# Guitar instructor



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

All my life I've wanted to be able to play the Chet Atkins style. I have many licks that are kind of cheats but I'm not an alternate thumb bass fingerpicker at all. I've gone to youtube and tried to pickup some exercises but never seem to stay focused and motivated enough to see it through. As well the lack of direction from youtube videos is a bit distracting. 
I've played for about 30+ years and have recently given up electric do to severe hearing problems (tinnitus) So now I'm more motivated to dive in to a merle travis and chet atkins style of play. 
I was thinking of searching for an instructor for direction and motivation. Just wondering if anyone knows an excellent instructor that specializes in that style of play?
Preferably the Brantford\Hamilton area but I may consider a bit farther.


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## JohnnyT (Dec 12, 2014)

Well, i can't help you in the Brantford area, but D'Arcy Wickham in Toronto can do all of that stuff. Fingerstyle is his strength, but he can teach anything. On the fingerstyle side, he can go from folk, to old-school country blues, to the Chet and Merle stuff. I expect he'd teach by skype if you don't want to drive in. He has a studio in the Spadina/Dupont area and also teaches from his home in the Yonge/Lawrence area.

I'd also recommend Stefan Grossman's site and videos -- they're pretty good and I know he's got some videos specifically on Chet and Merle Travis side of things. You can order vids or download them i think and they're pretty reasonably priced.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

JohnnyT gives good advice. D'Arcy has an excellent reputation and an acquaintance of mine has benefited greatly from lessons with D'Arcy.

At one time Hamilton had a pretty good guitar association - if it's still around, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

If you are a "book guy" there are a couple of books that I would recommend: "Finger Picking Solos Method", by Will Schmid (Hal Leonard) and "Traditional and Contemporary Fingerpicking Styles for Guitar", by Happy Traum (Oak Publications). Both walk you through the alternating thumb style using both notation and TAB with decent explanations. 

A good classical teacher should be able to get you where you want to go too - especially if you had these two books in hand.

Of course, if you are willing to drive to Uxbridge...


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## Macki (Jun 14, 2010)

You can go the Truefire route - Jason Loughlin just released a Travis picking course (which is quite good in my opinion). You can also get one one Skype lessons with him or do the Travis "online workshop".


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

The guy who owns Music City in North Bay nails that style. He rarely sits and plays in the stores unless something very special comes in, but when he does he draws a crowd.


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