Bluegrass Guitar Essentials

Lesson 1:  Introduction to BGE

To begin the series, I take the time to talk about what Bluegrass Guitar Essentials (BGE) is and who it's for.If you want to see an overview of the entire course in more detail, and decide whether the remainder of this series is right for you, watch the video in this introductory lecture entitled "Bluegrass Guitar Essentials in a Nutshell."Note: I sometimes refer to these course modules as "webisodes," so to avoid confusion, think "modules" when I say "webisodes" to easily navigate your way around the course.

Lesson 2:  A Brief History of the Instructor’s Bluegrass Guitar Journey

In this lecture, I'll be discussing how I got my start in Bluegrass guitar.

Lesson 1:  The Guitar I Use in the Course

In this section I'll go in depth regarding the guitar I'll be using for the entirety of the course. It's a Martin DCX1E, and since originally recording this course, I've had it for about seven years, and it's still a dream to play.I'll tell you all about it and give you some ideas about what to look for in your preferred guitar for playing Bluegrass.

Lesson 1:  The Picks I Use and Recommend

Believe it or not, there's a lot to be said about what kind of pick you use when it comes to the tone that comes out of your guitar. Many people think the tone comes from the wood the guitar is made of or the strings you use, but the smallest tool can sometimes make the biggest difference.In this lecture, I'll show you why it's so important to test out many different picks before you settle, and what I've learned from doing years of my own research with various types of picks.

Lesson 2:  The Strings I Use and Recommend

Even though your pick makes a big impact on the tone that comes out of your guitar, you couldn't play it without strings! In this lecture, I'll share with you the #1 string brand I use and recommend—and have for years.I've tried so many strings I can't even keep track of them all, and still I find myself always coming back to my "old faithful" brand.

Lesson 3:  Other Gear I Use and Recommend

In this lecture, I'll cover the remaining gear I recommend to all Bluegrass guitarists.

Lesson 1:  Closing Remarks and Syllabus for the Remainder of the Course

In closing, I'll briefly discuss what's to come in the remainder of Bluegrass Guitar Essentials.

Lesson 1:  Wilder Mountain Coal Promo Video w/ Tabs

I created this solo for the song "Wilder Mountain Coal" from the same album name of a Bluegrass group I used to sing and play lead/rhythm guitar for.In this special twenty-plus minute promo video, I'll thoroughly explain the tips and techniques needed to play this solo correctly.Included is the fully transcribed tablature so you'll know exactly what I'm doing to get that signature blistering attitude Bluegrass guitar is known for.

Lesson 2:  BONUS Section: More Information about Bluegrass Guitar Essentials

You can find more information about Bluegrass Guitar Essentials such as:Useful articles and tips about Bluegrass guitarHow to get the entire 7-Disc course on DVDSign up for the email newsletter to be informed of sales, specials, and announcementsAll this and more...athttp://www.BluegrassGuitarEssentials.com and http://www.BluegrassGuitarEssentials.com/DVDsIf you're interested in learning more from me, including my newest Bluegrass course, Bluegrass Guitarpeggios, or my first electric guitar course, The Secrets of Texas Blues Guitar, check out my official Courses page at https://ericbeaty.com/courses.Lastly, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and check out my official Blog/Website over at https://ericbeaty.com/youtube and https://ericbeaty.com.Thanks again for joining me so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest of Bluegrass Guitar Essentials.

Lesson 3:  A Note to New Customers

New customers, please read this very important note...

Premium Content Introduction to Tuning and Clip-on Tuners

In this section, you'll learn the way I approach tuning my guitar and how to tune your guitar using clip-on, vibration-based tuners. I'll also share with you why you should only consider your tuner as a guide and not a definitive tool of tuning mastery.

Premium Content The Relative Tuning Method

What happens if your clip-on tuner battery dies and there are no other means of tuning your guitar (piano, pitch-pipe, tuning fork, etc.)? You use the Relative Tuning Method!In this section, I'll show you how to implement the Relative Tuning Method for the best results.

Premium Content Tuning Tweaks for those Pesky Strings

Ever had some of your guitar strings just refuse to get in tune? I'll show you what I've discovered to whip those pesky strings into shape.

Premium Content The Right Hand: The Key to Speed

In this lecture, you'll finally understand why you can't seem to get those fast licks and phrases under control. Why do you crash and burn in the middle of a solo?You might be surprised to find that the key to increased picking speed is not your left (fretting) hand, it's your right (picking) hand!

Premium Content The Left Hand: The Key to Finesse

In this lecture, you'll learn how to make your phrasing even smoother and play licks and solos faster.

Premium Content Introduction to Picking Exercises

We're about ready to begin the picking exercises! Just a few more thoughts that will help you know what to expect before we move along.From here on out, please pay close attention to the picking hand! I know it's easy to get caught up in all the cool things the fretting hand is doing, but this section is all about getting your picking hand under control...so look at it from time to time.

Premium Content General Picking Exercises

To begin your picking exercises, I'll show you some basic picking drills that mostly involve the open strings.Learning how to hop from string to string is so important because it allows you to know which string you are on at any given time without having to look at your picking hand.

Premium Content Picking Exercises in G Position, Part 1

The main chord positions for Bluegrass guitar are G, C, and D. In this, and the following three lectures, I'll show you some picking exercises that can also serve as potential licks and phrases.For this and the following lecture, we'll discuss exercises in perhaps the most widely used chord position in all of Bluegrass guitar: The G position.

Premium Content Picking Exercises in G Position, Part 2 (Backtracking)

Next up is the remainder of the picking exercises in G position. Only this time, I'll share with you one of the secrets that's had a profound impact on my own personal playing.It's a technique I call "Backtracking," and it all has to do with switching the direction of your picking.

Premium Content Picking Exercises in C Position

Now we come to the picking exercises for the C position. It's important to know how to do some of the same licks and phrases in more than one keyOnce you can perform many licks and phrases in multiple keys, the sky's the limit to what you can do in just about any song or fiddle tune!

Premium Content Picking Exercises in D Position & Outro

The great thing about the picking exercises in the D position is that you have access to many of the open strings as well as some great fretboard real estate that comes with the D position.Be on the lookout for a new way to play the D chord. This new D shape will aid you tremendously in the coming modules, especially where scales and chords are concerned.

Premium Content The Legend of Captain John Promo Video w/ Tabs

Learn how to play the solo, note for note, to one of my most requested songs.

Premium Content Open String Transitions in G Position

One of the most important aspects of having the freedom to navigate the fretboard is the concept of Open String Transitions.When I finally watched enough Tony Rice and Bryan Sutton videos, I realized the main tool they used to traverse the neck so quickly was Open String Transitions.In this lecture, I'll show you how to utilize them in your own playing.

Premium Content Open String Transitions in C & D Positions

In this lecture, I continue the Open String Transitions, but for the keys of C and D. One of the best things about C and D is that they share similar scale shapes and can therefore be duplicated most of the time, just in a different position on the fretboard.

Premium Content The Defining Purpose of Scales

In this lecture, there are some great ideas I'll share with you about scales such as:The difference between Diatonic and Pentatonic scalesVarious Scale FormulasRelying on your ear to find the right notes for your personal taste in musicThe importance of finding the melody of a tune via the "Bible Method" of locationHow chords are actually made up of scalesAnd much more

Premium Content Types of Scales and Their Formulas

In this lecture, I'll further delve into the types of scales used in the Bluegrass Guitar Essentials series (more specifically Major and Major Pentatonic for this particular module).In addition, I'll further explain the concept of scale formulas, why they're so important, and how to incorporate them into your playing.

Premium Content The G Major Scale: Open & Closed Positions

To make learning the scales presented in this and future Bluegrass Guitar Essentials modules easier, I've decided to present only the Open, Closed, and Short Scale variations in the videos.This way, you can implement them in your playing right away and get started impressing your friends at jam sessions and festivals!

Premium Content The G Major Scale: Root Notes & Short Scales

For the most part, most Bluegrass guitarists I've seen (professional or otherwise) choose not to use entire scale patterns in their playing. Instead, we like to implement what I refer to as "Short Scales," which help increase the speed of your playing as well as allow for easier fretboard navigation.In this lecture, I'll share with you the benefits of using Short Scales in your playing to accomplish the same results.

Premium Content The C Major Scale Positions

In this lecture, I'll show you some of the same patterns you learned earlier, but for the key of C Major. The great thing is, you don't need to learn any new scale patterns because they're exactly the same, only beginning with a different root note.

Premium Content The D Major Scale: Open Position

The shapes of the D Major Scale will be easy to learn since it's basically the exact same as the C Major Scale, only shifted up two frets! This makes it easy to learn other keys that have a root note on the A string.

Premium Content The G Major Pentatonic Scale: Open Position with Color Notes

This lecture will introduce you to one of the best kept secrets of Bluegrass Guitar: Pentatonic Scales!Pentatonic scales allow you to play even faster by eliminating two out of the seven notes of the Major scale.I'll also talk about what I call "Color Notes" These "extra" notes, located in an around the Pentatonic scale, help you spice up your phrasing even more! Simply work within the "skeleton" of the Pentatonic scale shape and "flavor" your phrasing with a few notes around it.

Premium Content G Major Pentatonic Scale: Closed Position

Now that you've mastered the closed position of the G Major Pentatonic Scale, I'll show you the next step: learning the closed position.This will help you translate the scale into various other keys, resulting in a more comprehensive knowledge of navigating the fretboard.

Premium Content The G Major Pentatonic Scale: Short Scales

I mentioned earlier that the Pentatonic scale eliminates two of the seven notes in a Major scale, thus allowing you to play faster. But what if you could eliminate even more notes, resulting in even faster playing!In this lecture, I'll show you the basic "Short Scale" shape of the G Major Pentatonic scale, which will allow your playing to reach even faster speeds!

Premium Content The C Major Pentatonic Scale: Open & Closed Positions

Since we've covered many of the main topics regarding the G Major Pentatonic Scale, this lecture on the C Major Pentatonic Scale will be a brief overview of the same...only in a different key.

Premium Content The C Major Pentatonic Scale: Short Scales

Once again, we've covered much of these "Short Scales" in the G Major Pentatonic section (Lecture 10), this lecture will be another brief overview for the Pentatonic Short Scales in the key of C.

Premium Content The D Major Pentatonic Scale: Open Position

Similar to the C Major Pentatonic Scale (Lecture 12), the open position for the D Major Pentatonic Scale will be the exact same shapes, only shifted up two frets.

Premium Content The D Major Pentatonic Scale: Close Position, Short Scales, & Outro

In this lecture, I'll briefly go over the Closed Position and the Short Scale versions of the D Major Pentatonic Scale, which you can once again translate to other keys with root notes on the A string.

Premium Content Lonely Tonight: A Lesson in Soulful Bluegrass Soloing

Special BONUS Promo Video: In this video, I'll show you the solo to another of the songs I wrote when I was playing with the group Wilder Mountain: "Lonely Tonight."This is a song that I wrote in waltz (3/4) time, so it will be a good example of playing a slow, soulful solo—which requires a bit more finesse and charm than all the blazing fast picking that Bluegrass Guitar is mostly associated with.

Premium Content Introduction & Practice Tip 1: Stretching Before & After Practice

Welcome to the next module! This course is all about helping you develop practice tips and a better understanding of how to apply minor scales in your playing!In this lecture, I'll begin with some simple stretches you can do to loosen up your hands, arms, and wrists. It's important that you remember to do these before and after each practice session.

Premium Content Practice Tip 2: Practicing with a Metronome

In this next practice tip, I'll show you how practicing with a metronome helps you increase your playing speed, synchronize your right and left hands, and helps your overall playing proficiency.

Premium Content Practice Tips 3-5: Octaves, Shared Notes, and Root Notes

In this lecture, I'll cover three additional tips:Practicing each scale one octave at a timeSwitching positions and box shapes using shared notesMemorizing your root notesThe great thing about all these practice lessons is that they aren't just random exercises. They actually help improve areas you'll be using in your playing of various licks, songs, etc.!

Premium Content Practice Tips 6-8: Goals, Scales to Save Time, & more (w/ Practice Review)

In this last lecture in the Practice Tips section, I'll cover three more practice tips:Setting Goals for your playing and practice sessionsThe most important scales to learn if you're short on timeThe "Bible" MethodThis was one of my favorite sections to record because of how exciting these particular tips are to my own playing. I hope you find them just as useful and FUN in your practice sessions as I have.

Premium Content Major and Minor Scale Differences

In this middle section, before moving on to the Minor Pentatonic Scales section, I'll pause to explain some of the differences between the Major and Minor scales and why you don't have to learn any new shapes.

Premium Content G Minor Pentatonic & Shifting Box Positions from Major to Minor

We begin the Minor Pentatonic Scales section with tips on learning the G Minor Pentatonic scale.While I'm covering the G Minor Pentatonic scale, I'll share some tips on how to shift the box position—using the exact same box shape—to switch from Major to Minor and vice-versa. If you haven't ever heard of this tip, it will change the way you play guitar forever!

Premium Content C and D Minor Pentatonic & Getting from Major to Minor & vice-versa

In this lecture, I'll be covering the Minor Pentatonic scale shapes of the last two of the "Three Essential Keys": C & D. The great thing about these keys is that the shapes are exactly the same, only moved up two frets (from C to D).I'll end the lecture by giving you even more tips for getting from Major to Minor scales and vice-versa.

Premium Content Major & Relative Minor Scale Similarities

Another great way to learn scales is by comparing the Major scales to their Relative Minor scales. In this lecture, I'll show you how to stay in the same shape and in the same position on the fretboard while still being able to play in two different keys (Major and Minor).

Premium Content Final Major/Minor Tips & Scale Summaries

In the final lecture of the Minor Pentatonic scales section, I'll review what we've covered so far (both for Major and Minor scales) and summarize many of the tips we've covered.Once you've mastered these scales, you can be confident that you'll be ready for just about any jam session that comes your way.

Premium Content 3 Essential Bluegrass Licks: Techniques Every Bluegrass Guitarist Should Know

In this video, you'll also learn a technique that each of the three licks is based around: what I call the "First Fret Pull-off." It's definitely one of the essential techniques that, in my opinion, Bluegrass guitar wouldn't be the same without. Tabs are included as well for each lick in the Aditional Resources section of this lecture.

Premium Content Introduction & Capo Tips

I begin this first lecture for the section of songs in the Key of G by showing you some little-known (or little-used) capo tips. I'll share with you an easy tip to help make your playing more comfortable (hint: it has to do with the end of the capo) as well as plenty more tips about proper capo placement, types of capos, and more.

Premium Content I Have Found the Way (A) – Rhythm Techniques

The first song we'll be covering is one of my favorite Bluegrass Gospel tunes by the popular group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. This song is actually found in many Church Hymnals and is generally considered to be in the public domain.In this lecture, I'll go over the tips and techniques for developing a tight Bluegrass strum.

Premium Content I Have Found the Way – Solo Techniques

One of my favorite solos to play is for the song "I Have Found the Way." It's fast, it's focused, and it's just plain fun! In this lecture, I'm going to teach you the subtleties of this solo.I'll also introduce a section I'll be using in nearly all the songs in this course (though, I forgot to add this to the final song): a "Playalong" section where I'll play the rhythm parts and be your backup while you practice your solos!

Premium Content I Am a Pilgrim (Instrumental, G) – Song Breakdown & Playalong

"I Am a Pilgrim" is by far one of the most laid back, Bluesiest tunes you'll ever hear in Bluegrass music. I've heard many different variations on the song from artists such as Clarence White and the Kentucky Colonels, Tony Rice and David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, and many more.Now, I want to show you my take on the popular tune as well as some great Bluesy licks you can use in this song—and many others!

Premium Content Lonely Tonight (G) – Solo Breakdown & Playalong

"Lonely Tonight" is a song I wrote years ago for the Bluegrass band I was in called Wilder Mountain. It's written in 3/4 (Waltz) time and is a great tune to dance to with your significant other.In this lecture, I'll give you the rundown of the solo I play (just so you know, it's a bit advanced, but you'll get it if you keep practicing) and give you a chance to practice it during the Playalong section.

Premium Content Where the Soul Never Dies (Eb) – Song Breakdown & Playalong

This next tune is one of the most popular tunes Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs did way back when. "Where the Soul Never Dies" is a traditional hymn that is as laid back as they come.The great thing about songs like these is the way you can spice up the song with some of the techniques we've already discussed, without having to overdo it and make the song feel too flashy.

Premium Content Bury Me Beneath the Willow (Eb) – Song Breakdown & Playalong

In this lecture, I'll be showing you my insights on the breakdown of "Bury Me Beneath the Willow," an old Carter Family favorite.I'll go over the signature rhythm and bass strumming the Carter Family was known for as well as how to fill the gaps between the notes for a more well-rounded tune. I sometimes refer to this as "strumming between the notes."

Premium Content Working on a Building (D) – Drop-D Tuning, Song Breakdown & Playalong

"Working on a Building" has become a favorite song to many fans of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel alike.This tune has a hard driving feel to it and features a key that allows for some of the snappiest attitudinal licks in Bluegrass: D. More specifically, Drop-D.In this first lecture for the section of songs in the Key of D, I'll begin by briefly covering some of the aspects of playing in Drop-D tuning.

Premium Content St. Anne’s Reel (Instrumental, D) – Song Breakdown & Playalong

When deciding on a decent fiddle tune to end this module with, it didn't take me long to find one that I believed fit perfectly with this course. "St. Anne's Reel" is a popular fiddle tune that has an emotional feel to it; it almost feels happy and sad at the same time.In this lecture, I'll show you how to play the tune in not one but two octaves for Drop-D tuning—which is one of the great advantages of this particular tuning.

Premium Content Promo Video: Tips for Playing Better Bluegrass

There are always more things you can learn when it comes to improving your playing techniques. Some of the extra rhythm techniques I cover in this special bonus video include:How to know where your pick is on the strings at all timesFocusing on what you're playing next, not what you're playing nowImproving your picking and fretting hand coordination

Premium Content Additional Strumming & Rhythm Techniques

In this special BONUS section, I'll share with you some of my best YouTube videos for learning various strum patterns and rhythm techniques.

Premium Content Common Chords for the Key of G

I begin this module with some of the most common chords used for Bluegrass Guitar. Some of these are very basic chords, so they should be easy to learn for most people.

Premium Content Advantages of an Alternate D-Chord Shape

In this lecture, I'll share with you one of the best-kept secrets of navigating the fretboard: An Alternate D-Chord Shape!With this new form of a D-chord, you can easily add extra reach and additional notes to your playing, especially in the higher areas of the fretboard when soloing in the key of G.

Premium Content The Purpose and Function of 7th Chords

In the third lecture of this module, I'll demonstrate the purpose and function of 7th chords.

Premium Content The 6 Chord

When I refer to the 6 chord in this lecture, I'm not speaking of a Major 6th chord. I'm simply referring to the chord that takes the place of the 6th degree in the Major Scale, usually in a minor form.In this lecture, I'll briefly go over how I use the popular "Nashville Number System" in Bluegrass Guitar and how you can locate the various chords you need for common Bluegrass chord progressions.

Premium Content Common Chords in the Key of C

Now that you have a foundation for some of the most commonly used chords in Bluegrass in the key of G, it's time to move into learning similar chords in the key of C.

Premium Content Common Problems with the F Chord

A lot of people have trouble playing the F chord on the guitar. Never fear. In this lecture, I'll show you some tips and tricks to mastering that pesky F chord and switching between it and some of the other chords in the key of C.

Premium Content Common Chords in the Key of D

Now that you have a foundation for some of the most commonly used chords in Bluegrass in the keys of G and C, it's time to move into learning similar chords in the key of D.

Premium Content Common Problems with the Bm Chord

Just like with the F chord, many people have trouble playing the Bm chord on the guitar. In this lecture, I'll show you how to view this chord in relation to the F chord you just learned (Tip: It's also very similar to the Am chord), so you can master various ways to play the Bm chord once and for all.

Premium Content Summary of the Common Chords and Substitutions

Now that we've covered the Essentials Common Chords in various keys, it's time for a brief summary of them so you can have a better understanding of how they work and how to apply them to your own playing.I'll also share the fun of using chord substitutions in your playing to help you develop your own signature sound. 

Premium Content Uncommon Chords: G9sus4

Now we come to one of my favorite subjects to discuss: Uncommon Chords.What are uncommon chords? Simply put, they are the chords that many players such as Tony Rice, David Grier, Bryan Sutton, and many others add to their playing to get those distinct sounds that aren't commonly found in more traditional Bluegrass playing.In this lecture, I'll begin by showing you one of the most "common" uncommon chords that Tony Rice uses constantly in his playing: G9sus4 (sometimes incorrectly referred to as G11; I'll explain why in this lecture).

Premium Content Uncommon Chords: 5th String 9 Chords

Some of the most fun you can have while playing Bluegrass guitar is incorporating the use of 9 chords into your playing.9 chords (such as C9, D9, E9, etc.) are what give your playing a nice Bluesy quality, useful for adding groove and emotion in your playing.

Premium Content Uncommon Chords: 6th String 9 Chords

Now that we've covered the 5th string, it's time to show you how to play 6th string 9 chords.In this lecture, I'll show you three different ways to play 6th string 9 chords so you can choose which one works for you. Also, since these are moveable chord shapes (just like the 5th string 9 chords), you'll be able to play them in all the keys!

Premium Content Uncommon Chords: 6-9 (add9) Chords

The next uncommon chord set is for 6-9, or add9, chords. These are great chords for giving an unexpected, Jazzy feel to the endings of your songs.

Premium Content Uncommon Chords: Minor 7 Chords

Our last lecture in this section will cover the use of some of my favorite chords: Minor 7 (m7) chords.The more common minor chords are definitely useful, don't get me wrong, but I like the way minor 7 chords add an extra laid back feel, once again giving a soft, jazzy quality to ordinary minor chords.

Premium Content Short Chords: F Shape

In this section, I'll be showing you one of the best tips for navigating the fretboard: Short Chords!I've already covered scales in previous webisodes, but with short chords, you can easily find your way around the fretboard using a few easy to memorize shapes and experimenting with the notes around them.

Premium Content Short Chords: B shape

The next shape in our series of short chords is the B shape.This new shape will allow you to effortlessly navigate the fretboard for the keys of B, C, D, and other keys which have their root notes beginning on the 5th string.

Premium Content Short Chords: D & A Shapes

This last lecture in the Short Chords section covers the D and A Shapes.These two shapes are great for exploring the fretboard beyond the first 5 frets, especially for the key of G. (The alternate D-Chord shape I taught you earlier in the course will definitely come in handy here.)

Premium Content Intro to the Essential Licks Module

In this module, we'll begin learning various useful licks in the keys of G, C, & D.Some of the different types of licks I'll be covering in these sections includeTransitional LicksOpen String LicksDiagonals

Premium Content Essential Licks in the Key of G (Licks 1-3)

I'll begin this G licks section with Licks 1-3.Here, I'll cover several variations of "end of a phrase"—or "tag"—licks as well as a few first fret pull-off licks before moving into more standard Bluegrass licks.

Premium Content Essential Licks in the Key of G (Licks 4-9)

In Licks 4-9, I'll cover:One of my favorite positions for soloing in the key of GSome licks in the lower octave of GStringing smaller licks together to make bigger licksAnd much more!I'll also show you some tips for faster and more accurate playing, such as keeping your fingers close to the fretboard.

Premium Content Essential Licks in the Key of G (Licks 10-13)

Continuing our theme of Essential Licks in the Key of G, Licks 10-13 will cover:A variation of the previous two trill/back-tracking licks (for learning even more areas of the fretboard)"Double-back" Licks in various positions

Premium Content Essential Licks in the Key of G (Licks 14-20)

Licks 14-20, the final licks in this section, will cover:A useful picking lick I covered from a module 2Some licks off the top of my head which were tabbed later (since I ran out of licks I had hand-written while recording).A variation on the standard G lick like the ones we learned in Licks 1-3I'll also give you some extra tips for experimenting with the licks you've just learned and how to place them in songs.

Premium Content BONUS Video: Private Video Lesson on Basic Bluegrass Licks

In this lecture, I'll include a special video covering some very basic Bluegrass licks.

Premium Content Diagonals: Major Diagonals for the Key of G

In this lecture, I’ll begin showing you one of the best techniques you can use for getting around the fretboard with ease.Compiled of several of the scales we’ve covered so far in previous modules, these Diagonal shapes make it a breeze to get to either the low or high positions on the fretboard, using slide or transition points.

Premium Content Diagonals: Minor Diagonals for the Key of G

This lecture will cover a similar shape for the Minor Diagonals in the Key of G. Thankfully, as you’ll see in the next lecture, there are only two simple shapes you need to memorize to create either Major or Minor Diagonal patterns.

Premium Content Diagonals: Combining Major and Minor Diagonals

In this lecture, things will start to come together much clearer for you. As I stated in the previous lecture notes, the great thing about using Diagonals is that you only need to memorize two basic shapes to create both Major and Minor Diagonal patterns.

Premium Content Licks in the Key of C (Open Position)

I’ll begin this lecture by showing you a great picking pattern to use for playing rhythm. Many times, rhythm playing becomes too crowded with the noise of all the strings.With the “picking strum” I’ll show you, you can cut through the noise and sound more like the pros by picking a little of the rhythm after each “regular” strum. Not only this, but it will help improve your picking overall as well!I’ll also continue where I left off in the G-Licks lesson by introducing you to some great licks in the Key of C. When we move into the D licks, you’ll notice some similarities to these C licks, so be sure to pay attention! In addition, I’ll show you how to find the correct alternate picking pattern for licks simply by playing them backwards.

Premium Content Licks in the Key of C (Closed Positions)

We continue the C-licks with some that are located in the higher positions of the fretboard. I combine the use of Open String Transitions and the Diagonals we covered earlier to create some of these licks.This just goes to show you how creative you can get by experimenting with some of the techniques we’ve covered so far in the various Bluegrass Guitar Essentials course modules.

Premium Content Licks in the Key of D (Open Position)

In this lecture, I’ll show you some D licks, many of which involve the use of Open String Transitions. I’ll even show you one of the more difficult licks in the popular song by Tony Rice, “Blue Railroad Train.”

Premium Content Licks in the Key of D (Closed Positions)

In this lecture, you’ll notice the similarities between the D licks and the C licks, since they are in essence the same, only two frets higher for the key of D. Even so, there are still plenty more licks to learn here.

Premium Content Conclusion & Tips

In this final lecture of the course, I’ll share with you some tips to keep you growing in your journey as a guitar player. Some of these include:• Be a continual learner• Play and jam with others• Come back and refer to this material over and over again for enhanced understanding• Form your own band• And much more!

Premium Content BONUS Video: First Fret Pull-off Licks in the Keys of C & D

Here are a couple extra videos I'm including for some more first fret pull-off licks in the keys of C and D.

Premium Content BONUS Video: First Fret Pull-off Licks in the Key of D

Here's the second bonus video for the first fret pull-off licks in the key of D.

Premium Content BONUS Video: Bluegrass Jam and Interview with Kenneth Burris

This bonus video features my most viewed YouTube video so far with over 200,000 views! It's a Bluegrass Guitar Jam and Interview with my good buddy Kenneth Burris!I've had so many great compliments about this video of people watching, listening, and even jamming along with it! I recommend you also give it a look and maybe even play along as well!

Premium Content BONUS Video: Bluegrass Gospel Jam and Interview with Elijah Jenkins

This is another of my most-watched videos on my YouTube channel. It's an interview and jam with my good friend Elijah Jenkins of the Jenkins Family and Another Way singing groups.This video contains some of the best picking and talent I've ever had the privilege of sitting next to and playing with.

Premium Content BONUS Video: Another Way singing at the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour

This final bonus video features Another Way with Elijah Jenkins and his two sisters, along with a couple other guys playing together, live and on stage at the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour in Granville, TN.