Recently, after a wedding cocktail party performance, someone asked me how I learned to play fingerstyle guitar.  I always love talking guitar but since this gentlemen was an attendee of this Long Island wedding he had about 30 seconds to spare, I told him I googled fingerstyle guitar and then spent 4 hours a day for the last 15 years practicing. It wasn't far from the truth but it did get me thinking about the long road I took to get to the level I'm at today. 

It was sometime back in the mid 90's when I was introduced to fingerstyle guitar music.  I had been studying blues guitar with another Long Island musician and I had the opportunity  to see Robben Ford perform in New York City.  I was a great admirer of Robben's work and was looking forward to stealing a few of his licks.  My memory has faded over the years but I believe the venue was The Bottom Line Club in Manhattan. I remember sitting in traffic for the long commute. I also remember that towards the end of the evening Sting showed up and sang a song with Robben and his band.  Robben was great, Sting's appearance was awesome, but it was the opening act of the evening that had the greatest influence on my guitar playing.

The lights in the club dimmed and a gentlemen with an acoustic guitar came on stage. He greeted the audience and introduced himself. He was from Australia and his name was Tommy Emmanuel. I had never heard of him and I was anxious for him to perform. Not because I was interested in his playing but I knew Robben would be out when he was done. He seemed pleasant enough, very likable but I wasn't expecting very much.  After all, the last time I played an acoustic guitar was back in 7th grade folk group.  Sister Catherine played a mean 12-string but she wasn't one of my guitar heroes.

Tommy began playing a walking bass line and then the melody kicked in. It was 'Blue Moon'. I watched and listened and I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. I was amazed at what I was hearing. Bass lines, melody, rhythm parts. I swear I thought I even heard drums. He played 2-3 other songs. I don't remember what they were. Probably some of his original material. I'd recognize them today, but back then it was all new to me. When he finished we all stood and applauded.  I knew I was a rookie when it came to guitar playing but I was not the only person who had been thoroughly entertained.  I might have been the only one in complete awe of what I had just witnessed. Robben came out and did his thing and as I mentioned previously did a great job. But I spent most of the evening trying to figure out how Tommy got all that music out of his acoustic guitar. I'm still not sure how he did it, but I decided that night that I was going to do my best to figure it out.

The next day I did some research. I learned that Tommy had recently recorded an album with Chet Atkins. Again, I wasn't a fan of Chet's but I at least knew the name. I bought the CD, and discovered a few training videos. I also found some great tab sites on the Internet. I started learning Chet's version of Mr. Bojangles. I thought I'd never learn it. I think I learned  one measure a day. Then it took 6 months to put them all together. But sometime about 9 months after seeing Tommy I could play it.

It's been about 13 years since I first saw Tommy.  I continue to try and add songs to my repoirtoire. Still learning them one measure at a time. Thankfully, I've progressed enough where I can master a little more than 1 measure a day. However, it still is arduous task and it is a wonderful feeling when I can sit back and add another fingerstyle song to my list.

Today,  I am performing in Long Island Acoustics. In addition to playing at weddings and cocktail hour party's we can also be seen playing at local restaurants and events throughout Long Island. Although, fingerstyle guitar is a big part of what we do, we have an eclectic mix of pop, latin, jazz, blues and folk influenced material. It's been a long journey so far but I'm looking forward to the road ahead.

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 If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to email me. I always have time for Guitar Talk!!!

Note: I recommend to anyone who is interested to come to the  monthly meeting/gathering of the Long Island Fingerstyle Guitar Club.  We meet in Westbury and it will give you a wealth of information and fun about fingerstyle guitar. Guitarists of all levels are welcome. Check out their website at www.LIFGC.com.