Fortunato,

The video is called "Merle Travis (Rare Performances 1946-1981)" and was produced by Vestapol Productions, a division of Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, Inc. National distributin was by Rounder Records. My brother is a labor leader and only knew of Merle as the composer of "Dark as a Dungeon" and "Sixteen Tons." I think he ordered the video and then realized that Merle was a commercial country performer in every sense and was put off by it. So his narrow attitude toward music became my very good fortune. Too bad, I'll bet his rank and file would have loved it.

M.Ted,

Well, I was wrong again. You've no doubt realized that already. I should never try to explain guitar fingerings while at the office, miles from my guitar, with my mind on other matters. Of course there is no Bb in an F major triad. The little finger plays A on the fourth string seventh fret to create an octave with the A on the sixth string.

Another "thumbed" chord Merle used I've also seen used by Blind Gary Davis, Doc Watson and Ike Everly. It's a moveable thumbed 7th chord. It's a little tricky but well worth learning and using. To make it as a C7, the fingering is as follows---and I have a guitar this time:

C on the B string is noted by the index finger but it also lays down flat on the E string as well.
The fourth (pinky) finger notes G on the E string.
The third finger notes the flatted seventh (Bb) on the G string.
The second or middle finger notes E on the D string.
And the thumb notes both a C on the A string and a G on the bass E string.

This allows you to play all six strings if you wish although the A string is often damped and an alternating bass played on the sixth and fourth strings.

McGrath of Harlow,

Yes, a D-7 is used more often as an F substitution. You talk about lifting your little and ring fingers from the standard thumbed F pattern. Everyone works out their own technique and there really is no right or wrong way but you might want to try making the thumbed F without using your little finger at all. If you use your ring finger to note both the F on the fourth string and the C on the A string, you'll have a finger left over to do all kinds of neat things with.

- Mark