The Other Chet Atkins…“Streets of Laredo”

In 1960, Chet Atkins recorded his first all acoustic album for RCA Victor entitled The Other Chet Atkins,
RCA-LPM 2175. Chet used his Juan Estruch classical guitar (his first good classical guitar which now belongs to Earl Klugh) to record an album of great standards such as “Maria Elena,” “Peanut Vendor,” and the old cowboy tune, “Streets of Laredo.” Engineered by the legendary Bill Porter, The Other Chet Atkins is perhaps the master’s most stunning example of pure musicianship and virtuosity.

 

“Streets of Laredo” was a tune Chet often played in medley with “Greensleeves” during his concerts from
that time. The recorded version that we will discuss  is taken from Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions - Fifty
Years of Legendary Guitar, Volume One and the prior mentioned RCA album.

Before we talk of the music, let us talk of something very important to Chet and the performance of his
music. In order to make a beautiful sound on the guitar one has to first hear a beautiful sound. Sound was
everything to Chet.

 

Before learning “Streets of Laredo,” please spend time working on the quality and purity of your sound.  File your nails and spend time properly buffing your nails with fine  3M 500 open coat silicon carbide sandpaper (available from www.gspguitar.com). There is no point in playing the guitar if your tone is bad. Beauty of sound is one of the guitar’s assets.  I personally don’t understand why anyone would play the guitar and not exploit its most poetic resource…the sound.

 

This piece is in the key of D major. You will need to drop your sixth string down to D.  As you will notice in the score, there are very clear indicators of types of articulations that Chet employs for purposes of musical expression.  You will notice several places where there are tenuto markings.  These are used by Chet to give more “weight” to the upbeat phrasing (measure #2 and #4 for example). 

 

Also, at measure #21, you will notice the musical indicator to “swing.” Everything Chet played would swing!  Vibrato was one of Chet’s signature techniques, and there are plenty of opportunities where you can freely impart through vibrato your own vocal expression to your phrasing. 

 

For the best musicianship lesson you can ever hope to receive, listen carefully to everything Chet Atkins
recorded.  All true musical art is gained through hard work and the ability to hear.

 

Chet’s greatness came from within.

 

John McClellan

 

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