How To Play The Carter Scratch (Featuring Courtney Marie Andrews)

An historian, a teacher, a guitarist and vocalist all in one delightful lady. Thank you , from an old musician who just learned something new.

Very nice tutorial on the Carter Scratch. I’ve played guitar for 50 years but never knew the proper terminology of what I was playing. It’s always wonderful to know the history of things like this so we can continue to pass it down to our children. You have a wonderful voice too. Thank you for your presentation.

Leslie Riddle, a black man who worked with AP Carter "catching songs," and also lived with the Carters for a couple of years, taught Maybelle Carter this style of guitar. The Riddlefest in Burnsville, NC, honors him in a wonderful way: members of the Riddle family AND the Carter family come together to make music and honor Leslie Riddle's legacy.

I was a rythym player in a pop band in 1963, when i met a bloke who introduced me to the Carters style of playing. Forever indebted to this person….play this stuff everyday. Great lesson that makes it easy for a player to achieve. Other players are so impressed to hear the melody and rhythm both together. So many tutorials can be overwhelming,but yours C.A.M.was perfect.

I have been playing this style of music nearly 50 years and still learnt a lot from this. Thanks Courtney, your approach and enthusiasm is positively life enhancing.

I didn't know that this was a recognised style of picking till today I feel so validated in my own guitar playing style I don't use a pick but I thought I was playing wrong lol thanks

Wow! Very beautiful! Great Job Lil Angel!

Love the video! Definitely want more of this. With drummers, bassists, vocalists etc... Keep it up NPR.

I started playing guitar in late 60s and learned this style, or a variation of it, from Neil Young's song "Tell Me Why." Took a few years to learn that Maybelle originated it. Great video.

Great tutorial. I am currently teaching the Carter scratch, but not calling it as such. Maybelle was a master at it. I am self taught so I studied the sound and replicated it. I would have loved this kind of tutorial. I will forward this one to my students who are laboriously trying to learn it from self taught me. Thanks. 83 year old ballad singer in Oakland CA

Maybelle’s L5 is the most important guitar in country music history, with all due respect to Chet, Merle, Jerry, Doc, Paul and Don et al.

Very well presented video on the Crater scratch. I grew up in Australia and as a 10-year-old spent hours with a wind-up gramophone playing some of the old Carter 78 songs. I just love their music. It's kind of timeless and very spiritual music.

I saw CMA from maybe 5 feet away at the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year! I was mesmerized by her voice and couldn't stop watching her fingers. Thanks for the lesson!

Thank you for this. The Carter Family deserves SO much more recognition and credit!!!!

This is awesome! I had no idea that Mother Maybelle revolutionized guitar playing in this way. Thank you for breaking down what I always thought of as just country picking!

That is amazing that she is the innovator "of that." That is classic folk/country-style strumming, and she was the one who was responsible for its popularity. Wonderful.

You are adorable! I am sure Mama Carter would be honored with your tribute. God bless you, well done, very informative. I enjoyed learning from this video. Thank you!

I was born and raised in Nashville, am 65 years young however I've mostly always played old rock. Just recently started digging into my heritage, my great grand father play fiddle and harmonica on the very first Grand Ole' Opry aired on WSM radio. I did not know that about Mother Maybelle. I'm no kin to the Carters or the Cashes, my g.grandfather last name was Wright. Also my I say this with all respect, you are cuter than a speckled puppy under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and where I from ma'am that is a compliment. Keep a pickin and grinnin from Nashville, Tn. God bless all

Thank you, Courtney Marie Andrews. Yes, I have learned something watching and listening to you play.

Nice job Courtney! The Carters started a beautiful, deep line of music. Hearing you play, it seems to be in good hands.