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Jimmy Brown the Newsboy

jimmy-brown-the-newsboy-guitar-lesson-a0154
Lesson ID: A0154

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play the traditional country & bluegrass song called “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy”. This song was originally written by William Shakespeare Hays in the late 1800s and it has been recorded by several country & bluegrass artists over the years including Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Roger Miller, Norman Blake, Bill Monroe, A.P. Carter, and several others.

It’s common to see this song played out of the C position with a capo on the 7th fret (Key of G), but in this guitar lesson, we’re going to play it out of the C position with a capo on the 2nd fret (Key of D). The lower pitched melody with a capo on the 2nd fret seems to be a bit easier for singing. We’ll cover two different variations of the instrumental, and then we’ll go over the rhythm guitar part for those of y’all wanting to sing and play this one. Overall, this is a great guitar lesson for all levels of pickers.

Lesson Overview

Instrumental 1

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Instrumental 2

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

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Video 2 – Full Breakdown

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Chord Progression

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Backing Track

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You Are My Sunshine in the Style of Gene Autry

you-are-my-sunshine-country-guitar-lesson
Lesson 11 – Country & Bluegrass Rhythm Course
Lesson ID: A0151

In this guitar lesson, we’ll practice some classic country strumming patterns over a country & bluegrass version of “You Are My Sunshine”. This arrangement incorporates a simple melody line with your standard Carter style “boom chick” country strumming. We’ll also work on a few country guitar fill riffs in the style of Gene Autry. Overall this is a great guitar lesson for developing accurate picking and strumming.

Overview

Playthrough with Tablature

Full Breakdown

Backing Track

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Country Strumming & Fills in the Style of Willie Nelson

willie nelson style rhythm guitar technique fill riffs bass walks
Lesson 3 – Country & Bluegrass Rhythm Course
Lesson ID: A0143

In this guitar lesson, I’ll teach you a classic country strumming pattern in the style of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Willie Nelson. First I’ll break down the strumming pattern and give you some strumming tips that will help you get those clean alternating bass line picks. Then I’ll show you a couple of Willie Nelson style chord progressions to use for practice. After that, we’ll start working in some classic country bass line walks and I’ll teach you a couple of Willie Nelson riffs that’ll spice up your country rhythm guitar.

Overview

Playthrough

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Strumming

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Strumming Pattern Breakdown
01:09 min Right Hand Pick Technique
02:46 min Willie Nelson Hammer-On
04:11 min Alternating Bass Line over B7 and A Chords

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Progressions

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Progression 1
00:54 min A Major Accent Chord
02:37 min Progression 2
03:24 min How to Practice with “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”

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Bass Walks

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Bass Line Walk 1
01:17 min Bass Line Walk 2
03:42 min Bass Line Walk 3
04:50 min Bass Line Walk 4

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Fill Riffs

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Willie Nelson Style Fill Riff 1
04:14 min Willie Fill Riff 2 for a Song Ending

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Practice

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Practice with Willie Nelson

Practice your classic country strumming and fills over the song “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Willie Nelson using the player from Spotify. We’d highly recommend using Spotify for online radio. If you don’t have a Spotify account, click here to sign up free with your Facebook account or with an e-mail address.

Merle Haggard Style Classic Country Intro & Fills

merle haggard style intro and fills in e
Lesson 15 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course
Lesson ID: A0141

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a classic country intro in the style of Merle Haggard along with some nice country fill riffs that’ll spice up your country rhythm guitar. First, we’ll work through the intro with tablature. Then, we’ll talk about the guitar scales you should learn to get this classic Merle Haggard sound in the key of E. After that, we’ll go over two rhythm progressions in the style of Merle Haggard that are loaded with classic country bass line walks and fills.

Overview

Country Intro

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Playthrough with Tablature
01:42 min Full Breakdown of the Intro

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Guitar Scales

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Scale Charts
02:28 min Notes Used to Play the Intro

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Progression 1

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Progression 1 Overview
00:21 min Playthrough with Tablature
01:23 min Classic Country Strumming Pattern
03:57 min Line 1 Breakdown with Country Fill
06:31 min Line 2 Breakdown with Another Country Fill
09:19 min Line 3 Breakdown with More Country Fills
10:54 min Line 4 Breakdown
12:00 min Practice Along with Me

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Progression 2

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Progression 2 Overview
00:32 min Playthrough with Tablature
01:27 min Line 1 Breakdown with Country Fill
02:14 min Line 2 Breakdown with Another Country Fill
04:54 min Line 3 Breakdown with More Country Fills
06:50 min Line 4 Breakdown
08:00 min Practice Along with Me

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Practice

Practice with Merle Haggard

Practice your classic country strumming and fills over the song “Fightin’ Side of Me” by Merle Haggard using the embedded player from Spotify. We’d highly recommend using Spotify for online radio. If you don’t have a Spotify account, click here to sign up free with your Facebook account or with an e-mail address.