Lesson ID: A0187
In this guitar lesson, we’ll work on some flatpicking in the style of Molly Tuttle using a common “I-IV-V” chord progression that we’ll borrow from the song “White Freightliner Blues” by Townes Van Zandt. Molly Tuttle adds her own twist to this song and we’ll take a look at how she uses chord embellishments, crosspicking, and fill riffs to spice up her bluegrass rhythm guitar playing.
Lesson Overview
Full Breakdown
Playthrough
Gear Used in This Lesson
Wow! Dude! This is nice! You made that seem easy! I watched Molly Tuttle play this and didn’t think I could do that. I like your arrangement (maybe because it’s so good!) I like this tempo better too.
Probably one of my favorite lessons so far. Good one Devin!
This is wonderful, Devin! I love your arrangement, and how you’ve made it so accessible to us! Thanks!
Alice
I can actually play through measure 8 at this point!! I’m gonna enjoy this. Such a dainty sound!
Thank you for all the work you put into these lessons, it really shows! Also, love the looper gizmo!
It is such a good flatpicking lesson! Thanks a lot Devin and have a nice weekend!
The tablature has been changed a little bit, first measure when you do the hammer on you let your finger on the third string.I saw it on the playthrough video. It’s sound just great. Thanks Devin!
Hey Jocelyn! Yes, you’re right…when I put together the playthrough video, I noticed I had a mistake in the tablature. The playthrough video is correct and we just updated all the other videos and the tablature so hopefully it’s all good now. I’ll email you a copy of it also. Glad you like this one!
Yes I really like this one thanks again!
My first thought while listening was, this sounds like Pretty Boy Floyd, then as it got going i thought, no it sounds like Townes Van Zandt. Which of course it is. Good choice. Thanks Devin!
I’ve been trying to learn the picking style patterns of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark with minimal progress. I love their sounds and don’t like to just strum strum strum. Love the sound of fingerpicking melodies. I’m going very very slow. I watch their fingers all day long.
Sounds so good. Thanks for the intermediate version and not the advanced.
I am having the best time.
So glad I found your site.
My journey with bluegrass music started with Billy Strings.
Thank you Billy.
Top man.
Thank you Devin. Great lessons.
Devin, I’m loving the bonus tabs you’re adding to your lessons right now. Gives us time to get the first bit down (well, usually 90% in my case) and then build on it.
The new solo is awesome. I’m coming up for 18 months’ of membership, but this and Tennessee Waltz is really some of the best stuff you’ve done.
Thanks so much
Thanks Kate! I’m glad you’re liking the bonus videos…maybe I’ll revisit some other the other lessons too and add some extra parts. Thanks for the feedback! And for supporting my lessons here at CGO : ) I appreciate it!
Amazing!
Really enjoying this one Devin. Really having trouble breaking my fingerpicking hardwiring. Great lessons.
Great lesson. I understand it’s ideal to get the pick direction down as marked, but I often go astray especially with the double upstrokes. My question is if I can get through the main and solo slowly, mostly clean, but missing some of the pick directions, do you recommend to really taking time to try and nail them as posted, or should I not get too hung up about it?
Thanks
ZJ
Hey ZJ! It could be worth taking the time to play it using the pick direction in the tablature… the pick stroke direction in the tablature basically just shows a strict alternate picking pattern — DUDUDUDU over every eighth note 1&2&3&4&. Obviously you’ll skip over some of the strokes because you won’t play a note on every eighth note throughout the arrangement, but that’s the main idea. The reason I like doing that in these flatpicking arrangements is because it helps me build up momentum using the DUDUDUDU pattern so I can keep the pick moving in the DUDU motion.… Read more »
Ok, having seen your skill and precision on some of those faster barn burner demos, I’ll definitely follow that advice. As I’m sure others do, I’ll just have to fight the urge to speed up if it means sacrificing optimal technique. Thanks for getting back
Thanks for asking that..I usually don’t think about it until I have already developed a different pattern. I will try it Devin’s way next time.
I like this one, Thanks
Great lesson Devin !
Loved this lesson. Do you think you could do more lessons with this kind of playing style? I love the cross picking merged with the bluegrass strumming
Hi Devin, in this bonus solo I’m wondering why you don’t keep the up/down picking consistent in measure #2 .
I can get the player to play every clip except “main progression 29 through 32”. Just keeps spinning. Is this a known issue?…I’ll try again tomorrow perhaps but it seems weird that everything else (every other section) plays just fine for me.
Love this breakdown lesson by the way. I really am so happy with it.
Glad you like the lesson! Were you able to get the video playing properly? Seems to be working on my end but let me know if it’s still giving you trouble.
Yes thank you! It was some kind of weird temporary glitch. Not sure why it was happening but all is well now and still enjoying the lesson. Cleaning up my picking on measures 21-24 and Reviewing the “Practice Along With Me” for a while then moving onto the solo…then progressive metronome practice. Do metronomes go as fast as Molly? Prestissimo Molly.
Ciao!
Seaside Jimmy
Just great!, the has helped me Immensely. It would be great if at some point you could do the rest of the solos, or at least one more. Also the way she ends the song would be nice. Great job!
Love this one!
Oh, the bonus solo is much harder. That’s awesome! I didn’t want this lesson to be over yet.
This is the song that brought me to your website! Thank you for this breakdown!