174931_FSArtsCouncilNationalThumbpickersPosters
On June 11, at 7:00pm at the Goodnight Auditorium in Franklin, Kentucky, the F-S Arts Council will be holding a concert with five members of the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame. Members performing will be Paul Moseley, Joe Hudson, Larry Stone, Scott Taylor, and Parker Hastings. Parker Hastings is an incredibly talented 15 year old thumbpicking, fingerstyle guitarist who has been playing guitar since the age of 6. In 2014, Parker was inducted into the National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame as the Horizon Award winner and this past fall, he was once again inducted into the NTPHOF, but this time as the 2015 Thumbpicker of the Year. He is the youngest person ever to receive this award.
Advance tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased at the Gallery on the Square in Franklin, KY…
.270-586-8055. Tickets will also be available at the door for $7.00
What is Thumpicking? During the first half of the twentieth century, a unique style of guitar playing known as Kentucky thumbpicking was developed by a handful of musicians in the western coal field region of Kentucky. This guitar tradition was elevated to national prominence by country guitar virtuosos Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. Kentucky thumbpicking incorporates a steady and muted bass line that alternates between the root, fifth or third of a chord. The bass is also accentuated with the use of a thumbpick worn on the right hand. Simultaneously, the index, occasionally middle and ring fingers, play the harmony and melody on the upper strings of the guitar in a syncopated rhythm. Thumbpicking is venerated because of its reverence for individualism and adaptability. One of the primary reasons it has become so prominent is because of its flexibility; it is able to be adapted to various types of music.
The National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame was founded in the Birthplace of Thumbpicking, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky in 1998. The Organizing Committee consisted of thumbpicker Eddie Pennington of Princeton, KY, Judge/Executive Rodney Kirtley of Greenville, KY, and historian Bobby Anderson of Beechmont, KY. The NTPHF is made up of members whose purpose is to honor, preserve and promote the art of thumbpicking, and its heritage. For more information, please contact the F-S Arts Council Director, Brownie Bennett at 270-776-5783 or Donnie Dortch at 615-579-1075.