Lesson 13 – Rhythm Fill Riffs and Lead Guitar Course
Lesson ID: A0138
In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn four country & bluegrass guitar riffs in the key of D that work up the neck a ways. These four riffs can be pieced together to create a guitar solo or you can use them as rhythm fill riffs. They’re all around great riffs that’ll give that country & bluegrass sound we’re going for. After you learn the riffs, we’ll talk about the guitar scales we’re using today to create these riffs so you can see where the notes are coming from instead of just learning licks and playing them from memory.
Lesson Overview
Guitar Riffs
Video 1 – Intermediate Breakdown
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Overview |
| 00:17 min | Riff 1 with Tablature |
| 01:36 min | Riff 2 with Tablature |
| 03:25 min | Riff 3 with Tablature |
| 06:10 min | Riff 4 with Tablature |
Video 2 – Full Breakdown
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Riff 1 Breakdown |
| 04:14 min | Riff 2 Breakdown |
| 05:18 min | Syncopated Rhythm in Country & Bluegrass |
| 06:32 min | Riff 2 Breakdown Cont’d |
| 09:17 min | Riff 3 Breakdown |
| 13:18 min | Riff 4 Breakdown |
| 18:05 min | Riff Recap |
Scale Theory
| Video Start Time | Lesson Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 min | Overview |
| 00:58 min | D Major Scale, 3rd Position Shape |
| 02:10 min | Major Scale Practice Tips |
| 02:44 min | D Blues Scale, 3rd Position Shape |
| 03:52 min | How to Use These Scales When You’re Improvising Solos |
| 05:06 min | Simple Country & Bluegrass Improvising Example |
| 07:08 min | Analyze Riff 1 with the Scales |
| 09:20 min | Your Homework |
New lesson! I’ve been out of town the past week or so for a wedding and vacation, but back to recording more lessons. Plenty of lessons coming soon so send in your requests! Have a great weekend – Devin
Great stuff!!
I learned a lot, thanks man. Still the best country and bluegrass lessons i’ve found on the web
Just added a backing track in D for practicing these new licks and rhythm fills. Also, thanks to all the new members who’ve signed up this past week! Several new folks joining us here in the Gold Pick member area and I can’t thank all of y’all enough! Keep sending your lesson requests this way. Plenty more videos coming soon…
Cool teaching
My guitar picking is really starting to pick up since I found your lesson page. Man I love this music and licks.
Super lesson Devin.
Is it possible to transpose these riffs in G, C and son so on?
You could transpose them, and you’ll just have to modify the licks here and there…especially the licks that use open strings. When I start changing keys and transposing riffs, it helps me to know my “open position” scales very well https://countryguitaronline.com/open-position-guitar-scales/
Amazing lessons from an amazing teacher. I’m learning a lot of theory and really am starting to understand what is going on.
Thanks George!!
Hi Devin. Great lesson thanks. Really enjoying working my way through these licks, particularly since i notice the improvements to my own style which isn’t especially Bluegrassy. I would say this is invaluable training regardless of what style you play, and i’m grateful for the opportunity to broaden my skills. Sorry if this sounds stupid, but how come the dmajor scale has two b notes next to each other (4th fret on G string and open B string.) When i follow the scale pattern i find myself playing the same note twice in a row which can’t be right. Should… Read more »
Thanks Dom, glad the lessons are helping out! That scale chart shows the duplicate note there just to show that you can play it in two different places when you’re playing licks in that scale position. If you’re practicing the scale up and down, you’ll want to choose one of the notes to play so you don’t play it twice.. the duplicate is just there so you don’t forget about it.