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Red Dirt Country Blues Strumming and Fills

red-dirt-country-blues-strumming-guitar-lesson
Lesson ID: A0166

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn a country blues progression in the key of D. The main goal of this lesson is to give you some extra practice switching back and forth between playing rhythm guitar and lead fills. First, we’ll break down the main country strumming pattern in the progression. Then, we’ll work through the red dirt country blues progression and fill riffs with tablature. After you watch the guitar lesson, practice your country rhythm and fills with our backing track in the key of D. Overall, this is a great lesson for learning some useful country rhythm techniques that you can apply to a ton of other country songs.

Overview

Playthrough with Tablature

Full Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Strumming Pattern Breakdown
03:27 min Breakdown – Measures 1 through 4
06:59 min Breakdown – Measures 5 through 8
09:59 min Breakdown – Measures 9 through 12
15:03 min Breakdown – Measures 13 through 16
18:16 min Breakdown – Measures 17 through 20
22:20 min Breakdown – Measures 21 through 24
25:28 min Practice the Progression with Me
27:10 min Ending Riff
27:59 min Intro Riff

Backing Track

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Banks of the Ohio Crosspicking Guitar Lesson

banks-of-the-ohio-bluegrass-crosspicking-guitar-lesson
Lesson ID: A0167

“Banks of the Ohio” is a traditional 19th century ballad that has become a common crosspicking tune at bluegrass jams. The exact origins of this song are unknown. It has been recorded by several artists over the years, including Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, The Carter Family, Dolly Parton, and many others.

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play two crosspicking guitar arrangements for “Banks of the Ohio”. The first crosspicking arrangement will be played down near the nut using standard key of C open chords. We’ll use forward and backward crosspicking rolls along with some nice chord embellishments and fills. Then, in the second arrangement, we’ll travel up the guitar neck and incorporate crosspicking over alternate chord voicings. After you learn the crosspicking guitar breaks, practice your bluegrass crosspicking over our “Banks of the Ohio” backing track in C.

Overview

Arrangement 1

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Breakdown – Measures 1 through 5
07:05 min Breakdown – Measures 6 through 9
11:09 min Breakdown – Measures 10 through 13
15:35 min Breakdown – Measures 14 through 17
18:29 min Practice With Me

Arrangement 2

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Breakdown – Measures 1 through 5
06:09 min Breakdown – Measures 6 through 9
11:10 min Breakdown – Measures 10 through 13
16:19 min Breakdown – Measures 14 through 17
18:07 min Easier Option for Transitioning Down the Neck
21:07 min Practice With Me

Backing Track

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Worried Blues

worried blues guitar solo break
Lesson ID: A0164

“Worried Blues” is an old song from the early 1900s written by a country blues musician named Frank Hutchinson. Hutchinson was best known for playing slide guitar with the guitar held in his lap. His song “Worried Blues” has been recorded by several artists over the years, including a popular fingerstyle arrangement by Doc Watson.

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a country and bluegrass flatpicking arrangement of “Worried Blues”. This arrangement is in the key of G and we’ll play it with a nice mix of “Carter Style” boom chick strumming and country blues flatpicking licks. First I’ll teach you two complete instrumental breaks that have a nice bluesy country sound. Then we’ll work through the “Worried Blues” chords and lyrics. After you learn the guitar breaks, practice your flatpicking with the “Worried Blues” backing track in G.

Overview

Instrumental Break 1

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Tablature Line 1 Breakdown
04:51 min Tablature Line 2 Breakdown
10:18 min Tablature Line 3 Breakdown
14:49 min Practice Along with Me

Instrumental Break 2

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Tablature Line 1 Breakdown
05:21 min Tablature Line 2 Breakdown
08:51 min Tablature Line 3 Breakdown
11:56 min Practice Along with Me

Chords & Lyrics

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Rhythm Overview
00:56 min Worried Blues Chord Progression
02:16 min Chords and Lyrics
04:33 min Bass Line Walk Example
06:29 min Chords and Lyrics Continued
09:44 min Song Ending
10:44 min Strumming Patterns and Rhythm Tips

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Brown’s Ferry Blues

browns-ferry-blues-billy-strings-guitar-lesson
Lesson ID: A0161

“Brown’s Ferry Blues” was originally written in the early 1900s by The Delmore Brothers. Over the course of their careers, the Delmores wrote more than one thousand songs, including “Brown’s Ferry Blues”, “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar”, and “Fifteen Miles from Birmingham”. The Delmore Brothers grew up in a musical home as their mother, Mollie Delmore, wrote and sang gospel songs for their church. The Brothers blended gospel-style harmonies with the faster paced guitar parts of traditional folk music and blues to help create the still-emerging country genre.

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn a guitar arrangement in the style of “Brown’s Ferry Blues” by The Delmore Brothers. This particular arrangement is also inspired by Doc Watson and Billy Strings. We’ll cover an intermediate guitar break, an easier guitar break for the beginner country & bluegrass pickers, and the rhythm guitar progression. After you master the guitar arrangements, practice your picking over the backing track in the key of G.

Overview

Intermediate Break

Video 1 – Intermediate Break Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Intermediate Break Full Breakdown

Easy Break

Video 1 – Easy Break Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Easy Break Full Breakdown

Rhythm Breakdown

Video Start Time Lesson Topic
00:00 min Chord Progression Overview
00:56 min Instrumental Break Chord Progression
02:27 min Chord Progression to Backup Vocals
05:09 min Chords and Lyrics Example
12:23 min Strumming Pattern 1
14:57 min Strumming Pattern 2
17:44 min Chord Transition Bass Line Walk 1
21:09 min Chord Transition Bass Line Walk 2
23:36 min Chord Transition Bass Line Walk 3
26:23 min “Brown’s Ferry Blues” Song Structure

Backing Track