Similarities Between Watson And Norman Blake

In terms of their love and appreciation for the art of bluegrass, and the wide spectrum of country music that helped instigate their passion for guitar, Arthel ‘Doc’ Watson and Norman Blake can be coupled together as icons of their field. Furthermore, in the creation of their enduring legacies, both Watson and Blake are considered legends and even ‘founding fathers’ of the distinctive ‘flatpicking’ technique. What separated Doc Watson and Norman Blake, however, was their unique skills and interpretations of Bluegrass music; both differentiating them from each other as well as fellow Bluegrass players. Even though there are several similarities in their talents, their preferred styles created distinctive sounds, setting new bars of talent in …show more content…
Typically, Watson used the thumbpick for an alternating bass accompaniment and the fingerpick, using his index finger, for rhythmic fills or for precisely ‘picking’ notes. Doc frequently glided his finger on the pickguard, rather than holding it in one spot, and used this technique as a depth guide for flatpicking. The down-up picking style of Watson’s sound, with the downstrokes on the downbeat and the upstrokes on the upbeat, created a tone and rhythm that was sophisticated, sharp and clean. His technique, although self-proclaimed as “improper”, allowed him to deliver enough delicacy to create a crisp and detailed sound. Keeping his upper right arm almost stagnant and resting on the top of the guitar, the majority of Watson’s movement came from his lower forearm with a limited wrist motion in comparison to most players. In being asked to define his playing style, and thus his interpretation of bluegrass when being interviewed for The Guitar Player Book, Doc claimed it was an “offshoot” of country music. Describing it as an “inexplicable sound”, Watson asserted that “to define it is to hear it" and that bluegrass music is “more than just… frantic speed"2. Doc exclaimed that country music and all it’s derivatives have the ability to transport you to relive beautiful, vivid memories, as “when [he] plays a song, be it on the guitar or banjo, [he] lives that

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