Rhythm Guitar – Page 9 – Country Guitar Online

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

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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

Salt Creek

April 13, 2025June 13, 2019 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0171

“Salt Creek” is a popular bluegrass flatpicking tune that you’ll hear at bluegrass jams all the time. This song was originally titled “Salt River” and it was renamed by Bill Monroe in the 1960s to honor the actual Salt Creek in Indiana near the location of Monroe’s annual Bean Blossom Festival. This song has been recorded by several bluegrass artists over the years, including Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Norman Blake, Clarence White, Billy Strings, and many others.

In this bluegrass guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play two flatpicking guitar solo breaks for “Salt Creek”. Both of the guitar solo breaks have a ton of momentum and they are loaded with some really nice bluegrass guitar licks. First we’ll play through each of the flatpicking guitar solos with guitar tablature. Then Devin will teach you each solo line by line and he’ll give you some helpful flatpicking tips along the way. The “Salt Creek” guitar tablature is available for download below the lesson videos.

Overview

Flatpicking Solo 1

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Kickoff – Measures 1 through 4
03:27 min	A Part – Measures 5 through 8
08:55 min	A Part – Measures 9 through 12
14:06 min	A Part – Measures 13 through 16
15:52 min	A Part – Measures 17 through 20
18:47 min	Practice the A Part with Me
20:14 min	B Part – Measures 21 through 24
25:24 min	B Part – Measures 25 through 28
30:05 min	B Part – Measures 29 through 32
31:42 min	B Part – Measures 33 through 36
33:16 min	Practice the B Part with Me

Flatpicking Solo 2

Video 1 – Playthrough with Tablature

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Video 2 – Full Breakdown

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	A Part – Measures 1 through 4
03:09 min	A Part – Measures 5 through 8
08:46 min	A Part – Measures 9 through 12
10:17 min	A Part – Measures 13 through 16
16:01 min	Practice the A Part with Me
17:30 min	B Part – Measures 17 through 20
22:39 min	B Part – Measures 21 through 24
27:50 min	B Part – Measures 25 through 28
28:57 min	B Part – Measures 29 through 32
31:37 min	Practice the B Part with Me

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Chord Progression

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Backing Track

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Flatpicking Solo 1 TAB Flatpicking Solo 2 TAB Woodtone Strings

Ten Different Ways to Play the Bluegrass “G Run”

April 13, 2025May 25, 2019 by Devin

standard-bluegrass-g-run-guitar-lesson-a0170

Lesson ID: A0170

The classic “G run” is the most important part of bluegrass guitar. Learning different variations of the G run will improve your soloing and backup rhythm guitar. In this guitar lesson, we’ll work through ten different examples of how to play the standard bluegrass G run on guitar. All of the bluegrass G run examples in this lesson come with tablature. The first G run we’ll cover is the most common G run that guitar players use at bluegrass jams. We’ll also look at different signature G runs used by the great bluegrass pickers over the years — Del McCoury, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, and Doc Watson. Later in this bluegrass guitar lesson, we’ll get some practice using G runs with the chord progression to “Will the Circle be Unbroken” .

Lesson Overview

G Run Examples

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	The Most Common Bluegrass “G Run”
03:49 min	Using the G Run in Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar
07:56 min	A Shorter Variation of the G Run
10:08 min	One More Example of the Shorter G Run
11:31 min	Combining the Standard and the Shorter G Runs
12:58 min	Del McCoury Style G Run #1
15:00 min	Del McCoury Style G Run #2
16:09 min	Tony Rice Style G Run
17:45 min	Norman Blake Style G Run
18:35 min	Doc Watson Style G Run #1
19:48 min	Doc Watson Style G Run #2
20:15 min	Doc Watson Style G Run #3
21:11 min	Using G Runs with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Lesson Tablature Woodtone Strings

Little Sadie

April 13, 2025May 10, 2019 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0169

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play “Little Sadie” in the style of Doc Watson. First, we’ll work through the “Little Sadie” chord progression using traditional country & bluegrass strumming. Then, we’ll make the progression sound a little fancier with a Doc Watson style bass line walk and a fill riff. After we talk about the rhythm guitar, we’ll work through a couple rounds of the progression with vocals. Finally, we’ll cover three different guitar solo breaks for “Little Sadie” in the style of Doc Watson. The first guitar solo is the easiest and the last two are a little more difficult. Overall this must-know country & bluegrass song that will sound great at your next jam. Guitar tablature is available below the lesson videos.

Overview

Rhythm Guitar & Vocals

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Little Sadie Chord Progression
01:54 min	Chord Progression with Tablature
03:14 min	Doc Watson Style Bass Line Walk and Fill Riff
05:44 min	Chord Progression with Vocals

Solo 1

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Solo 2

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Solo 3

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Advanced Rhythm

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Video Overview
00:22 min	Strumming Pattern 1
00:50 min	Strumming Pattern 2
01:23 min	Strumming Pattern 3
03:07 min	Strumming Pattern 4
03:48 min	Strumming Pattern 5
04:41 min	Practice Progression – Measures 1 through 4
08:19 min	Practice Progression – Measures 5 through 8
10:15 min	Practice Progression – Measures 9 through 10
11:43 min	Practice the Progression with Me

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Backing Track

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Guitar Solo 1 TAB Guitar Solo 2 TAB Guitar Solo 3 TAB Basic Rhythm TAB Advanced Rhythm TAB Woodtone Strings