Lesson 1 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course
Lesson ID: A0089
This is the first video in a series of lessons where I’ll be teaching y’all how to play country and bluegrass rhythm guitar fill riffs, chord embellishments, and more! We’re going to start this series with the most basic beginner concepts and work our way up to more advanced techniques each lesson. As we discuss these topics, I’m going to highlight the note combinations and other progressions that’ll give your guitar playing that country and bluegrass sound.
I’m really looking forward to the rest of this course! Thanks, Devin.
Just joined, great site you have here. Can’t wait to watch the rest of this new course. Thanks!
Just started today, been playing about a year and this is what I’ve been looking for, thanks
Awesome, thanks a lot for checking out my lessons! – Devin
Just signed up and can’t wait to start this course. Thanks, Devin!
Nice, thanks for joining! Glad to have you on board. There’s some cool stuff in this course and plenty more on the way each week like these lessons. Let me know if you have any questions about the material as you’re working through everything. – Devin
Looked over a handful of offerings to see where i should start and this looks like the lesson! And i’ve noticed lots of comments where people mention how they have been playing for a while and want to advance to the next level… or have become overwhelmed with tons of YouTube vid’s but can’t seem to apply them? Well thats me too. I thought i was collecting a bunch of useful licks… but discovered i wasn’t really using them in my tunes? So what i like best here, is how lesson overviews explain whats up and how to apply the… Read more »
Awesome, thanks Pat! Great place to start with the lessons on the site right here. Hope you enjoy this series…we’ll be adding more soon covering the scale positions and riff ideas in different keys. Thanks for the comment! – Devin
so far it is just what I have been looking for. Thanks for putting this together.
is there a 4k option? just on some videos?
Right now, you can hover over the AB looping video player and select 1080p…but all videos are recorded in 4K and that option will be offered soon with a new auto quality switching that we’ll have installed to the player.
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Hey Jack – Just did a test and it seems to be working on my end now. Hopefully the vid had a quick glitch. Can you try again and let me know if it’s working? – Devin
do you have any tips on getting my hand stretching better? excersises or anything, i notice some chords are impossible for me to reach, i get a buzz since im just barely reaching my frets.
Hey Kirby! That’s always a common thing when you’re working on new chords…I’ve been playing for a long time and I still have to work my hand into shape for playing some strange chords that are new to me. I’d say the best thing you can do is work on the chords that give you trouble a little every day. Relax your left hand as much as you can, and if it starts burning too much, I always step away for five minutes, then when you come back to it, the chord gets easier and easier. Also, one thing you… Read more »
Really love your lessons and approach Devin. Big thanks
Thanks Charles!
Just signed up, the site looks like fun! I will have to start off on a Telecaster but will purchase a nice acoustic soon. I suppose that won’t be a huge dealbreaker to start, Devin? I’m still a newbie player despite fooling around with my guitar for about 4 years! I know my basic chords and scales, legato, etc but I’m not proficient enough to be able to play an entire song or anything like that. I now have all the time in the world to devote to learning, so here I am! I’m in some other online schools for… Read more »
I’d like playing such Coutry and Bluegrass music as Devin plays… but here in Italy 🙂
How important is it to humidify an acoustic guitar, and what is the best product to use.
I think it’s pretty important depending on where you live. I’ve lived most of my life in Texas and the humidity is usually high. I keep most of my acoustics hanging on the wall and I haven’t had any issues with humidity. One of my buddies in Colorado had his Martin neck crack right where it connects to the body when it got too dry. I actually just heard about a really cool product from D’Addario that keeps track of humidity and sends you push notifications to your smart phone through bluetooth…you can find it by searching for “Humiditrak” on… Read more »
Nice tip about Humiditrak! I order one just now for a try. What would we do without special phone apps telling us how to treat our guitars 😉
Thanks Devin I live in Arizona so everything here drys out or dies.
I’m a new guitar player. I’ve learned to read tabs and can play songs like Old Grimes & Whiskey Before Breakfast but I don’t have any fundamentals. Do you recommend not fixating on learning songs and learning the scales first?
Hey Tracy – I might check out the Fill Riff Course at some point if you haven’t already. We start out in that course talking about the scales and piecing together some basic music theory. The bluegrass improvising course would be helpful too. That’ll get you going on some fundamentals so you can figure out where the notes are coming from. If you don’t want to learn all five scale positions, I’d probably focus on the 5th position scales in the key of G for starters. Just let me know if you have questions on it. You can find a… Read more »
Thanks Devin. That sounds like a great starting point! I’ll run through those lessons and see where it leads. I appreciate it!
I can’t wait to dive into this lesson.
Such a lot of good stuff to learn keep up the lessons Devin they are great to play.
really useful for my first country bluegrass lessons , really peaceful , many thanks ,worth it 100 percent
Going to start here n learn how to play the guitar rite
I don t understand how to read it
I’m no expert, but if I can help feel free to PM me and if I can help you I will.
Hey Devin! Love these lessons. Really improving my skills! Just curious…..what kind of Martin do you play? Sounds awesome.
Thanks Grogers! Glad they’re helping out. Most videos you’ll see me playing my Martin D-16GT. It’s one of my favorites. Here’s a video you might like https://countryguitaronline.com/mid-range-acoustic-guitars-for-country-bluegrass/ Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Hi Devin. Not sure if you’re still responding to these since the last comment was a while ago but I thought I’d give it a shot. I saw that in the intro video you say that this is meant to be a one-lesson-a-day sort of course. Is that the best way to go through these? I’m really excited about this course! I am a new member and I’ve already been working on Wildwood Flower and White Freighliner Blues and I think your lessons are great. I’ve been watching countless videos of bluegrass greats including amazing newcomers like Molly Tuttle and… Read more »
what I was looking for for so many years :))))
Hi Devon, Thank you for putting this all together. I am a little over whelmed but I know it will work out. Thank you again, Felix
Man, I’ve been working hard on these for days, and can’t seem to get even close to the speed required to play them within a jam. Do you have a lesson on simpler walk up and walk-downs between g-c-d g-d-c, etc? Not sure how I’d fit 16th notes in between 90 to 100 bpm song.
Hey Timothy, I feel your pain. I’m slower than I want to be, but I have removed some apps from my phone and committed to winning at these guitar skill….I’m off social media 100% I may go back on someday, but for now, the time I spent there will be time spent practising. Give it your best….practise and you’ll get it.
Did he say “only 5 shapes”, hahaha he’s right! But I’ve avoided learning them like the plaque….probably explains my lack of progress to some extent. Lack of practise account for the other 90%….but I digress. I really like the diagram Devin put up there..no one before has pointed out to me the same 5 shapes are used to make both major and minor pentatonic scales…I was thinking ten shapes. Thanks Devin, nice diagram, I printed it out and am going to give it my best to master all five. I have position one down…”only” four to go!