When I First Heard Chet

Rich Irvine - California

I grew up in Torrance California and when I was a teenager just out of high school in the later 60's I heard one of the local country stations playing a Chet Atkins tune called "What'd I say". I couldn't believe what I was hearing through somehow I knew he was not over-dubbing the alternating base. It was a 45 single which I bought and tried to imitate but while I could get my thumb going on the two bass strings and fingers going on the melody I didn't know about the thumb notes in between! Me and my friends fooled around with surf guitar stuff and I knew how to do barr chords and such but I knew I needed some lessons to learn his style properly. Within weeks my Father found a guitar teacher in Lawndale that knew how to play Chet's style and I was able to learn the basics. I've been enjoying it ever since! Thank you Mr. Atkins.