Bluegrass Standards – Page 5 – Country Guitar Online

Blue Railroad Train

April 11, 2025January 5, 2020 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0178

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play the old classic “Blue Railroad Train” in the style of Tony Rice. We’ll cover three different instrumental breaks that are loaded with some really nice country & bluegrass licks on acoustic guitar. The first two instrumental breaks are a little more advanced for the intermediate guitar players, and the third instrumental break is an easier version for the less experienced guitar players. The easier break will have some really nice Tony Rice style guitar licks as well and it will be a good challenge that’ll push your flatpicking to the next level. Later in the lesson, we’ll also go over the rhythm guitar part and chord progressions for “Blue Railroad Train”.

Overview

Guitar Break 1

Video 1 – Intermediate Break 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Intermediate Break 1 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Measures 1 through 4
06:17 min	Measures 5 through 9
14:00 min	Practice the First Half of the Instrumental Break
15:15 min	Measures 10 through 13
22:26 min	Measures 14 through 18
25:09 min	Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

Guitar Break 2

Video 1 – Intermediate Break 2 – Playthrough with Tablature

Member Content

Video 2 – Intermediate Break 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Measures 1 through 4
06:16 min	Measures 5 through 9
08:13 min	Measures 10 through 13
15:16 min	Measures 14 through 18
16:25 min	Slower Speed – Practice the Entire Instrumental Break
17:44 min	Faster Speed – Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

Member Content

Easier Break

Video 1 – Easier Instrumental Break – Playthrough with Tablature

Member Content

Video 2 – Easier Instrumental Break – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Measures 1 through 4
03:38 min	Syncopated Rhythm
05:31 min	Measures 1 through 4 Continued
08:34 min	Measures 5 through 9
11:44 min	Pick Direction for Downbeats vs. Upbeats
17:20 min	Measures 10 through 13
19:59 min	Measures 14 through 18
22:30 min	Key of D vs. D Position
23:52 min	Slower Speed – Practice the Entire Instrumental Break
25:07 min	Faster Speed – Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

Member Content

Chords

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Rhythm Overview
00:30 min	Instrumental Break Chord Progression
01:54 min	Verse Chord Progression
02:46 min	Verse Chord Progression with Singing
04:19 min	Strumming Patterns and Strumming Examples
12:27 min	Rhythm Guitar Fill Riff

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Intermediate Break 1 TAB Intermediate Break 2 TAB Easier Break TAB Chord Progressions Verse Rhythm TAB Woodtone Strings

Sunny Side of the Mountain Flatpicking Guitar Solo

April 11, 2025December 5, 2019 by Devin

sunny-side-of-the-mountain-guitar-solo-lesson

Lesson ID: A0177

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a country and bluegrass flatpicking guitar solo that you can practice over a chord progression from the old classic song “Sunny Side of the Mountain” by Harry C. McAuliffe and Bobby Gregory. “Sunny Side of the Mountain” was first recorded by Hank Snow and it has been recorded by several other country and bluegrass artists over the years. “Sunny Side of the Mountain” is also a really popular song to play at bluegrass jams.

The guitar solo that we’re learning today is challenging but it is doable for newer pickers if you slow it down a bit. Overall, this solo has a really nice melody and it is loaded with some hot bluegrass licks that will help improve your flatpicking accuracy and speed.

Overview

Playthrough with Tablature

Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Measures 1 through 5
08:49 min	Measures 6 through 9
14:08 min	Measures 10 through 13
18:01 min	Practice the First Half of the Solo
19:22 min	Measures 14 through 17
24:44 min	Measures 18 through 21
30:20 min	Measures 22 through 25
34:38 min	Practice the Second Half of the Solo

Practice Along

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Lesson Tablature Chord Progressions Woodtone Strings

Black Mountain Rag

April 13, 2025July 25, 2019 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0173

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play the traditional fiddle tune “Black Mountain Rag” in the style of Doc Watson. This is one of the most common songs that you’ll hear at bluegrass jams. In this lesson, we’re going to learn the old way of playing this song which includes four different parts — the A Part, B Part, C Part, and D Part. Sometimes you’ll hear people playing this song without the C Part that you’ll learn in this lesson. Also, we’ll learn this song in the key of C without a capo but a lot of times people will capo 2nd fret to play this melody in the key of D. After you learn the guitar arrangement and optional ending lick, practice your bluegrass flatpicking with our “Black Mountain Rag” backing track in the key of C.

Overview

Flatpicking Arrangement

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	A Part – Measures 1 through 5
07:05 min	A Part – Measures 6 through 9
10:10 min	A Part – Practice with Me
11:08 min	B Part – Measures 10 through 13
17:16 min	B Part – Measures 14 through 17 (Available to CGO Members)
20:36 min	B Part – Practice with Me (Available to CGO Members)
21:51 min	C Part – Measures 18 through 21 (Available to CGO Members)
24:47 min	C Part – Measures 22 through 25 (Available to CGO Members)
25:34 min	D Part – Measures 26 through 29 (Available to CGO Members)
29:35 min	D Part – Measures 30 through 33 (Available to CGO Members)
33:07 min	D Part – Measures 34 through 37 (Available to CGO Members)
37:45 min	D Part – Measures 38 through 41 (Available to CGO Members)
41:27 min	D Part – Practice with Me (Available to CGO Members)
43:11 min	Practice the Entire Arrangement with Me (Available to CGO Members)

Optional Ending

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Member Content

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Flatpicking Arrangement TAB Optional Ending TAB Woodtone Strings

Using Jazzy Chords in Your Bluegrass Rhythm

April 13, 2025July 7, 2019 by Devin

using-jazzy-guitar-chords-in-bluegrass-rhythm

Lesson ID: A0172

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to use jazzy chord shapes in your bluegrass rhythm guitar. This technique will really make your rhythm guitar stand out at your next bluegrass jam. First, we’ll go over some useful jazzy chords that you can use to replace standard open chords. Then, you’ll learn some strumming patterns that work great with these jazzy chord shapes. Finally, we’ll work through a practice progression so you can get an idea of how to use these jazzy chords in a bluegrass song.

Overview

Chords & Strumming

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	G6 Chord
02:13 min	C7 Chord
03:29 min	D7 Chord
04:05 min	“Foggy Mountain Special” Chord Progression
06:24 min	Alternate Voicing for a G Major chord
08:07 min	C9 Chord
09:14 min	D9 Chord
09:38 min	Strumming Patterns
15:24 min	Standard Bass Line Walk (Available to CGO Members)
19:06 min	Jazzy Bass Line Walk (Available to CGO Members)
23:57 min	Extra Tips (Available to CGO Members)

Practice Progression

Member Content

Jam Along

Here is a video of Russ Carson and Jake Workman playing “Foggy Mountain Special” on banjo and guitar. Try jamming along by playing the jazzy practice progression that you learned in this guitar lesson. You can hear Jake Workman playing some jazzy bluegrass rhythm guitar at 1:50 in this video.

Practice Progression TAB Jazzy Chord Charts Woodtone Strings