Tommy Emmanuel A Trip to Music City | Life in Six Strings

Tommy Emmanuel

A Trip to Music City | Life in Six Strings

Join Kylie Olsson in Nashville as she meets with acoustic guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. Discover the stories behind his highly worn guitars, his inspiring connection to Chet Atkins, and a shocking revelation about his hearing. Watch the full episode on Life in Six Strings.

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode of Life in Six Strings, host Kylie Olsson travels to Nashville, Tennessee, to meet with Australian acoustic legend Tommy Emmanuel.

From his early days touring the Australian outback as a young child to moving to Music City to meet his idol Chet Atkins, Tommy shares the incredible journey that shaped his unique "one-man band" playing style. With his trademark energy and storytelling, Tommy proves he doesn't just play the guitar—he lives it.

Explore Music City Culture

This episode takes viewers through the heart of Nashville, highlighting the legendary locations that define country and acoustic music:

• ■ The Chet Atkins Connection: Tommy recounts his very first trip to America in 1980. After fans sent a cassette tape of Tommy's playing to Chet Atkins, the country legend invited him to Nashville, marking the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
• ■ Gruhn Guitars: Tommy takes Kylie to the world-famous Gruhn Guitars to play in their covert testing room. He gives Kylie a quick lesson on Travis picking, proving that once you learn how to play, you have a "friend for life."
• ■ The Ryman Auditorium: The duo visits the historic "Mother Church of Country Music." Tommy explains the spiritual weight of performing on its stage and teaches Kylie how to navigate backstage jitters with his "bomb of calm" routine before showtime.

Episode Highlights

• The Percussive Guitar Technique Tommy demonstrates how the heavy wear and tear on his acoustic isn't just from strumming—it's from using the body of the guitar as a drum to mimic sounds like wind, thunder, and rain during his live performances.
• The Peter Khof Kalamazoo Tommy shares a deeply moving story about visiting a dying fan in the Netherlands. The fan gifted him a lightweight 1930s Gibson Kalamazoo that perfectly blends the sounds of Django Reinhardt and a resonator guitar, which Tommy still cherishes and records with today.
• A Shocking Secret In a massive revelation, Tommy discloses that he suffers from a severe hearing deficit. The condition was caused by yellow fever his mother contracted while pregnant, making his musical genius and flawless ear even more extraordinary.
• Jamming at the Ryman The episode culminates with Kylie accompanying Tommy on the sacred stage of the Ryman Auditorium for a 12-bar blues jam in the key of E, giving her a firsthand lesson in the hard work of being an accompanist.