Licks and Tricks Archives

12 Bar Blues with a Country Twang

November 22, 2025March 13, 2018 by Devin

Lesson 16 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course

Course Outline Previous Lesson Next Lesson

Lesson ID: A0148

In this country guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a variation of the 12 bar blues that has a country & bluegrass twang. In both arrangements below, we’ll use triplets to spice up our country fills and we’ll also replace strumming with crosspicking in certain measures to make our rhythm sound even more country. These country 12 bar blues progressions are in the key of G and you can use the fill riffs that we’re studying in this guitar lesson with a bunch of other country & bluegrass songs. Pay close attention to how we’re structuring each country guitar lick around the rhythm chords.

Lesson Overview

Playthrough with Tablature

Video 1 – First Round Playthrough

Video 2 – Second Round Playthrough

Member Content

Full Breakdown

Video 1 – First Round Breakdown

Video 2 – Second Round Breakdown

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Lesson Tablature Woodtone Strings

Merle Haggard Style Classic Country Intro & Fills

April 13, 2025December 11, 2017 by Devin

merle haggard style intro and fills in e

Lesson 15 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course

Course Outline Previous Lesson Next Lesson

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

Member Content

Guitar Scales

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

Member Content

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

Member Content

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

Member Content

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.

Scale Charts Lesson Tablature Woodtone Strings

Bluegrass Guitar Lick Library

April 13, 2025December 4, 2017 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0142

In this video, I’ll show you how to use our brand new Advanced Bluegrass Guitar Lick Library and I’ll also teach you one of my favorite bluegrass guitar licks in G. We’ll be adding new guitar licks to the bluegrass lick library all the time! The licks will cover several different keys and locations on the guitar neck. Later, we’ll post some really useful licks in the style of famous bluegrass guitar pickers like Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Bryan Sutton, Chris Eldridge, Norman Blake, David Grier, Clarence White, Dan Crary, and more!

Guitar Lick Library Woodtone Strings

Country Blues Guitar Solos Over “I’m From the Country”

April 13, 2025November 1, 2017 by Devin

im from the country tracy byrd how to play lead guitar

Lesson 14 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course

Course Outline Previous Lesson Next Lesson

Lesson ID: A0139

In this guitar lesson, we’ll apply several of the country riffs we’ve studied in this course by learning how to play two country lead guitar solos in D over “I’m From The Country” by Tracy Byrd. Before we learn the solos with tablature, I’ll give you a quick overview of how the solos are structured around the rhythm guitar chord progression. After you master the solos, practice along with our full-length country backing track in D.

Lesson Overview

Tips & Tricks

Member Content

Solo 1

Solo 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Member Content

Solo 1 – Full Breakdown

Member Content

Solo 2

Solo 2 – Playthrough with Tablature

Member Content

Solo 2 – Full Breakdown

Member Content

Solo Demo

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Tracy Byrd

Practice with Tracy Byrd

Practice these solos over “I’m From The Country” by Tracy Byrd 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.

More Country Songs in the Key of D

Here’re some other good country songs in the key of D for practicing your country lead guitar…

Guitar Scale Charts Guitar Solo Tablature Woodtone Strings