Guitar Solos Every Parking Lot Picker Should Know

Steve, I have the first three books from this series as well as Mel Bay's Complete Flatpicking Guitar Book. I have worked completely through all the breaks in the Complete Flatpicking book and have them down quite well. I have learned a number of the beginner versions from the Parking Lot Solo series but am curious as to which you think that a guitarist should spend more time on, a large number of different songs or, more advanced breaks to the songs that I already know? The intermediate versions of most of these songs don't appear much more difficult than the beginner versions simply more varied and fuller. Should I start with them or is it more important to see the process by which each lead is modified and built on?

Thanks in advance,

Josh

Hi Josh and thanks for stopping by the site.

I suggest anyone going thorugh the Parking Lot Pickers series (any of them) to do the beginnerversions first. Nail them down and memorise them. You can work on several songs at that level at a time but really nail them. This is where your speed can then begin. One thing to playing fast in the beginning is to learn simple arrangments while working on technique (right hand) then speeding them up. Want to play faster? Play less notes per measure.

Then you said >The intermediate versions of most of these songs don't appear much more difficult than the beginner versions simply more varied and fuller. <

That's exactly right. The intermediate versions show you how to vary the melody with licks and runs. Kinda filling up the cracks eh? BUT you can't play that many notes if the technique isn't correct. The proper judge of this is the speed.

If you can play through a two part fiddle tune in about 35-40 seconds you are getting close to full speed and your technique is correct. If you can do this with the beginner versions - great. The intermediates? - Super! but that is a high speed to attain. About 220bpm and 228 is full dance speed.

If you need more work on the beginner or intermediate levels to get there, go onto another PLP series and get the beginner and intermediate versions and do your repitions on the songs. Play one version 20-40 times in a sitting and see how much faster your song gets (if the right hand is on track).

Have fun buddy Steve K.

Regarding speed: Are the versions recorded on cd, with band, the approximate speed they are played at jam sessions. I realise this will very dramatically, I'm just wondering if the recordings are based on averages. I can play most all of the breaks I have learned so far along with the recording including some of the intermediates. I fumble some on a few of them including St. Ann's Reel and Blackberry Blossom but I can play some of the equally fast songs without a single sour note. Those I have problems with I make a note of and play 20-40 times each over the next few days practice sessions. I focus on slow and accurate and then slowly increase my speed as I play unless I see some clarity issues at which point I slow down again. Most of the beginner versions I can play at the recorded speed within a week or less. Your books and videos have really been paying off. Does this seem like a sound (pun intended) way to use my time.

Thanks,

Josh

Hey Josh-

It sounds like you are right on track, The recorder songs with the band are at full speed. This is square dance speed or approx 228 bpm. Of course this doesn't mean that some yahoo (like me) isn't gonna play it faster. It's just that if you can get to that speed you are really good to go in jams and dances all over the world. You've got to be doing this right because a lot of folks have trouble with those speed on the Parking Lot series. Keep up the good work and keep me posted on your progress. See you at a workshop somewhere, sometime. Steve K.

Thanks for all the useful information. That pretty well rounds out the only questions I had about this series. I would love to get to a workshop or camp one of these days but that's on my schedule of things to do after my kids are out of the house. I find the more I play at home the more likely my wife is to pay me to leave, so I'm looking forward to the chance to attend a few years down the road. I'm also eyeing your mandolin series. The skill set is very similar and I think one will improve and refine the other.

Thanks,

Josh