In this lesson, I’ll teach you how play the traditional gospel song “I’ll Fly Away” in the style of Alan Jackson. First we’ll go over the chord progressions and a few strumming patterns you can play behind your vocals. Then I’ll teach you two variations of the instrumental break — the first instrumental break will mix a nice melody line with strumming and the second instrumental break will be loaded with some awesome bluegrass flatpicking licks. Chords and lyrics along with tablature can be downloaded below the video!
Guitar Solos
Wayfaring Stranger in the Style of Johnny Cash
Learn how to play the traditional American folk song “Wayfaring Stranger” in the style of Johnny Cash. First, we’ll break down all the chords and show you some strumming patterns that will make your rhythm sound country and bluegrass. Then, we’ll teach you the chord progressions along with the lyrics. For those of y’all that aren’t interested in singing this song, we’ll also have a nice acoustic guitar arrangement that incorporates the song’s melody. PDF files are available for download below the video! If you like this lesson, you might also like our Classic Country & Bluegrass Strumming Course.
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | “Boom Chick” Strumming Pattern |
02:06 min | Alternating Bass Line over Am Chord |
03:01 min | Alternating Bass Line over Dm Chord |
03:59 min | Alternating Bass Line over E7 Chord |
05:19 min | Alternating Bass Line over F Chord |
07:41 min | Alternating Bass Line over C Chord |
09:34 min | Two More Strumming Patterns |

Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Intro Chord Progression |
02:11 min | Verse 1 with Lyrics |
05:33 min | Chorus 1 with Lyrics |
07:31 min | Instrumental Break Chord Progression |
07:57 min | Verse 2 with Lyrics |
08:53 min | Chorus 2 with Lyrics |
09:36 min | Song Ending |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Listen to the Intro with Tablature |
00:50 min | Pickup Measure and Random Tips |
02:11 min | First Half of the Intro – Breakdown with Tablature |
04:44 min | Second Half of the Intro – Breakdown with Tablature |
06:41 min | Make the Intro Fancier with Some Accent Strums |
Short Instrumental Break (over verse progression):
Johnny Cash played “Wayfaring Stranger” with the short instrumental break that you’ll learn in this video. This short instrumental break is basically the verse progression played in a fancier way to incorporate the song’s melody.
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Overview |
00:39 min | Listen to the Short Instrumental |
01:59 min | Measures 1 through 5 – Breakdown with Tablature |
03:55 min | Measures 6 through 10 – Breakdown with Tablature |
06:33 min | Measures 16 and 17 – Breakdown with Tablature |
07:06 min | Practice Along with Me |
Long Instrumental Break (verse + chorus):
In this next video, we’re going to play a longer instrumental arrangement over the song’s verse and chorus. The first half will be the exact same as the Johnny Cash “verse” instrumental taught in the previous video. Then, we’ll break down the second half that’s played over the chorus.
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Structure of the Long Instrumental |
01:10 min | Listen to the Long Instrumental |
02:23 min | Play Through the “Short Verse Instrumental” |
03:19 min | Instrumental over the Chorus – Breakdown with Tablature |
10:38 min | Practice Along with Me |
Intermediate Stock Bluegrass Licks
In this bluegrass guitar lesson, we’ll increase the difficulty a bit! I’ll show you four more bluegrass guitar licks that will take your picking skills to the next level. I’ll also talk more about the guitar scales that we’re using to create these bluegrass licks. After you master the guitar licks, practice the arranged solo and your bluegrass improvising skills with the jam track!
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | First Measure – Breakdown with Tablature |
01:40 min | Proper Pick Stroke Direction for Speed |
03:16 min | Second Measure – Breakdown with Tablature |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 1 Breakdown with Tablature |
02:11 min | Combine Lick 1 and Lick 2 |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | How Lick 3 is Formed Around the D Chord |
01:07 min | Lick 3 Breakdown with Tablature |
03:21 min | Combine Lick 1, Lick 2, and Lick 3 |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 4 Breakdown with Tablature |
01:53 min | How to Practice the Bluegrass Licks |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Guitar Scales for Bluegrass Licks |
01:41 min | How to Visualize the Scales When You’re Improvising |
02:52 min | Bluegrass Guitar Licks Formed Around Open Chords |
06:21 min | Breaking out of the Pentatonic Scale Box When You’re Soloing |
09:49 min | Combining the Melody of Bluegrass Songs with Stock Bluegrass Licks |
More Bluegrass Licks and Guitar Scale Theory
In this guitar lesson, I’ll teach you four more bluegrass licks that are great for improvising in the key of G. We’ll also talk about the guitar scale theory behind each of the bluegrass licks. After you master the guitar licks, practice the arranged solo and your bluegrass improvising skills with the jam track!
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 1 Breakdown with Tablature |
00:50 min | Guitar Scales for Bluegrass Licks |
01:52 min | Getting That Country & Bluegrass Sound |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 2 Breakdown with Tablature |
01:26 min | Building Licks Around Open Chords Using Key of G Scales |
02:23 min | More Chord and Scale Theory Tips for Bluegrass Licks |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 3 Breakdown with Tablature |
01:36 min | Easier Way to Play Lick 3 |
02:33 min | How Lick 3 is Formed Around the D Chord |
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Lick 4 Breakdown with Tablature |
00:52 min | Left Hand Fingering for Easy Lick Transition |
Jam Track Example:
Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
---|---|
00:00 min | Listen to All Four Bluegrass Licks Played in a Row |
00:43 min | Bluegrass Lick Example with the Jam Track |
01:21 min | Lesson Wrap Up |