Welcome to the Pickin’ Lessons Beginner’s Crash Course in Flatpicking Guitar!
This crash course is for the complete beginner wanting to learn to flatpick. Focusing on Bluegrass and other folk styles, the course will get you pickin’ some of your favourite melodies and learn how to accompany others by learning the common chords played on the guitar.
Each lesson is structured around a specific technique & focuses on a particular key (musical family of notes & chords).
The full course is available to premium members, which includes:
- All tab’s, worksheet’s, video’s, play-along’s and backing track’s;
- All future Beginner Level’s added to the course (while you remain a premium member);
- Plus access to all of the standard lesson’s & tab’s available on the website.
Full membership gives you access to all video lessons, tabs & charts!
101 Beginner Level: Overview (10 Lessons)
In Level 1, there are 10 lessons, including 6 flatpicking melodies, 4 major chords & a number of exercises for chords, rhythm & flatpicking. Topics covered in Level 1 include:
Lesson 1 – Introduction & Essential Theory To Get You Started!
This is the section that you may find the least interesting, but is probably the most important! If there is a term, symbol or anything to do with rhythm & basic technique that you are unsure of when you are progressing through each of the later lessons, the information will most likely be found here. Come back to this section often and familiarise yourself with the info as you progress. Topics included are:
- Parts Of The Guitar & Tips On How To Hold The Guitar
- Open Strings & How To Tune
- Tips On Holding The Pick & Basic Picking Technique
- How To Read Tablatur, Music Symbols & Rhythm
- Left-Hand Technique
Lesson 2 – Key of C Major & Tom Dooley
In this lesson, we’ll be Jumping on in to your first flatpicking melody, Tom Dooley & explore the Key of C Major with some simple exercises.
- The C Major Scale – 3 String Scale with Exercises To Warm-Up & Work On Technique
- Tom Dooley
Lesson 3 – Introduction To Open Chords & Play-Along
In this lesson we’ll take a look at 2 common chords played on the guitar, practice changing between the 2 chord shapes, learn a useful strumming pattern to get you started & play-along with the changes in Tom Dooley.
- How To Read Chord Boxes
- Learn The C Major Chord
- Learn The G Major Chord
- Exercises Changing From The C – G Chords
- Strum Pattern #1
- Rhythm Guitar & Melody Play-Along #1: Tom Dooley
Lesson 4 – Key of D Major & Angeline The Baker (Free Lesson)
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the Key of D Major & the popular fiddle tune Angeline The Baker.
- The D Major Scale – 4 String Scale with Exercises To Warm-Up & Work On Technique
- Angeline The Baker
Lesson 5 – The D Major Chord & Play-Along
In this lesson, we’ll learn the D Major chord, work on changing between the D & G chords, learn a variation on the first strum pattern and play-along with the changes in Angeline The Baker.
- Learn The D Major Chord
- Exercises For Changing Between The D & G Chords
- Strum Pattern #2
- Rhythm Guitar & Melody Play-Along #2: Angeline The Baker
Lesson 6 – Key of G Major, Worried Man Blues (Free)
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the key of G Major & learn the melody to 2 popular songs.
- The G Major Scale – 6 String Scale & Double Picking Eighth Note Exercise
- Worried Man Blues
Lesson 7 – Changing Between The G, C & D Chords & Play-Along
In this lesson, we’ll work on changing between the 3 major chords in the key of G & play-along with Worried Man Blues
- Exercises For Changing Between The G, C & D Chords
- How To Follow Along With The Chord Chart
- Rhythm Guitar & Melody Play-Along #3: Worried Man Blues
Lesson 8 – Key of C Major Banks Of The Ohio & Foggy Mountain Top
In this lesson, we’ll dive deeper into the key of C Major & learn the melody to 2 more popular songs, this time with the melody played on the bass strings.
- The C Major Scale #2 – 6 String Scale & Double Picking Eighth Note Exercise
- Banks Of The Ohio (Bass Note Melody)
- Foggy Mountain Top (Bass Note Melody)
Lesson 9 – The Infamous ‘F’ Chord & Play-Along
Now, as you may or may not be aware, this chord is certainly called ‘F’ for a reason! For the beginner it can be a real challenge to make this chord sound clean. In this lesson we’ll take a look at some strategies that will hopefully help you get your fingers around it!
- Learn The F Major Chord
- Exercises For Changing Between The C, F & G Chords
- Rhythm Guitar & Melody Play-Along #5: Banks of the Ohio
- Rhythm Guitar & Melody Play-Along #6: Foggy Mountain Top
Lesson 10 – Using A Capo & Transposing
Get yourself a capo and let’s get transposing! In this lesson, we’ll cover several types of capo’s available, the differences between them and then transpose some of the songs we’ve worked on in previous lessons into different keys. (Transposing refers to taking a melody or chord progression and playing it in the same way, but in a different key).
- What Is a Capo?
- How to Transpose Using The Capo