Here’s another 12 bar country bluegrass jam from the Woodshed — full of useful hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides that you can use to improvise in the key of G.
Helpful Tips:
•Relax your picking hand and use a light touch — don’t worry about playing loud; volume will come over time as you build the right muscle memory.
•Learn it at a slow pace, then increase your speed in increments.
•Loop the progression — play the 12 bars repeatedly and come up with variations of your own.
Don’t forget to use the AB Loop toolbar below to SLOW DOWN the video for easy learning.
Learn the classic American folk standard “Wildwood Flower” with this step-by-step traditional country and bluegrass guitar lesson. Originally recorded by the legendary Carter Family, “Wildwood Flower” has become one of the most iconic flatpicking songs for anyone wanting to master old-time country guitar, bluegrass rhythm, and melody-based lead breaks. In this lesson here at Country Guitar Online, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of how to play “Wildwood Flower” in the key of G—even though the tune is most commonly played out of the C position—so you can expand your arranging skills and build confidence playing in different keys. This lesson is perfect for guitar players searching for beginner-friendly bluegrass songs, traditional country guitar tutorials, Carter Family guitar arrangements, and flatpicking melodies that sound great at jams.
Inside the lesson, you’ll find full video instruction, on-screen guitar tabs, and tips for mastering the melody with clean country-style flatpicking technique. Country Guitar Online members can also download a print-friendly PDF tablature of the entire arrangement to help with practice away from the screen.
Once you’ve learned the tune, you can sharpen your timing by playing along with the practice video included below from my girlfriend Soonka’s YouTube Channel. You can easily stay updated with our newest performance videos by subscribing to Soonka’s YouTube channel here.
So if you’re looking for easy bluegrass guitar songs, classic country guitar lessons, or timeless folk melodies to add to your repertoire, this “Wildwood Flower” tutorial is a great place to start.
Download the guitar tablature below! There are many ways to add accents to your country & bluegrass guitar rhythm, but here’s how you can do it by combining bass line notes with hammer-ons. This style of guitar playing is heavily influenced by Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and Tony Rice. Try these smooth flowing chord embellishments in my new 12 bar flatpicking workout in the key of G!
Download the chord chart below! In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn 7 different ways to play the G chord—probably the most common chord on guitar. Each shape works better in different situations, and learning them will be a game-changer for your country and bluegrass rhythm guitar playing!
To practice along, you’ll need to CAPO 1st FRET.
After you’re done here