I've been bitten by the bluegrass bug it seems and have been playing a lot of acoustic guitar in the last few days and soaking up the sounds of some bluegrass greats like Tony Rice, Mark O'Connor and Doc Watson. The level of technical ability and musicality these flat-pickers have is astounding and can terrify a relative newbie to the genre like myself. Not mention the fact that a lot of these guys are multi-instrumentalists.On the flip side a lot of even the hardest flat-picking music sounds great at slower tempos. I strongly suggest you dig into some traditional bluegrass standards by these players. I am determined to learn ( at my own tempo of course) either Mark O'Connor's or JP Cormier's version of "Dixie Breakdown".
If your not quite ready for "Dixie Breakdown" here is a little guitar lick of my own in the key of G that is played in the first position and pretty basic. Note that the repeating figure in the first three bars changes slightly in the fourth measure. I also personally like the directional change from forward to reverse in the last two bars with the notes on the A string. Hope your enjoy this. Happy Pickin!
A little bluegrass guitar lick in the key of C. Mainly alternate picking with a few hammer and pulls thrown in. The repeating open D note in the eighth measure can be tricky but I think it sound cool.
I've always loved flatpicking on an acoustic guitar. Some of the best flatpickers are bluegrass players. I've only dabbled with some basic bluegrass playing for acoustic guitar but its a great way to get your alternate picking in shape no matter what style of music you play. This is a guitar lick in the key of G. I've incorporated some hammer on and pull-offs into this lick but you can also use strict alternate picking if you prefer.
For the triplet in the middle section at bar 4 I find it easiest if you start the hammer on with your index finger and shift positions later. Alternatively you could fret that note with your second finger. See what feels best to you. When your reading the tab or notation listen to the music in the video. The guitar lick has three distinct sections. The first on ends at the open G string in bar 4. The second begins with the triplet in bar four. the the last section begins where the first slide starts in the last bar. Listen closely and you will hear the accents that bring out each section.
This is a traditional piece arranged for acoustic guitar by Scott Nygaard from acoustic guitar magazine. The guitar here is based in drop D tuning. I've decided to build up a repertoire of some acoustic songs and this is the first song I picked. I've just memorized it yesterday. I find personally if you start at the end of the piece and work backwards it makes memorization easier. Currently acoustic guitar university is having a free month of lessons so you can check out lots of great songs arranged for acoustic guitarists both flatpickers and fingerstyle players. You can check out the site at www.acousticguitaru.com
This is a Celtic Style guitar lick in G. Follow the video for the rhythm as the tab is more of a guide for the notes played. The rhythm is a bit looser feel so don't be tied strictly to the written notation or note values in the guitar tab. Let the open strings ring out and aim for a happy, upbeat feel. Hope you dig this have a great weekend. Cheers.
This is a guitar lick based around open strings and pull offs. We being with a section centered around the open D string which repeats twice then a similar lick is played based around the open G string. The notation in the guitar tab is a rough guide listen to the music for a better idea of the phrasing. Have a great weekend.
Just messing around trying to get back into guitar playing after a break to watch the Olympics. Hope you dig this. Cheers. It's pretty fun to play over so grab your guitar and give it a shot yourself. I stuck mainly to the A Major scale because that sounded best to my ears.
