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Bluegrass Guitar Solo over Song by The Grascals

April 13, 2025May 1, 2017 by Devin

improvise bluegrass guitar solos using scales guitar lesson

Lesson 4 – Bluegrass Guitar Solo Improvising Course

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Lesson ID: A0124

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn two full-length guitar solos over a common bluegrass chord progression. The first guitar solo is a basic solo with a nice melody that will push your pick control to the next level. The second guitar solo is slightly more advanced and loaded with some awesome bluegrass licks. Throughout the lesson, we’ll also talk about how guitar scales are used to create each of these solos. After you master the solos, practice them over the instrumental break in the song “Where I Come From” by the Grascals.

Lesson Overview

Bluegrass Scales

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Basic Guitar Solo

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Advanced Guitar Solo

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Practice

Practice with The Grascals

Try to play these two bluegrass solos over the song “Where I Come From” by The Grascals using the embedded player from Spotify. A nice instrumental break starts around 1:17 in this song. 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. Also, check out The Grascals on iTunes. They’ve got a ton of other great songs to choose from.

Basic Solo Tablature Advanced Solo Tablature Woodtone Strings

Nine Pound Hammer with Tony Rice Style Solo Breaks

April 13, 2025January 23, 2017 by Devin

nine pound hammer guitar lesson bluegrass style of tony rice flatpicking licks

Capo 2nd Fret – Key of A

Lesson ID: A0111

In this guitar lesson, I’ll teach you how to play the traditional bluegrass song “Nine Pound Hammer” with some instrumental solo breaks in the style of Tony Rice. First we’ll go over the chord progression and a strumming pattern that you can play behind your vocals. Then I’ll teach you four different instrumental breaks — the first break will be nice and easy for the beginner pickers, the second break will mix the melody line with strumming, and the last two advanced instrumental breaks will be in the style of Tony Rice.

Overview

Rhythm

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Chord Progression
02:18 min	Chord Progression with Lyrics
03:53 min	Song Structure
04:42 min	Strumming Pattern Options

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Basic Break

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Bass Line Walk-ups Overview
01:25 min	Instrumental Break Chord Progression
02:33 min	Playthrough with Tablature
03:47 min	Extra Detail and Tips

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Melodic Break

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Listen to the Melodic Break
01:21 min	Measures 1 to 5 – Breakdown
04:58 min	Measures 6 to 8 – Breakdown
06:06 min	Practice the First Half
06:35 min	Measures 9 to 13 – Breakdown
09:56 min	Measures 14 to 19 – Breakdown
11:43 min	Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

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Tony Rice Break 1

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Listen to Tony Rice Break 1
00:58 min	Measures 1 to 5 – Breakdown
03:54 min	Measures 6 to 8 – Breakdown
06:01 min	Practice the First Half
06:39 min	Measures 9 to 13 – Breakdown
09:23 min	Measures 14 to 19 – Breakdown
11:40 min	Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

Tony Rice Break 2

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Listen to Tony Rice Break 2
01:02 min	Measures 1 to 5 – Breakdown
02:29 min	Measures 6 to 9 – Breakdown
04:22 min	Practice the First Half
05:01 min	Measures 10 to 12 – Breakdown
06:46 min	Measures 13 to 15 – Breakdown
08:49 min	Measures 16 to 19 – Breakdown
09:09 min	Practice the Entire Instrumental Break

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Jam Track

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Chords & Lyrics Chord Progression TAB Basic Break TAB Melodic Break TAB Tony Rice Break 1 TAB Tony Rice Break 2 TAB Woodtone Strings

Gold Rush in the Style of Tony Rice

April 13, 2025December 2, 2016 by Devin

gold rush guitar lesson with tablature bluegrass licks

Lesson ID: A0105

Capo 2nd Fret – Key of A

In this week’s guitar lesson, I’m going to teach y’all how to play the traditional bluegrass song “Gold Rush”. First, I’ll play through the entire song with tablature at three speeds. Then, I’ll break down each of the flatpicking melodies, give you some extra bluegrass flatpicking tips, and teach you all the rhythm guitar parts. After you learn the flatpicking solo break, practice it with the rhythm jam along video where I play three rhythm backing tracks at different speeds. This song will come in handy at your next bluegrass jam!

Lesson Overview

Playthrough with Tablature

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Playthrough with Tablature – Slow Speed
03:02 min	Playthrough with Tablature – Medium Speed
04:49 min	Playthrough with Tablature – Faster Speed

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Flatpicking Breakdown

Flatpicking Breakdown Videos

Watch the three videos below to learn the song kickoff and an entire flatpicking solo break of “Gold Rush”. In the first video, I’ll teach you the Kickoff and give you some extra tips on pick direction. Then I’ll show you how to play the A and B Parts in the following videos below.

Video 1 – Kickoff

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Song Structure
01:28 min	Kickoff
03:43 min	Flatpicking Method – Pick Direction

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Video 2 – A Part

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	A Part Structure
00:44 min	A Part – Line 1
03:01 min	Flatpicking Method – Bluegrass Style Pull-offs
05:35 min	Practice – Kickoff through A Part Line 1
06:41 min	A Part – Line 2
11:55 min	Practice – Kickoff through A Part Lines 1 & 2

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Video 3 – B Part

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	B Part – Line 1
03:52 min	Practice – B Part Line 1
04:40 min	B Part – Line 2
07:29 min	Solo Break Recap
09:07 min	Looping the Break with a Turnaround
10:46 min	Practice – B Part Lines 1 & 2

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Rhythm Lesson

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Song Structure
00:59 min	Strumming Pattern
02:07 min	A Part Chord Progression
04:11 min	B Part Chord Progression
05:49 min	Bluegrass Jams and Playing Your Solo Break

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Jam Track

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	How to Use the Jam Along Tracks
01:52 min	Rhythm Backing Track – Slow Speed
05:04 min	Rhythm Backing Track – Medium Speed
07:11 min	Rhythm Backing Track – Fast Speed

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Gold Rush Guitar Tablature Chord Progressions Woodtone Strings

Oh Kentucky Country & Bluegrass Strumming

April 13, 2025June 17, 2016 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0077

In this guitar lesson video, you’ll learn how to play a melodic country & bluegrass strumming pattern inspired by the song “Oh, Kentucky” by Lou Reid & Carolina. We’ll add some nice bass line walks and accent picks to the strumming. This guitar lesson will help you develop right hand pick control and it will push your country and bluegrass rhythm guitar to the next level.

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Lesson Overview
00:47 min	Main Strumming Pattern
02:25 min	Alternating Bass Notes
03:44 min	Controlled Strumming
04:34 min	Melodic Bass Line
08:31 min	Practice with a Song