Guitar Sessions: Do you come from a musical household?
Brad Davis: My family wasn't musical until I started learning how to play music. After I started learning how to play the guitar my older brother Greg picked up the banjo. Then, when we were old enough to perform, my Dad learned how to play the bass and we formed a family band called Davis and Company. So the family didn't start out musically, but we ended up that way. My brother and I have always performed together and just recently Dad has started going out with us again when we need a bass player.

What is your earliest memory of the guitar?
I first started taking guitar lessons on a nylon-string guitar at the age of five after hearing performers like Roger Miller, John Denver and Norman Blake on the radio. The sound of the acoustic guitar captured my ear and inspired me to learn how to play it. Interestingly, when I was eight years old a family friend bought a 1956 Martin D-18 that once belonged to Norman Blake; the friend then sold it to my parents. They gave it to me for my eighth birthday and I still have that guitar.

How were you first exposed to bluegrass music and the flatpicking technique?
When my brother was nine he got a job playing the banjo on the Grapevine Opry [staged at the Palace Theatre in Grapevine, Texas] with another kid who played the guitar. When I saw them perform in front of that audience I thought, "I want that job!" I got rid of the nylon-string guitar and began learning how to pick bluegrass so that I could backup my brother. Not long afterwards, when I was about seven, I went to a Texas bluegrass festival and after that the world appeared different in a positive way.

When did you first become serious about becoming a guitarist?
I became serious about it, in a professional way, after playing my first sessions in Dallas. I realized that I had some talent and that people would actually pay to have me play on a project, and viola!

Were Nashville and country music always a part of the picture?
When I was starting out I loved bluegrass and rock and roll. I didn't really listen much to country until I got the job playing with Marty Stuart. I had played country with the Forester Sisters before I got the job with Marty, but I still wasn't into listening to country music. After getting the job with Marty and having the opportunity to hang out with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash I developed a much deeper respect and admiration for the music. I really came to love it.

Which artists inspired you in the beginning, and who do you listen to now?
In the beginning I liked Tony Rice, Clarence White, Norman Blake, and Earl Scruggs, as you might guess. But I also listened to Eddie Van Halen, the Doobie Brothers, Robbie Robinson, Tommy Shaw, and even AC/DC!

These days I work so much with so many different people that I usually end up listening to the people I am working with so that I can prepare for a show. When I got the gig with Sam Bush a couple of years ago I was listening to a lot of Sam's stuff. Last year I toured with John Jorgenson, playing rhythm guitar for his Gypsy Jazz Quintet, so I spent a lot of time listening to Gypsy jazz music. When I was writing my newest instructional method Flatpicking the Blues (2248) I was listening to a lot of Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and guys like that- so that I could focus on that blues feel. Lately I've been working with Tommy Shaw in the studio, so I've been listening to some Styx material. I also played a session about six months ago that was a tribute record to Van Halen, so I was listening to that stuff too. So lately, what I'm listening to depends on the jobs I'm getting hired to play!

Have you been able to meet or perform with any of your musical heroes?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to play with many of them. When I was with Marty Stuart I got the opportunity to tour the West Coast with Willie Nelson; we also toured Newfoundland with Merle Haggard and did some Midwest dates with Waylon Jennings. And then we did four shows with Johnny Cash! I have toured with Earl Scruggs as a member of his band off and on for the last five years, which is one of the highlights of my career. Earl is great to work for and it is a great honor to stand next to him on stage.

I was also fortunate to get the job with the Sam Bush Band. I have always been a big Newgrass Revival and Sam Bush fan and so that was really a dream job for me. At Telluride I was able to perform with Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, and John Cowan on a Newgrass reunion set. That was a real treat!

A few times a year for the past three or four years I've had the opportunity to write and record with Tommy Shaw from Styx. He sang on both of my solo recordings [This World Ain't No Child and I'm Not Gonna Let My Blues Get Me Down]. Also, David Lee Roth sang on three cuts on the Van Halen tribute that I played on. I've listened to Styx and Van Halen since I was a teenager, so working with those guys now is wild. I also had the opportunity to play guitar on Warren Zevon's last recording. To play "Knocking on Heaven's Door" with Warren in the studio singing and playing B3 was a real highlight.

The work I've done in the studio and on the road with Billy Bob Thornton has also been incredible. Lately we have been co-writing some songs for a movie soundtrack and for Billy's next record and it is some of the best stuff that I have ever been involved with. Billy Bob is incredibly creative and it inspires me. Plus, talk about heroes, hanging out at his studio I've gotten to meet many of my heroes both in and out of the music industry. Guys like Keith Richards, Steven Tyler, and Dwight Yoakum will just drop by the place. I was there a few weeks ago and answered the studio phone and it was Andy Griffith calling. I said, "Billy Bob, Sheriff Taylor is on the phone!"

The new television show that I am hosting, Commerce County Line, also affords me the opportunity to perform with many of my songwriting friends and heroes. The show is a songwriter showcase. Ray Wylie Hubbard was the guest on the pilot. It was fun to hang out and pick with him. Our lineup for April includes my old friend Jon Randall, a new female artist named Allie Danielle, and great Texas songwriters Gary Nicholson and Tommy Alverson. So through my affiliation with the show, I have the opportunity to get up on stage and pick with some fantastic songwriters.

How do you go about learning new tunes? Is it strictly a matter of ear training or do you actually transcribe tunes into notation or tablature?
Learning new tunes is almost a daily occurrence for me these days because I perform so many hired shows and/or sessions. In addition, I frequently write new material for my own show. The learning process usually involves a number chart that I've been given as a basic outline of the chord structure. From there I learn it by ear, commit to memory, and then perform it in the live show or studio session.

My biggest musical asset, the one thing that has helped me in my career the most over the years, is my ability to hear pitches and easily find them on my guitar or with my voice. I feel that ear training is the most important aspect of musical development. This is why I originally put together the Flatpicking Guitar Ear Training Course (99895CD), which is now produced and distributed by Mel Bay Publications. The success of that course inspired Bill Bay to ask me to also produce ear-training courses for mandolin, country guitar, electric rock guitar, and blues guitar. I was happy to do it because I feel so strongly about ear training. It is something that I address with students in every workshop, clinic, seminar, or private lesson.

What is your opinion of tablature vs. standard notation?
I feel both are powerful tools but, believe it or not, in all of the years that I have been a professional in the music industry I have never once been asked to read standard music notation.

I am a columnist for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and in that capacity I write tab so that I can convey my ideas and music on paper. In that regard, it is a valuable thing to know how to write and read. However, if a student works from standard notation and tab to the detriment of their ear training, written music can become a crutch in certain styles. I am very happy that Flatpicking Guitar Magazine produces an audio CD with every issue so that subscribers don't have to rely on the tab. I encourage people to try to pick up the lesson from the CD first and only use the tab and standard notation as a reference to see how well they learned the material by ear.

Can you instantly identify an alternate tuning by listening to a recording?
Yes. Again, that goes back to ear training. When you are in the studio performing on a session, or out on a job for hire, your ability to hear something and pick it up quickly is going to help you keep your job and keep getting called back for more jobs. I love open and alternate tunings and there is one that I am particular fond of using these days, a G6 tuning whereby I tune the sixth string up to G and the fifth string down to G. All other strings remain standard [GGDGBE]. It has a really great sound.

As a singer/songwriter, which comes first- lyrics, melody, or a rhythmic groove?
It depends on the day and the attitude. Some days it's a lyrical "hook" and other days a music "hook" or groove that triggers the creation of a new song.

I imagine you have an extensive music library. Does it include any Mel Bay books?
The only instructional books that I can remember buying were a Mel Bay big-note song book and a Clarence White flatpicking book. That is it. I have always relied on my ear for developing new techniques and learning new material.

As a recording artist you've been an ambassador for the flatpicked guitar for a long time. How do you manage to maintain the energy for travel, ongoing practice, recording, teaching, and performing?
It's not always easy. I feel that one thing that helps me keep going is planned, quality family time when I'm off the road. It creates the incentive for growth and the motivation to work hard.

With so much travel and/or recording activity, how do you get any writing of your own done?
Writing is my absolute favorite thing about music, so it's not hard to motivate myself to write. I do it all the time. I love working with other talented writers, so much of what I write is created in the studio with co-writers. I also write a lot when I'm on the road traveling. I keep a small mp3 recorder in my pocket at all times and I am constantly thinking about new song ideas, especially when I'm driving. When a new idea pops up, I grab the recorder and sing the lines or hum the music so that I get it down and remember it later.

Have you performed outside of North America as yet?
Yes I have had the privilege of traveling outside North America quite extensively. My first trip out of the country was with the Forester Sisters. We went to England. When I was with Marty Stuart we toured Europe and Japan. I later toured Europe with Billy Bob Thornton's band and I also played in Sweden and Germany with John Moore, Dennis Caplinger and Bill Bryson. I have also traveled to both Japan and Europe as a Takamine clinician. In fact, I'm leaving for a two-week clinic tour in Germany about two weeks from now.

How do you warm up for a performance?
I have a warm up routine for both my voice and my instrument. Vocally, I take a simple scale and express it over and over. To get warmed up with the guitar, just playing rhythm usually works.

Do you teach or act as a musical mentor to upcoming Nashville players?
Yes, I have had many young players call me for career direction or advice, or maybe an inside tip on the latest audition. On the technical side, a lot of players are interested in my "double-down-up" technique. That is why I wrote the book that Mel Bay now publishes called The Acoustic Speed Picking Blue Book (99741BCD). I teach the "double-down-up" technique in that book/CD.

What kinds of musical values do you try to impart to your students?
Humility and the desire to learn from everyone, even your own students. And as mentioned before, I also emphasize ear training.

How do you hold the pick- with two fingers or three?
I hold it with two fingers. That is comfortable for me.

Enquiring minds will want to know- What instruments, amps, mics and strings are you currently using in the studio and on the road? Is there anything on your wish list in terms of gear?
This is actually a fairly long list because I play in so many different settings and on so many different kinds of sessions that I need to have a fairly large arsenal of tools. Each situation requires specific tools. When I'm performing on stage and need to plug in, I use a Takamine ENV340SC guitar with a Cool Tube and Tri-Axe pickup system sweetened with a Joe Mills condenser soundhole mic. In that situation I like to use Ultra Sound amplifiers.

In the studio, or when playing onstage straight into a microphone I have several nice dreadnought guitars that I like to use. I have a Collings Clarence White model, a Merrill C-28 and, my new favorite, a Breedlove Revival series Dreadnought. I played some Breedlove Revival series guitars at an event I attended recently and fell in love with them. I had to have one! I called Billy Bob Thornton and suggested that he get a Breedlove for his studio. They are incredible!

I sometimes use my CA carbon fiber guitar in the studio and I have a Triggs guitar that I keep high-strung for studio work.

What notes are the strings tuned to in your "high-strung" guitar tuning? I understand this tuning uses only the high strings from a 12-string set. Does this tuning require a trussrod adjustment? Do you ever apply a capo to a high-strung guitar?
The tuning is exactly like the high strings from a 12-string guitar. No, I have not found that I've had to do any trussrod adjustments. Yes, I do sometimes use a capo on that guitar.

I will sometimes use my maple Gibson fusion J-190 and overlay that on top of one of the other dreadnoughts to give a tune a different voice. Last year I toured with John Jorgenson and during that tour I used a D-500 Gitane that I bought from Saga. That is a great guitar, especially for the price! I also play a Gibson F-9 mandolin.

When I play electric, I have a Fender 1951 Telecaster, a Gretch 6120, and an Ernie Ball Strat. I play through a Fender Concert hand-wired class-A amp. I use SIT strings on all my instruments and I like either the Clayton "gold" picks or the Wegen picks.

I also use my very own, patented, "Brad Bender" string-bending device for the acoustic guitar. The only thing on my wish list is to always have a good backup guitar when I'm performing.

Who manufactures the Brad Bender device and how does it work?
The Brad Bender device was built in my basement. I patented the design about eight years ago, but it has never gone into production. I am still using the prototype. Takamine has shown interest in licensing the design though. Here's how it works: A pedal steel floor pedal is attached to a Kubota bulldozer clutch cable which fits into a stainless steel z-bracket mounted on the back of the headstock. The end of the cable runs through a slotted adjustment screw that has a brass foot on the post (front) side of the peg head. When I press on the floor pedal it pulls the string up a whole or half step depending on how much pressure is applied to the pedal.

Do you have any new books, DVDs, albums or other products on the horizon?
My newest project, which has just recently been released by Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and distributed by Mel Bay Publications is the Flatpicking the Blues Book/DVD/CD course. This course teaches an acoustic player how to flatpick traditional blues on the acoustic guitar and also demonstrates how to add a blues feel to bluegrass, folk, or rock songs that they may already know. It's an extensive multi-media course that includes ear training, expanding one's knowledge of the fretboard, and improvisation training. The Book/DVD/CD package is supported by a website that has additional information, exercises, licks, and songs. The website allows me to individually interact with students who are working with the course and answer their questions. If all goes well, we may produce a Volume 2 of Flatpicking the Blues.

Who publishes the Flatpick Jam DVDs?
Flatpicking Guitar Magazine publishes the Flatpick Jam series. Mel Bay Publications has just picked those up and will be distributing them now.

I am also going to record a fourth volume of my "Flatpick Jam" DVD series. This is a series of accompaniment DVDs whereby the viewer can pop the DVD into the computer or DVD player and jam along with me on traditional bluegrass songs and fiddle tunes. Each song is played at four different tempos. I play a solo, and then I play rhythm. For the three faster tempos I repeat that sequence twice. The viewer has the opportunity to practice lead and rhythm along with the DVD. It's a great tool for guitar players, mandolin players, fiddle players, etc. Anyone who wants to practice playing lead and/or rhythm to these tunes will benefit from them. There is also a mandolin chop and bass on each track so that it is easy for the viewer to stay in time. We have received a lot of great feedback on this series, so we are planning another volume.

I am currently working on a new Texas music record, a traditional bluegrass record, and movie soundtrack projects with Tommy Shaw and Billy Bob Thornton. As mentioned earlier, I am also hosting and producing a brand new music television show called "Commerce County Line" or CCL. The pilot aired on the iTelevision Network in March. The regular season is scheduled to begin airing in Dallas, Texas, on April 7, 8 and 9. If anyone wants to find out more about the show, they can visit http://www.myccl.tv.

Aside from music, what are your interests?
Being with my family and being the spiritual leader of my family.

Do you find time for any other activities or hobbies?
Playing ball with the kids and doing stuff around the house. My brother is a building contractor and owns a home restoration business. I've worked with him off and on over the years and have learned how to lay tile, hang sheetrock, and do all of the things that go into home building. I like to do that kind of stuff around the house when I'm there.

As an adult, how has your family influenced your music?
They always keep it real and provide a balance for creativity.

Do you have any parting words of advice to the young flatpicker who aspires to a career in music?
In general, I would say do it as a career only if you really love it. Develop your skill while you're having fun. Learn to be both humble and confident.

Do you have any tips regarding life on the road or dealing with managers or recording companies?
The road can take you if you let it. Learning to have a good sense of humor and knowing how to "roll with the punches" helps a lot. A good manager is as handy as a third arm. If you can find one, hang on to them.

There are good situations and bad situations with record companies. You just have to remember that record companies are in business to make money and so they may not have what you feel to be your best interests in mind. I released my first solo recording and my first band recording on my own label. I got the advantage of having full control and ownership and making all of the money on the project, but the disadvantage was that I had to spend a lot of time with the business side of marketing and promoting the recordings, and that took time away from my music.

When I was getting ready to release my second solo album I began a partnership with Dan Miller at Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. He used my release to launch a new label called FGM Records. Our relationship is more like a partnership or co-op than what you'd call a typical label-artist relationship. I paid all of the production costs, had full control of the recording, and I retained all rights to the songs and I own the masters. FGM simply helps me market, advertise, and distribute the CDs, and for that I give them a percentage of the sales. With this arrangement I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds. I'm on a label, but I maintain control. Dan and I have now released two of my solo CDs on the FGM label.

Thanks Brad. I know our readers will appreciate the information you revealed in this interview.
It's been my pleasure.

To learn more about Brad Davis and his music please visit: http://www.braddavismusic.com