked by the thumb while melodies are simultaneously plucked by the index finger. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking. The term "fingerstyle" is something of a misnomer, since it is present in several different genres and styles of music—but mostly, because it involves a completely different technique, not just a "style" of playing, especially for the guitarist's picking/plucking hand. The term is often used synonymously with fingerpicking except in classical guitar circles, although fingerpicking can also refer to a specific tradition of folk, blues and country guitar playing in the US. The terms "fingerstyle" and "fingerpicking" also applied to similar string instruments such as the banjo.
William Thomas Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist. Often regarded as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of all time, he is known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances and use of percussive effects on the instrument. Originally a session player in many bands, Emmanuel carved out his own style as a solo artist, releasing many award-winning albums and singles. In June 2010 Emmanuel was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and, in 2011, he was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown.
Muriel Anderson is an American fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist who plays in many genres. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship.
Doyle Dykes is an American country acoustic guitarist from Jacksonville, Florida. He is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles and musicians such as Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Duane Eddy, to the Beatles and U2. Cited along with guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel as one of the best fingerstyle guitarists in the world, he is also known for his capability of playing proficiently with a wide range of different guitar tunings. Some of his best-known works and interpretations are "Wabash Cannonball", "Country Fried Pickin'", "U2 Medley", "Be Still", "Amazing Grace" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Dykes is a devout Christian and has served as a minister in a small church in Florida; the influence of Christianity is present in much of his work. He was a major endorser of Taylor Guitars and Rivera Sedona amplifiers, with his own signature models of each. In 2013 he began endorsing the Guild Guitar Company. Since 2015 he has touted his custom steel-fret Olson guitar as his "favorite guitar."
The Journey is the sixth studio album by Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. Released in September 1993, the album peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Charts; becoming Emmanuel's first top ten album. The album was certified double platinum in Australia in 1994.
"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and originally recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954.
Pat Kirtley is an American fingerstyle guitarist, composer and guitar educator.
A Session with Chet Atkins is the third studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins. It features Atkins introducing standard pop and jazz melded with country sensibilities. The liner notes state this is the first use of a celeste on a country record. The musicians include Homer and Jethro in the rhythm section. Atkins uses his new EchoSonic amplifier for the first time on his recordings.
Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions is the fifth studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins. The recording mixes unique arrangements of traditional tunes, pop songs and classical arrangements. Atkins stated in his 1974 autobiography that this album was the first time he strayed away from country, even though he had been fired numerous times from various radio shows for "not sounding country enough".
Finger-Style Guitar is the sixth studio album by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1956.
Chet Atkins at Home is the seventh studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins. It contains his clever arrangement of Yankee Doodle played at the same time as Dixie.
Sneakin' Around is a collaborative album by American guitarists Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, released in 1991. Reed and Atkins had done a series of recording collaborations nearly 20 years before this release. It peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Country Albums charts.
C.G.P. is the fifty-fifth studio album by Chet Atkins. It was released in 1988 by Columbia Records. The initials in the title refer to the Atkins-coined title "Certified Guitar Player", a moniker he assigned not only to himself but other guitarists he admired and felt contributed to the legacy of guitar playing.
Stay Tuned is a studio album by Chet Atkins, released in 1985 on Columbia Records. His guests included George Benson, Mark Knopfler, Steve Lukather, and Earl Klugh.
Solo Flights is the thirty-sixth studio album by Chet Atkins. Side one of this album features Atkins' experiment with the "Octabass Guitar," where he replaced the two low strings with heavier strings in order to drop an octave and create a fuller sound with bass.
Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed is the 45th studio album of instrumental guitar versions of ten Jerry Reed compositions performed primarily by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1974.
John Knowles is an American acoustic guitarist.
Mel Bay's Deluxe Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords, also known as the Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords or Deluxe Guitar Chord Encyclopedia is a best-selling encyclopedia of guitar chords, first published by Mel Bay in 1971. It is a staple in the study and teaching of guitar.
