Learn to Flatpick Melody and Chords with “I’ll Fly Away”
Walk through three approaches for flatpicking melody and chords together using the classic spiritual “I’ll Fly Away.”
Alan Barnosky
Alan Barnosky is a guitarist based in Durham, NC. He performs solo as a songwriter as well as in bluegrass and folk bands.
Tackle a Challenging Arrangement of “Spotted Pony” by the Late, Great Guitarist Dudley Hill
Hill’s rendition of this traditional Missouri fiddle tune sounds straightforward but is deceptively tricky.
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Hone Your Cross-Picking Skills with the Classic Fiddle Tune “Soldier’s Joy”
"Soldier's Joy" is almost always played fast. In this lesson I present two versions that offer options for navigating this tricky melody.
Two Ways of Approaching the Flatpicking Jam Tune “Old Joe Clark”
Learn two versions of this well-known mountain folk jam tune, one simple enough for beginners and the other a bit more complex.
7 Things You Need to Know Before Participating in Your First Jam Session
Regularly attending a jam can be one of the best ways to get inspired to practice and improve. Here's how to find a jam session, how to prepare, and what to do when you get there.
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Tackling “The Locktender’s Reel”—A Modern Fiddle Tune by Guitarist Eric Skye
Inspired by Skye's Pennsylvania childhood, this wistful and captivating tune is increasingly played at bluegrass and old-time gatherings.
Practice Cross-Picking with This Solo by Early Bluegrass Great Bill Napier on “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
Modern guitarists often use cross-picking as a flashy showpiece, but the early flatpickers did it on slower selections to create charming and captivating solos.
Learn an Elegant Cross-Picking Solo by the Great Tony Rice on “Banks of the Ohio”
Rice’s solo is an exceptional example of how chord shapes and cross-picking can flesh out a tasteful melody-based lead.
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Learn Jamie Stillway’s Spacious Take on the Traditional Bluegrass Tune “Red Haired Boy”
The song is heard often at jams, concerts, and on albums, most recently on Jamie Stillway and Eric Skye’s duo guitar release ‘Over the Waterfall.’
Learn to Play “Big Sciota,” a Traditional Fiddle Tune Popularized by Flatpicking Master Russ Barenberg
“Big Sciota” is not necessarily easy to play, but if you stick with it, you'll learn a fun and well-known tune and develop some powerful chops in both hands.
An Exploration of Doc Watson’s Innovative and Joyful Guitar Stylings
This lesson breaks down Watson’s acoustic flatpicking, beginning with rhythm and backup, transitioning to his lead playing, and ending with the combination of the two.
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How to Play Billy Strings’ Fleet-Fingered Solos on “Way Downtown”
Strings' version of this traditional song includes two solos that quote some signature Doc Watson licks.
“Prelude No. 1 in C Major”—Transforming a Bach Keyboard Work into a Flatpicking Guitar Study
As this arrangement shows, Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major works quite well as a flatpicking etude.
Flatpicking Guitar Lesson: Learn Courtney Hartman’s Arrangement of “Cumberland Gap”
Learn to play this expressive and understated flatpicking guitar rendition of the classic tune “Cumberland Gap,” from Courtney Hartman’s 2016 Nothing We Say.
Learn Jon Stickley’s Clever Guitar Reimagining of the Classic Fiddle Tune “Blackberry Blossom”
Learn to play the Jon Stickley Trio's unique interpretation of the bluegrass tune “Blackberry Blossom” on guitar.
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Learn a Beautiful Open-G Guitar Arrangement of ‘Sally Ann’
Dudley Hill was a beloved guitarist in the Pacific Northwest with great rhythm and time. Here's how to play his version of the tune "Sally Ann" on guitar.
How to Flatpick Like Roots Legend Norman Blake
Norman Blake is one of the great unsung heroes of 20th-century folk music. Here's a look at his life, music, and what you can learn from his guitar playing.
Learn the Fundamentals of Flatpicking on Guitar
What is flatpicking on guitar? Despite the name, it’s more than simply playing with a pick. Flatpicking refers to the acoustic guitar style, heard primarily in the bluegrass and folk idioms, of playing individual notes with a pick to form melodies, solos, and fills.
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Classical Bluegrass? Learn How to Flatpick a Matteo Carcassi Etude
Matteo Carcassi’s 25 Etudes, Op. 60 are a rite of passage for the advancing classical guitarist. Learn how to flatpick this classic on acoustic guitar.
Reimagining a Fernando Sor Etude as a String-Crossing Guitar Workout
This guitar lesson breaks down the mechanics of string crossing and applies it all to a classical guitar etude by Fernando Sor to help build up picking-hand precision.
Flatpicking Guitar Lesson: Learn the Traditional Fiddle Tune “Bill Cheatham”
“Bill Cheatham” is the perfect example of a fiddle tune that's also a great way to learn flatpicking on guitar.
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Flatpicking Master Class: Learn to Think and Play Like the Greats
Here we’ll explore flatpicking guitar through some musical examples based on its key practitioners from Doc Watson to Molly Tuttle and identify some of the genre's essential recordings.
Tips for Tackling the Flatpicking Bluegrass of Doc Watson and Clarence White on “Footprints in the Snow”
The 1964 performance by Doc Watson and Clarence White together at the Newport Folk Festival is a stellar demonstration of flatpicking. As heard on a series of duets on the album Treasures Untold, the recording captures both players early in…
‘Home Sweet Home’: Try a Flatpicking Workout Inspired by a Banjo Classic
Try this flatpicking acoustic guitar workout for "Home Sweet Home," inspired by the banjo classic.
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Learn to Play the Traditional Flatpicking Duet ‘Old Grimes’ on Acoustic Guitar
Guitarist Alan Barnosky teaches an acoustic guitar arrangement of the melodic fiddle tune “Old Grimes,” as interpreted by Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge