Americana Acoustic Guitar Styles with Mark Stuart

Americana Acoustic Guitar is a great lesson for the guitarist who wants to spice up his/her playing with some new ideas on backing themselves or other singers. Mark Stuart is a master at this style of playing and is known Internationally as one of the great sidemen. He’s a good teacher, too!

Nashville native Mark Stuart is a veteran artist of the Folk/Americana music circuit. As a songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist he has toured extensively all over the USA, Canada and Europe .

Much of his time, since 2001, has been devoted to his husband-wife duo, “Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart”, but, he returns to his roots as a solo artist for portions of each year. In previous periods, Stuart lent his musical hands to other artists in the studio and on tour. Many of these fellow performers (Steve Forbert, Freddy Fender, Steve Earle, Jonell Mosser, etc.) are well-known in the same “roots music” playground.

Celebrated festivals (Cambridge Folk Festival, Kate Wolf Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, Merlefest, etc.) and radio shows (Whadya Know?, Woodsongs, Mountain Stage, etc.) have been host to Mark’s performances and he has donated his talents, as instructor, to many song writing schools and guitar clinics.

In this lesson, Mark focuses on various techniques and thoughts that will help you zone in on what it takes to become a tasteful side person, or to back yourself on your own songs.

Topics Mark touches on include:
- Mark’s Hybrid Style (playing with flat pick and fingers)
- Playing Octaves on the 5th and 2nd Strings
- Playing Octaves on the 1st and 4th strings (key of G)
- 1st and 3rd String Octaves
- Double Stops in G
- using slurs
- Mark’s pet lick
- Country Song Introductions
- Double Stops 2nd and 4th Strings
- Extensive Harmonics in many keys and positions
- Western Swing A6 to D9 Lick
- Honky Tonk Lick in G aka Roy Nichols
- Travis Picking Hybrid Style Explanation
- Mark’s Guitars
- Capo Tricks
- Pick Ups
- and much more