Lesson ID: A0225
Download the guitar tablature below! Here’s a mellow flatpicking jam in the key of C — perfect if you’re learning to blend rhythm guitar and melody in a traditional style. This simple strumming pattern combined with a few classic guitar licks will give you a warm country & bluegrass sound in the style of Doc Watson and Maybelle Carter. Great one for beginner guitar players looking to level up their picking!
Looking to improve your acoustic guitar chops for country and bluegrass? Here’s a 12-bar picking workout that’s perfect for building your flatpicking technique and rhythm skills. This short guitar lesson features a classic 12-bar progression in a traditional country and bluegrass style.
Every time I sit down to practice, I like to warm up with something like this—simple, melodic, and rooted in the traditions of acoustic country and bluegrass guitar. This wasn’t rehearsed or polished—just some spontaneous flatpicking, strumming, and riff ideas I thought I’d share with tablature included.
If you’re a fan of players like Tony Rice, Norman Blake, or Doc Watson, or you’re just starting your journey into bluegrass and country acoustic styles, this video is for you. Take a listen, grab the tab, and pick up a few new licks for your next jam session.
In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a nice bluegrass flatpicking arrangement for “Red Haired Boy”. This song is one of the most common fiddle tunes played at bluegrass jams. NOTE: We’re going to play “Red Haired Boy” using key of G chords and scales, but we’ll capo the 2nd fret so technically this is in the key of A.
After you learn the flatpicking break, practice along with the “Red Haired Boy” backing track that comes with this guitar lesson. “Red Haired Boy” guitar tablature is available for download below the lesson video.
Here is Chicken Pickin’ Guitar Lick 3 in the key of A. This is a fun country guitar lick that travels up the neck in a really creative way. We’re going to combine Lick 3 with Chicken Pickin’ Licks 1 and 2 to create a complete guitar solo that’s 12 measures long in total. After you learn all of the licks, practice them over the full-length backing track that’s available with this lesson post.
I prefer using Woodtone Triangle Picks (black) in .71mm for chicken pickin’ because shape, size, and flex of these picks feels perfect.
