Lesson ID: A0120
“Man of Constant Sorrow” was first published by Dick Burnett in 1913 and later made popular by the Stanley Brothers in the 1950s. In this guitar lesson, we’ll show you how to play “Man of Constant Sorrow” in the style of The Soggy Bottom Boys. This song will turn some heads at your next jam! First, we’ll break down the song’s intro and guitar solo with tablature. Then, we’ll teach you the rhythm guitar part with lyrics along with some nice rhythm fills. Tablature files are available for download below the video!
Lesson Overview
Song Intro
Part 1 – Slow Playthrough of Intro with Tablature
Part 2 – Fast Playthrough of Intro with Tablature
Part 3 – Full Breakdown of Intro
Part 4 – Easier Way to Play the Intro
Rhythm Breakdown
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Chords You Need |
| 03:56 min | Chords & Lyrics Download |
| 04:34 min | Intro Chord Progression |
| 06:37 min | Main Chord Progression |
| 07:56 min | Strumming Patterns |
| 09:34 min | Progression with Lyrics |
| 11:42 min | Rhythm Fill #1 |
| 13:26 min | Rhythm Fill #2 |
| 15:47 min | Instrumental Break Chord Progression |
| 17:12 min | Song Ending Riff |
Awesome song, so fun to play, one of my favorite lessons!
Hey everybody,
Wanted to see if anybody knows any good tricks for the solo on measures 6-7.
Specifically Just the part where the 6 and fifth string is played on the 5th fret and then the open string on the 3rd string. I can’t seem to bar down on the 6 and 5th string on the 5th fret and hit the open 3rd string with out it being muffled. That’s the only part of the song I’m struggling with. Want to see if anyone has any tips on how to hit that open third string on the 6th measure.
So good thankyou
Hey Devin,
Do you think you could do a break down of the Ron Block bonus solo as well?
It would awesome to able to play that one as well if you’re jamming out the whole song. Hope you’re doing great.
if i can pull this one off, maybe I’ll finally actually feel like i can actually play a little guitar.
If I try the easier intro, will it be tough to switch to the legitimate one? I really want to do the full on version. Thanks! Great, great song. It’s why i joined up!
k
I have compared your Soggy Bottom version to the one in the film O Brother and I have to say I like your version better. Sounds *rockier* and *fuller*. Thanks for great lesson.
Excellent lesson. This will keep me occupied for quite some time…..
Great Lesson!
Klasse!!!
Wait so we play the solo 3 times throughout the song? Where can I see you play the whole song in one go?
I must admit I’am finding this one difficult, Could we have a less difficult lesson in the Key of G please.
This got me too John. I’d love an easier lesson.
Öncelikle teşekkür ederim. Gitar deyince aklıma gelen tek parçayı sunduğunuz için. Yalnız bir sorum olacak. Bu parçadaki diğer soloları çok aradım ama bulamadım. Aralardaki diğer soloları ekleyecek misiniz? Tabi eğer çok geç olmadıysa . Lütfen.
I’m glad you like the lesson! There is tablature for the second guitar solo that you can download by clicking the button below this lesson video. The button says “Bonus Guitar Solo”. Maybe I can add a lesson video on this solo later. Thanks for the message! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hey! Thx for the videos. Super helpful. Would it be possible to get a video of you playing the song from start to finished>?
Kind of confused here.
I see that there are 4 “Instrumental Breaks'” between the lyrics in the song.
Do you play the guitar solo 4x in the song? And if not, which of the 4 instrumental breaks do you play the guitar solo?
Or what do you do otherwise during the instrumental breaks, just simple strumming?