D Archives

Arkansas Traveler

April 11, 2025March 18, 2023 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0219

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play one of the most common bluegrass standards called “Arkansas Traveler” in the key of D. We’d highly recommend learning this song if you ever go to bluegrass jams, and even if you’re not into playing fiddle tunes on guitar, it’s a really good song to use for working on your pick control and accuracy.

After you learn the flatpicking arrangement, practice along with the “Arkansas Traveler” backing track that comes with this guitar lesson. The lesson tablature is available for download below the lesson video.

Lesson Overview

Playthrough with TAB

Member Content

Full Breakdown

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Arkansas Traveler Tablature Woodtone Strings

Bluesy Country Drop D Fingerstyle Riff

April 11, 2025February 9, 2023 by Devin

bluesy-country-drop-d-guitar-riff-fingerstyle-a0217

Lesson ID: A0217

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson, you’ll learn a really fun bluesy country drop D guitar riff. First, we’ll play through the riff slowly with tablature on the screen. After that, we have a full breakdown of the riff with extra guitar playing tips that you won’t want to miss.

In the later portion of this lesson, we’ll talk about fun ways to add dynamics to your fingerstyle so your playing sounds more interesting. We’ll also cover some really valuable improvising ideas that will help you get creative as you’re practicing with this lesson’s backing track.

Learn the Riff

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Listen to the guitar riff
00:38 min	Lick played at a slow tempo with TAB
01:46 min	Full Breakdown with Extra Fingerstyle Tips
11:06 min	Fingerstyle Technique Discussion
13:49 min	Guitar Riff Improvising Tips

Backing Track

Member Content

Guitar Riff Tablature Woodtone Strings

Muddy Drop D Riff

April 11, 2025July 22, 2022 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0213

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn a “muddy” country guitar riff. To play this riff, you’ll need to tune your guitar to drop D tuning (DADGBE), and check out the pick direction symbols in the TAB as you’re learning the riff.

The guitar in this video is a PRS SE P20 acoustic with a tobacco sunburst finish. Definitely worth checking out this guitar if you’re looking for a nice parlor acoustic. I love the tone and it’s super lightweight and fun to play.

If you like the tone of the strings on this guitar, they’re the new Woodtone nickel-infused acoustic guitar strings!

Hope y’all enjoy the lesson! 🤘🤠🤘

Video Start Time	Lesson Topic
00:00 min	Listen to the Drop D Riff
00:23 min	Playthrough with Tablature
01:31 min	Full Breakdown of the Riff

Drop D Riff Tablature Woodtone Strings

A Beautiful Slow Western Swing Guitar Solo

April 11, 2025June 20, 2022 by Devin

Lesson ID: A0212

Western swing music began in the dance halls of small towns throughout the lower Great Plains in the late 1920s and early 1930s, growing from house parties and ranch dances where fiddlers and guitarists played for dancers. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Western Swing became very popular as a subgenre of American country music. Over the years, Western swing has been a huge influence on honky-tonk, rockabilly, and country rock. It also popularized the following in country music: use of electrically amplified instruments, use of drums to reinforce a strong backbeat, expanded instrumentation, a “honky tonk beat”, and jazz/blues style solos.

In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play a slow western swing guitar solo in the key of D. We’ll work through the guitar solo with tablature one line at a time. After you learn the solo, practice along with the Western swing backing track in the key of D. Guitar tablature is available below the lesson video. Hope y’all like this one!

Overview

Playthrough with TAB

Full Breakdown

Member Content

Practice Video

Member Content

Backing Track

Member Content

Western Swing Solo TAB Woodtone Strings